Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"We've already run out of congee with preserved egg and lean pork for today. Look at you two, acting like idiots!" Zhou Wentong said with a hint of disgust.

Let these two run errands from now on; they're not suited for scouting enemy positions.

Zhang San and Li Si were instantly disappointed, their excitement plummeting to rock bottom.

"It's all your fault for dawdling. If we had left the city earlier, we would definitely have had a meal," Zhang San couldn't help but say.

Li Si retorted, "How can you blame me? I didn't delay for long. If anyone's to blame, it's you. Why didn't you come up with a solution sooner?"

"It's clearly your fault!"

"It's your fault—" Li Si retorted defiantly.

"It's your fault!!"

"..."

The two of them started arguing, each saying something to the other.

Shen Qing couldn't help but laugh. These two soldiers really looked like elementary school students arguing.

"Although we're out of congee with preserved egg and lean pork for today, I'll make other dishes tomorrow, so you can enjoy them to your heart's content."

Upon hearing Shen Qing's voice, the two immediately stopped.

"Madam, we saw the noodles you made yesterday. Could you make noodles again tomorrow?" Li Si asked excitedly.

He wanted the meat porridge later; noodles were what he really wanted to eat.

Zhang San rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with obvious admiration: "Noodles are fine, meat porridge is fine too, as long as there's something to eat."

Shen Qing smiled and said, "I haven't decided what to eat tomorrow yet."

"The cook's food is quite good; you can try it later."

"Okay, okay." Zhang San nodded repeatedly.

Although Li Si was thinking about noodles, his eyes lit up when he heard that there might be different food tomorrow.

......

Inside Pingkou City.

Song Chengwu was raging in the city lord's mansion.

"Is Zheng Quan brainless? I've told him so many times to wait and see, but what did he do? He charged forward recklessly, only to be captured on the other side. He completely ignored my words!"

"You brute, you idiot!!"

"And those scouts, why didn't you report this earlier? Now that Zheng Quan has been captured, you're only coming to report now. Did you all squat on the city wall to defecate?"

"..."

Song Chengwu paced back and forth, cursing as he did so, his whole being extremely agitated.

Song Xingbang advised from the side, "Father, things have come to this point, let's think of a way to rescue General Zheng."

"Save them? Tell me how we can save them? Putting aside whether they've set a trap, Zhou Wentong has defected to the Emperor with all the secrets of our Song family army, and that brute Zheng Quan has taken some soldiers with him. Going out of the city now is suicide!!"

Song Leye: "We can't just stand by and watch General Zheng suffer in the enemy camp..."

"If all else fails, let's call General Wang Wu and ask him if he has any ideas."

It would have been better if Wang Wu hadn't been mentioned; the mere mention of Wang Wu only made Song Chengwu angrier.

"I've said it before, Wang Wu is not allowed to interfere in Pingkou City's affairs!!"

Song Leye: "...Then Father, what do you think we should do?"

General Wang has many ideas and might be able to come up with a solution, but my father is just too stubborn.

Song Xingbang: "General Zheng is incredibly strong and exceptionally brave. His capture only means that the enemy has a master. We should be even more cautious."

"..."

The atmosphere inside the city lord's mansion was somber. The three men, father and sons, couldn't come up with anything. The more they discussed it, the more depressed they became, and the angrier they grew.

Right there, an excited voice rang out:

"Report—"

"General Zheng is back! General Zheng is back—"

Song Chengwu was shocked, his face filled with disbelief.

Weren't you captured? How did you get back?

Before he could react, Zheng Quan strode in.

"Commander! I heard you were waiting for me!"

He seemed completely oblivious to the seriousness of the trouble he had caused.

"How did you get back?" Song Chengwu asked as soon as he opened his mouth.

Zheng Quan chuckled, "Madam Shen let me come back. She said she wants to have a proper fight with me another day!"

"This time I wasn't prepared. Next time, I'll bring a large force and definitely snatch Lady Shen back, then kill the emperor and the traitor!!"

Song Chengwu: "???"

Song Xingbang and Song Leye both looked bewildered.

What does that mean? Did the other side catch Zheng Quan and then release him?

How could that be? The other side isn't stupid. How could they just release prisoners for nothing?

"What does it mean to 'take back Lady Shen'?" Song Chengwu asked tentatively.

He inexplicably felt that Zheng Quan's words conveyed a sense of closeness and admiration for this so-called Madam Shen.

Zheng Quan wasn't thinking too much; he was still excited: "Shen Niangzi's cooking is amazing! Her preserved egg and lean pork congee is so fragrant, you'll want a second bowl after just one. It's definitely the best thing in the world."

"Commander, tomorrow I'll go out of the city again and bring Lady Shen back. Then we can finally enjoy some delicious congee with preserved egg and lean pork!"

"Trust me, you definitely won't regret it."

"Furthermore, after careful observation, it seems there are no traps or ambushes on the other side. Let's gather our 100,000 troops and launch a direct attack from the city!!!"

Zheng Quan became more and more excited as he spoke, and he even started gesturing wildly as he imagined the scene of taking down the Black Hawk Guards.

Then Madam Shen will be the cook for the Song family army, and he can eat congee with preserved egg and lean pork every day!

Zheng Quan was excited, but he didn't notice that Song Chengwu next to him had a gloomy face and his brows were furrowed.

The idea in my mind was about to come to mind.

If Zheng Quan is able to return, it's highly likely he's betrayed us!

"Men, tie Zheng Quan up!" Song Chengwu said through gritted teeth.

Everyone around was in shock, and for a moment no one dared to move.

Zheng Quan couldn't believe his ears. His eyes widened. "What did you say, Commander??"

"You traitor! If you hadn't defected to the enemy, how could you have returned unharmed?" Song Chengwu pointed at Zheng Quan's nose and cursed.

"No, you're lying! I just ate a bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork from across the street!!"

"I'm innocent! Even after eating such delicious porridge, I didn't surrender. If I had really surrendered, I wouldn't have come back. Why would I have done it?"

Zheng Quan shouted at the top of his lungs, feeling utterly wronged.

It feels like I've poured all my loyalty into feeding a dog.

He had been loyal to Song Chengwu for so many years, and he never thought that Song Chengwu would doubt him.

Song Chengwu sneered, "If you weren't a traitor, why would the emperor have let you come back so easily?"

"It wasn't the dog emperor who released me, it was Lady Shen, Lady Shen let me come back," Zheng Quan said, looking aggrieved.

Song Chengwu: "??"

"I thought you were straightforward, but I never expected you to learn to lie. How could a young lady like you make such a decision? Do you think I'm a fool?"

Zheng Quan quickly waved his hand: "You're definitely not stupid, but the person who let me come back was Madam Shen. Madam Shen's cooking is superb; her congee with preserved egg and lean pork is truly delicious, Commander-in-Chief! I'm telling the truth!"

Even at a time like this, Zheng Quan was still talking about how delicious it was; all he could think about was fighting and food.

Song Anbang, who was standing to the side, said thoughtfully, "Father, General Zheng has always been straightforward, so he shouldn't be lying..."

"You mean I wronged him?" Song Chengwu roared angrily.

"Injustice, injustice, all wronged to death..." Zheng Quan said in a low voice.

Song Anbang's expression was grave: "Father, have you forgotten about the 'witch'?"

Song Chengwu: "...You're saying this Lady Shen is a so-called witch, and a real 'witch' at that..."

When he received the news that the Empress had died because of a woman, he instinctively assumed that the woman was the Emperor's concubine and labeled her a witch.

"Eliminate the vixen and cleanse the court of corrupt officials" is nothing more than a slogan, a pretext they use to justify their rebellion.

But now...

"The emperor listened to her every word, Zhou Wentong rebelled, and General Zheng went out of the city and returned to worship her. He even declared that he would take her back. All these things suggest that this witch really does have magic."

Song Anbang's solemn voice rang out.

According to this explanation, everything makes sense.

"Therefore, the emperor only has five thousand Black Hawk Guards. There are no traps or ambushes outside the city. The demoness is the emperor's greatest asset," Song Chengwu concluded through gritted teeth.

For a moment, everyone fell into an eerie silence.

Song Leyue, who is usually cheerful and carefree, was unusually silent.

Sorcery and witches—these are problems beyond their control.

I have absolutely no idea what to do.

Only Zheng Quan frowned, somewhat unconvinced: "What nonsense are you talking about? Impossible! Madam Shen's cooking is so delicious, how could she be a witch?"

"More like a fairy."

Song Chengwu: "..."

It's confirmed; Zheng Quan has been bewitched by sorcery.

This is tricky, extremely tricky.

"We need to find a master to break the sorcery and capture the demoness," Song Anbang said with a stern face.

This is currently the only solution.

After all, they couldn't stay trapped in Pingkou City forever; sooner or later they would have to fight to the death with the other side.

"Father, elder brother, I've heard there's a Zhang Tianshi in the city who can predict the future, exorcise demons, and exorcise evil spirits with ease. Why don't we ask this Zhang Tianshi to deal with the demoness?" Song Leye's eyes lit up.

He was Song Chengwu's youngest son, and he was always unruly and loved to eat, play, and listen to strange tales.

This Master Zhang was someone he heard about from a storyteller.

I've heard that this Taoist master used to be from the capital.

"Is this really true?" Song Chengwu asked anxiously.

"It should be true. Anyway, we should give it a try."

Song Anbang, standing to the side, nodded: "What you said is right, little brother. As long as Master Zhang deals with Madam Shen, the Great An Kingdom will be ours!"

"Since General Zheng has agreed to fight Madam Shen again, we can use this as a pretext to have Zhang Tianshi accompany General Zheng out of the city. That way, we can capture Madam Shen in one fell swoop!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Quan was completely dumbfounded.

This doesn't make sense, does it?

He didn't want to deal with Madam Shen...

Moreover, Lady Shen is not a witch at all.

He only wanted Shen Niangzi to join the Song family army and become their cook.

"That's not..."

"It's settled then!!"

Before Zheng Quan could finish refusing, Song Chengwu made the decision.

"Zheng Quan, the time has come to prove your loyalty. Tomorrow, take more men and escort Zhang Tianshi out of the city to eliminate the demoness and slay the emperor!"

"I, the commander, will personally oversee the battle from the city walls!"

Zheng Quan: "...Madam Shen is just a cook, why do we have to get rid of her? Commander, please spare Madam Shen."

Song Chengwu frowned. It seemed the enchantress had completely bewitched Zheng Quan.

"It's not exactly eliminating her power. We'll let Zhang Tianshi temporarily control her abilities, then snatch her back to Pingkou City and make her that kind of porridge for you every day!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Quan exclaimed, "I really want to eat congee with preserved egg and lean pork every day..."

But Lady Shen is not a witch.

"Commander, I'll listen to you."

Anyway, Madam Shen isn't a witch, so that so-called Taoist master definitely can't hurt her.

Only by agreeing to the commander-in-chief's request can we have a proper fight with Lady Shen tomorrow.

He agreed for the time being.

However, he would absolutely not allow these people to harm Madam Shen!

In an instant, Zheng Quan felt incredibly smart, ridiculously so.

Song Chengwu couldn't help but roll his eyes.

He's such a simpleton, no brains. He used to only think about fighting and killing, but now all he cares about is that bullshit meat porridge!

He immediately agreed upon hearing about the meat porridge.

"Then it's settled. Le Ye, you're in charge of dealing with Zhang Tianshi."

"Father, can I go out of the city with you tomorrow?" Song Leye's eyes held a hint of expectation.

The celestial master capturing the demoness was an extremely rare event, and he was excited just thinking about it. He was determined to witness it with his own eyes.

Song Chengwu: "? What are you going to do? You won't be of any help."

"How can I not help? I can protect Zhang Tianshi every step of the way, just in case."

"Father, let my younger brother go. No matter what, he's one of us," Song Anbang said from the side.

Song Chengwu thought about it and realized that Zheng Quan was indeed possessed by evil spirits. If he were to turn against them in the face of battle and point his knife at Zhang Tianshi, wouldn't everything be over?

It would be better to agree to Le Ye's request, and he could send more soldiers to protect him.

Only in this way can we be absolutely certain of success.

"Alright, Leye, I'm entrusting Zhang Tianshi to you." He patted Song Leye's shoulder heavily.

Song Leye jumped up with joy: "Great! We can watch Zhang Tianshi catch demons!!"

Song Chengwu: "..."

It seems a bit unreliable.

I'm thinking of getting a different son.

"Don't worry, Dad, I will definitely do what you asked me to do!" Song Leye quickly composed himself and hurriedly made his promise.

"Be serious, be earnest, war is not child's play."

"Yes!!" Song Leye immediately straightened his face.

Seriously, earnestly, he's determined to see a good show tomorrow.

A Taoist priest catching a demoness would definitely be fun!

......

Meanwhile, Shen Qing opened the system inside the tent.

[Ding—Congratulations, host, for conquering enemy general Zheng Quan and 5,000 soldiers with your preserved egg and lean pork congee. Battlefield mission progress (10%/100%)]

[Ding—Tomorrow, the host can set up a stall to sell large pot stews, with no quantity limit]

[Price of stew in a large pot: 40 coins per serving]