knife

Chapter 280 Surrender
Chang'an appears quite peaceful now.

Before this calm, there had actually been an extremely brutal massacre.

Kou Zhong and Wei Zhengdao may not kill the prominent figures of the powerful families in Chang'an, but that doesn't mean they won't kill the lower-ranking soldiers.

The purge of the Chang'an Imperial Guards was extremely brutal.

Those with connections should pack their bags and leave.

Those without connections will only lose their heads and be fired.

Unfortunately, those without connections are precisely the talented individuals who worked their way up to their current status, only to lose everything in this turmoil because they sought refuge with wealthy and powerful families.

The Imperial Guard's fighting capacity was weakened once again by this purge.

But Kou Zhong and Wei Zhengdao didn't care.

For them, talent is as plentiful as fish crossing a river; as long as they want, new people will naturally be selected.

Loyalty is the most important thing.

Now, Wei Yi is stationed in Chang'an, and Zhang Quanyi is stationed in Luoyang. With the newly formed army as the core and the purged part of the Imperial Guards, the two each have an army of 50,000.

The nominal supreme commander of these 100,000 men was Crown Prince Li Tai.

Seeing that the emperor was obsessed with taking drugs to advance his rank, Kou Zhong and Wei Zhengdao could only place their hopes on the crown prince.

His Highness the Crown Prince, who rarely appeared in public before, is now making frequent appearances to increase his visibility.

Wu De also took advantage of this opportunity to expand his strength.

The newly established inspection team has a total of three thousand soldiers under its command.

Three thousand people may not sound like a lot, but these three thousand people are stationed in Chang'an City, and because of the Black Ice Guard's background, they wield immense power.

When Wu De returned to Chang'an, Kou Zhong promised him to investigate the entire country. When Wu De had no power, this was just talk. But when Wu De directly controlled an army, it became a real and tangible power.

If we add to that the countless spies Wu De has planted all over the world over the years, Wu De's true strength is actually quite astonishing.

Zhang Qingyun did not open the bloodstained metal cylinder, but gently pushed it back to Wu De, saying, "Commander Wu, I received news about the situation outside the pass a few days ago. We have our own channels."

"I never imagined that such earth-shattering changes would occur there in just one year since I left the border region. Just a year ago, the Northern Yuan was so arrogant, but in the blink of an eye, it has fallen into infighting and is unable to extricate itself. Deputy Protector-General Li is truly a genius!" Wu De exclaimed.

"Commander Wu, you came here so late at night, surely not just to lament to me?" Zhang Qingyun said with a smile. "The unification of the area beyond the Great Wall is a foregone conclusion. The Northern Yuan is embroiled in internal strife and is not far from its demise. Perhaps within three to five years, Protector-General Li will launch a northern expedition! I wonder what Commander Wu thinks about this?"

Wu De nodded: "Will Protector-General Li one day lead his troops into the interior?"

Zhang Qingyun remained noncommittal: "Commander, what is it about that makes you look so indignant and sorrowful today?"

"The world is in such chaos. The Grand Chancellor and the Minister of War have devoted themselves to their duties, yet the Emperor remains obstinate, favoring treacherous officials, alienating virtuous men, and neglecting state affairs. Every official, both military and civil, harbors their own selfish motives and schemes. This court is terminally ill and beyond saving." Wu De took a deep breath. "Miss Qingyun, I simply wish to ask one question: Does Protector Li have the heart to save the world?"

Why did Commander Wu suddenly ask this question?

“If Governor Li is not merely thinking of securing his own corner of the country and becoming the king of the pass, but has the world in his heart and the determination to save countless people from suffering, then Wu De is willing to serve under his patron and do his utmost.”

Zhang Qingyun remained calm and refilled Wu De's cup with water, looking him up and down.

“Miss Qingyun, we’ve been working together for over a year. You should know my character. I’m not the kind of person who makes promises lightly, but once I do, they’re as good as gold.” Wu De said, “You don’t trust me?”

Zhang Qingyun shook his head and said, "It's not that I don't believe you, Commander Wu. You and I both know about the Protector's background, so you should also know that Protector Li and Governor Kou Zhong have a blood feud. The Protector's birth mother died at Governor Kou's hands, and Governor Kou has treated you quite well. When our interests conflict with Governor Kou's, will you betray Governor Kou and think of us? If not, then wouldn't it be better for us to maintain our current cooperative model?"

Wu De took a deep breath: "Over the years, I have reorganized the Black Ice Guard, activated the secret agents, and executed traitors. I have traveled all over the Qin Dynasty and seen far too many injustices. It's not that I don't want to get involved, but I'm powerless to do so. You haven't even made a move yet, and the entanglements coming from all directions have already entangled you tightly, making it impossible for you to do anything."

"The Qin Dynasty has ruled for hundreds of years, and a fixed social hierarchy has long been formed. We are all interconnected, with each other's interests intertwined. It's only natural!" "The Grand Chancellor is also a link in this great network." Wu De shook his head and said, "Whether it was the earlier plan to eliminate the powerful families of Hedong or to clear out the forces of the Southern Garrison, it was just scratching the surface. It was a typical case of treating the symptoms rather than the root cause. It might prolong the life of the court for a few years, but it could not change the final outcome. Moreover, the slightest mistake would plunge the world into chaos."

“The Kou brothers probably didn’t expect He Zudao to be so difficult to deal with, did they?” Zhang Qingyun chuckled. “They always underestimated the heroes of the world, thinking that everything was under their control. The result is what they have now. Those who play with fire will get burned!”

“What I saw beyond the Great Wall was different; I saw a completely new model,” Wu De said. “Perhaps this model can save the Great Qin and rescue the people from their suffering. So, Miss Qingyun, between the Grand Chancellor and the people of the world, I choose the people of the world. Besides, Protector Li is also surnamed Li and is a legitimate descendant of the Great Qin. Can I be considered to have betrayed the court?”

Zhang Qingyun laughed.

Bringing Wu De into the group was something she had been trying to do for over a year.

However, Wu De was a man of extremely high moral character and a strong sense of mission. He was a rare and loyal person, comparable to his own father.

But such an honest person, once disappointed in someone, once feeling that there is a better person who can help him realize his higher ideals, will resolutely embark on another path.

Now, the waterway is finally complete.

She extended her hand. "Commander Wu, welcome to our team! Let me introduce myself again. My name is Zhang Bing! I am the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Zhi Qiu Institute, responsible for affairs within the Great Wall."

Wu De reached out and gently shook hands with him.

With just this gentle grip, Li Dachui immediately gained most of the Black Ice Platform's power in the world.

The Black Ice Guard's overt forces have been largely infiltrated by local authorities. Meanwhile, the covert forces have been established, deployed, and activated by Wu De over the years.

Kou Zhong, as the backbone of the Black Ice Guard, mainly advocates for the Black Ice Guard's interests in the court. He Bing, the second-in-command, is burdened by paperwork while he is in charge of the central government. Zhang Quanyi, who is in charge of operations, has now joined the army and led troops. All the personnel under his control have been incorporated into the army. Now, the real power behind the Black Ice Guard is Wu De.

In times of chaos, what is most important?
Of course, it's about strength.

Wu De now possesses not only overt power—a 3,000-strong inspection team—but more importantly, a vast network of secret agents spanning the globe.

It was known that Qiu Yuan, due to limited strength, focused his efforts on the Northern Yuan and had very limited influence over the forces within the Guanzhong Plain. But now, they have almost instantly acquired a network that spans the entire Qin Dynasty.

Suddenly, Wu De felt all the pent-up emotions in his heart disappear.

Standing at the crossroads, he had been lost and hesitant for a long time, unsure of which path to choose. Today, he finally made up his mind and embarked on one of the paths. Moreover, in Wu De's view, this path was absolutely the best of both worlds.

Now that you've made your choice, you must stick to it.

To Wu De's surprise, Zhang Qingyun, who had only been back in the capital for a year, had unknowingly built a vast intelligence network. And those surrounding Zhang Qingyun were no longer just the noble sons of Chang'an; some lower-level officials had also joined in at some point. Looking at the dossier that Zhang Qingyun pushed over, covered with densely packed names, Wu De felt a chill run down his spine.

These people are scattered throughout various government departments. Most of them are not of high rank, but they all occupy very important positions.

"If the inspection team needs weapons or supplies, just go to them. These people have all sorts of ways to get you good stuff and then make sure no one notices anything amiss."

"To be honest, I really dislike these people! They deserve some credit for the decline of the Qin Dynasty!" Wu De gritted his teeth and pointed to a name above, saying, "Could this person get me a few hundred powerful crossbows?"

Wu De had previously approached this person, hoping to obtain some powerful crossbows from the armory. Even though he had the Ministry of War's approval, he was met with a cold shoulder from this person.

Zhang Qingyun laughed loudly: "Of course, have someone pick it up tomorrow! Commander Wu, these people are quite capable, it just depends on what kind of system they're in. In a system where corruption is the norm, they're corrupt officials, but if they're in an efficient and honest system, they're capable officials! To put it jokingly, generally speaking, mediocre officials can't be corrupt officials, they don't have that ability!"

Wu De wholeheartedly agreed with this assessment.

Over the years, he has traveled the world and seen too many such people, each of whom has used their skills to become corrupt and get rich.

"The inspection team needs to expand. Don't worry about the officers. The White Tiger Brigade, which I command, can be completely transferred to Commander Wu. With these people, it will also help you to better control the inspection team."

"Funding is very difficult, and the imperial court will not allow the inspection team to expand again!"

"If it doesn't work in the city, then we'll go outside the city. As for the funding, I'll take care of that!" Zhang Qingyun said decisively. "The Protector-General believes that Chang'an will inevitably experience a major battle soon. We not only need the ability to protect ourselves, but we also need to get our share in this turmoil!"

(End of this chapter)