The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

"My lord, what brings you here today?"

After watching the guards retreat, Mo Xuanjia asked Chu Xiu respectfully.

"The barbarian invasions on the border were carried out by the Yang family of Hongnong."

Chu Xiu said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Mo Xuanjia's expression changed drastically, and he said with a look of shock, "My lord, do you mean that Yang Xuance, the governor of Xuzhou, is going to rebel?"

As the former Director of the Department of Military Affairs, he already held an extremely high status in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

He was no ordinary man to be appointed governor of Yangzhou by Murong Si.

Although Chu Xiu only said one sentence, he had already guessed what Chu Xiu meant.

"Not bad!"

“Whether it’s Yang Yan, the ancestral home of the Hongnong Yang clan, or the Tianjian Sect which is closely related to the Hongnong Yang clan, they have all been exterminated by me.”

"This news has not yet reached Yangzhou."

"However, it has probably already reached Xuzhou."

“Yang Xuance will definitely rebel. He will definitely avenge Yang Yan, the Yang clan members in the ancestral land of Hongnong, and the disciples of Tianjian Sect.”

"It's no longer a question of whether he wants to rebel, but that he has to rebel!"

Chu Xiu stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly.

"I understand!"

"I will make the arrangements immediately."

Mo Xuanjia took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and said solemnly.

He could understand every single word Chu Xiu said, but when put together, it made him unable to believe it was true.

Chu Xiu actually killed Yang Yan, and destroyed the ancestral home of the Yang clan in Hongnong and the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Which of these three is not a pivotal figure in the Great Zhou Dynasty?

Once this news spreads, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty will be shaken.

Moreover, it will be a momentous event that shakes both the imperial court and the martial arts world.

"You only need to do one thing."

"The governor's office will be temporarily moved from Liyang to Shouchun."

"Once I have suppressed Yang Xuance, you may move the governor's mansion from Shouchun back to Liyang."

Chu Xiu waved his hand and said to Mo Xuanjia.

The capital of Yangzhou was Liyang City.

Both Liyang City and Shouchun City belong to Jiujiang County of Yangzhou.

The reason for moving the governor's office from Liyang City to Shouchun City was...

This is because Shouchun is located on the south bank of the Huai River, serving as the northern gateway to Yangzhou. It controls the confluence of the Huai River and the Fei River, making it a vital transportation hub between the north and south.

This place has a strategic location, nestled against mountains and beside water, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Shouchun is the only way to go south from Xuzhou to Yangzhou via Xiapi. If Yang Xuance were to launch an attack from Xiapi, the capital of Xuzhou, he would have to attack Shouchun first.

If Shouchun falls, the natural barrier of the Huai River will be lost, and the Xuzhou army can drive straight to Lujiang and Danyang, threatening the heartland of Yangzhou.

Therefore, the importance of Shouchun is self-evident.

More importantly, they learned that Yang Xuance also had a private army under his command, the Star Guard, whose strength was unknown.

Chu Xiu couldn't be sure that he could suppress Yang Xuance.

However, even if Yang Xuance cannot be suppressed, he must be kept in Xuzhou so that he cannot leave.

If Yang Xuance cannot be completely suppressed, then the capital of Yangzhou will have to be moved from Liyang City to Shouchun City.

"Yes, I understand."

Mo Xuanjia said with a solemn expression.

After speaking, he hesitated for a moment, then asked with a worried look, "My lord, when will the elite Imperial Guards arrive?"

He had clearly guessed that Chu Xiu must have rushed over from the capital as quickly as possible.

The more than 8,000 elite Imperial Guards will likely take some time to arrive.

If Yang Xuance were to rebel, he would inevitably lead his experts to attack Shouchun first, and there would be no way he would wait for time to pass.

Soldiers are very fast!

Yang Xuance certainly wouldn't slowly mobilize his army.

Instead, they would directly use their best soldiers to take Shouchun first, while the Xuzhou army would be a step slower in advancing from Xuzhou to Shouchun.

If he were Yang Xuance, he would definitely have adopted this strategy as well.

"It will take at least another hour."

Chu Xiu said calmly.

"My lord, how shall we defend Shouchun City?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Xuanjia's expression changed drastically, but he forced himself to remain calm and said...

Once Shouchun falls, it won't be as simple as moving the governor's office from Liyang to Shouchun.

Instead, it is necessary to withdraw from Jiujiang County.

Even Lujiang County and Danyang County are no longer safe.

"Don't worry, I'm confident I can defend Shouchun City!"

"I alone am enough!"

Chu Xiu smiled calmly and said with a confident expression.

Mo Xuanjia opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing how to say it.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Chu Xiu, but rather that he couldn't imagine how Chu Xiu alone could withstand the experts under Yang Xuance's command.

"Yang Yan was killed by me alone with a single sword strike!"

"The ancestral home of the Yang family in Hongnong was also wiped out by this Marquis alone with a single stroke."

Chu Xiu said casually, "If Yang Xuance dares to appear before me, I dare to kill him with a single stroke!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Xuanjia's eyes glazed over.

He couldn't believe Chu Xiu's words at all.

Chu Xiu actually killed Yang Yan single-handedly with a single sword strike.

Who is Yang Yan?

In the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, there are probably few people who are stronger than Yang Yan.

At least before one can unleash their true power at the Celestial Immortal Realm, there are very few like them in the entire world.

Even the Imperial Preceptor Qi Tianchen might not actually be stronger than Yang Yan.

After all, the two of them had never actually fought, so Mo Xuanjia didn't know who was stronger.

Although Qi Tianchen has always held the title of the number one person in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, in Mo Xuanjia's view, Qi Tianchen might be stronger than Yang Yan, but killing Yang Yan would definitely not be an easy task.

Moreover, Chu Xiu not only killed Yang Yan with a single blow, but he also single-handedly destroyed the ancestral home of the Yang clan in Hongnong.

The Yang family of Hongnong, as the head of the five surnames and seven prominent families, was also known as the most prestigious family in the world.

He wiped out such a powerful family all by himself!

Just how terrifying was Chu Xiu's strength?

"Go and make the arrangements. I will be waiting for you in Shouchun City!"

Chu Xiu left with a single sentence and then vanished from the main hall of the governor's mansion.

He couldn't possibly wait for Mo Xuanjia to prepare everything before heading to Shouchun City together.

If that's the case, the daylilies might be cold by then.

By the time he gets to Shouchun City, the entire city may have already been completely taken over by Yang Xuance.

"Farewell to the Marquis."

Mo Xuanjia's expression turned extremely respectful, and he bowed respectfully.

Xuzhou, Governor's Mansion, Main Hall.

Yang Xuance stood in the hall without sitting down.

Yang Yao, the second elder of the Hongnong Yang Clan, stood behind Yang Xuance.

Swish!Swish!Swish!

One after another, figures appeared out of thin air in the hall.

These figures were none other than Yang Changtian, the patriarch of the Hongnong Yang Clan, who wore a white robe, looked like a young man, yet had white hair and a youthful face.

Dressed in a green robe and carrying an ancient longsword, he was an elegant and refined man who appeared to be just a middle-aged man. He was the patriarch of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Heavenly Sword Patriarch.

Dressed in a red robe, with a fiery red wine gourd hanging from his waist, the patriarch of the Dongyang family, with jet-black hair and beard, was none other than the Dongyang Patriarch.

The last person was the Star Guard Commander, dressed in silver-white armor with only his eyes showing, a longsword and a quiver hanging at his waist, and a giant silver bow on his back.

Apart from the Grand Commander of the Star Guard, who is at the peak of the ninth level of the Earth Immortal Realm, Yang Changtian, Tianjian Ancestor, and Dongyang Ancestor are all at the peak of the ninth level of the True Immortal Realm, only one step away from the True Immortal Realm.