Published: March 4, 2025
Chapter 83: To Remove External Threats, First Stabilize Internal Affairs
"I don't want to walk down a road that others have completely mapped out for me, but I have to follow Mr. Chu's arrangements. Although it feels frustrating, I can also accept it with pleasure. Mr. Chu has seized the initiative, even before physically appearing. A mere commoner, yet through his own efforts, he has created a lofty identity for himself and has clearly shown that he is not willing to be subservient to others. Therefore, I can only approach you with a cooperative stance to discuss military and national affairs!"
Tie Butian smiled helplessly and shook his head gently. "Mr. Chu, all alone, can create such a situation with his cleverness, precise calculations, and mature grasp of the situation. I truly admire him to the core! The term 'talent' is indeed deserved by Mr. Chu."
Chu Yang squinted and smiled. "Regarding such praise, I usually welcome all of it; the more, the better."
Now that the negotiation time had passed and Tie Butian had already made concessions, Chu Yang naturally wanted to lighten the mood.
Tie Butian paused, then couldn't help but chuckle, quickly covering his mouth. After subtly wiping the corner of his mouth, he smiled and said, "Mr. Chu is truly amusing."
In that moment, a chill ran down Chu Yang's spine, nearly making him want to flee!
Crown prince! What is a crown prince? Can a woman be a crown prince? Isn’t that a princess?
But Tie Butian was clearly a man, yet at this moment, he revealed a distinctly feminine demeanor! The way he covered his mouth and flashed a smile, the glint in his eyes... Chu Yang's gaze turned into a daze, and his mouth twitched.
Heaven above!
You want me to reverse my fate, to change history, yet you want me to cooperate with a transgender individual?
Chu Yang felt his heart convulsing, and he finally realized: no wonder this person practices the ice heart jade bone divine art; with such a demeanor, if he didn't practice that... it would indeed be a bit of a pity...
As he watched Tie Butian casually wipe his mouth and then take on that demeanor as if he could speak volumes about the world, Chu Yang felt every hair on his body stand on end, as if the world was spinning around him.
"Mr. Chu? Mr. Chu?" Tie Butian noticed his distracted state and asked.
"Uh... uh..." Cold sweat began to bead on Chu Yang's forehead. The thought of having to cooperate with such a person for at least the next two years suddenly made him feel as if his future was shrouded in darkness, life filled with tragedy...
"Mr. Chu, regarding the current situation in Iron Cloud, if you were in charge, where would you start?" Tie Butian asked with a smile, seemingly unaware of Chu Yang's emotional shift, becoming more reserved in his questioning.
"Um, this... I need to think it over first." Chu Yang placed a hand on his forehead, feigning contemplation. He wasn’t really thinking; the earlier scene had shocked him too much.
“To remove external threats, one must first stabilize internal affairs.” Chu Yang forced himself to activate the nine calamity nine heavens divine skill, pushing down his swirling thoughts.
To remove external threats one must first stabilize internal affairs... Tie Butian couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. How familiar was this phrase? The first time he heard it, the Iron Cloud Nation’s palace was thrown into chaos; the second time, three hundred thousand soldiers turned into bones on the battlefield; the third time, in the court, the emperor's uncle Tie Longcheng raised a butcher's knife and slaughtered everyone in the court, creating rivers of blood!
Now, with Chu Yang here, the first proposition was still this phrase.
Could it be another bloody storm?
"That's a good point," Tie Butian said with a smile. "But the problem is... the external enemies are in the open, while the internal ones are in the dark."
"It's just a selection." Chu Yang smiled confidently.
"What if I entrusted this matter to you, Mr. Chu?" Tie Butian smiled, formally proposing the cooperation.