Zhao Wei, Courtesy Name Da Wei [Please Vote for the Monthly Ticket]

Geng Country had destroyed Xin Country and seized Ling, Yan, Ganzhou, Kunzhou, and two great commanderies. It had seemed poised to unify the region, but Zheng Qiao's tyranny had sparked countless popular uprisings, and King Zhi had stabbed him in the back. After several years of war, the situation across the region had changed again and again.

Since King Zhi, Zheng Zhi, had died at Chengkang Temple, his forces had been left without a leader. The various factions had gathered troops and entrenched themselves, while Kunzhou and the two great commanderies had been carved up and devoured piece by piece. Lingzhou had been the first to break away from Zheng Qiao. Before the Dragon Slaying Bureau began, Zheng Qiao had held only Ganzhou and most of Yanzhou. After it began, all he had left was Ganzhou and... most of Yanzhou???

"So after fighting for two years, the front line hasn't advanced at all?"

It wasn't Shen Tang who'd made the complaint, but her good son, Xun Ding.

The two were fishing by the river.

Shen Tang said, "It's not that we made no progress. We took all of Yanzhou at one point, but our Dragon Slaying Bureau allies were too busy dividing up the spoils to pay attention to anything else. Zheng Qiao's troops seized the opportunity and took it back. Since then, the battle has been deadlocked."

Xun Ding: "..."

Shen Tang gave a couple of dry chuckles and told a dark joke.

"Who really goes to war to eliminate a tyrant?"

Naturally, it was all about the territory and troops in Zheng Qiao's hands. They'd formed an alliance to feel safer and avoid being picked off by Zheng Qiao if they got caught alone. Once the allied forces realized Zheng Qiao was a centipede that could keep crawling