Zhang Shu looked at me and the imperial edict in my hand, apparently still locked in fierce inner turmoil. "You are the Southern Kingdom's commander-in-chief. How do you intend to respond to the war against the Northern State? If you can convince me, I will heed your words."
"Southern Kingdom's people don't fight Southern Kingdom's people. Naturally, I intend to win without fighting. Or does the Marshal plan to use the sons of the Southern Kingdom to test whether this commander-in-chief can reclaim the sword of the Northern State's realm?" I asked coldly.
"Very well, Commander-in-Chief. You certainly speak frankly. But even if you take the Northern State, how will you deal with the relatives of the imperial clan seizing power, with troubles within and enemies without?" Zhang Shu was a famous general, and he naturally knew the Southern Kingdom's current predicament. He also sympathized with the Northern State's people and their desire to submit to the Southern Kingdom. But he understood the Southern Kingdom's current affairs just as well, so deep down, he had never intended to pledge himself to it. Otherwise, he would never have tacitly accepted the absurd farce of the Northern State submitting to the Northern Kingdom.
"I rarely have the chance to deploy troops. Since this opportunity has presented itself, I shall purge the emperor's court and destroy the relatives of the imperial clan," I said.
"Heh. The relatives of the imperial clan occupy more than half the realm. If you uproot them completely, the Northern Kingdom will already have seized the world by then. It will be like scooping water with a sieve—there will be no room left to turn the tables." Zhang Shu sneered at me, convinced that I had no way to deal with them.
"Marshal Zhang, for all your skill in