Chapter 880: The Grandeur of a Great Nation!

When the news that the grassland royal court had declared war on the Great Lan Dynasty returned, the public opinion in Lanling City shifted.

Everyone believed the imperial court should no longer continue the war and should instead negotiate for peace.

Subsequently, news arrived that a million-strong Northern Barbarian army was invading the northern border.

Before people could begin to discuss it widely.

The news that the Son of Heaven firmly refused to negotiate and had ordered Marquis Jing'an Li Fei and True Person Xuanchen to lead troops north spread throughout Lanling City.

In an instant, the clamor reached the heavens!

In truth, the common people at the bottom could not distinguish between whether to fight or to make peace, but those who controlled public opinion were never these common people.

Officials, scions of noble families, great scholars, renowned martial artists of the jianghu, and the like—when these people publicly expressed their views and took the lead in the discussion, public opinion was naturally swayed.

The common people at the bottom were always the ones being incited.

On December 15th, over a hundred Imperial Academy students blocked the Taixuan Gate outside the Imperial City to protest publicly!

Before the Great Lan Dynasty's Mingxin Reform, the Imperial Academy was the highest institution of learning in the country, cultivating not only civil officials but also martial artists.

Once the Mingxin Reform began and twelve universities were established across the country, the "authority" of the Imperial Academy was dispersed.

The twelve universities were the preferred choice for top-tier elites, and they were required to allocate a portion of their enrollment to students from humble backgrounds, leading to fierce competition.

Therefore, a portion of the "neither high nor low" elite class still chose to send their own children to the Imperial Academy.

After all, once Imperial Academy students graduated, they had the opportunity to enter the officialdom directly, whether they studied literature or martial arts.

These hundred-plus protesting Imperial Academy students now represented the middle-tier elite class of the Great Lan Dynasty.

And behind them lay the will of the upper-tier elites!

Imperial Academy students blocking the imperial city gates could be considered a "traditional skill" of the Great Lan Dynasty; whenever such things happened, it indicated that the political situation was unstable and there was infighting within the imperial court.

The hundred-plus Imperial Academy students protesting outside the Taixuan Gate were quickly dispersed by the Imperial Guard.

Li Fei, who was cultivating inside the Marquis's estate, soon received the news.

"After the Imperial Guard stepped in, those Imperial Academy students dispersed quickly; there was no intense confrontation."

The Marquis's estate steward reported to Li Fei.

Li Fei nodded and told the steward to continue gathering information.

The lack of bloodshed meant the elites behind the scenes were still testing the waters and protesting, and did not want to escalate the situation.

But Li Fei knew this was merely the beginning.

Currently, the Son of Heaven had only ordered him and Xuanchen to lead troops north; the main army had not yet departed, and the order could still be rescinded.

Even if the decision to send troops was set.

The army could choose not to fight once it reached the front lines.

Even if fighting truly broke out.

After fighting for a while, they could still continue to negotiate for peace.

In short, for those who wanted peace, they could strive for it until their goal was achieved.

Even though his cultivation had been progressing smoothly recently and the Ten Thousand Blood Pearl was upgrading at a rapid pace, Li Fei could not help but feel heavy-hearted.

He was very clear that the will of these elites could not be ignored, because they themselves represented a part of the Great Lan Dynasty!

When the Great Lan Dynasty changed from an imperial system to a dual monarchy, was it because the imperial family voluntarily wanted to cede power?

Of course not.

It was because the power of the noble clans and the elite class had become strong enough—strong enough that if the imperial family was unwilling to share the world with them, the throne would not be secure!

Among all the civil and military officials and the cabinet ministers in the central government, how many were from humble backgrounds?

In this world possessing extraordinary power, if they lacked the support of noble clans, would civil officials who were ordinary people dare to speak loudly in the imperial court?

Ye Zean was able to sit securely in the position of Chief Councilor and held "half the country" in his hands within the central cabinet.

Aside from his personal talent being transcendent, it was also because the Ye family behind him was one of the "Ten Great Clans," the wife he married was from one of the "Ten Great Clans," and his prize student was also from one of the "Ten Great Clans"!

The "Seven Great Families" of the jianghu each had a Grandmaster, appearing stronger in power than the "Ten Great Clans."

But the "Ten Great Clans" could mobilize the Imperial Guard, mobilize the powerhouses of the Stop-Conflict Pavilion and the Law-Enforcement Pavilion, and use the power of the state to manifest their own will!

Unless the Seven Great Families directly rebelled like the Hook-Deep Sword Sect and Mount Baituo, breaking away from the state system, they could not compare to the Ten Great Clans in terms of influence and say.

These noble clans, representing the elite class of the Great Lan Dynasty, controlled vast resources and could influence this country from every aspect!

War is a contest of military force, financial strength, logistics, and, even more so, human hearts.

Li Fei could provide military force, but financial strength, logistics, and human hearts all required the cooperation of those elites in the imperial court.

A most intuitive example: Li Fei and Xuanchen were to lead one hundred thousand Imperial Guards to support the northern border.

Among these one hundred thousand Imperial Guards, over ninety percent of the officers came from noble clans. If half of these people did not want to fight, how high could the combat effectiveness of this Imperial Guard force be?

And if the grassroots troops were completely unable to fight, Li Fei alone could not stop a million soldiers.

He had already consulted Wenren Zheng; the battle at the northern border this time would certainly be different from the battle at the Baifeng Plains.

Borhu could not possibly concentrate a million-strong army in one place to engage in a decisive battle with the Great Lan Dynasty.

Such a decisive battle could only occur if the top-tier combat power of both sides was not significantly different.

Knowing they might encounter peak experts, the Northern Barbarians would only choose to fight on multiple fronts.

A million-strong army only needed to break through the northern border defense line at various points, charge into the hinterland, and wantonly burn, kill, and loot to achieve their strategic goal—

To inflict damage on the Great Lan Dynasty and deplete its national fortune!

And Li Fei alone, even with the addition of the True Lord Xuanxin who might take action, could guard how many cities?

No matter how strong the two of them were, without the cooperation of the grassroots army, it was impossible to hold the entire northern border defense line.

After sitting in the room for a while, Li Fei rose to leave.

He was going to find Ye Zean!

The Ye Estate.

"Marquis, please."

The Ye estate steward welcomed Li Fei through the main gate, then led him through corridors and courtyards to the outside of a study.

Today, it was rare for Ye Zean not to be presiding at the central government, but instead to have taken leave to stay at his estate.

Li Fei walked into the study and saw the Chief Councilor, with graying temples, hunched over his desk working, reviewing memorials.

He looked up at Li Fei and said concisely, "Please sit, wait a moment."

Then he lowered his head to continue working.

Li Fei sat down in the study and waited quietly.

More than ten minutes later, Ye Zean finished processing the memorials on his desk.

He stood up, changed seats, and sat opposite Li Fei:

"Does the Marquis of Jing'an have business with me?"

Li Fei looked at the somewhat weary expression on the other's face and asked:

"The Chief Councilor specifically took leave to stay home, yet you are not resting and are still working; then why take leave at all?"

Ye Zean spoke bluntly: "Just hiding at the estate for a while."

Hiding.

Looking across the imperial court, the only person who could make this Chief Councilor need to specifically hide was likely the Son of Heaven.

Li Fei was silent for a moment, then asked:

"Then why is the Chief Councilor willing to see me?"

The other could even hide from the Son of Heaven; if he were unwilling to see him, the Marquis of Jing'an, there would naturally be plenty of ways.

Ye Zean picked up the teacup to the side, took a sip, and smiled:

"Because I intended to see you anyway."

"Oh?"

Li Fei looked at him, "The Chief Councilor also has something to say to me?"

"Speak yours first."

Ye Zean set down the teacup.

Li Fei did not stand on ceremony and asked directly:

"The matter of the Imperial Academy students blocking the city gate to protest this morning—the Chief Councilor must be aware of it, right?"

Ye Zean nodded.

Li Fei leaned forward slightly, gazing into the other's eyes:

"May I ask if this was at your instruction, Chief Councilor?"

Ye Zean shook his head: "I did not instruct it."

Li Fei believed the other was not lying, nor was there any need to.

"But your silence is, in itself, a stance."

Li Fei said.

"True, because I do not favor sending troops."

Ye Zean was also very direct today.

When the late Emperor was on the throne, the strength of the imperial power was second only to the time of the Founding Emperor, because the late Emperor had the support of two peak experts, Wenren Zheng and Yunshu.

Power is the cornerstone of authority!

Suppressing noble clans, promoting reforms, conquering the Northern Barbarians, establishing the Lan Patrol Pavilion... these various achievements could certainly not have been accomplished if the imperial power were not strong enough.

And there was another important reason for this—the late Emperor had the full support of Chief Councilor Ye Zean.

Although the two, monarch and subject, had mutual checks and balances, they cooperated all the better.

And if this Chief Councilor is unwilling to cooperate with the Son of Heaven, then many things cannot proceed smoothly.

That is why Li Fei came to find him directly.

"Does the Chief Councilor feel that our chances of winning are slim?"

"No, I believe in your ability, and I believe in the potential of the Great Lan Dynasty. If we truly fight with all our might, we will not necessarily lose."

Ye Ze gave an answer that Li Fei had not expected:

"But I do not wish for you to take the risk."

"Ah?"

Li Fei was stunned.

Ye Ze looked at him: "I know that as soon as the great war begins, you will certainly go to the front lines to fight. I do not want to take this risk."

"."

"The reason the late Emperor valued you so much was because he placed the hope of the Great Lan Dynasty's future upon you. Li Fei, letting you go to war is essentially gambling with the national destiny of the Great Lan Dynasty!"

"."

Li Fei did not expect Ye Ze to be unwilling to send troops for this reason.

"You asked His Majesty to wait three years for you, which means you are confident in breaking through to the pinnacle within three years. Since that is the case, I would rather the Great Lan Dynasty wait three years before starting the war."

Ye Ze stated his thoughts.

Li Fei took a deep breath and looked at the Chief Councilor before him:

"But I am not willing to wait these three years!"

If they were to negotiate peace, it would inevitably involve ceding territory and paying reparations.

Who knows how many people's fates would change as a result, and how much humiliation the Great Lan Dynasty would have to swallow to trade for three years of peace!

"Chief Councilor, from the first day I stepped onto the path of cultivation, I told myself—what I seek is to live this life with spirit!"

"If I must use the lives of others and sacrifice them to trade for my own growth, I am destined to never be happy!"

"Hiding timidly in Lanling City to cultivate for three years, compared to going out to fight for life and death, battling in blood and fire for three years—the latter is more likely to allow me to break through my realm!"

Li Fei's gaze was firm as he met Ye Ze's eyes.

Ye Ze was silent for a long moment, then sighed:

"Have you ever thought that if you go to the Northern Border, the Buddhist school will very likely make a move against you?"

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Li Fei has a boundless future and a great chance of becoming the next number one person in the world!

So how could the enemies of the Great Lan Dynasty sit by and watch Li Fei grow up safely?

Once on the battlefield, even True Person Xuanxin would not dare guarantee that he would definitely not die, let alone Li Fei, who is below the pinnacle?

The risks of the battlefield itself, combined with the possibility of being attacked by a pinnacle powerhouse.

This is the reason Ye Ze does not want Li Fei to take the risk.

The risk is indeed too great!

Li Fei felt helpless.

He is indeed not a match for a pinnacle powerhouse right now, and even with the Ten Thousand Blood Bead, he cannot guarantee that he definitely will not die.

He wants to take the risk, but Ye Ze is unwilling to gamble with the future of the Great Lan Dynasty.

Neither of them could convince the other.

December 16th.

The Son of Heaven did not retract the order, and Li Fei did not shrink back because of Ye Ze's words.

Today, Li Fei and Xuan Chen will lead one hundred thousand Imperial Guards to set out on the expedition!

However, before that, outside the Imperial City.

Right in front of the Taixuan Gate, where the Imperial Academy students gathered to protest yesterday, the imperial court is to hold a pledge ceremony before the expedition!

At five o'clock in the morning, thin mist still clung to the outside of the Taixuan Gate.

At this time, it was already bustling with noise, and tens of thousands of citizens gathered like a tide around the square outside the Taixuan Gate.

An old man leaned on a wooden cane, squeezed under the eaves of a corridor; a child rode on his father's shoulders, gnawing on a candied hawthorn; a merchant turned a bamboo basket upside down to use as a stool; headscarves fluttered in the morning breeze.

The square ahead was guarded by Imperial Guards, and three thousand Black Armors were lined up in a square formation, waiting on the square.

Viewing stands had already been erected around the square, and there was a reviewing platform at the very front.

Starting from seven o'clock in the morning, ministers walked out of the Imperial City one after another, arrived at the square, and sat on the surrounding viewing stands.

When a group of people with clearly different skin tones, hairstyles, and clothing walked into the square, there was a sudden commotion all around.

The delegation from the Seven Western Lands had arrived!

These people were also on the invitation list for today's viewing.

Seven dukes led dozens of Western Land envoys to the corresponding viewing area and sat down on the viewing stand.

These people all wore smiles and looked relaxed.

Regarding today's pledge ceremony, they believed this was the Great Lan Dynasty wanting to show the Seven Western Lands its determination.

But they did not care.

They had their own intelligence channels regarding the disputes within the Great Lan Dynasty's court, and they were already well aware of them.

Given the current situation of the Great Lan Dynasty, the worse the subsequent situation became, the more the Western Land delegation could occupy the initiative in negotiations and secure greater benefits!

"Lord Zhao."

Duke Miller suddenly spoke, asking Zhao Fei, a member of the Interior Cabinet who was accompanying him.

He pointed at the three thousand Black Armors lined up in the center of the square: "Is this your country's Imperial Camp Army?"

Zhao Fei nodded: "Correct."

He said proudly: "If these three thousand Imperial Camp soldiers form a military formation, they are enough to contend with your Glory-level dukes!"

These words caused the dukes present to glance over one after another.

Duke Zek, who truly possessed the combat power of a Glory Duke, merely chuckled upon hearing this and did not express an opinion.

At eight o'clock sharp in the morning, a wheel of crimson-gold morning sun leaped out from the east, illuminating the entire Lanling City.

Nine strikes of the morning bell came from the depths of the Nine-Fold Palace, followed by the sound of melodious bugles.

Suddenly, the clanging of iron armor arose from the Imperial Guard formation, and the three thousand Imperial Camp soldiers clad in black armor struck their long spears against the ground in unison, the cold light connecting into a silver sea in the morning sun.

Their life-blood was like wolf-smoke, and their baleful aura shook the heavens and clouds!

"His Majesty has arrived—"

Under the Taixuan Gate, eight hundred Imperial Guards were arranged in a wild goose wing formation along the imperial road, and twelve strongmen carried the dragon chariot out of the city gate.

Behind the twelve-tasseled white jade bead curtain hanging from the top of the chariot, Qin Ziheng sat as steady as a pine in a black Xuanduan robe with twelve-pattern imperial regalia.

Li Fei and Xuan Chen followed on the left and right of the dragon chariot.

One was dressed in a golden robe, his sharpness fully exposed.

The other wore a Daoist robe, possessing the demeanor of an immortal.

The entire crowd stood up to pay their respects, and those outside the square knelt down in a mass, shouting "Long live."

The dragon chariot entered the venue and stopped behind the reviewing platform.

After the whole venue quieted down, the imperial eunuch Feng Cheng ascended the reviewing platform, took out an imperial decree, and read it aloud:

"Now the barbarians are rampant, ravaging the frontiers, harming my people, and destroying my altars of state. This is truly a time when jackals and wolves devour men, a day for brave warriors to wield their spears!

In the past, the Grand Ancestor swept across the six directions, and three thousand iron cavalry settled the universe!

Emperor Renzong pacified the northern barbarians, and one hundred thousand tiger-like warriors swept away the smoke of war!

Now you all hold frosty blades and line up like stars and clouds, carrying wind and thunder to shake the mountains and rivers; this is the very moment for men to serve their country!

I hereby appoint Marquis of Jing'an, Li Fei, as the Grand General of the Northern Expedition, and True Person Xuan Chen as the Army Supervisor, to lead one hundred thousand royal troops on a northern expedition to sweep away the barbarians for Me!"

Li Fei and Xuan Chen ascended the reviewing platform, faced the dragon chariot, and bowed with cupped hands:

"Your subjects, we accept the decree!"

Then Li Fei received the imperial decree from Feng Cheng's hands.

On the dragon chariot, the Son of Heaven's voice rang out:

"Wherever the banner points, that is the royal path; wherever the blades and arrows aim, all shall turn to dust! I wait in the Nine-Fold Palace for your song of victory!"

This voice was grand, lofty, and majestic.

It seemed to roll down from above the nine heavens, resounding through the human world!

Li Fei's expression was solemn:

"Your subject will certainly not fail the trust!"

Next, it was time for him, the newly appointed Grand General of the Northern Expedition, to speak and announce the expedition.

Li Fei turned around and looked at the three thousand Imperial Camp soldiers in the center of the square, just preparing to speak, when a voice suddenly came from the viewing stand:

"Emperor, this foreign subject has something to say!"

Whoosh—

A commotion broke out in the crowd, and Li Fei and the civil and military officials looked over one after another.

They saw Duke Zek from the viewing stand where the Western Land delegation was located stepping out from the crowd.

Li Fei and this duke from the Deni Kingdom met each other's eyes, the other's gaze playful.

"You are an envoy of the Deni Kingdom?"

Qin Ziheng's voice came from the dragon chariot.

His tone was calm, not at all angered by the other party suddenly interrupting the pledge ceremony.

Zek placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly:

"Your Majesty, this foreign minister is the Duke of Deni, Zek Ryan."

"Zek, have you been moved to speak after watching this oath-taking ceremony?"

Qin Ziheng asked.

Zek replied: "Your Majesty is wise; this foreign minister is indeed moved to speak."

As he spoke, he suddenly pointed toward Zhao Fei, who was standing to the side:

"Just now, this Lord Zhao said in front of us that if the three thousand Imperial Guard soldiers on this square were to form a military array, they would be enough to rival a transcendent like myself."

Zhao Fei was startled and terrified; he had not expected Zek to make an issue out of this remark, and he felt a sense of foreboding in his heart.

Sure enough, Zek continued:

"This foreign minister is very curious about this. Since today is an oath-taking ceremony, why not have this foreign minister spar with these three thousand Imperial Guard soldiers? Let Your Majesty inspect them, and incidentally, let us foreigners witness what is meant by a mighty army of the world and the grandeur of a great nation!"

As his voice fell, the commotion at the scene grew even more intense.

If the three thousand Imperial Guard soldiers formed a three-thousand-man military array, they could indeed rival a grandmaster at the peak of the Dao-Establishing Realm.

But since Zek dared to take the initiative to issue a challenge, he must have something to rely on.

If, in front of everyone, these three thousand Imperial Guard soldiers were to lose, then the Northern Expedition Army would lose its morale before even setting out.

The Great Lan Dynasty would also lose all face!

And even if they won in the end, the three thousand Imperial Guard soldiers would inevitably suffer losses, which would be disadvantageous for the upcoming expedition.

But if they refused Zek, it would appear as though they were afraid of the opponent, not even daring to accept a challenge of three thousand against one.

Military morale would be affected all the same.

No matter how they chose, it was disadvantageous!

"Duke Zek."

On the reviewing platform, Li Fei said in a loud, clear voice:

"You previously said you wanted to spar with this Marquis; there is no time like the present!"

Zek looked at Li Fei, his expression composed:

"Very well."

Sparring with the Imperial Guard was naturally the optimal outcome; Li Fei stepping forward to take on this challenge was also within his expectations.

But what Li Fei said next was completely beyond his expectations:

"In the past, your seven nations united, yet you still could not rival my Great Lan Dynasty.

Today, if this Marquis spars with you alone, even if I win, it will be hard to demonstrate the might of a great nation."

As he spoke, Li Fei's gaze swept across the seven dukes on the viewing platform:

"Duke Zek, Duke Miller, Duke Saina..."

He called out the names of the seven dukes one by one, his voice like thunder, resounding throughout the entire city:

"Come, all seven of you, come at me together!"

"Back then, my Great Lan Dynasty fought seven nations alone; today, this Marquis will also take on seven, so that you may know what is meant by the grandeur of a great nation!"

Requesting monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)