The minister who came up with the idea was secretly pleased with himself.

He knew that although his actions were ruthless, as long as he could win Wu Yunyin's favor, he would be promoted and given a higher rank.

In his heart, those people were nothing but ants, and their lives and deaths were of no concern to him.

Such a treacherous and cunning person is willing to sacrifice countless lives for his own benefit; he is not the only one in the Great Wu court.

Upon receiving the order, the 100,000-strong garrison quickly assembled.

A tense atmosphere permeated the streets and alleys of the capital, and the people were terrified and fled in all directions.

When Zhang Xiao received the imperial edict, his heart was filled with helplessness and worry.

He knew that doing so would inevitably cause greater public outrage, but he could not disobey the emperor's orders. He could only mobilize half of his military force and embark on his journey back to the capital with a heavy heart.

Along the way, gazing at the mountains and rivers, he sighed silently in his heart: "Is the land of Dawu about to be destroyed in an instant?"

Zhang Xiaofeng, following Wu Yunyin's imperial decree, returned to the capital, his heart heavy with worry throughout the journey.

The imperial edict weighed heavily on his heart like a boulder, filling him with apprehension about what lay ahead.

He rode on his horse, the reins loosely in his hands, and his once vigorous figure now appeared somewhat listless.

The horse's hooves slowly rose and fell, moving at an unusually slow pace, only half of its usual speed, as if the horse itself sensed its master's inner conflict and struggle.

On the fifth day of our journey back to Beijing, the sky was overcast, seemingly foreshadowing something unusual that was about to happen.

The sound of approaching hooves broke the dull silence.

Zhang Xiao raised his head alertly, only to see a troop of cavalry suddenly blocking his path like a whirlwind.

The leader took one look and realized it was someone he knew well—Zhou Xiang, the King of Lingnan.

Zhang Xiao was overjoyed and was about to start a conversation with Zhou Xiang, since they were both originally Chen Zhennan's subordinates and the days they fought together on the battlefield were still vivid in his mind.

During those years of fighting side by side, they shared life and death, and were true brothers who went through thick and thin together.

However, Zhou Xiang looked serious and showed no interest in reminiscing.

Zhou Xiang pulled on the reins, and the horse reared up on its hind legs, letting out a neigh.

He looked directly into Zhang Xiao's eyes and said coldly, "Zhang Xiao, I have come here today not to rekindle our old friendship, but to deliver some words to you on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief."

Zhang Xiao felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that something was amiss. He frowned and asked, "Brother Zhou, what are the Commander's orders?"

Zhou Xiang took a deep breath and slowly said, "The commander-in-chief said that if you, Zhang Xiaozhen, lead troops to guard within the thirteen prefectures of the customs, then don't blame the commander-in-chief for being ruthless. He will immediately cut off your army's money and supplies. The commander-in-chief also said that you are aware of the current situation in Da Wu. Tax revenue has plummeted, and the people's livelihood is in ruins. Yet Wu Yunyin still wants to wage war and expand the country. This is tantamount to 'drinking poison to quench thirst,' and in the end, there will only be one way out: death."

Zhang Xiao was somewhat stunned, then asked, "So, what does the commander mean?"

"The General gives you two choices. First, if you insist on staying within the thirteen states and creating a stalemate, then the General will have no choice but to send troops to attack. Second, you can follow the will of the people and stand up against Wu Yunyin. The Great Wu is now riddled with problems. Without destruction, there can be no construction. The General must establish a new dynasty and era."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiao's face turned deathly pale, and he was caught in a fierce internal struggle, like a ship that had lost its course on a turbulent sea.

He knew that acting on imperial orders would inevitably go against the will of the people, but he had been loyal to the emperor and loved his country since childhood. Wu Yunyin was the empress of the Great Wu, and he should be loyal to her.

Seeing Zhang Xiao's predicament, Zhou Xiang couldn't help but sigh, a hint of dissatisfaction showing on his face.

“Zhang Xiao, look at this general! His actions are utterly heretical. He’s dividing up all the land in the country and giving it to the common people. If this continues, where will the nobility and imperial power be? Take me for example. I am, after all, the King of Lingnan, a regional lord. If all the land in Lingnan is given to the people, then what kind of King of Lingnan am I?”

Zhang Xiao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

Zhou Xiang continued, "I'm making this clear today: I will definitely try to persuade the Marshal to stop the land redistribution policy in order to consolidate imperial power. Besides, Lingnan is the Marshal's hometown; surely such a drastic change shouldn't happen there. The people there have respected us nobles for generations. What will happen if everything is thrown into chaos because of his policies?"

Zhou Xiang stared intently at Zhang Xiao, seemingly waiting for his reply.

However, Zhang Xiao simply pursed his lips and frowned slightly, remaining silent on Zhou Xiang's words.

The two choices Chen Zhennan offered weighed heavily on Zhang Xiao's mind, and he remained silent.

Seeing Zhang Xiao still mired in his indecisiveness, Zhou Xiang sighed helplessly. Well, there's no point in saying anything more to such an indecisive person.

Zhou Xiang said no more, turned his horse around with a flourish, flicked the reins, and shouted to his cavalrymen, "Go!"

In an instant, the horses kicked up clouds of dust, and they rode away.

Zhang Xiao watched the departing procession, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

"Sigh, things have come to this, I can only return to the capital and make further plans," Zhang Xiao thought to himself.

Along the way, Zhang Xiao was preoccupied with many thoughts as he led his soldiers slowly toward the capital.

As the outline of the capital gradually came into view, Zhang Xiao felt a sense of foreboding.

When he actually stepped into the capital, Zhang Xiao was suddenly dumbfounded.

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