Song Xia stood on the high platform and personally beat the drum to send off the soldiers who were about to go to war. Everyone was full of fighting spirit and determined to take Weicheng in one fell swoop.

Ouyang Feng and Yin Shihuai led the vanguard, with Song Lang as the main general, followed by countless martial arts practitioners. Martial arts practitioners love excitement and are prone to impulsive actions, but most of them are also very loyal and skilled in martial arts. If used properly, they could be a powerful fighting force.

Two firearms were in the middle of the procession, personally escorted by Shangguan Jin. According to him, he wanted to personally watch the firearms conquer cities and territories.

Along the way, the people lined the streets to see them off, which shows how much support the rebel army established by Song Xia was.

With almost no obstacles, the army arrived outside Weicheng in just ten days. The number of soldiers was several thousand more than when they set out. They were all people who could not survive due to the oppression of the imperial court. They followed behind with broken farm tools, and those who did not have farm tools used sticks, stones and other things they picked up as weapons.

Seeing their sincere attitude, Song Lang distributed the grain and sent soldiers to organize into battalions. Within a few days, they had indeed developed some discipline.

With the enemy at the gates, the people of Weicheng were not uneasy at all; on the contrary, they were extremely excited. If it weren't for the general's strict order to keep the city gates closed and not allow anyone to approach, they would have loved to open the gates to welcome them.

"General Liu, the situation is hopeless. You should listen to the people's cries!" Song Lang shouted. "Even the imperial court has abandoned its defense of Weicheng. Why are you still so persistent?"

"How dare you, you audacious traitors! As an official of the imperial court, I swear I will never compromise with you, even at the cost of my life."

The imperial court withdrew its troops because it did not want to confront them, but of course it could not say so openly, otherwise it would cause the imperial power to lose its prestige. Although the imperial power did not have much prestige at the moment, there were always generals and ministers like General Liu who were too blindly loyal and refused to leave.

It's not that such generals and ministers are bad; on the contrary, having such generals and ministers is a blessing for the court. However, if they encounter a bad ruler, it is a misfortune for such generals and ministers.

"General Liu, are you a loyal subject of the court or a loyal subject of the people? Shouldn't you listen to the voices of the people? Don't you know how the people are living these days?"

As Song Lang continued to question him, General Liu's face turned pale. He knew the corruption of the court, but as a court official, how could he betray his country in the face of danger?

"Now that treacherous officials are in power, we should do our best to advise His Majesty, instead of rebelling like you traitors. But what right do you, with your wolfish ambitions, have to talk to me about these grand principles?"

Song Lang sighed softly. If only such a loyal and capable general were in their rebel army, it would be so wonderful. Unfortunately, General Liu was stubborn and refused to be recruited.

"General Liu, we are only following the will of the people. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about the soldiers and families behind you."

General Liu turned around and saw that the soldiers all looked dejected and panicked. He thought of the sorrowful faces of his wife and children when he left, and he felt even more sorry for them. However, as the general of a city, if he were to retreat voluntarily, how could he live up to the late emperor's trust?

Song Lang offered one last piece of advice: "General Liu, this is the trend of the times. To work with our army to build a prosperous era is the duty of a loyal minister. You alone cannot stop it."

The soldiers behind General Liu were tempted: "General! Why don't we surrender? They have firearms and so many martial arts practitioners. We are bound to lose."

"The people know that they are attacking the city today, and they all hope that the city gates will be opened."

"General, the court has already abandoned us, so why should we stubbornly hold on?"

"General, it's not that we're afraid of death, but the current situation is no longer worth risking our lives to protect."

"Didn't you already know about the changes in Linghe City? That's the kind of life the people longed for."

General Liu looked at them dejectedly, his eyes blank. Was there really no hope left?

"General!"

General Liu murmured a few times, then resolutely closed his eyes: "I will not stop you, but I will never be a general who leads a country to ruin."

Then, without waiting for the soldiers around him to stop him, General Liu committed suicide on the city wall.

Seeing this, the soldiers around him were heartbroken, and Song Lang and the others remained silent, their eyes filled with sorrow. But he still drew his sword and ordered, "Attack!"

With almost no effort, and only one cannon shot fired, the city gates opened. Soldiers who did not resist were temporarily detained and forbidden from harming anyone. Local gentry and wealthy merchants were imprisoned in their residences and released immediately after it was found that they had not oppressed the people. Those who had colluded with officials and committed all sorts of evil deeds had their property confiscated and used as military funds.

These kinds of matters are complicated to handle, and it's hard to gauge the right balance. Someone as honest and meticulous as Ouyang Feng is not suitable for this job, but Yin Shihuai is just right for it.

He was meticulous and tactful in his dealings with others. After returning to Linghe City, he generally handled the tasks assigned by Song Xia better than Ouyang Feng.

Ouyang Feng is highly skilled in martial arts and has strong execution ability, making him only suitable as a vanguard or general.

Because the rebels did not indiscriminately kill innocent people or seize their property, they were warmly welcomed. Song Lang quickly handed over a series of instructions, and he treated the family of the deceased General Liu with great respect, even giving General Liu a proper burial.

General Liu's family members were not as stubborn as him, nor did they harbor any hatred towards the rebels. After all, they had already tried to persuade them, but General Liu himself was too blindly loyal. Therefore, when Song Lang wanted to learn about the affairs of Weicheng, the Liu family members even took the initiative to cooperate.

Song Lang immediately appointed the son and daughter of the Liu family as city officials. The son was fine, but the daughter was stunned. She had heard that women in Linghe City could become officials, but when she was appointed, it was as if she had heard a heavenly voice.

“No need to worry.” A female official accompanying the rebel army patted her on the shoulder. “We women are no less capable than men. As long as you have knowledge and ability, and as long as you are truly for the people, you can become more than just a city official. You can become a prime minister or a marshal in the future.”

Is that really the case?

"Of course, do you know who our commander is?"

“Song Xia, Master of Song Valley.”

"So, do you want to witness the birth of the world's first female emperor with us?"

The young woman from the Liu family's gaze gradually hardened: "Yes."

“Do a good job. We are making history. Only through our joint efforts can women’s status be the same as men’s in the future.”

"How many women like you are there in Linghe City?"

“Many, a great many. We even have female soldiers, whose fighting strength is no less than that of male soldiers. You will see them in the future.”

Empress, female army—such unfamiliar terms! In the past, they wouldn't have dared to even dream of them. But now, what men couldn't do, Valley Master Song has accomplished. If Valley Master Song isn't the one who ascends the throne in the future, then who else is qualified?