We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?-Chapter 384: Marching to War!

Xiao Mo followed the First Prince into the imperial palace.

Sure enough, Xiahou Nan, Bai Qi, Zhang Yi, Baili Xi, Jian Shu, and the others were already there.

“Greetings to the Frost King.”

Outside the Imperial Study, when Bai Qi and the rest saw Xiao Mo, they all performed a respectful salute.

In an age when a man would die for the one who recognized his worth, to them, Xiao Mo was the one who had recognized their talent, and more than that, their benefactor.

Because in their eyes, if not for Xiao Mo, they would not have climbed to such a height today.

So even though they had arrived earlier than Xiao Mo, they were still willing to wait for him, letting Xiao Mo enter first, and only then would they go in.

“My respects to you all.” Xiao Mo returned the salute with clasped hands. “Please.”

Everyone said at once, “Frost King, please.”

Xiao Mo nodded. He did not stand on ceremony. Walking shoulder to shoulder with the First Prince, he entered the Imperial Study, with the others following behind.

The doors closed.

Even within the imperial palace, the Imperial Study had been laid with layer upon layer of formation arrays that cut off spiritual-sense probing. The entire room was even shrouded in Qin’s mountain-and-river fortune.

“Everyone who can stand here today is someone I trust most. Of course, there is also that fellow Xiao Shi, but he is at the border and cannot return.”

Qin Shengtian smiled to ease the grim atmosphere, then looked toward Xiao Mo, the Western Suppression King, and the others as he spoke slowly.

“First, take a look at this.”

Qin Shengtian lifted a hand. Eunuch Li delivered a thick stack of documents to Xiao Mo and the rest.

After Xiao Mo and the others finished passing them around, every one of them frowned.

These documents were all intelligence gathered by Qin’s agents within Qi, Zhao State, and Jin, along with messages obtained from border scouts who watched day and night.

From these documents, Xiao Mo and the others could confirm that Jin had already suppressed its internal rebellion and stabilized the realm, and had also seized large numbers of able-bodied men to replenish its troops.

Now, Qi, Zhao State, and Jin were already preparing grain, fodder, and equipment.

Before long, they would surely send troops to attack Qin.

According to the initial strategy of Qi, Zhao State, and Jin, they intended to attack Qin on three routes.

And judging from the scale of their mobilization this time, they clearly meant to throw in everything they had.

If Qi, Zhao State, and Jin succeeded, they would carve up Qin’s lands and form a three-way balance.

If they lost this war, Qi, Zhao State, and Jin would completely lose the strength to resist Qin.

What they would face then would be nothing more than being eaten away, piece by piece, until nothing remained.

“Speak. What are my ministers’ thoughts?”

After Xiao Mo and the others finished reading the intelligence sent from the front, Qin Shengtian asked.

Xiao Mo and the others were nearly unanimous: fight.

As for seeking peace with Qi, Zhao State, and Jin, that was absolutely impossible.

Peace talks were never without a price, and suing for peace meant you were afraid. Once you showed fear, the other side would open its jaws wide.

By then, Qin would certainly have to give up a vast stretch of territory.

But the lands of Chu, Yanhuo, Wei Kingdom, the other great states, and the many smaller states had all been paid for with the blood of Qin’s soldiers. How could they be handed over so easily?

Not only would Xiao Mo and the others refuse, even Qin’s common people would refuse.

So there was only one choice: fight.

This Warring States age that had lasted for thousands of years would end in unification, or fall into a three-way balance. That would be decided by this war.

Since everyone supported fighting,

the next matter to discuss was how to fight.

In the end, after four full days of discussion,

Qin Shengtian made a preliminary decision.

He would have Xiao Mo and the First Prince lead two hundred thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry and five hundred thousand Northern Wasteland infantry, along with five hundred thousand soldiers conscripted from Chu territory and Yanhuo territory, for a total of one million two hundred thousand troops, to march against Jin.

Xiao Shi and Bai Qi would lead one hundred thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry, two hundred thousand Northern Wasteland soldiers, and seven hundred thousand soldiers from Chu territory and Yanhuo territory, to march against Zhao State.

Xiahou Nan and the Western Suppression King would lead eight hundred thousand soldiers from Wei territory and Qin to pin down Qi.

All other regional lords across Qin were required to raise troops and answer the summons. Any who refused would be stripped of their fiefs and reduced to commoners.

In essence, across Qin, aside from leaving some troops behind to garrison cities, respond to sudden emergencies, and maintain order, the vast majority of soldiers went to the borders.

Even in Qin’s imperial capital, Qin Shengtian left only sixty thousand Iron-Tiger Army troops to garrison it.

Among all these soldiers, more than half were cultivators at Foundation Establishment and above.

Among the Palace Consecrators, aside from leaving Huasheng behind in the imperial capital, every cultivator of the upper three realms followed the armies out to war.

It could be said that this time, Qin truly meant to stake everything on a single throw.

As for grain, fodder, pills, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and spiritual-beast flesh, Qin continued to requisition without pause.

Any demonic-beast or spiritual-beast flesh hunted by civilian cultivators could be sold to the government, and the government would take as much as there was, no matter how much.

Under Qin Shengtian’s instructions, Baili Xi and Jian Shu also began to move against corrupt officials whom they had long kept “fattened” and not yet slaughtered.

All of those officials’ family properties were confiscated and used to fund military preparations.

In addition, Qin Shengtian began a nationwide crackdown on corrupt officials,

for the sake of confiscation.

Qin’s nobles had it even worse.

Plenty of evidence had already been gathered against them in ordinary times. Now that the state needed money for war, if they were not to be butchered, who would be?

For a time, officials and nobles great and small across Qin were all gripped by fear.

Although Qin Shengtian’s purpose was to raise money,

in less than half a year, Qin from top to bottom instead began to look like a realm of orderly administration and social harmony.

Of course, not every noble was willing to become a lamb. Some nobles wanted to resist, and even tried to collude with Qi, Zhao State, and Jin.

But—

war was imminent, and Qin’s people burned to fight. At the top, the military commanders and civil ministers were united, all eager to forge world-shaking merit. How much trouble could those rebellious nobles possibly stir up?

The moment such people were discovered, the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry would trample their clans into extinction.

Another seven months passed.

Qi, Zhao State, and Jin made all their preparations.

Qin would not wait either. Xiao Mo and the others marched out in three routes, intending to strike first.

Before the departure, Qin Shengtian personally saw Xiao Mo and the other commanders off.

But as Xiao Mo was about to set out, Qin Shengtian pulled him aside.

“Does Your Majesty have instructions?” Xiao Mo asked.

Qin Shengtian shook his head and sighed. “Originally, I intended for the Crown Prince to follow the Northern Pacification King to deal with Zhao State, but the Crown Prince insists on leading troops to Jin.

Nothing I said could change his mind.

He even knelt outside my bedchamber for a full month.

Now I am sending you with Jingsu. Do you know why?”

“Your Majesty means...” Xiao Mo had already faintly guessed.

“Up to this day, Jingyuan’s death has become Jingsu’s heart tribulation. If he does not destroy Jin, then for the rest of his life, he will be trapped by that heart tribulation.”

Qin Shengtian held Xiao Mo’s hand.

“Xiao Mo, you are younger than Jingsu, but you conduct yourself with greater steadiness.

If Jingsu makes any irrational move,

you must stop him. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Remember this.”