Chapter 721: The Emperor's Personal Expedition (Part 2) [Sick Leave Requested]

"You two are both good."

Shen Tang's eyes curved upwards as her smile deepened.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ji straightened his already ramrod straight back even more.

Shen Tang added, "However, the improvement of martial arts is not achieved overnight but through daily accumulation. Zhi Zong should not push himself too hard. It is important to know that a proper balance between work and rest is the key to achieving twice the result with half the effort. Daily accumulation is important, but improving one's state of mind is also important."

Leader Huang is indirectly Lu Ji's father's killer.

As Lu Ji's daughter, it's understandable that she forces herself to cultivate, hoping to one day take revenge. Watching the fight just now, Shen Tang noticed that Lu Ji's fighting style was a bit more aggressive than before, guessing that Lu Ji's state of mind was different. In the path of martial arts, haste makes waste.

Not only will it fail to make progress, it may even regress instead.

Lu Ji clenched his fist and said loudly, "We only need to work hard, not relax. Only in this way can we strive for progress and one day charge into battle for our lord. How can we slack off?"

Shen Tang looked at Lu Ji, who was acting like he was on steroids, and her lips twitched slightly. She remembered this daughter of the late Prefect Lu, the former Miss Lu. Although she had the reputation of being a "fierce woman," she had always shown her a restrained respect, never such unrestrained and fervent admiration. She hadn't paid attention to her for a while, so why was she suddenly viewing her with such fervor?

Upon seeing Lu Ji, Shen Tang remembered the unfortunate child and suggested that Lu Ji become her bodyguard, or rather, her personal bodyguard.

This decision was based on two considerations.

On the one hand, it would be better to cultivate Lu Ji—there weren't many female generals with growth potential under Shen Tang's command. Although the women's camp had a group of female soldiers who could cultivate, they didn't get enough nutrition in their early years, so they had to start from scratch, wasting too much of their talent, and would never reach a very high level in their lives. There were a few people who had been nurtured with great care, Yang Ying had guidance and training from Yang Gong's old subordinates, Zhao Wei had a childhood sweetheart, Xu Quanneng, who could be exploited, and her father, Zhao Feng, had also secretly asked someone to take care of her. Only Lu Ji was all alone.

This made Shen Tang feel both sympathy and affection for her.

On the other hand, since Lu Ji and Shen Tang are both women, it is more convenient for Lu Ji to guard the palace at night, and Shen Tang can also be more at ease.

Shen Tang asked again, "Will Zhi Zong agree?"

Lu Ji's CPU was a bit overheated. After Yang Ying gave her an elbow, she finally came to her senses and almost bit her tongue: "I swear to protect my lord to the death!"

Shen Tang gently patted her shoulder to encourage her.

After she left, Yang Ying was genuinely happy for Lu Ji.

Although General Bai also valued Lu Ji highly and cultivated her greatly, the sense of accomplishment she gained was never as great as that of the lord's favor.

"Zhizong, aren't you going to buy me a drink?"

Lu Ji patted his chest and promised Yang Ying, "No problem, no problem. After this battle, you can drink as many cups as you want!"

"I want the eighteen-year-old Dukang liquor sold in general stores."

Given Lu Ji's military pay, a jar of Dukang wine wouldn't be considered stingy.

"Sure, sure, I'll make sure you drink your fill."

As the two were talking, they noticed a pair of unusual eyes.

The owner of the glasses stepped forward and asked for guidance: "Brother, your marksmanship is superb. I would be honored to have a friendly exchange with you."

Yang Ying asked him, "Are you asking to join the fight?"

Yun Ce nodded and said, "Yes."

Yang Ying: "I'm skilled with both guns and knives. I just sparred with Zhi Zong and hurt my tiger's mouth, so I can't use my full strength with a gun right now. If you don't mind, I'd like to use a knife for a bit."

Yun Ce agreed without hesitation: "Of course."

Yang Ying and Lu Ji had agreed to abstain from using hand techniques and martial energy during their exchange, resulting in a rapid depletion of their stamina. Having just stopped fighting, Yang Ying immediately mobilized her martial energy to recover most of her strength. She said, "To be fair, how about we also agree to abstain from hand techniques?"

Yun Ce: "Okay."

Yang Ying retrieved his sword, kicked off the scabbard, and simultaneously gripped the hilt with both hands to draw it. The moment the blade rubbed against the scabbard, a pleasant metallic hum resounded, faintly carrying the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger. The blade flashed and disappeared in an instant, reaching Yun Ce in the blink of an eye. Yun Ce wielded a long weapon, putting Yang Ying at a disadvantage in terms of length. To gain the upper hand, he had to close the distance and engage in close combat.

Yun Ce's eyes brightened slightly: "Well done!"

The temperature on the makeshift drill ground, which had just dropped, rose again as the two continued their back-and-forth. Soldiers not on duty or patrolling also came to watch the spectacle. Some cheered for Yang Ying, while others admired Yun Ce's handsome appearance and graceful movements, shouting incessantly.

At midday, the sun was high in the sky.

“That Alliance Leader Huang is still the Alliance Leader after all. No matter how deep your grudge is with him, you must pretend nothing happened in this kind of situation. If something goes wrong, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you, do you understand?” Shen Tang took the newly appointed Lu Ji to the meeting.

Can it be saved?

Of course it can be preserved.

But Shen Tang is the lord, not a nanny cleaning up her subordinates' messes. No matter how kind and amiable she is, she can't indulge her subordinates without limits. Although she advocates revenge, there's a time and place to consider. Her deliberate emphasis was also a reminder to Lu Ji.

Lu Ji clasped his hands and said, "I understand."

Although she hated Huang Lie, she was also aware of her own limitations.

The other party is someone I cannot shake.

There's plenty of time; she can slowly build up her strength!

The Allied Forces held this meeting to determine their operational strategy against Zheng Qiao. Everyone spoke freely, and the best plan was chosen in the end. Shen Tang spoke first, revealing his own plan: "The tyrant Zheng Qiao is currently residing in Aoshan. As a strategic stronghold, this place will undoubtedly hold our lifeline. I do have a bold idea, but it requires the cooperation of the Allied Forces."

Huang Lie asked her, "What method?"

Shen Tang said frankly, "The main force of the alliance can confront Zheng Qiao's troops across the river here, misleading the main force of the alliance to fight him to the death. Then send a surprise force to advance westward along the Miao River, land and attack the city, and circle around to the rear of Aoshan. Although it is risky to go deep into enemy territory, it will make Zheng Qiao unable to take care of both ends, which can solve our passive situation."

While Huang Lie was frowning, Shen Tang volunteered: "I am not talented, but I am willing to personally lead the elite troops to this battle!"

Huang Lie said solemnly, "This method is too risky."

Gu Ren also advised, "If Zheng Qiao receives our plan and sends a large force to guard Shen Jun, wouldn't he be doomed?"

His words were very insightful.

The only thing missing was telling Shen Tang that if these ragtag bunches in the Dragon Slayer Bureau couldn't withstand the pressure, they might betray their teammates on the battlefield—

Some people found these words offensive and said unhappily, "Whether Shen Jun is capable or not is another matter, but does Prefect Gu's statement seem to have a hidden meaning?"

Gu Ren smiled and asked in return.

"Mr. Tao, what am I referring to?"

Shen Tang: "..."

It's true that you can never help but assume someone is in your shoes.

She appreciated Gu Ren's good intentions, but it was dangerous for her to stay there. So she said righteously, "Man proposes, God disposes. Everyone has a responsibility to kill the tyrant. If I, a mere commoner, can break this deadlock, I will be gratified even in the afterlife."

She'd been so resolute; it wouldn't be right for Huang Lie not to assign her a mission. Huang Lie couldn't very well voice his opposition, but as the alliance leader, he couldn't let Shen Tang sacrifice everything alone. As Shen Tang had predicted, she'd lost a burden.

Who else could be this burden but Tao Yan?

Shen Tang: "..."

Tao Yan has become a burden on her, hasn't she?

What kind of twisted sense of humor does Huang Lie have? Does he hope that Tao Yan will be driven to the point of betraying Shen Tang, or does he want to see Shen Tang kill Tao Yan?

I thought Tao Yan would be unhappy with this arrangement, but to my surprise, he wasn't.

Shen Tang: "..."

Has that old bastard Tao Shenyu taken the wrong medicine?

"Sigh—why do I feel like this Alliance Leader Huang has a bit of a heartless ice man vibe? For a matchmaking fee, he's shamelessly bringing a man and a woman together?" Since she had already guessed it would be Tao Yan, Shen Tang wasn't surprised.

"Wangchao seems to be in a good mood?" Noticing that Gu Chi was unusually happy today and seemed relaxed, he teased, "What, is it finally time for this old man to have a crush?"

Gu Chi nearly choked on his own saliva and quickly asked, "Cough cough cough—My lord, guess what I just heard?"

Shen Tang shook her head: "Just tell me."

"Tao Shenyu might be about to betray us. Zheng Qiao secretly sent someone to contact him and generously promised him what he wanted most."

This is what he heard in his heart.

Dismantling an organization from within is often the most thorough approach.

Zheng Qiao had previously started with Shen Tang and also added Li He to the mix. This time, he personally led the campaign and changed his strategy, secretly sending people to contact Tao Yan. Upright gentlemen are unyielding and principled, while treacherous villains are opportunistic and easily defeated.

Shen Tang: "Isn't Tao Shenyu's greatest desire the restoration of his kingdom? Has Zheng Qiao gone mad? He can even agree to such a condition?"

Gu Chi shook his head: "What Tao Shenyu and his followers want most has never been the restoration of the country. What they care about most is status, power, and a superior identity. They are just using the restoration of the country as a gimmick to attract their kind to work for them."

Shen Tang sneered and curled her lips: "Zheng Qiao is a leaky, dilapidated boat. Isn't he afraid that if he boards it now, it will sink and he'll drown?"

Looking left and right is not a wise move.

She bet that Zheng Qiao's promises were mostly empty promises.

Like a P2P platform that has collapsed, the possibility of repayment is zero.

"Tao Shenyu has betrayed us, and Wang Chao is so happy about it?"

“Once he turns against us, we will no longer be allies, but enemies.”

(`)

It's not that Shiitake Mushroom (the author) is sick, it's Mom. Today we went to the mountains to pay respects to our ancestors, and she suddenly had a stomachache, frequent vomiting, and dizziness. The checkup revealed some problems with her cervical spine. Shiitake Mushroom has to take care of her and keep an eye on Leather Jacket (the author's nickname), so the update was delayed… Sigh, so much pressure. It's only the beginning of the month and she's already using a sick leave note; what will she do in April…?

(End of this chapter)