https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-677-How-Can-I-Be-at-a-Loss-When-I-Won-/12852645/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-682-Surviving-This-Will-Save-Sixty-Years-of-Wandering/12852649/
Chapter 678: The Old Snake Loses Power, the Alien Races Lie in Wait
Chapter 678: The Old Snake Loses Power, the Alien Races Lie in Wait
"Is it really over like this?" She Xi found it hard to believe. Today was the third day, and with Su Shu dying in the Ministry of Punishments, Qin Muye didn't even show up for court today.
He had expected a storm of blood and thunder, and She Xi had made extensive preparations. But it felt like he had thrown a punch into cotton, leaving him extremely uncomfortable.
"This isn't good. This can't be a feint, can it?" She Xi didn't believe that Qin Muye would let such a good opportunity slip. It was more likely that he was preparing for a fatal blow.
"Old Master, what should we do?" Ye Yin, who had taken Su Shu's place, spoke up.
"Don't panic, let me think." She Xi knew that the situation was becoming increasingly complex. He had no idea where to start.
The Ministry of Revenue was under Qin Muye's control, and the other five departments had lost a significant amount of power over these three days. Qin Muye was gradually reclaiming all his authority.
"He's building up momentum." She Xi suddenly said.
"Building up momentum?" Shi En was puzzled. This didn't look like building up momentum at all. The explanation seemed far-fetched, and the current Emperor Qian didn't need to build up momentum; he could just strike a fatal blow.
"You're right. You should know that his tactic of strong-arming and acting shamelessly can only work once, not twice. If Su Shu hadn't died, he could have used the opportunity to lash out, but now that Su Shu is dead, he has lost his leverage, and the tactic is no longer effective."
"Just giving up so easily is unexpected. I thought he would use Su Shu's death in the prison as an opportunity for a new offensive."
"Exactly because he gave up, he is now preparing a new offensive against us!"
This made the others exchange glances. Was he overthinking it? Everything seemed calm, and there was no sign of anything being wrong.
"Old Master, are you sure?" Ye Yin also suspected that She Xi, unable to handle the blow, was starting to see ghosts. First, they had lost their inside man, which meant they had no information from the palace.
He thought She Xi's words were too far-fetched. Abandoning the opportunity to press their advantage might have another purpose, but it was more likely that Qin Muye wanted to reconcile. Otherwise, the continued conflict between the emperor and his ministers would surely lead to national instability.
After all, this wasn't unprecedented. It usually started with a show of force to warn others, followed by a choice: submit obediently or face further suppression and loss of power.
"Are you doubting me?" She Xi frowned. Su Shu had just died yesterday, and now Ye Yin was stepping up, giving the impression that he wanted to take over.
After all, when Su Shu and he had aligned interests, they could target anyone they wanted.
Now, without such a useful lackey, he felt a bit out of his element.
"I wouldn't dare, but I suspect that Emperor Qian wants to reconcile. He is in the process of consolidating power. If we temporarily lie low and avoid conflict, focusing on the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers to protect ourselves, we can wait for him to let his guard down and then strike." Ye Yin's point was simple: they should admit defeat, and the other side wouldn't hold it against them too much.
Before anything else, they needed to secure their positions.
This idea was very appealing to the other alien races. They wanted to destroy the human race's legitimacy, but they had to survive first.
They were fighting to live, not living to fight. There was a difference.
"Yes, Old Master, the rebel army is now at an impasse. We can't be too aggressive. One wrong move, and we'll lose everything." As the Minister of War, Shi En understood the importance of his position. The ghoul in his clan had witnessed Su Shu's painful death under the national fortune.
If it had been a junior member of the clan, they would have died quickly without feeling much. But someone with his level of power would suffer greatly. Su Shu didn't even look human by the time he died.
"You're being short-sighted. If we reconcile, it will be like boiling a frog in warm water. Emperor Qian is skilled. If we reconcile today, you will end up like Su Shu in the future." She Xi was furious. He hadn't expected the alien races to unite.
When it came to their own interests, especially matters of life and death, none of the alien races were willing to listen to She Xi. He was the Chief Cabinet Minister, second only to the emperor, and if anything happened, it wouldn't affect him. But what about the rest of them?
"Old Master, have you forgotten about the rebel army? We just need to stall for a bit, let the rebel army enter the capital, and then no matter what Emperor Qian does, it will be too late." Ye Yin directly countered.
Everyone present could see that She Xi wanted them to confront Emperor Qian head-on, which was not a good idea.
Why risk a direct confrontation when they could simply let the rebel army enter the capital and settle everything? It was just that the death of their lackey was hard to swallow, or perhaps he was deliberately trying to eliminate rivals. After all, once they succeeded, it would be like letting the alien races divide the entire world.
When it came to work, they complained about having too few people, but when it was time to eat, they complained about having too many.
For a moment, all the alien races thought about this possibility, aiming to clear out the other alien races except for the snake people before the plan was completed. Otherwise, why would they want to confront Emperor Qian directly?
She Xi fell silent, his cold gaze sweeping over the other alien races.
This made Ye Yin a bit uneasy. Had things escalated too much?
"Since you all want to stall for time, let's do it your way. If anything goes wrong in the future, don't come to me."
After a long silence, She Xi finally spoke. He knew he had to yield; the tide was against him, and this made him very frustrated.
He was clearly doing what was best for everyone, but no one appreciated it. The slight suspicion and distrust in their eyes made him realize he had overstepped.
"Old Master, you are too serious. We are just discussing options; how can we do this without you?" Ye Yin didn't want to offend him. Since he had achieved his goal, he had to let She Xi save face.
The others also chimed in, agreeing. Although they opposed She Xi this time, it didn't mean they would always oppose him. When their interests aligned, they would stand together.
"Alright, no more flattery. You need to be cautious. After all, Emperor Qian still has a formidable elite force outside the capital, and we have no information on them." She Xi subtly warned them not to put too much faith in the so-called rebel army, or they might fail.
"Prince She, have you received any information?" Ye Yin asked bluntly. They had provided the people and the power, but now, with nothing in return, it wasn't good.
"No, this elite force is exceptional. There has been no trace of them so far." She Xi understood Ye Yin's meaning but could do nothing about it.
"Given that, why don't we consolidate the rebel army first? We can choose one of Chen Liuhuan, Duanmu Yan, or Yan Ling to support and control." Ye Yin knew that delays could lead to complications. These three were very capable, and they needed to both support and control them.
"Chen Liuhuan is out of the question. This person is highly skilled and has already taken control of the Stone People's Army. Even the people Yu Jia had placed there have been ousted. We must eliminate him first." Shi En spoke up, emphasizing the urgency.
"Agreed. Let's choose between Duanmu Yan and Yan Ling, then." She Xi didn't object, understanding that Chen Liuhuan must not be allowed to grow too powerful.
"Before that, we need to investigate how Chen Liuhuan managed to oust Yu Jia's people. After all, mere blood food shouldn't have such capabilities." Ye Yin added.
In their eyes, it could be luck or insight, but it needed to be investigated to avoid any mishaps.
They followed the rules of the court because it was advantageous, but when it came to dealing with blood food, they could be ruthless. After all, who would argue with a bowl of rice on the table?
"Alright, since there are no objections, let's adjourn. You can arrange your people as you see fit." She Xi felt too exhausted and didn't want to deal with more. He got up and left on his own.
The other alien races, seeing this, didn't stay long either. They left to prepare, arranging their own people to investigate and select the right person.
This would require some negotiation, to see who would take the lead. She Xi's departure indicated that the She family was giving up the benefits of this mission, leaving it to the other alien noble families to choose.
(End of Chapter)
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