Meng Ruliu said, "To save the Empress, do we just run to Southern Chu to dig a pit and build a high platform? I can't imagine how we can save the Empress on the island from Southern Chu."

Granny Cui didn't really understand why Wei Jingzhuo had come to Southern Chu. But she had one thought: whatever their master did, they, as his subordinates, didn't need to think; they just had to follow along.

This kind of thinking might work if you have a wise master, but if you have a foolish master, you won't even know when you'll lose your head.

Her master was a wise ruler, so she never had to use her brain. It wasn't until Meng Ruliu said that she began to wonder.

"The General is right. Building a high platform, no matter how high... it's still reaching for the sky. The island is in the middle of the sea, which is really puzzling."

"If you ask me, he's just gone mad from not eating," Meng Ruliu said. "Didn't the Prime Minister and the others advise against His Majesty building the Star Gazing Platform?"

Granny Cui said, "Everyone tried to stop them. Oh dear, General, you weren't in the capital, so you don't know how much trouble it caused back then."

The Prime Minister, concerned about the country and its people, met with Wei Jingzhuo twice, earnestly persuading him to retract his decision, but Wei Jingzhuo refused to listen.

The Censor-in-Chief submitted another memorial, arguing that the massive project was a drain on resources and manpower, and that the nation had just ended a war and the people needed time to recover. Wei Jingzhuo, however, remained unmoved. The Censor-in-Chief then clung to Wei Jingzhuo's leg, weeping and pleading, before Wei Jingzhuo had him thrown out.

The six ministers jointly advised that the Empress should be the priority and that she should be found first to bring peace to the people, but Wei Jingzhuo still refused to listen.

There was a resolute minister who, in an attempt to persuade Wei Jingzhuo to retract his order, hung himself upside down on the city wall, holding scissors in his hand, and said that if His Majesty did not retract the order, he would cut the rope binding his feet and jump to his death to atone for His Majesty's sins.

As a result, Wei Jingzhuo had Lin Qingfeng and his men forcibly pull him up.

Meng Ruliu was furious and said repeatedly, "He was perfectly fine when he first ascended the throne. I understand now. It turns out that it was his sworn sister who was controlling him. As soon as his sworn sister left, his true colors as a tyrant were revealed."

With a bitter face, Granny Cui said, "But His Majesty misses the Empress so much that he hasn't eaten or drunk anything for many days."

“That was a performance for the people of the world,” Meng Ruliu said. “It’s not being performed anymore.”

Granny Cui was dumbfounded and said, "So His Majesty is really a tyrant?"

"that is."

After saying this decisively, Meng Ruliu greeted Granny Cui and hurriedly walked out of the camp.

She walked up to a tent, intending to walk straight past it without really looking at it. But to her surprise, the people sitting in front of the tent suddenly all lowered their heads, avoiding her gaze like thieves, which actually attracted her attention.

She stopped, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, and she stared at one of the burly men, shouting, "General Qi, what are you doing here?"

General Qi was one of her top generals, and he was in charge of military affairs when she was away. Logically speaking, General Qi should be in the capital, so why was he here, dressed as a commoner?

Upon hearing her voice, General Qi quickly raised his finger to his lips and shushed her forcefully: "General, don't shout, or the people around will hear."

Meng Ruliu strode up to the crowd, looked them over one by one, and sneered, "Well, so my generals have all disguised themselves as civilians and come here."

Those gathered around the bonfire were all generals of the Jin army.

Although Meng Ruliu was a woman, she was brave and exceptionally skilled in martial arts. Everyone admired her, but also feared her anger. Seeing that they could not escape her, the generals had no choice but to rise and pay their respects to the Great General.

Meng Ruliu said, "You are all generals, yet you have left the camp without permission. If I act according to military law, you will all lose your heads."

Everyone shuddered and obediently stood in a row to listen to the reprimand.

Meng Ruliu said, "Not only did you leave the military camp without permission, but you also wore civilian clothes. This is simply outrageous! Tell me, why did you do this?"

General Qi said in a low voice, "General, how dare I leave the camp without permission? This is His Majesty's decree."

"His Majesty's decree?" Meng Ruliu asked. "You've come here on imperial orders?"

Everyone nodded quickly, saying, "Yes, yes, it's His Majesty's decree."

Meng Ruliu was confused and said, "His Majesty issued an order for you to disguise yourselves as commoners and build the Star Gazing Platform?"

“No, no,” General Qi lowered his voice even further, “His Majesty said we’re here to fight. Do you see the boxes over there? Our armor and weapons are all in those boxes.”

Meng Ruliu glanced to the side and noticed that there were several boxes in front of each tent. She had seen them before and thought they were just ordinary boxes.

She walked over, opened a box, and found it filled with armor, swords, bows and crossbows, and everything else.

She asked the people following behind her, "Besides you, are there soldiers?"

Another general held up five fingers: "There are a total of 50,000 elite troops. They are all hiding among these laborers, just like us, waiting for His Majesty's orders."

Meng Ruliu said, "Didn't we just sign a peace treaty with Southern Chu?"

“It’s not Southern Chu,” General Qi said. “His Majesty said that our goal is to prepare an attack on the family of divine physicians in order to rescue the Empress. This advance was also approved by the Emperor of Southern Chu.”

Meng Ruliu was completely dumbfounded, holding her head in her hands and saying, "This is complete chaos! Her Majesty the Empress is clearly on the island!"

Just as she was puzzled, the camp in the direction of Yanxun Pass suddenly erupted in excitement.

"His Majesty is back! His Majesty is back!"