A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

When Wei Zhao placed the third urgent report from Huangjincheng on the table, even the candlelight in the tent flickered.

"The eight princes have joined forces, and their vanguard has already reached forty miles outside the Golden City."

The guard knelt on the ground, his voice hoarse.

"The Black Mountain Army and the Red Blade Army are pressing down on the north and east sides respectively, while the White Deer Army, the Haidong Army, and the Baiyue Army are flanking the south, and the Iron Ridge Army, the Hedong Righteous Army, and the Green Dragon Camp are pressing down on the west. Scouts report that flags are being raised on all four sides, claiming to number a million."

Zhao Qiniang cursed.

"They really went around to the back."

No one laughed inside the tent.

Wei Zhao stared at the military report, his fingers tightening little by little.

really.

Han Dashan and Zhou Laodao did not go to rescue Du Heng.

These two things are not stupid; in fact, they are even more ruthless than he imagined.

To save Huainan, we had to confront him head-on in Guiping.

Attacking Golden City would be like stabbing him in the ribs.

Golden City had refugees, new soldiers, soup kitchens, and the gateway to the capital.

And then there's Wei Xuan.

And Su Qingyun and the others.

That was a very vicious attack.

Wei Zhao felt a surge of anger rising within him, but his face gradually turned cold.

We must not act rashly.

The more chaotic things got, the happier Han Dashan became.

These rebel kings wanted him to turn back, to show the world that even the new Emperor Wu could be held back by his family, the capital, and the refugees.

If he returns this time, every rebel king will learn this trick.

If you can't beat Wei Zhao, then attack his weak point.

This road cannot be opened for them.

When Liu Jingshuang lifted the curtain and entered, her armor was still covered in night dew.

She had clearly heard the message, and her expression was colder than usual.

"His Majesty."

Wei Zhao looked up at her.

Liu Jingshuang walked to the table and got straight to the point.

"Let me go back to the City of Gold."

Zhao Qiniang's eyelids twitched, but she didn't dare to interrupt.

Liu Jingshuang looked at Wei Zhao, her voice steady.

"Huo Qingluan can defend, but she only has old soldiers and wounded men under her command. The Eight Princes are besieging the city on all sides, and there are still millions of refugees in Golden City. Relying on her alone is too much of a burden."

Wei Zhao did not speak immediately.

Of course he knew it was heavy.

Huo Qingluan is not a god. No matter how accurate the battle formation is, it cannot turn 400,000 wounded soldiers into a million elite troops.

Once the city of gold is besieged, every place within it—the soup kitchens, granaries, new military camps, and refugee camps—could be bombed.

If Liu Jingshuang returns, she can suppress the army.

Her prestige within the Wei family army was stronger than anyone else's. As long as she stood on the city wall, the veterans would be steadfast, the new soldiers would be steadfast, and even the refugees would feel that the Wei family army was still intact.

This step is too tempting.

It was so tempting that Wei Zhao almost nodded.

But he quickly suppressed the idea.

No.

Liu Jingshuang is his biggest source of stability on the front lines.

Shang Wanqing's military equipment had not yet been fully delivered, and the million-strong new army had not yet seen a real major battle.

If even Liu Jingshuang leaves, the morale of the troops in Guiping will be shaken first.

Even worse, Du Heng will see it.

The Eighth Prince will also see it.

They will know that if Golden City makes a move, Wei Zhao will remove the bones.

That was the beginning of it all.

Wei Zhao raised his eyes.

"No."

Liu Jingshuang frowned.

"His Majesty."

"I can't say for sure."

Wei Zhao pushed the military report in front of her, his voice low but leaving no room for discussion.

"Huo Qingluan has arrived in Golden City. The old soldier has also arrived. Li Huai is in the capital, Su Qingyun is in the capital, Fang Fuyao is in the capital, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard's secret agents are also in the capital."

He paused for a moment.

"I trust them."

Liu Jingshuang stared at him.

"Is this a matter of belief or disbelief?"

"Yes."

Wei Zhao looked at her and said, word by word:

"If I didn't trust them, I should have broken camp and returned to the capital now. But I can't go back, and I can't let you go back either."

Liu Jingshuang's hand pressed against the hilt of the knife, her knuckles turning white.

She wasn't afraid of death.

Wei Zhao knew her all too well.

What she feared was that the Golden City would not be able to be defended, that the capital would be breached, and that Wei Xuan, that child who had not yet opened his eyes to see the world clearly, would be frightened to tears by the rebel king's sword.

But it is precisely because of fear that we cannot back down.

An emperor can be sentimental.

But we must not let the enemy use sentimentality as leverage.

……

Golden City.

When Huo Qingluan stood on the north city tower, the flags outside the city stretched to the horizon.

The Black Mountain Army's banner was pressed down to the north, while the Red Blade Army's red banners were unfurled one by one to the east.

To the south were the armies of Bailu, Haidong, and Baiyue, while to the west were the battalions of Tieling, Hedong, and Qinglong.

The sound of drums came from all four directions, and the earth at the foot of the city wall trembled slightly.

Claimed to be worth millions.

For those guarding the city, the sheer length of the city was already overwhelming.

The garrison commander handed over the troop register, his voice tense.

"Madam, there are enemy troops at all four gates. The North Gate is under the most pressure, followed by the East Gate. The South Gate is filled with a mix of enemy flags, while the Tieling army at the West Gate has the most disciplined formation."

Huo Qingluan glanced at it but didn't take it.

"Arrange it as it was last night."

The garrison commander immediately lowered his head.

"Sufficient crossbows, logs, and oil are prepared at the North Gate. The number of archers at the East Gate is increased by 20%. The militia at the South Gate guard the inner line to prevent refugees from storming the city. Veteran soldiers are left at the West Gate to hold the line."

Huo Qingluan nodded.

She knew very well that what she feared most in this battle was not the eight princes attacking the city.

It's chaotic.

The resettlement camps for millions of displaced people outside the city have been shrunk to the outer perimeter, and the soup kitchens have been moved to the vicinity of the inner warehouses.

But there are too many people, and with so many people, fear spreads.

If one person shouts that Xinwu is going to abandon the city, ten people will run away, a hundred people will rob the grain, and a thousand people can scatter the army camp.

So she placed the knife very early.

Those who steal grain will be executed.

Those who spread rumors will be executed.

Anyone who opens the city gates without authorization will be executed.

Cold?

cold.

But to be soft-hearted now is to gamble with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on human nature.

Huo Qingluan won't gamble on this.

She only gambles on the outcome.

At the foot of the city wall, the new army was placed in the second line.

Many people were wearing newly issued leather and wooden armor, and the spears in their hands still smelled of freshly whitish wood splinters.

Some people were pale, some had dry lips, and some kept staring at the outside of the city without blinking.

The veterans are quite reliable.

They had seen dead people, and they had seen people surrounded.

Of course I'm scared, but I'm scared in a proper way; I won't scream randomly.

An old soldier looked up and saw Huo Qingluan, then suddenly called out.

"Mrs. Huo!"

People both on and below the city walls looked over.

The old soldier had burns on half his face and his shoulder was wrapped in bandage, clearly indicating his injuries hadn't healed. He raised his knife and shouted:

"I heard that the imperial court has recently issued a new military merit system, where killing enemies can lead to official positions, titles, and even land. Is that true?"

Several old soldiers nearby immediately started cursing.

"Why the hell are you asking this now?"

"Shut up, don't demoralize the troops!"

Despite the criticism, everyone's ears were pricked up.

The new army fell silent immediately.

Huo Qingluan looked at the faces below.

Gray, thin, injured, and afraid.

These people were not born soldiers.

Some were tenant farmers, some were refugees, some were surrendered soldiers, and some were scions of noble families who had just been forced into the army by the old nobles who had cut off their path.

They came here not because everyone was willing to die for Xinwu.

They want to live.

I want to get a piece of land for my wife and children, I want to leave some food for my parents, and I want to earn a life that is not like a dog's in this chaotic world.

There's nothing shameful about it.

Huo Qingluan never felt ashamed of this.

His Majesty's greatest strength lies in his ability to twist these desires into a knife.

She took a step forward and stood by the battlements.

"It's true."

No one spoke beneath the city wall.

Huo Qingluan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the layers of communication.

"His Majesty personally established the military merit system. Killing enemies is recorded as merit, capturing flags is recorded as merit, scaling city walls is recorded as merit, and beheading generals is recorded separately. Military merit can be exchanged for land, silver, titles, or military registration."

The veteran's eyes lit up.

"Even veterans count?"

"Calculate."

"Wounded soldiers count too?"

"As long as it kills the enemy, that's fine."

Someone in the new army couldn't help but shout.

"What about the surrendered soldiers?"

Huo Qingluan looked over.

"Once you join the New Martial Army, you become a New Martial Soldier. You will receive the same credit for killing the enemy."

Someone else shouted.

"I'm illiterate, won't someone steal my credit?"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the military officers on the city wall turned rather grim.

Huo Qingluan, however, was not angry.

Good question.

I'm not afraid of them asking; I'm just afraid they'll keep it to themselves.

She raised her hand, and the guards beside her immediately held up the three merit books.

"Military register, household register, and merit register shall be mutually verified. Military merits shall not be bought or sold, nor shall they be fraudulently claimed. Anyone who dares to embezzle the military merits of those who died in battle shall be treated as having misappropriated military merits, and their property shall be confiscated."

The area below exploded.

"Confiscating property?"

"Really?"

"Haven't you heard how many families Li Xiang has slaughtered in the capital?"

Someone shouted something, and laughter instantly drowned out the fear from before.

Huo Qingluan did not laugh.

She raised her hand, and the city wall fell silent again.

"The imperial court cannot overturn all the past debts for you."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the faces of many veterans slowly faded.

Too many brothers died in battle before.

The amount of money owed by the former Wei dynasty, the merits it swallowed, and the names buried in the mud are countless.

Huo Qingluan knew that those words were hurtful.

But she couldn't lie.

Every time someone is deceived, the military merit system is ruined.

She continued:

"But from this battle onward, killing for merit became the new martial art."