That's not actually the case.

As the highest-ranking official among the four, Wu Yi not only held military power but also had absolute dominance. How could he be a brainless person?

Tang Qiaozhan is indeed quick-witted, but his problem lies in being too quick-witted. Even though he usually hides it very well, his ambition is unmistakable.

Such a person, if used properly, can be a powerful sword; if used improperly, he may be swallowed whole, leaving not even bones behind.

But Wu Yi wasn't afraid of him.

No matter how much Tang Qiaozhan jumps around, he can never escape his Five Claw Mountain.

Thinking of this, Wu Yi smiled slightly and clapped his hands, saying, "Alright, let's not talk about the conflict anymore. Time is of the essence, let's quickly discuss it and then go to the city gate to welcome Princess Chang Le."

Upon hearing this, Tang Qiaozhan and the other two immediately abandoned their ulterior motives.

Just as the four were having a heated discussion, the head guard who was stationed at the city gate rode up to the governor's mansion in a disheveled state.

"It's terrible, Your Excellency! Princess Chang Le is unhappy about being refused entry to the city and has ordered her men to fight with the guards at the city gate."

My brothers were no match for them; many died on the spot. I managed to escape and rushed to report to you, sir.

At this point, the head guard looked panicked and anxious.

"Your Excellency, what should we do now?"

Princess Chang Le has arrived with overwhelming force, and all her men are fierce and skilled warriors. Even a three-year-old child could easily defeat the guards, who were powerless to retaliate. What should we do?

He understood the principle that all prosper together and all suffer together.

Upon hearing the head guard's words, Jin Kehan's face was filled with disbelief. "A three-year-old child knows martial arts? This is simply unheard of."

Wu Yi also found it unbelievable.

His sinister eyes shot straight at the head guard, his tone icy cold, "Head guard, tell me the truth, are all the things you've said true?"

The head guard was extremely anxious and hurriedly held up three fingers.

"Your Excellency, I swear to Heaven that everything I just said is true. If I am not, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

To be honest, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, based solely on what others said, he might have thought it was nonsense and an exaggeration, just like the governor and the others.

The problem is, he really didn't lie!

The more than 10,000 people that Princess Chang Le brought were like a well-trained army, not only knowing how to attack, but also how to cooperate as a team.

Although there weren't many soldiers guarding the city gate, there were still at least two or three hundred of them.

But the result...

Before they could react, they were surrounded by more than 10,000 people, and they had no way to escape.

If he hadn't been quick-witted and rushed back on horseback to report the news as soon as the city gates were opened, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape at all.

The atmosphere in the hall became somber for a moment.

Wu Yi and the other three looked at each other, their clenched fists a testament to the fear and panic deep within them.

Could it be that Sheng Lingwei is really as terrifying as the rumors suggest?

The problem is, a woman who can conjure lightning out of thin air and possesses unfathomable divine power—she's not human, she's clearly a god!

In any case, ever since they heard the rumors, they have maintained that they do not believe them, and therefore did not take Princess Chang Le, who had just come of age, seriously.

But now it seems they were completely wrong!

Jin Kehan ​​swallowed hard. "Old Wu, what should we do now? It seems Princess Chang Le has completely broken ties with us!"

Shi Dongming pursed his lips, his voice trembling slightly.

"Or...should we hurry and escape with our trusted men? If we're any later, our lives will be in danger!"

"No!"

Tang Qiaozhan looked disapproving.

He's still young and hasn't had enough of the good life yet. He doesn't want to become a deserter. If he goes to another place, he'll have to start all over again.

Tang Qiao's eyes were dark and gloomy.

After a moment of contemplation, he quickly looked at the three of them.

"Old Wu, Old Jin, Old Tang, don't forget that we have considerable power ourselves."

The total number of soldiers under his command is more than 1,500. When we add our own people and the native locals, the total number is about 20,000.

These people, when added together, far outnumbered the number of people Princess Chang Le brought.

In addition, we recruited people from three other factions, bringing the total number of people to over 30,000.

I refuse to believe that we, with the full strength of the city, cannot stand up against Princess Chang Le.

In any case, success or failure hinges on this one battle.

With a loud "smack," Tang Qiaozhan slammed his hand on the coffee table, his face full of ruthlessness. "For our future wealth and glory, we'll fight to the death!"

Jin Kehan's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed.

"Yes, yes, let's fight it out. Even if we don't confront Princess Chang Le, she probably won't let us go."

The fact that she could strike the Emperor and Empress with lightning shows her ruthlessness, and since we are not related to her by blood, she will show us even less mercy.

After the two expressed their views, they turned their attention to Wu Yi and Shi Dongming.

Shi Dongming's brows were furrowed so deeply they were almost knotted together.

Of the four, his family members were the weakest. What could he do? Even if he wanted to escape immediately, he could only follow the opinions of the masses.

After all, if he disagrees at this point...

These three will surely devour him alive.

He must not be allowed to leave the governor's mansion alive.

Shi Dongming sighed and said, "Alright, let's go all out. Even if the people Princess Chang Le brought are highly skilled in combat, we outnumber them. Fortune favors the bold, so let's just go for it."

Wu Yi's face was gloomy.

"In that case, everyone quickly gather your forces. I will send someone to inform the other three factions."

"yes!"

...

The city gate of Yucheng County.

The ground was stained with blood. Of the three hundred guards who were guarding the city gate, more than forty had died, leaving more than two hundred alive.

He was already tied up with ropes.

Sheng Lingwei led a large group into the city. As far as the eye could see, there were dilapidated houses, which looked desolate and backward.

As for the shops on both sides of the street.

Even before the fight broke out, they were so frightened that they kept their doors tightly shut, fearing they would suffer an undeserved disaster.

The streets were sparsely populated.

Some of the more timid people had already hidden themselves away, leaving only those dressed in rags, emaciated, and clearly from the lowest rungs of society, cowering in the corners of the walls.

They didn't dare to even glance at the large group.

Sheng Lingwei looked at Liu Zi and asked, "What's going on with these people? Could it be that this remote Yucheng County is full of beggars?"

Liu Zi sighed and shook his head.

"Boss, these people aren't beggars, they're slaves."

Sheng Lingwei's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Liu Zi explained, “Boss, these people are either exiled or locals who were sold off by their families, or they couldn’t survive and sold themselves.”

In order to survive, they were forced to become slaves, living lives worse than animals. It was a last resort, and such things were common in Yucheng County.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned somewhat grim.

They really hadn't expected that the hierarchical divisions in Yucheng County would be so severe.

How can this be considered a prefecture?

It's clearly a small country.