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

As soon as Chen Liang finished speaking, the members of the Love Mutual Aid Alliance cheered.

Just writing a letter.

And it's anonymous.

That's what they excel at.

Moreover, for the sake of the love industry that Pukou City has finally managed to prosper, we should work hard when necessary and take risks when necessary.

They were immediately assigned to each one.

Some people went to buy writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; some prepared to copy the text; and some went to inquire where to put the finished writing.

It was done in a very orderly manner.

They were clearly very experienced, after all, this was how all the love mutual aid alliances in Yunjing operated, and they had also tried it themselves, so it was safe to say they were quite adept at it.

It wasn't until midnight that things were finally settled. After everyone from the Pukou City Love Mutual Aid Alliance dispersed, Chen Liang rubbed his temples, looking exhausted.

With too many things to worry about and too many things to consider, even with his abundant energy, he couldn't handle it.

However, now that we've taken the first step, things will be much easier from here on out.

"Chen Liang, are you alright?"

The young man who had been silently following Chen Liang suddenly spoke up, his tone full of concern.

"It's alright, it's alright," Chen Liang said. "My business is now on the right track. Now it's up to you to take charge."

"Don't worry," the young man said confidently. "I have experience dealing with these love-struck fools in Pukou City. I also have experience gathering the innocent people of Pukou City, piling them up like grains of sand into a sea, and letting them deliver a fatal blow."

As he spoke, the young man's eyes shone with intense confidence, almost arrogantly, as he said, "This time, the Duke's arrival in Yunjing is truly earth-shattering."

"Not only have you, a former resident of Kyoto, been alarmed, but even we, the former Demon Suppression Division, have been alarmed. What's most exciting is..."

"The leader, who had disappeared for countless years, suddenly made a move. He has sent someone to settle me in, instructing me to gather the people from the former Demon Suppression Division and to help the Duke take over Yun Jing and eliminate the love-struck people in Yun Jing."

"Right now, although not many of us from the former Demon Suppression Division remain—some have gone into seclusion, others have passed away—our hearts remain unchanged."

"A steadfast heart is worth a thousand armies."

"This time, we will surely let the Duke see the splendor of our former Demon Suppression Division, and we will definitely help the Duke take Pukou City."

Chen Liang nodded.

The young man in front of him, Song Shaoyi, was someone he met by chance. He didn't expect that Song Shaoyi was a former member of the Demon Suppression Division, but in any case, they shared the same ideals.

Let's work together to destroy Zhou Xiong!

Then, he personally delivered the city of Pukou to the Duke.

……

The Lord's Mansion of Pukou City.

It was already late at night, but the lights were still on.

The city lord of Pukou City felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the mountain of letters piled up before him.

After being sorted by more than a dozen clerks, these letters were roughly divided into two categories.

One type of letter was mostly sent to the criminal investigation department of Pukou City, and they were all strong condemnations of the garrison commander Zhou Xiong, with very sharp language.

"The defending general Zhou Xiong defied Heaven and the law, disrupted the order of the world, and shot and killed his wife Wanqing in front of the two armies. His crime is heinous and arouses the wrath of both gods and men."

"This junior has reached the limit of tolerance and implores Your Majesty to punish this wicked person swiftly, uphold justice, and save the people!"

The other type of message was sent to him, and all of them were pleading and begging.

"Lord of the City, punish Zhou Xiong severely! Zhou Xiong doesn't understand love at all. Miss Wanqing was just pursuing her beautiful love. It's one thing for Zhou Xiong not to let go, but he even shot her. How could a garrison commander desecrate love like this?"

Both types of letters numbered in the hundreds or thousands, with roughly the same meaning, but the emotions were exceptionally intense, filling the city lord with rage.

"What a Zhou Xiong! As the garrison commander of Pukou City, personally appointed by Yun Jing, he dares to act so recklessly and shoot his wife."

"His wife, Wanqing, simply didn't love him, left him, and got together with another man. Such courage in pursuing love deserves high praise."

"How could Zhou Xiong do such a thing?"

"Moreover, after returning, he didn't tell me the truth, but just said that he had won a battle, which almost fooled me."

The city lord's anger was now uncontrollable.

They immediately had Zhou Xiong summoned.

As soon as Zhou Xiong arrived, he launched into a tirade of abuse, leaving Zhou Xiong completely bewildered. It took him a long time to understand what had happened, and he immediately protested his innocence.

"My lord, I am innocent!"

"It wasn't that I wanted to shoot Wanqing, but I was forced by circumstances. If I hadn't shot Wanqing, the imperial army would have used her as leverage to force me to surrender, and our Pukou city would no longer exist."

"There's nothing I can do about it."

Zhou Xiong's words are both reasonable and logical.

However, the city lord was not buying it at all: "There's no way? Hmph, I think there are plenty of ways. Our Pukou City believes in love and is united as one. As long as everyone has love in their hearts, the mere imperial army can be easily defeated."

"But you have corrupted everyone's faith!"

Zhou Xiong was stunned.

Does this undermine everyone's faith?

No, is faith even valuable? If we don't do this, the imperial army will surely invade, and we'll lose our lives. What's the point of faith then?

He was about to explain, but the city lord didn't give him a chance at all. He flicked his sleeves, turned around and left, leaving behind the words: "You and I are locked in a battle of wits, and I can't do anything to you, but I will definitely report this matter to Yun Jing."

"You just wait for Yun Jing's punishment."

Zhou Xiong watched the city lord's retreating figure, feeling like crying but having no tears.

With the imperial army approaching, and as the garrison commander, he had fortified Pukou City with strong walls and thick fortifications, so he was sure he could hold off Ren Tianye.

But if the city lord disagrees with him and hinders him at every turn, then even if he has great abilities, it will be difficult for him to defend Pukou City.

"Fortunately, it just happened, so the impact isn't too great yet. If we can find a way to salvage the situation, it should be possible."

Zhou Xiong was a ruthless man; he immediately assessed the situation and prepared to proceed gradually, slowly repairing his relationship with the city lord, but…

Zhou Xiong did not expect that things would completely spiral out of control by the next day.

"General, General, something terrible has happened, something terrible has happened..."

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Xiong, who had been studying the city defense map all night, fell asleep behind his desk, exhausted. He had only been asleep for a short while when he was woken up by a messenger, which startled him so much that he immediately jumped up.

"What happened?"

"Ren Tianye's army has attacked the city?"

"No, no..." the guard quickly said, "It's all over Pukou City. The whole city is saying that you are heartless, cruel, and despise love. You are a disgrace and unworthy to be the garrison commander of Pukou City."

"and……"

"And you still dare to say that..."

"He should commit suicide to atone for his sins!"

Zhou Xiong frowned, forcing himself to stay alert, and asked, "What exactly happened?"

Explain it more clearly.

The guard quickly said, "It's just... I don't know if it started last night or this morning, but people from our Pukou City Love Mutual Aid Alliance have been flocking to the streets and alleys, and even running to schools, spreading all sorts of propaganda about your contempt for love."

"Now, the people in Pukou City are in an uproar."

Zhou Xiong's expression changed drastically.

Has the morale of the people in Pukou City fallen to this point? If they lose the support of the people, then Pukou City will not be easy to defend.

So he immediately said, "Let's go take a look."

Zhou Xiong set off with his personal guards.

Once outside on the street, one could see groups of men and women giving impassioned speeches throughout Pukou City.

"Zhou Xiong is nothing but trash!"

"Zhou Xiong doesn't even respect love, how can we expect him to protect our Pukou City?"

"Replace Zhou Xiong! Replace Zhou Xiong!"

"I strongly support replacing Zhou Xiong!"

"Replacing Zhou Xiong is too lenient with him; he should be made to commit suicide!"

"agree!"

"Agreed, add one!"

"Agreed, add two!"

"Agree, add ninety-nine!"

……

Zhou Xiong's face instantly turned black with anger.

Hey, a bunch of arrogant men and women who don't know their place dare to slander him like this during wartime and undermine public morale. It's outrageous!

Zhou Xiong immediately ordered his personal guards to disperse the crowd.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, his personal guard came to report again: "General, there are people from the Pukou City Love Mutual Aid Alliance giving a speech at the east gate of the city."

"General, there's a lecture being given near the school."

"General, there are still people talking at the entrance of the market!"

……

Zhou Xiong almost choked on his breath. His eyes hardened with anger, and he drew his sword from its sheath, ready to show these people the power of his blade.

However, the guard's next words completely broke him down.

"General, those people from the Pukou City Love Mutual Aid Alliance are all surrounded by yamen runners or officials; they are the ones supporting them."

"It's probably the city lord's order!"

Zhou Xiong finally understood.

So, it turns out the city lord was his backer. How could he possibly fight? Fighting would truly mean a falling out. Who would provide him with food, supplies, and equipment in future battles with Ren Tianye? Who would handle his logistics?

"That's enough, that's enough..."

Zhou Xiong could only endure it and turned back.

But the nightmare followed him relentlessly, showing no sign of stopping despite his concessions.

The guards brought more bad news.

"General, General, something terrible has happened! The people from the Pukou City Love Mutual Aid Alliance have somehow obtained information about you, down to the smallest detail, including the fact that you wet the bed as a child, and they're spreading it all over the world..."

"It was even adapted into a theatrical performance, and it's currently being performed on various stages throughout Pukou City, attracting countless viewers."

"The whole city is deserted; everyone's here to laugh at you!"

……