The Empress Kneels in Her Palace to Admit Her Mistakes After Slaying Her Ways in the Female-Oriented

Yunji City is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only a main road leading down to the main gate.

At this moment, the night was deep and dark, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

But a convoy slowly approached.

Under the firelight,

Two armored soldiers, with long swords at their waists and two gilded tokens in their hands, led the way.

A horse-drawn carriage followed behind.

The carriage was pulled by four white horses and painted entirely in maroon, with decorative patterns on the carriage body resembling flowing clouds.

There is also a bright yellow phoenix logo on the roof.

Twenty golden-armored soldiers, each holding a torch, followed around the carriage.

This procession, moving from afar to near, drew ever closer to Yunji City, and soon arrived at the city walls.

The convoy stopped, and following Ren Tianye's instructions, Vice General Wang Ming shouted loudly towards the people on the city wall: "His Majesty has decreed that Zhan Shubai, the garrison commander of Yunji City, receive the imperial decree!"

Chaos erupted instantly on the city wall.

Then someone shouted, "It's an imperial envoy sent by His Majesty! Go quickly and ask General Zhan for instructions!"

Immediately, a man on the city gate tower called out, "Your Excellency, I pay my respects. However, it is curfew time and we cannot allow you to enter the city immediately. Please wait a moment."

"We will open the city gates once General Zhan gives his instructions."

These words immediately provoked Ren Tianye to rebuke him.

"Are you blind? Can't you see we are imperial envoys sent by His Majesty? How many lives do you have to dare obstruct me from delivering his decree?"

"Open the city gates for me immediately!"

The man shouting from the city wall replied meekly, "Your Excellency, please forgive us. Yunji City has very strict rules. We must ask the general for permission before we can open the city gates at night."

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency!"

Ren Tianye was a little anxious.

What he wanted was a surprise attack. If he waited until he consulted Zhan Shubai, the city's garrison would be awakened, which would be very disadvantageous for them.

He immediately became even more stern and reprimanded, "I rushed here overnight because the matter is of utmost importance and cannot be delayed for even a moment."

"You lowly soldiers, how dare you block my way with the city gates?"

"If you delay this important matter, aren't you afraid His Majesty will execute your entire clan?"

That's a pretty strong threat.

The garrison commander of Yunji City, though obsequious and too afraid to show his face after being scolded, absolutely refused to open the city gates.

This immediately left Ren Tianye and his group standing there.

Some are caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.

Unexpectedly, the meticulously planned strategy crumbled instantly under the extremely strict military discipline of Yunji City.

This also shows that Zhan Shubai is indeed a talented person.

At the very least, he was very skilled at managing troops.

But this latest move has left him extremely anxious.

Eight hundred soldiers lay in ambush not far away, waiting for the signal to fire arrows.

He cannot stay here for long.

Delay may lead to unforeseen changes!

However, with Yunji City so heavily guarded, even with his best strategies, he was at a loss.

We can only wait where we are.

Anxious waiting.

……

Inside Yunji City, not far from the General's Mansion, in a simple, even shabby, barracks, only a single candle burned as Zhan Shubai hunched over his desk, writing diligently.

He had maintained this posture for two whole hours, and although he was extremely tired, he still refused to relax at all.

He only stood up after he had finished dealing with all the big and small matters in Yunji City that day.

A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

Her eyes involuntarily drifted to the potted plant placed to the side. Its flowers and leaves were pure white and translucent, appearing even more beautiful under the candlelight.

He picked it himself from the mountain; it's called the Immortal Soul Lotus.

With careful nurturing, the petals are now in full bloom, especially beautiful at night.

It was a gift he had prepared for the Empress.

The image of the Empress's stunning beauty involuntarily appeared before his eyes, and Zhan Shubai's smile softened, revealing his infatuation.

"Your Majesty, you promised me..."

He murmured as if in a dream, "As long as I can defend Yunji City as solid as a rock, you will allow me to return to the capital and stay by your side."

"Over the years, I have worked diligently and conscientiously, never daring to be lazy in the slightest. I have strengthened the city walls and trained the soldiers, and have achieved remarkable results."

"Although Yunji City cannot compare to Shanhe City, and its garrison numbers only a few thousand, under my management, it is equivalent to a million soldiers."

"His Majesty……"

"My achievements have been reported back incessantly; shouldn't you allow me to return now?"

As he spoke, his emotions grew stronger, and tears welled up in his eyes. In the depths of his feelings, he blurted out, "Your Majesty, I've missed you!"

Boom!Boom!Boom!

The heavy footsteps shattered the tranquility, disturbing Zhan Shubai's mind. He frowned, about to erupt in anger, when the messenger rushed in, panting, and reported: "General, His Majesty has sent someone to deliver an imperial edict."

"What?" Zhan Shubai's anger turned to joy, his face beaming with elation. "Is it a team from the capital?"

"Yes, General. Our subordinates have already checked. It's a contingent from the capital. They have armored soldiers leading the way, carrying tokens, and their carriages have a phoenix emblem. They must be a contingent from the capital!"

"Hahaha……"

Zhan Shubai was overjoyed.

"His Majesty must have seen my achievements in protecting Yunji City and is coming to take me back. It was worth all the effort I put into Yunji City."

"Your Majesty, I am finally able to see you again."

Overjoyed, he didn't even have time to put on his armor, and strode out in the shabby clothes that were no different from those of an ordinary soldier.

He picked up his weapons, led his guards, and charged straight towards the gates of Yunji City.

With a creak.

He ordered the city gates opened, his gaze swept across the area, and then fell upon the messenger. Suddenly, he froze.

At the same moment, Ren Tianye also saw who it was.

The man in the lead was tall and fair-skinned. Although he was dressed simply, he held a long spear and had the air of a scholar-general.

He was followed by hundreds of soldiers, each with an imposing presence, clearly elite troops trained over many years.

Although Ren Tianye had never met Zhan Shubai before, he should be able to recognize him at a glance.

The person before me is Zhan Shubai, the garrison commander of Yunji City.

only……

He glanced at it.

"How does this person resemble me?"

As substitutes kept by Empress Xiao Mingzhao, they should have been similar in appearance, but Ren Tianye failed to notice anything amiss.

If I had to point out any similarity, it would be in their appearance; they do share some resemblance.

However, such emotions only flashed through Ren Tianye's mind; he couldn't be bothered with these messy things at all.

The immediate concern is how to seize Yunji City!

The current situation is extremely unfavorable to him.

With the arrival of the garrison commander Zhan Shubai, Yunji City was on guard. Even if they released the whistling arrows now, their twenty or so men would likely not be able to hold out until the eight hundred troops arrived.

Fortunately, Ren Tianye remained calm and could only respond to the situation by remaining unchanged.

"Is it you?"

"Ren Tianye?"

To Ren Tianye's surprise, Zhan Shubai lost his composure the moment he saw him. He had been sitting steadily on his horse with a face full of excitement, but the sudden sway almost made him fall off.

"How could it be you?"

"How could it be you?"

Zhan Shubai looked incredulous: "Delivering imperial edicts is such a momentous matter, an honor reserved for eunuchs or close confidants of His Majesty. You are merely a substitute abandoned by His Majesty; what makes you think you can deliver imperial edicts on His Majesty's behalf?"

"That's impossible!"

"impossible!"

"Even His Majesty hasn't given me such an honor, why should I give it to you?"

"Why should I?"

"In what way are you better than me?"

His long howl ripped through the sky, his face filled with grief, as if he were more distressed than if his mother had been killed.

This left Ren Tianye stunned.

No way... I've run into another idiot?

How many have I run into these past few days?

How come we've run into each other again?

Calming his mind and sensing a possible opportunity, Ren Tianye spoke leisurely as he headed towards Zhan Shubai's most feared spot and kicked his lame leg hard.

"What's impossible?"

"Could it be that my imperial edict-bearing ceremonial guard is fake? Is this token of mine fake? Or... do you think the imperial edict in my hand is forged?"

"Heh, let me tell you the truth, His Majesty and I are very close, far more so than you can be..."

These words stung Zhan Shubai. He instantly jumped off his horse like a cat whose foot had been stepped on, pointing his halberd at Ren Tianye: "You're lying. His Majesty clearly doesn't like you."

"You completely disobey His Majesty's orders. You do the things His Majesty assigns you perfunctorily and don't think about His Majesty at all. You are a useless piece of trash."

"His Majesty has long since given up on you."

"Otherwise, if you had been relegated to the army by the Duke of Ren's mansion, how could His Majesty not have spoken up for you?"

"You are so disloyal to His Majesty."

"Your Majesty, how could I possibly be intimate with you?"

"Closer than to me?"

"You're lying! You're lying! You're lying!"

Zhan Shubai's shouts grew more and more shrill and louder.

But the more he shouted, the more it revealed his inner fear and dread. Ren Tianye understood this, but instead remained silent, only watching him with a cold smile.

As expected, Zhan Shubai collapsed even further.

Even with tears streaming down her face, she kept murmuring, "Impossible, impossible..."

This weak posture made Ren Tianye feel even more confident, so he provoked her even more coldly: "Not possible yet?!"

"Do you know what His Majesty's decree requires you to do?"

"Your Majesty, I hereby order your death!"

As he spoke, Ren Tianye inwardly praised his brilliance.

The forged imperial edict was merely a formality.

But he sought the truth and fabricated the lie that Zhan Shubai colluded with the Chifeng Army to order Zhan Shubai's execution.

Now, it has actually come in handy.

He tossed the imperial edict to Zhan Shubai: "Take a look for yourself. I'm sure you can recognize His Majesty's handwriting."

Zhan Shubai had no time to decipher the handwriting. After taking the imperial edict, he immediately opened it, and when he saw the words "granted death," everything went black.

Then, he began to scream even more frantically.

"impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"Your Majesty killed the Red Beacon Army because their commander, Lin Yi, opposed Your Majesty's marriage and obstructed Your Majesty's love, which is why Your Majesty carried out the killings!"

"Although I deeply love Your Majesty, I will not oppose her."

"I only want to be by her side, a quiet and unassuming mistress. His Majesty knows my feelings, so why would he suspect me of colluding with the Chifeng Army?"

"That's impossible!"

……