In addition to the structured soul engineer legions, the Third Prince, Xu Tianfan, also held command over several mixed forces composed of regular troops, soul engineers, and soul masters—each force numbering in the tens of thousands. With such strength, his military power was even enough to rival great nations like the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire.
Xu Muchen was now beginning to feel a surge of blind confidence.
'How many troops can Crown Prince Xu Tiannan actually mobilize?'
When the time came, the Third Prince would only need to find a suitable pretext to launch a so-called righteous campaign under the banner of "defending the king and punishing traitors." Once the stigma of rebellion was cast aside, many military units that were not firmly under Xu Tiannan's control would be forced into neutrality.
Of course, choosing that pretext was key. If the excuse to go to war wasn't convincing enough, then any offensive initiative from the Third Prince would be branded as treason, placing him in a position of universal condemnation.
At that moment, Xu Rong and Xu Tianfan were precisely discussing the matter of justification.
"Recently, my father's health has taken a drastic turn for the worse. I estimate that it won't be long before he's completely unable to attend court. When that happens, it'll be far easier for us to find a suitable reason and, under the banner of 'defending the king and punishing traitors,' declare war against my dear elder brother."
"Your Highness is absolutely right. The issue is, what kind of excuse could we use to declare war that would strip away the label of rebellion and reduce the chances of the neutral forces acting against us?"
Xu Tianfan smiled confidently.
"If we can bait Xu Tiannan into attacking us first, then our counterattack would be fully justified. That's one option."
He paused and continued with a chuckle.
"The other method... Xu Rong, do you know why, during the royal succession crisis back then, my father was able to wipe out the former emperor's entire family?"
Both Xu Rong and Xu Muchen froze, their breathing quickening. They realized Xu Tianfan was about to reveal something incredible.
"Have you heard of the Holy Spirit Sect?"
Xu Rong and Xu Muchen both nodded. The cult of evil soul masters that had infiltrated Mingdu and spread throughout the empire was well known.
"What if I told you that my dear father formed a partnership with the Holy Spirit Sect—would you believe it?"
They frowned, then slowly nodded again. As outrageous as it sounded, with the intelligence they had gathered, it didn't seem entirely impossible.
"Hmph. I suspect that my dear elder brother's cooperation with the Holy Spirit Sect runs even deeper than my father's. If we can catch even a shred of evidence proving Xu Tiannan has been working with them, we can use that as our excuse to launch a war of absolute justice. At that point, we'll be standing on the highest moral ground. Even if many in the royal court and military already know about the alliance, once we make it public, they'll stay quiet and neutral."
Xu Rong and Xu Muchen's eyes lit up. This indeed would be the perfect justification. Even without real evidence, the common people of the empire would believe it. Those in the military and nobility who did know the truth would be trapped in a moral dilemma, and unable to act against a prince with both legitimacy and a righteous cause.
"But, Your Highness... what if this move provokes the Holy Spirit Sect into retaliating? What if they start attacking us? Those evil soul masters are not to be underestimated."
Xu Tianfan nodded solemnly. He was fully aware of how terrifying the Holy Spirit Sect could be.
Still, he wasn't afraid.
"Heh. Xu Tiannan wouldn't dare openly ask them to act unless absolutely necessary. If they do strike and kill our soldiers, the news will spread. Once it does, Xu Tiannan and the Sect will face immense backlash from the military. Even the elders in the Worship Hall won't stay silent. Xu Tiannan won't be able to sit on the throne—he'll be impeached."
He paused before continuing.
"As for the possibility of him secretly using the Holy Spirit Sect's top assassins against me... that is indeed a concern. Which is why we need help from other forces."
He turned from Xu Rong to Xu Muchen, who had remained quiet until now.
"And this is your task, Muchen. I'm very glad that you are willing to shoulder such responsibility. Xu Rong has praised you as the most suitable candidate."
"This is my duty, Your Highness."
Xu Tianfan smiled, then his expression turned serious.
"Muchen, I trust you already understand your mission?"
Xu Muchen nodded and replied slowly.
"I am to represent Your Highness in traveling to the Douluo Alliance and negotiating for the support of their top-ranked powerhouses."
"Correct," Xu Tianfan nodded with satisfaction. "Since this is a negotiation, you'll need bargaining chips to exchange for their help. A simple non-aggression treaty might be enough to persuade them to send a few Titled Douluo, but it won't be enough. The Holy Spirit Sect has powerful evil soul masters, even Super Douluo among them. Against such enemies, ordinary Titled Douluo from the Douluo Alliance would stand no chance."
"That's why, Muchen, I'll entrust you with confidential blueprints of our empire's most advanced soul tools. Take them to Shrek Academy and request their aid. Of course, don't neglect the other three kingdoms. We still need as many Titled Douluo as we can gather. And weakening the Sun-Moon Empire's military in the process would likely be exactly what the Douluo Alliance desires."
'For power, Xu Tiannan allies himself with evil soul masters, and now Xu Tianfan is trading national secrets. Neither of them is any better,' Xu Muchen thought to himself, somewhat disillusioned.
But to seek aid from Shrek Academy... perhaps that really was the better route. Their neutrality was one reason, and their famed effectiveness against evil soul masters was another.
"Muchen understands, Your Highness."
"Good. Since you're carrying such a burden, once this matter succeeds, I'll reward you with riches and status befitting your contribution. Tell me—what is it you desire?"
Xu Muchen thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Gold and silver, treasures and rare herbs—those are unimportant. What matters is my family's status. Your Highness, I hope that after you ascend the throne, you will grant our branch of the royal family the highest rank among all the princes."
(End of Chapter)
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