[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-peace-decree":3,"chapter-the-peace-decree-the-peace-decree-chapter-111":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Peace Decree",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328286,4553,"Chapter 111: Within the Chariot, Two Men Sit and Discourse on the World","the-peace-decree-chapter-111",111,"\u003Cp>My lord?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng’s mind momentarily stalled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized the Turkic king’s carriage, yet also discerned that the man before him bore no hostility; Li Guanyi looked at Bai Hu, and the young man smiled at him, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This single word was a response, yet in that exchange, a trust had already been entrusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus Bai Hu laughed aloud, lifted the carriage curtain himself, Yue Qianfeng seized Li Guanyi and crashed inside, while Bai Hu whipped the reins—the steed was an exotic beast of the Turkic Seven Kings, its hooves trampling flame, swiftly departing, and within a few turns, they arrived at a royal pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfectly avoiding every pursuit route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the carriage was luxurious, moving unhurriedly, drawing no undue attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu said casually: “I observed the heavens and understood the great tide. Today, I brought the Turkic Seven Kings here to dine with the Chen prince; he was already thoroughly drunk. I told him I wished to stroll outside, and thus I encountered this general who was holding the Gold Guard captive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The general saw my Turkic Seven Kings’ carriage and assumed my divine general was also here. To prevent trouble, he immediately avoided me, and in his panic, hurled the Gold Guard like a weapon before fleeing himself. But I realized—this Gold Guard was the very youth I once met while traveling, a scion of the Xue family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I brought him back to heal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man set down the whip, turned around, and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you two like this story?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng looked at the carefree, unrestrained youth and said: “...If that’s your excuse, many things still need confirmation; if any detail falters, suspicion will surely arise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu had already rummaged through his belongings and casually tossed over a set of clothes and some medicines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he had prepared them beforehand, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No issue. I’ll handle all these matters myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I guarantee perfect seamlessness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve prepared a forged document and identity here; in Jiangzhou City, I own a private villa. The warrior may go there to lie low.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng raised an eyebrow and said: “You knew I was coming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu replied: “No. I merely prepared for contingencies. My lineage’s strategists must have at least three backup plans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng said: “Upper, middle, and lower strategies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu smiled: “No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were calm, his expression haughty as he answered: “All are upper strategies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng laughed: “Arrogant.” Yet he did not refuse; he tore open his clothes, burned them to ash with flame, then donned the new garments, gritted his teeth, shaved off his beard, and tied on a scholar’s long headband—now he looked like a northern literatus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng hugged Li Guanyi tightly and said: “Thank you, brother. This time, I owe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, I came here for two reasons: first, to find Marshal Yue; second, just to draw the attention of that tyrant so your brothers can slip in and map out the route. You’re serving at court—you must be careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi’s expression subtly shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng said: “We already know—the tyrant has no intention of releasing Marshal Yue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Grand Elder’s arrival in the capital and the Grand Sacrifice are merely distractions—he’s already decided to strike hard. We’ve all fought on battlefields; we won’t entrust Marshal Yue’s life to the mercy of that tyrant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must also prepare a second plan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu’s eyes lit up: “You plan to storm the prison during the Grand Sacrifice?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng’s voice paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded, then pulled something from his chest—a tiger tally, bearing his own name—and handed it to Li Guanyi: “This is the tiger tally for my Great Halberd Army’s command. Half was with Marshal Yue; before he entered the capital, he gave it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, I give you half.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you encounter those bandits attempting the prison break, or my Yue family’s old comrades, remember to show this tally—they’ll know you’re my sworn brother and won’t harm you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tiger tally of the Great Halberd Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This object held immense value and represented Yue Qianfeng’s absolute trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Li Guanyi not rescued him, he might have been gravely wounded in the palace—thus he earned Yue Qianfeng’s recognition. The giant clapped Li Guanyi on the shoulder, his voice softening: “You’ve reached the Second Heaven. I’ll give you a gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His right hand suddenly surged, pressing against Li Guanyi’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crimson dragon manifestation appeared behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crimson dragon lowed; the martial killing aura faded, leaving only pure internal qi, surging into Yue Qianfeng’s palm. He flicked his wrist, releasing a burst of force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He transformed that force into an exquisitely pure energy, driving it into the youth’s body—fiery, warm, coursing through his meridians. Yue Qianfeng said: “The first level of a martial artist lies in the body; the second level lies in the transformation of internal qi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is my Crimson Dragon Qi. Don’t laugh at me, but—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was born poor. As a child, I scavenged with wild dogs, stumbled upon a murder, and an old man took notice of my talent and taught me martial arts. Later, I became a bandit, did foolish things. But the world is vast; people like us always find fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is a fragment of the legendary Crimson Dragon Subdues the Nine Provinces, a divine art from the Central Plains’ great emperor’s lineage. Back then, the Crimson Emperor relied on this art and the Great Wind Song to dominate the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, I pass this lineage’s ultimate art to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It completes the bond of our shared life-and-death fate. When the emperor sends imperial physicians to examine your injuries, they’ll see my Crimson Dragon Qi coursing through you and assume you were gravely wounded by me—your days are numbered. Combined with the Xue family’s name and the Turkic Seven Kings’ reputation—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll be perfectly safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng withdrew his hand; the crimson dragon manifestation dimmed. With this gesture, Li Guanyi’s bronze cauldron rapidly filled, instantly brimming with jade nectar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng said: “The Second Level especially emphasizes qi transformation. Train diligently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve known each other briefly, yet endured life and death together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a pity we never had a proper drink. When the Grand Sacrifice ends and we rescue Marshal Yue—if I’m still alive—I’ll drink with you until we’re both drunk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lastly, I’ll give you one more gift!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Qianfeng vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, Li Guanyi heard the crimson dragon’s long roar, a furious, unrestrained cry: “Hou Zhongyu, you bastard! You betrayed me! Wait—I, Yue Qianfeng, will live, and one day I’ll tear you apart limb by limb!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi’s pupils contracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Yue Qianfeng’s act would irrevocably confirm the lie that [Yue Qianfeng conspired with Hou Zhongyu]. Bai Hu said: “You’ve got a fine friend, young Li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now lazily dropped the title “my lord,” and sat beside Li Guanyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems you have a grudge against Hou Zhongyu, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hou Zhongyu—if my memory serves—he was a sorcerer who appeared in the martial world decades ago, recorded in a county gazetteer. I still recall; he’s now in the palace, in the Qilin Palace, brewing the Elixir of Long Life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hou Zhongyu’s presence here isn’t surprising—but you, young Li, have a grudge with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Add to that the Qilin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such age, such background—a fugitive, in disguise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu looked at Li Guanyi and sighed: “What should I call you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xue family’s Li Guanyi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or the former Fifth Divine General of the realm, son of the Taiping Duke?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holder of the Murong family’s Autumn Water Sword?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Guanyi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi stared at the handsome youth, who smiled: “Don’t look at me like that, young Li.” He pointed to his own forehead, calm and composed: “This is merely basic strategy and calculation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knowing yourself and your enemy—it’s fundamental.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet the world is vast, and strategists abound. I, humble as I am, aspire to be the foremost strategist of this age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi, awed by this youth who deduced the truth from mere fragments, immediately grasped the man’s decisiveness and talent. The youth drew his Autumn Water Sword from his waist, laid it before him, and looked at Bai Hu:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve already given your token of allegiance. So I’m not worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re already co-conspirators, aren’t we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Bai Hu drove away with Li Guanyi and Yue Qianfeng, they had been bound together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such open candor earned Bai Hu’s silent admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth straightened his robes, bowed slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Guanyi, am a warrior, unskilled in strategy and grand trends. I beg your assistance, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like seeking Master Wenyuan as a teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great tide of the world was turbulent, the situation complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not handle it all alone. This youth was unquestionably a trained strategist—each art has its specialist. Li Guanyi, lacking the arrogance of a noble scion, readily lowered his pride and face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not expected the current White Tiger Grand Master to be like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He composed himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turned his body northward and returned the bow: “How could I refuse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth sat cross-legged in the carriage and said: “This place lies within the imperial palace’s sacred prohibition. The pursuers are gone; the Seven Kings and the Chen prince are still feasting inside. We have two incense sticks’ time. Allow me to reveal to you the great tide of the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tore away the luxurious silk padding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the blood dripping inside the carriage as ink, he traced the world’s map with his fingers, saying: “The Western Regions are in chaos; the Tanguts have risen; the Tuyuhun flee northward. Within ten years, they will be unable to threaten the Central Plains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the north, the eighteen Turkic tribes are united under the Iron Cavalry; the Chen Empire’s iron steeds roar with might.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only southern Chen’s morals are decayed, yet Dan Tai Xianming, the realm’s famed chancellor, struggles to hold it together. Until now, the northern and southern courts have not fought outright—only because the Western Regions and Tuyuhun loom, and the Turkic cavalry’s edge remains sharp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu said: “Today, the greatest change in the world is Yue Pengwu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With Yue Pengwu dead, southern Chen will have no general capable of standing against the throne.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Western Regions are fragmented; then the Chen Empire will surely ride south, plundering the Jiangnan region. If so, wouldn’t it undermine Yue Qianfeng’s plan? What if we kill Yue Pengwu ourselves?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi flatly refused: “No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He serves his country and people. He is Brother Yue’s commander. How could I sabotage my brother’s plan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Hu smiled: “How full of humanity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke these words without judging the trait, yet his expression seemed to relax. He smiled: “Then in my strategy, only two options remain for you. The Taiping Duke’s deployments are scattered across the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your strength is insufficient, your power lacking. In this vast world, there are three places where you may rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun extended a finger toward the blood-drawn map, pointing at Jiangnan, and said, “Twelve years ago, during the war between Ying Guo and Chen Guo, you abandoned the eighteen prefectures of Jiangnan. The Murong clan guarded this land. With your bloodline, return to the Murong, ally with the martial world, and carve out a domain beyond the imperial court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, using the eighteen prefectures of Jiangnan as your base, expand outward, following the rivers downstream and upstream to seize territory, build cities to hold them. Though you cannot rival the two kingdoms directly, beyond the tides of waterways and above the legends of the martial world, your cliffside citadels will be easy to defend and hard to take—allowing you to rise above the mortal realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Emperor holds power, yet despises you so deeply he cannot touch you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Imperial authority reigns throughout the land, but where it does not reach, only your command rules the martial world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi shook his head, seeing at once this was merely a path of self-imposed isolation. Po Jun smiled and said, “Then you truly reject such an ordinary path. Second: beyond the passes, where the Tielei and Ying Guo clash—there are many foreign tribes, and many heroes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Warlords in chaos, countless factions, hard to control, yet none lack fierce warriors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The martial world is led by the Snow Mountain Sword Sect. The heroes beyond the passes are bold and martial, embodying the spirit of Yan and Zhao—singing mournful songs as they ride through snow, skilled with battle blades. If you go north, you need only three hundred armored elite soldiers. With my strategy, you can seize a warlord’s territory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then consolidate your strength, lie low, inwardly submit to Ying Guo, outwardly eliminate the warlords, and wait for the great war between Ying Guo and Chen Guo—then strike into Ying Guo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Form a pincer with Chen Guo. If Yue Pengwu still lives, he can balance Ying Guo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Form distant alliances, attack nearby foes. Wage war against the Tielei to the north, then turn south against Chen Guo. Expand your borders, restore order to the realm. Your fame will shake all nations; raise your sword and the world trembles; rage and the states grow uneasy. When Ying Guo stirs, enter Zhongzhou, seize the monarch, and claim three hundred years of imperial legacy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the path of the feudal lords—eternal glory in history. The emperors of Chen Guo and Ying Guo would devour your flesh and peel your skin, yet they cannot stop you. What do you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi fell silent, his palm resting on his knee. He thought of deserters, human trafficking, and his destined enemy, Yuwen Lie. He answered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This too is a path through a fractured world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun’s smile faded. Unconsciously, flames ignited in his eyes—flames that seemed ready to devour all—and his voice grew gentler. “Then, what path do you seek?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked of Li Guanyi’s ambition—perhaps still unclear, still undefined. He had spoken with Po Jun merely to find a safe refuge. Yet this question, Li Guanyi answered instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The unification of the realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a conviction etched into his soul. In his past life, anyone would have given the same answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for a realm torn apart for over three hundred years, for any strategist living in this age of chaos, those four characters embodied a spirit—supreme, unrivaled, towering above all other monarchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun murmured: “The unification of the realm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire in his eyes burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This—this was truly the sovereign his lineage most desired!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such disposition. Such grandeur. Perfectly aligned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun sighed, sat upright, spine straight, and traced a finger across the map until it rested on another point. “Then there is only this place.” Li Guanyi looked—there, where Ying Guo met the Western Regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun said: “The borderlands between the Western Regions and Ying Guo—the land where the winds of Longxi rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Western Regions are in chaos, the situation complex. The Duke of Ying Guo already harbors disloyal intent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To the north lie the Tielei; to the south, Chen Guo; to the west, the great desert of the Western Regions, where Tuyuhun deserters hide; to the east, the Ying Guo court—where snowmelt from northern mountains converges here, swelling into rivers as vast as those of Jiangnan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The realm is vast, yet nowhere is more chaotic than here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Yue Qianfeng could serve you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With my strategy, the Great Halberd Soldiers, and the Western Regions as your rear, your capacity is enough to forge a legacy like that of the Tuyuhun. Near the wild winds of Longxi lies a land—the upper reaches of the Great River, at the southern foot of the mountains, terrain high in north and south, low in the center—the place where the Red Emperor’s dragon first rose eight hundred years ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you seize this land, you can expand inward to control the Western Regions, strike north to break the Tielei and annex the grasslands, gaze southward at Jiangnan and Zhongzhou. With iron cavalry and spears raised, you can advance further to crush Chen Guo, stand across the river from Ying Guo. Raise your sword, and the world trembles—Ying Guo will never lay down its armor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your might will shake the four seas. Wherever your gaze falls, all warlords quake. This is the work of a hegemon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun laid out the strategic situation of the four quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanyi hesitated, gazing at the young man before him, then raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his wrist hung a cord, tied to an object that slipped into his palm. He lifted it, placed his hand upon the blood-inked silk map, then opened his fingers. “What if I add this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He removed his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s black hair stirred slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, resting upon the map, lay a golden imperial seal, carved in the shape of a fierce tiger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Jun’s breath halted abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>",2805,"2026-06-20T19:20:33.127Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","15d172542eee98f18183871cf5e03e41a7b4ed898f939e3f994efde924eb8e02","the-peace-decree-chapter-112","the-peace-decree-chapter-110",593,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-peace-decree-cover.jpg"]