knife

Chapter 573 Ambition
He Zudao was a man who refused to accept his fate.

Even when I was imprisoned on the fourth level of the Black Ice Platform, it was like this.

He disguised himself very well.
Even someone like Kou Zhong was fooled by him, and he released this tiger to carry out his purge strategy.

He Zudao successfully carried out Kou Zhong's grand plan.

But in the final step, he stepped out of the circle set by the other party and began his own performance.

If, after the defeat at Xiangcheng, the Qin Dynasty was still clinging to life by a thread, then...
The two massacres in Hedong and Hexi, along with He Zudao's defection, completely severed the last thread of support that held the Qin Dynasty together.

At that time, although the Qin Dynasty still existed in name only,
They've actually fallen into an abyss.

He continued south, transforming himself into the enemy of all the powerful and influential families of the Qin Dynasty.

The streets are lined with the bones of high-ranking officials, and the gates are adorned with the heads of nobles.

At that time, He Zudao never thought he could return to the eight towns of Jiangnan. Feeling that his days were numbered, he just wanted to go crazy one last time and vent all the grievances he and his father had suffered over the years.

Therefore, he killed without any scruples.

Because he didn't think he could escape alive from Kou Zhong.

But life is full of strange twists and turns.

Kou Zhong died in Luoyang for no apparent reason, and Ke Wuji, the leader of the Demonic Sect, actually came to his door, willing to welcome him all the way south to return to the eight towns of Jiangnan.

A deal was reached with Zhang Quanyi, with both parties getting what they wanted.

After obtaining what he wanted in Luoyang, He Zudao headed south, while Zhang Quanyi took full control of Luoyang, completely breaking free from the control of the Wei family.

This turning point allowed He Zudao's ambitions to flourish.

He finally had a place where he could do his thing.

However, He Zudao soon realized that although this place was rich, its geographical location was really bad. The lack of strategic depth was his fatal flaw. The fact that neither Jiang Qian of Chu nor Linghu Ye of Qin regarded him as a competitor of equal level also made him fully aware of the gap between himself and the first-class forces.

This made him very frustrated.

I thought I was already free to roam as the sky and let the fish swim as they please.

Unexpectedly, in other people's eyes, he was still a sparrow that couldn't fly to the sky and a mudfish that couldn't swim into the great rivers.

On the chessboard of vying for supremacy, there is still no place for him.

Now, the opportunity has come.

Why shouldn't I have a place here?

If we take Yong'an and Ruyin, and then take advantage of the chaos in Chu to plot against Jianghan and occupy Jinghu, then the world will no longer be just the three forces of the Northern Protectorate outside the pass, Linghu Ye in the Central Plains, and Chu in the south, plus He Zudao in Jiangnan.

What is the difference between the Three Kingdoms period and the four-way struggle for supremacy? If Heaven grants something and you do not take it, you will surely be punished by Heaven.

This is He Zudao's understanding of the matter.

This is an opportunity given to you by God; it would be extremely foolish not to seize it.

“This happened too fast and too suddenly. It’s difficult for the eight towns of Jiangnan to mobilize quickly and on a large scale!” He Zudao stared at the map and said, “I need some time to prepare. So the first phase of the war can only rely on you. After all, you have been fighting the Chu people for so long in order to take Yong’an.”

Feng Kuan nodded: "General, rest assured, the 20,000 troops in Xiangfan have always been on standby. I can mobilize another 5,000 men now, but we need more supplies and other equipment for your support."

“No problem!” He Zudao nodded. “As many as you need, just ask Jianren directly. Also, regarding Yang Lixin, I’ll have him send 5,000 men to be incorporated into your unit and placed under your command!”

"We still need the General's intervention on Ke Wuji's side!" Feng Kuan continued, "Currently, Zhan Zhao and He Yiming's three troops, totaling nearly 10,000 men, are fighting in Yong'an. They should be able to mobilize another 5,000 to 10,000 men. I contacted them beforehand, but He Yiming made excuses, saying that Ke Wuji was not around. I guess they want to gain more benefits and want to get a share of the spoils in Yong'an and other places. This requires your approval, General!"

“What’s wrong with them wanting some territory in Yong’an?” He Zudao chuckled. “Feng Kuan, all you need to do is isolate the territory you promised them from their base, leaving it isolated.”

Hearing this, Feng Kuan laughed: "I'm afraid they won't agree!"

“You can offer a bigger reward. Zhan Zhao is from Yong'an County, and his troops are all natives of Yong'an. Tell him that it was me who said that once we take Jianghan, the entire Yong'an County will be given to them. Zhan Zhao will probably be tempted.”

"Understood!" Feng Kuan understood immediately.

Once the Hanjiang Plain is captured, Yong'an County will be insignificant. Moreover, by then, the Grand General's power will have greatly increased, and Zhan Zhao and his men will no longer be able to cause any significant trouble.

"News from Yong'an County has been arriving in the past two days. Although He Jiong has tried his best to block and cover it up, how can he silence the gossip of the world? The morale of the army in Yong'an is in chaos. The Tiger Legion is deserting every day, and the navy has experienced a large-scale defection. Naval General Yi Hong led his troops to defect, and Wang Dao pursued them. The two sides fought fiercely on the Yangtze River. Wang Dao suffered heavy losses but could not stop Yi Hong."

"Great!" Feng Kuan exclaimed excitedly, "Without the support of the navy, our chances of winning this battle are even greater!"

“Approximately five to eight thousand of the Tiger Legion from Yong’an have deserted!” He Zudao laughed. “Our spies in Yong’an suspect that Kang Zhen, the deputy commander of the Tiger Legion, deliberately allowed it, because Kang Zhen is the recognized next leader of the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Saber, and the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Saber’s mountain gate is located just outside Danyang City.”

"Perhaps, when we charge over there, Kang Zhen will take this opportunity to do something?"

“That’s hard to say!” He Zudao shook his head: “We don’t need to consider such uncertain things. However, it is true that Yong’an County is currently in turmoil, and that is the most advantageous thing for us.”

"I really can't understand why He Jiong would make such a big fuss about Jiang Qian's arrival in Yong'an. If he had kept quiet, perhaps Yong'an wouldn't have descended into chaos so quickly?"

"He had no choice!" He Zudao analyzed, "The matter can't be kept secret; it will eventually be exposed. Jiang Qian's arrival can still appease those who support her. Moreover, since Jiang Qian isn't dead, she can still exert some influence in Danyang. Jiang Qian has been in power for many years, and her faction is spread throughout the country. As long as Jiang Qian is alive, these people still have hope. If Jiang Qian hadn't shown herself, those people would have had no one to rely on, and they might have surrendered directly to Xiang Ying. So, from a broader perspective, He Jiong didn't make a mistake!"

"But now, no matter what they do, there's no hope for them. General, just you wait and see!" Feng Kuan laughed loudly, "I will definitely fight this first battle brilliantly!"

"If only we could capture Jiang Qian alive!"

Feng Kuan laughed heartily: "Jiang Qian is only in her early twenties this year, and I heard she is also a beauty of unparalleled grace. It wouldn't be bad to capture her and make her the general's bed warmer."

"What are you thinking?" He Zudao laughed and scolded, "If we can capture Jiang Qian alive, we might be able to recruit her loyal subordinates, and then we can get enough benefits from the Chu Kingdom. That's the most important thing!"

"We must ensure the General gains both wealth and manpower!" Feng Kuan said earnestly. "In Chen Jianren's words, it's like having both fish and bear's paw! We just won't choose; we want it all! Hahaha!"

(End of this chapter)