Chen Zhongli shuddered in alarm at Li Jing's words. He barked at Li Jing in a low voice, "Nonsense! How could the Imperial Court use us as an explanation?"
Li Jing said bitterly, "Lord Chen, stop deceiving yourself. Haven't you seen how the Imperial Court has behaved lately? For such a trivial matter, do you think the Imperial Court would take on the Imperial Heaven Domain for our sake? Impossible.
"At the root of it, we were the ones who provoked the Imperial Heaven Domain first. Even if the Imperial Heaven Domain has been somewhat overbearing, they still have reason on their side.
"Now the Imperial Heaven Domain wants an explanation, and those of us in Jiangnan Circuit who took part in this affair are the best explanation they could have.
"After all, the Imperial Court must put the bigger picture first. In the eyes of the Imperial Court, our weight is far less important than that bigger picture!"
Chen Zhongli's expression had already turned as dark as water. Though unwilling to believe it, he was still an old hand of the Imperial Court. What had he not seen before?
Back when Great Zhou stood at its peak, if anyone had dared speak to Great Zhou like this, Great Zhou would have turned hostile on the spot. But now? Great Zhou no longer even had the right to turn hostile.
Zhang Dongping was already dead. Add Chen Zhongli's life and all of Jiangnan Circuit's forces within the Imperial Court, and that should be enough to quell the Jiang Family's fury. Most importantly, the Imperial Court would not lose anything.
Because the Imperial Court had already abandoned Jiangnan Circuit long ago. One only had to look at the people it had stationed in Jiangnan Circuit to know it. All the elites