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

"I wouldn't dare!"

Chen Liang hurriedly knelt down and said, "I only want justice for Cuihua's mother and father."

"Just now, in front of everyone, Cuihua severed her parental ties with her parents and offered a sum of money to repay them for raising her."

"This matter was witnessed by everyone present."

"It's a done deal."

"Right now, General Zhang Shi is going to raid the home of village chief Li Quan. We beg General Zhang Shi to consider the hardships faced by Cuihua's mother and father. They lost their daughter in their old age and their health is failing. If they don't have some money, they may not be able to survive in the future."

Zhang Shi glanced at Cuihua's mother and father, and could clearly see that they were an honest and simple pair of farmers. He nodded and said, "Alright, this request is reasonable, and I agree."

Cuihua's parents were still bewildered and didn't know how to express their gratitude. Chen Liang frantically gestured with his eyes, but to no avail. He could only sigh and kowtow on behalf of Cuihua's parents, saying, "Thank you, General Zhang Shi."

"General Zhang Shi was benevolent and righteous."

"The Duke is magnanimous and generous. Yunjing will surely belong to the Duke and General Zhang Shi in the future."

Zhang Shi sneered: "Kid, don't flatter me. You haven't finished dealing with your own business yet."

"You'd better tell me honestly what you've been up to..."

After a pause, Zhang Shidao said, "There are still many vacancies in the Demon Suppression Division's prison; perhaps you'll find a place there."

Upon hearing this, all the villagers of Xipo Village changed their expressions and knelt down to beg for mercy.

Chen Liang spoke first: "General Zhang Shi, I know my crime is unforgivable and I dare not ask for leniency. However, I know some information about the safety of the country and I would like to offer it to General Zhang Shi."

"I hope General Zhang Shi can show leniency and allow me to atone for my crimes through meritorious service."

"Oh?"

Zhang Shi asked curiously, "Information concerning national security?"

Tell me about it.

"General Zhang Shi, may I speak with you in private?"

After Zhang Shi agreed, Chen Liang followed Zhang Shi out of the courtyard. Under the protection of his personal guards, Chen Liang said, "General Zhang Shi, I have two pieces of information to report."

Firstly, the world is in turmoil.

"I have learned that there are undercurrents in the vicinity of Yunjing, and even throughout the world, with many local powerful clans eyeing the area covetously."

"The world appears peaceful and stable, with only the Duke leading the campaign against Yunjing. However, in other places, countless people are watching the outcome of this battle."

"It was only because the Duke came with unstoppable momentum that everyone dared not act rashly; otherwise, the world would probably already be in turmoil."

Zhang Shi remained expressionless, but the coldness in his eyes deepened as he said calmly, "There's one more thing."

"There is another matter, which was caused by Gu Qingyue, the daughter of the former Duke of Zhenguo. She was originally the commander of the Imperial Guard of Dayu. In the capital, she opposed the Duke at every turn. Even the Duke's father, Duke Ren, died at her hands. Now, she is hiding near Yunjing."

"Recruiting soldiers and buying horses, a formidable force has been formed."

"I am worried that this will pose a considerable crisis for the Duke."

After a pause, Chen Liang honestly said, "It was precisely because I discovered Gu Qingyue's whereabouts that I found out about these things."

Zhang Shi's face remained expressionless. Instead, he looked Chen Liang up and down and said, "Judging from your level of knowledge, you shouldn't be a villager from Xipo Village."

"What's your name?"

"What did you do before?"

"Why in Xipo Village?"

Chen Liang bowed deeply and said, "I am Chen Liang. I used to be a colleague of Gu Qingyue and both served as commanders of the Imperial Guards. In the capital, we were often enemies of the Duke. Later, I suddenly realized my mistake and decided to serve the Duke. In Pukou City, I commanded the Love Mutual Aid Alliance to serve the Duke."

"As for why I am in Xipo Village... it's because the villagers of Xipo Village saved my life, and I... have come to repay their kindness."

Zhang Shi's expression then changed.

He looked delighted: "Oh, I knew it."

"So it was you, kid."

"Is this the friend that Lord Pei Jingzhi has been thinking about so much?"

Chen Liang smiled and said, "I didn't expect that Lord Pei Jingzhi would still care about me so much."

"Alright." Zhang Shi reached out and patted Chen Liang: "You can't go to the Demon Suppression Bureau prison anymore, come with me to see the Duke."

"The Duke seems quite interested in you."

"Perfect timing, let's report these matters to the Duke."

Zhang Shi acted swiftly.

The journey to Xipo Village was extremely fast.

They went there very quickly, but this time they brought Chen Liang with them and rushed to Ren Tianye's camp.

Meanwhile, Ren Tianye was already in the military camp, discussing with his generals the attack on the Yangtze River defense line.

"According to the clues given by Pei Wugou, Zhou Mengyan, the naval commander of Yunjing, was no ordinary person. He was exceptionally talented and was known as one of the two pillars of Yunjing, along with the garrison commander of Zijin Pass."

"He also has two great generals under his command, both of whom are rare naval commanders, not much weaker than the newly surrendered General Lu Chaosheng."

"Moreover, the Yangtze River defense line is extremely well-defended, with countless cannons and warships; a direct attack would come at a great cost."

"Of course... the most crucial point is that our army is all infantry, and fighting across the river is already difficult. This battle will likely require a lot of effort."

Ren Tianye stood on the sand table, explained the current situation, and then asked, "Generals, do you have any thoughts?"

Immediately, someone jumped out and said, "Lord Duke, what are you worried about? With General Wang Ming and General Zhang Shi leading the charge, the small Yangtze River defense line can be taken easily."

"That's right. We've been fighting in Yunjing for so long, when have we ever been in a dangerous situation? Every time we've won without bloodshed, with hardly any casualties."

"I have never fought such a smooth battle in my life. Wherever the Duke's banner points, people come to surrender. I never dared to dream of this before, and it will surely be the same in the future."

……

The soldiers were in high spirits, especially those who had surrendered, such as Wu Xingzhou. After following the Duke, they realized what kind of hardship they had endured before.

They shouted that they should charge straight through and rout the Yangtze River defense line.

Civil officials, on the other hand, are more composed and steady.

Pei Jingzhi stood up and said, "Lord Duke, we must not be careless."

"The army is all infantry, and crossing the river to fight is never easy. Looking at history, there is no precedent for anyone to easily lead the northern soldiers to take the Yangtze River in one fell swoop."

"Therefore, I suggest that we should train our navy properly."

"Naval training, even in a hasty battle, would take two months, and under normal circumstances, three months. If the Duke can train for five months, then our valiant infantry will be transformed into a navy, and we will no longer fear the Yunjing navy along the Yangtze River."

After a pause, Pei Jingzhi said, "Lord Duke, General Lu Chaosheng is exceptionally talented. If the navy is entrusted to him for training, the navy trained in five months will definitely not be weaker than the navy trained by the two naval commanders under Grand Admiral Zhou Mengyan."

"Please, Your Excellency, be careful."

Ren Tianye nodded at these words.

Lu Chaosheng was the de facto commander of the Jiangbei Fortress Group, and his military strength was indeed undeniable. He personally received him and had a long talk with him, which made him fully aware of Lu Chaosheng's extraordinary abilities.

From this perspective, Zhang Shi still deserves more credit than Wang Ming for capturing the Jiangbei fortress complex.

After all, it's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general!

However, Zhenjiang City is the core of the entire Jiangbei fortress complex. Its capture by Wang Ming is an open secret, making it easier for people to see. Therefore, many in the army believe that Wang Ming is still the same Wang Ming, and Zhang Shi... is still the same Zhang Shi!

Little did they know, Zhang Shi had quietly undergone a tremendous change!

Just as he was thinking this, his personal guard came to report.

"Reporting, Your Excellency, General Zhang Shi has arrived."

"He also brought someone with him, named Chen Liang!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Jingzhi jumped up.

"Who? Chen Liang?"

"Haha, Chen Liang's here?"

……