Meng Yuxiu lowered his eyelids and spoke in a deep voice, as if recounting an ancient and tragic story.

"I remember it very clearly. This country called Da Shun was a small country, but it was very powerful. That war lasted for a long time, and the two sides were deadlocked."

Ke Shou couldn't help but wonder how the deadlock was broken.

Meng Yuxiu's voice was tinged with sorrow: "Back then, our Yun Kingdom was not as powerful as it is now, and our military strength was less than a third of what it is today. Da Shun, on the other hand, was skilled at making excellent weapons and had an overwhelming advantage in weaponry. At that time, they put up a desperate resistance, and Father led the troops and almost lost to them."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes, clearly indicating that it was a memory he did not want to recall. For a victorious general, defeat could be a stain on his life and could also put his country in danger.

Ke Shou couldn't help but ask, "So how did you escape the danger later?"

Although he was Meng Yuxiu's subordinate, he had followed Meng Yuxiu for so many years, and the two were of similar age, so they could be considered friends.

Ke Shou was filled with doubt. Hearing Meng Yuxiu say this, he realized that the Yun Kingdom had no chance of winning back then. But looking at the current situation, the Great Shun Kingdom no longer existed. It was the Great Shun Kingdom that lost. How did they lose?

Meng Yuxiu chuckled softly, but the smile was somewhat desolate and self-deprecating.

He said in a somber voice, “My father underestimated the enemy. He considered himself a war god and did not take Da Shun seriously. It happened to be my birthday, so he took me with him. On the one hand, he wanted to train me, and on the other hand, he wanted to celebrate my birthday. He never expected to encounter such a powerful enemy. He also never expected that it was my idea that caused Da Shun to collapse like a house of cards.”

Ke Shou glanced at Meng Yuxiu in surprise. He had always known that Meng Yuxiu was respected and that he possessed the talent of a general and minister, but he never expected that he had made military achievements when he was still a child. Only then did he understand why Meng Yuxiu, a military general, although he inherited his father's mantle, was so outstanding and even more outstanding than his father.

“But now…” Meng Yuxiu frowned as he spoke, his brows furrowed, revealing a look of regret. “I don’t know if what I did was right or wrong. I had my father capture the people of Da Shun and use them as hostages to lure the enemy out of the city, set up an ambush, surround them, capture their commander, and then use them as hostages.”

"All warfare is based on deception... It is indeed a brilliant plan," Ke Shou exclaimed in admiration.

But looking at Meng Yuxiu's expression, he was somewhat puzzled.

Meng Yuxiu's smile deepened, becoming increasingly sorrowful: "But in the end, all the common people of Da Shun, as well as the generals and soldiers who were captured and used as hostages, all died. In the defeated Da Shun, the common people and soldiers, the emperor and empress, the imperial relatives, regardless of age or gender, none survived."

“War is inherently cruel, General, please don’t take it to heart,” Ke Shou said instinctively.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with the matter; the winner is king, the loser is a bandit—that's an age-old truth.

Meng Yuxiu disagreed, his voice laced with anger: "Just because the Emperor said to cut the weeds and wipe them out at the root, those innocent people who surrendered and begged for mercy, as well as the elderly, women and children, died instantly under the blade."

Ke Shou was somewhat shocked. The emperor had always given people the impression of being benevolent and kind, but he never expected him to be so cruel. However, if he didn't have some ruthless methods, how could he maintain his rule?

"The people and the royal family of Da Shun are all dead, but the emperor regrets it. Because Da Shun's weapon-making skills are something our Yun Kingdom doesn't have, and no one was left alive, so Da Shun's forging skills couldn't be passed down and can't be used by our Yun Kingdom." Meng Yuxiu had a mocking smile on his face, as if he was mocking the emperor, or as if he was mocking himself.

Ke Shou couldn't help but feel a chill. He thought of Chang Lili, whose forging skills were superb, but whose background was unclear, and couldn't help but say, "Miss Chang, he..."

Meng Yuxiu frowned and said quickly in a low voice, "Don't tell anyone about this. If you can think of it, the Emperor can naturally think of it too. If today's events are leaked out, Lili's situation will be more dangerous than ever before."

"Understood, Your subordinate," Ke Shou replied resolutely, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.

The sketch of the construction vehicle drawn by Chang Lili lay quietly in the study, yet it felt like a branding iron, burning painfully in his heart.

"I need to find out if the royal family of Da Shun has any surviving members." He naturally didn't want Chang Lili to have any connection with Da Shun, but he couldn't deceive himself either.

Ke Shou advised, "General, the only way to investigate these matters is to secretly search within the palace. The Emperor has destroyed most of the records of the small countries that he previously annexed, leaving only a small portion of secrets in the palace. Investigating these is too risky, and besides, we may not be able to find the information in the remaining records."

"We have to give it a try. This matter must be thoroughly investigated." Meng Yuxiu closed his eyes and sighed.

Ke Shou said nothing more, and seeing that Meng Yuxiu was deep in thought, he withdrew.

Meng Yuxiu felt a mix of emotions. He knew that Chang Lili had no parents and only considered her an ordinary orphan girl, never imagining that there were such complicated feelings involved.

He is the greatest general of the Yun Kingdom, the shield of the Yun Kingdom, capable of deterring the borders, and also the sword of the Yun Kingdom.

When his father passed away, he was still a teenager, but he already had enough prestige and ability to command the three armies. Since then, he has fought in all directions, and only then did the prosperous Yun Kingdom come to be.

But after passing through that arrogant and competitive age, Meng Yuxiu gradually began to feel the cruelty of war, the suffering of the people, and the helplessness and desolation of those small countries that were struggling to resist.

Looking back now, the first state to fall under his rule, the Great Shun, was merely unwilling to perish.

Perhaps, for so many years, Yun Kingdom has been wrong to attack weaker nations in order to strengthen itself.

And he, Meng Yuxiu, was the executioner.

The more Meng Yuxiu thought about it, the more frustrated and regretful he felt.

He sighed, got up, and left the study.

The soft rays of the setting sun bathed the General's Mansion in a gentle glow, making it appear more approachable than its former aloofness.

At this moment, Chang Lili was in this mansion, but Meng Yuxiu felt as if she were a world away, even though she was so close to him.

A sudden surge of panic welled up in his heart, which he couldn't suppress and couldn't shake off.

He closed his eyes, frowned, exhaled a long breath, and then suddenly opened his eyes a moment later. His gaze was sharp, and he strode quickly toward the kitchen.

When he came out of the kitchen, he was carrying a small food box in his hand. The panic in his heart dissipated a little, as if the food box contained a treasure that could keep Chang Lili at bay.

When Meng Yuxiu walked towards the courtyard where Chang Lili lived, it was almost dark. Candles were lit in both her mother-in-law's room and Chang Lili's room.

The warm candlelight reassured him, and he walked toward Chang Lili's room, knocking on the door, but no one answered.

"Lili?" he called gently, but no one answered. He continued to call her name, but still no one responded.

Anxiety arose in Meng Yuxiu's heart, and he hurriedly pushed the door open. The door was not locked and opened wide with a push.