Chapter 47: The Name of the Demon
Xu Ning initially wanted Xia Yun to take his time and develop his territory further before launching any external campaigns.
However, he then realized that Xia Yun, as the former King of Lingnan, had a special emotional attachment to the region. His eagerness to reclaim it was understandable.
Xu Ning advised against a hasty attack to avoid arousing suspicion from neighboring powers. Instead, he suggested implementing the previously mentioned economic warfare strategy—the same one he had proposed years ago against the Cangming Empire.
This strategy could be applied to multiple countries simultaneously, weakening them without direct conflict.
Xia Yun was immediately excited, as Xu Ning's suggestion meant he could potentially conquer several countries at once, vastly expanding the territory of Da Xuan through economic means before the final military strikes.
However, another problem arose: money and resources.
Implementing this plan against multiple countries simultaneously required substantial financial support. The treasury would be stretched thin.
Xu Ning's solution was simple: heavily support domestic agriculture. With mid-grade mortal-level corn seeds, food production would skyrocket. Food wouldn't be a problem.
Later, fearing it might not be enough, Xu Ning gave Xia Yun some mid-grade mortal potatoes, instructing him to promote their large-scale cultivation. They would have surplus food to export or use as leverage.
Thus, a grand plan quietly began to take shape across the kingdom.
In the following days, Xu Ning was completely idle when not advising on state matters. He spent his time in the Hanlin Academy except for court sessions.
In his spare time, he would discreetly purchase pig iron and cloth.
With the addition of armor for his personal use, Xu Ning now had another mouth to feed for pig iron. The upgrade costs were adding up.
He also planned to upgrade three sets of clothes: one set for his everyday scholarly attire, one set for nighttime travel, and one set of plain linen for blending in.
This would require a large amount of cloth, which he bought slowly over time to avoid suspicion.
Furthermore, since he could stay in the capital city for an extended period, Xu Ning lit a controlled fire in his courtyard and continuously improved its quality to feed the lanterns, slowly upgrading them.
Time passed peacefully in this way.
Five years later, Da Xuan's long-planned grand scheme finally came to fruition. The neighboring economies had been weakened, their treasuries drained. Da Xuan's 100,000 iron cavalry instantly mobilized, sweeping across four or five surrounding countries in a lightning campaign.
Da Xuan's territory expanded three or four times in an instant, reaching an unprecedented scale. The kingdom had become an empire.
Xia Yun was hailed as a great emperor of all time, a conqueror without peer.
Xu Ning had been living a peaceful life, focused on his studies and upgrades, when Xia Yun held a grand ceremony to reward those who had contributed to the success of the campaign. Xu Ning was immediately listed as the greatest contributor.
Only then did everyone realize that this vicious economic and military scheme was actually devised by Prime Minister Xu Ning. Many people then unearthed numerous important decisions over the years, all bearing the Prime Minister's shadow.
Prime Minister Xu Ning was already a legendary figure, having supported the emperor in his ascension to the throne and offered numerous brilliant strategies in recent years. His abilities were truly extraordinary, seemingly unmatched.
Later, the common people, who benefited from his policies, called Prime Minister Xu Ning the "Great Demon Prime Minister of All Time" with affection. His enemies, however, called him the "Great Demon Prime Minister" with fear, dreading his schemes and even turning pale at the mere mention of his name.
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That day, Meng Yangming came to see Xu Ning again at his residence.
But this time was different. He was accompanied by a young boy, perhaps seven years old.
Xu Ning was grilling meat by the fire in his courtyard when he saw the child beside Meng Yangming. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Senior, is this your son? I didn't know you had such a young child."
Meng Yangming's face darkened upon hearing this. "I'm so old, and you call this a son? I'm well past that age, you brat."
Xu Ning asked in confusion, "Then who is he? A relative?"
Meng Yangming replied proudly, "My great-grandson. Lingzhu's child."
Xu Ning was surprised. "Meng Lingzhu's son? He's already so big? Time flies."
Meng Yangming said, "He was born when you and I came to Mingdu City back then. He's seven years old now! Can you believe it?"
Xu Ning suddenly realized why Meng Yangming hadn't brought Meng Lingzhu with him when he came. She had married and had a child. It was a natural path.
In the blink of an eye, the girl who had once expressed her feelings for him was now a mother.
Xu Ning could understand her. Although Meng Yangming was a Grandmaster, he was already quite old. She was probably trying to fulfill Meng Yangming's last wish by giving him a great-grandson to carry on the family.
"Shen Yun, quickly call him! Call him Master!" Meng Yangming hurriedly reminded his great-grandson, nudging him forward.
Shen Yun quickly bowed to Xu Ning, his voice clear and respectful. "Sir, this humble student greets you."
Xu Ning waved them over. "Come and sit down, everyone. Come and have some barbecue. We can talk while we eat."
"That's great! That's exactly why I came!" Meng Yangming said, grinning. He then pulled the still somewhat shy Shen Yun to sit next to Xu Ning.
After Xu Ning finished grilling, Meng Yangming took a skewer, handed one to Shen Yun, and then started eating by himself, savoring each bite.
"I must say, Xu boy, I could eat your barbecue forever," Meng Yangming praised as he ate, grease on his chin.
Xu Ning replied with a smile, "Of course! It's a secret recipe."
They ate until the afternoon, talking and laughing.
"Alright, Xu boy, we'll be going now," Meng Yangming said, standing up after a satisfying meal.
Xu Ning waved. "I won't see you off. Come back anytime."
Meng Yangming nodded, but after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and turned back. He slapped his forehead. "Look at my memory, I've completely forgotten! I came here this time to let you see if this kid Shen Yun can follow you in the future, learn from you. See what he can pick up. I want him to learn from the best."
Xu Ning was speechless. "You can't teach him martial arts yourself? You're a Grandmaster."
Meng Yangming sighed. "I have, but I always feel that fighting and killing isn't suitable for him. He's not a natural fighter. He just needs to learn something to protect himself, maybe some strategy, some knowledge. That's your specialty."
Xu Ning considered. "That depends on what he likes. How about this, let him come over tomorrow. I'll ask him some questions, see where his talents lie."
Xu Ning had lived here for six years, and this large mansion, with so many secrets and no servants, always felt empty. A child would add some vitality. And he had time.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yangming's face immediately lit up with joy. "Okay, okay, I'll have him come over tomorrow. Thank you, Xu boy."
After leaving the Prime Minister's residence, Meng Yangming led Shen Yun along the road, both in high spirits.
Shen Yun couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with awe, "Great-Grandpa, was that the first prime minister of Da Xuan in history? The legendary Great Demon Prime Minister? He seemed so humble, so ordinary. He didn't look like a prime minister at all, let alone a demon."
Meng Yangming chuckled, patting the boy's head. "You don't know anything, child. This is called concealing your abilities and waiting for the right time to act. If your true skills are immediately obvious to everyone, can you still call it concealment? The most dangerous tiger looks like a sleeping cat."
Shen Yun nodded, seemingly understanding, then asked, "Then should I keep my true abilities hidden from you too, Great-Grandpa?"
Meng Yangming laughed heartily. "You're really smart, kid. I didn't underestimate you! Your teacher is a man of great ability, a once-in-a-lifetime genius. You should learn everything you can from him, absorb it like a sponge."
Shen Yun nodded vigorously, his eyes bright. "I know, Great-Grandpa, this is a rare opportunity. I won't waste it."
Meng Yangming said proudly, "Of course! You're the only one in Da Xuan with this opportunity. Last time, His Majesty wanted to send the Second Prince over to study with your teacher, but your teacher refused! Can you believe that?"
Shen Yun couldn't help but open his mouth in shock. "He even refused His Majesty! Aren't you afraid of offending the Emperor? That's dangerous."
Meng Yangming laughed. "Hehe, in the entire Da Xuan, only your teacher dared to refuse His Majesty. And the Emperor just accepted it. Speaking of which, His Majesty's ascension to the throne owes a great deal to your teacher's strategy and support..."
Then, as they walked, Meng Yangming told Shen Yun the story of Xu Ning and the current Emperor, the history of their alliance, and the campaigns that had built the empire.
---
The next morning, Shen Yun arrived at the Prime Minister's residence early, waiting patiently.
Although he knew his teacher would have to attend the morning court session before returning, Shen Yun didn't dare to be impolite. He arrived at dawn, standing by the gate.
It wasn't until noon that Shen Yun saw his master leisurely arrive, riding a familiar black ox that seemed to glide down the street.
Shen Yun quickly went over, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply. "Shen Yun greets you, sir. I am honored to be here."
Xu Ning nodded slightly, dismounted from the ox, and went to open the door.
The ox, without a leash, was remarkably obedient. It followed closely behind his master, as if it understood every word.
The ox itself gave Shen Yun a sense of wonder. He had never seen such an intelligent animal.
"Come in," Xu Ning said as he opened the door and entered.
Shen Yun hurriedly followed, his heart pounding with excitement and nervousness.
As he crossed the threshold, he was suddenly startled. The courtyard seemed... different. Almost magical.