"Strategist, we can't retreat any further." The subordinates were very resistant to the tactic of retreating without fighting, and this was not the first time they had protested.
Che Mingyuan asked Zhao Zheng, "How many cities have we lost already?"
The latter: "Six seats."
Che Mingyuan: "Has Zhou Ruyuan been lured out?"
Zhao Zheng shook his head: "No, he is very vigilant."
Che Mingyuan said calmly, "That means he hasn't received enough."
The soldiers below were dumbfounded. Were they going to retreat without a fight again?
"Pass down the order: continue the retreat."
His soldiers became anxious.
"Strategist, if we retreat any further, how will we explain ourselves to His Majesty when he wakes up?"
Che Mingyuan: "Don't worry, I'll find a way to make sure you can get away with this!"
"But...we can win, right? Why retreat?"
Wouldn't it be better to annihilate them in one fell swoop?
Che Mingyuan: "This is His Majesty's order."
The soldiers immediately fell silent.
~
Yuan Lang was somewhat disappointed that His Majesty had not personally led the expedition, but he also felt that there was some truth to it.
After all, Zhou Ruyuan is still in charge on the surface, using the pretext of upholding the royal bloodline. If the royal bloodline is lost, they will become traitors and rebels.
"Your Majesty, I had previously made an agreement with the disciple of Guigu to have a contest with him."
Zhou Ruyuan stared intently at Yuan Lang: "So?"
Yuan Lang: "I wish to lead troops to challenge them."
Even if the emperor doesn't personally lead the army, his presence as the national advisor can still boost morale.
Given that he hadn't fulfilled his previous agreement with the successor of Guiguzi, it wasn't surprising that he made this request now.
Zhou Ruyuan thought for a moment and nodded.
"Approved."
The next day, Yuan Lang appeared at the front of the battle and challenged the enemy.
"The successor of Guiguzi, come out and accept the challenge!"
"I am Yuan Lang, the successor of the thatched cottage, and I have come today to accept the challenge!"
Ultimately, Guiguzi and Caolu will have to be determined to be superior.
Once the message was made, everyone, friend or foe, began to look forward to it.
"The successor of Guiguzi and the successor of Caolu have finally met."
"I've been waiting for this scene for two years."
"I thought I would never see a showdown between the two of them in my lifetime, but I never expected that my dream would come true today."
"We have witnessed the duel between two great successors, which is truly a life well-lived."
"I would have no regrets if I could witness the duel between the two of them, even if I died shortly afterward."
Many people held this thought and were excited.
Many people on the Eastern Expeditionary Army's side also sighed, which made Che Mingyuan's skin crawl.
To everyone's surprise, Che Mingyuan then ordered another troop withdrawal.
A considerable amount of discussion arose again among the Eastern Expeditionary Army, but fortunately, Shen Lanxi's influence remained, and even amidst the discussion, orders were still carried out.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yanxing had an idea.
The Eastern Expeditionary Army's defeat further enhanced Yuan Lang's prestige. After much deliberation, Zhou Yanxing decided to win over the hearts and minds of the army and the people for his own use.
He merely symbolically informed Zhou Ruyuan before setting off, then led his troops into battle, ostensibly to lead the army on behalf of the emperor.
Upon receiving the news, Zhou Ruyuan immediately guessed what the imperial uncle was up to and was furious.
"Immediately muster the troops; I will personally lead the expedition."
Shen Lanxi is most likely dead. The imperial court is now a piece of fat meat to be slaughtered. Zhou Yanxing's move is tantamount to exposing his fangs.
Now it's a matter of who can tear off the most fat.
His royal uncle has finally revealed his true colors.
News of Zhou Ruyuan's personal expedition spread quickly, and in order to beat Zhou Yanxing to it, he hastily mustered his troops.
From issuing the order to setting off, it took less than half a day.
Upon receiving the message, Che Mingyuan immediately released a carrier pigeon.
at night
Not long after Yuan Lang stepped into the tent, he noticed a strange smell and fainted.
When he woke up again, he thought he was dreaming.
He saw someone he never expected.
"It's you?"
Jiang Wuyai sat down in front of Yuan Lang with a faint smile.
"I never imagined you were the successor of the Thatched Cottage." Jiang Wuyai's words came from the bottom of his heart.
Yuan Lang was momentarily dazed, his head throbbed with a sharp, needle-like pain, before he regained full consciousness.
It wasn't a dream; he really saw Jiang Wuyai.
Wasn't he executed by Zhou Ruyuan? How is he still alive?
Jiang Wuyai got straight to the point, saying directly, "I've come here on behalf of the imperial court to offer you amnesty."
Yuan Lang's pupils contracted, his face filled with disbelief.
"You must be wondering how I ended up in front of you when we were in your camp?" Jiang Wuyai asked calmly.
Yuan Lang didn't say anything, but instead began to look around.
This was inside a military camp, but it was no longer the Tianjin military camp where he was stationed. So there was only one possibility: it was the imperial court's camp.
"The fact that you brought me here means that we have your people in our army." Yuan Lang wasn't a fool.
Jiang Wuyai smiled slightly and uttered a name.
Jiang Wuyai's pupils contracted, shocked once again.
"Our Emperor said that if you are willing to submit, you will become the Governor of Tianjin."
Yuan Lang chuckled dismissively, then suddenly remembered something and his expression changed drastically.
"Shen Lanxi isn't dead?"
Jiang Wuyai: "Don't worry, even if you die, our Emperor won't die."
A storm raged within Yuan Lang's heart. How could Shen Lanxi, a woman, possibly command so many people? How could those people willingly submit to her orders?
Shen Lanxi should have been the one to lose.
"What? Don't you believe we can take Tianjin?"
"Let me tell you, our Emperor not only wants to take Tianjin, but also wants to take it without harming a single civilian, with the fewest casualties."
Arrogant, utterly arrogant.
Even a man of heroic spirit wouldn't utter such arrogant words.
Shen Lanxi was neither a man nor of royal blood, so he should have had no chance of winning at all.
"Don't rush to answer me. Just think about how we managed to bring you here so smoothly."
Either their army was disorganized, or there were so many spies in the army that he could not even imagine the number.
Jiang Wuyai remained calm and asked again, "Does Zhou Ruyuan know about your relationship with Zhou Qiwu?"
Yuan Lang was horrified and stared intently at Jiang Wuyai.
"It's no use looking at me anymore. Zhou Qiwu and you are not on the same path at all, nor is Zhou Ruyuan."
"If you want to become the chief strategist and prove your status as a descendant of the hermitage by assisting a wise ruler, you should also see whether that wise ruler is a lump of mud or a boulder."
"If you can't even tell the difference, you've already lost to the disciple of Guiguzi from the very beginning."
They even dared to clamor for a fight with the successor of Guiguzi; it's utterly laughable.
Yuan Lang was exposed and Zhou Xiwu was embarrassed, and he also felt helpless when his ambitions were exposed.
He didn't know how many wise rulers there were in the world, but he knew that he always encountered mediocre ones.
Jiang Wuyai: "Your Majesty has already proven with facts that great talent and strategy are not exclusive to men, and heroic spirit is not only used to describe women. As long as the country is well governed and the people live in peace and prosperity, the people below do not care whether the one sitting on the dragon throne is a man or a woman." (End of this chapter)
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