[Fantasy] Water Margin Heroes (Complete) - 19-21

Chapter Fifty-Four: The lingering echoes of battle

echoed as Zhang Yang ordered his cavalry to disperse and encircle the fleeing soldiers. Naturally, everyone was eager to add another achievement to their tally. The two cavalry commanders weren't arrogant enough to protect Zhang Yang; as soon as he finished speaking, they ordered their troops to disperse.

In the setting sun, Zhang Yang's golden armor shone even brighter. Many soldiers were astonished to find that the emperor, having charged twice into the Chu army's ranks, had almost no blood on his body.

Zhang Yang rode alone across the battlefield, casually rewarding any Chu soldiers who still resisted with a few arrows. His accurate and ruthless archery quickly terrified the remaining soldiers, allowing the heavenly troops to scatter the Chu forces.

Most of the soldiers had only heard of the emperor's miraculous victories and dared not be distracted by the emperor's divine might during the battle. Although they couldn't see Zhang Yang's charging prowess, his ruthless archery and arm strength alone caused them to gasp in amazement.

Seeing the collapse of the central army, the able-bodied men on both flanks, already somewhat demoralized, realized after engaging with Lu Zhishen and Mei Zhan's elite troops that their opponents were no longer the easily routed Song army. Discovering the Heavenly Army's superior fighting strength, no one harbored any illusions. They dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground begging for their lives, or cried out and fled into the distance. No one dared to resist anymore, and no one cared about the high bounty offered before the battle.

But how could they outrun the cavalry's pursuit? Seeing the cavalry charging towards them from both flanks, they too knelt and begged for mercy. Those who reacted slowly were swiftly and mercilessly cut down. The cavalry ignored the begging surrendered soldiers on the ground, relentlessly pursuing and killing those in front.

Mei Zhan had just fought his way out of the rear when he heard the emperor inspecting his battlefield. He hurriedly led his personal guards to greet him.

Zhang Yang saw a gash on Mei Zhan's leg. He quickly dismounted, tore a strip of cloth from his clothes, and began to bandage it. "Bear with it," Zhang Yang said, "it'll be fine soon."

Mei Zhan was flattered that the emperor was personally bandaging his wound, but dared not struggle, quickly replying, "It's just a superficial wound, please do it yourself. How could I trouble Your Majesty?"

As he spoke, Zhang Yang had already tied a strip of cloth above the wound, looking up and saying, "You risked your life for the country, and I bandaged your wound; you are worthy of my respect. The battle on the right wing has ended; you can return to the city to rest to avoid excessive blood loss."

Mei Zhan had come from a bandit background, and although he later accepted amnesty and held a high official position, he had little reverence for the two Song emperors. Only after surrendering to Zhang Yang was he truly impressed by Zhang Yang's literary and military prowess, and his heart was filled with awe ever since. Hearing this, he hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty is still on the battlefield, how dare I retreat? Besides, Your Majesty's skills are superb. My wound has stopped bleeding, and I can now command the soldiers to clean up the battlefield."

Zhang Yang, seeing that his wound was still bleeding, shook his head and said, "The fighting on the right flank has ended, so let your commander be in charge of the cleanup. You go back and treat your wound. I'll go check on the left flank first, and then come back to visit you."

After saying this, he said to the personal guards beside him, "You escort General Mei back. If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible."

Mei Zhan watched Zhang Yang ride away before being urged by his personal guards to return to the city.

Wherever Zhang Yang went, he was met with cheers. From officers to soldiers, everyone's face was filled with admiration. The emperor was an omnipotent man, always leading from the front in every battle, and even more miraculously, he had never been defeated. Today's victory was achieved by defeating a large enemy with a small force. Although most of the Chu soldiers were forcibly conscripted able-bodied men, this could not overshadow the emperor's brilliance in the eyes of the soldiers.

Zhang Yang rode his horse across the battlefield, reaching the left flank. He found the situation there was no different from the right: groups of men lay prostrate on the ground, waiting to be captured. Small squads of cavalry charged past these cowardly men, no one stopping to collect the prisoners. Only the armored Chu generals could bring the charging cavalry to a halt, and those lucky enough to capture enemy generals would gleefully escort their captives back to the city for their rewards.

As he approached the end of the battlefield, he heard the sounds of fighting ahead. Following the sound, Zhang Yang went a short distance and saw four or five hundred Chu soldiers still putting up a fierce resistance. Many cavalrymen were pacing around the perimeter. Although they were surrounded by Heavenly Army soldiers, the Chu soldiers in the center were still struggling to move south. A burly man at the rear even single-handedly blocked Lu Zhishen, engaging in a fierce and hard-fought battle with him.

As Zhang Yang approached, the incessant clanging of metal filled the air, making it feel as if one were in a blacksmith's shop.

The heavenly soldiers surrounding the emperor hastily parted to make way for him. The Chu generals charging ahead were actually routed soldiers from the central army, who had only escaped the cavalry charge because their unit was positioned on the flank, but they too witnessed Zhang Yang's unstoppable advance. Hearing the commotion behind them, they turned and saw Zhang Yang approaching, knowing escape was impossible, so they halted their advance, preparing to defend to the death.

Lu Da and his companion, however, were somewhat engrossed in their contest of brute force.

Seeing that these soldiers were not ordinary strong men, Zhang Yang shouted, "Lu Da, stop for a moment!"

Hearing Zhang Yang's voice, Lu Zhishen feigned a move and retreated.

The burly man, however, was unwilling to give up; sensing that the soldiers behind him were no longer retreating, he swung his club at Lu Zhishen again.

Lu Zhishen was about to block the arrow with his staff when he saw a sharp arrow already striking the man's iron club. The force of the arrow caused the club to smash into the ground.

Lu Zhishen didn't need to turn around to know who in the world could shoot such a powerful arrow.

The burly man, who had been attacking with all his might, felt his hands ache from the impact of the blow. Looking up, he saw that the one who had shot him astray was none other than the Heavenly Emperor, who had charged ahead earlier. Knowing he was no match for him, he obediently lowered his club and looked at his generals behind him.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang knew the commander was behind them. He hung his bow on his saddle and shouted, "I am the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty! Come out and answer me!"

The Chu general leading the way, seeing no way to escape, brazenly returned to Zhang Yang's side, saying, "I am Du Xue, the Chu army commander. Now that victory or defeat is decided, I am willing to commit suicide to atone for my sins. I beg the Emperor to spare these soldiers."

The burly man, seeing his commander about to commit suicide, hurriedly said, "General, you mustn't! You must leave quickly! I'll hold off the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty!"

Du Xue shook his head, saying, "I have long heard that the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty is no ordinary man, but I still have..." "I didn't believe it, but seeing him today, I know the rumors are true. With him here, we can't escape. With your divine strength, you must have even more room to maneuver in the Celestial Empire."

Zhang Yang also remembered Du Xue's reputation, fighting Lu Junyi for fifty rounds without defeat in the Water Margin, and later, when Sun An joined, he fought two against one and had his arm cut off by Sun An. Lu Junyi then finished him off with a spear thrust. "I am not a person without tolerance. If the general is willing to surrender, I can pardon your past crimes."

Lu Da also greatly admired the brute's martial prowess, but he didn't notice that many of his subordinates had been killed, nor did he speak up to stop him.

Du Xue was originally prepared to pay with his life, but seeing that he had a way out, he hurriedly led his men to lay down their weapons and surrender. ...

Chapter Fifty-Five :

With all the miscellaneous affairs of the seven ministries settled, Zhang Yang went to the Chongzheng Hall. Before he could even sit down, the ministers of the seven ministries arrived together.

After this battle, there were no more large-scale internal strife in the Central Plains. Zhao Mingcheng seemed to already see a new emperor leading a prosperous and peaceful era, with the people living in peace and contentment, and their names being passed down through the ages along with the emperor's achievements. Wu Yong eagerly awaited the emperor's order to send hundreds of thousands of troops to the border, establishing a territory even larger than that of the Han and Tang dynasties. With the iron torrent of the Celestial Empire, his own heroic name would spread far and wide. However, as the territory expanded, Jiang Jing and Zong Ze increasingly felt the shortage of funds, provisions, and personnel, and their great victory only brought them worry. This summer, Hebei experienced heavy rains, causing several breaches in riverbanks. Zhang Shuye was also preparing to apply to the emperor for funds to dredge the waterways. Dai Zong silently filtered through the military and civilian reports from various regions, hoping to report the important matters before the emperor's meeting ended. Pei Xuan always wore that cold expression.

After the seven men exchanged greetings, Zhang Yang offered them seats. Looking at the seven men with their varied expressions, he smiled and said, "Our army has won a great victory in this battle, capturing over 80,000 prisoners. What do you all think we should do with these prisoners of war?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wu Yong said, "Currently, barbarian invasions are occurring in the northwest and southeast, and our dynasty's troops are stretched thin, forcing us to temporarily abandon many prefectures. Now that the internal strife has been quelled, Your Majesty should, as is customary, incorporate the surrendered troops and send them to the front lines to rescue those still struggling under the iron heel of foreign invaders, and also to demonstrate the might of our Celestial Empire."

Jiang Jing, however, said, "Since Your Majesty raised your army, you have been expanding it extensively, but the money and grain our dynasty has seized from the Song Dynasty are extremely limited. Supporting the existing army is already at its limit. Further expansion would likely cause financial difficulties for the court."

Wu Yong was not a traditional Confucian scholar, and having been indoctrinated by Zhang Yang with the idea of plundering foreign lands, he was naturally unwilling to see his own army expansion plan shelved. Hearing this, Zhang Jing shook his head and said, "Lord Jiang, you are overthinking it. Since its founding, Western Xia has learned farming techniques from our Han people and acquired the Hetao Plain. Over the years, they have diligently cultivated and reclaimed land, building granaries and cellars everywhere, accumulating a great deal of grain. As long as we conquer Western Xia, it will be enough to support the army for a year, and even provide relief to the people within the country. Moreover, if we release these able-bodied men back, they might band together and become bandits, affecting the livelihood of the people. It would

be better to reorganize them, pacify the barbarians in all directions, and then arrange for them to settle on the frontier." Upon hearing this, Jiang Jing shook his head and said, "Many of the surrendered men are able-bodied men from various prefectures in Huaixi who were forced to join the bandits. If we force them to fight in various places, it might cause a mutiny. I think we should release the able-bodied men among them, distribute them with land, and let them live and work in peace."

Zhang Yang saw that what the two men said made some sense. He then asked Dai Zong, "How are the people in Shandong and Hebei living? Are there any bandits?"

Dai Zong asked. He said, "No, it's just that the people in various places are hoping that His Majesty can distribute land as soon as possible."

Jiang Jing also said, "Shandong is the place where His Majesty rose to power, and His Majesty has just defeated the Liao Kingdom in Hebei, greatly enhancing his prestige. The people also have confidence in His Majesty. In addition, there are soup kitchens in various prefectures to provide disaster relief, so no one has taken any risks yet. But if His Majesty delays for too long, I'm afraid the people in various places will change their ways. Moreover, there are many poor people in the countryside, and the court is unable to set up soup kitchens everywhere. After the weather turns cold, the poor people who gather in the city to eat will no longer be able to sleep outside the city. If this is not properly resolved, I'm afraid..." "Unexpected changes have occurred."

Zhang Yang knew that setting up soup kitchens was not a long-term solution, but there were many trivial matters after the founding of the country, and not enough manpower to redistribute land, which was why it had been delayed until now. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "This matter should indeed not be delayed any longer. Starting tomorrow, the Ministry of Revenue should plan the redistribution of land. All people who are eighteen years of age or older will participate in the land allocation, and the land will be returned to the court after their death. Each male will be allocated twenty mu of land, and each woman will be allocated ten mu. The amount of land allocated shall not exceed one-tenth of the total land. I will send people to check at that time. If the land allocation is in violation of regulations, the person who measured the land will be executed."

Jiang Jing said upon hearing this, "If the land is allocated in this way, I'm afraid..." "Land is scarce in most places,"

Zhang Yang said upon hearing this. "There are many refugees in various places right now. Let's first grant land to those who are still in their original places. Monks, Taoists, nuns, and other religious people will not be given land for the time being. Military households can choose to settle in Western Xia, and each household will be given an extra ten mu of land and a draft ox."

Jiang Jing said upon hearing this, "Many people have no assets. If they encounter natural disasters or man-made calamities, they will have to sell their land and houses. In a few years, land will be concentrated in the hands of landlords and powerful families. Your Majesty should also explain under what circumstances land can be sold in order to prevent land consolidation."

Zhang Yang did not want to... By confining all labor to individual farms, the nascent seeds of capitalism would be stifled. Upon hearing this, Wu Yong said, "I will send envoys to investigate the harvests in various regions. If there are natural disasters, the court will provide timely relief, thus preventing the people from selling their land. If the people voluntarily sell their land to pursue other livelihoods, the court cannot prevent it."

Jiang Jing replied, "Your Majesty is wise, but even you cannot guarantee what will happen in the future. I believe we should formulate policies to ensure long-term stability."

Zhang Yang, however, had read expert predictions that, through genetic modification, his lifespan would be at least 150 years. This would ensure that no major upheavals would occur for over a hundred years. If, after a hundred years, most people still needed to rely on the land for a living, then it would be a failure on his part. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Let's discuss this later. As for the surrender of the troops, we can select 30,000 soldiers from those who volunteered, and send the rest away with travel expenses."

Seeing that the emperor had made his decision and their respective goals had been largely achieved, Wu Yong and Jiang Jing remained silent. Zong Ze then said, "Your Majesty, with Wang Qing's defeat, all the prefectures north of the Yangtze River have come under the court's control, but the Ministry of Personnel lacks sufficient officials to take up their posts in various regions."

Zhang Yang replied, "This matter has been ongoing for a long time. The Intelligence Department can collect information on the past performance of officials in various regions and send it to the Ministry of Personnel. After review, the Ministry of Personnel can appoint those who are capable. The Intelligence Department will also monitor the situation, and if any acts of treason are found, it can be reported to the Ministry of Personnel for removal. Minor mistakes can be temporarily set aside. After six months, the Ministry of Personnel will assess performance and decide on each person's future based on their achievements."

Zong Ze accepted the decree.

Zhang Yang then asked, "Is there anything else from the various ministries?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Shuye interjected, "This summer, there has been widespread heavy rain north of the Yellow River, causing breaches in many riverbanks. We urge Your Majesty to allocate funds for the repair of the waterways." Upon

hearing this, Zhang Yang replied, "This matter cannot be delayed. Let's allocate five million strings of cash first. The Ministry of Works can hire laborers, but each person's monthly wage must not be less than three strings of cash."

He then added, "For donations from local gentry, the court can issue an edict of praise, and the Ministry of Works can also erect a monument on the riverbank to inscribe their names."

Zhang Shuye had initially frowned at the need for the allocation of funds, but upon hearing Zhang Yang's additional information, he was overjoyed. Many of the wealthy gentry were fond of empty fame. With the court's edict of praise and the inscription on the monument, he was sure to be able to entice wealthy families from all over the country to donate. In this way, he could properly repair the waterways of Hebei.

Seeing that everyone else had finished speaking, Dai Zong reported, "Wang Yin and Si Xingfang have already arrived in Jiangnan and have persuaded several remnants of the Manichaean forces to

surrender. They will soon be able to recover Liangzhe Road and Fujian Road. Liu Yanqing's three elite troops from the Northwest have also crossed the river and headed north, but Dong Ping's three troops have not yet crossed." Zhang Yang nodded upon hearing this, saying, "That's alright. As long as the news of my defeat of the Western Xia and Liao Kingdom spreads, all the prefectures will vie to submit."

Zhang Yang then discussed many miscellaneous matters with everyone until it was dark before the meeting ended and he went to the palace. ...

Chapter 56 The palace women

were much less numerous. But after Zhang Yang entered Tokyo, the old palace was almost abandoned and turned into a cold palace. All the concubines, princesses, and royal consorts from the Huizong era were demoted to the lowest-ranking palace maids, living worse than the high-ranking eunuchs and palace maids.

Zhang Yang then instructed the palace steward Huang Bao to do his best to reduce palace expenses, naturally choosing the weakest targets. Yanfu Palace was already small in number, and most of its inhabitants were from Liangshan. Furthermore, Zhang Yang spent little time in the palace, and Huang Bao couldn't figure out who was out of favor, nor dared to offend anyone. So, they had to start by reducing the number of people in the old palace. During the day, palace maids and concubines had to do needlework and weaving to complete their tasks. In the evenings, the entertainment in the old palace was extinguished early.

After establishing his dynasty, Zhang Yang was busy putting out fires everywhere, rarely reuniting with his wife and children, and naturally had no time for womanizing. He always passed by the old palace in a hurry, without stopping, and never visited any of its halls. However, he had traveled the route to Yanfu Palace several times and wasn't afraid of getting lost. To allow Wen Lian to rest early, Zhang Yang didn't have any eunuchs accompany him after entering the palace, and went to Yanfu Palace alone.

"Could it be that His Majesty has already returned to Yanfu Palace by another route?" Consort

Zhu Shen huddled in a corner, staring intently at the entrance, afraid of missing the opportunity to meet the Emperor. But as time passed, she lost confidence.

Having finally slipped away from the watchful eyes of those damned servants, she knew the courtyard gates would be closed by now, and she would have to knock to get back. But if she went out on her own, those damned servants would surely ridicule and humiliate her, and the concubines would laugh at her too, making her future even more difficult.

Thinking of her predicament after returning empty-handed, Consort Zhu regretted her rashness.

The cold moonlight shone on the corridor. Consort Zhu felt even more desolate. Just as she was lamenting her fate, she saw a dark figure appear at the crossroads. It moved like a ghost in the moonlight, crossing half the corridor in a few breaths.

Seeing that the dark figure seemed to be rushing towards her, Consort Zhu screamed in fright.

As Zhang Yang hurried towards Yanfu Palace, he was startled by a sudden scream. Looking towards the sound, he saw a trembling palace maid cowering against the wall ahead. He leaped to her side.

Seeing the ghostly figure lunge at her, baring its white teeth, Consort Zhu was terrified. She closed her eyes, waving her hands frantically, pleading, "Don't bite me!"

Zhang Yang, who had been about to ask what had happened, realized he had frightened her. He helped her up, smiling, "I was walking too fast. Are you alright?"

Seeing that the "ghost" hadn't bitten her, and hearing Zhang Yang refer to himself as "I," Consort Zhu opened her eyes. She saw that the person she had mistaken for a ghost was none other than the new emperor she had been waiting for. She was now at a loss for words.

Seeing that Consort Zhu seemed still shaken, Zhang Yang said, "It's so late. Why are you still here?"

Consort Zhu, seeing the Emperor's question, dared not hesitate any longer. She bit her lip and curtsied, saying, "I have considered this for many days in the old palace and request to serve Your Majesty in Yanfu Palace. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang asked in surprise, "Were you waiting for me?"

Consort Zhu, thinking that she had specifically waited here to offer herself, blushed deeply, but dared not not answer, and could only lower her head and murmur a barely audible "Mmm." Zhang Yang

had already instructed the eunuchs and palace maids not to inquire about matters outside the palace, nor to reveal his whereabouts. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang flew into a rage and said in a deep voice, "How did you know I had returned

to the palace?" Seeing Zhang Yang's sudden change in tone, Consort Zhu was so frightened that she knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I dared not inquire about Your Majesty's whereabouts. However, today the eunuchs in charge ordered everyone not to move around freely in the palace, so I guessed that Your Majesty was there. I thought that with the new dynasty newly established, there must be many things to attend to, and Your Majesty would surely be in the outer palace handling state affairs, which is why I came here to wait."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang was relieved. He helped Consort Zhu up and saw that she was charming and graceful, though her face was bare, without any makeup. Yet, her beauty was no less than that of the two beauties Consort Wei had chosen for her. He then smiled and asked, "What was your original status?"

Consort Zhu replied, "I was originally Zhao Huan's concubine."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Consort Wei must have mentioned what kind of person I need. Are you sure you can fulfill that?"

Consort Wei looked at the concubines and princesses before her, who had once been more favored than herself, and smiled, "Since everyone is willing to serve the Emperor, I'll tell you his requirements—he needs someone who can please him like a harlot in bed. Those who can do that, stay, and let me choose."

Consort Zhu, remembering Consort Wei's words when she went to the old palace to select women, blushed deeply, but still nodded vigorously to restore her former life.

Zhang Yang was naturally aware of Consort Wei's actions in the old palace, but since she always tried so hard to please him, he allowed her to satisfy her desires, especially since they were harmless. Besides, Zhang Yang already had six wives and concubines in Liangshan, and he felt he was neglecting the others. Naturally, she dared not seek any more confidantes. Since her goal was to satisfy her lust, she needed someone she could be open with.

Just as Consort Zhu was worried the Emperor would refuse her, she felt a large hand caress her buttocks. Consort Zhu thought Zhang Yang was going to do something shameful in the corridor, and her body stiffened. However, thinking of her recent life of simple food and drink, she suppressed her shame and wiggled her hips, letting

Zhang Yang's hand explore her hidden depths.

Zhang Yang, however, was thinking of Wen Lian and had no desire for another sexual encounter with her. Seeing that she had indeed abandoned her pride, he hugged her and smiled, "Come with me to Yanfu Palace first."

Yanfu Palace and the old palace were now two completely different worlds. Consort Zhu was overjoyed to hear that the Emperor had granted her permission to enter Yanfu Palace. She bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

As

Zhang Yang accompanied Consort Zhu to Yanfu Palace, he asked, "How is life in the old palace?"

Consort Zhu dared not reveal her true feelings, but after thinking for a moment, she replied, "It's much better than before. The concubines no longer scheme against each other; they spend their days doing needlework, living a very peaceful life."

Zhang Yang naturally knew that those concubines were used to a life of luxury, and this new life was nothing short of torture for them; otherwise, the women around them wouldn't have come to him. Hearing this, he said, "I want to hear the truth. Can those concubines adapt to this life?"

Consort Zhu asked. He hurriedly said, “Only a few concubines are content with this life; most can’t get used to it. They used to eat delicacies from land and sea, but now they only have vegetables and tofu. They used to wear fine silks and brocades, but now they only have plain clothes. They used to use tribute rouge, but now they can’t even afford the best rouge from the market. Many concubines haven’t touched needles or thread for years; to meet their daily quotas, their hands are covered in needle marks. And those damned servants…”

Zhu Shenfei had unknowingly rambled on for so long before realizing who was in front of her. She panicked and said, “Your Majesty, I misspoke. Please forgive me.”

Zhang Yang laughed, “You were just telling the truth. It’s alright. I’ll visit them in the old palace when I have time.”

As he spoke, the two arrived outside Yanfu Palace. The sky seemed much brighter; compared to the darkness and silence of the old palace, Yanfu Palace was practically ablaze with stars. The occasional cries of beasts and birds from the back garden added to its vitality.

Zhu Shenfei even felt as if she had returned to the human world. Zhang Yang was even more grateful for his adventure and was thinking about how to please the new emperor that night when he heard the emperor say to the eunuchs guarding the palace gates, "Take her to Consort Wei's residence. Have Consort Wei arrange for her to work there as a maid."

After giving the order, Zhang Yang headed towards the main palace.

The palace maids who had been on guard duty all night were yawning incessantly. When Zhang Yang arrived, they noticed the emperor's presence and hurriedly tried to call out to welcome him.

Zhang Yang waved her off and asked, "Is the Empress still awake?"

The palace maid replied, "No, the Empress just sent the other concubines back. She is still waiting for the Emperor."

Zhang Yang shook his head with a wry smile. No matter what he had instructed, Wen Lian always silently watched over him, and after becoming Empress, she was always amiable in her dealings with others. He had repeatedly told her to show some authority to maintain her position, but she had ignored him. He could only try his best to show her more favor to prevent the ambitious concubines from harming her.

Zhang Yang couldn't figure out what it was about Wen Lian that attracted him. She lacked the heroic spirit of Third Sister, the unrestrained nature of Consort Wei, and the noble air of Consort Zheng. Perhaps it was simply her gentle, kind nature that drew him in.

As Wen Lian was embroidering a bib for her future baby, she saw the Emperor return and hurriedly told a maid beside her, "Quickly, prepare the meal."

Seeing Wen Lian sitting there, heavily pregnant, doing needlework while waiting for him, Zhang Yang felt even more pity for her. He stepped forward and took the needlework from her, saying, "The new dynasty is newly established, and there are many affairs of state. You don't need to wait for me.

Leave this needlework to the servants." Wen Lian smiled and said softly, "It's still early. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I'm just doing some needlework to pass the time. I thought Your Majesty would be gone for a while, and I just persuaded my sisters to go back. Perhaps we should have them summoned again?"

Zhang Yang noticed her eagerness to see the others forgotten. He chuckled, "No need. They're probably already asleep. If I send another decree, they'll have to get up again. I'll stay here tonight."

Wen Lian replied, "They haven't seen Your Majesty in a long time, and they must have a lot to say to you. Your Majesty stayed here last time you returned. Perhaps I could send someone to ask who's still awake and then send someone over."

Zhang Yang helped Wen Lian up and smiled, "I'll be staying for a few days this time. It's not too late to meet up with them again tomorrow. It's getting late, you should go to sleep first. I'll eat and then go to bed too." Wen Lian smiled

, "I haven't eaten yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang gently patted Wen Lian's buttocks and scolded, "You should eat earlier in the future to avoid harming your health. Even if I said I was coming, you can have the palace maids close the doors after 5 PM (August 20th). If I find you staying up all night waiting for me again, I'll let you experience my power."

Wen Lian blushed at Zhang Yang's ambiguous gesture and quickly nodded with a smile.

Zhang Yang then accompanied Wen Lian on a walk in the room, telling her about some interesting local customs and anecdotes he had heard about recently.

A warm atmosphere quickly filled the room. ...

Chapter 57 The Western Xia Army Retreats.

Xiao Heda, the deputy commander of the Western Xia Eastern Route Army heading north, was a prominent figure in the Liao Dynasty's Xiao family. He should have been appointed to an official position in Liao, and his family had already planned a path for him. He was given a lucrative post as soon as he entered officialdom. Escorting Princess Cheng'an to marry the Emperor of Western Xia was a seemingly easy and simple task. Upon returning, he could claim a share of the spoils from the alliance between the two countries, followed by high office and titles.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Xiao Heda and Princess Cheng'an fell in love at first sight, and sparks flew along the way. Xiao Heda wanted to elope with Princess Cheng'an, but she refused, reluctantly accepting his offer to save face for the Liao Dynasty. Unable to change the Liao Emperor's mind, Xiao Heda could only watch helplessly as his beloved married the Emperor of Western Xia.

His mission was thus complete, but to see Princess Cheng'an more often, he resolutely chose to remain in Western Xia.

Emperor Li Qianshun of Western Xia, recognizing Xiao Heda's exceptional talent, appointed him to a position in Western Xia. During the recent eastern expedition, troops were divided to conquer the border states between Song and Liao. To prevent conflict with Liao, Xiao Heda was appointed deputy commander, leading troops north alongside a member of the imperial family to capture several states in the Hebei region, while also coordinating relations with Liao.

The two generals had just separated their forces when news arrived that the emperor had been killed in battle and his body missing. The royal general immediately mustered his troops and marched south to retrieve the emperor's body. Xiao Heda, knowing that Western Xia was no longer able to occupy the Hedong region, sent messengers to report to the Liao emperor while simultaneously stalling for time in the conquered prefectures, intending to offer several cities to his former kingdom. However, Emperor Tianzuo, already terrified by the Celestial Empire, upon hearing of the Western Xia emperor's death, secretly rejoiced at his own good fortune. Instead, he ordered Xiao Heda to return the Celestial Empire's prefectures, thus splitting Western Xia.

The royal general, having deployed his troops to Shizhou, heard that the central route commanders, the Weiming and Renzhong brothers, had already escorted the emperor's body back to the country, so he also withdrew his troops. Xiao Heda then led his troops back to his post in Xiazhou.

The Western Xia's western route commander, Chage, upon hearing of the emperor's death and the Weiming and Renzhong brothers' return, was also greatly alarmed and immediately led his army towards the capital. To prevent the Heavenly Army from attacking before the Western Xia throne was established, they ordered the looting of all gold and silver from the conquered states, burning any grain they couldn't take, and setting countless fires in the fields nearing harvest.

This burning left the people of over a dozen northwestern states in despair, foreshadowing the eventual demise of the Western Xia dynasty.

…

The lake's clear waters reflected the swaying willows and crimson pavilions on the shore. Colorful boats glided slowly across the surface, accompanied by melodious music and the gentle strains of a sheng. A light breeze brought a touch of coolness.

Beautiful women accompanied them, enjoying the scenery: red flowers, green trees, clear water, blue sky, and golden roofs. All of this made Zhang Yang extremely content. Although Zhang Yang now possessed the entire world, could control the lives of many, and even in a fit of rage could cause millions to die and blood to flow, the time for pleasure after becoming emperor was actually less. Before, when he was at Liangshan…

He used to spend his days joking and enjoying the scenery with his wives and concubines, occasionally visiting the military camps. But after becoming emperor, he had to put out fires everywhere, and most of his time back in the capital was spent dealing with state affairs. Fortunately, Zhang Yang wasn't afraid of becoming too powerful, and after a few days, he delegated the affairs to various departments, stealing a moment of leisure to spend with his family enjoying the lake and scenery.

The women from Yanfu Palace who had been intimate with Zhang Yang were also invited, but they were clearly divided into two groups. In front were the six heavily pregnant concubines from Liangshan, and behind them were Consort Wei and Empress Zheng of Emperor Huizong, along with their personal maids.

The Wenlian women were delighted to see Zhang Yang playing with the child.

Empress Zheng was already flattered by the invitation and dared not compete for favor with the Wenlian women, so she stood discreetly at the back, watching the emperor play with the child, and couldn't help but think of her own prince, her expression showing a hint of melancholy. Consort Wei, however, watched Zhang Yang playing with the child thoughtfully.

As the group enjoyed themselves, they approached the Crane Manor, Deer Park, and Kongcui Park, the cries of birds and the calls of beasts immediately attracting the little ones' attention. Zhang Yang turned to order the eunuch at the stern to dock, but then saw a small boat speeding towards them from behind, carrying one of his personal eunuchs.

Zhang Yang ordered the boatman to stop and let the small boat approach, asking, "What is the matter?"

The eunuch replied, "Minister Dai of the Ministry of Intelligence and Minister Wu of the Ministry of War are requesting an audience outside the palace."

Zhang Yang had already instructed them to handle matters as they saw fit that morning, and hearing this, he knew they had encountered an urgent matter requiring his decision. Zhang Yang handed the child in his arms to a palace maid, looked apologetically at the women, and said, "I have some matters to attend to. You all go for a stroll in the garden. I'll come find you when I'm done."

Wen Lian nodded and said, "The two gentlemen must have important matters to discuss. I can accompany the ladies for a stroll in the garden. Your Majesty, please attend to state affairs carefully."

"Then I'll take my leave. You all enjoy yourselves." With that, he jumped onto a small boat and had the eunuch row him out of the palace.

The little ones, seeing their father, who had just been playing with them, about to leave, began to cry. Wen Lian and the other women quickly went to comfort the children.

When Zhang Yang arrived at the palace gate, he saw that the other five ministers had also arrived, and he and the seven of them headed towards the Chongzheng Hall.

After everyone was seated, Zhang Yang asked, "What is it?"

Dai Zong replied, "News has just arrived from the Northwest. The Western Xia's western army has retreated, and the Uyghurs, seeing that the situation was hopeless, have also withdrawn. Only the Tibetans still occupy Xining Prefecture, Huang Prefecture, Kuo Prefecture, and Jishi Army. However, when the Western Xia withdrew, they looted all the prefectures they had captured and burned down the granaries, grain rations, and fields. If the court doesn't provide grain, the people may not be able to survive the winter."

Zhang Yang was already somewhat displeased that his garden party had been disrupted, and upon hearing that the Western Xia soldiers had burned the nearly ripe crops in more than a dozen prefectures, he slammed his fist on the table and stood up angrily, saying, "The Western Xia soldiers are so despicable! When I conquer Western Xia, I will make sure that the Dangxiang people are wiped out!"

This was the first time anyone had seen Zhang Yang so angry, and they exchanged bewildered glances.

Zhang Yang, having undergone psychological training, saw the shocked expressions on everyone's faces and sat down, saying, "What do you think we should do to relieve the people?"

Jiang Jing said, "The Western Xia soldiers have burned and looted all the grain and fodder in the land, and I'm afraid the people will go hungry in a few days. Just a few days ago, 100,000 shi of grain and fodder were transported to Yan'an Prefecture. I think we should simultaneously transfer grain and fodder from Yan'an Prefecture to relieve the people of various prefectures, and at the same time transfer grain and fodder from Dongjing."

Zhang Yang nodded helplessly and said, "Let's use the grain and fodder from Yan'an Prefecture to relieve the people first. The Ministry of Revenue should also transfer military rations to Yan'an Prefecture as soon as possible. I will lead the army to destroy Western Xia as soon as possible. Where are Liu Yanqing's Northwest troops now?"

"They have passed Jingzhao Prefecture and will meet with Zhong Shidao of Weizhou in a few days. After that, we can raise an army to recover the cities occupied by the Tubo." As Huyan Zhuo's army advanced westward, the Ministry of War's intelligence department also extended its reach to the Northwest, and Liu Yanqing's troops also kept reporting back. Wu Yong's grasp of intelligence in the Northwest was no less than Dai Zong's, and he interrupted upon hearing this.

Zhang Yang glanced at the map and said, "If they remain locked in a stalemate with the Tibetans, it might delay my campaign against the Western Xia. I'll personally travel to the border prefectures and take the opportunity to subdue Zhong Shidao."

The crowd wasn't worried about Zhang Yang's safety; in fact, they hoped he would personally lead the campaign and quickly pacify the land. However, as the emperor, they dared not ask him to travel far and wide. Seeing that Zhang Yang was willing to take the lead himself, they were naturally happy to see it happen. ...

Chapter 58 A Night of Pleasure

After calculating, having already rested at the residences of the six women of Liangshan in the east, they headed towards Consort Wei's residence in the west.

Zhang Yang had initially allowed Consort Wei and Lady Zheng to choose their lodgings in the west. Knowing she didn't have many years left in her youth, Lady Zheng didn't dare compete with Consort Wei, so she let Consort Wei stay in the first pavilion in the east, Fan Ying Courtyard, while she herself stayed in the Xue Xiang Pavilion behind it.

As soon as it got dark, Fan Ying Courtyard bustled with activity. Consort Wei calculated that the Emperor would return to the palace on the seventh night, and the six women of Liangshan had already received him. Therefore, after returning from her garden stroll with the other concubines, she instructed Consort Zhu and Fujin to direct the palace maids to decorate the palace. The fragrant scent of camphor mingled with the aroma of peonies and peonies in the pots. Red ribbons and colorful decorations adorned the spaces, tassels flowed under the palace lanterns, and new carpets dazzled the eyes—everything was filled with a festive atmosphere. Now, Fan Ying Courtyard resembled the bridal chamber of an emperor's wedding.

That afternoon, seeing Zhang Yang playing with the children stirred something within Consort Wei. She was already over thirty, and in a few years, her beauty would fade. She had no affection for the new emperor, and thus desired to bear several princes to support her in her old age. However, after Zhang Yang ascended the throne, he ordered An Daoquan to administer drugs to Emperor Huizong's concubines, rendering them infertile.

Consort Wei highly valued Zhang Yang's recent visit and hoped to obtain his consent to stop taking the drugs so she could bear one or two princes for her old age.

Mo Qinglian, also a concubine of Emperor Huizong, was chosen from the old palace by Consort Wei because of her friendship with her. Hearing of Consort Wei's plans, Mo Qinglian naturally didn't want to be left behind, but dared not express her feelings openly. While applying makeup to Consort Wei, she pondered how to please the emperor that evening, hoping he would include her when rewarding Consort Wei. Perhaps then she wouldn't have to serve Consort Wei anymore, and maybe she could even choose someone from the western pavilion.

As the two women were lost in thought, a palace maid, who had been ordered to keep watch at the palace gate, rushed in shouting, "His Majesty is here! He's here!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Wei quickly reapplied her makeup, saying, "Quickly, prepare to receive him."

Mo Qinglian casually tucked a flower into Consort Wei's hair, saying perfunctorily, "Your Majesty is as beautiful as a flower; His Majesty will surely be delighted upon seeing you and grant your request."

Consort Wei, not paying attention to her words, rose and went to greet him outside the courtyard. Seeing her leave, Mo Qinglian quickly applied some makeup as well and went out into the courtyard. Seeing Consort Wei already leading Fu Jin, Consort Zhu Shen, and the palace maids in two rows at the courtyard gate, she hurriedly ran to the left and stood first. Just as she stood still, Zhang Yang and several personal eunuchs arrived.

Consort Wei quickly led the others to kneel and greet them.

Zhang Yang told everyone to rise. Seeing the meticulously dressed Consort Wei, his eyes lit up. Adding to this was Consort Zhu, who had just been about to offer herself to him. Thinking of the four women's desperate attempts to please him, Zhang Yang's anticipation for the night grew even stronger.

They entered the room. Consort Wei then ordered a maid to serve the meal.

Zhang Yang chatted with Consort Wei about their afternoon stroll in the garden, and a sumptuous feast was served.

Wine clouded their judgment, and with the women's deliberate flattery, they became quite tipsy. Zhang Yang pulled Consort Wei into his arms.

Consort Wei took a sip of wine and kissed Zhang Yang's lips, slowly sharing the wine.

Zhang Yang savored the wine, his hands also reaching for Consort Wei's ample breasts. Consort Wei's teasing and his long period of abstinence quickly ignited Zhang Yang's desire.

Zhang Yang had no intention of wasting any more time at the banquet, so he picked up Consort Wei and carried her to the bedside.

Seeing this, Consort Zhu and the other two women also undressed and got into bed.

The four women naturally did their utmost to please the emperor who held their fate in his hands, trying every imaginable position without a care for shame.

Zhang Yang had come here to indulge himself, and seeing the four women so eager, his lust was heightened, and he released the pent-up desire he had accumulated over the days with the women. Just as he was burying his head in Consort Zhu Shen's breasts, he felt a strange pressure in his lower body. Looking up, he saw Consort Wei's eyes were moist and her teeth were clenched. Looking down again, he realized that Consort Wei was offering her anus. Zhang Yang was immediately excited by the strange sensation in his lower body and the psychological suggestion, but seeing Consort Wei's pained expression, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Can you do it?"

Consort Wei also felt the rhythm of something inside her, knowing that the emperor was also extremely aroused, and naturally did not want her plan to fail. She smiled charmingly and gritted her teeth to start moving.

Zhang Yang was also conquered by the strange pleasure and began to thrust wildly.

Consort Wei felt as if a very hot iron rod had been inserted into her anus, burning with pain. But to achieve his goal, he gritted his teeth and complied.

The other three women, watching the enormous member thrusting in and out of Consort Wei's anus and seeing her deathly pale face, felt a surge of fear, yet also admired her courage even more.

After a long while, Zhang Yang finally stopped with a scream from Consort Wei.

Consort Wei's body went limp, and she climbed into Zhang Yang's arms.

Seeing Consort Wei's pale face and the fine beads of sweat on her fair forehead, Zhang Yang felt a surge of pity and had Consort Zhu bring a handkerchief, gently wiping away her sweat.

Seeing Zhang Yang personally wipe her sweat, Consort Wei felt the pain in her rear lessen somewhat. She quickly pressed Zhang Yang's hand down and whispered, "How could I let Your Majesty do it? I'll do it myself."

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "It's rare for you to serve me so attentively tonight, so I'll return the favor."

Consort Wei nestled against Zhang Yang's chest, hesitating for a long time before finally saying timidly, "I also want to bear Your Majesty a child."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang understood why Consort Wei had sacrificed her rear today. In the past, he hadn't wanted Emperor Huizong's concubines to have children because he feared they might still harbor feelings for him and instill in their children ideas detrimental to them. Zhang Yang trusted Consort Wei quite a bit and smiled, "Good, I also want more princes so they can help me handle things in the future."

Consort Wei was overjoyed at her wish being fulfilled and offered her sexy red lips again. The energetic Zhang Yang quickly reached another erection, and Mo Qinglian gritted her teeth and offered her rear as well.

Seeing the women fighting desperately, Zhang Yang no longer conserved his energy and fought for half the night before finally falling into a deep sleep.

As dawn broke, Zhang Yang awoke to bid farewell to Wen Lian and the other women. Looking at the four naked lambs beside him, he felt a surge of heat, his mind filled with erotic thoughts, and his lower body immediately became erect.

Mo Qinglian, whose thigh was still draped over Zhang Yang's body, was also awakened by the powerful thrusts. The pain in her rear returned, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly. Seeing Zhang Yang looking at her, she assumed he wanted to make love again and had no choice but to move her lower body to meet his.

Zhang Yang also noticed Mo Qinglian's expression upon waking. He hugged her and said, "I have other matters to attend to. Help me dress."

Hearing this, Mo Qinglian breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly got up to find Zhang Yang's clothes.

Zhang Yang gently pushed away the jade arm draped over him before he could get up.

Mo Qinglian helped Zhang Yang get dressed, then remembered her thoughts from the previous day. Unable to voice her request, she could only look at Zhang Yang with hopeful eyes.

Zhang Yang was quite satisfied with Mo Qinglian's service the previous night. Seeing her hesitant expression, he thought for a moment and smiled, "With another person added, it's a bit crowded here. Go to the west and choose another pavilion to stay in tonight, then go to the old palace to select two more personal maids."

Mo Qinglian, hearing her wish fulfilled, quickly thanked Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang then bid farewell to Wen Lian at the main palace and rode his hawk towards Weizhou. ...

Chapter 59: The Morale of the Army

. If Liu Yanqing hadn't wanted to maintain fighting strength and discipline the soldiers, the marching speed could probably have been even faster.

After hearing that the Emperor had killed the Western Xia Emperor and that the Western Xia troops had retreated, the generals no longer restricted the soldiers' marching speed, but the relieved soldiers actually slowed down. After all, they had been marching south since last December, followed by a fierce battle with the Manicheans, and then a northward raid, without any rest. The fact that they could still march was already quite an achievement. It was only their longing for their families that kept them marching tirelessly for days.

However, upon reaching Fuyan Road, the soldiers there, upon hearing that they still had to support Weizhou as planned, lost their motivation and their marching speed slowed considerably. The soldiers in the other routes, hearing of the Western Xia army's burning, killing, and looting in the conquered territories, were also preoccupied with their families and maintained a high speed, gradually developing resentment towards the Fuyan Road soldiers.

Liu Yanqing was aware of the soldiers' thoughts, but having just submitted to the Celestial Empire, and with the Celestial Emperor being so wise and powerful, he dared not botch his first task. He could only reprimand Huang Di, the commander of the Fuyan Road, several times, ordering him to increase the marching speed. However, the exhaustion from days of forced marches and the resentment of being separated from their families again erupted, leaving Huang Di helpless.

To avoid clashes between the various armies, Liu Yanqing had to lead the other troops ahead, ordering Huang Di to follow. This division of forces further slowed the march of the Fuyan Road soldiers, and some even began deserting to visit their families. Huang Di had no choice but to order officers at all levels to strengthen supervision, prohibiting soldiers from leaving the camp after setting up camp. Huang Di,

seeing his lethargic soldiers, was also extremely anxious. Liu Yanqing had already led his troops to Weizhou that day, and after a few days of rest, they would be attacking several prefectures occupied by the Tubo. He had sent a letter that afternoon urging Huang Di to lead his troops there. But these rascals all wanted to go home and see their families. If they were pushed too far, it might turn into a mutiny. At the current marching speed, he was certain he would miss the army's departure date. Then he wouldn't be able to escape the charge of delaying military operations.

Just as Huang Di was thinking about how to speed up the march, he heard a commotion in the front camp.

"A mutiny." The thought flashed through Huang Di's mind immediately, and he hurriedly led his personal guards to the front camp. When he arrived, he saw the soldiers pointing at three giant eagles circling in the sky and discussing them. On the back of one of the eagles, he could vaguely see a person wearing a bright yellow robe.

"His Majesty is using three divine eagles to travel. It must be His Majesty in the sky. General, quickly order your men to receive him." A quick-witted guard said to Huang Di.

Seeing that it wasn't a mutiny, Huang Di's relaxed nerves were immediately tense again by the news of the emperor's arrival. He hurriedly shouted for everyone to kneel down and receive him.

Zhang Yang, using three eagles in rotation, traveled for a whole day before finally seeing the military camp beneath his feet. Judging from their uniforms and banners, they were likely the troops of Fuyan Road led by Huang Di. However, Zhang Yang had not received news of Liu Yanqing's troop split and did not know why they had separated from the main force, so he dared not land rashly. Only after Huang Di and his men knelt down did Zhang Yang signal the divine eagles to descend. After

Huang Di paid his respects, he asked nervously, "Your Majesty

, where have you come from?" Zhang Yang replied, "I came from Dongjing. Where are the other troop formations now?"

Upon hearing Zhang Yang ask about the main force, Huang Di's forehead immediately began to sweat. He said in a embarrassed voice, "The other troop formations arrived in Weizhou today."

Seeing Huang Di's embarrassed expression and the listless appearance of the soldiers around him, Zhang Yang... "Is it that your soldiers haven't received their full pay, or that your food supplies are insufficient?"

Huang Di, not daring to offend the high-ranking official in the Ministry of War again, quickly replied, "Neither. The soldiers have been fighting for half a year, and they're all homesick. They can't stop to look at their homes when they pass by, so they're just a bit emotional."

Zhang Yang looked around at the soldiers and secretly blamed himself for his oversight. Modern armies can contact their families by phone, but in ancient times, it was much harder. And after such a major battle, expecting these ordinary soldiers to be like Yu the Great controlling the floods, passing by their homes without entering, seemed a bit too much to ask. It would be difficult to get the other units to leave home again to fight after they've reached their hometowns.

Morale is crucial in ancient warfare; even if they were forced to attack Western Xia, they probably wouldn't have much fighting power. It might even unite Western Xia against external forces, potentially leading to a rout. It seems the court officials have too much confidence in him; otherwise, they wouldn't have failed to see that the northwestern troops are no longer fit for battle. He could assassinate a few people, but conquering a country requires a large army.

It seemed there was no way to attack Western Xia this year. Zhang Yang shook his head helplessly and said, "Your troops don't need to go to Weizhou. All soldiers will be given a month's leave, divided into two groups to go home to visit their families, and then they will assemble and train in Suide."

Huang Di didn't want the new emperor to abandon his troops, otherwise he would have no future. Hearing this, he hurriedly said, "The soldiers are just a little tired. As long as they rest for a few days in Weizhou, they can still go back to the battlefield."

Zhang Yang patted Huang Di's shoulder and smiled, "General Huang, you're overthinking it. It was my oversight. The various armies have been fighting for half a year and need a rest. The other units will also rest."

Huang Di breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and had his personal guards pass on the order. When the soldiers heard that the emperor had allowed them to go home, they shouted "Long live the emperor!" and many even asked to go home on the spot.

Seeing the crowd's fervor, Zhang Yang announced again, "Those who wish to return home can register first, and each will receive an extra month's salary for travel expenses."

The soldiers thanked Zhang Yang and went to their respective camps to collect their rewards. Zhang Yang then ordered Huang Di to lead the remaining troops to Suide Army, confirmed the direction and distance to Weizhou, and then rode his eagle towards Weizhou.

In less than an hour, he saw several military camps, which, judging from the banners, belonged to the other armies in the northwest. However, Zhang Yang did not rush to land. After flying a few more miles, he saw the devastated city of Weizhou. The villages outside the city had all been razed to the ground, and in villages a little further away from the city, the remains of civilians were scattered everywhere. The land outside the city still bore a trace of blood, and the wind seemed to carry a mournful sound.

After circling around, Zhang Yang found that only the west gate of Weizhou was open, but it was heavily guarded. The west and north of the city were covered in ashes, with faint smoke still rising in many places, showing how large the fire set by the Western Xia army had been. Flying westward for over a hundred miles, all that met his eyes were the remnants of the fire and a few civilians who had miraculously escaped with their lives.

Having flown a hundred miles, Zhang Yang's heart was filled with rage, and he could no longer bear to look, so he turned and flew towards Liu Yanqing's camp. ...

Chapter Sixty: The Zhong Family Submits to

the City. Liu Yanqing had not received orders from the Ministry of War and dared not attack Weizhou without authorization, so he had no choice but to set up camp outside the city. However, no sooner had the camp been set up than the soldiers of Jingyuan Road began clamoring to go home to visit their families, while the soldiers of Xihe and Qinfeng requested to continue the march to reclaim their homes.

Although Liu Yanqing planned to rest for a few days, he knew that it was difficult to grant permission to the nearby soldiers; if he allowed them to go home, few would likely return on time when the army set out. If the army could not follow the Ministry of War's orders and set out on schedule, his career would be over. While

Liu Yanqing was discussing with his generals how to stabilize morale, he heard that the emperor was arriving and hurriedly came out of his tent to greet him.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, Zhang Yang returned to his tent. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he asked, "What is the attitude of the Zhong brothers in the city?"

Liu Yanqing replied, "Zhong Shidao hasn't decided to submit to the court yet. I was only ten miles outside the city when he sent a warning letter. However, after the recent great battle with the Western Xia army, the Zhong family's forces are likely reduced to less than one-tenth of their original strength. Moreover, the soldiers in the city have fought for nearly a month and are probably too exhausted to continue. I don't believe he would drag his family and troops down with him to the Song Dynasty."

Zhang Yang knew that military positions in the northwest of the Song Dynasty were mostly hereditary, with border posts passed down from father to son or brother to brother. He found it hard to believe that any family would be willing to be buried with a fallen dynasty. Hearing this, Zhang Yang laughed and asked, "Then what do you think he means?"

Liu Yanqing replied with a hint of jealousy, "I believe the Zhong family is waiting for a better price. Now that His Majesty has come here personally, it's already a great honor for the Zhong family. If His Majesty simply sends someone to the city to order the Zhong brothers to come out and greet him, they will likely back down gracefully."

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "If I were to say that I have suddenly arrived here, they might still have doubts. How about this, you send them an order saying that I will come to the city alone to meet with them. Let them prepare."

Liu Yanqing hurriedly said, "Although the Zhong brothers dare not offend His Majesty, there are certainly loyalists to the Song Dynasty in Weizhou City. If

His Majesty were to suffer any mishap, the world would be in chaos." Zhang Yang had already tested various scenarios and knew that as long as he was fully vigilant, he could almost dodge all cold weapons. Moreover, it was almost dark, and nightfall would be his domain. However, Zhang Yang didn't have much affection for these newly surrendered border generals, and he didn't want them to guard the same place for generations. To leave everyone with the impression of invincibility, he laughed and said, "It's alright, my lifespan is predetermined, and mortal weapons cannot harm me. If you believe me, then send someone to deliver a message to the city."

The rumor that Zhang Yang came from the heavens has now spread throughout the land. Liu Yanqing and the others also know about Zhang Yang's night raid on the camp and assassination of Tong Guan and his men. Hearing this, they believe it to some extent, though they still have doubts, but no one dares to question the emperor to his face.

Zhang Yang sees Liu Yanqing ordering his personal guards to deliver the order. He added, "When I came, I ordered the troops of Fuyan Road to relocate to Suide Army, and the troops of Qinfeng Road, Huanqing Road, and Jingyuan Road to return to their respective garrisons. The entire army will rest and recuperate, and the soldiers will be granted a month's leave to go home in batches to visit their families."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yanqing hurriedly said, "The Tibetan troops still occupy four cities, and the Xihe troops only have a little over 15,000 men left. I'm afraid this single army is not enough to recover the lost territory."

Zhang Yang laughed and said, "I will personally lead the troops to repel the Tibetan clowns. 15,000 troops will be enough."

Hearing that the emperor would personally take charge, everyone felt relieved. As long as His Majesty went to the city a few times, probably no Tibetan nobles would dare to stay in the territory for even a second longer. If they wanted to attack Tibet, the various armies indeed did not have the fighting strength at the moment.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Generals Ma Gongzhi, Zhe Keshi, and Liu Zhen, please escort me. General Liu can stay at the camp."

Liu Yanqing hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I will soon be able to assemble the troops. With a large army approaching the city, it will also serve as a warning to the Zhong brothers not to act rashly."

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "No need. The Zhong brothers are surely men who know when to advance and retreat. The soldiers have been fighting for half a year; let's not take this unnecessary detour. Let's go."

Liu Yanqing was about to speak when he saw that Zhang Yang had already left the tent, so he had no choice but to lead his men to respectfully see him off.

...

Inside the city, the Zhong brothers were greatly alarmed to hear that Zhang Yang had arrived and was going to enter the city alone.

The Celestial Dynasty had already issued an edict, granting the Zhong brothers their original positions and bestowing titles upon them for their role in resisting the Western Xia. Zhong Shizhong also intended to submit to the Celestial Dynasty, but Zhong Shidao was still unwilling to budge, which was why he had refused to let Liu Yanqing enter the city.

Upon hearing that the emperor himself had arrived, Zhong Shizhong dared not delay any longer. As soon as the messenger left, he said, “The Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty is willing to enter the city alone, which shows his sincerity. The will of Heaven is unpredictable; if we refuse him again, it may bring annihilation upon my Zhong family. Moreover, our soldiers who fought alongside us against the Western Xia are almost all gone. They barely survived until the Western Xia withdrew; do you want them to die at the hands of their own people? Liu Zhen has already replied that the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty did not kill a single member of the Zhao family. Throughout history, in every dynastic change, the previous dynasty's royal family has been brutally slaughtered. In this time of great chaos, the appearance of such a benevolent and wise ruler is a blessing for the people. Do you really intend to defy Heaven and subject the people of this city to another calamity? The border generals of the Northwest have all submitted to the Celestial Dynasty; do you intend to use the strength of our family to resist the world?”

Zhong Shizhong thought for a while, then shook his head and said, “Fine, fine, let’s go out of the city to welcome the Emperor.” As

Zhang

Yang arrived outside the city, he saw the troops already lined up to welcome him, saving himself the trouble of explaining. He immediately sent Ma Gongzhi and the other two back and headed alone to Weizhou City.

The Zhong brothers had already heard that the emperor was young and refined, but seeing that the newcomer was only in his early twenties, they were quite surprised.

Zhang Yang dismounted and walked, and upon approaching, he bowed first, saying, "The millions of people in the Northwest were saved because of the two generals leading the troops in the resistance. I thank the two generals on their behalf."

Zhong Shidao had never seen the emperor bow to his subjects before, and his initial resentment vanished instantly. He hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty is too kind to my brothers. It is the duty of us military generals to defend

the borders and protect the country. Your Majesty is incompetent, and the loss of more than ten prefectures has already filled us with fear and unease. How dare we accept Your Majesty's great honor?" Zhang Yang helped the Zhong brothers up and smiled, "General, you flatter me. You were able to use 20,000 troops to stop the more than 100,000 troops of the Western Xia and Tubo at Weizhou, thus saving the people of the prefectures behind from slaughter. This is already a great achievement. How dare I ask for anything more? I heard that many people in the city have also suffered heavy casualties. Let's go into the city and take a look."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shidao sighed and said, "Thanks to the people of the city who came to the city walls to help defend it, I was able to keep Weizhou from falling. To be honest, Your Majesty, almost every household in the city has suffered casualties, and the city's food and medicine are also in severe shortage. I beg Your Majesty to allocate supplies as soon as possible to save the people."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "I have already ordered the allocation of supplies to aid the people of the Northwest. They should arrive in a few days."

The group entered the city and indeed, there were cries of sorrow everywhere. Zhang Yang casually looked around at a few places, but realizing he couldn't help, he couldn't bear to look any longer and signaled Zhong Shidao to come to the yamen. ...

Chapter Sixty-One: The Fate of Tubo

. The three armies of Huanqing then went to their respective posts, while Liu Yan, leading Xin Xingzong and Yang Weizhong, led their troops into the city to rest.

Zhang Yang looked at the generals in the room and said, "Tell me your opinions on the current situation in the Northwest."

Among the generals in the room, Liu Yanqing held the highest position and was a former commander of Xihe, so he was very familiar with the various countries in the Northwest. After thinking for a moment, he spoke first: "Of the four countries that invaded our borders this time, the Western Xia was the strongest, while the Xizhou Uyghurs and the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs were the weakest. Therefore, when the Western Xia retreated, the Uyghurs also retreated. After the fall of the Tubo Dynasty, its various ethnic groups were constantly fighting amongst themselves. Although they occasionally raided the border for many years, they only plundered some of the people's money and grain before retreating on their own, and they were not capable of being enemies with our dynasty for a long time. This time, Tubo is occupying four prefectures and will not leave, surely because they think that our Celestial Empire's Central Plains are not yet settled." "We are powerless to provoke further border conflicts. As long as our army advances westward, some in Tibet will surely consider retreating. Even if they dare to lead troops to resist, with His Majesty's might, Tibet will be no match for us."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shidao added, "The various Tibetan tribes lack unified command, so defeating them is not difficult. However, the Western Xia burned all the grain reserves in the border prefectures, and the city's food supplies are now insufficient. We can only send troops after the imperial court's supplies arrive."

Zhang Yang did not want Tibet to gain an advantage and then retreat safely. Otherwise, they would always be thinking of coming back to make more money. Moreover, many of his compatriots had died at their hands this time. If he could not avenge them, he would be a useless emperor. Thinking of this, he asked, "If we were to conquer Tibet, how many troops would you need?"

Zhong Shidao pondered for a moment and replied, "Although the various ethnic groups in Tibet are divided, they will surely unite against a common enemy if faced with annihilation. In that case, Tibet could gather hundreds of thousands of troops. Furthermore, the Tibetans live in remote mountains and are naturally fierce, their fighting strength even surpassing that of our border troops. Moreover, the mountains and rivers within Tibet are treacherous, and their soldiers are adept at traversing mountain paths. Even if our army can advance smoothly and occupy key locations, Tibetan troops can threaten our rear at any time. If our army needs to transport supplies, we would have to send large detachments to escort them. Therefore, I'm afraid we would need at least 300,000 troops to conquer Tibet, and hundreds of thousands of laborers to transport supplies."

Zhang Yang had less than 200,000 troops when he started his rebellion at Liangshan, although he later recruited many Song soldiers. However, most of them were stationed in various places, so how could he possibly muster 300,000 troops? Besides, the Dali and Yue Li dynasties in the south were invading, and they couldn't be ignored. But unwilling to let Tibet reap the benefits for free, he thought for a moment and said, "What if we had a large number of cannons to help?"

Seeing that the young emperor seemed to intend to attack Tibet, Zhong Shidao hurriedly said, "Tibet doesn't have many cities. Once our country launches an attack, Tibet probably won't engage us in direct combat. In that case, the cannons would be of little use. If Tibet were to follow the example of the Western Xia's scorched-earth policy and constantly harass our rear, even if our dynasty sends 300,000 troops, the outcome would be uncertain. Moreover, if our army were to focus all its efforts on attacking Tibet, it might alert the Western Xia and prompt them to attack our rear. It would be better to first recover lost territory, reorganize our army, and wait for the right opportunity. Currently, the Western Xia is without a ruler, and Li Qianshun has no heir. The Dangxiang people are inherently cruel, and an internal strife might break out

. In that case, our country could reap the benefits. If we can conquer the Western Xia, our dynasty will have land for raising horses. As long as we recuperate for several decades, we can restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties." By the end, Zhong Shidao's eyes were shining.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang secretly shook his head. It seemed that conquering Tibet on his own strength would be quite difficult, and even with an army of 300,000, many soldiers would likely die. It seemed he still needed to quickly assemble an iron cavalry from the Mongolian grasslands.

Objectively speaking, the most formidable military force in the 12th century was probably the Mongols, not only because of their excellent horsemanship and archery, but also because their tenacity was unparalleled among all ethnic groups. The constant warfare between tribes had cultivated their exceptional adaptability to combat. Mongol soldiers could fight on horseback for days and nights with minimal food and rest. The traditions of their primitive clan society instilled in them extremely strict military discipline, with absolute obedience to their leaders.

Zhang Yang believed that given time, with his improved skills, he could convince them that he was the messenger of the Eternal Heaven. In that case, an iron cavalry could be quickly organized, making it much easier to conquer other countries without sacrificing his own people. Furthermore, the Mongol cavalry had few moral constraints; wherever they went, they could requisition food locally. Even if the enemy adopted a scorched-earth policy, the Mongol army could eat the mares they carried with them, and even drink horse blood raw. The Mongol army only needed water and pasture. It seemed no other nation dared to turn its land to scorched earth to resist invasion, thus eliminating the need for further attacks. They could simply wait a year or two to collect the corpses.

This time, upon returning, he would find someone to understand the current situation and customs of the Mongolian steppe, then find time to unify them, and then he could resolve the issues with the various states.

Although Zhang Yang had already devised a method to conquer Tibet, he didn't intend to let Tibet off easily this time. He asked, "If Tibet attacks, can you defend the border?"

Zhong Shidao didn't want the emperor to think he was incompetent, so he quickly replied, "Last time it was the combined forces of Western Xia and Tibet that forced me to retreat to Weizhou. If it were only Tibet alone, I can certainly protect the city."

Zhang Yang nodded, "In that case, I will teach Tibet a profound lesson this time. Generals, set up some soup kitchens outside the city. It's estimated that famine victims from the western states will flock here soon." "We must do everything we can to relieve the people's suffering."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shidao said, "Many people in the city have also run out of food. After so many days of consumption, the city's grain reserves have dwindled to only about three thousand shi. With the addition of more than ten thousand troops from Xihe, I'm afraid we won't be able to provide relief to the people."

Zhang Yang replied, "Relieve the people first. I have already ordered the nearby prefectures to allocate grain. Xichuan is prosperous, and the treasuries of the various prefectures are full of money and grain. I have already sent a letter to Weizhou to transport grain, and I believe they will not dare to delay. In this way, I will write a letter to each prefecture urging them to do so. You can send someone to deliver it by fast horse."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shidao hurriedly had paper and ink presented to him.

Zhang Yang wrote several letters urging the delivery of grain and ordered Zhong Shidao to send them.

Sure enough, that very day, people from the surrounding villages who had escaped the Western Xia massacre came to the city to beg for food. Zhong Shidao quickly set up soup kitchens in the city to help the people.

Within days, the city was indeed filled with refugees from the east. Although neighboring prefectures were also sending money and grain, medicine was scarce, and the wounded and sick in the city could not receive relief for a time, leading to constant cries of anguish.

To save more people, Zhang Yang led his troops westward as soon as the first batch of grain arrived. Along the way, they witnessed the devastation caused by the great fire, with many people starving to death not far from Weizhou. To provide relief to the people arriving from all directions, Zhang Yang had to order the establishment of a soup kitchen every ten li along the official road.

When Cage retreated, he divided his forces and looted in all directions, and the fire almost spread to all areas. Fortunately, Cage was eager to return and seize the throne, and only the area within a hundred li of Weizhou was burned to the ground. Further west, only the villages near the cities were affected.

Seeing that the Celestial Empire had swiftly defeated the Western Xia and Liao kingdoms, the prefectures of Xichuan submitted their petitions of allegiance. Upon receiving a letter from Zhang Yang, they quickly organized troops to transport grain to Weizhou.

Zhong Shizhong then organized people to transport supplies to the western front, and twenty days later, Hezhou had several thousand shi of military provisions again. ...

Chapter Sixty-Two:

After conquering two strongholds, he left a thousand soldiers to guard the area, preparing to carve out his own territory in the four northwestern prefectures. The Tibetan garrison in Huangzhou, upon learning that the Celestial Empire had only sent 20,000 troops to Hezhou, didn't take it seriously, only sending 3,000 troops to reinforce Anchuan Fort.

The Tibetans guarding Anchuan Fort, relying on its easy defense and the large amount of grain they had looted, were not afraid of a Celestial Empire siege. Only when they learned that the Hezhou troops were already twenty li outside the fort did they stop their looting and retreat into the fort, preparing to defend it to the death.

As night fell, Anchuan Fort, perched high on the hill, resembled a giant beast lurking in the darkness, and the screams emanating from within made even passing birds and beasts dare not linger. Occasionally, wild animals attempting to spend the night on the mountain would be instinctively shot down by Tibetan hunters, both overt and covert, after only a few steps.

Upon reaching the foot of the hill, Zhang Yang found it heavily guarded and circled around to the side. What appeared to be a steep and insurmountable cliff to ordinary people was no different from flat ground in Zhang Yang's eyes; in a few dozen breaths, he had reached the top. Clinging

to the outside of the city wall, Zhang Yang activated his search device. Finding no one within a few dozen meters, he leaped into the fortress.

Just as he landed, he heard a commotion ahead, mixed with lewd sounds. Following the sound, Zhang Yang went to a courtyard where a bonfire was burning. Dozens of Tibetan soldiers were raping dozens of women they had abducted, while dozens more waited in line.

Most of the women were on the verge of death, their bodies covered in bruises, clearly having been violated by countless Tibetan soldiers. Remembering the horrific scenes of the massacres he had witnessed in the villages he had passed through, his eyes instantly filled with murderous intent. He heard footsteps behind him. He quickly slipped into the shadows and hid in a corner. Once the patrolling soldiers were a little further away, Zhang Yang's eyes had cleared. He carefully surveyed his surroundings and then slipped into the backyard.

Although there were constant patrols along the way, Zhang Yang, with his superhuman eyesight and hearing, easily evaded them and entered the backyard. The security in the backyard was noticeably looser than in the front, so Zhang Yang began assassinating people room by room. He killed dozens in succession, but Zhang Yang felt no pity; instead, his killing intent intensified. Each Tibetan leader's house contained several women, and even young girls. Although Zhang Yang was prepared, he hadn't expected the Tibetan soldiers to be so brazen.

Seeing the trickles of blood flowing out, he felt a brutal pleasure.

Lost in the thrill of revenge, Zhang Yang killed all the Tibetan leaders in the backyard and then moved towards the front yard. There were significantly more soldiers patrolling ahead. As Zhang Yang leaped out of a window, he was spotted by two patrolling soldiers.

"Who goes there?"

one of the ill-fated Tibetan soldiers shouted, only to see the black-clad figure flash past, already upon him. A sharp pain in his neck followed, and he lost consciousness. Another Tibetan soldier, about to draw his sword, also had his throat slit by Zhang Yang.

Although Zhang Yang's movements were swift, his shout had alerted the nearby patrolling Tibetan soldiers. Seeing that his search device indicated four soldiers were approaching, and finding no other worthwhile assassination targets, Zhang Yang decided to give the Tibetans another taste of their power. He grabbed a Tibetan soldier's saber and crouched in the shadows of a corner.

The two soldiers who had rushed over, seeing the two fallen soldiers, quickly blew their horns. The low horn sounded, breaking the stillness of the night, then abruptly stopped. Only

after the soldiers blew their horns did Zhang Yang leap out, his steel blade flashing, and two streams of blood shot into the air.

Before the corpses even fell, Zhang Yang turned and charged at the two Tibetan soldiers who were rushing towards him.

True to his savage origins, he was incredibly ferocious. Seeing a man in black charging at them, the two Tibetan soldiers howled and brandished their swords at Zhang Yang.

Ignorance breeds fearlessness. Zhang Yang darted in front of them, ignoring their swords, and with a swift swing, both heads rolled to the ground.

Zhang Yang kicked the two headless corpses aside, then instead of fleeing, he slowly strolled towards the fortress.

A group of Tibetan soldiers who had rushed over at the sound of the commotion saw a man in black slowly emerging from behind the fortress and began shouting questions.

Zhang Yang listened to their rambling, then shrugged helplessly. He had originally intended to say something grand and impressive, but it seemed like a waste of breath. He couldn't very well run back to the palace and tell the historians that he had said a few words before he acted.

Disappointed, Zhang Yang swiftly moved in front of the leading Tibetan soldiers, using his abnormal speed to fell dozens of them to the ground in a matter of seconds. Several Tibetan soldiers, still breathing after being cut in half at the waist, watched their comrades fall almost simultaneously, seemingly oblivious to the pain in their bodies; not a single one groaned, only staring in horror at the demon-like Zhang Yang.

Seeing that his steel sword was somewhat dull, Zhang Yang casually switched to another and headed back towards the front courtyard. He then walked down the mountain amidst the horrified gazes of the Tibetan soldiers behind him.

After a period of chaotic commotion, the Tibetan soldiers realized their leaders in the rear courtyard were dead. Terrified that Zhang Yang would return, and without their leader, they fled towards Huangzhou before dawn, carrying their looted goods.

News of the Tibetan soldiers' escape naturally did not escape the notice of the Heavenly Army's scouts. Xin Xingzhong, hearing of the fleeing Tibetans, thought of the emperor who had just returned to camp. A mixture of awe and a desire to achieve merit arose within him.

Zhang Yang, who had just rested, heard Xin Xingzhong's request for an audience and dressed again to let him in.

"Your Majesty,"

Xin Xingzhong said, "the Tibetan soldiers have fled towards Huangzhou. I request permission to pursue them." Zhang Yang shook his head, saying, "In the darkness, the Tibetan soldiers cannot have gone far. Go and assemble the cavalry to await orders. At daybreak, you will lead the troops in pursuit, driving the fleeing Tibetans towards Wachui Village. If the Tibetans at Wachui Village refuse to let you in, do not attack. Wait until the main army is assembled before attacking."

Xin Xingzhong, upon hearing this, hurriedly accepted the order and left.

As soon as the Heavenly Army saw a glimmer of dawn, Xin Xingzhong led his waiting cavalry out of the village. Zhang Yang left five hundred soldiers to guard Anchuan Fort and then led the main army towards Wachui Village.

Witnessing the carnage in the villages along the way, Xin Xingzhong's cavalry was filled with murderous intent. Only Xin Xingzhong's timely intervention temporarily saved the lives of several hundred Tibetan soldiers. Xin Xingzhong pursued these soldiers to Wachui Village. As soon as the Tibetans opened the city gates, Xin Xingzhong led his troops in a charge. Under the onslaught of two thousand enraged cavalry, the Tibetan soldiers, who had enjoyed themselves for days, were no longer willing to fight. They abandoned the village and fled after a short time. ...

05-09
Chapter Sixty-Three: The Easy Pacification of the Western Frontier

. Several hundred cavalrymen who saw the opportunity escaped.

The routed Tibetan soldiers returned to Huangzhou. To avoid responsibility, they naturally exaggerated the strength of the Celestial Empire's army. Zhang Yang, who had infiltrated Anchuan Fort at night, was also greatly embellished. The already incredibly skilled Zhang Yang, after their exaggeration, was almost portrayed as the incarnation of a devil.

The Tibetan leader occupying Huangzhou was a habitual bandit who had frequently led his tribes to harass Song territory. He was well aware of the Song army's strength and had also learned that the troops from the west that the Celestial Empire had sent were the same northwestern troops who had marched south to Jiangnan earlier that year. Naturally, he refused to believe the claim that the Celestial Empire's troops were superior, and he was even less inclined to believe the talk of demons. He immediately ordered the execution of several of the fleeing leaders and spent a large sum of money to borrow 10,000 Tibetan soldiers from Kuozhou and Xiningzhou. He personally led his troops to set up camp at Anlongzhai, preparing to resist the Celestial Empire.

However, the fire set by the Western Xia before their departure and the looting by various Tibetan tribes had left many Xihe soldiers with their families destroyed. The entire army was filled with righteous indignation and came with a burning hatred. They fought with fearlessness, and their fighting strength was naturally much higher than usual. Although Zhang Yang's skills were not as exaggerated as the deserters' descriptions, they were still not something an ordinary person could withstand.

After leaving a thousand soldiers to guard Wachuizhai, Zhang Yang led his main army without stopping towards Anlongzhai, setting up camp thirty li outside the city.

As night fell, Zhang Yang infiltrated Anlongzhai and, finding the Tibetan troops unprepared, showed no mercy, assassinating hundreds of Tibetan chieftains and leaders before setting the camp ablaze and leaving.

Awakened by the night raid's horns, the Tibetans discovered that almost all their leaders had been killed, and the troops they had borrowed hastily retreated. Without their chieftain to lead the battle, the Tibetan troops in Huangzhou dared not linger and fled towards Huangzhou. Zhang Yang

did not pursue them. After dividing his forces to garrison Anlongzhai, he led his main army slowly towards Huangzhou.

The Tibetan leader stationed in Huangzhou, upon hearing of his chieftain's death and the retreat of the two reinforcements, led his troops back to his stronghold.

After easily recapturing Huangzhou, Zhang Yang sent men to occupy key strongholds. His army rested briefly before heading straight for Xiningzhou. Zhang Yang then advanced ahead to Kuozhou, carrying out a series of assassinations, causing the Kuozhou troops to retreat in panic. Under Zhang Yang's assassinations, the fortresses and strongholds of Xiningzhou were quickly breached. The Tibetan army was a patchwork of border tribes. Hearing of the assassinations of their leaders, the noble chieftains were no longer willing to take the risk and quickly withdrew their troops.

As the fleeing soldiers escaped, news of the Heavenly Dynasty's assistance from the Night Demon God gradually spread throughout Tibet, preventing Tibetan tribes from daring to invade for several months.

After arranging defenses, Zhang Yang headed straight for Jiaozhou.

Upon arriving outside Jiaozhou, he saw dozens of miles of continuous camps and the Heavenly Dynasty's flags fluttering in the wind. Seeing the banner of General Hua Rong flying above the leading camp, Zhang Yang landed there.

Zhang Yang's mount was now famous throughout the land. Before Zhang Yang even landed, the guards in the military camp began to salute in welcome. A general on duty also quickly came to greet him.

Zhang Yang remembered that this general was from Hua Rong's family and had been promoted to centurion due to his bravery in battle. He returned the salute and asked, "Is General Hua in the camp?"

"General Hua went into the city early this morning, and it seems that the generals of the other battalions have also gone into the city. Please, Your Majesty, rest in the main tent. I will send someone to invite General Hua back immediately."

Zhang Yang waved his hand and said, "No need. Prepare a warhorse for me, I will go into the city."

Jiaozhou was located on the border between the Miao and Han people. After the chaos in the Central Plains, various Miao tribes launched uprisings one after another, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities wherever they went. Fortunately, Prefect Wang Wen informed the entire city of the tragic situation of the people in the border counties and villages, and the people in the city united to defend the city, thus preventing its fall. It was not until the reinforcements from Yang Wen, Zhang Kai, and Hua Rong's forces were sent that the Miao tribes were repelled. After several days of recuperation, the city had begun to regain some life, but there were few pedestrians on the streets, and many people were still wearing mourning clothes, a testament to the tragic nature of the defense.

The weeping of orphans and widows added to the oppressive atmosphere.

Zhang Yang, upon entering the city, was immediately affected by the atmosphere, and his mood became heavy as well.

Yang Wen, Zhang Kai, Hua Rong, Du Xue, Fang Jie, and Lu Da, the six generals, were discussing the aftermath with Wang Wen, the prefect of Jiaozhou, in the government office when they heard of the emperor's arrival and hurriedly came out to greet him.

Zhang Yang dismounted in front of the government office and noticed a gaunt old man in the prefect's robes walking alongside Hua Rong. He carefully observed him—although he had been fighting in the northwest for the past few months, battle reports from various places were still arriving day and night, and he greatly admired Wang Wen's desperate defense of the city. Seeing one of the old man's arms hanging limply at his side, he couldn't help but nod in approval. It seems Wang Wen is indeed a selfless civil official, a rare find who can still consider the overall situation and not be blinded by personal feelings.

Seeing the emperor dismount, Wang Wen led the entourage of officials behind him in the kneeling ceremony of the imperial court, bowing low. Just as they bent over, Zhang Yang helped them up.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Everyone, please rise. Has your injury improved, Minister Wang?"

Seeing the emperor inquire about his injuries upon their first meeting, Wang Wen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Although he was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of Song and had served under two emperors, having met both Zhezong and Huizong, he had never received such treatment. Coupled with the portrayal of the emperor as supreme and unapproachable in feudal society, Wang Wen truly felt an urge to give his life for him. Fortunately, decades of self-cultivation had allowed him to suppress the urge to kowtow and swear an oath. Although he had heard that the emperor was approachable, he still dared not look directly at him, lowering his gaze to the emperor's feet and saying, "It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious. Thank you for your inquiry, Your Majesty."

Zhang Yang laughed, "The prefect personally braved arrows and stones to defend the city; he is truly a model for all officials. When I return to

court, I will personally write an edict to commend him." Wang Wen, already flattered by the emperor's inquiry about his injuries, did not want to become a thorn in the side of the officials again, and hurriedly said, "This humble subject was merely fulfilling his duty; how dare I accept such praise from Your Majesty?"

"While fulfilling one's duty is one's responsibility, in times of great calamity, it is rare for someone to remember their duty. You deserve this praise; I want the whole world to know where duty lies."

Nowadays, most of the officials in the various prefectures are former Song Dynasty officials. Although Zhang Yang believes that the miracles he has spread and the series of great victories he has achieved can intimidate them, he also knows that intimidation alone cannot make them wholeheartedly devote themselves to his work. Although many people like high-ranking positions and generous salaries, for many others, an imperial edict of commendation is more powerful.

Although Wang Wen did not want to accept this imperial edict, seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, he had no choice but to express his gratitude.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Subduing the Miao People Although

all six divisions received orders to reinforce Jiaozhou simultaneously, Hua Rong's division, composed entirely of cavalry and newly equipped with fine Western Xia warhorses, arrived in Jiaozhou nearly ten days earlier than the other five divisions. Upon hearing this, he said, "After our division arrived in Jiaozhou, some Miao tribes began to retreat. When Generals Yang and Zhang arrived with their troops, we decisively defeated the Miao and captured over ten thousand. After General Du arrived with thirty thousand troops, many Miao tribes submitted surrender documents, demanding the ransom of their prisoners. His Majesty handles Liao and Western Xia prisoners in the same way, and I, your humble servant, wish to do the same, but Prefect Wang has insisted on the unconditional release of the Miao, which is why it has been delayed until now."

Zhang Yang, having roughly understood the disagreement between the two through the battle report, nodded and looked at Wang Wen, saying, "Prefect Wang has dealt with the Miao people for decades." "I'd like to hear your opinion."

Wang Wen had been trying to persuade Hua Rong and the others to release the prisoners, but without success. Seeing the emperor's inquiry, he quickly said, "The Miao people are exceptionally fierce, but they are also extremely superstitious. Our dynasty was able to easily defeat them this time, not only because of the elite troops of the three generals, but also because of the new artillery. With a hundred cannons firing simultaneously, many Miao people knelt and begged for surrender. Furthermore, the miraculous news of Your Majesty's swift retreat from Liao and Western Xia has spread here, making the Miao people afraid to fight again. However, the Miao people are poor. If they are forced to pay a large sum to ransom the prisoners, their lives will surely become difficult, and they may then risk everything again. It would be better to release them to show Your Majesty's benevolence and win their hearts, which could bring decades of peace."

Hua Rong, since raising his army, had always been on the front lines, but the military strength in Yan'an Prefecture was vastly different. Huyan Zhuo, to protect his cavalry, had not allowed him to fight. The battle to annihilate Wang Qing was also fought when Wang Qing's army was outside, and Zhang Yang had also accepted Li Zhu's surrender. The cleanup of the mess hadn't yielded much military merit. Having finally led troops in several battles against the Miao people and gained some credit, they naturally didn't want Wang Wen to attribute the victory to the artillery. Hearing this, they retorted, "Does Lord Wang perhaps believe that the artillery deserves more credit than our three divisions?"

The arguments of the past few days had allowed Wang Wen to understand the thoughts of these military generals, and he didn't want to offend these founding heroes and imperial relatives. He had already placed everyone's merits first in his speech, but seeing Hua Rong still questioning him, he couldn't help but look somewhat troubled.

Zhang Yang wanted to promote Wang Wen to a high-ranking border official and didn't want him to create a rift with the generals, so he waved his hand and said, "Minister Hua, don't be impatient. What Prefect Wang said is indeed reasonable. I've long heard that the Miao people are very superstitious; in a way, they are one of our own."

However, the others didn't know that Zhang Yang was referring to modern matters, and upon hearing this, they all thought of the ethereal heavens.

Zhang Yang, however, didn't want to benefit the Miao people. He wouldn't sacrifice so many innocent lives for decades of peace. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Now Dali and the Yue Li Dynasty have already occupied dozens of prefectures in Guangnan, and the army has no time to entangle with them here for long. I can release the prisoners. But each tribe must swear allegiance, and each tribe must form an army at a ratio of one out of every two able-

bodied men. I will march south to attack Dali, otherwise, I will send troops to conquer the villages. Wang Wen, you can inform the tribes to give me a reply within two days." The Miao people are inherently fierce, and having spent years in the mountains, they are all skilled in martial arts, and there are often disputes between the Miao and Han people. If the strong and able-bodied Miao people can be recruited into the army, they will be easier to manage. Moreover, through these few days of contact with the Miao envoys, Wang Wen also learned that many of Zhang Yang's myths have spread throughout the Miao villages, and many Miao people believe that Zhang Yang is a god descended from heaven. In addition, many chieftains (Miao leaders) have been captured, and the tribes no longer have the will to fight against the Celestial Dynasty. Moreover, the Miao people had experience fighting in the northwest during the Song Dynasty to earn money. Now, with over 15,000 prisoners, many tribes had captured most of their men, so they would inevitably choose to submit. Once the Miao alliance breaks apart, the other tribes would be powerless to refuse.

Wang Wen pondered for a moment, then said, "His Majesty's foresight is truly beyond our reach."

Dali was, after all, a kingdom, while the Miao were only a few dozen tribes of varying sizes. Conquering the Dali kingdom would obviously be more meritorious than annihilating a few dozen tribes. Furthermore, Hua Rong had personally inspected the terrain in various places over the past few days. The Miao were mostly encamped deep in the mountains and forests; even if they fought again, his cavalry would be of little use. Even if he won the position of Commander-in-Chief, those deep mountains and forests would be detrimental to large-scale warfare. Now was a time for the court to wage war; if they were to annihilate the Miao at a great cost, His Majesty would likely not agree. Having considered the pros and cons, Hua Rong no longer objected.

Seeing that the emperor had spoken and Hua Rong remained silent, the other generals also offered their praise.

Zhang Yang waved his hand to stop the chorus of praises, saying, "Wang Wensheng is appointed Military Commissioner of Chengdu Prefecture, in charge of the military affairs of the prefecture."

Upon hearing that he had suddenly been promoted to a high-ranking official, Wang Wen quickly kowtowed in gratitude.

Zhang Yang encouraged Wang Wen a few more times, then turned to the generals and said, "The people of Guangnan are still suffering from the massacres in Dali, and the Miao people are no longer able to fight. You need not linger here any longer. Yang Wen will lead his troops to guard Jiaozhou, and once the grain supplies from the various prefectures arrive, he will escort them to the front lines. The other tribes will be led by Hua Rong, and tomorrow they will proceed to the Xuhen tribe to prepare for an attack on Jianchang Prefecture of Dali."

The generals, upon hearing this, hurriedly bowed and accepted the order.

The envoys from the various Miao tribes were already in Jiaozhou gathering information. As soon as Wang Wen conveyed Zhang Yang's decree, several tribes whose chieftains had been captured agreed. While the other tribes hesitated, the next day they heard that a large army was already marching towards the Xuhen tribe outside the city. The Miao people, who regarded the new gunpowder as divine thunder, naturally did not believe that the embroidered wooden fortifications could protect them. The survivors of the following afternoon traveled together to Jiaozhou to pay homage to the new emperor. Troops from various tribes were also brought outside the city, partly to bolster their courage and partly to prepare for the new emperor's selection of soldiers.

Dozens of Miao chieftains and leaders entered the city, where junior officers led them to the government office.

Wang Wen, however, was known for his impartiality and careful protection of Miao interests. Several nearby Miao chieftains, seeing Wang Wen greeting them at the government office, showed a hint of shame on their faces and knelt down to kowtow and beg for forgiveness.

Wang Wen quickly helped them up and led them into the courtyard.

Just as they entered the courtyard, a loud eagle cry rang out from the sky. Looking towards the sound, they saw three giant eagles flying swiftly from afar. Within moments, they had reached the sky above the government office. As they drew nearer, the giant eagle appeared even more ferocious, seemingly poised to pounce on the group. Several timid chieftains began to retreat in panic. Then, a figure leaped from the eagle's back, somersaulted several times in the air, and landed steadily before the group.

Seeing Wang Wen bow and kowtow, shouting "Long live the Emperor!", the chieftains realized the Emperor had arrived and hurriedly knelt to greet him. Several brave chieftains, seeing the Emperor land so easily from several meters in the air, were even more convinced that the Heavenly Emperor was a divine being descended to earth.

Seeing the fear in the eyes of the crowd, Zhang Yang knew his act had not been in vain. After exchanging greetings and reprimanding the Miao people, he ordered each tribe to select their elite troops to accompany him on the southern expedition. ...

Chapter Sixty-Five: The Conquest of Dali. The land

was lush and green, and the soldiers, walking through the verdant mountains and clear waters, showed little fatigue. Coupled with their unwavering faith in Zhang Yang's past victories, they were not worried about defeat, each viewing the Dali campaign as a long journey and a chance to gain merit.

As Zhang Yang was leisurely admiring the surrounding scenery, a scout galloped up from the front. Reaching him, the scout reined in his horse, saluted, and reported, "Report! The vanguard of the Miao army has discovered a Mosuo (ancestors of the Naxi people) tribe; they are burning, killing, and looting."

Zhang Yang glanced at the lush forests on both sides of the road and frowned. "Tell them not to set fires, lest it cause a major fire?"

The soldier was taken aback. "Just not to set fires?"

Hua Rong, standing nearby, shouted, "Does His Majesty's order need to be repeated?"

The scout, realizing he had spoken out of turn, turned ashen-faced and turned to dismount and apologize.

Zhang Yang waved his hand. "You've done nothing wrong. Go and relay the order."

The scout looked gratefully at the emperor who had created so many miracles, dared not hesitate any longer, saluted, and rode off.

Hua Rong waited until the general was far away before saying, "Your Majesty, if we allow the Miao people to plunder, it might delay our battle. Perhaps we should order my troops to be the vanguard."

Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "The Miao people are familiar with the terrain and are used to roaming the mountains and forests, making them suitable for fighting those tribes. Our army is exhausted from our long journey, so let the soldiers rest. The Miao people are good at open field battles, but conquering cities and territories still depends on our Han soldiers. The Dali troops are already hundreds of miles away, and the Jianchang Prefecture troops cannot be too many. After we capture Jianchang Prefecture, we will head straight for Huichuan Prefecture. We must break through the Dali capital before the Dali troops return to reinforce."

Hua Rong nodded upon hearing this and said, "Your Majesty..." "The defenses within Dali are weak. Our army's morale is high, and with the aid of gunpowder, we will surely conquer

Dali with unstoppable momentum. However, these Miao people are fierce by nature. If we let them return to their hometowns, they might cause trouble for the local area. It's better to expend most of their strong and capable men in Dali." Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "The Miao people are fierce by nature. They are the best choice for mercenaries. This time, the Yue Li Dynasty dared to invade our Central Plains. If I don't conquer this small country, I won't be able to quell my hatred. The Yue Li Dynasty has many mountainous and forested areas, so there will be

a place for the Miao soldiers to use their skills." Hua Rong, upon hearing that the Yue Li Dynasty was to be conquered, couldn't help but consider how much use his cavalry could be. Zhang

Yang didn't say much, but simply enjoyed admiring the surrounding mountains and rivers.

After traveling a short distance, they saw a village on a mountaintop with several fires burning, standing out conspicuously amidst the green mountains and clear waters. Several hundred Miao soldiers were chasing some Mosuo women on it.

Seeing that most of the Miao soldiers were still clearing the way, Zhang Yang didn't bother with them and simply ordered his men to urge the rear guard.

All the troops of the Celestial Empire were elite. The Miao soldiers were skilled on foot, and Zhang Yang had allowed them to plunder along the way. Having not yet tasted victory, the Miao soldiers pressed on even harder. Before the sun had even set, Jianchang Prefecture was already on the horizon.

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, watching the ever-growing imperial army on the horizon, felt a chill run down his spine.

The Dali Duan family had never established their kingdom through military force. Furthermore, the Duan family was devout Buddhists, and since the founding of the kingdom, several emperors had become monks, leading to the flourishing of Buddhism within the country. Buddhism emphasizes compassion, so the Duan family naturally didn't build a large army. In addition, with various regions within the country fragmented, the royal power was concentrated only around Erhai Lake. Dali had historically maintained good relations with its neighboring countries, never engaging in border conflicts. Although the current emperor, Duan Heyu (the prototype for Duan Yu in Jin Yong's novels), was diligent in governing, his only ambition was to reclaim the throne from the Gao family. Unexpectedly, after the powerful minister Gao Taiming returned the throne to the Duan family according to his father's dying wish, his greed remained unquenched. Hearing of the chaos in the Central Plains, he colluded with the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty to plot a restoration, and almost all the troops loyal to the royal family in the country were transferred abroad.

Although he had already reported to the emperor that the Heavenly Dynasty's troops were gathering on the border, there were no troops available in the capital. He never expected that the Heavenly Dynasty would sweep away the north so quickly and repel the Liao and Western Xia. He had originally thought that the Central Plains would be divided up by various countries, so he sent three thousand troops to plunder some wealth. Now, there were only two thousand troops and several thousand temporarily conscripted men left in the city. He didn't know if they could hold out until the main army returned to reinforce them. The Heavenly Army had been marching for a day and was exhausted. If they forced an attack on the city, it would be good for these men who had only trained for a few days to familiarize themselves with city defense.

As the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture was observing the battle formation, a general rode up to within a hundred paces of the city, reined in his horse, and shouted, "Listen, garrison commander! Our Emperor, in accordance with Heaven's will, does not wish for the people of Jianchang Prefecture to suffer. If you surrender the city, our Emperor will still grant you control of this region. Surrendering the city will ensure the safety of the people within and also guarantee your wealth and status. Once war breaks out, the city will be reduced to dust. A wise man submits to circumstances; garrison commander, think carefully!"

Dali was a region ruled by various Bai ethnic nobles. The Duan family's power was mainly concentrated around Erhai Lake in Dali, while the Gao family, who had once usurped the throne, had ruled the secondary capital, Chanfu (present-day Kunming), for generations. The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture was also a regional warlord, and upon hearing this, he began to consider the pros and cons.

The deputy general, who had been bribed by the Celestial Empire's spies, seized the opportunity to say, "This Celestial Empire has only been established for a few months, yet it has already defeated the Liao and Western Xia, and the Western Xia emperor has even died in battle. Our country and the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty are far weaker than those two countries, and we have no chance of winning. Rather than be buried with the Duan family, we should..."

The prefect next to him also said, "Our families were all enfeoffed by the Duan family, but now the Gao family is in power in the country. We should also find a wise ruler."

The garrison commander looked at the two of them thoughtfully and said, "There must be quite a few people in the city who share your thoughts, right?"

The deputy general did not deny it.

The prefect, however, remained unfazed and said, "Several families within the city do indeed intend to submit to the Celestial Dynasty, but they are awaiting your approval, sir."

The garrison commander sighed and said, "I've long heard that the Celestial Dynasty has a group of assassins who can easily assassinate enemy generals, yet this time they haven't attacked me. It seems they've already gained control of the city's situation, so why should I make a futile struggle? Open the city gates and surrender."

Just as Zhang Yang was expecting an internal conflict to erupt within the city, he saw the city gates already wide open, and the city's civil and military officials had lined up in two rows to greet him. He smiled and said to Hua Rong beside him, "It seems the garrison commander in this city has considerable power, and he's a man who knows when to yield. In that case, we'll have to keep him."

Hua Rong nodded and said, "Those men we bribed seem to lack courage; otherwise, there would have been a bloodbath. But since he's sensible, letting him temporarily retain his post shouldn't lead to any unpleasantness."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Alright, Yang Wen's troops will come into the city with me, and the other troops will camp outside." With that, he spurred his horse and rode into the city.

Chapter Sixty-Six: A Night of Romance Under the

Black Dragon Banner of the Dynasty. The common people didn't care what the emperor's surname was; as long as they weren't forced to fight on the city walls, they would all shout "Long live the Emperor!" Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos. As long as they could survive, few commoners dared to risk rebelling against the court. At night, the people of the city would sleep soundly, just to save on lamp oil.

In contrast to the darkness and desolation of the city, the government office was brightly lit, filled

with the sounds of decadent music, a lively scene indeed. Inside the main hall of the government office, tables were laden with fine wines and delicacies. The generals of the Celestial Dynasty, the Miao chieftains, and the city's powerful officials each sat at several tables according to their status, drinking heartily to the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments.

The waitresses serving wine and dishes were all beautiful women, each lightly made up, their clothes as thin as cicada wings, moving gracefully through the hall. Several uncouth chieftains occasionally grabbed and pinched the pretty waitresses, and the maids' coquettish cries stirred the hearts of the crowd.

Several ethnic minority girls dancing gracefully before the banquet, dressed daringly, flaunted their breasts and legs, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Although Zhang Yang had been on the throne for several months, this was his first time attending such a banquet. Watching the increasingly provocative dance in the hall, he couldn't help but shake his head. All the concubines, princesses, and royal consorts of the Song Dynasty in the palace were exceptionally beautiful; why hadn't he thought of having them perform a sexy dance?

Seeing the emperor shake his head, the prefect of Jianchang Prefecture assumed Zhang Yang disliked the dance and gave a wink to the steward beside him.

Soon, the dance in the hall changed to a more ethnic dance.

Two young girls and a boy, dressed in pure white, moved to rhythm with their steps, using their hands and bodies to imitate the movements of birds and animals, as well as people gathering and working. It seemed quite charming.

However, this dance was clearly not as appealing to the aroused chieftains as the previous sizzling dance. With nothing else in the hall to attract them, their attention turned entirely to the maids. Some even began to embrace and kiss the maids intimately.

Seeing their increasingly unruly behavior, Zhang Yang said to the chieftain of the Xuhen tribe, "Let those tribal leaders who are not intoxicated go back to their rooms to rest." The

Xuhen tribe was a large tribe of over ten thousand people. The chieftain, who was seated at the same table as Zhang Yang, had already seen Zhang Yang give disapproving glances to the unruly leaders. Hearing this, he quickly got up and dismissed the chieftains. Seeing this,

the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture gave a few more instructions to the steward, who then selected several maids to follow.

Without the interference of the chieftains, Zhang Yang could now fully immerse himself in watching the ancient Bai ethnic dance. To the accompaniment of simple music, a beautiful and sweet-looking girl in white floated in from outside. With the changing steps of her four partners, she sometimes danced like a colorful butterfly, sometimes swayed like a willow. Her snow-white dress and pure appearance made her seem like a fairy descended from heaven. As she danced, Zhang Yang felt a sense of ethereal beauty, his thoughts drifting back to the green mountains and clear waters he had seen during the day.

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, seeing the emperor staring intently at his daughter, couldn't help but feel a surge of smugness.

Bai Ling, seeing the young and handsome emperor staring at her, felt a pang of disdain. If her father hadn't instructed her to showcase her dancing to the fullest, she probably would have already turned and left. Suppressing her impatience, she danced for a while before realizing that the emperor's gaze wasn't following her. Instead, he was staring blankly ahead.

Bai Ling, accustomed to the admiring glances of those around her since childhood, felt a surge of annoyance when she saw Zhang Yang lost in thought. She paused her dance steps where Zhang Yang's gaze fell, hoping to bring him back to his senses.

Zhang Yang lingered amidst the green hills and clear waters for a long time, only snapping back to reality when the music faded. He only caught a glimpse of the beautiful woman's resentful glance.

Zhang Yang thoughtfully turned to the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture beside him and said, "That woman just now wasn't an ordinary dancer, was she?"

Hearing the emperor inquire about his daughter, the garrison commander replied happily, "That's my daughter."

No wonder she possessed such an otherworldly air. A girl from a humble family had to consider her livelihood, and a dancer's status was low; it was impossible for her to cultivate such an aura. Only someone with no worries about food and clothing and a pure heart could exude such a natural grace.

If she was his daughter, it was probably not just a simple dance performance. If she could become his concubine and rise to the status of a royal relative, he wouldn't have to worry about discarding her after she had served her purpose.

Zhang Yang was a man of great energy. After more than a month of military campaigning in the Northwest, he had some needs to be met. Upon hearing this, he praised, "She's beautiful and dances well. Your Excellency has given birth to a wonderful daughter."

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, upon hearing this, quickly thanked Zhang Yang for his praise.

Lost in his thoughts, Zhang Yang lost his appetite for wine. After a few more cups, he said, "I'm a little sleepy. Everyone should rest early; we have to march tomorrow."

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture personally arranged for Zhang Yang to rest, then turned and left the courtyard, summoning his daughter.

Bai Ling was still annoyed by Zhang Yang's disregard. Hearing that the music in the front hall had stopped, she scolded, "Is the Emperor asleep?"

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture glanced at his daughter, whom he had cherished since childhood, and didn't know how to start the conversation. He could only vaguely reply, "Yes, I just arranged for His Majesty to go to his guest room."

Seeing her father's hesitant expression, Bai Ling asked suspiciously, "Did that Emperor give Father a hard time?"

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture shook his head and said, "No, he acted just like a wise ruler. However, I heard that His Majesty

doesn't trust him and might strip the power of various families in the future. I, as his father, cannot help but worry."

Bai Ling was also a clever person. Upon hearing this, she asked, "Then what is Father thinking?" "What can we do?"

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture said with difficulty, "Unless we can establish a relationship with the Emperor. Speaking of which, the Emperor is young and handsome, and he unified the Central Plains so quickly. He can be called a great ruler."

Seeing her father suddenly praising the Emperor, Bai Ling subconsciously said, "Father, do you want me to marry the Emperor?"

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture nodded and said, "Your sisters are all ugly and unattractive. I'm afraid the Emperor won't find them pleasing. If there are other candidates, I don't want to force you. Moreover, with your looks and talents, you won't be neglected by the Emperor if you marry him."

Although Bai Ling had been deeply loved by her father since childhood, she had become more sensible in recent years and knew that as the daughter of a powerful family, she would definitely be sold for a good price. She was somewhat prepared for this. It was precisely this indifferent personality that allowed her to maintain the innocence of her girlhood. In addition, Zhang Yang was handsome and extraordinary. His great achievements in sweeping the world in a few months were exactly the image of a prince charming in Bai Ling's mind. Hearing this, she didn't have any resistance. She just remembered Zhang Yang's disregard for her earlier. Worried, she said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to catch His Majesty's eye."

Seeing his daughter's quick agreement, the Jianchang Prefecture garrison commander laughed, "Ling'er, you're overthinking it. His Majesty just praised your beauty and your dancing."

Hearing this, Bai Ling felt a little better and smiled sweetly, "Then I'll go say goodbye to Mother now. Father, please arrange everything."

Seeing his daughter about to leave, the Jianchang Prefecture garrison commander hurriedly said, "Daughter, please wait."

Bai

Ling looked up at her father, curious, "Father, is there anything else?"

The Jianchang Prefecture garrison commander blushed at his daughter's clear eyes, but for the sake of the family's interests, he reluctantly said, "His Majesty will be leading his troops on a campaign tomorrow, and he probably won't be returning from here. If you want to arrange a marriage, it has to be tonight."

When Bai Ling returned after her dance, she saw the steward arranging many of the clan's young women into the rooms of the chieftains. Hearing this, Bai Ling was stunned and said, "Father, I think of

the Jianchang Prefecture garrison commander." Hearing this, the garrison commander sighed and said, "It's not that I don't love you, but you wouldn't want the villages and towns where you grew up to be taken over by someone else, would you?"

Bai Ling thought of the idyllic Lugu Lake and the simple, honest Mosuo people around it. She nodded and said, "Please continue to treat those Mosuo tribes kindly in the future, Father."

The Jianchang Prefecture garrison commander knew that his daughter had spent her childhood there, and nodded firmly, "Don't worry, Ling'er. Father will definitely protect them."

Bai Ling bowed to her father again and then walked towards Zhang Yang's residence.

The Jianchang Prefecture garrison commander watched his daughter's retreating figure, his lips twitching a few times, but ultimately remained silent.

Zhang

Yang lay in the bath, enjoying the blissful sensation of his pores opening. He hadn't expected that such a rare hot spring in the north would be owned by a mere prefectural garrison commander in Dali.

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture wouldn't dare serve the emperor with his own inferior goods, so he specially arranged for two beautiful women to be selected from his family outside the city during the banquet. One reason was to serve the emperor, and the other was that they could later help his daughter in the palace.

The highest-ranking official these two women had the opportunity to interact with was their own family head; even if they occasionally had fantasies, they only considered the Dali emperor. Hearing that he could serve someone even more powerful than Dali... The emperor, whose wealth was many times greater than that of the Celestial Emperor, and whose family members had also received generous rewards from the clan chief, entered the government office with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.

After being instructed in some bedroom arts by several women, he was sent here to serve the emperor.

The two young girls, upon seeing the emperor, were secretly amazed by his youthful good looks, and their hearts were filled with even more romantic thoughts. When Zhang Yang undressed, seeing his strong physique, their hearts fluttered, and their faces flushed with shyness.

Looking at the two beautiful, shy girls, Zhang Yang couldn't help but secretly praise the outstanding people and resources of Xichuan.

The two girls sensed Zhang Yang's... Their eyes met for a moment, then they began to loosen their robes.

With each movement, glimpses of their snow-white skin were exposed to the air.

Zhang Yang's gaze quickly burned with desire, and his erection surged, splashing water.

Although Zhang Yang tried to breathe deeply and relax, as the women's high, firm breasts and lush pubic hair were gradually revealed, he realized he hadn't yet reached the point of controlling his desires, especially after more than a month without female companionship.

The two women walked to Zhang Yang's side with their heads down, and before they could speak, they noticed his raging dragon beneath the surface . Remembering what the women had taught her before she arrived, her jade-like face flushed crimson. However, still harboring thoughts of bringing honor to their clan, the two women suppressed their shyness and approached Zhang Yang to bathe him.

As the women moved, their bodies inevitably came into contact, and Zhang Yang quickly felt an uncomfortable throbbing in his lower body. No longer able to resist, he embraced the maid in front of him, his hands roaming over her smooth back and rounded buttocks.

The maid felt as if Zhang Yang's hands possessed magic; wherever they touched, strange sensations arose, and her body temperature rose steadily.

Zhang Yang lowered his head and kissed the maid's luscious red lips, gently parting her teeth to savor her sweet saliva.

The girl had only been hastily taught some bedroom skills, never expecting this. Her face flushed instantly, like a peach blossom intoxicated with wine, incomparably beautiful. Under Zhang Yang's caresses, she soon became aroused, her

tongue entwining with his.

Sensing the girl's arousal, Zhang Yang's large hand quietly slipped down her shapely buttocks into her deep crevice, touching something wet and hot.

The girl's most vulnerable spot was suddenly attacked. Her delicate body trembled as if electrocuted. She let out a soft moan and tightly wrapped her arms around Zhang Yang's neck. After

a few moments of tongue-twisting, Zhang Yang saw that the girl's face, still struggling to breathe, was already flushed red. He then released her lips.

The girl dared not look at Zhang Yang, burying her face in his chest.

Seeing a sloping area for bathing nearby, Zhang Yang picked up the girl and placed her on it, then buried his face between her budding breasts.

The girl felt her breasts swelling, her nipples gradually hardening. Occasionally, the emperor's warm, wet tongue would brush against the peaks, sending shivers of pleasure through her. A small fire seemed to ignite within her, burning her body, causing her to writhe and sway, her lower body increasingly itchy.

Finally, with the girl's movements, their lower bodies made intimate contact. The girl then remembered the old woman's instructions, and with a sudden thrust, her lower body swallowed the raging dragon. But this was followed by a tearing pain, the previous pleasure quickly fading, and tears welling in her eyes.

Zhang Yang, also experiencing a sudden surge of pleasure, gasped. Seeing the girl's pale face, he didn't rush to seduce her, but instead gently kissed her eyebrows, cheeks, and neck, guiding her to renewed arousal.

The young girl hadn't expected the noble and majestic emperor to be so gentle and considerate towards her. Grateful, she looked at him and, as the pain of losing her virginity subsided, gently began to rub her lower body. Soon, she was overwhelmed by immense pleasure, wildly swaying her body.

Zhang Yang waited until the girl's small mouth emitted waves of lewd moans before beginning his assault.

After a long while, the girl cried out and collapsed limply onto the slope.

Seeing that the girl was no longer able to continue, Zhang Yang pulled over another maid.

This girl, having watched the erotic scene for a while, was already weak and, pulled by Zhang Yang, fell into his arms.

Zhang Yang reached down and touched the girl's crotch, feeling her overflowing desire. After a slight caress, he also led her onto the path of life.

Bai Ling hesitated outside for a while before finally gritting her teeth and entering the house. As soon as she entered, she heard strange noises and a girl's shrill cries coming from the bathroom. Bai Ling curiously entered the bathroom and saw Zhang Yang engaging in a passionate encounter with a second maid.

Seeing the two making such shameful contact, Bai Ling couldn't help but gasp in embarrassment.

Seeing Bai Ling's innocent face, Zhang Yang became even more excited. His hands, which were wrapped around the girl's buttocks, suddenly tightened, lifting her entire body up.

The girl instinctively spread her full, long legs and wrapped them tightly around Zhang Yang's waist.

Zhang Yang carried the girl to the edge of the pool, revealing a devilish smile that tempted others to fall, and said to Bai Ling, "Why don't you come down and take a bath too?"

Seeing Zhang Yang's playful gaze, Bai Ling's heart fluttered, and she lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes.

Zhang Yang knew she must have been instructed by her family to come here, and he wasn't afraid she would escape. He admired the blush spreading across Bai Ling's innocent face while continuously thrusting his lower body.

The girl was almost suffocating from Zhang Yang's powerful thrusts, only able to relieve the suffocating pleasure through continuous moans.

Bai Ling, inhaling the lewd atmosphere in the room, felt her heart pound wildly at the sounds of their bodies colliding and the girl's moans. Fortunately, her naturally serene and aloof nature allowed her to maintain a sliver of clarity, but remembering her father's instructions, she began to loosen her robes. Soon

, a perfect body was exposed to the air. Her translucent skin was like uncarved jade, her small breasts and slender waist were exquisitely flawless, and her proportions were perfect.

Zhang Yang, looking at Bai Ling's near-perfect body, couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. Once Bai Ling was in the water, he had her lie on the edge of the pool and began his assault from behind. He pulled Bai Ling close and began kissing and caressing every inch of her skin.

Under the double assault of Zhang Yang's teasing and the girl's wanton moans, Bai Ling's clear eyes quickly ignited with flames, and her small hands actively caressed Zhang Yang's strong body.

Watching the innocent little angel gradually transform into a wanton harlot, Zhang Yang was also aroused. However, to further tease Bai Ling, he continued his assault on the crawling girl.

As her lower body tingled, Bai Ling's attention gradually shifted to Zhang Yang's genitals, and for the first time, she felt jealousy—again, towards the crawling girl.

Finally, with Zhang Yang's efforts, the girl let out a soft cry and collapsed limply to the edge of the pool.

As soon as Zhang Yang withdrew, Bai Ling eagerly rushed towards him.

Zhang Yang smiled wickedly, choosing to gradually guide her onto the path of life, wanting to give her a beautiful memory.

After a slight pain, Bai Ling tasted an intoxicating pleasure, as if she had returned to her childhood paradise, running freely in the world.

Bai Ling only remembered reaching the greatest pleasure of her life, feeling as if she had ascended to the clouds, her whole body light and airy. ...

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Taking Directly to Dali. Zhang

Yang opened his eyes and saw three beautiful young women beside him, his mood exceptionally cheerful. She felt their pink legs and jade-like arms pressing against him. After dressing, he left the room, taking a deep breath; even the air felt sweet.

Once outside the main hall, Zhang Yang sent for his generals and the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture.

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, upon learning that his daughter had spent the previous night at the Emperor's residence, was also beaming with joy. Upon arriving at the main hall, seeing only the Emperor, Zhang Yang finished his greetings and asked, "Did Your Majesty sleep well last night?"

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "I haven't slept so soundly in a long time. I'm even a little envious of you, living in such a beautiful place."

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture hurriedly said, "This place is far away and remote, how can it compare to the bustling and prosperous capital? If Your Majesty likes it here, you can come and stay here when you have some free time from official duties."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "It's rare that you have such a thoughtful thought. Official duties are very busy, and if I return to the capital, I'm afraid I won't have time to come here again."

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture also felt that this was a rare opportunity, fearing that Zhang Yang would use his daughter and leave, or that the Emperor hadn't even touched his daughter last night. He tentatively asked, "My servants are clumsy and incompetent, so I sent my daughter to serve Your Majesty. Has she offended Your Majesty?"

Seeing that he had finally mentioned Bai Ling, Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Indeed, she is quick-witted and skillful. Even more remarkable is her beauty and talent. You have a fine daughter."

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, seeing the Emperor's high praise for his daughter, hurriedly said, "It is truly a blessing for my family that my daughter receives such praise from Your Majesty. If my daughter were fortunate enough to serve Your Majesty, it would be an honor for the entire clan."

Zhang Yang did not want to abandon Bai Ling, and Dali needed the cooperation of the Bai people to quickly stabilize the situation and provide the army with a stable rear for attacking the Yue Li Dynasty. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Your daughter is beautiful and talented, and even more rare is her gentle nature. I have been considering taking her as a concubine."

Bai Hu, the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, hearing that the matter was settled, hurriedly kowtowed to thank the Emperor for his grace.

Just as Zhang Yang told him to rise, Yang Wen, who was stationed in the city, arrived.

Once all the generals outside the city had arrived, Zhang Yang said, "Speed is of the essence in war. I must conquer Dali before the Dali troops return to reinforce us. What do you all think we should do?"

Hua Rong said, "Gao Taiming has transferred the troops in Dali City to Guangnan. Now, the various prefectures in Dali only have a few thousand troops left. Even if they all come to Dali's aid, they cannot withstand our army's momentum. In my opinion, it would be better to directly attack Shanju County, then cross the Jinsha River at Shigu Town, and then attack Dali directly. We should be able to capture Dali before the Dali army returns to reinforce."

Bai Hu, the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture, shook his head and said, "Although General Hua's route is the shortest, the daughter of the Li family in Shanju County is married to the current King of Dali, Duan Heyu. This time, when Gao Taiming led his troops on the expedition, the Li family only sent a thousand troops as a formality." "There are still over five thousand soldiers in the prefecture. If we take the route through Shanju County, it will be difficult to capture it quickly, and Gao Taiming's army will have to return to reinforce. The Yang family of Huichuan Prefecture has a blood oath with me. If we take the route through Huichuan Prefecture, as long as I write a letter, they will surely surrender

to our dynasty. Crossing the river from there will be much faster." Hua Rong said, "Our army has gunpowder that can blow up the city walls. Without the advantage of terrain, Shanju County's five thousand soldiers probably won't last an hour. If we detour through Huichuan Prefecture, it will take much longer."

The garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture didn't know what gunpowder was, and hearing Hua Rong's confidence, he didn't say anything more.

Zhang Yang didn't take the five thousand men seriously. Moreover, the situation in Dali was different from that in the Central Plains. Nobles in various places were divided, and even in Jianchang Prefecture, there were several large families. Each family could gather several thousand soldiers at any time. Although their combat strength was not great, if they caused trouble in various places, they would be enough to make him suffer. Only by conquering Dali with the force of an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves could he deter the nobles in various places. Thinking of this, Zhang Yang said, "Five thousand soldiers are indeed insignificant. Lord Bai, send a letter to the garrison commander of Shanju County. If he doesn't know what's good for him, I will take his head first. Hua Rong, lead the five troops outside the city ahead; I will follow later. Bai Qing, prepare five days' worth of rations for the army. Yang Wen's troops will transport the rations and provide support later."

The generals accepted the order and went to arrange their troops.

After everyone left, Zhang Yang went back to his quarters.

The three newly deflowered girls were still fast asleep. A thin blanket had somehow fallen to the floor, exposing their snow-white, plump thighs, full, round breasts, and delicate petals to the air.

Seeing this erotic scene, Zhang Yang felt his blood boil. Since he had the giant eagle to ride, he could catch up with the army at any time. So he took off his clothes, naked, and squeezed onto the bed.

After Zhang Yang's burning gaze swept over the three women, it settled on Bai Ling's face. The once pure and ethereal Bai Ling now seemed like a fairy seduced by the devil, her innocent face radiating a hint of spring, seemingly capable of arousing even more lust. Her perfect body was completely exposed to the air, two pink cherries adorning her proudly erect breasts, her smooth, delicate skin as translucent as white jade.

Zhang Yang leaned over Bai Ling, his mischievous finger lightly tracing the delicate, rosy nipple, then flicking it.

Bai Ling, still lost in slumber after a long and passionate night with Zhang Yang, only managed a soft moan when stimulated, without opening her eyes.

Watching the slight trembling of her nipples, Zhang Yang could feel the firmness and elasticity of Bai Ling's breasts. Although the young girl lacked the voluptuousness of a mature woman, her youthful body possessed a unique allure, especially since Zhang Yang, who usually played with mature women in the palace, found occasional novelty incredibly arousing.

Seeing Bai Ling's charmingly naive appearance, Zhang Yang couldn't help but feel a surge of playfulness. His large hands began on her smooth, glossy shoulders, savoring her silky skin, her small, firm breasts, and her long, voluptuous thighs receiving particular attention.

With Zhang Yang's caresses, Bai Ling's breathing gradually deepened, and her body slowly flushed a rosy pink. Finally, when Zhang Yang's large hand slid to the inside of her thigh, Bai Ling, sensing something amiss, opened her beautiful eyes. Meeting Zhang Yang's playful gaze, her heart fluttered, and she closed her eyes again.

Seeing that Bai Ling was awake, Zhang Yang's large hand relentlessly probed deeper into her flower.

Bai Ling felt Zhang Yang's movements and recalled the pleasure of the previous night, her body trembling involuntarily.

Zhang Yang, however, ignored her trembling body, as if electrocuted, and lowered his head to kiss Bai Ling's alluring lips again.

Soon, Bai Ling was also aroused.

Feeling the natural progression, Zhang Yang thrust his hips forward, entering her smoothly.

A strange sense of fulfillment overwhelmed Bai Ling, causing her to lose all restraint. Her fragrant lips quickly released a string of alluring sounds. The two maids, awakened by the lewd noises, joined the fray.

Zhang Yang was in high spirits that day, only ceasing their activities at noon. The three women, however, were too weak to get out of bed for a meal. ...

Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Situation

in Dali. The Dali forces resisted the southward advance of the Celestial Empire, but that very night, the elders of the Li clan were all assassinated. Under the coercion and enticement of the Celestial Empire's envoys, the other nobles in the city took advantage of the chaos within the Li clan and launched a rebellion, slaughtering them.

When Zhang Yang led his troops to the city walls, the nobles all surrendered. After appeasing the nobles, Zhang Yang ordered the collection of boats to prepare for crossing the river.

The Jinsha River was as clear as the rivers they had seen upon entering Dali, but it lacked its usual gentleness. The rapid current crashed against the hidden reefs, creating a deafening roar, and the snow-white waves were awe-inspiring.

After crossing the Jinsha River, the army could march straight to Dali. There were no more important towns or fortresses along the way, and Dali's garrison had already been completely redeployed. The generals were somewhat dissatisfied with this expedition. Although they were about to annihilate a kingdom, there hadn't been many tough battles, and the rewards they received would naturally be meager. They shook their heads inwardly as they looked at the turbulent river.

Zhang Yang turned to Yang Yi, the Bai chieftain who had just been appointed governor of Shanju County, and asked, "How many boats have you collected?"

Although Yang Yi was also a powerful Bai clan leader, he wasn't a prominent figure among the city's nobles. He had only obtained the high position of governor by offering his daughter to the emperor, just like the garrison commander of Jianchang Prefecture. Looking at the boundless army behind him, Zhang Yang's heart pounded. He said, "I have gathered all the ships within a fifty-mile radius. Including the naval vessels, there are over thirty large ships and nearly three hundred smaller ones."

Zhang Yang didn't intend for any separatist forces to emerge within his territory, which was why he had appointed a relatively weak chieftain. This meant he could only rely on himself to maintain his current position. Leaving some troops in the city would be enough to ensure his conquest of the Yue Li Dynasty. Once he was free, he would abolish these chieftains. Zhang Yang didn't

want these chieftains to take risks, especially since the man before him still had some use. He nodded and said, "You have done a good job. After conquering Dali, I will record your military merit."

Although Yang Yi had only recently submitted to the Celestial Dynasty, he had learned from the Celestial Dynasty's military generals the importance of military merit. Even for civil officials, those with military merit were given priority for promotion. Hearing this, he quickly kowtowed and thanked the emperor.

Zhang Yang opened the map, glanced at it, and said, "Hua Rong's cavalry will cross the river first. Afterwards, I will personally lead the cavalry to capture Dali. Zhang Kai's troops will cross the river and then go to Dali to provide support. The other four troops will cross the river and then directly attack Nongdong Prefecture (Yao'an). Afterwards, I will go there to join you and fight the main force of Dali."

Hua Rong was stunned upon hearing this, saying, "The cavalry doesn't have siege equipment. I'm afraid the

cavalry alone can't take Dali." Zhang Yang laughed, "There are only a little over a thousand soldiers left defending Dali. If Dali is so large, how can they hold it? I will personally seize the gates."

Seeing that the emperor had said this, everyone went to arrange the crossing.

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Dali Royal Palace. Duan Heyu looked at the panicked civil and military officials below and couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. His ancestors had many capable ministers and generals when they founded the country, but how come he only had some incompetent fools left in his generation? The few talented individuals among them were from the Gao family, but unfortunately, the Gao family harbored treacherous intentions. Thinking of this, he sighed and said, "Now, ten thousand cavalry from the Celestial Empire have crossed the Jinsha River and are rushing towards Dali. What should we do, my ministers?"

Vice Chancellor Gao Taiyun said, "The city now only has a thousand troops left, which is unlikely to stop the Celestial Empire's army. It would be better to temporarily avoid their advance and move the capital to Dongdu (Shanshan Prefecture, present-day Kunming). After the Chancellor leads the main army back, we can then seize the opportunity to retake the capital."

"Dongdu is your fiefdom. Even if I reclaim Dali, the throne will likely belong to your Gao family by then." Duan Heyu remained noncommittal, turning to his nephew, Duan Wu, the garrison commander of Dali, and asked, "Do you think Dali can still be defended?"

Duan Wu, having lost most of his troops to the Gao family, was already very wary and naturally didn't want to be sent into the lion's den again. Seeing the emperor looking at him, he quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty should hold firm and await reinforcements."

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Taiyun rebuked him, "Duan Wu is trying to kill Your Majesty! I beg Your Majesty to punish him for treason!"

Duan Heyu was used to the Gao brothers' audacity. Seeing them openly slander his nephew, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, but considering the current situation, he could only shake his head and say, "Minister Gao, please step down. Duan Wu, continue."

Gao Taiyun didn't dare to fight the emperor, glared at Duan Wu, and then reluctantly returned to his original position.

Duan Wudao said, "The Heavenly Dynasty's light cavalry will surely lack siege equipment. As long as we defend the city to the death, the Heavenly army will be unable to cross the line. Your Majesty should then order the troops of Tengchong Prefecture and the Qilan tribe to come to the aid of the emperor. Once the Prime Minister leads his army back, the Heavenly Dynasty's forces will be surrounded on three sides. With the Heavenly Dynasty's forces weakened

, tribes in Jianchang Prefecture will surely rise up in rebellion. At that time, the Heavenly Dynasty will be in a dilemma, and we can capture the Heavenly Emperor alive. Then it will not be difficult to force the Heavenly Dynasty to cede territory and pay reparations."

Duan Heyu nodded upon hearing this, saying, "What you say is very true. As long as we defend the city to the death, how can the Heavenly Dynasty's cavalry fly into the city? Duan Wudao, await your appointment."

"Your subject is here."

"I hereby appoint you as the Deputy Marshal of the National Army, responsible for resisting the invasion of the Celestial Empire. You are authorized to mobilize the able-bodied men within the city and the various western tribes at will."

Gao Taiming, through his campaign to divide the Central Plains, successfully seized control of most of the country's military forces. He then used the interests of the Central Plains as bait to bribe the thirty-seven eastern tribes. If all went according to plan, after capturing Guangnan, he would return home

and force Duan Heyu to abdicate. The situation in Guangnan changed rapidly overnight. While Gao Taiming and the Yue Li Dynasty were advancing triumphantly, debating how to divide Guangnan, the Celestial Empire had already conquered most of the prefectures in Jiangnan. Wang Yin and Si Xingfang had also subdued the remnants of the Manichaeism and led their troops into Guangnan. Subsequently, the forces of Dong Ping, Mei Zhan, and Xiang Yuanzhen also led their troops into Guangnan.

The Yue Li Dynasty, having encountered little resistance since its uprising, was arrogant and its soldiers and generals were overconfident. Upon contact with Wang Yin and Si Xingfang's forces, they suffered a crushing defeat. With ongoing resistance from various regions, the Viet Ly Dynasty was unable to defend its territory. Crown Prince Ly Duong Hwan, sensing the danger, retreated with his looted wealth back to the country.

With

the Viet Ly Dynasty's retreat, Gao Taiming dared not independently confront the multiple armies of the Celestial Empire. Fortunately, Gao Taiming had already depleted most of the troops loyal to the Duan family during this campaign. He then retreated towards his homeland with the intention of returning to reclaim the throne. The five armies of the Celestial Empire naturally pursued relentlessly.

Upon arriving in the former territory of the Wuhuan, Lu Shi, the brother-in-law of the Wumeng King Luo Shao, led the remaining Wumeng forces to intercept the retreating Dali army. Gao Taiming intended to annihilate the remaining Wumeng forces before turning back to resist the Celestial Empire's pursuit, but he learned that the Celestial Empire had already defeated the Western Xia and Tibetan kingdoms, and that the Celestial Emperor had directly led his army from Xichuan into Dali. Gao Taiming dared not linger any longer, defeated the remaining Wumeng forces, and hastily retreated back to the country.

Gao Taiyun had originally hoped to go to Guangnan to become a prince, but the situation deteriorated and Guangnan was no longer an option. Naturally, he was unwilling to let the Duan family seize power again, so he stepped forward and said, "Duan Wu is young and inexperienced, and I am afraid he is not capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility. I am willing to accept this order, and I beg Your Majesty to grant my request."

The civil and military officials who were affiliated with the Gao family also chimed in with their words.

Although Duan Wu was frequently warned by Duan Heyu to be careful, he was still young and impetuous. Seeing Gao Taiyun repeatedly offend him and show no respect for the Emperor, he was furious. Considering that the city's troops were now under his command, he reported, "Gao Taiyun's roaring in the palace is truly disrespectful to the Emperor. I request that he be punished for disrespect."

Gao Taiyun, who had been a tyrant for generations, even Duan Heyu had to give him some leeway, was initially shocked by Duan Wu's rebuke, but showed no fear. Instead, he pointed at Duan Wu and said, "Duan Wu has slandered a court official; I beg Your Majesty to punish him."

Those who were allied with the Gao family, seeing their master speak, also began to attack Duan Wu. Ministers loyal to the Duan family, seeing Duan Wu's attack, assumed the Emperor intended to eliminate the Gao family and also began to criticize Gao Taiyun. Duan

Heyu watched for a while, and seeing that the officials not only didn't quiet down but were escalating the situation, he became furious and shouted, "All of you shut up! My mind is made up. Duan Wu will remain in charge of defending the city." He then got up and headed towards the inner palace.

Gao Taiyun, seeing this, snorted angrily and also led his men away.

Duan Wu went straight to the inner palace. Upon seeing the emperor, he said, "Uncle, the troops in the city are all my trusted men. Why not take this opportunity to eliminate Gao Taiyun and his cronies, and then send a message to the frontline generals to kill Gao Taiming? Then my Duan family can regain power."

Duan Heyu shook his head and said, "You are still too young. The Gao family has been enfeoffed for generations. Gao Shengtai (Gao Taiming's father) even usurped the throne, but because the people remembered the merits of my Duan family, he instructed Gao Taiming to return power to my Duan family on his deathbed. The Gao family continues to hold power. Although the Gao family abdicated, their power in the court is deeply entrenched, and your troops are not..." "Completely reliable, otherwise Gao Taiming would certainly not have left them behind."

Upon hearing this, Duan Wu hurriedly said, "The soldiers under my nephew's command were all trained by me personally, and they are certainly loyal to my Duan family."

Duan Heyu waved his hand to stop Duan Wu, saying, "Even if we can eliminate Gao Taiyun and control the situation in the city, Gao Taiming is cunning and treacherous, and difficult to eliminate. Once we fail, the country will be torn apart. How can we then repel the Heavenly Dynasty? We might even face national ruin and the destruction of our family. Go and think it over carefully, and absolutely do not act rashly."

Although Duan Wu was still somewhat unwilling, seeing that Duan Heyu had already turned away, he also took his leave. ...

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Romance and Leisure

The Heavenly Army accidentally stormed into the city.

Duan Wu was very satisfied to see the soldiers fighting bravely. Duan Wu was not worried that the Heavenly Army would launch a night attack. Although the Heavenly Dynasty's army had surrounded Dali, he had also ascertained the strength of the Heavenly Dynasty's army through its movements. Although the Celestial Empire's army arrived quickly, they were light cavalry advancing without any siege equipment. They would certainly be unable to breach the city within a day or two, so Duan Wu only deployed a small force to defend it.

After inspecting the city walls, Duan Wu headed back to his residence to rest and prepare for the impending fierce battle.

Just as he reached his doorstep and was about to dismount, he heard a series of crisp hoofbeats from the north gate—the sound of warhorses' iron hooves pounding on the bluestone streets, and judging by the sound, there were quite a few of them.

Duan Wu sensed something was wrong, and then a fiery dragon appeared at the end of the street—the Celestial Empire's soldiers, torches in hand, charging towards them. Within moments, the riders were clearly visible. The leader, clad in golden armor, wielded a long golden spear, followed by a troop of black-clad, black-armored cavalry—the Celestial Empire's army, their imposing presence accentuated by the torchlight.

Duan Wu was about to flee when the golden-armored general at the forefront shot him off his horse with an arrow. Duan Wu stared in astonishment at the arrow piercing his chest, unable to believe until the very last second that someone could have pierced his priceless armor.

No matter how cautious the Dali guards were, under the cover of night, their sparse defenses were nothing more than a pile of clay and earthen walls in Zhang Yang's eyes. Zhang Yang easily infiltrated the city, silently eliminating the guards near the city gate. With his monstrous strength, he single-handedly opened the gate. The Celestial Empire's army thus easily entered Dali.

Zhang Yang casually shot down several men blocking his path. Without pausing, he spurred his horse straight to the Dali Imperial Palace. Upon arriving outside the palace, Zhang Yang waved his hand, and two centurions dispatched their men to gallop around the palace walls. In moments, the palace was completely surrounded.

Zhang Yang's horse had barely come to a stop when both quivers on his back were empty.

The dutiful head of the palace guards, seeing only inches of fletching remaining in his chest, struggled to shout something towards the palace, but no sound came out. Other palace guards standing near the palace gate were also shot off the city wall. Seeing their comrades in the center being shot off the city wall in an instant, the guards on both sides couldn't help but shrink back behind the battlements.

Zhang Yang shouted at the few pieces of armor peeking out from behind the battlements, "The Heavenly Emperor has entered the city! Quickly send Duan Heyu out to greet him, or we'll break down the palace gates and execute him without mercy!" The

surviving deputy commander of the guards on the city wall, hearing this, knew the situation was hopeless and hurriedly called out, "Heavenly Emperor, please wait! I'll go fetch the prince right away."

Seeing a dark figure crawling inside from the city wall, Zhang Yang reined in his horse and began to survey the night view of Dali.

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With the Heavenly Army at the city gates, although Duan Heyu wasn't worried that the Heavenly Army could fly into the city, the thought of his ancestors' wisdom and his own current predicament, both internal and external, kept him tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Just as he was beginning to feel sleepy, he heard the crisp sound of approaching hooves. Soon, this ominous sound echoed all around the palace.

There weren't that many cavalrymen in his city; could it be the Heavenly Army entering? Duan Heyu pinched his thigh hard. The excruciating pain almost made him cry out.

Confirming it wasn't a dream, Duan Heyu threw on a robe and went outside to assess the situation.

Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, the deputy commander of the guards came stumbling towards him, barely able to stand, and exclaimed, "The Heavenly Dynasty's army has broken in! The Heavenly Emperor is outside the palace gates. He wants Your Highness to go and greet him, otherwise..."

Hearing that the Heavenly Army had truly invaded, Duan Heyu sighed, his voice utterly dejected, "Open the palace gates and come with me to greet the Heavenly Emperor."

The palace servants and eunuchs, awakened by the sound of warhorses' hooves, saw the emperor walking like a zombie. The clever ones followed behind, ready to welcome their new master. The foolish ones simply bowed and greeted him as usual, only daring to rise after the emperor had gone far away.

Hua Rong had already led his troops to subdue the several hundred garrison soldiers in the camp. Upon arriving outside the palace, seeing that the emperor had not attacked the palace, he said, "Your Majesty, I have already taken control of the military camps and the four city gates. Please allow me to take this palace as well."

Zhang Yang laughed and said, "You have already captured the capital of Dali, so you should receive a second-class reward. Let them hand over this palace themselves. I believe Duan Heyu will not disappoint me."

Hua Rong had not contributed much this time and originally thought he would only receive a third-class reward at most. Hearing that he would receive a second-class commendation, he was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is benevolent."

As soon as Hua Rong finished speaking, the palace gates slowly opened, and Duan Heyu, disheveled, led his entourage out. He knelt and bowed, saying, "This sinful subject, Duan Heyu, Grand Master of the Palace, Military Governor of Yunnan, and King of Dali, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhang Yang, hearing Duan Heyu announce his Song Dynasty title, said in a deep voice, "Since you know that Dali is a vassal state of the Central Plains, how dare you send troops to invade the Central Plains?"

Duan Heyu, disregarding royal dignity, kowtowed to protect the Duan family line, saying, "Invading a superior state is not something this sinful subject would dare to do; I beg Your Majesty to investigate. Since Gao Shengtai, the Gao family has..." "They have been controlling the Dali court, and this military campaign was orchestrated by Gao Shengtai's son, Gao Taiming. This guilty subject is powerless to stop them and willingly accepts punishment."

Seeing that Duan Heyu had easily shifted the blame to the Gao family, Zhang Yang knew the situation in Dali was indeed as it was, but he didn't want to support the Duan family any further. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since you are incapable of ruling Dali, I will govern it myself. However, the blood of the people of the Central Plains cannot be shed in vain. As the King of Dali, you also have an inescapable responsibility. Therefore, I hereby punish you all to shave your heads and become monks. Without my decree, you are not allowed to leave the temple grounds, or you will be executed without mercy."

Influenced by his elders, Duan Heyu also had a fondness for Buddhism. Hearing that he was to be punished and sent to the temple, he felt no sorrow. Moreover, Zhang Yang had not punished the rest of the Duan family, and Duan Heyu, hearing that the Duan family's lineage could be preserved, loudly kowtowed in gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace.

Seeing the emperor kneeling before Zhang Yang, the palace maids and guards also submitted to him.

Zhang Yang ordered Hua Rong to arrange defenses, then commanded a eunuch to lead the way to the inner palace.

Although Dali was remote, it was quite prosperous, and the imperial palace was magnificent. Combined with Yunnan's abundant biological resources, the palace seemed full of life.

After days of galloping, he was covered in dust. Upon entering the underground palace, Zhang Yang remembered Wen and

asked the fawning eunuch beside him, "Is there a hot spring here?"

The head eunuch, upon hearing this, hurriedly nodded and bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty, please come this way."

The misty steam transformed the bath into a fairyland. Looking at the familiar bath, Zhang Yang couldn't help but recall the intoxicating pleasures of Jianchang Prefecture. Turning to the head eunuch serving him, he said, "Go and summon the Queen and a few concubines to serve me during my bath."

The head eunuch, who had already intended to summon some beautiful concubines to serve his new master, bowed and retreated without hesitation.

Zhang Yang soaked in the water for a short while. Then the steward led in five women, each with their own unique beauty. The woman in the lead was stunningly beautiful, dressed in a well-fitting palace gown that accentuated her graceful curves, yet her brows held a resolute air. Behind her were two women in their early thirties and two in their early twenties; the steward himself couldn't discern whether his master preferred mature women or young girls, so he had chosen two of each.

Zhang Yang looked at the five women with satisfaction and was about to dismiss the steward when he noticed a flash of fierceness in the eyes of one of the women behind him. He then had an idea. He activated his search device and discovered that the woman behind him was carrying an iron weapon. He chuckled, "I've long heard that Dali is a place of romance and beauty, but unfortunately, I've had no time to appreciate it all. Would my five ladies allow me to experience the famous flowers of Dali?"

The queen, the first among them, resolutely replied, "As the queen of Dali, I beg for a swift death now that Dali is gone."

Zhang Yang,

unwilling to execute such a stunning beauty, shook his head, saying, "Although Duan Heyu is incompetent, he still hopes to preserve his Duan family line. Why don't you consider this, madam?"

The queen shuddered at his words. The emperor's words were clear: if she refused, he would target the Duan family, and her son would not escape punishment. Thinking of her still-child, she sighed, removed her clothes, revealing a flawless, ivory-white body.

Seeing that the queen had yielded, the three women behind her also slowly loosened their sashes.

Watching the four women slowly undress, Lady Li of Shanju County grew increasingly anxious. Once they were naked, their true intentions would be revealed, making it impossible to assassinate the man who had wiped out her clan. She hesitated for a moment, then, hearing the steward urging her from behind, she knew that further delay would expose her to her enemy.

Thinking this, Lady Li gritted her teeth, pulled out a pair of scissors from her bosom, and lunged towards Zhang Yang in the pond.

The other four women, never expecting Lady Li's audacity, paled in shock.

The steward, however, collapsed to the ground in fear; if anything happened to the emperor, the soldiers outside would surely not spare him.

Seeing the emperor frozen in shock, Lady Li was overjoyed and grabbed the scissors, aiming for his heart. Just as she was about to succeed, Lady Li seemed to see blood gushing from her enemy's chest and hear his painful groans and repentance. Having avenged her great grudge, a crazed smile crept onto Li's lips.

At the critical moment, Zhang Yang twisted Li's wrist, and with a slight pull, Li cried out in pain, dropping the scissors. Zhang Yang casually tossed Li onto the edge of the pool, shouting, "How dare you attempt to assassinate me! Drag her out and beat her to death, and confiscate her entire family's property!"

The head eunuch hurriedly summoned several eunuchs to drag the unconscious Li out. He then kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This humble servant was negligent, allowing Li to disturb Your Majesty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Zhang Yang glanced at the head eunuch and waved his hand, saying, "Ignorance is no excuse. You may leave. However, the assassin's relatives in the city must be rounded up. You go and serve the assassin properly."

The head eunuch, upon hearing this, quickly thanked him and left. Outside the bathhouse, the head eunuch wiped away a cold sweat, inwardly cursing Li's stupidity, yet fearing that one of the other four women might try something improper. After thinking for a moment, he ordered Li to be dragged a short distance away.

Looking at the still unconscious Li Shi at his feet, the steward's eyes flashed with resentment and venom, and he cursed, "You wretched woman, you almost killed this old man! Today I'll make you taste the power of our family!"

Having said that, he snatched a wooden stick and struck Li Shi hard in the waist.

The pain jolted Li Shi awake from her unconscious state. Before she could even grasp the situation, the head eunuch struck her again in the waist, the feeling of her back breaking causing her to cry out in agony.

Hearing the faint screams from outside the courtyard, the four women turned pale with fright and trembled, prostrating themselves on the ground.

Zhang Yang laughed, "Rise, all of you. I am a man who cherishes flowers. If you know what's good for you, I would also like to bring a few famous Dali flowers back to Bianjing."

Hearing this, the four women kowtowed and rose, slowly wading into the water.

Looking at the four women, some plump and some thin, Zhang Yang's enthusiasm surged, and he pulled the beautiful queen close.

The queen stiffened at the emperor's rudeness, but thinking of her son, she softly leaned into Zhang Yang's arms.

Zhang Yang grasped the queen's trembling breasts with one hand and then touched her round, firm buttocks with the other.

The Queen was held tightly in Zhang Yang's arms, feeling a hot iron rod pressing against her lower body. Although she knew she couldn't escape it today, she still shifted her hips to avoid the shameful contact.

Zhang Yang's hands roamed freely over the Queen's body. Thanks to her excellent care, the Queen's skin was as smooth as fine satin, and her large breasts showed no signs of sagging.

The Queen was also aroused by Zhang Yang's experienced flirting techniques, unable to control herself. At first, she was just panting, but gradually an indescribable desire began to surge within her, as if it would burn her entire body. Burning so much that she forgot her modesty, twisting her hips as if trying to swallow the thing that could relieve her fire.

Zhang Yang had been with hundreds of women and was no longer a naive young man eager to penetrate. Seeing that the Queen's eyes were filled with lust, he twisted his lower body instead, preventing the Queen from succeeding for the time being.

The Queen, in the prime of her youth, chased after him for a while, but was blinded by the emptiness in her heart. Completely abandoning her composure, her jade-like hand grabbed Zhang Yang's lower body.

His lower body was enveloped by her soft, delicate hand, and Zhang Yang couldn't help but shudder. Seeing the Queen's fawning expression, he aimed and

thrust his hips forward, entering her smoothly. The Queen felt an unprecedented fullness in her lower body and let out a satisfied moan, then began to sway her slender waist wildly. Another sleepless night. ...

Chapter Seventy: Encirclement and Reinforcements

. Li Yanghuan, exasperated, urged his troops forward.

A little over a month ago, conquering cities and territories in the Central Plains was as easy as taking candy from a baby, but now, even retreating back home required leaving a contingent of troops to hold off the pursuers in order to escape safely.

Li Yanghuan lashed a soldier who was about to stop for a breather with his whip, scolding, "Don't stop! Do you want the Celestial Dynasty to break Thang Long?"

The soldier staggered a few steps from the whip's sharp blow, daring not to linger any longer. He could only endure the burning pain in his back and continue running forward with heavy steps.

Damn the Dali people! They were conquered by the Celestial Dynasty in less than a month! If I had known it would be so easy, I should have attacked Dali instead of stirring up this hornet's nest in the Central Plains. Damn Gao Taiming! He had tens of thousands of troops protecting him, yet he was still killed in his camp, and the entire Gao clan was wiped out by the Celestial Dynasty, allowing them to easily incorporate the Dali army and invade the Viet Ly Dynasty. Just

as Li Yanghuan was thinking this, he heard the rapid sound of hooves behind him and turned his horse around.

The knight approached Li Yanghuan, reined in his horse, and pulled a secret letter from his robes, reporting, "Report! A secret letter has arrived from Dali."

Li Yanghuan eagerly snatched the letter, tore off the seal, and skimmed through it, his brow furrowing even more deeply.

Having just set up the central tent, Li Yanghuan summoned all the generals.

The men, exhausted from their journey, were visibly weary. Several border chieftains, upon entering the main tent, immediately collapsed onto the ground, complaining of fatigue, as if they were far more tired than the soldiers who had run on foot.

Li Yanghuan was secretly angered by the chieftains' rudeness, but considering the current situation, he refrained from showing it openly.

Upon arriving, General Huang Jinman of the Li Dynasty saw several local chieftains behaving disrespectfully towards the Crown Prince, but couldn't help but shout, "The Crown Prince is here. How dare you take your seats?"

Shen Bao, the chieftain of Yunhe Cave, looked up and saw that Li Yanghuan in the center remained calm, which emboldened him. He retorted, "We abandoned our homes to come to the rescue of the capital; can't we even rest for a moment?"

Huang Jinman shouted, "When you were plundering spoils in the Central Plains, why didn't you rest then? Now that the fire is at your doorstep, you finally think of resting. If you want to stay, you can use it to resist the pursuing Heavenly Dynasty troops."

The local tribes along the border were superstitious, and upon seeing the Heavenly Dynasty's cannons, they suspected divine assistance. Coupled with the Heavenly Dynasty's rapid advance with multiple armies advancing simultaneously, the tribes dared not resist. Whenever the two armies clashed, the moment the cannons fired, the troops would flee in terror.

Although Shen Bao knew it was cannons, his local tribesmen, superstitiously believing they had offended Heaven, had no will to fight and dared not lead their troops to stay, muttering but unable to refute.

Seeing Shen Bao's defeat, the other chieftains obediently stood up on either side.

Seeing his companions gone, Shen Bao cursed their disloyalty, the damned Heavenly Dynasty soldiers, and the arrogant Huang Jinman, slowly rising.

Huang Jinman, from a military family, didn't take these chieftains seriously. Seeing Shen Bao seemingly cursing him, he flew into a rage, shouting, "If you speak disrespectfully again, don't blame me for disregarding our comradeship!" Seeing

the chieftains had already risen, Li Yanghuan, not wanting them to fight amongst themselves, waved his hand, saying, "Now that the nation is in peril, everyone must unite against external threats and not cause further trouble."

Huang Jinman, seeing the Crown Prince speak, could only nod, saying, "This humble general has been impolite; Your Highness, please forgive me." Only

after all the generals had arrived did Li Yanghuan say, "Today I... " Upon receiving reports from spies in Dali, it was revealed that the battle of Dali a dozen days prior was also caused by assassins infiltrating the city, killing the guards, and leaving the city gates wide open, which allowed the Celestial Empire's army to capture Dali. Gao Taiming also died in his military camp at the hands of Celestial Empire assassins. Combining these two events, it's clear that the Celestial Empire must possess a group of formidable assassins. Most of the capital's troops have already joined my campaign; if Celestial Empire assassins were to infiltrate the city again and cause chaos, the capital would likely have already fallen. How is it that the Celestial Empire has been besieging the city for over ten days,

yet they still manage to send out numerous distress signals from within?"

Hearing this, the generals fell into deep thought.

One general pondered for a while, but still had no clue, so he said, "Could it be that the Celestial Empire's assassins were all wiped out in Dali? The few remaining were unable to capture the city gates, were unfamiliar with the terrain, and couldn't speak the language, so they couldn't assassinate the officials either. Didn't the plea for help from the city also say that the Celestial Empire's troops only consisted of cavalry? Perhaps it's because they lack siege equipment that they haven't been able to succeed."

Upon hearing this, Huang Jinman shook his head and said, "Although the Celestial Empire's troops are light cavalry advancing swiftly, they have been unstoppable since Dali entered our country, and most of their supplies have been taken from our cities. From this, we can infer..." The Heavenly Dynasty's military might is formidable. Moreover, the Heavenly Emperor was able to unify the Central Plains within months and repel the Liao, Western Xia, and Tubo kingdoms, earning him the title of an unparalleled hero. Since he dared to launch a direct attack on our capital, he must have been extremely confident. Yet now he has halted his advance on our poorly defended capital; there must be some conspiracy at play.”

The general said, “The Heavenly Dynasty's army is deep in enemy territory. If our reinforcements arrive, it will be a fierce battle, even risking total annihilation. We should have acted swiftly. Being bogged down at the city walls is a last resort; what conspiracy could there be?”

—Li

Yanghuan, however, was filled with admiration for the Heavenly Emperor's great achievements. Just this May, the Central Plains were being divided among various states, and the Heavenly Emperor had risen from humble beginnings. Yet, in just a few months, he had not only repelled the armies of various states but also unified the vast Central Plains. While admiring such achievements, Li Yanghuan was also somewhat astonished. Guangnan was just a corner of the Central Plains, but even after spending several months trying, he still couldn't control it completely. As soon as the Celestial Empire's army marched south, he suffered a crushing defeat.

Thinking of the mythical emperor he was about to face, Li Yanghuan felt utterly lacking in confidence. He did hope that the Heavenly Emperor was arrogant and overconfident due to his victory, so that he might be able to kill him and gain even greater fame. However, considering his numerous glorious achievements, Li Yanghuan was more inclined to believe that a trap awaited him.

Thinking of this, Li Yanghuan said, "Even if the Heavenly Emperor is not a god descended from heaven as people in the Central Plains say, he is still an unparalleled hero. We must be very careful. General Huang, tell me, what kind of conspiracy does the Heavenly Dynasty have?" Huang Jinman

thought for a moment and said, "The Heavenly Dynasty's siege without attacking could mean either that they are waiting for reinforcements or that they are besieging a point to ambush reinforcements. If there is any conspiracy, it is that they want to use the capital as bait to lure our army to a decisive battle outside the capital."

Upon hearing this, Li Yanghuan was stunned. His entire army numbered only a little over 100,000, while the countries that the Heavenly Dynasty had defeated were all stronger than his own. The Western Xia had even mobilized an army of 350,000, yet they still suffered a crushing defeat. As for his own small, insignificant country, the Celestial Empire truly possessed the power to annihilate it in a single battle. Moreover, by deploying all its troops to the capital for a decisive battle, the Celestial Empire could minimize its geographical advantage. However, he received several imperial edicts daily, and if he did not go to the rescue, he would be unable to explain himself to his subjects. The only option now was to take a gamble; perhaps the Celestial Empire's troops would suddenly be afflicted with a plague.

Having made up his mind, Li Yanghuan's expression relaxed, and he laughed, "If that's the case, wouldn't the Celestial Empire be asking for trouble? Once my various armies unite to surround them, the Celestial Empire will surely be annihilated. Order all troops to speed up their march; after defeating the Celestial Empire's army, each soldier will be rewarded with ten taels of silver."

Seeing the Crown Prince's sudden surge of confidence, the generals praised his wisdom, except for Huang Jin, whose face remained worried.

Li Yanghuan observed the expressions on everyone's faces and thought to himself: Huang Jinman is indeed a capable general. If I were to inherit the throne, I should give him an important position. Perhaps then we could even retake the Central Plains. ... Chapter 71: Moths to a Flame

. For more than ten days, this river had become a veritable river of death. Every day, corpses floated downstream. At first, the people downstream worried that soldiers from their villages might retrieve the bodies for examination. But later, with hundreds and thousands of corpses flowing downstream every day, the residents on both banks gradually became accustomed to it and began to worry about the country. It wasn't that they were noble, but that they feared an even greater disaster was about to befall them. After news of the Heavenly Dynasty's army attacking the capital arrived, troops from all over the country rushed to the capital to provide relief. But more than ten days passed, and messengers from the capital still brought orders to come to the aid of the emperor every day, while soldiers from various villages drifted downstream along the Fulang River, their mother river, towards their doom. "Caw!" A carnivorous eagle circling above the river let out a joyful shriek, swooping down towards the corpses that had just been thrown into the river, lest their companions devour the fresh flesh. In an instant, the corpses were covered with falcons. Just as the eagles, having lost their footing, were regretting their actions, the listless captives on the riverbank threw even more corpses into the river, eliciting cheers from the falcons in the sky. The wolves, drawn by the smell of blood, could only howl enviously, running along the riverbank after the corpses, hoping that a few would wash ashore for them to feast on. The climate of the Viet Ly Dynasty meant that corpses would rot and stink within days. The soldiers urged the captives to throw the bodies of the Viet Ly soldiers into the river to prevent the spread of plague, while the fallen soldiers of the Celestial Dynasty were buried in the newly built cemetery outside the city. "Report! The Viet Ly Dynasty army has already assembled on the opposite bank, preparing to cross the river." Zhang Yang nodded, signaling the scouts to dismount, then turned to his generals and said, "They are cooperating well with our plan to besiege the enemy and ambush their reinforcements. Do you all see if there's anything amiss?" Hua Rong said, "These past few days, under His Majesty's leadership, we have annihilated tens of thousands of Viet Ly Dynasty troops. However, His Majesty personally leads the charge, always the first to kill enemy generals, which has kept our casualties relatively low. But the climate in Viet Ly Dynasty is hot and humid. Our soldiers are suffering from acclimatization issues, and most have already lost their fighting ability. Our warhorses are newly acquired fine steeds from Western Xia, where the climate is cool and dry. After being in Viet Ly Dynasty for about twenty days, they are now also largely incapacitated. If we allow tens of thousands of Viet Ly Dynasty troops to cross the river safely, I fear our casualties will be..." "Increase the number of troops. It would be better to wait until the Viet Ly Dynasty is halfway across the river and then attack. Anyway, as long as the orders to come to the aid of the king are constantly sent out from Thang Long City, the Viet Ly Dynasty generals will not dare to lead their troops to flee. Our army can then eliminate them in batches to avoid excessive losses." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "Although the Crown Prince of Viet Ly Dynasty dares not disobey, if he secretly sends a group of elite troops to various places to instigate local people to resist, it will also cause great trouble for our army. I have decided to annihilate the Viet Ly Dynasty's organized army in one battle. However, the Hua Rong tribe has suffered losses, and this battle will require General Yang's troops to be the main force. I wonder if General Yang is willing to take on this important task?" Zhang Yang had eliminated the two largest noble families in Dali, the Duan and Gao families, in one fell swoop. In order to appease the Bai people of Dali, he also had to appoint some other Bai nobles. The Yang family was one of the major Bai families that benefited. Yang Zhong, a rising star in the family, was also promoted to lieutenant general and commanded the only five thousand cavalry in Dali. Together with Zhang Yang, they rushed to attack Thang Long City. Yang Zhong had initially expected the Celestial Emperor's swift advance to result in a crushing defeat, but to his surprise, the Emperor personally infiltrated each city along the way, opening the gates and allowing the army to easily capture them, thus solving the food supply problem. The siege of Thang Long further demonstrated the Emperor's might to Yang Zhong and the Dali soldiers. Zhang Yang always led from the front in every battle, and his unpredictable archery and spear skills were virtually invincible. He personally slew almost every enemy general, and his terrifying archery skills instilled fear in the Viet Ly soldiers, who often only needed to deliver a single blow to eliminate them. Yang Zhong now had exceptional confidence in Zhang Yang. Upon hearing this, he stood up without hesitation and said, "Your Majesty's entrustment of such a heavy responsibility to this humble general demonstrates your trust in me. I will certainly fight to the death to complete it." Zhang Yang nodded, giving Yang Zhong an approving look, and smiled, "I will first kill the generals and crown prince of the Yue Li Dynasty, and then advance further . We will surely defeat the Yue Li Dynasty decisively. After the victory, you will be appointed a general, given ten taels of silver, and a Yue Li Dynasty female slave." Upon hearing this, Yang Zhong hurriedly kowtowed to thank the emperor for his grace. The Red River is located in the tropics and flows year-round. With several rivers flowing into it, its flow is also extremely large. When Li Yanghuan led his troops to Hebei, he discovered that the capital's navy had actually hidden there and escaped the attack. He then began to cross the river in batches. Out of reverence for the Celestial Emperor, Li Yanghuan waited until the last batch of troops had crossed before crossing the river himself. Due to Li Yanghuan's orders, the army that had crossed the river in the previous days maintained a high state of alert. However, for several days, not a single soldier from the Heavenly Dynasty left the camp. After the entire Yue Li army crossed the river, the soldiers relaxed their guard. Li Yanghuan also received news from the city that the Heavenly Dynasty soldiers were suffering from acclimatization problems, with most of them losing their fighting ability. Detectives at the crossing point also reported that warhorses were dying daily in the Heavenly army camp. After several investigations confirmed the reports, Li Yanghuan was overjoyed and gave a pre-battle pep talk to his generals on the night of the crossing. To avoid being assassinated in the camp like Gao Taiming, Li Yanghuan deployed several hundred soldiers to guard his main tent. At midnight, when most people were sound asleep and the sentries were most exhausted, the Heavenly Dynasty camp was shrouded in shadows. Five thousand soldiers from the original Dali army and more than three thousand of Hua Rong's still-fighting subordinates, with their mouths gagged and horses bells removed, quickly assembled under the leadership of their respective superiors. Zhang Yang was the first to rush towards the Yue-Li Dynasty camp. He infiltrated the central camp and, finding the main tent heavily guarded, moved to the surrounding tents. The other generals' quarters were also heavily guarded. To avoid alerting the enemy, Zhang Yang changed his target to lower-ranking officers, assassinating several hundred before returning to the central tent. After surveying the area and finding no ambushes, he charged directly into the tent. The first two soldiers who spotted him were immediately stabbed to the ground. Before anyone could stop him, Zhang Yang had already ripped open the tent and rushed inside.

Li Yanghuan, dreaming of defeating the Celestial Emperor and marching north to conquer the Central Plains, was beheaded by Zhang Yang in his dream. Zhang Yang used the oil lamp burning inside the tent to set it ablaze. He then charged out, carrying Li Yanghuan's head, stabbing down several soldiers who couldn't react in time. He didn't rush to escape, instead using a waist knife to cut down the guards and spread the fire to the surrounding tents. After setting several tents ablaze, Zhang Yang grabbed a burning stick and ran deeper into the camp, setting fire to the tents he passed.

The soldiers who rushed to the scene could only shout for their men to surround Zhang Yang, but the distance between them only increased.

The flames soaring into the sky were even more dazzling in the silent night. As the number of fires increased and the pursuing soldiers became increasingly chaotic, the camp quickly descended into disarray. With the discovery of the bodies of low-ranking officers, desertions soon began to appear.

Seeing the fires start, the Celestial soldiers mounted their horses and charged.

The thunderous roar of hooves shattered the morale of the soldiers in the camp. A few surviving chieftains, seeing the situation was dire, led their troops in a rout, followed by the soldiers from other villages along the border.

Huang Jinman, emerging from his tent to witness the chaos, panicked. He immediately mustered his personal guards to protect the crown prince in the central tent. Upon hearing of the prince's death, he cried out in anguish, "The fate of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen! Any man with any courage should follow me and fight the Heavenly Army!"

The nearby soldiers, thinking only of themselves and their families, disregarded the nation and, upon hearing this, many secretly fled into the darkness. Just

as Huang Jinman had gathered several thousand men, Hua Rong and Yang Zhong led their troops into the camp. Huang Jinman and his men naturally became their primary targets. Lacking support from lower-ranking officers, the Vietnamese-Li Dynasty soldiers were quickly scattered and cut down by the Heavenly Army. Huang Jinman himself perished in the chaos. Thus, the Vietnamese-Li Dynasty's organized army was almost entirely wiped out.

Chapter Seventy-Two: The immense prestige and godlike deeds of the Viet Ly Dynasty in its suppression of

bandits led to widespread acceptance of amnesty from the new court. Some joined the army, others abandoned their weapons and returned to farming. Those who resisted were swiftly swept away.

With peace restored, the land teemed with merchants, tirelessly traveling between states to maximize their profits during the new emperor's three-year tax exemption. In achieving their goals, they also helped cities quickly regain their former prosperity.

In contrast to the flourishing scene in the Central Plains, the Viet Ly Dynasty was desolate and bleak. The few people traveling on this land were either refugees or soldiers from the Celestial Empire's army from Quang Nam and Dali. The

former Viet Ly capital, Thang Long, was filled with lamentations. All the Viet Ly nobles had their homes confiscated, the men forced into hard labor, and the women distributed among the generals. The city's inhabitants were herded together to be transported to the mines for hard labor, while women of any attractive appearance were conscripted by the Celestial Empire to serve as brothels for the troops. Although the women of the Viet Ly Dynasty had darker skin, the thousands of beautiful women of all shapes and sizes available for the emperor's selection still ignited the fighting spirit of the Celestial Empire's soldiers. Many soldiers suffering from acclimatization issues gritted their teeth and went in to vent their pent-up frustration.

The former Viet Ly Dynasty palace was even more vibrant with springtime. Although Zhang Yang had bestowed many palace beauties upon his generals, he kept the most outstanding for himself. Furthermore, to curry favor with the emperor, the generals, during their searches of the city, discreetly offered the most beautiful women they encountered to the palace, making it a veritable gathering of beauties. The Viet Ly Dynasty was not exactly a land of etiquette, and to please their new master, the women vied for attention, using every seductive trick in the book to please Zhang Yang.

These past few days, aside from occasionally leaving the palace to inspect the city, Zhang Yang had spent his time indulging in pleasure within the palace walls.

The sun had long since risen high in the sky, yet the palace was still thick with an atmosphere of debauchery. Zhang Yang had transformed the main hall of the Viet Ly Dynasty emperor's administration into a place of pleasure. There, Zhang Yang was toying with the former Viet Ly queen.

At Zhang Yang's feet, a voluptuous woman knelt between another woman's legs, constantly sucking and licking her genitals, while swaying her plump buttocks, hoping to attract the emperor's favor.

The woman whose genitals were being sucked had eyes already filled with lust, her body flushed an alluring pink. Any previous reluctance had long since vanished, replaced by waves of tingling and itching within her. This caused her to writhe like a snake, uttering moans and groans that would make even a wanton woman blush, her hands vigorously kneading her breasts, her seductive eyes frequently glancing at Zhang Yang's magnificent phallus.

Five pairs of women were doing the same thing in the palace. Their moans and the sounds of sucking and licking aroused the lust of the women dancing in their thin veils, their movements increasingly provocative.

The Queen of the Yue Li Dynasty watched these once noble queens and women perform such degrading acts, feeling a surge of contempt. Yet, this rare display of debauchery also aroused her. The large, restless hands on her breasts made her mature body emit increasingly hungry cries, causing her to rub her buttocks against the burning heat of the penis pressed against her.

But the man behind her had destroyed her country; how could she submit to him? Thinking of the hatred for her family and country, the Queen gritted her teeth and restrained her desires.

Zhang Yang wantonly kneaded the Queen's full breasts, feeling the silky smoothness under his fingertips. His lust also surged, but the recent sexual bliss made him less eager to engage.

As the queen's mind raced, she felt Zhang Yang's large hand slide down her flat stomach toward her private parts. Thinking of what was about to happen, a strange desire stirred within her.

"With just one order from him, my whole family will be beheaded. I'd better not anger him,"

the queen thought, finding an excuse. She noticed the large hand briefly touch her genitals before withdrawing.

Having been forced by Zhang Yang to watch live sex acts for several days, the queen was already burning with desire. After finding a reason, she shifted her body, making it easier for Zhang Yang to enter from behind. Just as the storm was brewing, the queen noticed Zhang Yang placing his hand in front of her eyes. His fingers gently touched her skin, revealing a glistening drop of her own fluid.

"Have I actually been aroused by my enemy? Is he humiliating me?" A wave of humiliation washed over her. However, she was also aroused by this unprecedentedly lewd act, experiencing a strange pleasure.

Seeing a tear glisten in the Queen's eyes, Zhang Yang stopped teasing her. He embraced her slender waist and, with a slight effort, positioned her in a kneeling position.

The Queen was only in her early thirties, in the prime of her life. Her snow-white, rounded buttocks, though not as tight as a young girl's, were fuller, making this position even more alluring.

Zhang Yang preferred mature women, and with a thrust of his hips, he entered her smoothly.

The Queen's anticipated yet resisted act finally occurred, and she let out a groan that sounded both painful and pleasurable. But she was immediately rendered incapable of thought by Zhang Yang's more violent thrusts, only able to relieve the pressure within her body with soft moans and cries.

...

Zhang Yang accelerated his thrusts a few more times before releasing his life essence into the Queen's body.

The Queen's eyes rolled back from the powerful surge of fluid, and Zhang Yang released her, causing her to collapse to the ground. Zhang Yang's lower body also slipped out of his body. He lay on the ground, embraced the Queen, and looked at her still dazed eyes. He wanted to tease her, but then remembered the language barrier, so he held her close and began to consider the matter of returning to the court.

The other

empresses, lost in thought, also wisely stopped their lewd activities. However, their desires were easily extinguished, so they could only secretly comfort themselves with their hands.

The guards at the door, hearing no sound from inside, called out, "General Hua requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang patted the Queen, who was clinging to him like an octopus.

The Queen then awoke from the afterglow of her orgasm and realized that she was intimately entwined with the new emperor. She blushed with embarrassment and quickly let go, moving back a little.

Zhang

Yang embraced the Queen, kissed her deeply, and seeing her eyes become dazed again, he got up, put on a robe, and walked out.

Upon leaving the courtyard, Zhang Yang saw that Hua Rong's forehead was already sweating. He knew that Hua Rong had been waiting for a while. He smiled and said, "Why is the Imperial Uncle not enjoying his blessings at his residence, but coming to the palace in this sweltering heat? Although those Yue Li women are a bit dark-skinned, they are not bad, are they?"

Hua Rong hurriedly replied, "Those women are indeed not bad. The soldiers are also very grateful for His Majesty's benevolence. However, now that Yue Li has been pacified, and a large army is on its way, there is no fear that anyone can cause any trouble. Moreover, the weather in Yue Li is hot and humid. If we stay here for another day, dozens more of my men's warhorses will die or be wounded. I wish to return to the capital as

soon as possible to allow the warhorses to rest. I beg Your Majesty's permission." Zhang Yang nodded upon hearing this and said, "I was also thinking about returning to the capital. However, I originally wanted you to manage Yue Li. Although Yue Li is a bit remote, I will soon bring immigrants from all over Jiangnan. In a few years, it will become prosperous. Don't you want to consider it?"

Hua Rong thought for a moment upon hearing this. He then said, “Thank you for your high regard, Your Majesty, but I am accustomed to the northern climate, and my skills lie primarily in archery and horsemanship. There will be no more major battles in the Viet Ly Dynasty, nor is it suitable for cavalry to roam freely. I still wish to dedicate my efforts to the north.”

Zhang Yang, upon hearing this, laughed and said, “Very well then. Have your soldiers prepare. Once your troops are ready, you may return to the capital first. After I have settled matters concerning the Viet Ly Dynasty, I will fly directly to Tokyo.”

Hua Rong, upon hearing this, hurriedly thanked the Emperor for his grace and took his leave. Just

as Hua Rong’s troops crossed the river, Dong Ping, Xiang Yuanzhen, Mei Zhan, Wang Yin, and Si Xingfang also led their troops to the other side of the Difulang River. That evening, after arranging for their men to set up camp, the five men were the first to cross the river to pay homage.

Zhang Yang had already ordered the main hall to be tidied, but the days of debauchery had left a lingering atmosphere of decadence. After exchanging greetings with the five, Zhang Yang said, "You have come a long way and have had a long journey. I have specially prepared a banquet from the Yue Li Dynasty court for you to welcome you back. Guards, bring the food!"

The Emperor rarely bestowed banquets, and many of the five, upon hearing this, hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude for the imperial favor.

In a short while, six long tables were set up in the center and on both sides of the hall, and the five, like Zhang Yang, sat on the floor. As soon as the six were seated, dozens of young women floated in carrying the finest food and wine. These palace maids were either the most outstanding women in the palace or noble ladies from the city. Each had delicate features and elegant manners, but they wore only a nearly transparent veil, revealing their full, firm breasts and voluptuous figures. Every gesture was alluring.

In a short time, the six were surrounded by the finest food and wine. The six men reacted differently. Dong Ping and Si Xingfang's eyes followed the girl's every move, while Wang Yin studied the food and wine on the table. Mei Zhan seemed interested in a carving on the opposite wall, his eyes fixed on it. Xiang Yuanzhen, however, frowned slightly. Zhang Yang,

noticing their reactions, laughed and said, "Today is just for a feast. Don't overthink it, and don't worry about my status."

Xunping was delighted.

Zhang Yang clapped his hands, and twelve women of varying shapes and sizes gracefully entered, taking their seats beside the six men.

Zhang Yang put his arm around one of the women, picked up a wine cup, and said with a smile, "Please help yourselves."

Although Xiang Yuanzhen felt the emperor's actions were impolite, seeing that these women were of foreign race, he couldn't very well contradict the emperor in front of them. The other four men, whether genuinely or feigning, began to enjoy the company of the women.

Xunping, young and amorous, and Si Xingfang, being of the same ilk, soon found themselves unable to control themselves.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang said, "It's getting late. The five generals don't need to return to their camps. They can rest in the city for the night. I have matters to discuss with you tomorrow, so I'll bestow the women around you upon you."

Upon hearing this, the five men quickly thanked him and took their leave.

The next morning, the five men went to the palace together to request an audience.

Zhang Yang glanced at Dong Ping, whose face was beaming with desire, and said, "The Vietnamese Ly people are ungrateful, cunning, and fickle. To eliminate this threat forever, I have decided to make them disappear. All the men will be demoted to hard laborers and transported to mines throughout Jiangnan. The women will be given to the soldiers or sent to military camps. You can handle these matters yourselves. I will order immigrants from Fujian, Hubei, and other areas with insufficient arable land to come here, and exempt them from taxes for five years. In just a few years, this place will prosper. Xun Ping, would you be willing to serve as the Governor-General of Vietnam, overseeing all civil and military affairs in the former Vietnamese Ly territory?"

Xun Ping was quite satisfied with the two Vietnamese Ly women from the previous night. Hearing that he could handle the women himself, he was already somewhat tempted. Moreover, the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty was comparable to the Central Plains, and he could oversee all civil and military affairs, something he couldn't do in the Central Plains. Upon hearing this, he said, "Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost."

Zhang Yang laughed and said, "Very well. The Yue Li Dynasty's troops have been annihilated by me. The other tribes don't need to cross the river anymore. They can lead their troops north separately to wipe out the unruly people of Yue Li. Dong Ping will lead his troops south to sweep through various places. If there are not enough troops, we can call upon the Dali troops that follow. We must clear out the unruly people of Yue Li as soon as possible. After I return to Tokyo, I will issue orders to all prefectures to relocate the people south." The fate of the Yue Li Dynasty was thus set in stone by Zhang Yang's words. ,,,,

Chapter 73

After arranging the affairs of the Yue Li Dynasty, the Japanese monk Zhang Yang flew directly back to Tokyo. Looking at the familiar, yet somewhat haggard faces below the steps. Zhang Yang said in a loud voice, "Since I raised my army, I have won every battle and swept across the land in just a few months. While the achievements are certainly gratifying, they have also placed a tremendous workload on the court. Furthermore, the new dynasty is newly established and lacks manpower. It is thanks to the tireless efforts of you all that the country has been able to maintain peace and stability, and the people can live in peace. I thank you all on behalf of the people."

He then rose and bowed deeply.

The ministers dared not accept such a gesture from the emperor and quickly knelt down, saying, "We are entitled to the emperor's salary, and it is our duty to serve him. Serving the people is our responsibility, and we dare not accept such a great courtesy from the emperor."

Zhang Yang extended his hands and gestured upwards to help them up, saying, "Rise, all of you. You have worked tirelessly for the country and deserve my bow. You have brought peace to the world; you are truly my trusted ministers. With your assistance, what worries do we have about the peace of the land?"

The ministers bowed again to thank the emperor for his praise before daring to stand up.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Now that the court has no major external threats, I can handle some state affairs in the palace. Each ministry, please report your matters one by one."

Before leaving, Zhang Yang had instructed that the Ministry of War should be prioritized, and everyone had become accustomed to this.

Minister of War Wu Yong stepped forward and said, "After His Majesty's conquest of Vietnam, there has been no fighting on the border. Seeing His Majesty sweeping across the land, the various prefectures and counties within the country have all submitted, and the scattered bandits and remnants of the Song Dynasty have also been eliminated."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Minister Wu, you have worked hard. Fortunately, you have pacified the country, allowing me to focus on military campaigns abroad. However, although the situation is somewhat stable now, the soldiers must remain vigilant. The Ministry of War should quickly reorganize the troops in various regions and prepare them for the battlefield."

Wu Yong bowed to receive the decree and returned to the ranks.

Minister of Personnel Zong Ze stepped forward and said, “Although I have vigorously promoted officials and reinstated former officials from various regions of the Song Dynasty, there are still many vacancies in various places. The various ministries in the court have only filled some key positions. This is the list; please review it, Your Majesty.”

Zhang Yang took the memorial presented by the eunuch, glanced at it briefly, and nodded, saying, “Let them temporarily assume their current positions, and I will observe them for a period of time before making a final decision.”

Minister of Justice Pei Xuan stepped forward and said, “Before His Majesty went on the expedition, he issued an edict to strictly enforce official conduct. Officials in various regions have kept the imperial edict in mind, but many officials still abused their power and violated the law. In accordance with the imperial edict, the Ministry of Justice, after verification, executed 351 officials and confiscated more than 10 million strings of cash in stolen goods.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang nodded and said, “Emperor Huizong of Song was incompetent and tyrannical, causing the people to live in misery for decades.” "Now that the empire is at peace, we must not allow corrupt officials to harm the people again. The Ministry of Justice must continue to govern with severe punishments to deter powerful figures in all regions."

Pei Xuan received the decree and withdrew. Minister of Revenue Jiang Jing said, "Since the founding of our dynasty, we have been constantly at war, consuming countless amounts of money and grain. Add to that the maintenance of rivers and the expenses of government offices, and expenditures have exceeded expectations by millions of strings of cash. Even with the Ministry of Justice confiscating property, we can only sustain this for two years. We will likely need to find new sources of funding, otherwise we will not be able to last until the tax exemption period ends."

Zhang Yang was already aware of the court's tight budget, but he had already considered solutions. He nodded and said, "You can rest assured about allocating funds; don't worry about insufficient revenue. I will raise enough funds myself. We must ensure the livelihood of the people in all regions and ensure transparency in all expenditures to prevent corruption."

Minister of Works Zhang Shuye said, “After the country was unified, I followed His Majesty’s decree and began river repairs in various regions. Because the court provided generous wages, many people north of the Yangtze River participated in the repairs. When the spring floods arrive next year, the north should be guaranteed no major floods, and roads will be unobstructed. However, due to the Fang La Rebellion, many prefectures in Jiangnan were sparsely populated by Tong Guan’s army. When land was redistributed, many people received land, but it was autumn planting season, and there was little left.” " Few people are dedicated to repairing the waterways. Furthermore, the Jiangnan region is crisscrossed by waterways and experiences frequent

rainfall. River embankments were neglected during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, and a major flood occurred during the Chonghe era, affecting almost all of Jiangnan. If not addressed quickly, I fear floods will occur."

Zhang Yang nodded upon hearing this, saying, "I have already conquered the Yue Li Dynasty, and millions of able-bodied men will soon be sent to mines across the land. Another batch of miners will be unemployed, and they will likely be involved in river repairs. You can select some severely flooded areas to begin repairs; during the off-season, many people will be available to work."

—Zhao

Mingcheng, Minister of Rites, stepped forward and said, “After Your Majesty defeated the Western Xia and the Tibetans, the Western Uyghurs and the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs sent envoys to request submission. The envoys from both countries are still waiting in the city. What should be done? Please instruct Your Majesty.”

Zhang Yang shook his head upon hearing this, saying, “These Uyghurs took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to launch a brazen invasion. If it weren’t for the urgent situation in the southern border, I would have already wiped them out. How could they have survived to this day? When I have the time, I will surely wipe out these two barbarians in one fell swoop. I must let all ethnic groups know that those who offend our Celestial Empire, no matter how far away, will be punished. In war between two countries, envoys are not to be killed. Cut off the ears of the barbarian envoys and expel the Uyghurs.” "Go to your country."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yong hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. If Your Majesty truly insults the envoys of both countries, it will surely cause both countries to resist our dynasty. Moreover, the Tibetans are still harboring treacherous intentions. If all three countries send troops to aid us when we attack Western Xia, it will put considerable pressure on our dynasty. It would be better to appease the two countries first, and then settle accounts after we have defeated Western Xia and Tibetans."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mingcheng said, "Our Celestial Empire cannot go back on its word. If Your Majesty is determined to conquer both countries, then you must not allow them to seek peace."

Zhang Yang was not exactly a gentleman. He had not planned to use the army of our dynasty to conquer Western Xia in the first place, so he was naturally not worried about increasing the difficulty. Hearing this, Zhao Mingcheng nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, Zhao Qing. We will do as I instructed. Someone will lead the charge in conquering Western Xia. Has any country sent an envoy to pay tribute?"

Minister of Rites Zhao Mingcheng shook his head and said, "Our dynasty has only been established for a few months, and the border wars have just ended. Even if neighboring countries wish to pay tribute, the earliest they can do so is around the New Year. However, there is a Japanese monk who has crossed the sea to seek Buddhist scriptures, but he is unaware of the change of dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang's mind stirred, and he smiled, "A Japanese monk?"

Zhao Mingcheng nodded and said, "Indeed."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Now..." "Without the court's recognition, monks in China must be having a hard time. Since Japan is interested in Buddhism, monks in China who wish to spread Buddhism can be sent to Japan to preach. The court can allocate ships to escort them. The Ministry of Rites will be in charge of this matter, ensuring that Buddhism spreads throughout Japan. Furthermore, I have heard that Japan has a unique geography, but since the Tang Dynasty, Japan has had little contact with the Central Plains. The intelligence department can send people to Japan to survey the geography and compile the data into a book for my viewing pleasure. However, the Japanese are naturally suspicious, so to avoid complications, it would be best to act under the guise of monks."

Upon hearing this, everyone was puzzled. Since the emperor ascended the throne, although he had not taken drastic measures to suppress Buddhism, he had placed monks last in the land distribution, essentially cutting off their livelihood in a country with a large population and limited land. Now, he was suddenly helping to spread Buddhism, which was truly puzzling. However, no one could guess Zhang Yang's true intentions, after all, Japan was still considered a wild and uncivilized overseas land in people's eyes at that time.

Dai Zong and Zhao Mingcheng received the imperial decree with a puzzled expression.

Zhang Yang then discussed state affairs with everyone for a while before hosting a banquet in the palace to reward their achievements. ...

Chapter 74 Miscellaneous Matters in the Palace

Zhang Yang had been back in court for over a month and was gradually becoming familiar with court affairs.

With the border wars over, the affairs of the court were mostly trivial matters. These included which laws needed revision, which counties were plagued by leeches, and which sections of the dikes along a river showed signs of breaching.

Zhang Yang could have easily delegated these matters to the various departments, but he personally handled them to understand the national situation. Fortunately, Zhang Yang, having undergone genetic modification, was quick-witted and handled political affairs with clarity and order. Furthermore, he only needed to determine the general direction; the details were handled by his ministers, making the process much easier and more efficient.

That morning at court, Zhang Yang had just taken his seat when Dai Zong stepped forward and reported, "Two days ago, a monk named Fahai from Fangshan County, Shizhou, Hedong, claimed to be the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. He gathered a crowd to rebel, occupied the county seat, recruited soldiers, and proclaimed his intention to establish a Buddhist kingdom. Previously, when land was distributed, His Majesty designated Buddhism as the least important, which has already caused some resentment among monks and Buddhist believers in various places. If this is not swiftly suppressed, I fear that monks in other regions will follow suit. I humbly request Your Majesty's decision."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang asked in surprise, "Where is this monk Fahai from?"

After more than half a year of refinement, the intelligence department had extended its reach throughout the country. In preparation for the conquest of Western Xia, following the Hedong War, the intelligence department had further expanded its spies throughout Hedong. Therefore, as soon as the Shizhou incident occurred, the Hedong intelligence department sprang into action, allowing the court to learn of the situation immediately.

The information on Fahai had already been delivered to the intelligence department by the scouts. Upon hearing this, Dai Zong asked in surprise, "This Fahai is the abbot of Lingquan Temple in Shizhou. He usually only knows how to eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and study Buddhist teachings

. He is charitable and has quite a reputation in Shizhou, which has attracted hundreds of followers. However, he is devoted to Buddhism and doesn't seem like an ambitious person. I just don't know why he would cause trouble." In the imperial court, it has always been the case that one person submits a memorial, and then the emperor speaks to let the ministers discuss it. Everyone expresses their opinions, and then the emperor makes a decision. If the emperor adopts the ministers' opinions, then people will say that the emperor is good at accepting advice and has the qualities of a wise ruler; if his opinions contradict those of his ministers, then a minister will stand up and speak out, which is called remonstrance.

If you insist on going your own way, then congratulations, what follows is a barrage of criticism. To maintain a reputation for honest remonstrance, countless ministers will remonstrate like moths to a flame, tirelessly. For them, you can't hit them, you can't kill them, otherwise you'll be branded a tyrant. Or perhaps they'd even hope you'd kill them in a fit of anger, so they could be recorded in history, euphemistically called "dying in remonstrance."

Zhang Yang had no intention of changing this procedure, even though it seemed a waste of time. But it was a good opportunity to assess the talents of his ministers and adjust their positions so they could utilize their abilities to the fullest. At the same time, it was also an opportunity to gather opinions from all sides. Upon hearing this, he asked, "What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"

Jiang Jing, the Minister of Revenue, speaking out of habit, said, "Hedong is mountainous. There's a severe shortage of arable land, and the monks haven't received any land. Could it be that they're forced into this desperate measure by the need to survive?"

Dai Zong shook his head, saying, "No, according to our intelligence, Fahai has quite a few followers. Even if he doesn't receive land, he certainly won't have to worry about food and clothing. Moreover, Fahai has always been timid and doesn't dare to fight, so the temple is often bullied by a few ruffians. If he weren't a disciple of Elder Zhizhen of Mount Wutai, he wouldn't be the abbot. Even if such a person is truly starving, he shouldn't dare to commit such a heinous act."

Wu Yong, upon hearing this ... A thought struck him, and he stepped forward, saying, "Since Fahai is flying the banner of Buddhism and he comes from Mount Wutai, could it be an order from Mount Wutai?"

Before he finished speaking, Lu Zhishen stepped forward, glaring at Wu Yong, and said, "Strategist, do you suspect Mount Wutai? I lived there for a while. Elder Zhizhen may be a bit troublesome, but he would never rebel."

Seeing this, Zhang Yang quickly said, "Zhishen, don't be impulsive. The strategist is just stating the facts. If Elder Zhizhen hasn't done anything wrong, no one will wrong him. You may step back."

Although Lu Zhishen wasn't interested in Elder Zhizhen's teachings, he was always grateful for his kindness. Therefore, upon hearing that Zhizhen was in danger, he unusually stepped forward. Hearing Zhang Yang's words, he bowed slightly and returned to the ranks of the generals.

Only then did Dai Zong have a moment to speak: "Our department has not received any intelligence from Mount Wutai. Since there are many monks on Mount Wutai, I have already placed several spies there. If there were any unusual activity, news would surely come back. Perhaps it really has nothing to do with Mount Wutai?"

Wu Yong nodded upon hearing this, saying, "Since it's not for religious reasons, perhaps Fahai is being coerced. Someone is using his name to incite the people to rebel. Perhaps it's the work of spies from Western Xia. Chage and Weiming Renzhong are locked in a fierce struggle, and Xiao Heda is watching from the sidelines. If our country sends troops, his territory will be the first to bear the brunt. I'm afraid he doesn't want us to suffer too much." "Quickly pacify Hedong."

Upon hearing this, Dai Zong said, "Since the court quelled several bandits on the border, Xiao Heda has not made any moves for some time, but I suspect he won't stop there. However, the intelligence department has not yet ascertained whether this matter is related to Western Xia."

Seeing that he couldn't immediately figure out the background of the matter, Zhang Yang also said, "Regardless of who this matter is related to, we must wipe out this bandit as soon as possible. The New Year is only a dozen days away, and I do not want to argue about this matter again during the New Year. Order Guan Sheng's troops to assist in the suppression of the rebels. The war must be quelled before the New Year."

Seeing the emperor speak, the ministers accepted the decree.

They discussed several laws that needed to be revised, and the morning court session ended.

After the court session, Zhang Yang went straight to Yanfu Palace. At the entrance, he bumped into the Grand Eunuch Huang Bao and several junior eunuchs.

Huang Bao saw the emperor and hurriedly bowed deeply.

Zhang Yang told everyone to rise. Seeing a young eunuch carrying several blue-covered registers, he asked, "Where are you going?"

Huang Bao bowed and replied, "With the New Year approaching, this servant is just checking the number of eunuchs and palace women in each palace. This will ensure the Emperor has accurate counts when bestowing rewards."

Zhang Yang had only been in Tokyo for a few days after conquering it and hadn't had time to deal with palace affairs. He nodded and asked, "Approximately how many servants are left in the palace?"

"Previously, the Emperor allowed those from the capital region and Shandong to return home. Some left the palace, and there are still over two thousand four hundred in the palace."

Zhang Yang only had a dozen or so wives and concubines. Hearing that there were over two thousand palace women serving him, especially since half of them were eunuchs with strange, unsettling mannerisms, he felt a chill run down his spine. Hearing this, he hurriedly said, "Now that the world is unified, any palace servants who wish to return home will be granted a settlement allowance of one hundred strings of cash each, and land will be distributed to them in various regions. Convey my decree and try to get them home for the New Year."

Huang Bao, upon hearing this, naturally showered him with praise. "The world has found a wise ruler; this servant will surely be grateful for the Emperor's boundless grace."

Zhang Yang had no interest in listening to his flattery, waved him away, and went into the palace to amuse himself with his wife and children. ...

Chapter Seventy-Five:

The Eve of Revelry The winter was bleak and dry, even the cold mist in the imperial palace where the Emperor lived made the winter chill feel even more acute.

However, the palace servants of Fan Ying Courtyard felt no cold at this moment; instead, their faces were covered in a layer of fine sweat, and the fire in their hearts burned even brighter.

"Another half hour has passed. The Emperor only went to bed at midnight last night, how come he's still so energetic?"

A eunuch, aroused by the heavy breathing and excited moans in the room, felt a surge of lust, yet unable to release it, his cheeks flushed red. Wanting to escape the erotic sounds, yet fearing the Emperor wouldn't be able to return in time after finishing, they could only silently pray that he would "sow the seed" quickly.

"The Emperor is a god descended to earth, how can he be compared to a mere mortal? It'll probably take quite a while before he stops. I wonder if the Empress can withstand it." A palace maid, her face flushed and eyes glazed, felt her lower body already soaked, and could only tightly clamp her legs together.

Thinking of last night's erotic dream, the maid's eyes lit up, listening intently to the sounds inside the room, hoping that Consort Wei and the others wouldn't be able to hold on any longer and would call her in to serve the Emperor. Unfortunately, this beautiful dream lasted a long time, but she didn't hear the summons she desired. The increasingly loud moans only made her more and more uncomfortable.

Finally, a loud moan came from inside the room. The sound was full of pleasure and satisfaction, the sound of reaching the peak of ecstasy.

"Finally finished."

The eunuchs breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the sound. Making them listen to erotic music, unable to release their pent-up desires, was practically forcing them into perversion.

The palace maids watched expectantly from inside the room, hoping the Emperor would remain vigorous and that the Empress would remember them.

However, to the eunuchs and maids' disappointment, the room quieted down briefly before groans and sounds of flesh colliding returned.

"That's Fu Jin's voice. Fu Jin has joined the fray; Consort Wei can't take it anymore," a maid said disappointedly, listening to the sounds coming from inside. "

Let's make a bet," a eunuch, unable to vent his lust, came up with a brilliant idea to distract himself.

"What are we betting on?"

A group of eunuchs, desperate for attention, quickly gathered around him.

"We'll bet on how long the Emperor can last," the eunuch said smugly, glancing at his colleagues, who were also filled with lust.

"Alright, I bet ten strings of cash. The Emperor can last at least half an hour," the head eunuch of the Fan Ying Courtyard said without hesitation, pulling out a newly issued banknote and stuffing it into the hand of a junior eunuch.

"I'll bet ten strings of cash too. The Emperor can last at least half an hour."

"I'll bet ten strings too."

...

The other eunuchs followed suit, and even several palace maids placed their bets.

The eunuch who initiated the betting looked at the pile of newly issued banknotes in his hand, which had just been distributed yesterday, but felt a bit hot to the touch. If he continued betting like this, he might have to sell himself to pay off his debts. Looking at his head eunuch, whose eyes were bloodshot, he mustered his courage and said, "I haven't finished yet, it's not like this..."

How could the head eunuch of the Fan Ying Courtyard let him break this sure-fire bet? He waved his hand to interrupt him, his face contorted with rage, and said, "I've already placed my bet. Do you want to go back on your word?"

The eunuch, thinking that he would have to rely on this person for his livelihood in the future, was about to apologize when he heard someone outside the circle say,

"I'll also join in. The Emperor will go to court in half an hour. I'll bet the money you have."

Everyone turned around and saw that it was the Emperor's personal eunuch, and they were terrified. Gambling is no legitimate business; being punished for it, even sent to the old palace, would be worse than death. The Emperor's personal eunuch happened to have this authority, and now he'd caught him red-handed.

The head eunuch of the Fan Ying Courtyard was merely in charge of one courtyard; how could he compare to the eunuchs serving the Emperor? He glared fiercely at the eunuch running the gambling, then quickly knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Your Excellency, please spare us! We were just confused for a moment; we beg Your Excellency to forgive us this time."

Seeing this, the other eunuchs also knelt and begged for mercy.

"Shh,"

the flamboyant personal eunuch, Fugui

, gestured with his finger, and chuckled, "Don't disturb His Majesty. You didn't intend to punish yourselves. As long as you count me in, we can all live in peace."

"Yes, yes, as you command, Eunuch."

The head eunuch of the Fanying Courtyard, hearing that he wouldn't be held responsible, no longer cared about his gambling winnings. Besides, with the Emperor's energy, he might even win. The only question was whether he should accept the Emperor's money then.

The eunuchs then openly began eavesdropping outside the room.

...

"It's been a quarter of an hour! His Majesty is indeed valiant!" a young eunuch whispered excitedly.

Hearing this, the other eunuchs couldn't help but feel secretly delighted; they would win in another quarter of an hour. They could almost see the gleaming silver waving at them. After being castrated, this eunuch's lecherousness had disappeared, but his greed and vice had only grown stronger. Their eyes gleamed with wealth and power; had it not been for their status, they would likely have cheered already.

Fu Gui glanced at the jubilant eunuchs and smirked, "Do you all think you've already won?"

Could it be that he's about to lose money and wants to hold us responsible?

Seeing the eunuch's strange smile, the crowd immediately felt a sense of foreboding and quickly said, "No, no, the outcome is still undecided, how dare you say the eunuch has lost?"

—Fu

Gui laughed, "Don't be nervous, everyone. I won't use my status to pressure you. Today, let's all make money peacefully. Victory is in sight. Does anyone want to place a bet? I grant you permission to do so today."

Although the crowd felt victory was within reach, they didn't dare offend the eunuch too much. They looked at each other and didn't dare to place any more bets.

Seeing this, Fu Gui laughed, "You're smart, otherwise I would have made you lose everything today."

After saying this, he loudly announced to the room, "His Majesty should attend court."

Seeing Fu Gui's audacity, the eunuchs were all terrified and collapsed to the ground, and the groans inside the room ceased.

If this alarmed the Emperor, everyone in the courtyard would probably be beheaded.

The head eunuch of the Fan Ying Courtyard was now contemplating murder. Seeing Fu Gui still standing there smugly, he quickly tugged at his sleeve and said, "Eunuch Gui, kneel down! Beg the Emperor later, and you might escape with your life."

It seemed these scoundrels still didn't understand the Emperor. He himself hadn't expected the current Emperor to be so wise and powerful. He had been quite surprised when the Emperor said that the morning court session shouldn't be late. The Emperor was already busy enough with countless affairs of state; it was understandable that he occasionally slacked off. But the Emperor said that the people of the world shouldn't be delayed. What wisdom! How fortunate the people of the world were to have such an Emperor!

As Fu Gui was still sighing, Zhang Yang inside the room said, "I know. You wait outside."

Zhang Yang pushed Fujin away, glanced at his still erect lower body, and said to the satisfied Consort Wei beside him, "You're already being lewd so early in the morning. You've had your fun, but now you're making me suffer." Consort Wei

gave the Emperor a charming look and said reproachfully, "This lowly concubine just wants to conceive Your Majesty's child as soon as possible. After Fujin's rudeness that time, I've been practicing my oral skills diligently. It'll be a good opportunity for Your Majesty to witness them."

Upon hearing this, Fujin slightly opened her mouth and took Zhang Yang's lower body into her mouth.

With gentle licking, slow swallowing, stroking, and teasing, Zhang Yang soon felt a tingling sensation down his spine and ejaculated into Fujin's mouth.

Zhang Yang dressed, then pinched Wei Fei's ample breasts again, saying, "Go to the old palace later and prepare. I'll go there to select a few people to serve me after the morning court session."

Wei Fei's pregnancy was still uncertain, and hearing that she would have more competition, she said with a hint of jealousy, "If Your Majesty is in the mood, I will certainly do my best."

Zhang Yang kneaded Wei Fei's breasts a few more times before reluctantly going to the morning court session. ...

Chapter 76: While

Zhang Yang was handling some tedious political affairs at court, let's focus on the harem.

Wei Fei, eager to conceive, never forgot about lovemaking. Today, before court, she tried her best to seduce the emperor for a morning session. Unfortunately, the emperor's stamina was abnormal; he himself experienced several orgasms and ultimately failed to receive any favors.

After seeing Zhang Yang off to court, Wei Fei felt aches and pains, her whole body weak. The afterglow of her orgasms made her even more lethargic and unwilling to move.

Seeing a trace of white "dragon fluid" still clinging to Fujin's lips, Consort Wei was furious.

She'd spent the whole morning causing trouble, only to have Fujin benefit from it all, forcing her to postpone her pregnancy plans again.

Thinking this, Consort Wei glared at Fujin, whose hand was still moving between her legs, and scolded, "You brat, still want to stay in bed? Go to the old palace and gather the remnants of the previous dynasty; I'll be there later."

Fujin had been awakened early that morning by the sounds of lovemaking, then dragged into the fray. Just as she was about to climax, her hand involuntarily began to move between her legs.

Hearing Consort Wei's unfriendly tone, she reluctantly got up and searched for her clothes scattered on the floor.

Consort Zhu had also been awakened by their lovemaking, but before it was her turn, the Emperor left. Seeing Consort Wei's bad mood, she dared not secretly rub her legs anymore and got up to make room for Consort Wei in the bed.

...

The remaining women of the previous dynasty were gathered in several palaces in the old palace, most of them being women from the Song Dynasty imperial family.

After Zhang Yang established his capital in Tokyo, they were gathered together and their movements were restricted. They had initially thought they would be rewarded as meritorious officials of the new dynasty, or perhaps, if they were lucky, serve the new emperor. Unexpectedly, aside from Empress Zheng and Consort Wei being summoned away on the first night, and Consort Wei choosing two people, they were ignored.

What made them even more desperate was that soon after, the eunuchs and maids who had previously been respectful to them changed their attitude. Not only were their meals reduced to the worst, but they were also assigned needlework. If they didn't complete their daily quota, they wouldn't eat.

Although they had all learned needlework, it was only for entertainment, to kill time when bored.

The quotas set for them based on the progress of the maids were naturally beyond their capabilities.

For the first few days, most of them had their meals reduced to only two steamed buns a day. If the servants hadn't been afraid of them starving to death and being unable to explain themselves when the emperor needed them, they probably wouldn't have received even two steamed buns.

The days passed slowly through the women's tearful eyes. With the palace celebrating several great victories and rewarding the servants, the women knew the new dynasty was more powerful than the previous one, and no one could rescue them. While hoping the emperor would remember them, they could only try to adapt to their new lives.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang was busy conquering everywhere, and when he occasionally returned to the capital, he had no time to even care for his wives and concubines, let alone think of them.

Half a long month passed under the women's longing gazes, and in their disappointment, they gradually grew accustomed to this life.

As soon as dawn broke, they all rose to work.

Fu Jin, with a heart full of unvented desire, was naturally in a bad mood. Arriving at the old palace, seeing the women busy in the courtyard, and comparing herself to them, her mood improved somewhat.

Looking at the women engrossed in their work, Fu Jin was somewhat glad she had been clever enough to climb up to Consort Wei and enter Yanfu Palace; otherwise, she would be suffering here right now.

"Ouch."

Huifu licked her bleeding finger and was about to continue working when she caught sight of Fujin at the courtyard gate. Overjoyed, she threw her things behind her and ran towards Fujin.

"You brat, if you run again, you won't get your meal today!"

The palace maid supervising the work in the courtyard was hit squarely by the needlework Huifu threw and was furious. These damned lowly maids, they used to bully us just because they were born into the royal family. Now that they're begging for food under my care, they still dare to be so insolent. Today I must teach them a lesson, otherwise others will follow suit, and how will I manage them?

"Sister, you're finally here. I'm being tortured to death by those servants here. Please take me out."

Huifu ran to Fujin and hugged her arm.

Fujin couldn't make the decision herself, so she could only say to the palace maid who had chased after her, "You lowly maid, can't you see I'm here? What are you trying to do, baring your teeth and claws?" The palace maid who had chased after her

also recognized this former princess. Previously, she had flattered Consort Wei and gone to Yanfu Palace to serve the Emperor.

Although they were both palace maids, Yanfu Palace and the old palace were not the same thing. The maids of Yanfu Palace could serve the Emperor, while they had never even seen him. Of course, they didn't know that the Emperor was mostly not in the palace, and the maids of Yanfu Palace might not necessarily be able to serve him.

Moreover, they had the support of the concubines favored by the Emperor; if a concubine simply said a word to the head eunuch, they would be in for a world of trouble. And judging from Fujin's attire, she was clearly not an ordinary palace maid.

She quickly slapped herself and said, "This servant was blind and offended you. Please forgive me."

Hearing the commotion, the women all stopped their work. Seeing Fu Jin arrive, their hearts stirred, hoping she was here to select women, like Consort Wei had done before. They quickly devised excuses to persuade Fu Jin to take them away.

Fu Jin, seeing the expectant and fawning eyes around her, unconsciously straightened her back, as if she had truly become some important figure.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Considering this is your first offense, I'll spare you. Listen, after the morning court session, the Emperor will come here to select women. Clean the courtyard and prepare to welcome him. Also, have the other concubines from the other palaces come here to be considered."

The palace maid was overjoyed to hear the Emperor was coming. This was the Emperor's first visit to the old palace, and she hadn't expected to be among those welcoming him. She wondered how handsome and majestic the Emperor, a god descended from heaven, would be.

Gossip is a woman's nature, especially when it concerns her future.

The women working in the courtyard all pricked up their ears, listening intently at the entrance. Hearing that the Emperor was finally coming, tears of joy welled up in their eyes. After waiting for more than half a year, the Emperor finally arrived. If they could win his favor, their hard times would be over.

The past six months of arduous life had worn down these once pampered young women, stripping them of their pride.

Hearing that the Emperor was coming, they immediately began to flirt and pose, but seeing the needle marks and calluses on their hands, they were filled with worry. Their emotions fluctuated wildly, a thousand thoughts racing through their minds. The palace

maids, now remembering the difference between themselves and these noble ladies, dared not make things difficult for them, fearing that one of them might be chosen by the Emperor. Fearing retribution later, they all changed their tune

, diligently serving these women who might soon rise to prominence.

Fu Jin and Hui Fu were twins, born of the same mother, and after their mother's death, they relied on each other even more, their bond extremely strong.

Fu

Jin, seeing how thin Hui Fu had become, felt great pity for her. Seeing all the women return to their rooms to dress, Huifu affectionately touched her face and said, "The Emperor will come to choose women himself later. I'll try my best to put in a good word for you. I'll help you get dressed. How can you meet the Emperor dressed like this?"

"When I came here, they only let me bring two outfits. I've worn them for half a year, and they're already worn out."

Huifu looked enviously at her sister's new clothes. How long ago was it that she wouldn't even look at clothes like these?

Upon hearing this, Fujin remembered her own situation back then. After thinking for a moment, she didn't dare to make a decision and could only say, "I'll help you with your makeup first, and we'll talk about it when Consort Wei arrives."

Huifu led Fujin into her room. Renfu, who shared the room with Fujin, quickly stood up to greet her.

Fujin and Renhaoran were both princesses of the previous dynasty, but they were not born of the same mother. The harem was always full of intrigue and power struggles, and the two had no affection for each other.

Fujin returned the greeting with a slight bow and said, "The Emperor will be arriving soon. Perhaps my sister will be chosen today. Hurry up and get ready."

Seeing Fujin's polite manner, Renfu fawned over her by moving a stool over and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words, sister. Huifu is so pure and lovely; she'll definitely get into Yanfu Palace."

Entering Yanfu Palace had become the wish of everyone in the old palace, representing the Emperor's favor and a life of luxury.

Huifu, however, was guileless. Hearing this, she turned and said, "I believe we can both go to Yanfu Palace. It's much better than the old palace. By the way, are your deer and cranes still there, sister? I love going to the Crane Manor and seeing the deer."

"Yes, they're all there."

Fujin affectionately patted her sister's head, hoping that her sister would be chosen this time, so she could take care of her. Otherwise, in the old palace, they couldn't possibly manage or dare to interfere.

"Then sister, hurry up and comb my hair. Once the Emperor chooses me, I can go to Crane Manor and the deer. I wonder if those deer still remember me."

Huifu took out a powder box and placed it on the table, then handed Fujin a comb.

Fujin took the comb and began to comb her sister's hair as usual.

Huifu then opened the powder box, preparing to apply makeup. As soon as she opened the powder box, a strong fragrance wafted out.

"Achoo!"

Fujin sneezed from the strong scent. This was something used by the lowest-ranking palace maids; they rarely even had the chance to get close to the princesses.

Fujin frowned as she looked at the cheap powder, "Sister, is this the kind of cheap powder you usually use?"

"We're not palace maids; we don't have a monthly allowance. How can we afford good things? This was given to me by the maids who used to serve me. By the way, sister, do you think the Emperor might not like this smell?"

Huifu looked at her meager powder and couldn't help but worry.

Although Fujin hadn't served the Emperor many times, she had already memorized his preferences.

Hearing this, she nodded and said, "The Emperor prefers light makeup; these perfumes are too strong, so you don't need to use them."

Renfu, who hadn't been as sensible as Huifu in the past and was strict with her servants, naturally received no gifts after her misfortune. She had originally thought of borrowing some perfume, but upon hearing this, she abandoned the idea. Worried about not being chosen, she cautiously asked, "Sister Fujin, I wonder how many people the Emperor will choose this time?"

"The Emperor didn't say. Yesterday, Eunuch Huang gave the Emperor the remaining list of palace maids. Only then did the Emperor remember that there are still you in the palace without official status. Perhaps those left over this time will be incorporated into the palace maids. However, people like us have awkward statuses, so we will never be allowed to leave the palace. If we are incorporated into the palace maids, we will probably suffer for the rest of our lives."

Fujin didn't turn around and continued to comb her sister's hair.

Renfu was shocked to hear that they would be incorporated into the palace maids. The thought of spending her life serving others and enduring their beatings and scoldings made Renfu's body go limp, and she knelt on the ground, crying out, "Sister, help me! I don't want to be a palace maid!"

Seeing this, Huifu quickly got up to help Renfu up, saying, "Sister Renfu, please get up! You'll speak up for us."

Renfu saw that Fujin didn't speak but was crying softly, unwilling to get up, which left Huifu at a loss.

Fujin looked at Renfu's somewhat plain face and knew that it would be difficult for her to stand out from the crowd of beauties. She shook her head and said, "I can't help you either. This time, the Emperor himself came to choose people, and I can't make the decision."

Renfu didn't know Fujin's situation and only thought that she was unwilling to help, so she said again, "I know that my looks can't compare to yours, sister, but I really don't want to serve those servants. Sister, please help me. Let me serve you."

Hearing this, Fujin's heart was moved. She was just a high-ranking palace maid in Fanying Courtyard. Although she could enjoy the Emperor's favor, she was still subject to Consort Wei's control and beatings and scoldings. There are still nine pavilions to the west; why can't I manage one too?

I must seize this opportunity today to curry favor with the Emperor, otherwise, if she bestows all the pavilions upon others, it will be difficult for me to rise in the ranks.

Seeing that Fujin remained silent, Renfu thought there was hope and quickly said, "I am willing to serve you like a slave, please guide me."

Fujin saw that Renfu had some talent and wit. After taking charge of a palace, she would inevitably have to compete for favor with others and would need some reliable people. She helped Renfu up and said, "Sister, don't be so polite. If there is an opportunity, I will definitely help you. We are sisters after all."

Hearing this, Renfu relaxed a little.

The two women quickly washed and dressed when they heard that Consort Wei had arrived. Although Fujin had the desire to rival her, she was powerless to do so at this time, so she quickly led the two women out to greet Consort Wei.

All the old palace ladies had arrived and, upon seeing Consort Wei, they all came to greet her.

Consort Wei, originally a palace maid, had rarely been respected by the other concubines. Seeing the women dressed in tattered clothes and looking haggard, she secretly felt smug. However, to please the emperor, she ordered the maids to bring the women's old clothes and dress them up in new attire, awaiting his favor. ...

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Martyrs' Cemetery.

After a period of alluring morning exercises at the Fan Ying Courtyard, Zhang Yang went straight to the Qin Zheng Hall to discuss some state affairs. Seeing that no one was presenting anything, he gave his personal eunuch, Fu Gui, a wink.

Although Fu Gui hadn't been with Zhang Yang for long and wasn't yet a perfect assistant, he was quite useful. He immediately understood and shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Officials with matters to report, those without, court adjourned."

This was a procedure inherited from the previous dynasty; usually, Fu Gui's shout signaled the end of the morning court session. If any ministers had urgent or important matters that required the Emperor's personal attention, they would present them at the beginning of the morning court session. By the end, most of these matters could be handled by the Six Ministries themselves, and no one wanted to delay them any longer.

Just as Zhang Yang was about to rise and return to the palace, Zhang Shuye, the Minister of Works, stepped forward and said, "The Martyrs' Cemetery in the western suburbs of the capital has been completed. Would Your Majesty like to inspect it?"

The Martyrs' Cemetery was a measure Zhang Yang devised to win over the army. It was divided into local and capital levels, and was linked to military merit. Only those who had achieved first-class merit could be buried in the capital's Martyrs' Cemetery. The families of the martyrs also enjoyed a series of preferential policies from the court, and minor children received subsidies.

This solved the soldiers' worries about their families and prevented the families of heroes from shedding tears. This move would undoubtedly increase the number of brave soldiers in the army, and Zhang Yang's position in the army would be further consolidated.

Moreover, the Emperor would regularly visit the capital's cemetery to pay his respects every year. In ancient times, the Emperor was the supreme ruler, and only Heaven and his ancestors could enjoy the Emperor's worship. The Martyrs' Cemetery in Beijing also enjoyed this treatment, implicitly placing it on par with the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Being buried there became a prestigious honor.

When Zhang Yang first proposed the matter of offering sacrifices, the civil and military officials immediately became divided. The civil officials cried out that it was against propriety, while the military officials praised the emperor's wisdom.

After all, no matter how great a civil official's contributions, receiving a bow from the current emperor was difficult, let alone being worshipped by emperors of past dynasties. Yet now, some soldiers, perhaps even illiterate, were able to do so, inevitably causing them resentment and making obstruction inevitable.

The civil officials, in particular, were mostly from aristocratic families. Accustomed to a superior lifestyle, they strongly upheld the traditional social hierarchy of "scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants." They were extremely wary of anything that challenged this social hierarchy, especially since they found it intolerable that soldiers, who only knew how to wield weapons, were ranked above them.

Military officials naturally supported these measures to elevate the status of soldiers, especially since generals were more likely to receive first-class merit than ordinary soldiers. The thought of being worshipped by successive emperors after death made them eager to go to the battlefield and earn merit.

Zhang Yang had anticipated obstruction, but he hadn't expected the civil officials to oppose it so vehemently, citing classical texts and using archaic language to create a long list of reasons.

The high-ranking officials in the court were all veterans of Liangshan, had commanded troops, and each had a first-class merit; they were generally optimistic about the proposal. Logically, Zhang Yang's proposal should have passed smoothly, but the seven ministers, seeing their pedantic old ministers vehemently opposing it, had to be cautious. Meanwhile, the military general Lu Zhishen was not good at eloquence, and for a time, the opposition gained the upper hand.

Finally, Zhang Yang couldn't stand the old scholars' pretentious rhetoric any longer and, in a moment of dictatorship, made the decision.

Of course, given Zhang Yang's immense prestige, no one dared to call him arbitrary; they could only say he monopolized the court.

Zhang Yang, in modern times, would be a special forces soldier. He naturally has a deep affection for the military. In ancient times, he also greatly admired those brave and valiant soldiers. Upon hearing of the completion of the cemetery, he immediately became interested and asked, "Oh? How many martyrs' memorial towers are there?

Building the cemetery is the Ministry of Works' business, but the matter of burial is the Ministry of War's responsibility." Minister of War Wu Yong stepped forward and said, "The martyrs' cemetery in the capital is a matter of great importance. I have already sent people to various armies to verify the martyrs' situation, and we will have results soon. Martyrs from Hedong and Hebei should be able to be buried before the end of the year, while those from other places, due to their distance, will probably not be buried until next spring."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "This matter must be handled carefully. It is still early today, so the ministers of all ministries, please accompany me to see the martyrs' cemetery." "

The officials acknowledged the order. They went to their respective ministries and offices to attend to their duties.

Zhang Yang and Wu Yong, along with their seven companions, changed into civilian clothes. They ordered Wu Song and his guards to go ahead, while they quietly left the palace through a side gate.

The imperial street they emerged from immediately became bustling. The air was filled with various hawking cries, a mix of southern and northern accents. The novel shouts amused people and drew them to the stalls. Horses from Yanbei, brocades from Shu, silks from Jiangnan, and local products from the north—anything you could imagine could be found in Bianjing." Occasionally, one could spot people in strange costumes, blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners.

The narrow street was bustling with pedestrians, even more festive than usual. With the Lunar New Year approaching, people from the surrounding villages flocked to the capital to buy New Year's goods, carrying large and small bags, their faces beaming with smiles.

Although the market wasn't as overflowing with goods as a modern shopping mall, it still offered many novel items, and the various unique shouts and cries created a scene reminiscent of a temple fair, filled with a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere. He was quite tall.

He glanced at the stalls on both sides of the road, stopping to buy anything that caught his eye. Before long, his arms were full of trinkets.

The seven ministers were usually busy with official duties, and now, with their high status and

numerous servants, they no longer needed to buy things themselves; it had been a long time since they had done so. For a while, they were quite engrossed in their shopping, but with the Emperor by their side, they had to follow closely behind, which felt somewhat unsatisfying. They thought they would come back another day to shop alone.

While they were shopping, Zhang Yang noticed a familiar stall. On it were pairs of bright red Spring Festival couplets and some rectangular peach wood boards. Seeing these familiar couplets, Zhang Yang stopped and began to look.

The stall owner was a scholar-like man. Seeing that Zhang Yang, though dressed casually, possessed a certain air of authority, and the several people behind him also had an air of authority, he knew this group was not ordinary. He was surprised that they had stopped at his stall, but dared not be negligent, and quickly stood up to ask, "Sir, would you like to buy Spring Festival couplets?"

"

These aren't even called Spring Festival couplets yet," Zhang Yang thought, noticing the poor quality of the paper. He knew the main buyers were illiterate ordinary families. Even if wealthy families couldn't afford masterpieces, they surely had skilled calligraphers at home and wouldn't buy such inferior goods.

Zhang Yang shook his head and continued squeezing forward with the crowd.

Writing your own couplets was much more atmospheric.

After a long while, Zhang Yang and the seven others finally emerged from the bustling city.

The area outside the city was equally busy, with people and vehicles coming and going, dust flying everywhere. On this road leading to Xijing, most were merchants and peddlers, some in carriages, some on mules, and some pushing wheelbarrows. Their faces beamed with the joy of prosperous business and abundant wealth, and their steps were light and quick. Everyone was hoping to profit from the reconstruction of the Northwest. Whether the world was peaceful or not was most evident on the faces of these merchants.

On one side of the city gate, Wu Song and his guards were already waiting with their horses, dozens of tall, imposing steeds attracting considerable attention. Although Wu Song and his men had changed into civilian clothes, they were all burly and carried knives and spears, clearly the guards of high-ranking officials.

The new dynasty's laws were strict, and the

powerful and wealthy no longer dared to openly oppress the common people. The people no longer treated Zhang Yang and his group, who were clearly rich and powerful, with the same fear as before. Although they dared not approach to watch, they slowed their pace, wanting to see what these new dynasty nobles looked like.

With so many people entering and leaving the city, the slowed pace at the city gate caused immediate traffic congestion.

Although the guards at the city gate were willing to clear the way, they had just checked Wu Song and his companions' waist tokens and knew they were from the palace, so they dared not act recklessly in front of them. They could only patiently urge the guards at the city gate to hurry

up. However, this gentle approach was clearly not very effective. Seeing this, Zhang Yang quickly mounted his horse and headed towards the Martyrs' Cemetery.

Zhang Yang hadn't ridden a horse for several days since returning to the palace, and after enjoying the feeling of galloping for a while, he slowed down his horse, still feeling unsatisfied, when he saw that Wu Yong and the others hadn't caught up yet. The

Jade Lion seemed to have had its fill of riding, snorting in protest.

Zhang Yang patted the horse's mane and said, "I'll let you ride as much as you want on the way back."

The Jade Lion seemed to understand and actually quieted down, trotting steadily at a slow pace. Seeing this,

Wu Yong and the others, who were chasing closely behind, also slowed down to catch up.

Zhang Yang was still thinking about the peach wood he had seen at the Spring Festival couplet stall. When the others caught up, he asked, "What's the story behind the peach wood at the Spring Festival couplet stall?"

Among the seven ministers, Wu Yong and others were all accomplished in both literature and military affairs, except for Zhao Mingcheng, the Minister of Rites, who came from a family of writers but lacked physical training. He was already panting heavily after running this distance. Hearing the Emperor's question, he opened his mouth to speak, but his voice lacked strength.

"Your Majesty...you mean...peachwood charms, right?"

Seeing him panting, Zhang Yang laughed, "Minister Zhao, take a rest before continuing. I'm not in a hurry."

Zhao Mingcheng apologized and thanked the emperor. After resting for a while, he said, "Peachwood charms originated in the Zhou Dynasty. According to the 'Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Rites and Ceremonies,' the two gods 'Shen Tu' and 'Yu Lei' were mentioned. On the first day of the first month, peachwood charms were made and placed on doors, called 'immortal wood,' feared by all ghosts.

It can be seen that peachwood charms were used to ward off evil spirits.

During the Five Dynasties period, Meng Chang, the ruler of Later Shu, ordered the scholar Zhang Xun to inscribe words on peachwood boards, which read: 'May the New Year bring abundant blessings, and may the festive season last forever.' This is the first recorded Spring Festival couplet.

Originally, peachwood charms were only a court custom. It was only in the previous dynasty that they began to become popular among the common people. The material of peachwood charms also changed from paper to paper, but some people still prefer to use peachwood charms."

As everyone chatted and laughed, the Martyrs' Cemetery in the western suburbs came into view, with two rows of imposing stone sculptures of soldiers standing in front of the magnificent gate.

The lifelike stone sculptures of warriors exuded a sense of awe and also revealed the fierce warriors who inhabited this place.

Zhang Yang nodded in satisfaction and dismounted with his entourage to inspect the cemetery.

Dismounting before the cemetery became a rule, and thereafter, neither powerful ministers nor the emperor dared to violate this rule when visiting martyrs' cemeteries.

The cemetery itself was not heavily decorated, emphasizing solemnity and reverence. The bare hills, especially in the dead of winter, added to the somber atmosphere.

Reaching the summit, the entire cemetery was laid out before them. Zhang Yang and his group lingered briefly at the top, bestowing some rewards upon the Ministry of Works, before returning to the capital on horseback.

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