Grandmaster Liu said without hesitation, "It's nothing but raising troops, forging weapons, raising a suicide squad and the like."
"It seems that Duke Zhen intends to rebel."
Sun Kui, who had just brought the tea, was so startled that his hand trembled, almost spilling the teacups on the tray.
"Duke Zhen won't rebel now; when he has no other choice, that's when he'll help the Crown Prince rebel." Grandmaster Liu said, "Everything Duke Zhen is doing now, in his view, is just preparing for a rainy day."
Prime Minister He continued from Grandmaster Liu's point, "Didn't Duke Zhen have Xie Shi spend a lot of money to buy off the soldiers?"
The Emperor chuckled meaningfully, "It seems Duke Zhen believes money can buy anything, including the soldiers in my Western Garrison."
At this, Grandmaster Liu rarely felt a twinge of sympathy for Duke Zhen in his heart.
