CHAPTER 1174: CHAPTER 740 SECRET MEETING

The sunlight poured into the side room, the decor was elegant.

Xu Yuan sat alone at the desk, staring silently for a long time at the ancient book titled "Black Scale" before him.

Since he succeeded Xu Changge and took over the helm at the Ink Concealment Pavilion, he had secured the number two position in the Prime Minister’s Mansion regarding financial matters.

With the support of Lou Ji and Hua Hong, two direct lineage members, his actual authority had become immense, and during certain special periods, such as when the Prime Minister was in retreat, aside from the Black Scale Army, he could even directly take over the Prime Minister’s prerogative.

But now,

with this cultivation technique, the Black Scale Army is no longer an exception.

"Confusing..."

He murmured softly, his fingertips brushing over the cover of the ancient book.

Xu Yuan had never practiced the Military Formation Technique, but when he was in the Northern Frontier out of curiosity, he had learned some basics of military formations from Li Qingyan.

If military power in his previous life was akin to authority constructed through systems, then the military power in this life had a tangible anchor.

The mother technique of military formation.

In the first six millennia before the emergence of the military formation cultivation technique, as long as one could rally a loyal elite guard, they might successfully launch a coup, but in the present Dayan, even leading a million troops to pressure the throne would be nothing more than sending oneself to slaughter.

Revolt in front of a superior officer?

Dare to operate the technique, and the owner of the superior’s mother technique could immediately drive you into madness.

This is the symbol of centralized power reaching its extreme,

and also the unique supreme violence of the leader.

And now, his father handed over this supreme violence to him so casually, as if giving hundreds of taels of broken silver for a child’s allowance after meals.

It must be known that even after governing the Ink Concealment Pavilion for nearly ten years, Xu Changge hadn’t even touched the shadow of the Black Scale mother technique.

Even though the old father had loosened the reins of power over his descendants to an unimaginably large extent for outsiders, military power remained a forbidden area that no one could encroach upon.

Major affairs of state, ultimately come down to financial and military matters.

If we say the Imperial is the tool of the ruling class, then military power is the cornerstone of this tool.

Sunlight poured into the side room, Xu Yuan kept rubbing the text on the title page of the cultivation technique, trying to understand his father’s intention.

Having come this far, he certainly knew he would inherit everything of the Prime Minister’s Mansion and had already prepared in his heart, ready to carry forward the aspirations established by the Prime Minister’s Mansion into the chaotic and unorganized future.

But the problem is.....

This time shouldn’t be now.

So Xu Yuan couldn’t understand, couldn’t understand why the old father would so simply hand over the authority representing the supreme violence of the Prime Minister’s Mansion to him.

It’s somewhat too urgent.

If the transition of financial power could be explained by the deformed system of the Prime Minister’s Mansion requiring a lot of time, then this cultivation technique representing supreme military power, from any angle, his father is somewhat too urgent.

Urgent enough,

almost like arranging matters after one’s death....?

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan’s pupils slightly shrunk, and he instantly stood up from the desk.

He wanted to directly go ask the old father face-to-face.

To ask what exactly happened during the Northern Hunt, but as he started to move, his figure seemed like a deflated balloon, sitting back down.

The Prime Minister’s Mansion’s internal affairs were indeed incomparable to any outside force.

There were not so many father-son rules, no matter how significant the matter, Xu Yinhè would not play the charade kid game with them, but there were ultimately some things in this world that couldn’t be spoken....

For instance,

The singular responsibility of the opposite party.

.....

.....

Black Prison, deepest level.

The narrow and long tunnel continuously descended, devoid of people, seemingly leading straight to Hell.

The sound of footsteps approached from afar, a middle-aged man with graying hair walked forward alone, black eyes silently absorbing the surrounding firelight like a dark pool.

Upon reaching the end, a woman was already waiting by the heavy stone door.

"Prime Minister."

Lou Ji bowed with her head half-lowered, her response lacking the usual casualness.

Xu Yinhè halted near, glancing at Lou Ji standing with her head bowed, his voice echoing in the tunnel:

"Everyone is here?"

"The heads of all households have already gathered."

"Open the door."

"Prime Minister, Chang... Third Young Master has not yet arrived...."

"....."

Xu Yinhè did not respond, blandly glanced at Lou Ji.

Lou Ji immediately fell silent, bowed her head, and raised her hand.

The heavy stone door beside them opened in response, revealing a circular secret chamber behind it.

The secret chamber was not large, six zhang in length and width, various formation patterns inscribed densely upon its inner walls, a rectangular stone table was embedded in the center of the floor, at this moment eleven Xu Family ministers of varying appearances, young and old, sat on both sides.

Commander of the Black Scale Army, Chairman of Tian’an Commerce Assembly, Chairman of Wenshu Courtyard, Owner of Tian’an Martial Hall, Chief of the Internal Minister’s Office....

Some sat meticulously, while others casually exchanged whispers through sound transmission, but the moment they saw the newcomers at the door, all ministers inside immediately stood up respectfully and called out:

"Prime Minister."

"Prime Minister."

"Prime Minister."

Within these voices, Xu Yinhè walked slowly among them, standing in front of the most central master seat under the gaze of the crowd, sweeping his eyes over all the ministers without expression.

Wherever his gaze landed, heads bowed uniformly.

"Sit."

Following his words, they sat down silently.

This time, after seating, the eleven Xu Family ministers maintained impeccable posture regardless of temperament.

Small matters hold large meetings, large matters small meetings.

Now, Dayan had arrived at a crossroads, everyone present was aware that today the Prime Minister summoned them to gather here to set the course for the direction of the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s great ship.

In other words,

today was to set the course for war.

After decades, the Prime Minister’s Mansion, or rather the Xu Family, had ultimately arrived at the predetermined day.