Ming Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, great news, truly great news!"
Cao Zhengchun entered the great hall, his face full of joy.
"Eunuch Cao, what is it?"
"Your Majesty, the Qing Dynasty has fallen. An urgent report just arrived from eight hundred miles away."
"The armies led by Marshals Qi Jiguang and Hua Mulan have successfully breached the Imperial Palace of Qing Capital and taken complete control of the city."
"This marks the complete destruction of the Qing Dynasty."
"Oh? Is that so? What about Hongli?"
"Marshal Qi and Marshal Hua did not manage to capture Hongli. He and Heshen escaped the city while disguised."
"Unfortunately for them, Marshal Wu Qi was a step ahead."
"He had already stationed his forces outside the city. In the end, Hongli walked right into the trap and was captured alive by Marshal Wu's vanguard, Ge Nie and Wei Zhuang!"
"Excellent. Everyone shall be rewarded!"
Upon hearing that Hongli had been captured alive, Zhu Houzhao broke into laughter.
Though he never thought highly of Hongli, capturing a Foreign Emperor alive was still a delightful achievement.
"Send out a decree! All who participated in the war to destroy the Qing Dynasty, regardless of status, shall receive great rewards!"
"All merits must be verified and reported to me as soon as possible!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After dismissing Cao Zhengchun, Zhu Houzhao's gaze turned deep and contemplative.
He turned over his right hand, and a golden orb of light appeared.
This was the National Fortune and destiny energy he had obtained when he destroyed the Qing Dynasty's Dragon Vein.
Over the years, Nurhaci had been greedily extracting the nation's fortune to cultivate.
As a result, the number of powerful cultivators within the Qing Dynasty had become pitifully few.
Even a Great Grandmaster was considered a top-tier cultivator.
Let alone a Land Immortal.
Even if there were any Land Immortals, they were all part of the Imperial Court's Flying Guillotine Guard.
Anyone capable of reaching the Heavenly Human Realm or even Mythical Realm had almost always come from the Qing Mausoleum Guard.
They were said to be under Hongli, but in truth, they answered to Nurhaci.
In the future, if Nurhaci's schemes succeeded, it would be a mere formality for him to reclaim the throne.
Unfortunately for him.
Nurhaci was simply too weak.
He had some talent for conquest, but when it came to cultivation, he was utterly lacking.
After draining an entire nation's fortune for over a century, he only barely reached the God Demon Realm.
He couldn't even be compared to true geniuses.
If not for Zhu Houzhao's interference and the appearance of the Golden Ranking, then perhaps centuries later, Nurhaci might indeed have succeeded.
But there are no what-ifs.
In the end, he merely laid the groundwork for Zhu Houzhao's rise.
With this influx of National Fortune, the number of powerful cultivators within the Ming Dynasty would surely increase.
The nation's strength would only continue to grow.
==========
Yuan Dynasty Military Tent.
With a loud slap on the table, Temujin stood up, his face full of shock.
"What?!"
"National Master, are you certain?!"
"Qing Dynasty has truly been destroyed by Ming Dynasty?!"
"That's impossible. The Qing Dynasty may not be strong, but it's far from the weakest. How could it fall so quickly?"
"The Southern Song Dynasty is even weaker than the Qing Dynasty, yet we've been attacking them for ages and still haven't conquered them."
"Is it that the Ming Dynasty is too strong, or that my Yuan Dynasty is too weak?"
Temujin's expression finally changed.
If it had only been due to the number of powerful cultivators, their lag behind the Yuan Dynasty might still have been reasonable.
After all, the Ming Dynasty truly had too many powerful individuals.
But the problem was, its armies were also exceptionally strong.
Ever since the three military fronts of the Ming Dynasty had entered Qing Dynasty Territory, they had won every battle.
The Qing Dynasty troops had been utterly crushed, unable to resist at all.
In a short time, they had conquered the entire Qing Dynasty Territory.
Even the Qing Imperial Palace was breached.
Hongli was captured alive.
It was simply unimaginable.
Among all the dynasties of the Nine Provinces, Ming Dynasty was the first to take this step forward.
His Yuan Dynasty had been the first to invade the Southern Song Dynasty, yet they were now overtaken by the Ming Dynasty.
"Khan, on the surface, it seems the Ming Dynasty only recently launched its attack on the Qing Dynasty."
"But in truth, the Ming Dynasty had been preparing for this more than ten years ago, perhaps even decades back."
"Some of these preparations were already underway during the reign of Previous Ming Emperors."
"During the war to destroy the Qing Dynasty, countless spies and agents from the Ming Dynasty revealed themselves, aiding in the campaign from within."
"Whether in the Imperial Court, the civilian world, or even the Martial World, the Ming Dynasty had countless hidden cards to play."
"The Qing Dynasty never even had time to react."
"The Ming Emperor attacked from every possible angle, crushing the Qing Dynasty on all fronts."
"Even before the campaign started, he stirred internal chaos within the Qing Dynasty."
"In particular, the questioning of Hongli's legitimacy as Emperor, that move was nothing short of brilliant."
"Truly terrifying!"
"From the very beginning, the Qing Dynasty was already caught in the Ming Dynasty's trap."
"Defeat was inevitable."
"No one expected them to fall so quickly."
"So fast, in fact, that we didn't even have time to secretly aid the Qing Dynasty."
"Or perhaps, the Ming Dynasty's Emperor had already anticipated our interference, which is why the attack was launched so swiftly!"
National Master Phagpa was no ordinary man.
After receiving a detailed report on the Ming-Qing War, he uncovered many shocking truths.
The amount of effort the Ming Dynasty had devoted over the years to destroy the Qing Dynasty was beyond imagination.
"So it is. Had I known earlier, I would not have sat idly by, but intervened directly."
"At the very least, I should have bought Qing Dynasty more time, allowed them to hold back Ming Dynasty."
"Unfortunately, it's too late now."
Temujin realized this was a grave strategic miscalculation on his part.
Even though he had tried to estimate Ming Dynasty's strength highly, it was still a major underestimation.
The terror of the Ming Dynasty far exceeded his imagination.
"No, we cannot afford to be complacent. We must accelerate our pace once again."
"If the Ming Dynasty fully absorbs the Qing Dynasty Territory, then their next target will surely be the Yuan Dynasty."
"With one great rival, the Qing Dynasty, now gone, the Yuan Dynasty will become the Ming Dynasty's greatest concern."
"Perhaps, even now, that brat Zhu Houzhao is already plotting our destruction."
"And there's also the Vast Sea Dynasty in the south. They must not be underestimated."
==========
Tang Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
"Master Yuan, what should we do?"
"No one expected the Qing Dynasty to fall to the Ming Dynasty so quickly."
"If this continues, the Ming Dynasty will only grow stronger. What path is left for our Tang Dynasty?"
Li Shimin was growing anxious.
He had no desire to become the next Hongli.
Nor did he wish to be a fallen Emperor.
He had staged the Xuanwu Gate Incident to seize the throne from his elder brother, and even forced his father to abdicate, not to be remembered as a failure.
He wanted to rejuvenate the Tang Dynasty. He sought to unify the Nine Provinces.
But now, not only did he have to contend with strong powers like the Qin Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty.
The sudden rise of the Ming Dynasty and the Vast Sea Dynasty filled him with unease.
"Your Majesty, our Tang Dynasty is not as weak as it may seem."
"Now that the rebellion of the vassal kings has been quelled, it is no longer a concern."
"Even the northern Turkic Kingdom will soon fall, thanks to Marshal Li Ji's iron cavalry."
"When that time comes, our Tang Dynasty's foundation will be completely solidified."
"The next step will be to destroy the Sui Dynasty."
"Ming Dynasty has merely moved ahead by one step. Sooner or later, our Tang Dynasty will catch up."
Yuan Tiangang remained optimistic.
It was only the Qing Dynasty, after all.
In his view, the Qing Dynasty was not truly weak, but it was still far inferior to the Sui Dynasty.
The fact that the Ming Dynasty had destroyed the Qing Dynasty meant little to him.
He would only truly pay attention once the Ming Dynasty destroyed the Yuan Dynasty or annexed the Southern Song Dynasty.
For now, the true enemy of the Tang Dynasty remained the Sui Dynasty.
"Master Yuan is right. I was too hasty."
"The more urgent the moment, the more calm I must be."
"Ming Dynasty is only ahead by a step. In the end, no one can say for certain who will emerge as the victor and unify the Nine Provinces."
A cold gleam flashed in Li Shimin's eyes.
The more intense the pressure, the more his fighting spirit burned.
In the end, the victor would surely be the Tang Dynasty.
And he, Li Shimin, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!
==========
Northern Song Imperial Palace.
Zhao Ji stared at the memorial just delivered to his hands, his expression dark.
"What a formidable Ming Dynasty. What a cunning Zhu Houzhao."
"He really did it. He actually destroyed the entire Qing Dynasty!"
Though he never had any fondness for the Qing Dynasty, he was even less willing to see the Ming Dynasty reap the benefits.
The stronger the enemy, the worse for him.
"Your Majesty, Ming Dynasty is not our primary concern right now."
"The urgent matter is dealing with Cai Jing."
"I have received intelligence that Cai Jing has colluded with Jin Kingdom and is plotting treason."
"If we don't act soon, Your Majesty may be in danger."
Huang Shang, the Imperial City Division Director, spoke with grave concern.
Though the Ming Dynasty was not the Northern Song Dynasty's main enemy, it certainly wasn't an ally either.
"Cai Jing!"
Zhao Ji cursed bitterly.
"I treated him so well, and he dares betray me? Despicable!"
"Why haven't you sent the Imperial City Division to arrest him and execute him?"
"Your Majesty, Cai Jing is far more deeply hidden than we thought."
"No one expected that his strength would be equal to mine."
"If we try to seize him by force, he may become desperate and strike at Your Majesty."
"Moreover, his followers are not weak."
"I haven't yet determined whether there are even greater forces behind him."
"Then when will our army be able to eliminate Liao Kingdom, Jin Kingdom, and all the rebellious forces?"
"If this continues, I may end up like Hongli!"
"If you and the National Master join forces, what are the odds of success?"
"I cannot guarantee success, but I can say this. Your Majesty is in great danger!"
==========
Sui Imperial Palace.
"Damn it! That brat Zhu Houzhao actually destroyed the Qing Dynasty. Why?"
"The Qing Dynasty may not be as strong as the Sui Dynasty, but it wasn't this weak either!"
"Hongli is utterly useless. I actually thought highly of him before!"
"I even hoped he could give that brat Zhu Houzhao some trouble!"
"Damn it all!"
Yang Guang was furious, filled with resentment toward Hongli.
And envy, jealousy, and hatred toward Zhu Houzhao.
"Your Majesty, I've just uncovered the identities of the forces behind the various rebel forces within the Sui Dynasty!"
"Who else could it be? Those noble clans and martial sects, of course."
Yang Guang sneered.
He had long seen it coming.
"Your Majesty, that's just the surface."
"The deeper truth is that spies from other dynasties and major forces are behind the scenes."
"They're supporting the rebels, deliberately trying to divide the Sui Dynasty!"
"What? Impossible!"
"Which forces are involved?"
"Black Ice Platform of Qin Dynasty, the Bad People of Tang Dynasty, even mysterious forces from Han Dynasty."
"There's also the Imperial City Division of the Northern Song Dynasty, the National Master Mansion of the Yuan Dynasty, and the Dark Guard of the Ming Dynasty."
"As for whether the Vast Sea Dynasty is involved, I'm not yet sure."
"But the possibility is very high."
Yuwen Tuo spoke calmly.
"Outrageous! Truly outrageous!"
"They think nothing of me!"
"Not a single one missed their chance to stab me in the back!"
Yang Guang was enraged, his imperial dignity thoroughly insulted.
Yuwen Tuo simply rolled his eyes.
What nation didn't have spies from other states planted within?
Even the recent rebellion in the Ming Dynasty had been stirred up by agents from the Sui Dynasty.
Several forces were even provoked into uprising by Sui Dynasty's operatives.
Unfortunately, Zhu Houzhao's methods were simply too ruthless.
The moment they rose up, they were crushed.
Not just Sui Dynasty, other dynasties had also launched their share of underhanded tactics.
Since that's the case, why wouldn't the Ming Dynasty retaliate?
If the Ming Dynasty does so, then the Sui Dynasty is certainly no exception.
In fact, within every dynasty, covert struggles among spies of various great forces were already in full swing.
In the end, it would all come down to whose tactics were superior.