Chapter 201

West of Chan Prefecture city, an inconspicuous villa.

The night was deep, the gate tightly shut; only a flicker of candlelight seeped through the cracks of the study window.

Zhao Kuangyin sat upright in the seat of honor, his complexion uncertain under the dim yellow light.

Before him sat the Iron Crow Army emissary, cloaked entirely in black robes, his breath icy cold, like a wraith stepped from an ancient tomb.

The air was filled with a heavy, strange odor mixing medicinal stones and blood, the trace left by prolonged contact with "Nether Energy Crystal Ore."

"Commander Zhao," the emissary's voice was dry and devoid of inflection, like metal scraping, "The moment has arrived; the fluctuations of the 'node' are growing ever more violent. The 'purge plan' must enter its final stage."

Zhao Kuangyin's grip on the tea cup tightened, his knuckles whitening slightly.

He drew a deep breath, striving to suppress the tumultuous complex emotions welling up in his heart—yearning for power, hatred and jealousy toward Chen Wen's relentless pressure, and a profound dread of these inhuman beings before him.

"Emissary, please see clearly," Zhao Kuangyin tried to keep his voice steady, "Chen now enjoys great prestige, commands heavy troops, and has deep roots. Launching now, is the risk too great?"

"Risk?" the emissary let out a short, eerie laugh like an owl's hoot, sending chills down the spine.

"What is risk? Allowing the 'variable' to continue twisting history's course, causing the world's logic to collapse, that is the true risk!"

"Chen Wen, and the 'abnormal' foundation he protects, must be corrected."

"And Chen Bridge is the optimal point of correction."

The emissary said, his withered finger tracing across the tabletop, as if sketching some predetermined pattern.

"This is the path laid out for you by the 'original script,' and the only opportunity to maximally offset Chen Wen's Fortune Momentum influence, pulling history back onto the 'right track.'"

Zhao Kuangyin fell silent for a moment, a flicker of struggle crossing his eyes.

"My lord... Lord Chai has not treated me poorly..."

"Chai Rong?" the emissary interrupted him, his tone carrying a procedural coldness.

"He too is an important link deviating from the 'script'; if his fate were not ending, he too would be on the purge list."

"Remember, what we uphold is not any particular monarch or dynasty, but the structural stability of history's progression itself."

"Letting emotions dictate action is the greatest obstacle on the path of correction."

Zhao Kuangyin's heart jolted, a chill rising from his spine.

He realized that, in the eyes of these Iron Crow Army members, whether Chai Rong, Chen Wen, or himself Zhao Kuangyin, they were merely pawns maintaining some grand "order."

The difference is, Chen Wen is the "bad piece" that must be eliminated, while he is the "correct piece" chosen to replace that bad piece.

A sense of humiliation at being manipulated by an invisible hand welled up in his heart, but was quickly overwhelmed by his lust for power and fear of Chen Wen.

He had no retreat left.

From the moment he accepted the Iron Crow Army's "tempering" training method and aid of Nether Energy Crystal Ore, he had already bound himself to this war chariot.

"I understand." Zhao Kuangyin's voice sank low, carrying the resolve of breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats.

"Please, emissary, instruct me on the concrete steps to take."

The emissary's head, hidden in the shadows, seemed to give a slight nod, acknowledging Zhao Kuangyin's "sense of the times."

He produced a finely drawn map on some kind of hide and unfurled it on the table.

In the candlelight, the map was covered with dense symbols and routes, its core precisely "Chen Bridge Station."

"The plan must strictly follow the framework of the 'original script'; this is the key to harnessing the power of the 'node.'"

The emissary's finger pointed to several key locations on the map, his voice icy and precise.

"First step, fabricate an urgent military situation of Northern Han and Khitan joint forces invading the border."

"We will handle this; the forged military report will arrive punctually at dawn three days later in Bian Liang and Chan Prefecture."

"Then the court will surely be shaken, and the young emperor and Empress Fu will have to rely on you veteran commanders."

Zhao Kuangyin listened intently, then added.

"At that time, I will join with several familiar colleagues from the Palace Front Command and the Imperial Guard Command, urging that I lead the troops north to repel the enemy."

"And Wang Shenyi, Stone Shouxin, and others will take the opportunity to spread in the army the saying, 'The ruler is young and the state doubtful; better to first establish a regent as emperor.'"

The emissary nodded.

"This is the second step, laying the groundwork of public opinion."

"Third step, the army sets out, but its marching speed must be strictly controlled, ensuring arrival at Chen Bridge Station for encampment by evening."

"After encampment, comes the crucial part."

The emissary's finger came down heavily on the three characters "Chen Bridge Station."

"That night, we will employ our reserves of 'Nether Energy Crystal Ore' to set up a 'Confusion Array' around the camp."

"This array amplifies the soldiers' restlessness and ambition, weakening their reason, making the act of 'donning the yellow robe' appear natural and justified, as if destined by heaven."

A gleam flashed in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes.

"Excellent! This way, troop morale can be harnessed, achieving twice the result with half the effort!"

He immediately thought of a question.

"What about Chen Wen... if he hears the news and rushes over, or interferes from within, how should we respond?"

The emissary's voice remained flat, yet carried a hint of cruelty.

"This is precisely the fourth step of the plan, and also the 'insurance' prepared for you."

"We will station heavy troops in ambush around Chen Bridge Station, especially along the routes to Chan Prefecture and Luo River."

"These are not ordinary soldiers, but 'deeply tempered' elites utterly loyal to my lord, the 'Nether Shade,' numbering one hundred twenty."

"They are equipped with the latest Nether Energy weapons, their individual combat power far surpassing that of ordinary elites."

"At that time, they will be placed under the command of your trusted general, Wang Yansheng."

"Your task is, after donning the yellow robe and seizing control of the situation, to swiftly unite the forces, raise the banner of 'purging the treacherous ministers,' and race back to Bian Liang to seize the capital."

"And Wang Yansheng will lead the Nether Shade, sparing no expense, to intercept any force that might come to interfere—especially Chen Wen!"

"If necessary, one may employ the 'Crystal Blast' method to create chaos and buy time."

Zhao Kuangyin heard the two words "crystal blast", and his eye twitched involuntarily.

He had once seen the Iron Crow Army demonstrate the power of that kind of blue crystal explosion, enough to pulverize everything within several zhang.

That was a tactic tantamount to mutual destruction.

"Of course," the envoy's tone seemed tinged with a barely perceptible mockery.

"This is the worst plan."

"According to the simulation, Chen Wen should now be held up in Chan Prefecture by Chai Rong's critical illness, his reaction delayed by half a beat."

"By the time he receives the news, the situation will already be decided."

"Even if he could arrive in time, facing the prepared Nether Shade blockade and the already settled mutiny, what could he do?"

"Personal valor, before the rolling torrent of history, is nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Zhao Kuangyin fell silent; he knew the envoy made sense, but deep down he always retained a shadow of doubt about Chen Wen's ability to constantly create miracles.

He shook his head, forcibly suppressing that unease.

"Good! Then we'll proceed with this plan!"

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes grew sharp, and he regained the decisive bearing of a commander.

"In three days, we will send out false military intelligence."

"I will immediately contact Wang Shenqi, Shou Shouxin, Li Chuyun, and others to make secret arrangements."

"As for Wang Yansheng, I will personally instruct him, making sure he understands the importance of the blocking mission."

The envoy rose slowly, his black robe stirring without wind.

"That is excellent."

"Remember, Zhao Commander, this is the sole opportunity the Master has secured for you to turn the tide."

"Success, and you will become the lord of the new dynasty, bearing the Mandate of Heaven."

"Failure..."

The envoy did not continue, but that silent threat was more oppressive than any words.

His figure flickered, blending into the study's shadows like a ghost; the next moment he had vanished, leaving only a faint chill and the detailed mutiny route map on the desk that was shocking to behold.

Zhao Kuangyin sat alone in the study, motionless for a long time.

The candlelight flickered, reflecting his ever-changing expression.

There burned the flame of ambition, there was unease about an unknown fate, and furthermore there was excitement and fear about stepping into the heart of history's torrent and personally overturning heaven and earth.

He reached out and lightly touched the point marked "Chen Bridge Station" on the map, as if he could feel the gathering storm of the world about to converge there.

"Chen Bridge... Chen Bridge..."

He murmured it low, his gaze gradually becoming firm and ruthless.

"The realm— it's time for someone else to take the seat."

"Chen Wenzhong, this time I won't lose to you again!"

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking sharply.

A meticulously plotted coup aimed at forcibly steering the deviant history back onto its "proper track" had its final details thoroughly settled in this dim study.

All that remains is for the east wind to rise, then the world will be shocked.

Meanwhile, Chen Wen, racing day and night back to Chan Prefecture, still did not know all the details of this deadly encirclement aimed at him and the foundation he had built.

But he could feel an invisible net rapidly tightening.

The gears of fate had already accelerated, rumbling forward toward the node called "Chen Bridge".