"Enough, stop asking so many questions. Just remember this: the alliance between Zhao Gao, Li Si, and Hu Hai may look unbreakable, but it is actually driven entirely by profit. Moon God was right—once the pressure from a third party disappears, those who once stood together will turn against one another."
Li's words were rather cryptic, yet they vaguely revealed a hidden truth.
Shi Lan was exceptionally intelligent. Before, she had neither considered nor dared to consider things from this angle, but now that Li had laid it all out for her, she immediately understood the key to it all.
Still, understanding was one thing; accepting it was another.
Li did not mind. At the very least, this matter was now half certain. Once everything became reality, Shi Lan would naturally understand the profound meaning of the saying: those who unite for profit will inevitably part for profit.
"By the way, who do the troops guarding Sanghae City answer to?" Li suddenly thought of someone.
"This..." Shi Lan pondered for a moment, then looked up with certainty. "I remember now. They were originally General Meng Yi's subordinates, so technically, they can also be considered General Meng Tian's men. However, this force is not nominally under Meng Tian's command. After all, Meng Tian's direct troops are the Golden Fire Cavalry."
"Oh? They were actually old General Meng Yi's former subordinates!" A trace of delight entered Li's voice. "If I remember correctly, when Zhao Gao first began making a name for himself in court, General Meng Yi had not yet retired. He once submitted a memorial impeaching Zhao Gao over some of his actions, but Zhao Gao ultimately managed to smooth the matter over."
"So the Meng Clan and Zhao Gao have had grievances against each other for a long time?" Prompted