The royal army was led by Wei Tingsi, and his subordinates were a group of fierce generals, all of whom were heroes of the time. Any one of them could rival the Shu army. It was impossible for these people to betray the Dayong court and turn to Shu.
Dayong is a young and vigorous man, while Shu, though just beginning, is already doomed. It's a real headache. He counts his days until his death, and this feeling can't be described as mere torment.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's time for dinner," a maid reminded him. He didn't actually know what the posthumous title was and couldn't respond.
Zhao Zhang, with his short legs raised and hands behind his back, walked ahead like a little adult. Unfortunately, he was still too young, only seven years old. No matter how he tried to act like an adult, he looked out of place.
On the way, Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi followed him all the way and saw that his brows were furrowed, as if he was still thinking about his posthumous title.
Although Shu rebelled against the court, Zhao Shu, as a descendant of the Zhao family, genuinely felt that the child was intelligent and couldn't help but search for a posthumous title for him. Titles like Wen, Wu, Ming, and Rui were out of the question, and even a mediocre title like Hui was probably out of his reach.
It can't be some kind of Emperor Yang, that kind of evil title makes me feel uncomfortable, but it probably isn't, since he's too young.
Upon arriving at his bedchamber, Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi hid in a tree and, through the open window, saw him eat only a few mouthfuls of porridge before beginning to write.
Zhao Shu's vision wasn't good enough to see clearly. It wasn't until he fell asleep that Wei Tingsi threw a black ball into the room, knocking out the guard, before the two of them could enter.
Walking to the table, Zhao Shu saw two lines of crookedly written characters on the imperial edict: "Those who offend our land, though far away, shall be punished."
"Pfft," she chuckled as she read it. "Ambitious, but unfortunately born in Sichuan. If he were in the capital, he would surely have grown into a remarkable figure."
Several days passed before Zhang Chang finally returned the day after Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi arrived in Yizhou City. "Marshal, the people have been dealt with. What should we do next?"
"The King of Shu has passed away, and the Shu region is no longer a concern. You should go back and deal with King Jing's people, and try to return before attacking King Jing after conquering Shu."
Zhang Chang was completely stunned. They hadn't even had a real fight, and the King of Shu was already dead? Their fighting strength was too weak. Couldn't they have put in a little more effort? When they returned to the capital and were rewarded for their achievements, he would feel guilty!
Despite his dissatisfaction, he returned to Zhuzhou again. Zhao Shu watched him go back and forth, thinking that poor communication was indeed inconvenient, but she could only think about it; she could not be a scientist.
After seeing Zhang Chang off, Wei Tingsi quickly issued several orders from Yipinju. He didn't hide them from Zhao Shu, but it wasn't a big secret either; it was just that the campaign against Shu was about to begin.
The waiting time always seemed to pass slowly, but time eventually came to an end. Seven days later, panic finally broke out in Yizhou City. All the shops closed down, and those who had relatives in the countryside fled to the countryside for refuge. Those who didn't stay at home and dared not come out. The huge city of Yizhou became quiet in an instant, as if it had become a ghost town.
The Shu King's Palace.
"Report!" This report made everyone in the Shu Prince's Mansion jump to their throats, including seven-year-old Zhao Zhang, who was sitting on the dragon throne in the Golden Palace, which was a few sizes smaller than the one in the capital, with civil and military officials standing on both sides below.
"Announce." The voice, neither too loud nor too soft, yet still authoritative, rang out in the quiet hall. These words were not spoken by Zhao Zhang, but by the Empress Dowager of Shu, who sat behind the dragon throne and behind the beaded curtain.
Empress Dowager Shen Zhiqing, mother of Prince Zhao Yixing of Shu, is seventy-five years old this year, which is considered advanced age in ancient times.
"Dayong issued an edict to attack Shu and punish the guilty, with Wei Tingsi as the commander-in-chief. The troops have already set out from Chu!"
This was undoubtedly a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The hearts of all the civil and military officials of the Shu Dynasty were chilled, and they fell to the bottom. They immediately lost their confidence and began to whisper among themselves.
A loud "crack" came from behind the curtain—the sound of a teacup shattering. Zhao Zhang heard it clearly, and Shen Zhiqing's breathing became unsteady. He sighed softly, realizing that Shen Zhiqing was not like the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace in the capital.
The Shu prime minister, standing at the head of the line, stepped forward with a jade tablet in his hand. Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Zhang stood up. His small body, even when standing, had little intimidating presence. He tossed the bracelet he was wearing onto his wrist, which landed right at the prime minister's feet.
Upon seeing the bracelet, the Prime Minister of Shu swallowed back the words he was about to say. In front of the entire court, he would still give the young emperor a little face.
Zhao Zhang disliked the civil and military officials below him. Seeing that no one spoke, he pursed his lips. The civil and military officials standing on both sides finally saw the young emperor stand up. In the past few days, Zhao Zhang had been like a dummy, never moving while sitting on the dragon throne, and never speaking without Shen Zhiqing's order.
Zhao Zhang dared not wait any longer, fearing that Shen Zhiqing behind him would speak, so he shouted loudly: "I will personally lead the expedition, and those who invade my land, no matter how far away, shall be punished! My ministers, do not try to persuade me. If the Wei army does not retreat, Shu will perish! You have studied hard for years and entered officialdom, are you willing to be ministers of a fallen country? You generals have spent half your lives in glory, are you willing to be soldiers of a fallen country?"
The young emperor's words were startling, and Shen Zhiqing was unable to stop him in time. All the civil and military officials looked at each other in dismay, thinking to themselves, "How dare a mere child talk about personally leading an expedition? It's utterly ridiculous."
But no one dared to laugh out loud. Even a child could say, "Those who invade my land, though far away, shall be punished." A child also knew, "If the Wei army does not retreat, Shu will perish." A child also knew, "Studying hard in my youth is not for becoming a minister of a fallen state."
What started as a dismissive attitude turned into a profound and insightful analysis. The Shu Chancellor took a deep look at the indignant young emperor on the dragon throne. He never expected that the mediocre late emperor could have such an ambitious son!
However, the Wei army was unstoppable, with a million soldiers. With Wei Tingsi as its commander, what chance did the Wei army have of winning?
"Your Majesty's words are wise," someone exclaimed in flattery.
Immediately, all the civil and military officials in the court said in unison, "Your Majesty's words are wise."
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