knife

Chapter 597 Saving others is saving yourself
He Zudao felt very aggrieved, but since he needed someone's help, he could only swallow his anger and pretend to be calm and collected.

During the height of the He family's power, when tens of thousands of elite troops from the eight towns of Jiangnan were at their peak, he also came to Danyang as his father's special envoy.

However, at that time, I was an honored guest.

Now, although Xiang Ying and Xiong Yi appeared to receive him at the same time, and the level of reception still seemed very high, the attitude they put on was really hard to accept.

In the quiet room, four low tables were arranged in an arc. Xiang Ying sat in the center, Xiong Yi sat to his left, and there were two empty seats. One was probably for Na Wei, and the other might be Zhou Zheng, the governor of Danyang, or possibly Chen Yan, the naval commander.

However, the spot that belonged to He Zudao was placed directly opposite this curved shape.

It looks like a four-way trial.

Xiang Ying looked spirited and in excellent spirits, which was probably largely due to his status as a master of innate martial arts. Xiong Yi, on the other hand, looked much more haggard.

Jiang Qian has only truly taken complete control of the political situation for six years, but her ruthless methods, coupled with her role in saving the Chu Kingdom from dire straits, have made her unparalleled in prestige within the country. Leveraging this prestige, she has swiftly eliminated numerous dissidents and installed her own trusted confidants. Now, however, a thorough purge requires more than just control of the army.

What Xiang Ying can do is hold onto his core base and prevent it from falling apart.

What Xiong Yi needs to do is to eliminate Jiang Qian's influence over the past few years.

In comparison, Xiong Yi's job was obviously much more difficult.

Because apart from the people and events that are out in the open, no one knows how many of Jiang Qian's people are operating in the shadows.

He Zudao suddenly understood why Xiang Ying and the others disagreed with exchanging He Han for Yi Hong and his men in the navy.

Because Xiang Ying and Xiong Yi wanted to show the entire Chu Kingdom their attitude, that is, they could never stand under the same roof as Jiang Qian, there was no room for negotiation.

Because if a deal can be made, it means that compromise is possible.

Now, Danyang doesn't want to compromise in the slightest.

Therefore, even though they knew that not bringing back Yi Hong and the others would damage morale, they had to choose the lesser of two evils and abandon Yi Hong and the others.

There were light footsteps outside the room, and everyone inside stood up.

Na Wei and Zhou Zheng walked in one after the other.

This was the first time He Zudao had seen Na Wei.

He was short and small, only reaching about his chin, but he was quite short and wiry.

"What's so great about that!"

He cupped his hands in greeting to the two people who came in.

Although in these people's eyes he was probably a fallen phoenix, he couldn't afford to lose face. "Zhou Zheng!" Prefect Zhou Zheng of Danyang smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand, appearing every bit the gentleman.

Na Wei rolled his eyes and said, "General He, you have quite the air of authority and killing intent. Even if my ignorant subordinates provoked you, you don't deserve to kill them, do you? Today, I want General He to give me an explanation."

He Zudao laughed heartily: "What kind of explanation does that strategist want? I think that by helping that strategist, I am also helping everyone here. It's fine if you don't thank me, but why are you making trouble for me?"

"How arrogant!" Na Wei sneered.

He Zudao shook his head and said, "Actually, I secretly visited Danyang City two years ago, but you all don't know that. Back then, Danyang City was thriving, orderly, and well-organized. I stayed here for several days and was surprised by how good the public security was. Even though it was far from the point where people didn't lock their doors at night or pick up lost items on the road, it was still one of the safest places I've ever seen. But this time, hehe, it's a world of difference. Gentlemen, if you were ordinary people, what would you think? If it were me, I would definitely miss the past!"

Zhou Zheng remained silent.

Xiong Yi looked worried.

Xiang Ying chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "The great chaos has just been quelled, this is just a temporary measure. Everything will naturally return to normal in the future. Gentlemen, sit down and talk. A little friction will not affect the grand plan. Just talk it out, haha, isn't that right? The military discipline of the Wolf Soldiers does indeed need to be rectified."

Xiang Ying spoke up, and Na Wei couldn't refute him any further. He walked to the opposite side and sat down with an air of authority.

He Zudao nodded, sat cross-legged, and looked at the four people opposite him, saying, "General Xiang, Chief Minister Xiong, I will not beat around the bush and will speak frankly. I am indeed at my wit's end and have no choice but to ask for help. You are all wise men and you can see the current situation clearly."

Xiong Yi sighed and said, "We are naturally aware of what General He said. However, the Empress Dowager has been in power for several years and her influence is extremely deep. What we need to do first is to clean up the internal situation and rectify the court before we can mobilize our troops to attack and punish the Empress Dowager. May I ask General He, how long can we hold on?"

He Zudao sneered and said, "Does the Grand Secretary intend to sit back and watch the tigers fight, to see the snipe and the clam struggle, and then reap the benefits?"

"You flatter me, we really don't have the time right now!" Xiong Yi shook his head repeatedly. "We are all in this together, and if one of us is gone, the other will be in danger. How could we just sit by and watch the general be in peril without helping him?"

"Gentlemen, I cannot blame anyone else for my great defeat. It was truly my own underestimation of the heroes of the world that allowed them to seize the opportunity and catch me off guard!" He Zudao sighed and said, "It is also my own fault for being greedy, which led to this great defeat. But it was precisely this great defeat that allowed me to figure out the opponent's trump card."

"That witch has colluded with Li Dachui!" Xiang Ying clenched his fist and slammed it on the table in front of him.

He still doesn't understand how Li Dachui and Jiang Qian escaped from Yunwu Mountain.

Whether it was prior intelligence or subsequent interrogation of the prisoners, the two men must have been on the mountain at the time, yet they vanished without a trace right under his and Jiang Chong's noses.

"On my way to Danyang, I saw Li Dachui transporting troops and supplies from Shu County to Yong'an County by water. If Danyang cannot send troops immediately and defeat them before they have a firm foothold, before the two sides have reached a tacit understanding, and before there are still many contradictions between them, then there will be endless troubles."

"I'm afraid you'll be the first to suffer!" Na Wei said calmly.

He Zudao nodded: "Of course, if that's the case, I will definitely collapse first. But as Chief Minister Xiong said before, we are interdependent. Once I collapse, it will be your turn next. Think about it, what will be the consequences once Jiang Qian has control of the Eight Towns of Jiangnan?"

Before the four could speak, He Zudao continued, "So, saving me is saving yourselves. You know who Jiang Qian is, and you also know who Li Dachui is. The two of them together have become a major threat to the Chu Kingdom. As long as I'm here, I can share the pressure with you. If I really collapse, it will be your turn. With Jiang Qian's prestige in your Chu Kingdom, hehe, who knows, she might just raise her arms and have a multitude of followers! That strategist is far to the southwest and doesn't know much about these two, but I think the three of you should know them very well."

(End of this chapter)