Your Majesty, please beg for mercy. The prince's rebellion was successful.

In the end, no one was more stubborn than Zhou Zheng.

Five thousand elite soldiers, three thousand musketeers, and tens of thousands of bullets, led by Gan Mo, disappeared from sight overnight.

"Boss..."

Zhou Ping's voice was a little hoarse, his eyes were moist, and his heart was trembling.

He knew better than anyone that the world was in turmoil, the imperial court was watching covetously, and the five ancient families were watching in secret like poisonous snakes. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the force that Zhou Zheng had withdrawn at this time had shaken their foundation to some extent.

But even so, Zhou Zheng did not hesitate at all.

He only said one sentence: King Zhou Yong, you must survive!

Even if three hundred thousand troops were destroyed, King Yong of Zhou had to survive.

It’s not just because King Zhou Yong stepped forward at the critical moment, but also because King Zhou Yong is Zhou Ping’s biological father!

This alone is enough for Zhou Zheng to take the risk and act recklessly.

"Remember, you and I are brothers, brothers for life!"

Zhou Zheng gently patted his hand on Zhou Ping's shoulder, and there was a touch of casualness in his words.

In the current situation, what people really care about are only the five great ancient families.

Because these five ancient families have existed on this continent for who knows how many years, no one knows their strength and background, and no one knows their methods, which makes everyone fearful and terrified.

But they forgot that when Zhou Zheng rose from nothing and faced countless dangers, he did not give in at all.

Cowardice will only make a person fall.

Only with the unyielding determination to win can you kill gods and kill Buddhas!

Those who want to achieve great things must risk their lives before they can survive.

In these years, since he became emperor, Zhou Zheng's style of doing things has long lost its previous free and easy style, and instead he has become more cautious.

It was not until that moment just now, when he saw Zhou Ping's affection for Zhou Yong, that Zhou Zheng suddenly realized.

He is just an ordinary man. Even if he wants to save the world and change the world, he must never ignore the people around him.

If the people around you are gone, what is the point of doing all this! ?

So, speaking of it, the person Zhou Zheng should be more grateful to is Zhou Ping.

If Zhou Ping really put the overall situation first, and knew that King Zhou Yong was trapped in danger and might even face the risk of his entire army being annihilated and his own death, but he remained unshakable and steadfast in putting the overall situation first, then such a Zhou Ping might not be the Zhou Zheng that Zhou Zheng wanted.

The two looked at each other and saw a hint of heat in each other's eyes.

After fighting side by side for several years, they still haven't forgotten their original selves.

......

Gan Mo led the army and traveled overnight.

Even if they tried to make as little noise as possible, and even took small paths, how could such a large group avoid the eyes of the world?

Two days later, the news spread.

For a moment, the court of the Great Zhou was shaken.

The eyes of the court officials, who were originally lifeless, flickered, and a hint of heat rose again in their silent hearts.

The confrontation between the imperial court and Zhou Zheng has been going on for some time, and both sides seem to be waiting for an opportunity, the best opportunity to take action.

Unfortunately, both sides seemed to have some concerns and did not dare to act rashly.

But this time, the imperial court seemed to see an opportunity.

"Your Majesty, the spies have reported that nearly 10,000 soldiers from the Zhenbei Army have come to support King Zhou Yong."

"According to my guess, these 10,000 people are definitely the elite among the elite. As such, Zhou Zheng's strength must be greatly reduced and he is in a weak state."

The Minister of War was the first to step out and kneel in the court, his voice somewhat excited.

Everyone knows that the current Zhenbei Army, although still bearing the name of the Zhenbei Army, is no longer the Zhenbei Army of its peak period.

Several major battles, especially the decisive battle with the Great Xia Kingdom, had left only one in ten of the battle-hardened Zhenbei Army soldiers alive.

Even with the training of the King of Zhenbei, even with strict discipline, and even with sturdy armor, the current Zhenbei Army's combat effectiveness is still far behind that of the peak Zhenbei Army.

Therefore, this gave the elite of the imperial court the confidence to fight against them!

"What suggestions do you have, my dear!?"

Emperor Tianjing leaned forward slightly, his pupils contracted, and there was a hint of excitement in his words.

"I suggest that we gather our troops now and destroy Zhou Zheng in one fell swoop!"

Taking a deep breath, the Minister of War spoke in a firm tone.

As the Minister of War, he hasn't had the desire to fight for a long time.

"My dear, what are the chances of winning?"

Seeing the Minister of War say this, Emperor Tianjing also nodded in approval.

"The court can gather 100,000 elite troops, plus some of the Imperial Guards, that's a total of 120,000 elite troops."

"In this situation, if we promise them high positions and generous salaries, the soldiers will not fear life and death, and we have a 60% chance of winning!"

With a frown on his face, the Minister of War did not speak this data casually.

Zhou Zheng now has only 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers and generals at his disposal.

With three times the number of troops, why would he be afraid? !

"Add to that the weapons in the arsenal, and we have a 90% chance of winning!"

He slowly exhaled a breath, and the eyes of the Minister of War became hot.

"What do you think, my dear ministers?"

Emperor Tianjing looked around at his ministers and asked in a deep voice.

Everyone knows that once they fight Zhou Zheng, there is no turning back.

The first battle is the decisive battle, there is no possibility or opportunity to regret.

Therefore, no matter how much he wanted to fight, Emperor Tianjing had to discuss it with his ministers.

"My lord, second the motion!"

"My lord, second the motion!"

"Your Highness and I second the motion!"

All the ministers stepped out, gritted their teeth, and finally agreed to fight.

Now, they have no choice and no way back.

Only by fighting can there be a slight chance.

Only by winning this battle can they solve their problems once and for all, and their descendants can rest assured.

"His Majesty!"

The prime minister stood up at this time, and his words made everyone focus their attention back on the prime minister.

It was only then that everyone realized that the prime minister did not seem to have spoken a word from the very beginning.

As the head of all officials, his attitude and weight are naturally unquestionable.

"Say!"

Emperor Tianjing's pupils narrowed into slits, his body leaned forward, and his voice became slightly deep.

"I believe that there are two things that need to be done before the decisive battle."

The Prime Minister looked up, his brows furrowed.

Emperor Tianjing had a serious expression and showed no signs of emotion.

In just this moment, all the court officials knew that the matter was not simple.

"what's up?"

Emperor Tianjing looked at the prime minister with his deep eyes. He had already known that the prime minister, whom he had promoted single-handedly, was in Cao's camp but his heart was with Han.

His true destination is neither the imperial court nor the Great Zhou.

"First, we must inform all the gentry and powerful people in the country to stop King Zhou Yong at all costs, and even strangle King Zhou Yong's elite troops as much as possible at any cost."

"If anyone can capture King Zhou Yong alive, he will be rewarded with 10,000 gold coins and be made a marquis directly, with the title hereditary!"

This was the prime minister's first suggestion. No one present objected to this suggestion, and Emperor Tianjing also agreed to it on the spot.

Three hundred thousand elite soldiers are not something the current court can take care of.

As long as King Zhou Yong can be delayed, Zhou Zheng will not be able to calm down and even make reasonable rational judgments.

This is naturally a good thing for the court.

As for the title of nobility with millions of gold and hereditary title, Emperor Tianjing naturally could accept it.

"Second."

"Before the decisive battle, I suggest that Your Majesty have a private talk with the five great ancient families."

When it came to the second point, the Prime Minister's voice became much deeper.

The five great ancient families.

When these five words came out of his mouth, the whole room fell silent.

Only then did they realize that from the beginning to the end, they seemed to have forgotten that the core of this matter was the five great ancient families.

Many ministers reacted and felt cold sweat on their backs. When they looked at the prime minister, there was a hint of admiration in their eyes.

As expected of the Prime Minister, he always thinks things through.

They naturally hope that the imperial court will win, but they don't want to make the five ancient families dissatisfied.

The reaction of Emperor Tianjing was completely different from that of the other ministers.

The dry hands in the dragon's sleeves clenched tightly to complete the task.

"Humph, as expected, you have already become a dog of the five ancient families."

"At all times, he thinks of his true master."

Emperor Tianjing thought to himself, and his eyes became colder as he looked at the Prime Minister.

Letting such a person stay in the position of prime minister forever is not a situation that Emperor Tianjing likes.

"Is it?"

"With a 90% chance of winning, do we still need the five great ancient families to take action?"

Emperor Tianjing forced himself to suppress the murderous intent in his heart and asked in a cold voice.

......