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

Ruan Fei walked further and further away until she disappeared from sight.

Zhang Shi then turned his head and looked at Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan, whose spirit was on the verge of collapse. This was a huge achievement that was clearly right in front of him.

He can't let this go.

With a wave of his hand, the soldiers who had been following him rushed over like wolves and tigers. Under Zhang Shi's command, they quickly tied up Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan.

Most of these soldiers were previously subordinates of Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan, and they had always held Zhou Mengyan in high esteem. But now, they showed no mercy when they attacked.

Not only were his movements rude, but he also wore a smug and arrogant smile.

After tying him up, they threw Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan in front of Zhang Shi like a sandbag.

"General Zhang Shi, Zhou Mengyan has been tied up."

Zhang Shi nodded, his excitement suddenly becoming almost uncontrollable.

This is my first time!

After fighting in Yunjing for so long, this was the first time he had truly penetrated deep into enemy territory and captured the enemy's general!

He's no ordinary person, he's the Grand Commander!

Yunjing's extremely important naval commander-in-chief!

This achievement... is comparable to Wang Ming's, isn't it?

Just as he was feeling smug, a commotion arose around him as many soldiers who were still loyal to Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan, or rather, loyal to Yunjing, swarmed around him like a tide.

The movements weren't large, but the noise wasn't small either, yet they managed to surround Zhang Shi and his group as the fire raged and spread.

Each of them gripped the hilt of a knife, some even with the blade drawn, their expressions suggesting ill intent.

Zhang Shi was startled and immediately looked around.

Seeing the dense crowd, I knew very well that perhaps because of the Yangtze River and the geographical distance, many of the Duke's policies had not been effectively implemented. There were many people here who genuinely respected the Duke, but even more who were loyal to Yunjing!

Even at this critical moment, these soldiers remained loyal to Yunjing and to Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan.

This is……

They've come to rescue Zhou Mengyan!

Zhang Shi's assessment of the battlefield was absolutely correct; Zhou Mengyan's personal guards had already begun shouting.

"Zhang Shi, release the Grand Commander!"

One stone caused a thousand waves!

The soldiers drew their weapons, their faces fierce, and shouted.

"Release the Grand Commander!"

"Zhang Shi, you traitor, you dare to kidnap the Grand Commander? Do you really think we don't exist?"

"Zhang Shi, if you want to stay here and live, you can take the Grand Commander; otherwise... you'd better hand over the Grand Commander obediently!"

"Zhang Shi, you son of a bitch, release the Grand Commander!"

……

The shouts started small, but as more and more people shouted, the shouts grew louder and louder until they gradually formed a surging momentum.

The shouts of thousands of troops, a deafening roar.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been terrified by now, releasing Zhou Mengyan would be a basic response, and they would probably be begging for mercy immediately.

But Zhang Shi...

His gaze swept across the room coldly, his face expressionless.

The current situation is unfavorable to him. There are at least several thousand people surrounding him, but how many men does he have in total? The vast majority of them are arranged to be at the back so as to avoid the raging fire!

But this also means that he is currently unable to confront it head-on.

but……

Who says we need to confront these people head-on?

So Zhang Shi just watched coldly.

He seemed to carry an invisible pressure, which the soldiers did not notice for a short time, but gradually, the surrounding noise became softer and softer.

Eventually, silence descended.

All that remained was the raging fire beside them, and the heart-wrenching cries of the soldiers who hadn't participated in the encirclement but were being burned alive.

Zhang Shizhou's surroundings became quiet.

At this moment, Zhang Shicai slowly spoke, saying calmly, "Gentlemen, I understand your desire to save Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan."

"After all, the Grand Commander was your former superior."

"But... I'd like to ask one more question: is it really a good life following the Grand Commander?"

"Right now, the Duke's mighty army has arrived. Taking over the Yangtze River region is just a matter of minutes. Even if you rescue Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan then, what difference will it make?"

"Should we follow Zhou Mengyan and become a defeated deserter?"

"They fled in disarray, pursued by the Duke's army from the Yangtze River's natural barrier to Yunjing, their bodies strewn across the land. They couldn't even return home, leaving behind orphans and widows to be bullied for no reason?"

Zhang Shi's voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered struck the hearts of the surrounding soldiers like a heavy hammer blow, showing no mercy whatsoever!

Many soldiers had turned pale.

Suddenly setting aside the bonds of loyalty formed in the military, they couldn't help but think about their respective situations.

Zhang Shi's voice continued, now tinged with fervor: "But now, a better path lies before us!"

"The Duke is coming!"

"Even if everyone is not so clear about the Duke's kindness, they have all heard about it."

"I, Zhang Shi, cannot guarantee that everyone who surrenders will become rich and powerful, but I can guarantee that the Duke will treat you sincerely."

"I will treat you all as soldiers!"

"There's no need to be tormented by the love demons of Yun Jing; all you need to do is be a good soldier, earn merit, receive rewards, and get your full pay!"

"Such an opportunity, you..."

"Don't you want to give it a try?"

"Are you still determined to follow Zhou Mengyan through this life of wandering and hardship?"

After a pause, Zhang Shi looked down at Zhou Mengyan. Zhou Mengyan, who had been greatly shocked, was completely dejected and collapsed to the ground, his whole body devoid of energy.

It was like a pile of mud.

Zhang Shi coldly said, "Besides, in his current state, can Zhou Mengyan live up to the expectations of all the brothers?"

"I, Zhang Shiyan, have given my all!"

"The next choice, brothers... is up to you!"

After Zhang Shi finished speaking, he said no more, but his words continued to echo in the minds of the surrounding soldiers.

Until… one of the soldiers suddenly threw down his weapon and knelt down with a thud: “General Zhang, General Zhang Shi, this humble servant is willing to serve the Duke!”

One person shouted, and everyone was instantly startled.

Immediately, like dominoes, one person kneels down and then a second person kneels down, then a third person, a fourth person...

Then came one after another!

The kneeling people quickly swarmed around, all shouting in unison.

"General Zhang Shi, we... are willing to surrender!"

"We are willing to surrender to the Duke, only begging for our lives!"

"Defeat is inevitable, what other choice do we have? If General Zhang Shi is willing to forgive and forget, we... are willing to surrender!"

……

With each person saying "I surrender!", most of the people who had gathered around surrendered. Even the remaining small group, even if they didn't want to surrender, would absolutely not be the first to do so at this point.

Those who stick their neck out never have a good ending.

This made it seem like everyone had surrendered, which gave Zhang Shi a slight sense of relief. It was good that they had surrendered; even if they weren't that sincere, he could still slowly train them later.

When the tide turns, the tide turns.

Zhang Shi immediately promised, "Very well, since you are willing to surrender, then I, Zhang Shi, will recommend you all!"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Now, all those who are willing to surrender, tear off a piece of white cloth, tie it around your arm, to represent that you are Zhang Shi's people, and then..."

His cold gaze swept over them: "Go and persuade more people to surrender. Remember, the more people you persuade to surrender, the greater your merit will be to me. The greater the merit, the more I will ask the Duke for his favor!"

Zhang Shi's arrangements were excellent; a commotion arose on the deck, and... the effect was superb!

Originally, with the raging fire, the morale of the army had already collapsed, and the Duke had led his troops to attack. With the enemy blocking their way, it was almost a dead end. But now that Zhang Shi was willing to take these people in, then... these people could live!

Apart from a small number of soldiers whose interests are directly related to the military, the vast majority are just trying to make a living. Now, when faced with a choice between life and death, most of them are the wise ones!

As a result, a large number of soldiers surrendered.

One shout, and a whole group of people knelt down!

By the time Ren Tianye's army arrived, most of the tens of thousands of soldiers in the camp had already been subdued.

And this achievement...

"It belongs to Zhang Shi!"

Zhang Shi's eyes gleamed with an unprecedented sharpness!

It also exudes a strong sense of self-confidence!

……