If the Pudu Cult hunkered down and refused to emerge, and the Imperial Court made no particular move against it either, then Meng Zhao's suspicion would likely be borne out: some audacious bastard had acted on his own and committed such a heaven-shaking crime.
Otherwise, whether the Pudu Cult rose in revolt or the Imperial Court struck at it harshly, seeking to wipe it out, the cult's higher-ups could not possibly be uninvolved.
The reason this matter was so closely tied to Meng Zhao was simply that Yanzhou lay too close to Lingwu City. Should the Pudu Cult be driven into uprising and rebellion, Lingwu City might not be the first to bear the brunt, but it would still face enormous pressure.
Meng Zhao was not afraid, but for every day he could delay matters, the Yangwu Army in his hands would grow a little stronger, and his confidence would grow a little fuller.
Thus, from the bottom of his heart, Meng Zhao still did not wish for matters to become so rigid that they tore off all pretense and turned against one another outright.
To that end, Meng Zhao specifically sent a letter to the Yanzhou Governor's Mansion. In the name of General Yangwu, he laid out some of his views: delay things if possible, and do not press them too hard.
Even if the Pudu Cult was bound to rebel sooner or later, being forced into rebellion and rebelling of its own accord were two different matters.
The former carried more indignation and grief, making people more likely to pity and sympathize with them. The latter merely disgusted people and made them cry out for punishment.
Moreover, even if the Imperial Court became alert and began making active preparations, it would need time to arrange everything. The longer