You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 177 Your Highness, do you intend to fight me?
Southern Xinjiang.

The Prince's Mansion.

King Zhou Zhan sat in the main seat, with two generals in armor standing beside him.

The two generals in armor were Zhou Yi and Zhou Qi, the two adopted sons of the Prince of Kao Shan.

The Prince of Kaoshan had a total of seven adopted sons, all of whom were orphans adopted by the Prince of Kaoshan.

On the right below sat a pale-faced eunuch dressed in the robes of a chief eunuch.

This pale-faced eunuch was none other than Cao Zhengchun.

After receiving news that the Zhennan Army had killed more than thirty guards who were pursuing Yuan Ziming, Cao Zhengchun rushed to the southern border without stopping.

As the Grand Supervisor of the Eastern Depot, Cao Zhengchun would not tolerate anyone challenging the authority of the Eastern Depot or arbitrarily killing his people without taking any action.

Behind Cao Zhengchun stood four guards dressed in eagle-patterned uniforms.

Cao Zhengchun glanced at the Prince of Kao Shan in the main seat; “Your Highness, you should know the privileges of my Eastern Depot. Not just anyone can kill the people of my Eastern Depot.”

"Leaving aside the issue of the remnants of the Yuan family, just consider that the prince's men dared to surround and kill more than thirty of my Eastern Depot guards without asking any questions."

"Does Your Highness know what the consequences will be?"

Cao Zhengchun looked at the Prince of Kao Shan and said in a effeminate manner.

It is true that Prince Kaoshan is one of the two pillars of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but that does not mean that Prince Kaoshan has the right to challenge the authority of the Eastern Depot.

"Chief Supervisor Cao, this is all a misunderstanding."

"When the Eastern Depot's guards traveled in plain clothes, my generals thought they were bandits impersonating members of the Eastern Depot!"

"As Governor Cao should also know, besides the southern barbarians beyond the pass, there are also many bandits in the southern border region, who often harass the people of the southern border."

"It was King Zhou Zhan who explained it," he said.

Given the status and position of the Prince of Kao Shan, there was no need for him to explain anything to a eunuch.

However, Cao Zhengchun was no ordinary eunuch. He was not only the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, but he was also a half-step Celestial.

Furthermore, Zhou Qi did indeed kill the people from the Eastern Depot without authorization, so he was in the wrong.

Therefore, from any perspective, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, has to explain himself to Cao Zhengchun.

At the very least, it has to be plausible on the surface.

"is it?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun gave a sinister smile.

"Of the miscellaneous people, there is still one survivor."

"Your Highness, where is he now?"

Cao Zhengchun was able to receive the message because it was delivered in time by the surviving imperial guard.

Cao Zhengchun simply did not believe Zhou Zhan's explanation and statement.

What kind of bandit is impersonating him?

This explanation is only good for fooling people; it's far from enough to fool Cao Zhengchun.

Once he met the living eunuch, Cao Zhengchun wanted to see what explanation the Prince of Kaoshan could offer.

"Chief Supervisor Cao, I am truly sorry."

"Because my men were too heavy-handed, I tried my best to save that guard, but in the end I still couldn't save him."

"I'll rely on the mountain," said the Prince of Kaoshan with a regretful expression.

The surviving imperial guard had suggested to Prince Kaoshan on Monday that he be dealt with, but Prince Kaoshan did not agree at the time.

However, Zhou Qi was unable to catch up with Yuan Ziming and his group.

To avoid further trouble and to solidify the reasoning behind this explanation, Prince Kaoshan agreed to Zhou Yi's suggestion and dealt with the eunuch guard.

Now, upon hearing Cao Zhengchun ask about it, the Prince of Kao Shan couldn't help but feel fortunate that the eunuch had handled it.

Otherwise, it would have been really difficult for Cao Zhengchun to resolve this matter if he met that eunuch.

People like Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, are never kind-hearted.

Upon hearing Zhou Zhan's words, Cao Zhengchun's expression immediately turned ugly.

The fact that the imperial guard was able to send a message to Cao Zhengchun directly indicates that even if the guard was seriously injured, he should not be beyond saving.

But now the Prince of Kao Shan says he couldn't save him.

This was clearly because they were afraid that if the head of the Eastern Depot saw that guard, he might be suspected of silencing him.

"Hehe, Your Highness has quite the skill."

Cao Zhengchun sneered repeatedly.

"However, does Your Highness think you can easily fool the Eastern Depot with this excuse?"

"Your Highness seems to have forgotten what privileges my Eastern Depot has."

"To act first and report later is a special privilege granted by imperial authority."

Cao Zhengchun looked at Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, who was in the main seat, and said, word by word.

Zhou Zhan's expression changed slightly.

He certainly understood what Cao Zhengchun meant by those words.

That is, Cao Zhengchun's Eastern Depot had the right to act first and report later.

Their Zhennan Army, and even he, the Prince of Taishan, were all within the privileges of the Eastern Depot.

King Zhou Zhan looked at Cao Zhengchun and said, "Chief Supervisor Cao, you misunderstand. I truly did everything I could to save that eunuch, but I couldn't."

"However, I will give Supervisor Cao and the Eastern Depot an explanation for this matter."

At this point, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, glanced at Zhou Qi standing beside him; "Seventh Brother, you didn't understand the situation before you mistakenly killed your colleague from the Eastern Depot."

"Regardless of the reason, your crime is unforgivable."

"From this moment forward, I hereby strip you of all your military posts and demote you to a lowly soldier in the garrison, to atone for your crimes through meritorious service."

"Why don't you hurry up and apologize to Chief Supervisor Cao?"

"I am the King of the Mountain," Zhou Zhan said sternly to Zhou Qi.

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Zhou Qi.

King Zhou Zhan hoped that this would persuade Cao Zhengchun to drop the matter and resolve it smoothly.

Zhou Qi reluctantly stepped forward, cupped his hands to Cao Zhengchun, and said, "It was this humble general who mistook the people from the Eastern Depot for bandits in disguise and mistakenly killed them. Please forgive me, Supervisor Cao."

Faced with Zhou Qi's apologetic attitude, a cold glint flashed in Cao Zhengchun's eyes.

Is this an apology?
This is clearly just a perfunctory response.

It seems that his Eastern Depot was too easy to talk to, which led people to mistakenly believe that his Eastern Depot was easy to fool and perfunctory.

Cao Zhengchun's face turned cold, and his figure instantly disappeared from his seat, appearing in front of Zhou Qi.

Cao Zhengchun grabbed Zhou Qi by the neck, staring coldly at him; "So it was you who led the cavalry to surround and kill more than thirty of my Eastern Depot guards."

The discovery of this scene caused both Kao Shan Wang and Zhou Yi's expressions to change.

Neither the Prince of Kaoshan nor Zhou Yi expected that Cao Zhengchun would act so suddenly.

"Cao Zhengchun, what are you trying to do?"

Seeing that Zhou Qi was being choked by Cao Zhengchun, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kaoshan, immediately stood up and stared at Cao Zhengchun with a grim expression.

Zhou Yi, who was standing next to him, also stepped forward and stared intently at Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun was so fast that no one had time to react.

Zhou Qi, in particular, hadn't even understood what was happening when Cao Zhengchun grabbed him by the neck, making it difficult for him to breathe and turning his face red.

Zhou Qi struggled, trying to break free from Cao Zhengchun's grasp.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Zhou Qi struggled, Cao Zhengchun's hand remained firmly gripping his neck.

Furthermore, Cao Zhengchun tightened his grip on Zhou Qi's neck, making it increasingly difficult for Zhou Qi to breathe.

Seeing the coldness in Cao Zhengchun's eyes, Zhou Qi seemed to sense the impending death, and his heart sank to the bottom.

Cao Zhengchun, with Zhou Qi by the neck, looked at Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, who had stood up; "Your Highness, what do you want to do? Haven't you already seen it?"

"As the old man just said, not just anyone can kill the people from the Eastern Depot."

"If Your Highness intends to deceive me and the Eastern Depot, then Your Highness will be disappointed." "Since Your Highness is unwilling to give me a satisfactory explanation, then I will have no choice but to come and collect it myself."

Cao Zhengchun said in a sinister tone.

Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's words, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, changed his expression; "You dare?"

King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan already understood what Cao Zhengchun wanted to do.

As soon as Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, finished speaking.

Cao Zhengchun's lips curled into a disdainful smile, and he tightened his grip.

"puff."

A mouthful of blood spurted out.

Zhou Qi's eyes widened as he stared at Cao Zhengchun in disbelief.

Zhou Qi never expected that Cao Zhengchun would actually dare to kill him, especially in front of the Prince of Kao Shan.

King Zhou Zhan, also incredulous, was equally astonished.

King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan truly never expected that Cao Zhengchun would dare to kill his adopted son right in front of him in his own palace.

"Cao Zhengchun, how dare you kill one of my generals in front of me?"

Seeing Cao Zhengchun strangle Zhou Qi to death, King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan erupted in rage, staring intently at Cao Zhengchun.

He unleashed the aura of a Grandmaster at his peak, directly challenging Cao Zhengchun.

Zhou Yi, standing next to him, was also staring at Cao Zhengchun with an unfriendly expression.

They seemed ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

"Humph."

"Your Highness, do you intend to fight me?"

Cao Zhengchun looked at Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, and snorted coldly.

Cao Zhengchun's cold snort completely extinguished the grandmaster aura that King Zhou Zhan had unleashed.

King Zhou Zhan's expression changed, and he looked at Cao Zhengchun angrily, saying, "Cao Zhengchun, do you know how many merits Zhou Qi has made for my Great Zhou?"

Do you know how many barbarians have died at his hands?

"Even if he killed your Eastern Depot's guards, based on his past merits, he doesn't deserve to die."

“But you killed him. I will definitely report you to His Majesty.”

The Prince of Kao Shan looked at Cao Zhengchun and said with a gloomy face.

Zhou Qi was his adopted son and a general in the Zhennan Army, who had made great contributions to the army.

Countless barbarians have died at Zhou Qi's hands.

In the eyes of King Zhou Zhan, even if Zhou Qi killed the guards of the Eastern Depot, he shouldn't have to die because of his merits!
Cao Zhengchun casually tossed Zhou Qi's body to the ground and returned to his original seat; "Merit is merit, and fault is fault. How can merit and fault cancel each other out?"

"Besides, I don't know what merits Zhou Qi has made, but I do know some of what Zhou Qi has done."

“We in the Eastern Depot never give people a reason for doing things, but this time, considering how many years you, Prince Kao Shan, have guarded the southern border for His Majesty, I will give you a reason.”

After Cao Zhengchun sat down, he waved to the guards standing behind him.

One of the four guards standing behind Cao Zhengchun immediately stepped forward.

The guard handed a slip of paper to Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan.

Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, frowned and took the note from the guard's hand, puzzled.

The note was covered with writing.

King Zhou Zhan opened the app and glanced at it.

That one glance made Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, look even more gloomy and ugly.

After reading the contents of the note, King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan sat back down in the main seat, feeling utterly defeated.

Apart from his unusually gloomy expression, King Zhou Zhan no longer possessed the aggressive aura he had just displayed.

"Your Highness, you've seen the items."

"The things Zhou Qi did are enough to warrant him dying several times over."

"He even dared to kill my Eastern Depot's people. I've already let him off easy by killing him like this."

Cao Zhengchun glanced at the Prince of Kao Shan in the main seat and said coldly.

"Hmph, no matter how guilty Zhou Qi is, he is still my adopted son and a general of the Zhennan Army."

"It should be handled by me and the Zhennan Army; it is not up to Chief Supervisor Cao to overstep his bounds."

"I will certainly report this matter to His Majesty and impeach the Supervisor."

"I'll rely on the mountain," King Kao Shan said with a cold snort.

If Cao Zhengchun hadn't been so powerful, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kaoshan, would have been no match for him at all.

It's likely that Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, would have already taken action to suppress Cao Zhengchun.

They dared to kill his general of the Zhennan Army in front of him, in the palace of the Prince of Kaoshan.

They really didn't take his powerful backer, the King of the Mountain, seriously at all.

"If Your Highness wishes to incorporate other styles, Your Highness may so."

“I will also report this matter to Your Majesty truthfully.”

"Your Highness should think about how to explain to His Majesty why Zhou Qi stopped the Imperial Guards from pursuing the remnants of the Yuan family!"

After Cao Zhengchun finished speaking, he stood up and left the Prince Kaoshan's mansion.

Zhou Qi, the man who dared to lead troops to surround and kill his Eastern Depot guards, has already been dealt with by Cao Zhengchun.

The matter has been resolved.

Then Cao Zhengchun had no reason to stay any longer.

The four guards behind Cao Zhengchun also followed closely behind him and left together.

Watching Cao Zhengchun stride away like that, both Kao Shan Wang and Zhou Yi looked quite displeased.

He killed the general of his Zhennan Army in the Prince's mansion, and he can still leave so swaggeringly.

This goes beyond mere arrogance.

After Cao Zhengchun left, Zhou Yi looked at King Zhou Zhan and said, "Father, Cao Zhengchun is too arrogant."

"Not only did they kill the seventh brother right in front of us, but they are also so arrogant."

"Is this all we're going to do?"

"No matter what, Lao Qi was one of our Zhennan Army members. Cao Zhengchun killed Lao Qi without saying a word, showing no respect for our Zhennan Army at all."

On Monday, he said with a grim expression.

I had heard that the Eastern Depot was very powerful, but I had no idea how powerful it was until Monday.

But today, Monday, I truly witnessed it.

No one has ever dared to kill a general of the Zhennan Army in the Prince Kaoshan's palace, in front of the Prince Kaoshan.

Undoubtedly, Cao Zhengchun was the first.

Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, sighed; "What else can we do but give up?"

“The Eastern Depot already had special privileges, and the Seventh Prince did indeed kill the Eastern Depot's guards.”

"Even if I were to impeach Cao Zhengchun, it probably wouldn't make any difference."

At this point, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, handed the note he had just taken from the Imperial Guard to Zhou Yi; "Take a look at this too!"

"I never imagined that the seventh prince would do so many shameful things behind my back as his godfather."

"What a waste of all the care I've given him."

"I am King Zhou Zhan," he said quietly.

On Monday, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, was also curious about what was written on the note that the Imperial Guard had given him.

Now that he saw the King of the Mountain hand him the note, Zhou Yi took it without saying a word, opened it and started reading.

After reading the contents of the note, Monday's expression turned somewhat grim.

(End of this chapter)