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Chapter 160: Conquering the World, Confronting the Masterminds, the Secret Treasure of the State of Chen, the Foundation of the State

Li Guanyi shifted his gaze from the bronze stele in the corner and followed the image of the black tortoise to the innermost part, where there was an antique decoration and bookshelves surrounding an open space with a scroll placed inside.

It is ten feet long and several feet high, with sharp brushstrokes, and thousands of mountains and rivers are integrated into the scroll.

The image of the black tortoise lay motionless in front of the scroll.

He wanted to go in, but seemed unable to break through some kind of empty barrier, so he was extremely anxious, wandering back and forth, and finally landed on Li Guanyi's shoulder, his eyes full of anxiety. He pulled the boy's shoulder with one claw and stretched out the other claw to point at the landscape painting.

Almost screamed out loud.

This painting?
“I definitely can’t take this thing away.”

Li Guanyi looked at the landscape scroll and recognized from the inscription on one side that it was the work of the ancestor of the State of Chen, the Duke of Chen who lived five hundred years ago. At first glance, the painting skills of this mighty general who once looked down upon all quarters were only passable. If the black tortoise had not been lying there, Li Guanyi would not have taken it too seriously.

But Li Guanyi fully believed in the sharp eyesight of the black turtle.

This guy even ignored the materials for the magic weapon, but you can tell how precious this landscape painting is. Li Guanyi stared at the landscape painting intently, and gradually his mind was absorbed in it. He felt that every stroke of the landscape seemed to contain the beauty of the ups and downs of energy.

Li Guanyi's expression was slightly condensed, and in a trance, he seemed to see a warrior performing martial arts.

Each move was fierce and domineering, and his internal energy fluctuated like this mountain.

Finally, it seemed as if a warrior was rushing towards him with a spear, and he stabbed the spear forward, and it seemed as if layer upon layer, endless mountains were rushing towards him. Li Guanyi's pupils contracted, and he recognized the core of this move.

【Destroy the mountain】!
Thousands of mountains and rivers, with their ever-changing shapes, are the [Mountain Destroying] state of great perfection.

But this [Mountain Destroying] reached its extreme and didn't stop!

Endless, overlapping mountains seemed to overlap at this moment, turning into an infinitely high, infinitely far, vast and boundless mountain, and the mountain turned into a spear tip, domineering and sharp, falling towards Li Guanyi!

Gather strength with [Destroy the Mountain], and explode with the might of a mountain collapse and the earth splitting!

This second move is far more powerful than destroying a mountain!
Just as Li Guanyi was immersed in the divine meaning contained in this seemingly ordinary landscape painting that was hung directly here, inside the Chen Kingdom Palace, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies was kneeling on the ground with his forehead against the ground, sweating profusely and his face pale.

The atmosphere was so heavy and cold that it almost suffocated him.

Whether from the traces of Chen Yuyun's death or from the Taoist Yuan Guang technique, the scene Chen Yuyun saw before his death, it can be determined without a doubt that Situ Deqing is the murderer who killed Chen Yuyun.

The purpose is to remove the obstacles in front of the prince, for the rights of Tan Tai Xian Ming and the power of the civil service system. Everything is in hand and the evidence is clear.

But now, Situ Deqing has been found.

The tenth-ranked assassin in the world had already become a corpse, almost broken into three pieces.

He was beheaded, with his neck almost chopped off, and his eyes were wide open, as if he was extremely unwilling. The evil spirit of the white tiger hidden in his corpse possessed the aura of a military general, and was extremely powerful. Only a top general of the contemporary era could have done such a thing.

Since Tan Tai Xianming ordered a killer to kill Chen Yuyun, why did such a change happen?

Could it be that Yuwen Lie bewitched Situ Deqing?

Did he let the tenth best assassin in the world kill Chen Yuyun, frame Tan Tai Xian Ming, and then have Yu Wenlie kill him? Or did the prime minister do it, causing Situ Deqing to frame Yu Wenlie but fail and then be killed?

Both of these speculations are possible. Yuwen Lie and Tan Tai Xian Ming both have the motive and interest to do this. The eunuch in charge of ceremonies could hardly think straight and felt like his head was about to burn.

He couldn't figure it out, he really couldn't figure it out.

Emperor Chen remained silent for a long time, then suddenly said, "Let Tan Tai Xian Ming come."

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies felt his heart tighten, and felt a strong sense of oppression like a mountain wind. He swallowed his saliva, whispered "yes", and almost trotted out of the hall. He felt that although it was a hot summer day, the coldness in the hall was almost freezing to death!
He did not dare to delay at all and quickly went to find Tan Tai Xian Ming.

Tan Tai Xian Ming was already hesitant in his heart. Today, there was a sudden imperial decree from the palace, so he rushed to the palace. When he saw the corpse of Situ Deqing lying on the ground, even this famous prime minister and scholar felt his scalp tingling for an instant.

Emperor Chen sat on the throne and said calmly, "Prime Minister, don't you want to say something?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming remained silent for a long time. He slowly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty."

Emperor Chen raised his eyes and said, "Oh? What crime?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming pointed at the corpse and said frankly: "I didn't know that the talented man I recommended back then, Si Qing, who was sent to guard the library, was actually a killer and now he is dead here. I have made a serious mistake in recommending the wrong person."

Emperor Chen suddenly burst into laughter: "Avoiding the important issues and showing weakness."

"Hahaha, Tan Tai Xian Ming, ah Tan Tai Xian Ming, you are such a cunning guy who has served several generations of kings, but don't you know what he did? Or are you still lying now?"

Emperor Chen's smile faded slightly. He looked at Tan Tai Xian Ming and said:

"He killed Chen Yuyun."

Tan Tai Xian Ming's brain was working rapidly.

Emperor Chen said, "Do you know who Chen Yuyun is?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming was silent, then said, "I know."

"It's your Majesty's illegitimate son."

The eunuch in charge of ceremonies was stunned. He thought that the prime minister would shirk responsibility and play dumb, but he never expected that Tan Tai Xian Ming would take the initiative to speak and tell him this fatal news. For a moment, he felt a fatal atmosphere.

He held the whisk in both hands and lowered his head tightly, as if he wanted to hide himself.

Tan Tai Xian Ming looked at the furious emperor and said, "From the perspective of interests, your majesty, your son, my grandson, is the crown prince, the heir to the throne, and the future emperor. As the crown prince's grandfather, it is reasonable for me to kill your illegitimate son so that he can ascend to the throne!"

"But, such a simple thing, it is obvious that if your illegitimate son dies, I will benefit the most. Do you think Tan Tai Xianming will do this?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming took a half step forward, and the elegant-looking old man said slowly:

"Even if I want to kill him."

"I definitely won't use such a trick."

"If your majesty thinks that Tan Tai Xian Ming would do such a thing, you are underestimating me."

Emperor Chen said, "Yes, Tan Tai Xian Ming would not do such a thing, but if even the impression given by the Prime Minister is part of your plan, so what? Deliberately letting people think that you would not do such a crude plan, but then doing it, wouldn't that help you clear yourself from the trap?"

"Isn't it more foolproof?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming said: "Your Majesty, I have one more crime that I have not yet confessed."

"Xue Daoyong also knows the identity of Chen Yuyun's illegitimate son."

Emperor Chen laughed out of anger:
"Okay, okay, so you suspect it's Xue Daoyong?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming said slowly: "On the surface, the Crown Prince is the one who has the most interests against the illegitimate child, but you and I both know that this is not the case. The Crown Prince will never be Chen Yuyun's real enemy..."

The elegant old man slowly raised his eyes, looked at the stunned and soon furious emperor in front of him, and said word by word: "After all, the strategist who carried out the plan did not know."

"Only Chen Yuyun and Concubine Xue's son are your bloodline."

"No, Prince."

Emperor Chen stood up in a rage, having lost the calmness that a conspirator should have.

He also lost the indifference and composure that he had in control of the situation, because no matter what the reason was, what Tan Tai Xianming said was a shame that a man could never tolerate. Chen Huang drew his sword and shouted angrily: "Shut up!"

Tan Tai Xian Ming, who used to flatter the emperor, just said calmly:

"Shut up?"

"You put my daughter on the bed and fed her a drug. Then you used strong liquor and the drug from Tianxia Diyilou to get the King of Puyang drunk. Then, while you were toasting, you poured the wine on him, made him change into your clothes, and sent him to my daughter's bedroom..."

"You know that King Puyang has a heroic character, and you also know that he has no children."

"Knowing that even he would feel regret for what he had done, he gave you the Emperor's Seal."

"So, you have the seal, and you have the capital to connect with many noble families and civil and military officials. So the prince is not your heir at all. I know that you will not let the prince ascend the throne. I have always known this."

"So, he is truly in an absolute confrontation with Chen Yuyun."

"It's Xue Daoyong!"

"I told you to shut up!"

Emperor Chen was furious. He drew the sword from his waist in anger. The powerful power brought by the emperor's magic roared, making the atmosphere of the whole palace depressed and shaky. At this time, Tan Tai Xianming revealed the secret information that the emperor and any man could not tolerate. The eunuch knelt on the ground and felt dizzy.

I felt that my life was in danger.

Chen Huang's sword was against the old man's throat, almost piercing through Tan Tai Xian Ming:
"Tan Tai Xian Ming!"

"How dare you insult me! How dare you insult me!"

Tan Tai Xian Ming said calmly:
"This is something you did, I just said it."

"So, you took possession of your wife and gave birth to Chen Yuyun. This was to make up for the grief and unwillingness of sending your wife away. You wanted to prove that you are still a brave man."

"It's all in the past."

"I say this only to help Your Majesty clear the fog before your eyes."

"Let me tell you, I will not kill Chen Yuyun to help my grandson."

"Your Majesty is young and strong, and it is the prime of your life. Even if Chen Yuyun dies, there will be other sons. Even if Concubine Xue's son is not allowed to take the throne, there will be others. My poor grandson has no hope."

"If we talk about someone fighting for the throne, it's only Xue Daoyong."

"He is the only one who has a direct conflict of interest with Chen Yuyun, and Xue Daoyong also knows that Chen Yuyun is your son. He is even the top warrior in the world. After hearing what he has heard, Your Majesty..."

Tan Tai Xian Ming waved his sleeves, looked at the furious king in front of him calmly, and said softly:

"Who do you think is more likely to do it, me or him?"

Emperor Chen closed his eyes and retracted the sword.

He did not kill Tan Tai in front of him, but remained silent and replied: "Everything has a price. The Queen and I have been childhood sweethearts. I was also very painful that day. I wanted to go to the palace to take back my wife more than once, but..."

There was sadness in Emperor Chen's eyes, and this feeling was real.

Tan Tai Xian Ming sighed and said calmly, "I know."

"The position of the emperor cannot be matched by a woman, even a childhood sweetheart, right?"

"Now that it has come to this, the person who did this is either Yuwen Lie or Xue Daoyong."

"Yuwen Lie's military tactics are upright, domineering and violent, but they also have some strange moves. I suspect that it was Xue Daoyong... There should be a counselor behind him. I am just assuming that there is a counselor here."

"This strategist anticipated the personalities of you, me, and Yuwen Lie at the same time."

"And then they set up this situation."

"Situ Deqing, I, Your Majesty, Yuwen Lie, and even Xue Daoyong may all be chess pieces. He is a terrifying strategist who is good at maneuvering..." Tan Tai Xianming closed his eyes and reviewed everything in his mind. A chessboard appeared in front of him, and he was like he was fighting with a strange wise man.

Then Tan Tai Xian Ming told almost all of Po Jun's strategies and plans.

The inferences at each level are crystal clear.

However, at this moment, Emperor Chen sheathed his sword and said, "What the Prime Minister said makes sense, but what if this is just what you said to mislead my judgment?"

There was a cold and suspicious look in the emperor's eyes.

Tan Tai Xian Ming was stunned. He looked at the emperor, a king who was experienced in conspiracy.

Such a king only believes in himself.

Emperor Chen stroked his sword and said, "What the Prime Minister said is very true, but why did Situ Deqing kill my son? When did Xue Daoyong kill Situ Deqing? Why did the tenth assassin in the world under your command suddenly rebel?"

"How do you explain these three points?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming asked: "What if Situ Deqing was killed first, and someone took his dark gold mask and killed Chen Yuyun?"

Emperor Chen shouted, "Then why was Situ Deqing killed, and why did Si Qing leave the palace?"

"And he was killed first, how come my son still has his unique true Qi in his body?!"

Tan Tai Xian Ming remained silent and replied, "It's just a doubt, but it's not enough to overturn the conclusion." Emperor Chen laughed loudly and said, "What a doubt! I also have some doubts when I see you!"

"not to mention!"

"You really don't want your grandson to become the emperor?"

Tan Tai Xian Ming slowly raised his eyes.

In the palace, the emperor in majestic court robes stood in front of the throne, looking down at Tan Tai Xian Ming coldly. Just this one sentence was enough to overturn all of Tan Tai Xian Ming's previous explanations and strategy reviews, because the king before him would do anything for the imperial cause.

He didn't believe that there would be anyone who didn't care about this position!
impossible!
Emperor Chen believed that Tan Tai Xian Ming wanted the throne, so he would first get rid of Chen Yu Yun, and then use him to get rid of Xue Dao Yong and Concubine Xue's son, so that only the crown prince would be left. In the eyes of the emperor, everything Tan Tai Xian Ming said was just his strategy.

Tan Tai Xian Ming suddenly felt tired.

Emperor Chen said calmly:
"I will give more thought to what the Prime Minister said and leave the seal."

"You must be exhausted, Prime Minister. Go back and have some rest."

Tan Tai Xianming remained silent. The elegant old man suddenly realized that no matter what he said, the emperor would not believe it. Chen Yuyun was already dead, and the emperor wanted to use Chen Yuyun's death to formally begin to deprive the prime minister of his power and concentrate power in himself.

Tan Tai Xian Ming stroked the seal on his waist.

Then he put it down, bowed, and turned to leave the palace.

When he wore the seal of the prime minister, he always smiled gently. But at this moment, he put down the seal of the prime minister and walked out. His back straightened little by little, his sleeves wrapped in the breeze. He looked at the palace and the world, reviewed the counselors behind the Xue family, and said to himself in his heart:

It’s a good strategy, it can be said to be the best.

But, that’s all. If I could completely trust my lord like you, I could break this plan with just a few words!

Or is it that the emperor's character is also part of your strategy?

If it was sixty years ago, when Tan Tai Xian Ming was at the peak of his power and was one of the top ten strategists and Confucian scholars in the world, and he founded a country and made his mark, and there was a wise monarch by his side at that time, they would have pushed the territory of Chen State in a further direction. With the support of such a monarch, it is possible that Tan Tai Xian Ming would have been able to wipe out such a strategy.

Unfortunately, now...

Tan Tai Xian Ming closed his eyes and said nothing, just thinking that the news about the illegitimate child came from Hou Zhong Yu.

Li Guanyi was also the guard of Qilin Palace, so Li Guanyi also knew it.

Look at the big picture.

This strategy probably came from Li Guanyi.

Is it him, or is there someone behind him?

Tan Tai Xian's hair stood on end, and he suddenly smiled with melancholy.

The grand sacrifice is coming, and this game of chess is not yet over, Your Majesty.

Thank you for sending me out of the chess game.

Let’s wait until the end to see who will win.

………………

At this time, Li Guanyi finally figured out the secret of this landscape painting. Hidden in it was a move that followed the Destroying the Mountain, called [Breaking the Mountain]. It was majestic and domineering. After suddenly realizing [Destroying the Mountain] and [Breaking the Mountain], the changes in his energy became clear in an instant.

The landscape painting changed in front of Li Guanyi's eyes.

The black tortoise dived directly into the landscape painting, and the landscape painting suddenly changed. The change twisted, quickly, and slowly turned into a map. Words emerged and appeared in Li Guanyi's eyes.

"If you are a descendant of the Chen family and are familiar with the art of war, you can see my map."

"I have a secret that can help me defeat the Ji family."

"If future generations obtain it, they can divide the land and establish a nation!"

(End of this chapter)