You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Prior to this, Lu Zuo had sent several groups of envoys to Lingnan for negotiations, but all of them were rejected by Song Que, who had become the head of the Song family.

The reason is simple: although the Song clan of Lingnan were nominally subjects of the Chen state, they were actually autonomous warlords.

Even if Song Que supports the Chen Kingdom, he still has to consider the interests of his family.

Now...

I wonder how far this simp would go for his goddess?

Thinking of this, Lu Zuo spoke up:

"Young Master Song should know that His Majesty's anger over the matter of Fairy Fan and Jingzhai is by no means unfounded."

"At this time, one must offer advice with merits sufficient to move the emperor's heart and to offset any transgressions."

After a pause, Lu Zuo continued, "The Song clan of Lingnan dominated the southern border, commanding hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, and their power shook the Baiyue region."

"If Young Master Song can use the strength of Lingnan to help the court defeat the Sui army, quell the internal strife, and stabilize half of the country."

"We are fully confident that we can recommend this to His Majesty, given the merit of protecting the emperor."

"Only when the country is stable can Your Majesty have room to maneuver."

"Otherwise, the country will cease to exist, and all talk will be in vain. If Young Master Song wishes to save the fairy, he must first save the country."

"This is... the only condition."

Song Que stared intently at Lu Zuo, his chest rising and falling slightly, his eyes filled with sternness.

For Qinghui's sake, he had no other choice!

"good!"

He nodded: "Prefect Lu is a man of few words; I, Song Que, accept this condition!"

"The Song family of Lingnan is willing to devote all their efforts to assisting the imperial court in resisting the Northern Sui and quelling the chaos!"

"but......."

"I have one more request."

"If we succeed in the future, I humbly request that the Prefect also petition His Majesty to release Bi Xiuxin, who was imprisoned along with Fairy Fan."

If Xiuxin can be rescued, Qinghui will surely find some solace, and Jingzhai will owe the Song clan an even greater favor.

later......

A ripple stirred in Song Que's heart as he thought to himself: I've done so much for you, shouldn't that be enough to move you?

Lu Zuo was dumbfounded!

He just agreed like that?

Just for Fan Qinghui?

Isn't that absurd?

Lu Zuo's gaze fell on Song Que's angular face, and he thought to himself that this was no longer just simple infatuation, this was simply...

He's gone mad!

For a woman, a woman who might not even be interested in him.

They actually staked the entire Lingnan Song clan's legacy, the foundation built up over generations, and the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers on the gambling table.

"it is good"

After pondering for a moment, Lu Zuo nodded and said, "If the mission in Lingnan is successful, I will certainly petition on behalf of both fairies."

"His Majesty will surely grant your request, considering the loyalty and righteousness of Lingnan and the need to pacify the overall situation."

Actually, Lu Zuo was wrong.

The reason Song Que agreed so readily, besides Fan Qinghui, was also because he saw a glimmer of hope for a comeback in Nantong.

When powerful families place their bets, they naturally bet on the side with the best chance of winning!

Of course……

With his sycophantic nature, even if he sees no hope, he would give everything for Fan Qinghui.

Song Que clasped his hands in a deep fist and said in a solemn voice, "Alright, it's a deal."

Lu Zuo pondered for a moment and said, "Then please ask Young Master Song to return to Lingnan immediately and lead the troops into battle."

Song Queshen clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "May I ask where Lord Lu needs to conquer in Lingnan?"

Lu Zuo walked to the huge map hanging in the sky and pointed to a large area south of Jiankang, along the Yangtze River, and all the way to Lingnan:

"All counties that disobey the imperial court's orders, waver between two sides, or even openly defend themselves are subject to punitive expeditions."

"Especially..."

His fingers pounded heavily on the places in Wu County and Kuaiji County that marked the roots of the six great families: "These places must be completely eradicated as a warning to others!"

Song Que followed Lu Zuo's finger with his gaze, quickly considered the situation in his mind, and then said, "I understand."

"However, Lord Lu, please forgive my bluntness."

"Those counties that do not obey orders are mostly opportunists. With the force of the army, they can be intimidated and pacified with a simple proclamation, without the need for a major war."

"But the Lu family of Wu County and the Yu family of Kuaiji have been established for hundreds of years, with high walls and deep moats, and their private armies are elite. Moreover, their strength is comparable to that of the Song clan in Lingnan."

"They hold the city and have a great advantage in terrain. If our army launches a strong attack, even if we can conquer it, we will suffer heavy casualties, which may damage the vitality of Lingnan and be detrimental to subsequent battles."

He looked at Lu Zuo and made a request: "If we want to quickly pacify Jiangnan and completely eradicate these malignant tumors, we need Lord Lu to send elite troops from Dongyang and Nantong to join forces with our Lingnan troops in a pincer attack. Only then can we achieve victory in one battle."

Oh......

Let me, from Lingnan, go and gnaw on the toughest bone alone, and let the Song family bleed dry.

Lu Zuo, your plan is a bit too ambitious.

I must save Qinghui, but I cannot let the foundation of the Song clan be exhausted for you.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zuo narrowed his eyes slightly and sneered inwardly.

Sure enough, despite being a sycophant, he still retains some clarity of mind when it comes to the fundamental interests of his family.

"it is good."

"but……"

"The main duty of the troops in Dongyang and Nantong at present is to consolidate the rear and support the Jiankang defense line. Moreover, the new army is still in its early stages and needs further training."

"How about this, Young Master Song, you can first lead the mighty army of Lingnan northward to pacify those counties that are watching from the sidelines. This will serve two purposes: firstly, to train the troops, and secondly, to clear out the outer perimeter and cut off any possible external support from the six great families."

"Once the situation becomes clear, our Nantong army can select its elite troops to join forces with you, young master, and together attack the powerful families."

"At that time, I may be able to provide some special siege equipment to help you, young master."

Let's see your sincerity and ability first.

By eliminating those weaker opponents, we can not only clear our rear, but also deplete some of your troops and test the mettle of your Lingnan army.

As for a joint attack on a powerful family?

Let's wait until my soldiers are more proficient and the pressure in Jiankang eases a bit before making any decisions.

Anyway, you're the one who's in a hurry to save lives.

After a brief silence, Song Que nodded decisively: "Okay!"

"As Lord Lu has suggested, I, Song, will now return to Lingnan to reorganize my army and pacify the various prefectures."

Just then, Shen Luoyan walked in from outside the door, cupped her hands and said, "My lord, our army is ready."

Several days earlier, the nine thousand new soldiers from Dongyang had already joined forces with the new soldiers from Nantong.

Meanwhile, the Gu family in Jurong County has also sent its elite troops to join forces with the Sui army, which is the perfect opportunity for Nantong to capture Jurong.

Today was supposed to be a day of swearing an oath before setting off, but it was delayed a bit because of Song Que's arrival.

Therefore, Shen Luoyan, who was waiting at the North Gate, returned to the Prefect's Mansion to look for him when he did not arrive for a long time.

Lu Zuo nodded: "Young Master Song, you won't be long in a moment. Would you like to come with me to see how the new army in Nantong is doing?"

Song Que was curious about Nantong's weather and agreed without hesitation: "Okay."

.......

A short while later, outside the north gate.

When Song Que followed Lu Zuo to this place, his gaze swept forward, and he suddenly stopped breathing and his pupils contracted violently!

He felt as if he had been struck by an invisible hammer, and stood frozen in place!

Before him stood a military formation unlike anything Song Que had ever seen or even imagined in his life!

More than 50,000 soldiers, lined up in neat, angular square formations, stretched from the city walls all the way to the distant horizon, completely silent.

Each soldier was dressed in uniform dark red light armor and carried a standard long sword. What was even more striking was that they did not hold spears or halberds, but rather a strangely shaped mechanical crossbow with a cold metallic sheen.

That's not the most crucial point...

The key is people!

These 50,000 people, without exception, all exuded a deep and solid aura of blood and qi!

That is a sign of great mastery of acquired skills, stable internal energy, and a solid foundation!

Fifty thousand post-natal master martial artists?

This completely overturned Song Que's understanding of the military!

In an ordinary army, having 30% to 40% of its soldiers as acquired martial artists would be considered elite.

And here...

It's 100%!

What terrifying combat power would an army of over 50,000 martial artists who have reached the Great Perfection of the Acquired Realm possess?

However.......

What truly made Song Que's scalp tingle and his hair stand on end were those enormous figures standing in front of several main force formations!

More than a dozen colossal mechanical constructs, each several meters tall!

Its shape resembles the legendary gluttonous beast Taotie, with ferocious lines that are both menacing and powerful.

A sea of ​​red people, silent as mountains, their blood and energy like a furnace.

A ferocious beast lurks before you, its malevolent aura soaring to the heavens.

Song Que clenched his fist subconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He had thought the Lingnan army was already the strongest army in the world, but the power displayed by this army before him...

Although it hadn't been tested in actual combat, it still made his heart pound!

Lu Zuo glanced at Song Que and was quite satisfied with the change in his expression.

He summoned Song Que to watch the new army's departure, intending to intimidate the Song clan of Lingnan and make it easier to truly subdue them in the future!

"Sir, please say a few words."

Shen Luoyan spoke softly from the side.

Lu Zuo nodded, took a step forward, gathered his energy in his dantian, and said in a deep voice, "Soldiers of Nantong!"

"Today we swear an oath here before setting out on our campaign, not for conquering cities and seizing territory, nor for personal honor or disgrace!"

"This is to punish the rebels and eliminate the scourge!"

"This is to seek justice for the countless suffering people of Jiangnan!"

"The Gu family of Jurong has received the nation's favor for generations and should have been protecting the country and its people! But how have they acted?"

"They have dominated the area for centuries, treating the people like dirt, levying exorbitant taxes and oppressing the local populace!"

"Now that the nation is in peril, instead of thinking of serving the country, they are wavering and secretly colluding with the enemy, even sending their entire clan to surrender to the enemy, willingly becoming the vanguard of the Sui army, intending to hand over our fertile land of Jiangnan and millions of people to the Hu people!"

"What crime should be committed against these disloyal, unjust, and treacherous parasites who bring disaster to the country and its people?!"

"He should be executed!"

Tens of thousands of soldiers, their chests heaving and their eyes blazing with fury, roared in unison, "They deserve to die!"

"He should be executed!"

"He should be executed!"

The sound was like a tidal wave, so loud that the city walls seemed to tremble slightly.

Lu Zuo continued, "Soldiers!"

"How many of our fathers and brothers suffered oppression from powerful families?"

"How many people's lands have been seized by powerful figures? How many women have been humiliated by wicked servants?"

"Before today, we endured humiliation in silence simply because we were outnumbered and outmatched!"

But today, things are different!

"You are no longer the sheep we once were, at the mercy of others!"

"You are the lions forged in Nantong, the sharp warriors wielding razor-sharp blades!"

"Today we set out on this campaign, determined to sweep away the Gu family from its very foundation!"

"Distribute his ill-gotten gains to the suffering people of Jurong, and return the land he seized to its rightful owners!"

"With the weapons in our hands, let us fight for Jurong and create a bright and just world!"

"Anyone who hesitates to fight or shrinks back in battle will be punished according to military law! Those who bravely charge forward, slay enemy generals, and capture flags will be richly rewarded!"

"The fertile land in Jurong will be prioritized for distribution to the families of those wounded or killed in this battle!"

"Soldiers!"

"Follow me into battle, raze Jurong to the ground, and annihilate the traitors!"

The passion of more than 50,000 new soldiers was completely ignited, and they roared in unison:

"Soldiers!"

"Follow me into battle, raze Jurong to the ground, and annihilate the traitors!"

The passion of more than 50,000 new soldiers was completely ignited, and they roared in unison:

"Crush Jurong and exterminate the traitors!"

"Crush Jurong and exterminate the traitors!"

"Crush Jurong and exterminate the traitors!"

The roar was like a tsunami or a mountain collapse, soaring straight into the sky!