As everyone in the military rose to their feet, the others present fell silent.
Their gazes were filled with an unusual light, a flicker of embarrassment crossing their eyes.
Some of them had earlier inquired about accountability. Now, the military had directly stated their stance: if there was a fight, there would be a fight, and no more pointless talk. They had no objections, even if it meant death!
The military's move had stunned everyone. They might have anticipated a strong reaction, but they hadn't expected it to be this intense.
After all, opinions within the military had always been divided. Everyone knew that Ye Longlin had barely ever managed military affairs; Qin Hanlie handled everything, and Lin Langsheng had only returned for two years. How could Ye Longlin possibly unify the military's opinions?
Yet, in reality, whenever Ye Longlin made a decision, the military generally supported him, never once opposing him.
The primary reason for this was that Ye Longlin’s decisions were always very reasonable, which was why the military supported him. If Ye Longlin had acted recklessly, he certainly wouldn't have gained their support.
"Leaders of other departments, it's your turn to speak. Ultimately, it boils down to one question: support or not."
The Grand Elder, perhaps tired of their dawdling, spoke impatiently.
"I agree."
"I agree as well."
"I disagree."
"I agree."
"..."
Voices rang out, some agreeing, some disagreeing, but the majority agreed.
Ten minutes later, everyone had stated their position. Eighty percent agreed, and twenty percent disagreed. In any case, there were still some who disagreed.
"Those who disagree, leave!"
"I don't want to waste any more words with you. Those who disagree, regardless of your identity or status, your work will be handed over to your deputies starting now. All your work will be suspended.
You will be suspended for one month to reflect on why you made such a decision!
This matter, no matter how you look at it, is a very good thing. If Ye Longlin doesn't do it, who will? Is it you people who were just shouting your disagreement?"
The Grand Elder snorted, his eyes turning cold. Clearly, he had a zero-tolerance attitude towards this matter.
Furthermore, regarding this issue, no matter who came forward, he would not budge an inch!
"I had you all come here today only to inform you, to go through the motions. Did you really think you were being consulted? https:/
Those who disagree will be dismissed and investigated starting today. A one-month suspension is too lenient. Who knows if there are people from the Dark Hall among you."
After speaking, the Grand Elder, seemingly still incensed, continued to speak coldly.
At this, they understood why the military was so resolute. It was because they had already made up their minds, and their presence was merely a formality!
Soon, they were escorted out, their deputies taking their place to continue the meeting. With this precedent, the deputies would certainly agree; there was no doubt about it.
What was discussed in this secret meeting remained unknown, as all participants had signed confidentiality agreements.
Regardless, after this meeting, there seemed to be no change in the capital. However, everyone knew that once the Dark Hall was dealt with, the capital would inevitably usher in a large-scale purge.
As for who would be purged and who would survive the purge, no one knew, perhaps not even a single person.
Anyway, in the capital now, everyone was living in fear.
"Actually, after you left the capital, I guessed that such a day might come. I just didn't expect it to come so quickly, nor did I expect the Dark Hall's headquarters to be in Chang'an. Honestly, I never expected that. Furthermore, your return this time to prepare for the final battle... honestly, I didn't expect it to be so soon."
The Grand Elder sat in the courtyard, watching the heavy snow fall, and took a sip of tea.
The entrance was bitter, the aftertaste sweet.
Ye Longlin looked towards Chang'an, exhaling slowly. He also looked at the sky, and before he knew it, another winter had arrived.
"I also didn't expect it. I just wanted to search for my relatives, but who knew it would uncover so many issues? The Dark Hall's headquarters are in Chang'an, but we haven't found any trace of them yet. Most importantly, Chang'an is such a large place, and with Jiutian Yunxiao, Guó'ān, and Long Ge, the intelligence agencies' four-way intelligence network hasn't found any information.
So, we are all searching, but currently, there is no news. Another thing is that the Dark Hall is hidden too deeply. They are in the dark, and we are in the light. From this perspective, we are at a disadvantage. Moreover, the two acting leaders of the Dark Hall's Finance Hall and Martial Hall are both dead, and both were killed by their own people.
I always feel that the Dark Hall is playing a grand game, and they seem to be preparing for something. Since Quan Mo died, they have remained hidden. Even the Heavenly Net system hasn't found them."
The Grand Elder chuckled, "Since their headquarters are in Chang'an, and no one has discovered it for so many years, it proves how deeply they are hidden. If you could find them so easily, the Dark Hall would be too incompetent."
Indeed, if the Dark Hall had been hiding on the land of Great Xia for so many years and could be found so easily, it would only mean that the Dark Hall was too pathetic.
"What kind of support do you want now that you're back? It can't be just cooperation between departments, right?"
Ye Longlin nodded, "All the foundational families!"
"We don't know how many people the Dark Hall has, nor do we know how many experts they have. After all, over the years, the Dark Hall must have had many strong individuals. Moreover, the leader of the Eight Heavenly Gods, An Shen Tian, was from the same era as Patriarch Tian Qiong. Therefore, I think if their hidden strength is even greater, it can only be more powerful than An Shen Tian!"
"Since we've decided to act thoroughly now, there's no need to hesitate. Let's gather these people in Chang'an first. Once we make our move, they will definitely act, and the decisive battle will be imminent. Otherwise, if we fight with insufficient strength, we will be the ones to die. To put it bluntly... I have a small family, a lovely daughter, and I... don't want to die."
The Grand Elder smiled wryly, "I'll go see the Supreme."