knife

Chapter 282 Giving up
As Wei Zhengdao stepped out of the palace, all his previous excitement had vanished.

It wasn't that the emperor didn't grant his request.

On the contrary, the emperor accepted his suggestions in their entirety, without offering the slightest objection.
He agreed to all the requests made by the Anxi Protectorate and Inspector Zhang Ruo.

In Wu De's view, the emperor seemed extremely impatient with Wei Zhengdao bothering him with these matters and just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Faced with this situation, not only Wei Zhengdao, but even Wu De shook his head in dismay.

The emperor is completely putting the cart before the horse!
No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, one is still just a person. There has never been a shortage of people with superb martial arts skills in the world of outlaws and martial arts, but do these people have the opportunity to challenge the imperial court?

Basically no.

When an individual's power is compared to that of a nation, it's like a firefly trying to outshine the bright moon—it only leads to self-humiliation.

The power that a nation can mobilize is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Even now, though the area the imperial court can control is very limited, if any foolish martial arts master tries to cause trouble in Chang'an, it's an extremely simple matter for the court to kill him.

So what if he's a master of innate talent?

Both of them were not in much interest. As soon as they left the palace gate, they saw the eunuch again.

Wu De, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the guy's buttocks were sticking out. He figured that the guy had worn through his pants from rubbing against the ground earlier, and since it was his turn to be on duty today, he didn't dare to leave his post without permission, so he could only lean his buttocks against the pillar to cover up his shame.

Wei Zhengdao coughed loudly again, startling the eunuch who turned and ran away in a flash, his two bright red buttocks wiggling back and forth. Wei Zhengdao was initially surprised, but then burst out laughing.

My mood has finally improved.

“Wu De!” Wei Zhengdao called out.

"What are your orders, Minister Wei?"

“I am not familiar with martial arts, but Kou Zhong said that your martial arts skills are already quite advanced. What do you think of His Majesty’s current condition? Is there really any hope that he can enter some kind of divine journey?” Wei Zhengdao asked.

Wu De hesitated for a moment, wondering how to respond.

“Say what you mean, there’s nothing to hesitate about. What are you afraid of?” Wei Zhengdao glanced at Wu De.

Wu De nodded and said, "Prime Minister Wei, I observe that His Majesty has a fiery temper and extraordinary energy, which is truly incomparable to ordinary people!"

"So, His Majesty is in very good health?"

"Prime Minister Wei, it depends on how you look at it!" Wu De hesitated for a moment before saying, "Humans are very complex individuals. We always pursue overall balance, the harmony of Yin and Yang, and the balance of strength and gentleness. The martial arts I practice are on the more forceful side, so every now and then I have to seek other methods to neutralize them to avoid damaging my body. In the long run, if I can't find an effective method, my body will suffer irreversible damage. The royal family abandoned the practice of 'Fatian' and simplified it for use as a martial art for soldiers. This is actually based on the same principle. 'Fatian' is too forceful and causes great harm to the body."

"Now that you mention it, I understand. So, His Majesty appears vigorous and powerful, but in reality, he's playing with fire?"

"Prime Minister Wei, human strength is ultimately limited. For His Majesty to burn through his physical potential like this is not a sustainable way to go."

Wei Zhengdao sighed: "Kou Zhong is a master of martial arts, he must understand this principle, so why doesn't he say it?"

Before Wu De could respond, he answered his own question: "Kou Zhong has completely lost faith in His Majesty, letting him run wild and placing all his hopes on the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is still young and has unlimited potential."

"Prime Minister Wei, what should we do next?"

“I just inspected the Guanzhong region, and even in these places, there are signs of instability. The pressure from Hedong and Hexi is too great for them!” Wei Zheng said. “Next, your Black Ice Guard must pay closer attention to the Guanzhong region. If there is any instability, you must not hesitate for a moment. Whoever it is, take them down immediately.”

"Understood!" Wu De bowed and said. "After I return, I will immediately make arrangements to strengthen surveillance on all important figures in the Guanzhong region."

Wei Zhengdao nodded: "The Guanzhong Plain was originally the most important foundation of the Great Qin, the place where the royal family rose to power. But now, they actually have other ideas. It's really laughable. Don't those people understand the principle that if the skin is gone, what will the hair cling to? If the Great Qin really falls, will they survive?"

“There are always some fools who think they are clever,” Wu De said, shaking his head.

Wei Zhengdao waved his hand. "The overall situation outside the pass is improving, and the Northern Yuan is no longer a threat. However, Li Dachui cannot be completely trusted. Judging from his deep thinking and foresight, he is even more formidable than Linghu Ye. You have been to the pass and dealt with him. What do you think of him?"

"Minister Wei, perhaps it is the principle of 'great loyalty appearing as treachery.' I think that Li Dachui is truly thinking of the Great Qin. At that time, he did not know my identity. All he talked about with me was how to strengthen the forces outside the pass and how to suppress the Northern Yuan barbarians' schemes. And now, what he is doing is putting his words into practice."

"Send more people to monitor his every word and deed. If he is truly a virtuous man, he will surely become a pillar of the Qin Dynasty in the future. If he is a treacherous villain disguised as a loyal man, well, so what? Aren't there enough rebels in the Qin Dynasty now?"

At the Zhang family residence, Wu De saw Luo Ying. This wasn't surprising, as Luo Ying was originally from the Zhi Qiu Courtyard.

"Did you take back the two hundred crossbows I was told to collect?" Wu De asked.

"Reporting to the commander, everything has been taken care of! Everyone is very happy, saying that the commander has a lot of influence!" Luo Ying said with a smile and a bow.

"You're being sarcastic!" Wu De snorted. "It's not that I have a lot of influence, it's that your Miss Qingyun has a lot of influence. You go ahead, I have something to say to Miss Qingyun!"

"Yes, Commander!" Luo Ying bowed again and left happily.

Watching his retreating figure, Wu De glanced at Zhang Qingyun and asked, "Did you tell him?"

"Yes, Luo Ying is young but steady. I'll have him contact you and me from now on. Your status is different after all. If you come here often, you'll attract attention."

Wu De nodded: "The emperor has agreed to all the demands from outside the pass."

"Really? That easy? The emperor didn't even add any checks and balances?" Zhang Qingyun suddenly became excited: "The memorial from the Anxi Protectorate does include a request for the power to act expediently. This clause can be big or small, and Wei Zhengdao didn't say much about it?"

“Minister Wei has no time to deal with matters outside the pass!” Wu De said. “As long as the Beiting Protectorate can maintain the status quo and keep the most basic courtesy to the court, that will be fine.”

"Excellent! Once the phrase 'acting expediently' is included in the court's reply, the Beiting Protectorate will have much more room to maneuver in the future."

Wu De nodded: "The Grand Chancellor will not be returning from Luoyang anytime soon."

"Because His Highness the Crown Prince is in Luoyang?" Zhang Qingyun sat up straight immediately. "Or is it because something is going to happen in Luoyang soon?"

“The Black Ice Guard received top-secret intelligence.” Wu De lowered his voice. “I only learned about this today after finally meeting with the Deputy Governor. This line was personally controlled by the Governor.”

"What information?"

"He Zudao is preparing to attack Luoyang!"

"What kind of top-secret intelligence is this? This is something everyone could guess!" Zhang Qingyun said in astonishment.

“He Zudao’s strength is actually insufficient, and he is not stupid, so why did he suddenly attack Luoyang?” Wu De said, “Naturally, it’s because someone is adding fuel to the fire for him.”

Zhang Qingyun suddenly realized: "Some people couldn't wait any longer, so they made things easier for He Zudao and even secretly joined in. Luoyang is the center of commerce in the world. Once it is captured, not only can a lot of wealth be gained, but the supply of goods to Chang'an can also be cut off. If Luoyang is lost, Chang'an will naturally be in danger as well!"

"His Majesty is in Chang'an, while the Crown Prince is stationed in Luoyang," Wu De said. "Zhang Quanyi has tens of thousands of troops in Luoyang, and their strength is considerable. The reason why the Grand Magistrate went there personally is because top-secret intelligence indicates that powerful families have sent innate masters to hide in He Zudao's army, intending to kill generals and kings and create chaos when the army attacks the city. Miss Qingyun, if martial arts masters are combined with the army, their destructive power will be extremely strong."

"Could I know which major clans sent their experts? Are there many innate masters? I heard when I was outside the Great Wall that there were only a handful of innate masters."

“Naturally not many!” Wu De sighed, “but the Yang family of Hongnong does have some.”

"Is it the Yang family of Hongnong?" Zhang Qingyun exclaimed in shock. "Are they planning to get involved themselves?"

Wu De nodded: "I just don't know if they're planning to get involved themselves this time, or if they've placed another heavy bet on one side. But it's definitely not He Zudao."

"He Zudao is just a knife; this knife will eventually break!" Zhang Qingyun smiled and said, "Commander Wu, how did you feel about meeting the emperor today?"

Wu De shook his head: "In the past, when I met the emperor, I could only barely see a shadow from afar. Today, seeing him up close, I am greatly disappointed."

"I've heard that the emperor is a master of innate martial arts."

"He even said today that he's about to embark on a spiritual journey!" Wu De laughed.

"What?" Zhang Qingyun exclaimed in surprise, "Is this really true?"

Wu De shook his head: "How can it be such an easy thing? I see Your Majesty as a large bundle of dried firewood, burning fiercely. Instead of thinking about how to extinguish the flames, Your Majesty keeps pouring oil on them."

"So, wouldn't the emperor be digging his own grave? He has no shortage of wise men and great experts around him, doesn't he understand this principle?"

“Some are blinded by their own involvement, some are feigning ignorance, and some have ulterior motives—a hundred people, a hundred different approaches!” Wu De said softly. “Or perhaps this is a sign of the coming end of a dynasty?”

"It's none of their business. We just need to do our own thing." Zhang Qingyun clapped his hands and laughed. "Things will fall into place naturally. There's also something else I need to tell you. The young master is about to enter the pass."

(End of this chapter)