knife

Chapter 756 Take responsibility for what you have to do before you die, and don't worry about what will be said after you die.

Zhou Zheng had never met Hong Zhan, but that didn't mean he didn't know Hong Zhan.

Upon hearing this name, he abruptly stood up, glanced at the person walking over leisurely, and then looked at the two composed old men in front of him. He naturally knew that Jiang Chong and Hu Tianying had long since colluded with Jiang Qian.

"Master Jiang, did you make contact with the other side after the Battle of Red Cliffs?" Zhou Zheng asked with a wry smile.

"Governor Li came to see me personally!" Jiang Chong said frankly. "At that time, I was lost and helpless. Governor Li's visit finally gave me a way forward. I won't say any high-sounding words. Naturally, I think of the Jiang family first and don't want it to end in my hands. Of course, on this basis, if I can do something for the common people, I'm happy to do so. After all, the Jiang family's reputation is also very important if it wants to continue!"

Zhou Zheng nodded and looked at Hu Tianying: "Sect Leader Hu, as far as I know, the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber has never actively intervened in political struggles. After completing their training, the disciples choose their own masters, and the sect never interferes. This is the fundamental reason why the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber has been able to survive for thousands of years. If you change this rule, the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber will no longer have such a detached status!"

Hu Tianying nodded and said, "Prefect Zhou, it's not that I can't abide by the rules of my sect, but I can't bear to see the people of the world suffer from the ravages of war again. If Linghu Ye's plan succeeds, the world will probably be locked in a bloody struggle for decades or even centuries. The world's affairs are such that after a long period of division, there will be unity, and after a long period of unity, there will be division. It has been nearly four hundred years since the Great Yong Dynasty. It is time for the world to be unified again!"

"So you chose Li Dachui? You think he's the chosen one?" Zhou Zheng asked.

"At least so far, he is the one I have the highest opinion of, and he is also the one who is best for the people!" Hu Tianying said with a smile. "Prefect Zhou, you have never been to the area beyond the Great Wall, but I believe you must have read countless intelligence reports on various aspects of the Northern Protectorate. You are also a local official, so you naturally have your own judgment on whether things are good or bad. If you truly care about the people of the world, then you should make a decision! People like us should naturally take responsibility for what is done in our lifetime and not worry about what will be said after we are gone!"

"Take responsibility for what happens before you, and don't worry about what will be said after you die!" Zhou Zheng muttered to himself. Back then, he was highly valued by Jiang Qian and was promoted from a minor official to a key position like the governor of Danyang County in just a few years. Yet he still joined the anti-Jiang Qian camp. Wasn't it because he thought that overthrowing Jiang Qian was the best thing for the people of Chu?
So what now?
He fell into a long silence.

Hong Zhan, Jiang Chong, and Hu Tianying did not press him. They each sat at a small table and quietly waited for him to make his decision.

To quickly and accurately take Danyang, defeat Gan Ba, control the palace, and then pacify the surrounding areas, having Zhou Zheng's cooperation versus not having his cooperation makes all the difference.

After a long while, Zhou Zheng finally raised his head, looked at the three of them, and said in a hoarse voice, "Jiang Qian knew about this three-pronged attack all along, didn't she?"

“Of course!” Hong Zhan said, “Not only did we know long ago, but based on our intelligence, we also figured out what Linghu Ye was up to. Na Wei was just a pawn that Linghu Ye was using. All he wanted was for Na Wei to hold Jiang Qian back for a few months.”

At this point, Hong Zhan smiled and said, "Prefect Zhou and the Northern Protectorate outside the pass are already on high alert. Protector Li will naturally grant Linghu Ye's wish to settle the matter in one battle."

"So, Zhu Chi must be one of yours now!" Zhou Zheng said dejectedly.

Hong Zhan laughed loudly: "Zhu Chi has always been! Also, Prefect Zhou, I'll give you some news. In the records of Zhi Qiu Academy, Prefect Yan Cheng of Tong'an is called Xiang Cheng. The reason we haven't taken action against him is because we've been waiting for this opportunity. At this moment, I think this Xiang Cheng should have already fallen into the trap!"

"I didn't expect you to even know this!" Zhou Zheng said with a wry smile. "What do you plan to do next?" "To shoot a man, shoot his horse first; to capture a thief, capture his king first. The reason Na Wei dared to send out his entire force was because, besides Gan Ba's five thousand wolf soldiers, he relied on the Divine Shaman!" Hu Tian replied. "Naturally, we must kill the Divine Shaman first! In order to control the emperor and the central government, after Na Wei left, this person moved to Ganquan Palace in the palace. However, with the cooperation of Prefect Zhou, we can enter the palace undetected and then surround and annihilate him!"

Zhou Zheng glanced at Jiang Chong, then at Hong Zhan and Hu Tianying. Jiang Chong and Hong Zhan were already renowned masters of the Innate Realm, and now it seemed that Hu Tianying was probably no less formidable.

"I am not a master of innate level!" Hu Tianying seemed to have guessed Zhou Zheng's thoughts and laughed, "Even if I exert all my strength, I can only use the power of one strike!"

"With Patriarch Jiang and Lord Hong, this strike is powerful enough!" Zhou Zheng sighed. "Killing the Divine Witch might not be difficult. Gan Ba's five thousand wolf soldiers are elite; they were left behind by Na Wei to guard the place."

How many people can Prefect Zhou mobilize?

"All the soldiers from Danyang County have been transferred away!"

“Prefect Zhou, there’s no point in hiding it now, is there?” Hu Tianying said, “During the Danyang Incident, Prefect Zhou had a force of elite troops under his command. Although that force disappeared afterward, it doesn’t mean we don’t know about it!”

“After Danyang, only eight hundred people remain!” Zhou Zheng said. “In addition, after the Danyang incident, Tianluo also fell into my hands. Tianluo’s field operations personnel can be concentrated in Danyang by about a thousand people.”

"That's enough!" Jiang Chong said. "My Jiang clan's elite can send a thousand men, plus a thousand men each from the Azure Dragon Brigade and White Tiger Brigade of the Zhi Qiu Academy. There are also several hundred men within the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade Mountain Sect under Master Hu. When these people are gathered together, they far surpass Gan Ba's five thousand wolf soldiers in both quantity and quality! As long as they are properly arranged, we can wipe out the opponent in one strike!"

"Have the Azure Dragon and White Tiger of Zhi Qiu Courtyard arrived?"

“The White Tiger comes from the land, and the Azure Dragon comes from the sea!” Jiang Chong said. “Prefect Zhou, whether you admit it or not, the Great Chu has been in a state of de facto division ever since you expelled the Empress Dowager.”

Zhou Zheng looked up, covered his face with his hands, rubbed it hard, then lowered his hands. His eyes were a little red and swollen. "The three of you, who will command the assembled team?"

"The three of us are going to kill the sorcerer, so naturally you will be in charge of this team. After all, you are the one who knows the situation best and knows where to place them to maximize their effectiveness!" Hu Tianying pointed to Jiang Chong and Hong Zhan and laughed, "The three of us are strong in individual combat, but we are really not good at troop deployment!"

"I want to meet with the main commanders of these units first!" Zhou Zheng said.

"You can do anything!"

(End of this chapter)