“Until their lands are destroyed, this plan will be considered a success.” The grand hall fell into sudden silence. Everyone stared at Yang Yi in shock, their expressions filled with disbelief. Chapters first released on novｅlfire.net Minister Yang had just declared that this strategy was meant to target all the nations in the world. Had he lost his mind? Never before had they heard of a plan capable of targeting every country at once. Strategies were always designed against specific factions or social classes, never against the entire world. Yet Yang Yi spoke with absolute certainty. The nations across the world were vastly different. Some were sprawling empires built upon fertile plains, others were nomadic kingdoms that roamed the great grasslands, while some were isolated religious states beyond the seas. It was impossible for a single scheme to encompass them all. No strategist could claim such a thing. Xu Jingzong frowned, his unease growing. Minister Yang’s words were becoming more and more outrageous. He hesitated before speaking. “Minister Yang, are you serious?” Yang Yi’s expression remained firm. “Of course. My plan, once implemented, will not only infiltrate every corner of foreign nations, but in time, it will allow us to cultivate countless spies beyond our borders…” The officials exchanged uneasy glances. If anyone else had said such a thing, they would have dismissed it as the ramblings of a madman. Even Empress Wu Zhao’s phoenix eyes flickered with doubt. “Minister Yang, what exactly is this plan?” Yang Yi merely smiled. Instead of answering, he posed a question of his own. “Tell me, why do citizens remain loyal to their country while traitors betray it without hesitation?” The hall fell into silence. The officials looked at one another, realizing that few had ever given serious thought to such a question. After a moment, Xu Jingzong broke the silence. “Minister Yang, please enlighten us.” Yang Yi’s smile deepened. Meeting their gazes, he spoke slowly. “It’s simple. Because those who betray their country have no faith in it.” His words sent a ripple of understanding through the room, as if a veil had been lifted from their eyes. The officials regarded him in stunned silence. Yang Yi continued, “That is why my plan is to change the faith of foreign citizens—to shift their admiration from their own nations to the Zhou Dynasty.” Wu Zhao’s brows furrowed slightly as she studied Yang Yi’s expression. Xu Jingzong and the others were still struggling to process his words when Wei Yuanzhong finally spoke. “Minister Yang, how do you intend to accomplish such a thing?” Yang Yi smiled again but did not answer immediately. Instead, he posed another question. “Minister Wei, if someone told you of a distant land—a powerful country where the people are wealthy, where gold is as common as stones, where seizing an opportunity guarantees success, where the judiciary is fair and incorruptible, where officials treat the people as their own children, and where politics are clean… “If they said that everyone enjoys freedom, that labor is always well-rewarded, that the citizens are kind and welcoming, that they work with diligence and sincerity, that their cities are pristine and beautiful—an earthly paradise—would you believe it?” Wei Yuanzhong frowned in thought before shaking his head. “Of course not.” Yang Yi nodded slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “What if ten people told you the same thing?” Wei Yuanzhong hesitated, considering the question before shaking his head again. “I would remain skeptical, though I might waver slightly.” Yang Yi’s smile widened. “And what if a hundred people said it? A thousand? Ten thousand?” Wei Yuanzhong fell into silence. “If enough people repeated it,” he finally admitted, “I might start to believe it.” The other officials nodded in agreement, realizing the truth in his words. One or two voices might be dismissed as exaggeration. But a thousand? A hundred thousand? That was something else entirely. Yang Yi stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the hall. “So tell me—how was our Zhou Dynasty able to conquer Qing, the Turkic tribes, and Song within just two or three years?” The officials held their breath as he continued. “What do the people of those nations think when they witness such victories? And what kind of image should our Zhou Dynasty project to the rest of the world?” His words sent a fresh wave of realization through the court. This strategy—was he planning to reshape the very perception of Zhou in the minds of foreign citizens? The hall remained deathly silent. Yang Yi clasped his hands behind his back, his tone calm yet compelling. “As I said earlier… If one person boasts about a country, others will dismiss it. But if thousands upon thousands proclaim its greatness—if they say our ruler is diligent, our laws are just, our people are prosperous, and our empire offers freedoms and fairness that no other nation possesses—do you think foreigners would believe it? “After all, we are the empire that swallowed nations whole, the small state that became a great power. We are a legend!” Stunned, the officials gaped at him. And then, realization struck. This wasn’t just about building Zhou’s image. Yang Yi’s plan was far more ambitious. He wanted to reshape the very way foreign citizens thought. To make them believe that Zhou was the perfect nation—the nation they should admire, the nation they should long to be part of. A chill ran through the room. Yang Yi’s voice remained steady as he continued. “My plan is simple. Zhou must not only be the empire of its own citizens, but the empire that lives in the hearts of all people. When the world comes to see Zhou as the ideal, when they believe that only here can they find ‘happiness,’ then their hearts will turn toward us. “And at the same time, we must cultivate dissatisfaction. We must spread whispers that make them resent their own countries. When they come to despise their homelands while yearning for Zhou, they will become our supporters. And when war erupts, they will not hesitate to aid us… as long as we offer the right incentives.” A sharp intake of breath swept through the hall. Xu Jingzong and Wei Yuanzhong exchanged uneasy glances. Their scalps tingled as they stared at Yang Yi. So this was his plan. No wonder he had claimed his strategy could target all nations. No wonder he spoke of cultivating spies. He intended to use public perception to quietly erode the loyalty of foreign citizens. For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, Xu Jingzong found his voice. “Minister Yang, but the problem remains—people are loyal to their homeland. How can we make them long for Zhou while despising their own country?” “Who would hate their own nation?”