knife

Chapter 374 Change and Unchanging
Still half asleep, Zhang Qingyun shuffled out in her shoes and burst into tears when she saw Zhang Ru sitting in the lobby drinking hot ginger soup.

"Daddy!"

She rushed over and fell to Zhang Ruo's knees.

Reaching out to stroke her daughter's hair, Zhang Ruo smiled and said, "Why are you crying? I remember when we left Chang'an, you didn't cry, and when you left the pass to return to Chang'an more than a year ago, you didn't cry either. Today your father is back, and we are reunited. Why are you crying? Get up quickly, don't let everyone laugh at you."

When Zhang Qingyun came in, there were seven or eight people in the room who were drinking ginger soup. They all stood up immediately.

They are all from Zhi Qiu Yuan, and Zhang Qingyun is now the third-in-command of Zhi Qiu Yuan, the famous Zhang Bing!

Zhang Qingyun stood up, somewhat embarrassed, wiping away her tears, and said, "When I left back then, the future was bleak. I thought that at worst, I would just die, so what was there to cry about? More than a year ago, I left the pass and headed to a new battlefield, full of fighting spirit. I only felt excitement, not sadness. But now, with everything looking up, you actually risked so much danger to come back all the way here. Naturally, it's worrying. Moreover, according to the plan, you should have arrived a month later, but you arrived so early. It's obvious that you disrupted the earlier plan to enter the pass. How dangerous is that!"

Zhang Qingyun looked at the guards, who all lowered their heads.

"Don't blame them, it was my insistence!" Zhang Ru waved her hand and laughed, "What's there to be afraid of? Linghu Ye didn't dare to kill me a few years ago, so he's even less likely to do so now!"

“What wouldn’t he dare to do!” Zhang Qingyun shook his head and said, “You entered the pass secretly. If he killed you, he could just pretend he didn’t know. What could we do to him? Even if he really didn’t dare to kill you, what if he detained you?”

"I'm back safe and sound, aren't I?" Zhang Ru patted his chest. "I have to thank these brothers. They really worked hard. I just followed them all the way."

Zhang Qingyun sighed, turned around and bowed to the men: "My father has caused you all trouble!"

The men quickly returned the greeting, repeatedly saying they dared not accept it.

To be honest, because of Zhang Ruo's demands, these people are really going to be exhausted along the way. All the plans they made beforehand have been scrapped, and it's not an easy task to avoid the territories of various forces and get into Chang'an.

By the time Luo Ying had made arrangements for everyone, it was already past midnight.

Neither Zhang Ruo nor Zhang Qingyun were sleepy, so the father and daughter simply started talking in the study.

"Entering the city today without any hindrance, does this mean that the Northern Court has already gained some control over Chang'an?" Zhang Ruo asked.

Zhang Qingyun smiled and said, "It's not like what you said. Our main military force is currently at Yongfeng Warehouse. The reason you were able to enter the city smoothly is simply because the Black Ice Guard is now under our control. Of course, there are also some people in the Imperial Guard who are willing to join us, especially some well-informed officers."

“This is what it looks like when a country is about to perish!” Zhang Ruo sighed. “These guys who should have been the guardians of the capital can easily collude with outsiders.”

“Father, we are not outsiders. To be honest, these people should be considered as having abandoned darkness and turned to the light!” Zhang Qingyun said with some dissatisfaction.

Zhang Ru waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "Let's not talk about that. It seems like things are not going well along the way. The number of refugees is increasing. If the court doesn't have a proper resettlement plan, things will get out of hand."

“Wei Zhengdao already thinks there are too many people in Chang’an, so why would he care about those outside?” Zhang Qingyun said, “If the refugees outside the city really dare to cause trouble, the Imperial Guards will not be lenient. These days, there have been rumors in the city that people outside the city are going to come in and steal their food and their lives. The people inside the city are both afraid and resentful of these refugees outside the city. If chaos really breaks out, the refugees will suffer a great disaster.”

"Didn't you say that Sichuan could accept people, and that you've been transporting goods to Sichuan all along?"

“Father, our strength is also limited. You know how dangerous the road to Sichuan is, crossing the Qinling Mountains. It’s difficult to travel even in normal seasons, let alone in this season. Moreover, the people we send to Sichuan must meet certain conditions. We can’t treat everyone the same.”

"So only those things that are useful to you will be arranged along the way and arrive safely in Sichuan, right?" Zhang Ruo asked rhetorically.

“That’s right!” Zhang Qingyun said bluntly, “Father, this is not the time to be a pushover and try to help everyone. In the end, you’ll end up helping no one. Opening this road is already the greatest kindness we can show them.”

"With their own strength, I'm afraid very few of them will be able to reach Sichuan!"

“Yes.” Zhang Qingyun hesitated for a moment, but still said, “There were many tragic incidents along the way. Some elderly people even took off all their clothes to wrap their children and grandchildren in in order to save a bite of food, and then jumped naked off the cliff. Along the way, people starved to death and froze to death. But no one could do anything about it. That was the reality.”

"Those who can complete this journey and reach Sichuan are basically all physically strong. These are the people who are most useful to Li Dachui. This journey is actually a path of survival of the fittest, right?"

Zhang Qingyun nodded: "What else can we do? If they stay here, they'll be in an even worse situation. In the end, they'll probably have no chance of survival. If they go to Sichuan, they'll have a chance to live."

"Is Protector-General Li still in Chang'an? I want to see him!"

“Li Duhu has already left!” Zhang Qingyun shook his head and said.

"Where did he go? He just left without a care in the state of Chang'an?" Zhang Ruo said angrily. "Father, what does Chang'an's troubles have to do with Protector Li? Taking over Shu and giving Chang'an a way out is already the best he could do! Besides, in the current situation, I'm afraid no one can save Chang'an," Zhang Qingyun said.

"As long as Luoyang is safe, Tongguan is secure, and Yongfeng Granary can be defended, Chang'an will naturally be safe!"

“This is the ideal situation. If any link in the chain breaks down, the whole situation will collapse.” Zhang Qingyun shook his head and said, “We can’t control the situation. We can only prepare for the worst.”

"I will go see Wei Zhengdao tomorrow."

"Chang'an is just like this now. Father, you should go to Shu as soon as possible; that's where we need to focus our efforts!" Zhang Qingyun said, "Chang'an, let's hold on for as long as we can!"

Zhang Ruo's return to Chang'an so quickly was a great surprise to Wei Zhengdao, but for Wei Zhengdao, it was a good thing.

The two had a personal grudge.

But for Wei Zhengdao to choose to believe that Zhang Ruo could extend his life at such a critical moment, it has to be said that being a person like Zhang Ruo is exceptionally successful.

Although Zhang Ruo essentially wanted to help the Qin Dynasty, the reality is that the Qin Dynasty and the Wei family are essentially two sides of the same coin.

To meet Zhang Ruo, one cannot do so at the Wei residence, because Zhang Ruo would never come to the Wei residence.

It could only be in the office of the chief minister within the imperial city.

"Brother Zhang, you've worked hard these past few years!"

Sitting on the left and right, this meant that Zhang Ruo was being treated as an equal in discussing state affairs. Previously, the only person who had ever sat on equal footing with Wei Zhengdao was Kou Zhong.

"It is indeed hard work, but to be able to witness the disintegration of the Yuan Kingdom, the great enemy of Qin, and its loss of any threat to the outside world, makes me happy. I am willing to endure such hardship!" Zhang Ruo said.

"Brother Zhang is a lucky general. Your arrival in the border region will bring great peace and prosperity!" Wei Zhengdao flattered. "This time, inviting Brother Zhang to Shu will surely make Shu another ally of our Great Qin!"

Zhang Ruo looked at Wei Zhengdao and said, "When it comes to serving the country, Zhang Ruo is naturally unwilling to lag behind others, even if it means sacrificing himself. However, before leaving, I would like to ask the Grand Secretary a few questions."

"Brother Zhang, do you want to ask about the injustice you suffered a few years ago?" Wei Zhengdao sighed, "I have already explained this matter to Qingyun."

"I'm not asking about that; I'm asking about His Majesty's death!"

Seeing Zhang Ru staring intently at him, Wei Zhengdao sighed, "You know that His Majesty practices the Heaven-Slaying Martial Arts. The Heaven-Slaying Martial Arts has severe side effects, and you must be aware of that now, right? His Majesty's illness has taken hold, causing him to go berserk and commit massacres in the palace. If we allow such a Majesty to break out of the palace, what will become of us?"

"So you gathered a group of people to assassinate the king?"

“If you insist on saying that, then so be it!” Wei Zhengdao said with a wry smile, “An emperor must maintain his dignity. An emperor who cannot maintain his dignity and prestige is better off dead.”

To Wei Zhengdao's surprise, Zhang Ruo actually nodded: "Did you kill the Crown Prince? The emperor is dead, and that's that. In any case, he hasn't been involved in politics all these years. But the Crown Prince was still young and promising, and he had worked very hard all these years. It's a real pity that he died like this."

"How could I kill the Crown Prince? I still don't understand this matter, but I can guess that Linghu Ye must have sent someone to kill Li Tai and then framed me. If I fall, wouldn't Chang'an be within his grasp!"

“Linghu’s ambition is known to all,” Zhang Ruo said. “But it is also an undeniable fact that he is now very powerful. My trip to Shu is naturally intended to encourage the court to do its part. But given the current situation in Chang’an, is the Grand Secretary just going to stand by and watch those people outside the city die?”

"I can barely take care of things inside the city, how can I possibly take care of things outside the city?"

"Open up the mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes, and the royal gardens; let those people fend for themselves!" Zhang Ruo said. "I will depart for Shu tomorrow. As for Chang'an, the Grand Secretary, you should take care of yourself!"

"Brother Zhang, will you not see His Majesty?"

“An eighteen-year-old child is nothing more than Wei Fu’s puppet. What difference does it make whether you see him or not?” Zhang Ru stood up and strode away.

Watching Zhang Ruo's retreating figure, Wei Zhengdao seemed lost in thought.
This person seems unchanged.

But it seems things have changed again.

(End of this chapter)