knife

Chapter 202 Life is like a play
Life is just like a play.

Life is like a game of chess.

However, only a handful of people can actually sit on the chessboard and manipulate the pieces.

Everything else is just a chess piece on the board.

The only difference is that the chess pieces have different names and functions.

Some were lowly soldiers, some were chariots and horses, and some were generals and commanders.

They vary in size and strength, but they have one thing in common: they are manipulated and have no control over their own lives.

Perhaps they all believe that they are independent individuals who can control their own lives.

The truth is that behind them, there is an invisible rope pulling them along, silently influencing their every word and action.

And I am just one of these people.

All its functions are merely auxiliary, simply to make those who are being manipulated even more convinced.

When Wu De walked out of the Black Ice Platform, he looked somewhat lost and dejected.

He found a small tavern and for the first time let loose, drinking one glass after another, one bottle after another, trying to get himself drunk. But the more he drank, the more sober he became, and the brighter his eyes became.

It was all just a setup.

The Grand Chancellor and the Minister of State plotted all of this, scheming against everyone.

Zhang Ruo was the first person to come into contact with this matter. Because he was likely to uncover the truth, he suffered the loss of his family and was exiled to the border regions.

Perhaps when those powerful families were plotting to cause the defeat of the Battle of Xiangcheng, the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of War were fully aware of the situation and had clearly calculated the interests involved.

Wu De remembered clearly one of the things the Grand Magistrate said: the Southern Garrison Army had a tendency to become the private army of the He family.

Therefore, at the deepest level, the powerful families' failure to sabotage the war and destroy the Southern Garrison Army is aligned with the interests of the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of Defense.

If this war is won, who will benefit the most?
The Qin Dynasty?
no.

The Qin Dynasty had only gained a few years of breathing room. In fact, the internal conflicts that needed to be resolved still existed, but they were simply masked by an external victory.

The biggest beneficiary was the He family.

He Qiku was already the most prestigious general in the country, and this great victory would surely solidify his supreme prestige in the army.

Just look at the Chu Kingdom. Empress Dowager Jiang Qian won the Battle of Xiangcheng. She immediately seized power by taking advantage of this great victory, excluding all the old ministers and veteran generals from the center of power, and finally took sole control of the country.

If He Qiku wins in Qin, the He family will undoubtedly become a top-tier noble family in Qin.

Honor is always commensurate with power.

What a good plan!

Right now in the Hedong region, He Zudao and the powerful families of Hedong are fighting each other with all their might. They never imagined that behind them, a group of tigers are lurking, looking for an opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

He Zudao removed all his trusted confidants from the garrison in the south.
This time, they will surely be wiped out in one fell swoop.

The remaining Jiangnan garrison troops were leaderless, and the imperial court could reorganize them without any worries.

The heroes of Hedong fought a fierce battle with He Zudao, only to be ambushed by the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

It is conceivable that afterwards, the entire Hedong region would fall completely into the hands of the imperial court. Then, taking advantage of the pressure from this great victory, the court would vigorously rectify the Guanzhong region. Once the reorganization of Hedong and Guanzhong was completed, the foundation of the Qin Dynasty would be stable.

Such a plan is truly ingenious.

Looking back now, Wu De couldn't help but admire the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of War who had orchestrated all of this.

But what about the people who die in the process?
This isn't a few dozen or a few hundred, but tens of thousands, no, it's in the hundreds of thousands.

The Grand Chancellor, the Minister of the Guards, and, oh right, the Deputy Chancellor He Bing, all believed that this was only right and that the price paid was worthwhile.

Is it not worth it to exchange the deaths and injuries of hundreds of thousands of people for the peace of the Qin Dynasty for the next ten or even several decades?
Wu De didn't know whether this problem should be solved this way.

Because he could see that none of this had ultimately solved the biggest problem within the Qin Dynasty; it still relied on a powerful, intimidating approach to deter those with ill intentions.

Because all that the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of War had planned was nothing more than bargaining chips in the court.

It seems likely that the two of them will achieve a great victory this time.

As he walked out of the tavern, his steps were unsteady and he staggered, looking every bit like a drunkard, but he himself was perfectly sober.

He mounted his horse and rode all the way to the outside of the He family mansion.

The soldiers guarding outside had long since been withdrawn.

When He Zudao went south to select garrison troops to prepare for his northward march, the imperial court quietly withdrew the guards outside the He family mansion.

However, the He family mansion did not become lively as a result.

It remains deserted.

The weeds by the door were already above knee-high, and it was unclear how long it had been since anyone had come out.

Hearing the sound of hooves, several wild cats poked their heads out from the grass, glanced at Wu De, and then vanished without a trace. He dismounted, walked to the gate, and knocked heavily on the door knocker.

The door opened a crack, and there stood the same old soldier with gray hair, only now his face was more wrinkled and his expression more sorrowful.

"Chief Wu, I never expected it would be you who came to see our General off on his final journey!" The old soldier's voice was choked with sobs.

"What did you say?" Wu De's drunkenness vanished instantly. He pushed open the door, rushed forward, stepped past the old soldier, and went around the screen wall.

The simulation sand table in the courtyard was still there, but He Qiku was in a completely different state, wearing his full set of armor, with his usual heavy sword on his left and his greatsword when he charged into battle on his right, and his He-character banner behind him.

"General!" Wu De clasped his hands in a salute.

He Qiku chuckled and said, "An hour ago, I received news that He Qiku had killed the Liu and Wang families in Hedong!"

An hour ago, when I stepped out of the Black Ice Platform and started drowning my sorrows in the tavern.

Wu De nodded.

"The He family is finished!" He Qiku sighed to the sky: "After a lifetime of hard work, in the end, it's all for nothing. In fact, after the defeat in Xiangcheng, I should have realized some things and seen through some of the tricks of the trade, but I was still one step behind and didn't think it through, which caused my son to be deeply involved and unable to extricate himself."

“Brother He is exceptionally talented; perhaps he can break free from this deadlock!” Wu De said, looking at the old man.

"Escape is not difficult for He Zudao, but losing everything would probably be worse than death for him!"

"Where there is life, there is hope!"

He Qi chuckled bitterly: "I hope he can see things as clearly as you do."

"General, I have a question for you!"

"Speak up. A dying man's words are good. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."

"If we win the Battle of Xiangcheng, what will you do?" Wu De asked.

He Qi laughed bitterly: "Is there any need to say more? The South will naturally become the He family's possession, making the He family a truly top-tier family. Those so-called wealthy and powerful families will have to grovel at my feet and lick my toes."

Wu De lowered his head in disappointment, realizing it was indeed the case.

However, he ultimately failed to scheme against those powerful and influential families, let alone the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of the Guards.

"There's one more thing. You betrayed Crown Prince Anze back then. Have you ever regretted it over the past few decades?"

"A true man does what he does, and there's no question of admitting mistakes or regretting them!" He Qiku laughed loudly, "Even if I die, I will never admit my mistakes!"

Wu De nodded. He Qiku would certainly not admit his mistake, because if Prince Anze and He Qingqiu had succeeded back then, the so-called top aristocratic families would no longer have any basis for existence, because Prince Anze and He Qingqiu's plan was to eradicate the very foundation upon which these aristocratic families depended for survival.

This contradicts He Qiku's dream.

He envied them, he resented them, but he wanted to be one of them rather than undermine their foundations, which would mean he would never have another chance.

He Qiku was still laughing loudly, but the laughter gradually subsided until it finally stopped completely, leaving only a pair of big eyes still staring at Wu De.

In Wu De's perception, the other party's life force was gradually weakening until it was completely gone.

This brave general, who dedicated his life to making the Ho family a top-tier noble family, spent the rest of his life alone in his own courtyard.

Wu De did not stop the other party.

How miserable, I don't want to live anymore.

This was his last act of despair after he had figured out the whole truth.

His life was one of manipulation and control. He always wanted to be his own master, but in the end, he never achieved that goal. Perhaps the only thing that could truly make him his own master was death.
It's better that he's dead, so that this nearly 80-year-old man won't have to face the destruction of his entire family in the end.

Being ahead can be a kind of happiness.

Wu De could foresee the fate of the He family after He Zudao's complete defeat.

Although the Ho family is not large.

When the nest is overturned, there are no eggs left!
The He family, father and son, ultimately became a dish on the dinner table.

Wu De crossed his hands to his eyebrows and solemnly performed a deep bow.

Regardless of the character of this person, he has indeed made many contributions to the Qin Dynasty over the past few decades.

Death is the greatest tragedy; all that has passed is but smoke and clouds!

In truth, the mistakes this person made are utterly insignificant compared to the mistakes made by some people who are still living comfortably today.

Wanting to climb higher isn't necessarily wrong.

He simply chose the wrong direction to go.

He walked up to the sobbing veteran and said, "Report it! Send someone to handle General He's funeral arrangements!"

With heavy steps, Wu De walked out of the He family mansion, leading his horse, and wandered aimlessly down the street.

Looking up at the sky, one wonders if, above the heavens, a great star might fall because of the unbearable death of He Qisu.

(End of this chapter)