Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 230 Conspiracy

Zhou Yong rushed to the capital to deliver military reports. After he left, Wei Chao and the others were still processing the important news they had just received.

After a long while, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Should we... still go and deliver the imperial decree?"

Good question! Then there was another silence, and finally Jiang Se, as the chief envoy, made the final decision.

“Go!” Jiang Se said solemnly, “We can’t just listen to one side of the story.”

Most importantly, Jiang Se was ordered to investigate whether Lu Zhen had harbored rebellious intentions by sending troops without authorization, and she was determined to summon him back to the capital.

Wei Chao nodded in agreement, "Seeing is believing, we should go and see for ourselves."

Song Yuan, however, did not object, but his eyes were lowered, and he seemed to be thinking about something.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing was leading his troops to garrison Andu. The process was slow because it took some time to dismantle the official Anguo army, but it was a necessary task. If military control was not implemented, who would own this place?

The main issue is that Andu surrendered too quickly. Its military structure is mostly well-established, making it somewhat troublesome to arrange. If we're not careful, something unexpected might happen. Now that we've penetrated deep into Andu's territory, we must be extremely vigilant and cautious.

When passing by the Tao residence, Shen Qing couldn't help but think of Tao You. When she rescued him from Xuanwu City, her original intention was to take him back to Andu, but that guy was as stubborn as a rattle-drum.

He absolutely dared not return at this juncture. He would probably only have the courage to face his fellow villagers after Shen Qing had requested a reward for him. Although Shen Qing regretted losing a more trustworthy guide, he let him be.

The people on both sides of the main street of Andu lowered their heads and retreated. Shen Qing rode ahead on his horse with no regard for the dust, followed by soldiers with their heads held high and chests out. From the perspective of the people of Andu, his arrogance was like that of the Japanese invaders.

A figure quietly disappeared around the street corner from the crowd...

In an inconspicuous courtyard, the gates were tightly closed even in broad daylight, and the inner room was even darker. Several people wearing cloaks, whose faces could not be seen, gathered and met inside.

Is the news reliable?

"The information from Xuanji Sect is accurate."

"Hmph~" Someone sneered, their tone sarcastic, "Those spineless cowards, they murdered the emperor and surrendered without even fighting. If they could hold out for a few more days, the imperial edict ordering Lu Zhen to withdraw his troops would have arrived!"

"No wonder Emperor Xuan decided to wage war against Anguo. It was indeed Lu Zhen who acted on his own initiative."

"How hateful that he even falsely accused An Guo of invading the border first in his military report!"

How could I not hate them? Thirty thousand against thirty thousand, as long as we hold our ground and defend, we can hold out for a year or two. Besides, they don't even need a year or two, just one month! Just one month!

"It's all our fault for misjudging Emperor Xuan's attitude."

Everyone fell silent. The Yao and Yang families also believed that Lu Zhen had the entire Xuan Kingdom behind him, so there was no chance of winning and fighting head-on would only be a pointless sacrifice.

"Now that we know Emperor Xuan's attitude, we still have a chance to restore Anguo!"

“That’s right. The Anguo army has not suffered much damage. As long as we regain military power, we can make a comeback. Even if we kill Lu Zhen and Shen Qing, we can send envoys to plead our case afterward. With the overall situation settled, Emperor Xuan will not send troops to attack Anguo for the sake of these two criminals.”

"I have a plan!"

Everyone listened intently...

"To first identify the ringleaders and then frame the Yao and Yang families, thus giving them a taste of their own medicine, is indeed a good idea."

"But Shen Qingxi might be difficult to kill."

"As the saying goes, pride comes before a fall. Shen Qingxi's smooth journey will surely make her complacent, and this is our opportunity!"