knife

Chapter 348 News
Zhang Residence.

Zhang Qingyun looked at Zhou Gang opposite her with some surprise.

Although only a few months had passed since they parted, the man before them seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

His hair was simply tied up with a strip of blue cloth, and his brown linen clothes were torn in several places, revealing that he was completely naked underneath. His skin was clearly tanned black. His face was also sunburned, with peeling skin that was a dark reddish-black, and in some places, the white skin had not completely fallen off, creating a stark contrast between the black and white.

The environment truly changes a person from the inside out.

Recalling her past experiences, Zhang Qingyun couldn't help but sigh softly.

Both he and Zhou Gang fell from the clouds into the mud in one step.

Those who manage to crawl out of the mud will invariably become strong.

I've already managed to climb out of there.

Will Zhou Gang climb out?
"Brother Zhou, you look like you've been doing hard labor somewhere!" Zhang Qingyun asked tentatively, "Could it be that you've been lurking in Chang'an all this time?"

Zhou Gang smiled and nodded: "Qingyun's eyes are sharp; she saw right through me. To tell you the truth, I am now a captain in the Wolf Fortress, a secret intelligence unit under Commander Linghu. I have been ordered to sneak back to Chang'an to organize manpower so that I can act as an inside agent when the Commander attacks Chang'an!"

"You shouldn't have told me these things, you shouldn't have even come to see me!" Looking at the man opposite her, Zhang Qingyun didn't know what to say: "Didn't you already guess that my identity is unusual?"

"I wasn't planning on coming to see you at first!" Zhou Gang thought for a moment and said, "After thinking it over and over again, I decided to come see you anyway. I know you're not an ordinary person, but there are some things you might not know. If you're not prepared, I'm afraid you'll suffer. I came to tell you so you can make some preparations in advance, at least to protect yourself!"

Zhang Qingyun's heart skipped a beat. Zhou Gang was so certain; did he know some incredible secret?

He just joined Linghu Group, so it's unlikely he has access to the most core secrets!

Linghu Ye sent him back to infiltrate and organize people to prepare as an inside agent during the siege, which made good use of his talents, but at the same time, it also put Zhou Gang in a deadly situation.

The risks of being an inside agent like this are obvious. One wrong move and you could be caught. Even the best-hidden spies can be exposed, let alone someone as famous as Zhou Gang in Chang'an.
Even if they manage to evade capture in the early stages, they can still act as spies during the siege, and the final moments are the most dangerous. Ninety-nine percent of such spies will not survive to see victory.

They would all fall in the first rays of dawn.

"How could you agree to come back and do such a dangerous thing? You've never done anything like this before, nor have you received this kind of training. The Black Ice Guard isn't someone to be trifled with. If you fall into their hands again, they won't let you go! No matter how much influence Wu De has, he can't keep doing this again and again!"

"Thank you for your concern!" Zhou Gang said with a smile, "But there's nothing we can do. Our Zhou family went to serve Linghu, but we weren't really valued. In fact, people looked down on us, or rather, they didn't care. Others might not feel it, but I could feel it clearly. You don't know, but once in Linghu Ye's tent, I saw my father being teased and ridiculed by Linghu Ye's ministers, and my father had to smile along. That kind of humiliation made me want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into."

"So you want to make a name for yourself? To prove your worth by achieving the greatest merit?" Zhang Qingyun countered.

“Yes!” Zhou Gang said, “I came back voluntarily. As you know, my martial arts skills are average, and I’m even worse at leading troops. After thinking it over, I decided that this job is the only one I can do well and that I can quickly make merits and get promoted.”

Zhang Qingyun nodded; that was indeed true.

Spies take enormous risks and do the most dangerous things, but once they succeed, promotion comes naturally.

They all risked their lives for this.

Zhou Gang has a clear understanding of himself.

Returning to Chang'an to lie low was indeed the fastest shortcut for him.

"You just told me you have a big secret, what is it?"

Zhou Gang leaned forward, getting closer to Zhang Qingyun, and whispered, "When I came here, Commander Linghu summoned me privately and told me to go see someone after I returned to Chang'an!"

"Who?"

"He Bing!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Zhang Qingyun was taken aback. Zhou Gang had given her one fright after another today.

Zhou Gang shook his head and said, "I brought back a big secret. For He Bing, it concerns his life and even the entire He clan!"

"Is he really that powerful?" Zhang Qingyun said dismissively, "Linghu Ye is good at using a feather as a weapon. A small matter can become a huge deal when he says it."

“No!” Zhou Gang said, “Qingyun, you work for the Beiting Protectorate, do you know who your Protector-General Li Dachui really is?”

Zhang Qingyun glanced at Zhou Gang, her eyes narrowing slightly.

It seems to be a truly remarkable event.

Seeing that Zhang Qingyun did not press the matter, Zhou Gang said, "Linghu Ye sent me to tell He Bing that Li Dachui of the Beiting Protectorate is the posthumous child of Li Jimin and He Qingqiu!"

With a crash, just like He Bing, Zhang Qingyun also accidentally knocked over the cups and saucers on the coffee table next to her.

Li Dachui's identity was naturally a secret, known to very few, but Zhang Bing of Zhi Qiu Yuan certainly knew. Even her father, Zhang Ruo, was completely unaware of this.

"Did I scare you?" Zhou Gang saw that Zhang Qingyun looked pale and quickly comforted her, "But it's alright. The court is in this state now, so whose son he is isn't that important, especially for people like us. But it's a different story for He Bing!"

Zhang Qingyun forced down her anger and shock.

Linghu Ye was actually unaware of Li Dachui's true identity. He had indeed investigated Li Dachui's background, but under the city lord's arrangement, the truth and falsehood were intertwined, and the more Linghu Ye investigated, the more he realized that the whole thing was nothing more than a fabrication by Zhou Zhi.

The purpose was to give Li Dachui a resounding name when he fought for power in the future.

That makes sense. The posthumous son of the former deposed crown prince stepped forward to restore the old empire when the Qin dynasty was on the verge of collapse. Wouldn't all the loyal ministers and elders of Qin be jumping for joy and rushing to serve Li Dachui?

Therefore, Linghuye never took this matter seriously.

They even thought it was just a joke.

At that time, Linghuye did not believe that Li Dachui would become his strongest opponent.

But it ’s different now,

Whether it's true or false, such news is enough to shock the world.

While some rejoiced, others were terrified.

Those who are happy about it probably can't show their faces yet, but those who are terrified will do everything they can to suppress Li Dachui.

Especially people like He Bing and Wei Zhengdao, who have deep-seated hatred for the former crown prince.

In this way, Li Dachui's plan to slowly drain the Wei family's strength and absorb the wealth of Chang'an to enrich Shu will completely fail.

"Linghu Ye sent you to turn He Bing against his cause?" Zhang Qingyun asked slowly, taking a deep breath.

Zhou Gang nodded: "I went to see He Bing a few days ago and told him about this matter. He reacted quite strongly at the time. According to Commander Linghu, He Bing was involved in the entire Chang'an Incident back then. If Li Dachui gains power, the He family will inevitably be overthrown."

"He Bing agreed?"

"Not yet, but judging from his appearance, he probably has no choice!" Zhou Gang said, "General Chang Lei will soon lead the vanguard to arrive. If we have He Bing's support, it won't be difficult for us to storm into Chang'an. I'm telling you this so you can prepare in advance. When the army enters the city, it will be chaotic. You'd better hide well, because I don't know if I can get here to help you quickly!"

"Thank you, Brother Zhou!" Zhang Qingyun said sincerely.

"You saved my Zhou family, and I will repay you!" Zhou Gang said. "I have to go now. Be careful. If He Bing doesn't come to our aid but tells Wei Zhengdao about this, your situation will be even more dangerous. However, our people have been monitoring this old guy for the past two days. He hasn't gone out, and Wei Zhengdao hasn't reacted at all, so it's probably pretty much a done deal!"

“You are more dangerous than me, lurking in the city.”

"Don't worry, I'm not the same young master Zhou I used to be!" Zhou Gang laughed heartily, grabbed a few exquisitely made pastries from a plate on the coffee table and stuffed them into his pocket: "Then I'm off!"

"I send you!"

After seeing Zhou Gang out through the side gate and watching him disappear into the night, Zhang Qingyun returned to the courtyard, but the smile on her face vanished completely.

The situation is serious.

Regardless of which path He Bing chooses, it will cause great losses to his side.

He hurried back to the study, pulled a rope next to the desk, and a moment later, several people walked into the room in a hurry.

"Immediately use a secret code to speak to the young master and relay every single word that Zhou Gang said today to him."

"Yes!" One person bowed and turned to leave the study.

"Notify all subordinates of the Zhi Qiu Academy in Chang'an to go into deep hiding places. They are not to awaken without orders!"

"Understood!" Another person left.

Only Luo Ying remained in the room.

"Activate the Black Ice Platform's hidden agents that Wu De left us when he left. From now on, conduct full surveillance on He Bing, his family, and his trusted confidants. Report back immediately if there is any news!"

Luo Ying nodded: "Miss, would you like to avoid this situation for a while? Find some excuse to leave the city?"

Zhang Qingyun shook her head: "No need, I still have a protective talisman on me. Even if they turn against me, they won't be able to do anything to me. Once the young master returns in a few days, there will be no need to worry anymore."

(End of this chapter)