"Dong Ning, relay my order: strengthen security. Tomorrow morning, we will personally escort these missionaries out of the country. Anyone who dares to obstruct us will be killed without mercy!"

Dong Ning accepted the order and left, while Chen Zhennan sat alone in his tent, gazing at the starry sky through the tent's gaps.

Late at night, moonlight shone through the gaps in the tent, falling on Chen Zhennan's face and revealing his furrowed brows.

Song Yunyang gently pushed open the tent flap, and a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.

“Zhennan, why are you so hostile to these missionaries?” Song Yunyang asked softly.

Chen Zhennan raised his head, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, seemingly unwilling to touch on the topic.

He already had a deep understanding of these sects, but he could no longer remain silent in the face of Song Yunyang's questioning.

“Yunyang,” he sighed, his tone becoming heavy, “I know all too well how rigid these people’s thinking is, how ethereal their beliefs are, and how those who are deeply convinced of the sect’s beliefs are nothing but brainwashed. And those missionaries are actually nothing more than parasites who want to become capitalists.”

"Capitalist? What is that?" Song Yunyang asked, puzzled.

"Capitalists are those who can prioritize public good over private interests, and those who can prioritize private interests over public interests, with the latter being more common."

Song Yunyang said "Oh," and then asked, "But they're just chanting scriptures, it doesn't seem like anything's wrong with them."

With a sigh, Chen Zhennan slowly got up, walked to the door, and looked outside.

“Reciting scriptures is just the first step.”

"The first step? What comes next?"

“In this day and age, feudal superstition is rampant, and any religious sect has the opportunity to grow big and then frantically reap the money of the people. The harm of religious sects is very insidious. A sect that bewitches people can not only cause social conflict and instability, but may even lead to violent incidents.”

His words struck Song Yunyang like thunder in the night, directly hitting her heart, and a trace of worry appeared on her face.

“Some religious activities not only endanger the political stability of the country, but also infiltrate the court and corrupt the Six Ministries, leading to rampant corruption.”

“This…this is indeed a problem.” Song Yunyang nodded slightly, resonating with Chen Zhennan’s view.

"In the end, they will frantically plunder the people's wealth, then raise prices and ruthlessly exploit them!"

Chen Zhennan's voice grew increasingly impassioned, as if he were speaking out for the innocent people.

Song Yunyang's expression turned serious, realizing that Chen Zhennan's concerns were not unfounded.

“What’s even more frightening is that I worry they might harm lives and stifle freedom. The people’s fighting spirit will be weakened, they will gradually become submissive, indifferent to reality, and their thoughts will be imprisoned.”

Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang suddenly stood up.

"Why not kill them all?" As he spoke, Song Yunyang's murderous intent surged.

"No!"

Why?

Song Yunyang looked puzzled. If these missionaries were so harmful, why couldn't they be killed?

"Yunyang, the world is in chaos and the court is indifferent to the lives of the people, which is why these people have taken advantage of the situation. However, once I unify the three kingdoms and restore order, the people will live in peace and prosperity, and their so-called divine powers will crumble on their own."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang couldn't help but look at Chen Zhennan with new respect once again. In the past, emperors would first look for problems in others, but Chen Zhennan would always ask himself questions first and then look for solutions. Such people are very rare.

The next morning, as sunlight shone through the clouds onto the earth, Chen Zhennan sent all the captured missionaries to the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but he felt a vague unease in his heart.

Now, the Great Zhou is in turmoil, and the voices of the people opposing Chen Zhennan's expulsion of the missionaries are surging like a tide, and he is powerless to do anything about it.

At present, quelling the internal strife in Da Wu is the most urgent task, and other matters must be put on hold for the time being.

The army continued its advance. When Chen Zhennan's army was less than two hundred miles from the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a large army composed of commoners suddenly appeared in front of them, with a fierce momentum, intending to block his way.

Seeing this, Chen Zhennan was filled with doubt. Could this large army be an imposter of the Great Zhou government forces?

"Someone, send men to investigate and find out if this army is actually a fake Great Zhou government army."

The scout left to carry out his orders. Just as Chen Zhennan was feeling uneasy, dust rose in the distance, and the old marshal Li Guangyi led thousands of cavalrymen to attack, instantly making the atmosphere tense.

The two armies faced off, swords drawn, and the air thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Chen Zhennan took a deep breath and waved to Song Yunyang beside him. The two rode their horses to the center of the two armies, while Li Guangyi slowly approached with a deputy general.

"Marshal Li!"

After Li Guangyi stopped, Chen Zhennan bowed slightly and said slowly, "I have long heard that Marshal Li is a pillar of the Great Zhou. I am willing to discuss important matters with you. With the unification of the three kingdoms, the military affairs of the Great Zhou will be under your responsibility from now on."

Upon hearing this, Li Guangyi's face was full of sneers, and his eyes flashed with disdain.

"Chen Zhennan, you harbor treacherous intentions and use deceitful words to try and annex the Great Zhou. Don't even think about it! If you don't withdraw your troops, we will fight to the death!"

Faced with Li Guangyi's tough stance, Chen Zhennan felt a pang of anxiety, realizing that there was no possibility of negotiation.

Changing his tone, Chen Zhennan asked with a smile, "Marshal Li, what is your opinion on those missionaries?"

Li Guangyi frowned, his face showing deep thought, and then said coldly, "Their sect is called the Jewish Cult, and the head of their missionaries, Greenberg, is in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace. This man is good at bewitching people, and I will definitely eliminate him!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan was struck by a thought. He hadn't expected Li Guangyi to be such a clever man, sharing the same idea as him.

"Marshal Li, how about we make a bet? Whoever can defeat the Jewish cult first will win. If you win, I will withdraw my troops. If I win, the three kingdoms will be unified, and Marshal Li will lead the Great Zhou to submit to me. This way, we can reduce unnecessary casualties. What do you say?"

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