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

"Oh?"

Zhang Shi exclaimed with delight, "Let's go take a look!"

Although taking over Linjiang Shazui Water Village is the top priority right now and shouldn't be delayed by other matters, the key to taking over Linjiang Shazui Water Village still lies in the love story between Shen Du and Su Lanxiang.

The collection of these love stories was done by Lu Shuang, who, after all, wasn't a professional and could only provide assistance.

On the contrary, his main job is to get people to come to him for help!

—This is a notice he just issued!

He strode out with his personal guards, and when he arrived at the gate of the military camp, he saw a young man standing anxiously.

This young man must have lived a rather impoverished life, dressed in hemp clothes and straw sandals, with an ordinary and unremarkable appearance.

"Is it you?"

"You've come seeking help?"

"Yes, yes..." the young man said excitedly and fearfully, taking out a proclamation from his pocket and saying, "I, I saw this proclamation and heard of the Duke's great name."

"Everyone says that the Duke is cracking down on those who are obsessed with love and saving us who are tormented by it. But I'm being driven crazy by people obsessed with love, so..."

"So let's give it a try!"

Zhang Shixian took the proclamation he had taken out. It was a proclamation that he had personally spoken, which was compiled by the clerk and given to Miss Lu Shuang to distribute.

It is written very clearly and directly.

"I, Zhang Shijin, have been ordered by the Duke to be in charge of correcting the evils of being obsessed with love. Anyone who has been wronged because of someone else's obsession with love may come and file a complaint."

"No matter where fools flee to, to the ends of the earth or to the grasslands beyond the Great Wall, I will lead troops to search for them and punish them severely. Those who have been wronged will be fully protected by me."

Zhang Shi nodded.

The young man's presence upon first meeting him was marked by a proclamation issued by Zhang Shi, demonstrating his trust in the Duke. Without a doubt, no matter how much injustice this young man had suffered, or how terrifying the power of those who had assaulted him, Zhang Shi...

Baoding!

"Speak, young man!" Zhang Shidao said, "What happened to you?"

"If you tell me everything, I can assure you that your predicament will disappear in the blink of an eye."

The young man was overjoyed and quickly knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, General! Thank you, Duke!"

"Everyone says that with the Duke's arrival, justice will be served, and we'll no longer have to suffer from those love-struck fools in Yun Jing. It's true!"

"It's true!"

The young man clearly hadn't seen much of the world, and he got extremely nervous when excited, but he clearly had a daring and adventurous spirit.

Otherwise, they would never have approached Zhang Shi for help based solely on a notice.

After calming himself down a bit, he said, "My name is Guo Zhou. I am a resident of this area. My family has made a living by fishing for generations. I have been skilled at fishing since I was a child and am quite outstanding among the people around me. I am well-regarded."

"Given my circumstances, it would have been possible for me to find a wife in two years, with the help of my parents and my own efforts."

"Go on a down-to-earth blind date, and get married!"

"After that, she had children."

Zhang Shi nodded.

This kind of life is the daily routine of ordinary people; although it is not romantic, it is harmonious and stable.

"only……"

"I unexpectedly encountered a woman named Yu Zhen. She wasn't a local; she was an immigrant, but..."

"Extremely beautiful, and gentle in nature."

"Especially, I love to laugh."

"After she arrived in our area, she would occasionally smile at people, as if... flowers were in full bloom, which made many young people, including myself, somewhat... infatuated."

"I was unconsciously drawn to her."

"Then, some of the bolder ones will actively approach her."

"She accepts anyone who comes her way."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi realized that something was amiss. The woman named Yu Zhen was acting strangely, very strangely.

However, given his current understanding of "love-struck" behavior, he is not yet able to accurately summarize this behavior.

But it was already clear that this young man named Guo Zhou had also fallen into a trap.

As expected, Guo Zhou continued, "Yu Zhen was quite nice to me at first."

"Always smiling at petty people in the crowd."

"I am a little distracted."

"I don't know if it was me who took the initiative or Yu Zhen who did, but I've unknowingly grown closer and closer to Yu Zhen."

"I buy things for Yu Zhen every day."

"Her breakfast was bought by the servant."

"When she traveled, it was a servant who hired a horse-drawn carriage to take her."

"Whatever she needs, no matter if it's scorching sun or torrential rain outside, I will run to take care of her without hesitation."

"This kind of life lasted for more than half a year."

As Guo Zhou spoke with a pained expression, Zhang Shi's face darkened, sensing that something was wrong.

No, brother, you've come here seeking my protection, haven't you?

But from what I'm saying, this is exactly the behavior of the Tongxin Alliance. You wouldn't happen to be a member of the Tongxin Alliance, would you?

However, Zhang Shi is no longer the same naive person he once was; he has undergone a complete transformation, and his endurance when it comes to being love-struck is many times stronger.

So he calmed himself down and continued to listen to Guo Zhou's story.

"I felt that Yu Zhen was really good to me and that I had a chance, so I didn't just sit and wait for death. I tried to confess my feelings to Yu Zhen."

"My first confession..."

"But Yu Zhen refused."

She said she wanted a long-term, steady relationship with me.

"You're testing me."

"I was thrilled when I heard that. I felt even more strongly that Miss Yu Zhen is an excellent girl. She would not easily give up her lifelong happiness. She is steady and reliable, and is the perfect match for me."

"So, I accepted her test without hesitation."

Zhang Shi's feeling grew stronger; this Guo Zhou was probably not right.

But something's not right, so why are they seeking his protection? It sounds absurd, but if it's someone from the Tongxin Alliance, then it's not absurd at all.

He asked, "So, did you pass her test?"

"No, no!" Guo Zhou said, "I...I cannot pass her test!"

"He will never pass her test!"

"The test that Yu Zhen mentioned is an insurmountable obstacle. She sets the questions as the chief examiner, but she sets the evaluation criteria herself."

"And she never truly loved me; she was just... enjoying the benefits I could offer her!"

When Guo Zhou said these words, his expression was firm and resolute, with a hint of hatred, as he said, "After passing Yu Zhen's test, I tried even harder to treat Yu Zhen well."

"I wish I could give her my heart, but no matter how hard I tried or how good I was to her, she never agreed."

"On the contrary, they will deliberately distance themselves."

"And whenever I think that Yu Zhen and I are no longer possible, that I should give up this unrealistic fantasy, go back to find someone to settle down with, and live a peaceful life for the rest of my days, Yu Zhen will take the initiative to come to me again."

"She smiled sweetly, was gentle as water, cared for me in every way, and gave me endless hope."

"But after hope arrived, and after I did my best to treat her well, she started to be distant again, giving me hope but not enough of it."

"I'll choose to leave again."

"She then became incredibly gentle with me all over again."

……