I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

After returning from the camp outside the city, the group went straight up the city wall.

Wang Long waited for them to return and report on the city wall.

They first bowed to Wang Long, and then told him everything that had happened in the camp, in great detail, recounting every single event.

Because Wang Long doesn't like things being kept from him; if something is kept from him, he will be very unhappy.

The three siblings had all learned lessons in the past, lessons they would never forget.

Therefore, they would never hide anything from Wang Long.

After listening, Wang Long remained expressionless.

If you didn't know him, you'd think he just had a blank expression and no other emotions.

Such people are the most terrifying because you can't tell what they're thinking by looking at their facial expressions.

However, the three siblings guessed that if anyone was to be punished, it would be all of them, including Xiao Yuanlu.

After all, Xiao Yuanlu's behavior in the camp didn't seem like that of someone going to negotiate.

He practically had the eight characters "endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, sleep on firewood and taste gall" engraved on his forehead.

The three siblings dared to bet that if Qin Li were currently in the camp outside the city...

Xiao Yuanlu would stay without hesitation and never come back.

"Very well, I know everything. You may all leave and go collect your rewards."

King Long of Liangzhou waved to the three of them.

The three of them looked up, all with expressions of disbelief.

Wang Long not only didn't punish them, but also rewarded them. It was truly a miracle.

However, they quickly withdrew, fearing that Wang Long might change his mind at any moment.

On their way down the city wall to collect their reward, the three siblings couldn't help but whisper among themselves:

"Tell me, what exactly does the Prince mean? The negotiations have turned out like this, and he still wants to reward us?"

"Who knows? No one can fathom the prince's thoughts."

"But Xiao Yuanlu was right, the prince really didn't punish us."

"What do you mean he guessed correctly? I think he just got lucky!"

"No, no, no, I think Xiao Yuanlu understands the Prince better than we do. Perhaps we can listen to his opinions more often in the future."

"Big brother, really? Xiao Yuanlu is Qin Li's man, and we're supposed to listen to him?"

"How could I not know that he is Qin Li's man? But in some matters, he understands the prince better than we do. Listening to him won't be wrong. He has been prime minister for so many years and is a shrewd person. That's one of his strengths."

The three siblings went down to collect their reward, whispering amongst themselves.

On the city wall, only Wang Long and Xiao Yuanlu remained.

Unlike Wang Long's expressionless face, Xiao Yuanlu always had a smile on his face.

He didn't believe Wang Long would punish him at all.

Just as he had just said to the three siblings.

Wang Long was simply trying to gauge the other party's attitude during this negotiation.

After a while, Wang Long finally spoke.

He looked at the camp outside the city and said to Xiao Yuanlu, "The enemy refuses to retreat. Does Prime Minister Xiao have any good ideas?"

Xiao Yuanlu bowed and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I am just a civil official, powerless to even kill a chicken. The tens of thousands of troops outside the city have just returned from the battlefield. Even Your Highness is no match for them. What good methods could I possibly have? I am incompetent."

Wang Long said, "So you mean my best option is to abandon the city and flee back to Liangzhou?"

Xiao Yuanlu remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Outside the city, the Empress and the Seventh Prince surrounded the capital, but deliberately left an opening so that Wang Long could leave the capital.

"But I don't want to leave the capital. If I return to Liangzhou and Qin Li comes back to the capital, I will be at a disadvantage."

"How can a small Liangzhou possibly contend with the entire Great Zhou? What do you think, Prime Minister Xiao?"

Xiao Yuanlu said, "What Your Highness says makes perfect sense. The small Liangzhou is no match for the entire Great Zhou."

The next moment, Wang Long suddenly turned around, reached out, patted Xiao Yuanlu on the shoulder, and said:

"Since Prime Minister Xiao also thinks so, then I will fight to the death."

Xiao Yuanlu's face was still full of smiles: "What does Your Highness wish to do?"

"Defend the capital to the death."

"It can't be held."

Xiao Yuanlu said.

Wang Long said, "There's no need to defend; they won't attack."

After saying that, without giving Xiao Yuanlu a chance to speak again, Wang Long turned and left the city wall.

Watching Wang Long's departing figure, Xiao Yuanlu finally suppressed his smile and became extremely serious.

Wang Long was more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

.........

Time flies, and more than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the course of more than half a month, Wang Long and the Empress seemed to have reached a tacit understanding.

The Empress did not send troops to attack the city, and Wang Long did not leave the city either, so the stalemate continued.

On this day, the Empress took the initiative to seek out the Seventh Prince, Qin Feng, and asked as soon as she arrived:

"How long does Your Highness think this situation will continue?"

Qin Feng replied, "Two years."

"The grain reserves in the city are only enough to feed the city's inhabitants for two years."

"So we'll be besieging the city for two years?"

The Empress asked.

Qin Feng didn't know why the Empress would ask such a question, so he countered, "General, are you going to attack the city?"

"Both my family and His Majesty's are in the city. If we were to attack, whose responsibility would be for the deaths and injuries?"

The empress could, of course, choose to attack the city without restraint, because her beloved Huayang was by her side, and she didn't care about the people in the city at all.

But Qin Feng couldn't; his wife was still in the city. What if Wang Long used them as scapegoats if they attacked the city?

"Wang Long is confident because he knows we won't dare to attack the city. If we give him two years, we will lose face, and His Majesty will lose face as well."

Allowing a traitor to occupy the capital for two years—when future generations talk about them, they really don't know where to put their faces.

Therefore, the Empress decided to attack the city.

However, before attacking the city, she needed to find a way to persuade Qin Feng.

"Are you really going to attack the city?"

Qin Feng asked.

Although he didn't understand the Empress, judging from her current expression, it seemed that no one could change her mind.

The Empress nodded: "We must attack the city."

Qin Feng asked, "How can the safety of the people in the city be guaranteed?"

If their safety cannot be guaranteed, Qin Feng would rather die than agree to attack the city.

Without his help, the capital city would certainly not have been able to be captured by the Empress's troops alone.

"The safety of the people in the city cannot be guaranteed, but I can assure you that during the first siege, Wang Long will not make things difficult for the people in the city, because Wang Long does not expect us to dare to attack the city."

Qin Feng admitted that the Empress made a lot of sense, but he still didn't dare to gamble.

The Empress then said, "If your family is affected, I will compensate you with Huayang."

The fact that the Empress was willing to sacrifice Huayang shows just how much she sacrificed.

On the other hand, the Empress wanted to take over the capital as soon as possible and didn't want to wait that long.

"I don't want Huayang, but based on what you said, I'll trust you this once. You stay behind and command, and I'll personally lead the army to attack the city."

"I've disliked Wang Long for a long time. This battle will show him that we're not pushovers!"

After saying this, Qin Feng left the camp and went out to gather the army.

In the dead of night, when the first wave of arrows came, the defenders on the city wall were still laughing and joking.

However, when those around them fell to the ground, wounded by arrows, their expressions immediately changed, and they frantically began beating drums and shouting:

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Chaos erupted on the city walls, and the situation inside the city was no better.

Lights gradually came on everywhere. The people, who were already fast asleep, were awakened and put on their clothes to go out and see what was happening.

Soldiers patrolled the city, ordering the people to go home and not to leave their homes, threatening them with death if they disobeyed.

Wang Long personally climbed the city wall to oversee the battle and was nearly shot.

As night fell and dawn broke, the army's offensive outside the city gradually ceased and they retreated one after another.

Under the morning light, the city walls were a scene of devastation, with corpses lying haphazardly everywhere.

There are ladders on the city wall, and someone almost climbed it last night.

As Wang Long watched the scenes unfolding on the city wall, a slight change finally appeared on his expressionless face.

He angrily brandished his sword, wanting nothing more than to lead his troops out to fight.

"Your Highness, what should we do? They actually dare to attack the city!"

The generals were panicked, because in recent days, everyone had tacitly believed that the other side would not attack the city and that the stalemate would continue.

But to everyone's surprise, the enemy launched a night attack on the city. If Wang Long hadn't personally commanded the operation, the city gates would probably have been breached last night.

"Your Highness, they're here again!"

A soldier pointed outside the city and suddenly shouted.

On the city wall, they immediately went on high alert again, with everyone paying close attention.

Why did it come back so soon after it just receded? Don't they give people a chance to catch their breath?

Wang Long leaned against the city wall and looked out, only to see a battalion of soldiers rushing towards them from outside the city.

There were two people leading the group; without a doubt, they were the Empress and the Seventh Prince.

Wang Long spoke first: "How dare we attack the city?"

The Empress, seated on horseback, cupped her hands in a gesture of embarrassment and said:

"Your Highness, please forgive me. It was my fault for not stopping the Seventh Prince. The main reason is that the Seventh Prince has been separated from his family for a long time and misses them dearly. However, Your Highness will not open the city gates, so the Seventh Prince could only..."

Qin Feng, who was riding a horse beside him, was speechless. It was clearly the Empress who ordered him to attack the city, so how did it end up being his fault?

However, he also knew that this was a scheme by the Empress, and it remained to be seen whether Wang Long would fall for it.

"Seventh Prince, aren't you afraid that if you attack the city like this, I will kill your wife and use her as a sacrifice to the flag?" Wang Long said again.

At this moment, Qin Feng, naturally unwilling to be outdone, rode forward a step and shouted sternly:

"If you dare to kill my wife, I will immediately lead my army to attack the city again. When the city falls, that will be the day you, Wang Long, are utterly destroyed!"

At this moment, the Empress stepped in to smooth things over: "There's no need, no need, really no need. Your Highness, please calm down. Let's go back now, and we can all get along well from now on."

After saying that, the Empress was about to lead her people back.

Qin Feng asked in a low voice, "Are we leaving already?"

The Empress said, "Don't worry, he will stop us."

Sure enough, the next moment, Wang Long on the city wall said, "Wait a moment, Your Highness Seventh Prince, you should think carefully. Your wife is still in the city."

Qin Feng immediately cursed, "What kind of hero tries to blackmail me with my wife? Wang Long, have the guts to fight me!"