For Li Mi's death, aside from a few like Shen Luoyan, most people wouldn't feel any pity for him. In this regard, Li Mi couldn't compare to Zhai Rang. After Zhai Rang's death, many sought to avenge him, such as Xuan Yong and Tu Shufang. But for Li Mi? Among his subordinates, only Shen Luoyan was truly loyal to him.
In the original story, even Wang Bodang, whom Li Mi considered a confidant, ultimately betrayed him. In truth, someone like Wang Bodang would never be loyal to anyone but himself. Only Li Mi, in his foolishness, would consider him a trusted aide.
Li Mi's failure wasn't without reason. He had always been stabbing in the back those who had shown him kindness. While many might not say it out loud, they knew it in their hearts. Without other options, they might have tolerated it, but given a choice, no one would side with a traitor.
Look at Wei Zheng and Xu Shiji. Even before Li Mi's downfall, they were already making overtures to the Li Clan. Under the Li Clan, they were far more valued than they had been under Li Mi.
"Next is Dou Jiande. After that, we can join forces with the Song Clan, and things will become much easier."
Looking at the map of the Central Plains displayed by Red Queen, Daniel silently planned his next steps. Even though he had delegated much of his authority, the lack of talented subordinates meant he still had to handle many matters personally.
Although Xu Xingzhi was capable, he was just one man. Currently, he was primarily managing affairs in Champion City, which was in dire straits due to Zhu Can's actions. Xu Xingzhi was already overwhelmed with work.
"But before that, let's have the Song Clan send some political talents over."
With Li Mi defeated, his territory needed to be taken over. Adding Dou Jiande's territory, which would likely soon fall into their hands, Daniel decided to ask the Song Clan for help. As an established family with ambitions for the throne, the Song Clan had always been diligent in cultivating talent.
With the support of the aristocratic families controlled by the Demon Sect, they would have enough talent. The reason for needing so many people, rather than using the original administrators, was to implement his new policies.
As for whether this would allow the Song Clan and the Demon Sect to grow too powerful, Daniel wasn't concerned. With him around, such a thing wouldn't happen. He wasn't like Sengoku or Garp from One Piece, who, fearing that Rocks might become the next Celestial Dragon, allied with pirates they deemed dirty to maintain the Celestial Dragons' rule.
Moreover, if someone became too powerful and didn't want to join the Navy, they would worry about whether that person would become a pirate and threaten the world. In Daniel's view, this was utterly ridiculous. Worrying about baseless possibilities and choosing to uphold the Celestial Dragons' rule was like avoiding eating for fear of choking.
By that logic, the ones most likely to become Celestial Dragons were Sengoku and Garp themselves.
For Daniel, as long as the overarching system was established, the rest would be straightforward. In about ten years, when the students from the schools graduated, a virtuous cycle would begin.
Daniel wasn't worried about the battle against Dou Jiande. While Dou Jiande was a formidable local leader, he lacked the vision to contend for the throne.
Among the major forces in the Central Plains, few were truly aiming to unify the realm. Most were content with dominating their own regions.
Only Daniel, Song Que, the Li Clan, Li Mi, and Du Fuwei had their sights set on the entire Central Plains. Despite the Jianghuai Army's lack of prominence, Du Fuwei had genuine foresight.
Du Fuwei's biggest issue was his lowly origins. Initially, he could only rapidly plunder to amass the resources needed to enter the stage of contention. Given enough time, Du Fuwei might have posed a greater threat than Li Mi. However, his luck was poor. In the original story, the Twin Dragons disrupted several of his plans, especially the one to seize Jingling and bring in the Flying Horse Ranch, which could have been a turning point for the Jianghuai Army. After that failure, Du Fuwei became disheartened.
Dou Jiande, on the other hand, had become somewhat arrogant. By following Li Shimin's original strategy against him—feigning weakness to lure him into a trap—they could easily deal with him.
"The frontier... Miss Zhai, how about we collaborate?"
After Li Mi's death, Zhai Jiao seemed much more relaxed. After thanking Daniel, she prepared to return to her trading company in the frontier.
Zhai Jiao had considerable talent in commerce. After leaving Dou Jiande, she established a trading company in the frontier, primarily dealing in furs and amassing significant wealth, which supported her numerous followers.
In these turbulent times, merchants faced many challenges, especially when trading with the frontier tribes. Blackmail and betrayal were common, but Zhai Jiao's subordinates were formidable.
"Collaborate?"
"Exactly. What do you think of this?"
Daniel produced a set of glass teacups. Under his guidance, the glass factory had finally met his standards. Given the Twin Dragons' relationship with Zhai Jiao, he decided to offer her this opportunity.
"Is this... glass?" Kou Zhong exclaimed, looking at the intricate patterns on the teacups.
"Precisely, glass."
Such a product, far ahead of its time, was something Zhai Jiao couldn't refuse, especially after hearing how low its production cost was.
With the Twin Dragons' involvement, Daniel didn't hide the cost of glass. Such things would eventually be exposed, so there was no point in secrecy. They reached an agreement, with the selling price set at a thousand to ten thousand times the cost. From now on, travelers along the Silk Road would carry a new commodity: glass.
"You're going to see Du Fuwei?"
"Yes, we're going to persuade our adoptive father to surrender."
After introducing Zhai Jiao to Bai Qing'er, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling shared their plan. With Li Mi and Zhu Can out of the picture, the major forces in the south were now Du Fuwei, Dou Jiande, Shen Faxing, Li Zitong, and Lin Shihong. As for the smaller forces, they had no choice but to surrender once the army arrived.
"Alright, but take these with you, just in case."
Considering the Twin Dragons' relationship with Du Fuwei, Daniel agreed to their plan and gave them a few talismans. Despite their formidable strength and the Wind God's Leg technique, being surrounded by an army was still dangerous.
The relationship between Du Fuwei and the Twin Dragons was complex. In matters of contention for the throne, things were unpredictable. Just look at Li Shimin, who killed his brothers for the throne.
Even though the Demon Sect had largely aligned with Daniel's Tang forces, other forces supported by the Demon Sect, such as Du Fuwei's partner Fu Gongyou and Lin Shihong, remained ambiguous in their stance.
Fu Gongyou's situation could be explained by Du Fuwei holding most of the power, making it difficult for him to act. However, Lin Shihong held complete authority in his domain. His refusal to surrender indicated his true intentions. If Lin Shihong had surrendered, the unification of the south would have been much quicker.
"These are great! Big Brother Shen, can we have a few more?" After learning the function of the talismans, Kou Zhong cheekily asked for more.
"Relying too much on these won't help you improve your strength."
Just as Lu Miaozi had once thrown away the Flying Sky Divine Escape given to the Twin Dragons, relying on external aids could easily lead to complacency for those aspiring to higher martial realms. Nevertheless, Daniel gave Kou Zhong a few more talismans.
"Thank you! By the way, Big Brother Shen, can we wait until we return before attacking Yuwen Huaji?"
For the Twin Dragons, other matters could be delayed, including the fight for the throne. But killing Yuwen Huaji was non-negotiable.
With Daniel's Tang forces having absorbed Li Mi's territory, they now bordered Yuwen Huaji's domain. After dealing with Dou Jiande, the next targets would be Yuwen Huaji, Shen Faxing, Li Zitong, and Du Fuwei.
"No problem. That area can be entirely left to you."
Daniel readily agreed to the Twin Dragons' request. Yuwen Huaji was a minor issue for him, but for the Twin Dragons, it was a significant matter. Considering the original story's relationship between Yuwen Huaji and Zhen Sao, this was a difficult choice for the Twin Dragons.
Outside the Jianghuai Army's base in Liyang, Du Fuwei, whose face was usually expressionless, actually smiled upon seeing the Twin Dragons.
"Haha, my two sons have finally become renowned figures!"
The Twin Dragons had come to Liyang openly, without any subterfuge. Kou Zhong's battle with Fu Xuan at Man Qing Lou had cemented their status as top-tier figures.
"Long time no see, Father." Kou Zhong and Xu Zilian spoke in unison.
This address caused Du Fuwei to pause for a moment before he burst into laughter. While their previous relationship had been casual, this formal acknowledgment solidified their bond.
"Good, good. Let's go."
Du Fuwei led the Twin Dragons into Liyang, stopping his guards from following. Liyang was the Jianghuai Army's territory, and with his own strength and the Twin Dragons by his side, even if one of the three Grandmasters appeared, they wouldn't be able to kill him.
"Let's not talk about other things today. Let's have a good drink, just the three of us."
Influenced by Du Fuwei's mood, the three of them enjoyed a hearty meal at a restaurant in Liyang before heading to a desolate area outside the city.
"I know your purpose without you saying it. I agree, but before that..." Du Fuwei didn't finish his sentence, but the golden armguards he revealed made his intentions clear.
"Father, please instruct us."
After exchanging a glance with Xu Ziling, who nodded, Kou Zhong stepped forward, holding the Moon in the Well, and assumed a ready stance about five meters from Du Fuwei.
"How times change."
Du Fuwei glanced at Xu Ziling, who had moved aside, and sighed. Back then, he could easily handle the Twin Dragons single-handedly. Now, he wasn't even sure he could win against one of them.
As he spoke, Du Fuwei's armguards clashed, producing a strange sound. Du Fuwei, known as "Sleeve-Covered Sky," had earned his reputation through real skill, not empty boasts.
"This is what they mean by 'each generation has its heroes.'"
Seeing Du Fuwei's move, Kou Zhong stepped forward, raising the Moon in the Well. A yellow blade aura shot toward Du Fuwei's chest.
The strange sound from Du Fuwei's armguards might have affected others, but Kou Zhong, who practiced the Longevity Scripture, was immune. Through frequent sparring with Xu Ziling, Kou Zhong had gained considerable experience dealing with sound-based attacks. Daniel had been thorough in teaching Xu Ziling, imparting most of the Taoist Heavenly Sect's martial arts. While the Longevity Scripture was a peerless technique, the Taoist Heavenly Sect's skills were also formidable.
Xu Ziling had mastered techniques like "Snow After Clear Sky," "World Without Color," "Heavenly Melody," and "All Things Revive," adapting them to his own style.
Clang!
The moment Kou Zhong's Moon in the Well clashed with Du Fuwei's armguards, a crisp sound rang out. Du Fuwei was forced back several steps, and a layer of frost formed on his battle-hardened armguards.
The spiral-shaped true energy, combined with its icy nature, gave Du Fuwei a slight disadvantage in their first exchange.
"Father, be careful."
As he spoke, Kou Zhong closed the distance, unleashing the Proud Cold Six Techniques. The surrounding temperature plummeted, forcing Du Fuwei to retreat further. After neutralizing the spiral ice energy within him, Du Fuwei used his golden armguards to counter Kou Zhong's Moon in the Well.
Yellow blade auras and golden armguard shadows clashed repeatedly. In moments, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
"Let's stop here." Xu Ziling, who had been silently observing, spoke up after nearly a hundred exchanges. The outcome was clear, and there was no need to continue. Du Fuwei, while strong, was only slightly better than Li Mi. The Twin Dragons were now on par with Wan Wan and Zhu Yuyan.
"I wanted to spar with Ziling, but it seems unnecessary now."
"Father, if you have any conditions, state them. I'll agree on Big Brother Shen's behalf."
"Big Brother Shen? You always call him that?"
"Yes."
"No need. I trust my two sons."
The Twin Dragons' address for Daniel surprised Du Fuwei. After confirming it, even Du Fuwei was moved. For someone of Daniel's status and power, titles were significant. Just as most people addressed Li Shimin as "Prince of Qin."
The Twin Dragons had considered changing their address for Daniel, but he had refused. Being an emperor without any close, personal addresses seemed too dull. Daniel didn't care what others thought; he wanted things to be different for himself.
(End of Chapter)
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