Fang Mingtong was so exhilarated that he stood up, walked over to Chu Mo and looked him up and down without answering his question. He then gave Chu Mo a hard pat on his shoulder and chuckled, "This Old Fang.... In my whole life, I have admired no one other than the Emperor. Even that old fellow Xu Zhongliang, I didn't highly regard him. But today, I reckon I admire you, Chu Mo! How old are you this year? Seventeen or eighteen?"

"..." Chu Mo looked at Fang Mingtong with a full head of black lines and said in annoyance, "I am fourteen years old!"

Fang Mingtong coughed in chagrin and turned towards the emperor, "Your Majesty, didn't we think we were quite smart when we were fourteen?"

The emperor nodded with a bitter smile, "Yes, even at that age, I had already begun to participate in state affairs and military strategies; I really thought I was quite the clever one!"

"Compared to this kid, us old folks are damn useless. The strategy seems simple, but I never thought of it. After all... we're talking about a million-strong army here!" Fang Mingtong murmured.

A complicated glint flashed in Chu Mo's eyes as he murmured, "Yes… a million-strong army… represents the lives of a million people…"

At this moment, the emperor himself stood up and walked over to Chu Mo. After a doubtful pause, he placed his hand on Chu Mo's shoulder and patted it gently, "I… I can understand how you must be feeling. A million lives... they say that when a common man gets angry, blood spatters within five steps; when the Emperor gets angry, a million people die! But faced with such a scene, how many others… could stay mad? However…"

The emperor's face also showed a hint of emotion, "If we don't take down this million-strong army… I fear my entire Great Xia will be put at risk. We may lose millions of lives because of it!"

Fang Mingtong heaved a sigh and muttered, "Blood does not lead to power! Over the years, I've seen enough to not feel much about it. Damn it, I'll go myself this time!"

"No!" The emperor objected.

Chu Mo also added, "You can't go. So many eyes are watching your every move right now. If you make a move… How are we going to keep this secret?"

"Then who is going?" Fang Mingtong widened his eyes and stared at Chu Mo.

Chu Mo said, "Since I proposed this strategy, the Grand Marshal and Your Majesty should pass on all the credit to me."

Pooh! Do you think you're the kind of person who cares about credit?" Fang Mingtong was crude but cunning — far more so than he appeared. By saying this, he dispelled all of the Emperor's lingering doubts.

Chu Mo's past accomplishments were indeed significant!

There had been one instance on the Prairie, and another at the Piaomiao Palace Royal Academy. Now if he were to determine the outcome of the upcoming national war, his reputation, even though he is merely fourteen, would instantly reach an unprecedented, terrifying level!

This reputation would even surpass that of all other lords from all previous dynasties!

Founding monarchs… would be left at a similar standing.

Because this very war, once won, would cause Great Qi to fall into a precarious state — and not just slightly weakened. Great Qi would become weak to the extreme!

And then, forget about Great Xia, Great Qi might not even be able to withstand the attack from the Prairie!

In a national war, simply having a few powerful warriors can't determine the outcome. That would be possible only if the top sect leaders of a super-power sect got involved.

But the sects should not meddle too much in worldly matters — that is a rule of the Four Symbols Continent!

Otherwise, let's just let the sects control the world, why do we need worldly countries?

It is not an exaggeration to say that if Chu Mo wins this war, even if he wants to found a nation, he will definitely have widespread support.

Moreover, Chu Mo's plan, to speak frankly, isn't of any great value. Even if someone else is sent to execute it, they too can perform it perfectly. They just need to keep the secret!

Great Qi would never have imagined… that their top-secret plan would be leaked.

After Fang Mingtong's words, the emperor couldn't help but smile bitterly, and then he glared at Fang Mingtong, "Old Fang, Old Fang, in your eyes, am I really the type of person who is jealous of talented people?"

Fang Mingtong did not rebut anything but heaved a chuckle out of embarrassment.

The Emperor took a deep breath and asked Chu Mo, "How do you intend to handle the situation?"

Chu Mo said, "I need control over the 12,000 soldiers."

"Granted!" The emperor agreed without hesitation.

"Leave the rest to me." said Chu Mo."But you must ensure that there are no traitors among those 12,000 soldiers! If there are, I will not show them any mercy!"

"That is a given!" The emperor declared, "I will personally give you a secret royal decree, and personally bestow upon you the Tiger Charm and the King's Sword! Your acting as the emperor's representative is like the emperor himself being present! Everyone must obey your commands!"

"Alright, I will train these people into qualified coal miners. Then, you must find top-tier experts in mining and excavation for me, Your Majesty." Chu Mo looked at the emperor, "When the time comes and the tunnel is destroyed, all the primordial stones inside will become unobtainable. Won't that upset you, Your Majesty?"

"Finding top experts in this field is not a problem, I will assign them to you! They will absolutely follow your orders! As for that vein of primordial stone… I now... rather wish it never appeared." The emperor spoke and then continued, "If we resolve the first issue, this vein of primordial stone… becomes the second issue, another… similarly knotty one. Perhaps not even lesser than the problem of a million-strong army."

"Worst comes to worst, let's donate all the primordial stones we mine to the Sects in the background." The emperor said with an indifferent tone, "We are a worldly nation, where there is life, there is hope. This time, we must give Great Qi an unforgettable lesson! Without occupying half of its territory… I will not be content!"

"These primordial stones… are enough to elevate our academy to the level of a large Sect!" Fang Mingtong said regretfully, "It's a pity that destiny is not on our side…"

At this point, Chu Mo looked at Fang Mingtong and the Emperor, "The one-tenth of the primordial stone that was mined... is it enough to raise an academy to the level of a big sect?"

Fang Mingtong nodded, "It is enough for a sect of 5000 people to use for a hundred years!"

Hiss!

Chu Mo took a cold breath and stared at Fang Mingtong in disbelief, "Is it really that much?"

Fang Mingtong said, "Nonsense! Otherwise, why would it be classified as top-secret?"

Chu Mo scratched his head and said after a pause, "Well… I have another idea…"

"What is it?" Fang Mingtong and the emperor both exclaimed simultaneously, looking at Chu Mo as if he was a rare treasure.

Chu Mo was startled by their gazes and then continued, "As you know, my master disclosed his existence not long ago, startling the whole of the Four Symbols Continent."

"It was more than just a revelation... it was an overwhelming display of his power!" Fang Mingtong's eyes shone with excitement, "It's just a pity that the predecessor doesn't want to interact with others, otherwise, I would have really liked to pay him a visit."

The emperor also spoke excitedly, "If that senior is willing to vouch for us, this issue… will no longer be a major problem." (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to vote for it, and your support is my biggest motivation. For mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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