You are already cultivating immortality, who would fight with you alone?

In the slightly dim study, there was a large desk in the center, piled with mountains of memorials.

The candlelight flickered, the dim light jumped between the memorials, and reflected Fang Qing's furrowed brows.

There are several military maps hanging on the walls. The maps are densely marked, as if telling the complexity of the situation.

Fang Qingzheng was anxiously rummaging through the pile of memorials. Finally, he pulled out one, quickly spread it on the table, and began to write furiously.

"Prime Minister Fang, there is a scout outside the mansion clamoring to see you." Uncle Wu quietly appeared at the door, with a hint of joy on his face, and reported softly.

"Scout? Where did the scout come from?" Fang Qing said this without stopping the pen in his hand, still writing quickly on the memorial.

"Why don't you come to my place instead of working in your own military camp..."

When he said this, Fang Qing seemed to realize something and paused.

The hand holding the pen suddenly stopped, and he immediately looked up at Wu Bo, his eyes revealing anxiety, and asked, "Where is he from?"

"Zhongzhou, he's still injured."

With a "bang", the brush in Fang Qing's hand fell without warning and hit the desk directly, splashing ink and soaking the memorial that had just been written.

But Fang Qing couldn't care about these things at the moment. He hurriedly called Wu Bo: "Quick, please bring the person in!"

lean less,

The scout was brought in by Wu Bo.

The moment he saw Fang Qing, a flame of anger suddenly ignited in his eyes, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if he wanted to tear the person in front of him into pieces.

However, his eyes swept over the fierce-looking guards beside Fang Qing, and he was startled. The words on his lips softened again, and his voice was trembling with grief and indignation: "Prime Minister, the 100,000 troops of the Seventh Army of the Divine Power Battalion were ambushed when they landed in Zhongzhou. The 100,000-strong army... was completely wiped out!"

Fang Qing's eyes were dazed for a moment, and his whole body shook, as if he was hit by an invisible force.

Wu Bo hurried forward and helped him sit back on the couch.

Fang Qing's face was full of disbelief, and he asked again: "What did you...just say? Say it again."

The scout's face was covered with tears, his eyes were red, and his body was trembling slightly with grief and fear. Facing Fang Qing's questioning, his lips trembled, but he did not dare to avoid it.

He could only bite the bullet and cry and complain: "The crossbows that the Shaofu equipped us with were all crudely made and defective products! They couldn't even break the body of a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage! Then we were captured by the Zhongzhou rebels who had been lying in ambush for a long time..."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Fang Qing kicked the desk hard, and the memorials on the table flew away like snowflakes.

He raised his hands high, his eyes wide open, and shouted angrily: "One hundred thousand soldiers of the Divine Power Camp! A full one hundred thousand!"

"Even 100,000 steamed buns would be enough to kill them!"

Fang Qing pushed Wu Bo away, stepped forward quickly, grabbed the man by the collar, and shouted: "There are still 20,000 Demon Wolf Cavalry inside! They are heavy cavalry! Even if our troops are several times stronger than ours, they can't withstand the charge of a square phalanx of cavalry! You actually told me that they were easily slaughtered by the mob of rebels?!"

Seeing this, Uncle Wu hurried forward and grabbed Fang Qing's arm, anxiously admonishing him: "Prime Minister Fang, please calm down first. The most urgent thing at this moment is to find out the truth."

Just then, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the door.

In the study, the candlelight flickered, and the dim light cast mottled shadows on the wall.

Fang Qing was furious, and the surroundings were in a mess. The desk had been kicked over and was lying on the side, and memorials were scattered all over the floor.

Wu Zhong hurried in, breaking the tense atmosphere.

He was already furious, and when he saw Fang Qingzheng was furious, he stepped forward, snatched the scout away, and asked fiercely: "You, a little soldier, have angered my Prime Minister?! I will definitely..."

Before he could finish, Fang Qing interrupted him with a sharp rebuke: "Put it down!"

Wu Zhong was stunned, his expression froze, and then he let go of the scout angrily.

Looking at the scout's indignant expression, he could only snort, turn his head away and ignore him.

Fang Qing took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and said impatiently: "What do you want?!"

Wu Zhong spoke in a rough voice and bowed respectfully: "I am from the Qian Mansion, and I want to invite you to come over for a chat."

"Lord Qian?" Fang Qing was puzzled at first, and thought to himself, why did Lord Qian invite me at this time?

Could it be related to the matter of the Shenwei Camp?

Looking at the scout sitting on the ground, doubts surged into my mind again. I had just received the news, how could Lord Qian's news be faster than mine?

Or... is there another plan?

He rolled his eyes and pondered for a moment.

Then, he pointed at the scout and said to Wu Bo, "Take good care of him. Go to the storehouse and find some excellent elixirs to treat him!"

Since it has already happened, no matter how anxious we are, it will be of no use since there is only one person alive who came back to report the news out of an army of 100,000.

Fang Qing thought to himself that it would be better to go meet Lord Qian first, test his opinion and see if he has any advice.

When we arrived at the gate of the mansion, the chariot was already ready.

Uncle Wu helped Fang Qing get into the car, and they both sat down on the armchairs in the front hall.

This chariot was the same one that Liu Yuntian had given to Fang Qing before. It had an area of ​​about 60 square meters. Behind the screen partition in the front hall were the study and toilet.

The spirit deer slowly pulled the chariot forward.

Fang Qing sat in the chariot, frowning, his thoughts tangled like a tangled mess. The news that a hundred thousand troops were completely annihilated was like a bolt from the blue, making him panic.

At this moment, Fang Qing was full of doubts. It was really hard to guess how the motley crowd in Zhongzhou could have swallowed up his army of 100,000 in one gulp.

In Zhongzhou, the forces are intertwined and each direction is seemingly united but actually divided, like loose sand. It is absolutely impossible for them to work together to fight against the Daliang National Defense Army.

The National Protection Army is such a tough nut to crack that even with the right time, place and people, it still requires careful consideration.

A slight mistake in decision making could result in the destruction of one's family and clan.

Could it be possible that Liu Yi really integrated all the forces into one overnight?

Fang Qing shook his head and rejected this idea. The possibility was very small. Even if he was Fang Qing, who held great power, he could not guarantee that he could unite all the forces in Zhongzhou in such a short time.

After all, there are many people in the martial arts world who will not be tempted unless they see real benefits. To tie them together with just a few empty words is nothing but a foolish dream.

As for the powerful crossbow and other magical weapons, Fang Qingzao had anticipated that they might breed corruption.

After all, people who have been hungry for a long time will definitely eat in a messy way.

However, he never expected that someone would be so bold as to set his sights on the equipment of the National Protection Army.

It should be understood that the foundation of Daliang lies in these three million national defense troops.

Even a stupid person knows that you cannot defecate where you eat, let alone the nobles and powerful officials in the court?

"The holy land of weapon refining..." Fang Qing murmured without any warning.

This whisper attracted the attention of Uncle Wu who was accompanying him.

Uncle Wu frowned slightly, then sighed and said, "Prime Minister Fang, do you need me to go here?"

As soon as he said this, he looked sad again and muttered to himself: "It's okay to go there, but I hope we don't get into any conflicts. The Holy Lord is still alive..."

Fang Qing ignored it.

Uncle Wu was pessimistic by nature and kept nagging all day long, but he had long been accustomed to ignoring him. After all, no one wanted to be enveloped by negative emotions all day long.

Half an hour later, the chariot slowly stopped.

The guard driving the carriage stood outside the curtain and called softly, "Prime Minister, we have arrived at the Qian residence."

"Yeah." Fang Qing responded, and with Uncle Wu's help, he stepped onto the wooden steps and got out of the car.

Fang Qing looked up and saw that the red door of the Qian Mansion was closed, and the stone lions on both sides were baring their fangs and claws, exuding a sense of majesty.

On the steps in front of the mansion, the servant stood respectfully, with a tall gate tower behind him.

The servant bowed his head and greeted him respectfully, "My master said that you, Prime Minister, can enter alone. We will arrange for the rest of the guards."

"You absolutely cannot do this! If our Prime Minister is attacked in your house, who will protect him if we are not around?"

Uncle Wu complained, "If the Prime Minister really makes a mistake, my four brothers will be thrown into prison again, and will never be able to get out..."

Fang Qing was getting impatient as Uncle Wu's words became more and more outrageous. He raised his hand to interrupt and said, "Since Lord Qian dared to invite me here, how could he not be safe? Stop talking nonsense here!"

Following the servant into the mansion, passing through the winding corridor, we arrived at the central hall in the front yard.

The central hall is spacious and bright, with smooth marble on the floor and several ink-and-wash landscape paintings hanging on the walls, demonstrating the owner's elegant taste.

The sandalwood tables and chairs are neatly arranged, exuding a faint fragrance.

Lord Qian sat in the main seat, leaning on a cane.

After not seeing each other for a long time, Fang Qing did not expect that Lord Qian had actually aged a bit.

Long white eyebrows drooped on his face. When their eyes met, Qian Ge Lao's eyes flashed with joy, and his smile became even more intense. He stood up enthusiastically to greet him and said with a smile: "It is impolite to invite you to the mansion at this time. Please don't be offended, Prime Minister."

Seeing how old he looked now, Fang Qing shook his head slightly and followed the servant to the guest seat and sat down.

After the servant finished pouring the tea, he left. Fang Qing did not look at the tea, but asked directly, "The Lord is not that kind of person. I think he has something important to tell me. I am all ears."

Seeing that Fang Qing had no intention of beating around the bush, Elder Qian slammed his cane on the ground and said, "Well, I don't like these red tapes anyway." After that, he slowly sat down on the armchair, tightly gripping the cane with both hands, his knuckles turning white, revealing his inner unrest.

"The army sent to Zhongzhou... was destroyed?"

Fang Qing's heart trembled, but he remained calm on the surface. He secretly wondered how much Lord Qian knew.

His hand unconsciously reached for the tea bowl, and he pretended to be puzzled and asked, "How did you get this news? How come I know nothing about it?"

"Why does the Prime Minister have to pretend to be ignorant? If you want to hide something, you need to work harder and avoid any unnecessary actions."

Qian Ge Lao sneered in his heart. He knew Fang Qing's thoughts very well, but he didn't point it out. He deliberately raised his eyes to glance at Fang Qing. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if he wanted to penetrate his disguise, and then he retracted his gaze.

He slowly pointed at the other person's hand that was reaching for the tea bowl, "Just like this unnecessary action, don't do it again."

In the central hall, the candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the two people on the ground, sometimes long and sometimes short.

Fang Qing withdrew his hand awkwardly, and said frankly in frustration, "Yes, it was destroyed, and only one scout came back."

Then, his heart suddenly sank, but he pretended to be calm on the surface. A trace of worry flashed through his narrowed eyes. He secretly wondered how much inside information Mr. Qian knew, and then asked tentatively: "I wonder if you have any advice?"

"They rebelled. They all rebelled." Lord Qian looked solemn, but his tone was unusually calm.

"Who rebelled?" Fang Qing asked.

The two men's eyes met again. Elder Qian stared at Fang Qing closely, weighing in his mind how much information he should reveal. In such a major event, if he was not careful, the situation would get even more out of control. He then uttered two words in a deep voice: "Immortal Gate."

Sure enough!

Fang Qing thought quickly in his mind. These immortal sects have always lived in peace under the intimidation of Master Liu. Now that Master Liu is in seclusion, they are ready to make a move. Are they coveting the power of the court, or are there other forces secretly pushing them from behind?

Before this, whether it was the weapon refining holy land or the immortal sects such as the Xianlan Sect, the Baihua Holy Land, and the Buddhist Holy Land, they all submitted to Master Liu.

Apart from necessary tasks, they never had much contact with the court.

After Liu Gong announced his retirement and seclusion, these sects severed ties with the imperial court one after another.

Just as he had thought before, perhaps no one in the court was corrupt in embezzling the equipment of the National Defense Army, but rather the Holy Land of Weapon Refining and other immortal sects had directly rebelled!

This change will undoubtedly bring an unprecedented crisis to the Daliang court. The forces of all parties will inevitably be reshuffled, and the situation between the Immortal Sect and the court will become more complicated.

"In this case, everything makes sense..." Fang Qing nodded repeatedly with a serious expression.

He thought to himself that those who tampered with these spiritual treasures must have been from the Holy Land of Weapon Refining. If some disciples of the Immortal Sect were involved...

These disciples of the immortal sect are by no means a motley crowd like the casual cultivators.

Each holy place has a profound foundation and a long heritage. The brothers and sisters under its tutelage have gone through years of training and have a tacit understanding in their cooperation, which should not be underestimated.

Fang Qing's eyes were firm, and he thought to himself: Although we suffered heavy losses this time, there is no need to worry. It was just that the immortal sect used a trick to catch our army off guard. Now that we know ourselves and the enemy, we will never underestimate the enemy again.

If the National Defense Army can tame Zhongzhou once, they can do it a second time! So why not give Zhongzhou to them for now? !

"This matter may not be as simple as you think..." Just as Fang Qing was pondering to himself, Lord Qian suddenly spoke, with a hint of mystery in his words.

"Could it be that... you, Lord, know what is in my mind?" Fang Qing frowned and stared at the other person with a sharp gaze.

Elder Qian just shook his head slowly, "I don't know, but I can guess a little..."

"Although I have resigned from office and retired from the court, I still have something to remind the Prime Minister."

"Please give me some advice, sir." Fang Qing bowed respectfully.

"You are indeed a capable minister who is well versed in the art of governing a country... But you must know that a country is no different from a person, and they also have seven emotions and six desires."

"Although what the Prime Minister said in the palace before about 'The Country and the People' makes sense, it is still a bit one-sided and lacks understanding of the changes in human nature."

Fang Qing's expression changed slightly, not because Lord Qian questioned his way of assisting the country, but because he was surprised at what he said in the mansion. How did Lord Qian know that?

What's the difference between this and wearing underwear in the market?

"I have not planted any spies among the Prime Minister's family." Lord Qian seemed to have guessed what Fang Qing was thinking and explained at the right time.

Elder Qian looked at Fang Qing with deep eyes, as if he was considering whether to reveal the more shocking truth. After a moment's silence, he slowly said, "All the immortal sects in Qiyang Continent are subordinate to Lord Liu, but Lord Liu is just in seclusion, not dead."

"You mean... Mr. Liu is helping those rebels?!" Fang Qing widened his eyes and shouted in disbelief.

Is Mr. Liu biased?!

This thought exploded like thunder in Fang Qing's mind.

But he dared not speak, nor did he want to complain. Although he had known that Liu Gong was paving the way for Liu Yi, he had not expected that Liu Gong would be so openly partial to him!

"If Mr. Liu really favors that child... why not just let you disappear from this world?"

Qian Ge Lao's dim eyes suddenly lit up, "Wouldn't this solve the problem once and for all?!"

……

After a cup of tea, Fang Qing left Qian's house with a thoughtful expression.

Qian Ge Lao sat quietly in the middle hall. The servant who had greeted Fang Qing came back and stood beside Qian Ge Lao and said softly, "Qian Ge Lao, Mr. Liu has something for me to tell you."

"haha."

Qian Ge Lao laughed hoarsely twice, "I was just wondering, since Mr. Liu has placed hawks and dogs in the Prime Minister's Mansion, does my humble abode have some too? I never expected that this person is you..."

After a pause, Qian Ge Lao asked, "I picked you up personally. When did you join the Jinyiwei?"

The servant just smiled and did not answer his question. Instead, he directly conveyed Liu Yuntian's words: "Mr. Liu said that people talk more when they get old, which is understandable."

"I won't pursue it this time, but now that you've left the court... you'll have to learn to keep your mouth shut in the days ahead!"