Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1416 Golden Spear Strikes the String

Chen Chuan asked, "Has the command headquarters discussed this matter?"

"It's still under discussion."

Sun Yangde said: "Many people objected, saying that the old imperial family should not be considered human anymore, that their surrender terms should not be accepted, and that they must be completely eliminated."

However, the other side believed that ending the war quickly was the most important thing now, and that any cost would be worthwhile as long as the old imperial family could be overthrown.

At this point, he shook his head and said, "On the surface, this seems to be for the sake of the big picture, but in reality, it is an intentional attempt to gain merits that they would not otherwise receive on the battlefield, and also to plant spies against us."

Those present sneered upon hearing this, clearly understanding who Sun Yangde was referring to—nothing more than the conservatives.

Jiang Linghuai said, "Surrender? We can't agree to that. These people are no longer the same as us. Who knows what changes will occur after the bombing? We must wipe them out!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present showed expressions of agreement.

Sun Yangde said, "Several ministers also think so. We cannot compromise with them. However, some people over there have raised the question: what should we do if the old imperial family surrenders to us?"

He said in a deep voice, "Everyone knows that the old imperial family would almost never make such a choice, but this issue is a serious political topic. When it comes to such matters, it is necessary to define the nature of the issue clearly and discuss it thoroughly. Therefore, the proposal has now been formally put on the agenda."

Especially when those people use public opinion to get more lower- and middle-level officials in relevant departments involved in this topic, then it becomes imperative to discuss it clearly. This inadvertently takes up space on the agenda, forcing us to allocate our energy to discussing these things.

A few people sneered on the spot. They knew very well that those people were the conservatives. Even if they couldn't stop you directly, they would use public opinion and procedural means to restrain you at every turn, thereby achieving their goal of delaying and obstructing you.

Jiang Linghuai shook his head, which is why he particularly disliked working in government departments and preferred to stay at the World Ring. He was thoroughly fed up with these political tricks.

Chen Chuan said: "Regarding whether to accept the surrender, if the command asks for my opinion, my thought is not to accept it. General Jiang has already stated the main reason: these people are already outcasts, and their activation capabilities are extremely infectious."

Even disregarding these factors, most of these people are followers of ancient gods. We don't know if these gods can profoundly change them, nor can we be certain whether they will undergo new mutations after the Great Collision.

Sun Yangde's expression turned serious. He said, "I wonder if you could draft a document outlining what Commander Chen said, so I can take it to headquarters when I get back."

Chen Chuan nodded, indicating that he could.

Sun Yangde nodded and said, "The Supreme Advisory Group will send a representative here tomorrow to oversee the battle. Commander Chen, please be prepared. But rest assured, the Advisory Group will not hinder your specific operations. If necessary, they will also join the battle to help fight."

Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."

Having given all he needed to say, Sun Yangde stood up and said, "I'll go back to headquarters after Commander Chen has drafted the documents."

He put on his hat and said solemnly, "Commander Chen, we will handle some things in the rear. We will arrange everything in the rear and will absolutely not let these things interfere with you. Commander Chen only needs to focus on the current battle situation."

He shook hands with Chen Chuan, nodded to the others present, and then left.

After he left, Chen Chuan discussed it with the others, and then he returned to his temporary residence and took out the jade talisman to examine it.

The patterns on the jade talisman might be incomprehensible to the average person, but he could tell that it was actually a topographical map of mountains and rivers. There was a red line in it, which, when compared with the terrain, pointed to the strange path that had been discovered earlier that led directly to the heart of Youdu.

There is no doubt that the other party has arranged for them to meet there, and may be using this as a way to show their sincerity.

After thinking it over, he decided to meet this person in person.

However, he wouldn't go alone. Even though he considered himself quite capable, he was now the commander at the front lines and responsible for the entire war effort, so he certainly wouldn't act on his own.

The command center was very efficient. Just a few hours after Sun Yangde left, the secret service sent over the intelligence they had gathered about Youdu.

Surprisingly, there's a detailed map of Youdu's defenses, mainly showing the outer defenses and fortress complex. With this map, they can focus their attacks on specific targets, saving a significant amount of time and effort.

Although there is currently no detailed information about the inner palace, it is already quite remarkable that we were able to obtain this information in such a short time.

These intelligence reports also indicate that, among the former imperial territories, only some key strategic locations remain under control; the rest have all been abandoned, and most of the high-ranking military officers stationed there have been recalled, seemingly in preparation for concentrated defense.

He glanced at the map and already had a general idea of ​​how to attack Youdu.

The following day, two teams transferred from the eastern and southern routes also rushed to Yaolan Pass.

The number of martial artists from Dongxuan Temple gathered here exceeded twenty, giving them a clear advantage over the existing forces of the old imperial family. Around noon that day, representatives of the Supreme Advisory Council also arrived.

He had already been telegraphed, and the advisor commissioned to come here this time was Fan Zhentong, who was an old acquaintance of his.

Upon meeting him, Fan Zhentong said, "The advisory group considered that I had contact with you many times, so they asked me to come this time."

Chen Chuan nodded in agreement. In fact, he knew very well that this was because Fan Zhentong was also a person with an enterprising viewpoint.

Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, he gathered them all together for a meeting. The main purpose was to formulate a specific battle plan based on the current intelligence.

Chen Chuan immediately laid out the general plan, saying, "Judging from the pressure the World Ring is under, it's clear that these people from the old imperial family are definitely colluding with the beings in the opposite world."

Therefore, we must seize this opportunity to annihilate them here, especially the former imperial family members, nobles, and high-ranking military officers—not a single one can escape, lest they cause us further trouble after the great bombardment arrives.”

When he said that, no one objected.

Chen Chuan's own combat prowess is enough to convince the masses, and now he is the commander-in-chief, leading his men to victory in the first two battles. The losses of the old imperial family's main generals in recent years were almost all caused by him, so he has unparalleled authority and influence in dealing with the old imperial family.

Next, Chen Chuan explained the specific plans, which were based on the intelligence provided by the secret service. The details were to be drafted by a group of advisors and active consciousness entities.

Even at this point, the proven path is still worth paying attention to.

Chen Chuan's initial idea was that if there wasn't enough strength, he would have most of his forces hold the main force back while he led a small number of men to launch a surprise attack.

Now that he has more cards to play, there is no need to adopt this tactic.

However, he felt that a direct assault was still a poor strategy, so it was best to press forward step by step and try to increase the pressure on the old imperial family. If they realized that they could not hold the position, they would most likely choose to retreat from here.

If that's the case, then they could easily set up an ambush here and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

However, this road has been used by successive dynasties, indicating that it is the safest and most suitable route for retreat. The old imperial family would definitely send people to protect and guard this road in advance, so there are specific procedures to follow, which need to be adjusted according to the situation at the time.

If the plan doesn't work out, that's fine; we'll just proceed as planned.

While everyone was discussing the matter, an officer in charge of communications brought a message:
"Report, a telegram from headquarters says that a group of former imperial loyalists has contacted us, expressing their willingness to join us in attacking the old imperial family. Headquarters has told us to consider and handle the matter ourselves."

Chen Chuan took the telegram and read it. The so-called Changchao was the former dynasty that was destroyed by the last dynasty. Some of its descendants are still active in Jiaorong.

These people claimed to have fought against the last dynasty for hundreds of years, but in reality, they had been using the vast, interconnected lands to hide and flee from the old imperial court's encirclement and suppression.

While they possess some strength, they are essentially an anomaly, and likely have the support of ancient deities. It is precisely for this reason that he will absolutely not cooperate with these people.

He said, "There's no need to pay attention to them. Just reply to the command center and say that I'm aware of it."

The officer saluted and left.

The meeting room continued to discuss the battle plan. Based on the strategy proposed by Chen Chuan, the participants put forward some suggestions and additions. After the final draft was completed, a tactical report was formed and submitted to the battle command, awaiting the command's approval and unified deployment.

The command responded very quickly, sending a reply within just three hours, indicating that they had approved their operational plan.

Chen Chuan received approval from his superiors and, without any delay, set off that very night in an airship with his men.

They encountered a small number of old imperial airships on the way, but they were all shot down and did not have a significant impact on them.

At dawn, the team easily captured a group of fortresses that were only half a day's journey from Youdu, and stopped there, assuming a posture of waiting for reinforcements and building fortifications.

As the Shun army approached, the entire city of Youdu was terrified. Airships took to the skies and spread out all around, while secret instruments were activated everywhere.

On Panquan Mountain, not far from Youdu, a white-bearded Taoist priest glanced at the old capital city shrouded in an atmosphere of fear, sneered a few times, looked at the location of Chen Chuan and the others, stroked his beard and nodded, then turned around and disappeared without a trace.

……

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(End of this chapter)