"Bang~!"
"This is rebellion!"
"They are rebelling!"
With a crisp bang, the wine cup Zhang Chun had just replaced shattered on the floor again.
"What do these bastards want? An army surrounding the city? They are rebelling!"
"..."
Glancing at the疯魔-like Zhang Chun, the middle-aged strategist shook his head in disappointment.
"Prime Minister, everyone knows they are rebelling, but what good is that?"
"There are plenty of rebels these days!"
"Not to mention the Yellow Turbans who are about to reach Luoyang, even the one in Youzhou, he's living well, isn't he?"
"So, I mean..."
"The immediate priority is not to accuse others of rebellion, but to distance ourselves from this matter."
"Distance ourselves?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chun opened his mouth, gritted his teeth unwillingly, and said,
"Are you just going to let them take down the Zhen family?"
"Otherwise?"
The middle-aged strategist looked at Zhang Chun again, a hint of respect gone from his tone.
"If we don't let them take down the Zhen family, are we going to use our less than two thousand county troops to confront them?"
"Damn it!"
Although Zhang Chun knew the middle-aged strategist was right, he was still unwilling.
"The imperial army's bandit suppression force is in Jizhou, we can go find them!"
"Bandit suppression force?" The middle-aged strategist sneered,
"You expect the bandit suppression force, which can't even defeat those Yellow Turban refugees, to deal with these twenty thousand elite soldiers?"
"Wake up!"
"Even if you bring the bandit suppression force, so what? How do you know they only have these twenty thousand men?"
"Hmm?"
"What do you mean?"
Sensing hidden meaning in the middle-aged strategist's words, Zhang Chun frowned and looked at him.
"Do you know where they are from?"
"Not sure yet!"
The middle-aged strategist first shook his head, then changed his words, pointing towards Youzhou,
"The only force that can muster these twenty thousand troops now is the newly appointed governor of Youzhou."
"It's him?!"
Zhang Chun's voice faltered. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.
Even though he was unwilling, facing the man from Youzhou made his legs go weak.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have watched his allies be wiped out.
He was too ruthless!
Nearly three hundred thousand Wuhuan tribesmen were annihilated with a single word.
Not only that,
He directly sent troops to occupy the entire Youzhou, and the court didn't dare to say a word, even granting him the title of Governor of Youzhou.
Where could such a spineless court be found?
Alas,
Even though his heart was filled with unwillingness, it couldn't change the fact of their dominance. He could only complain with some helplessness,
"He has already occupied the entire Youzhou, why would he be interested in the Zhen family?"
"You can't even see that?"
The middle-aged strategist scratched his head speechlessly, feeling that his previous judgment was indeed flawed.
"You mean?"
Although Zhang Chun was a bit slow, he wasn't stupid. After thinking it through, he suddenly stood up.
"He's going to make a move on Jizhou?"
"Exactly!"
The middle-aged strategist nodded affirmatively, his tone filled with helplessness.
"He's clearly set his sights on Jizhou, and the Zhen family is just a bridgehead."
"Damn it!"
Zhang Chun, who hadn't cared much before, was now thoroughly anxious.
If it was just the Zhen family, he wouldn't fight for it.
But he wants Jizhou?
How can that be!
He had finally managed to secure a position, and now this guy wanted to drive him out?
No way!
Absolutely not!
Zhang Chun stopped, gritted his teeth, and murmured as if making a decision,
"This matter is of great importance, we must, absolutely must, report to the court first."
"Report to the court?"
The middle-aged strategist looked at Zhang Chun as if he were an idiot and retorted,
"How do you report?"
"What are you going to say in your memorial, my Prime Minister?"
"That someone traveled thousands of miles to Jizhou and snatched a family?"
"Setting aside whether the court would be interested, even if they were, so what?"
"When the news arrives..."
"The twenty thousand troops right next door could crush your Prime Minister's mansion in an instant!"
"This..."
Zhang Chun, who had been somewhat hot-headed, was thoroughly sobered by the middle-aged strategist's dousing of cold water.
Yes!
Even if the court believed his words and sent troops to suppress them.
But how would he survive?
Those fully armed troops were right next door.
You're telling me they don't have spies in the court?
Zhang Chun wouldn't believe that even if he were beaten to death!
At that time,
It was likely that before the imperial army arrived, they would all be hanged.
"Then what do we do now?"
Zhang Chun, feeling increasingly desperate, sat down dejectedly.
"Are we just going to watch them expand like this?"
"Otherwise?"
Thinking of the predicament they were in, a hint of despair flashed in the middle-aged strategist's eyes.
"We can't fight, and we can't run. The only thing we can do besides wait for death is to join them."
"Join them?"
Zhang Chun's eyes lit up, as if he had found hope.
"Yes!"
"We can join them!"
"If I actively surrender to them, will they stop bothering me?"
"Who knows?"
Looking at the overjoyed Zhang Chun, the middle-aged strategist couldn't bear to strike him down any further, and could only euphemistically remind him,
"Since they haven't openly declared their intentions, it means they don't want more people to know."
"Therefore, even if you want to approach them, you can only do so discreetly."
"I understand!"
Zhang Chun looked at the middle-aged strategist with some gratitude, dispelling the idea of setting off immediately.
That's right!
Since they haven't raised the banner of rebellion yet, it's indeed inappropriate for him to rush over.
Forget it!
Let's wait and see!
Perhaps someone would be the first to make a move soon?
It wasn't just Zhang Chun who had this thought.
All the noble families in Zhongshan, and even in the surrounding prefectures and counties, were thinking the same thing.
Although they hadn't guessed that this force was related to the man from Youzhou.
This didn't stop them from making their decision.
That was, they didn't want to be the first bird,
But they hoped someone would step forward to suppress this unfamiliar force.
Unfortunately, no one was a fool!
You wait for me, I wait for you, and in the end, everyone fell silent.
Until Zhang Xuan and Yang Yanqi arrived from Youzhou, Jizhou remained as calm as ever.
"We pay our respects to Madam~!"
"Rise."
After signaling He Shen and Niu Gao and others to rise, Zhang Xuan said with some concern,
"Is my daughter alright? Where is she now?"
"Reporting to Madam, the little princess is safe and sound, and is currently staying at the Zhen family's residence."
"Still at the Zhen family's?"
"Yes!"
Seeing the obvious worry on Zhang Xuan's face, He Shen quickly explained,
"Madam, please rest assured, our people are guarding her surroundings. Her safety is guaranteed."
"That's good!"
Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and said with a mix of expectation and worry,
"Then, can I go see her now? Will it be in the way?"
"No problem."
Recalling the secret orders Zhang Xuan and the others brought, He Shen made a gesture of invitation.
"Madam, this way please!"