knife

Chapter 114 East and West Stand Side by Side
(I messed up the chapter number yesterday; I forgot chapter 112. I'll just leave it as it is and not change it.)
"When the nation is in peril, heroes always emerge!" On the black couch, a white figure sat cross-legged, a few strands of white hair hanging down beside his face, swaying slightly, his face a strangely vibrant red. With each breath, the red flush faded, only to reappear in the blink of an eye.

This was due to the fire poison that had plagued Grand Chancellor Kou Zhong for decades.

Wu De was shocked. Just how capable were the people who did it back then, that they could keep someone like Da Yin from getting away for decades?

"Wu De, you've handled both matters very well this year. I'm very pleased that the Black Ice Police has a worthy successor!"

Wu De bowed his head and bent over: "It's all thanks to the cultivation of the Grand Magistrate and the Deputy Magistrate!"

Kou Zhong chuckled, his voice like a broken bellows being pulled, which was extremely unpleasant to listen to.

“I have cultivated many people, but how many of them have turned out to be successful? Even worse, some have betrayed the court and undermined it.” Kou Zhong’s voice sounded noticeably more urgent. Wu De could even smell the faint scent of flames. When he looked at Kou Zhong again, he was shocked. In that instant, the fiery red color had already covered Kou Zhong’s exposed body.

"Your Excellency, please calm down!" He Bing said, "Such an ungrateful wretch who disregards the nation's favor will eventually receive the retribution he deserves."

Kou Zhong chuckled: "He Bing, that's your problem. People like us never believe in retribution; as long as we're strong enough, that's enough. If it weren't for your indulgence and indifference all these years, how could things have come to this? You didn't do what you should have done back then, and the result is this disaster that we're still in this state today."

He Bing lowered his head and remained silent.

Wu De remained silent.

The sound of deep breaths was particularly noticeable on the fifth floor underground. Wu De suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop even further, and he felt a little shiver. As this biting cold descended, the fiery red color on Kou Zhong's body gradually faded.

"Great Magistrate, what kind of fire poison is this that's so potent?" Wu De finally couldn't help but ask.

After a long silence, just as Wu De felt that his presumption had angered Kou Zhong, Kou Zhong's voice rang out: "This is Phoenix Fire."

"Phoenix Flame?" Wu De exclaimed in surprise. "One of the Southern Demonic Sect's most powerful techniques, but as far as I know, it doesn't have such great power!"

"What if this was planted on me by someone whose martial arts cultivation has broken through to the Innate Realm and entered the Divine Realm?" Kou Zhong's voice seemed to drift from beyond the Nine Netherworlds, and it trembled slightly. He looked up at the dark roof, and there was even a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Dreaming?" Wu De froze.

For him, the innate is an extremely distant goal, perhaps one that he can never reach, while divine travel has always existed only in legends.

"Does the realm of divine travel truly exist in this world?" he asked in a trembling voice.

“Of course!” Kou Zhong’s emotions calmed down: “Twenty-five years ago, I had already stepped into the threshold of the Divine Realm. At that time, I felt that everyone in the world was no match for me. Until I met that woman!”

Wu De's heart skipped a beat.

Twenty-five years ago!
What Zhang Qingyun wanted him to investigate was what exactly happened in Chang'an twenty-five years ago.

It turns out that Da Yin was seriously injured twenty-five years ago.

"So, what exactly happened to make you like this?" Wu De asked cautiously.

Kou Zhong waved his hand, "I encountered a true Divine Realm cultivator, and then I was beaten to the point of near death, barely escaping with my life. But the Phoenix Flame has haunted me forever, and the Divine Realm has closed its doors to me ever since. Let bygones be bygones. Wu De, in your opinion, can Xiao Changche control Li Dachui?"

Wu De shook his head: "I'm afraid not. Xiao Changche is a pure general, and his military talent is beyond doubt. However, in other aspects, he is probably much less capable. If I'm not mistaken, the planning and execution of this annexation of Baoping Prefecture must have been the work of Li Dachui. Behind Li Dachui is Tai'an City, and a master of innate cultivation. His subordinates are powerful, and it's probably inevitable that he will usurp the throne in the future."

"So, Xiao Changche is just a tool in Li Dachui's hand, a shield he pushed forward." Kou Zhong pondered, "Another Linghu Ye?"

He Bing said from the side, "Da Yin, no matter what Li Dachui wants to do, at least in the short term, we can make them entangled with Linghu Ye and check and balance each other. This is very important for us to stabilize the situation outside the pass. If we can buy three to five years, we may be able to solve many problems."

Kou Zhong closed his eyes and sighed, "Treating the head when it hurts and the foot when it hurts will never solve the root problem. The longer you postpone the onset of the ailment, the more severe it will become when it finally strikes!"

"Great Magistrate, what else can we do?" He Bing said, "This is the best outcome we can see right now. It seems inevitable that the world will descend into chaos. We should try to stabilize the situation as much as possible! Even without the fierce troops outside the pass, we can still manage to deal with the people inside the pass if we work hard. Perhaps if things really get chaotic inside the pass, we can even use the troops outside the pass to enter the pass and quell the rebellion!" "I'm afraid Linghu Ye would love for the court to send him to the pass," Kou Zhong laughed.

“Of course we can’t let Linghu Ye in, but what if we replace him with Xiao Changche?” He Bing was full of hope and anticipation.

Wu De shook his head and said, "Xiao Changche has a blood feud with Bei Yuan. He is obsessed with destroying Bei Yuan. It will be difficult to get him into the pass."

Kou Zhong pondered for a moment, "Not coming might be a better choice."

Kou Zhong glanced at his two subordinates and continued, "As long as he exists, he will be a deterrent we can leverage. Those with ulterior motives will have to take this variable into account when they plot against us. You say Xiao Changche is a pure general? Fine, very well. For the past few hundred years, the area outside the Great Wall has been stagnant, with no major changes. This time, let's stir up this stagnant pool and make it as muddy as possible. Let's see what kind of waves these two catfish, Xiao Changche and Li Dachui, can create."

"Grand Magistrate, what do you mean?"

Kou Zhong laughed and said, "The Yan family is in league with the Northern Yuan, and the evidence is conclusive. As the Protector-General of the Northern Court Protectorate, the commander-in-chief who is in charge of both the army and the people, it is simply unacceptable for Linghu Ye to be so lax in managing his subordinates and unable to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous. I seem to remember that last year Linghu Ye even submitted a memorial to the emperor to request an official position for the eldest son of the Yan family, right? It's not too much for the court to issue an edict reprimanding him, is it?"

He Bing and Wu De nodded, but neither of them spoke. Kou Zhong must have something to say next.

"As the front line against the Northern Yuan, the remarkable achievements of the past few years outside the pass are all thanks to Xiao Changche. This time, he has solved such a major case, which is a great achievement. If the Yan family had succeeded, the beautiful land outside the pass would have changed hands in an instant, which would have been a disaster for the court. Therefore, he should be rewarded handsomely for his merits!"

"Your Excellency, rewarding Xiao Changche handsomely is certainly a matter of course, but..."

"The Protectorate General of the Pass has been split into two, with the East and West Protectorates respectively headed by Linghu Ye and Xiao Changche!" Kou Zhong's words left even He Bing, who was used to grand occasions, speechless.

"Xiao Changche is only in his twenties?" Wu De stammered.

Kou Zhong sneered: "At the beginning of the founding of the country, there were two or three dukes who were not yet thirty years old. What is a protector general in his twenties? Isn't Xiao Changche a general of chariots and cavalry? He was promoted three ranks to general of the cavalry, which is barely enough for him to establish his own government and command!"

"Doesn't the Grand Chancellor consider Linghu Ye's reaction?" He Bing asked worriedly.

“Of course we have to consider it!” Kou Zhong said, “Even if we run as fast as we can, it will still take a month to get back. It’s not normal for someone like Wu De to come back in ten days. If Linghu Ye can’t tolerate Xiao Changche’s actions, a month is enough time for him to have a real showdown with Xiao Changche.”

"What if Xiao Changche is no match for him?" Wu De asked with some concern.

“If they can’t defeat him, what use is Xiao Changche to us? We won’t need to produce this imperial edict then; we’ll prepare another one to appease Linghu Ye for the envoy. If, when the envoy arrives, Xiao Changche can still fight Linghu Ye to a standstill, then the two Protectorates can open their doors,” Kou Zhong said. “The third scenario is that our men arrive, and they don’t even fight. That means Xiao Changche and that Li Dachui’s combined strength is enough to contend with Linghu Ye. Linghu Ye simply doesn’t dare to make a move, so what’s there to hesitate about?”

He Bing suddenly realized what was going on, but was still a little worried: "Da Yin, we should also appease Linghu Ye. We can't push him too hard, otherwise he'll become desperate and do something rash, which would be worse!"

"After giving him a beating, we should always give him a few sweet treats. Linghu Ye has been in the Northeast for decades. Even if he hasn't made any great contributions, he has certainly worked hard. Although he is arrogant and domineering now, he hasn't raised the flag of rebellion yet. We can't give him a reason to rebel. So, in terms of the division of territories, let Linghu Ye take more and occupy more."

"How is it divided?" Wu De asked with concern.

"The territories they already control, needless to say, naturally belong to them. As for the other familiar lands, they all belong to Linghu Ye, and the Black Domain belongs to Xiao Changche!" Kou Zhong laughed like a black crow cawing as it flew over the fifth underground level.

Wu De understood that Da Yin's purpose was simply to have Xiao Changche restrain Linghu Ye, so that the two of them would be wary of each other.

The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it will be for the imperial court.

Who knows which will come first, tomorrow or an accident?

He Bing nodded repeatedly in admiration: "The Grand Chancellor is indeed farsighted. This way, we can keep Linghu Ye in line and prevent Xiao Changche from growing too fast and becoming a second Linghu Ye. At the same time, the peace outside the pass will also serve as a deterrent to those inside. Let them all know that outside the pass, the imperial court still has an army capable of destroying everything!"

"But will the imperial court agree to this plan?" Wu De asked.

“I’ll go and explain to the Prime Minister!” Kou Zhong said.

(End of this chapter)