A kiss, and I'll live another day; they begged me not to go crazy.

Just when everyone was feeling a little uneasy,

The gatekeeper's voice came from outside the door, trying to dissuade them:

"My lord, there's no need for this!"

Immediately afterwards, a heavy and helpless sigh seemed to drift over.

......

After a while,

The gatekeeper's already unattractive face was now as black as the bottom of a pot.

He walked out with a gloomy expression.

He pointed to Sun Shan and Xiao Wu in the crowd.

He said irritably, "Only the two of them can go in."

Having said that, he turned and left on his own.

......

The soldiers looked at each other, all puzzled.

Letting General Sun in would be understandable, but why should Xiao Wu receive such special treatment?

However, despite the many doubts in his heart,

But military orders are absolute, and they could only glance at Xiao Wu's model-perfect face.

He silently touched his cheek, thinking he understood.

They all shook their heads and sighed.

......

Meanwhile, on the other side,

Xiao Wu followed closely in Sun Shan's footsteps and cautiously entered Lord Zhou's study.

As soon as they entered, the two saw a middle-aged man sitting directly in front of them.

......

This person had bright, piercing eyes and an upright posture.

He was nothing like the rumors circulating outside, who claimed he was bedridden and weak.

On the contrary, he was more like a sword about to be drawn from its sheath.

It should have been full of brilliance and unstoppable.

It's just a pity that, for some reason, the outer layer of that precious sword...

It was covered with a thick layer of dust and rust by a powerful external force.

This caused it to lose its former sharpness, which is truly regrettable.

......

Upon seeing Lord Zhou, Sun Shan quickly bowed and greeted him:

"Lord Zhou, I, Sun Shan, pay my respects."

Seeing this, Xiao Wu, who was standing nearby, quickly followed Sun Shan's example and bowed as well.

......

Upon seeing this, Lord Zhou realized that Xiao Wu was merely a servant accompanying him.

He exchanged a glance with the doorman beside him.

Their faces all wore expressions of disbelief, and they thought to themselves:

Has the world outside really changed so quickly?

Even a lowly attendant has such an extraordinary temperament and heroic bearing?

......

Lord Zhou slowly shook his head, trying to shake off the thoughts in his mind.

He took a deep breath and said:

"I already know the purpose of your visit."

"If it weren't for Xiao Wang's earnest and persistent persuasion, I would never have discussed this matter with you."

As he spoke, he shook his head helplessly again.

Those eyes, which were once full of ambition and aspirations, now appeared so dull and lifeless.

......

"The situation in this land of Hezhou is extremely complex, with various forces deeply entrenched and intertwined."

Regarding the matter of disaster relief grain alone,

Even if I wanted to do something, I could only pretend to be deaf and dumb, and dare not act rashly!

Lord Zhou sighed deeply, his words filled with helplessness.

......

Upon hearing this, Sun Shan's eyes revealed a hint of disappointment.

......

Faced with such a gaze, Lord Zhou chose to remain silent.

However, the gatekeeper, unable to bear seeing his master misunderstood, couldn't help but speak up indignantly:

"Stop looking at me like that!"

Over the years, Your Excellency has submitted numerous memorials to the imperial court, outlining the situation here.

But what they received in return was increasingly intense suppression.

The person behind the scenes wields immense power in the court.

Even our Pacification Commissioner,

They had repeatedly warned the adults not to lose their lives due to a moment of impulsiveness.

......

Upon hearing this, Lord Zhou let out another heavy sigh:

"Ugh……

All I can do is try my best to save the lives of the majority of the people.

......

The doorman then added:

"Just this year, the adults received a distress call."

He was so worried about the situation of the disaster-stricken people in the countryside that he went to visit them in person.

Unexpectedly, they were ambushed on the way and nearly lost their lives.

From then on, the adults had no choice but to feign illness, close their doors, and temporarily avoid the limelight.

At this point, the doorman's voice trembled slightly, clearly still shaken.

......

Finally, he raised his voice and emphasized:

"And then there's the matter of transporting grain,"

If it weren't for the adults' unwavering resolve to die rather than yield an inch,

Even the county most severely affected by the disaster is unlikely to receive even a single grain of food!

......

Upon hearing this, the displeasure on Sun Shan's face vanished without a trace.

He sighed heavily, his face full of worry, and said:

"It's truly unexpected that the situation in Hezhou is so dire!"

After he finished speaking, he composed himself and continued:

"Master Zhou,

"We have come here on His Majesty's orders!"

......

While talking,

He noticed that Lord Zhou's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had been touched.

So, seizing the opportunity, he continued:

"Not only that, we also have the imperial sword bestowed by His Majesty, which allows us to execute first and report later, giving us supreme power."

Sun Shan believed that revealing these trump cards would be enough to persuade Lord Zhou.

Let them join forces with them to fight against the current power of Hezhou and save the suffering people.

......

However, to his utter surprise,

After pondering for a long time, Lord Zhou simply let out a long sigh.

This was immediately followed by a violent coughing fit:

"Cough cough cough...

"I'm getting old, I'm no longer useful!"

......

Seeing Lord Zhou's reaction, how could Sun Shan not understand?

I've been rejected!

He was immediately filled with anxiety and couldn't help but shout:

"Lord Zhou, how can you just let things go like this?"

Are we just going to stand by and watch the people in our jurisdiction continue to suffer such cruel exploitation?

Uncle Wang stood aside, watching Sun Shan's words grow increasingly heated.

He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.

......

Faced with Sun Shan's questioning, Lord Zhou remained silent, as if he were deep in thought.

After a long while, he shook his head and weakly instructed the old servant beside him:

"Old Hu, it's getting late."

Please see all the guests out for me.

......

Only then did everyone realize with a start that...

It turned out that they had been traveling for a long time and had also spent a long time waiting for Lord Zhou to receive them.

Night had long since fallen.

The sky was beginning to lighten, and it was almost dawn.

......

Sun Shan was unwilling to give up.

He hurried a few steps to Lord Zhou and earnestly advised him:

"Lord Zhou, please think twice before you act!"

If you back down so easily, how can you face the high expectations and trust your family has placed in you?

......

Upon hearing this, Lord Zhou, whose head had been bowed, suddenly raised it, his eyes already brimming with tears.

His lips trembled as he waved his hand.

Then he slowly turned around and murmured:

"It is precisely because I care about my family that I..."

After saying that, he left everyone with only a lonely and helpless silhouette.

......