You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 228 Imperial Decree Issued Before Battle
The guards stood there, looking at each other, and no one stepped forward.

Tong Shouliang's crimes are undeniable; everyone knows this. Therefore, there are some doubts about his current status as commander-in-chief.

The Empress Dowager faced Tong Shouliang's sword with unwavering courage.

"Tong Shouliang, how dare you! Liangjiang, you leave now. I want to see if Tong Shouliang really dares to stab me."

Liang Jiang turned around and was really about to leave.

Tong Shouliang naturally couldn't ignore it. He slightly deflected the tip of his sword, trying to dodge the Empress Dowager and stop her.

Who knew that the Empress Dowager would be so determined, neither dodging nor avoiding, but instead facing the tip of his sword head-on.

Instantly, the sharp blade pierced through the phoenix robe, and blood gushed out.

Everyone was shocked and cried out in unison, "Empress Dowager!"
The Empress Dowager covered her wound with one hand and pointed at Tong Shouliang with the other: "Insubordination is a heinous crime! How could the Emperor appoint a criminal like you, who has been colluding with the enemy, as the Commander-in-Chief? He must be an imposter! What are you all standing there for? Seize this traitor for me!"

The guards immediately surrounded Tong Shouliang.

Knowing that the opportunity was too good to miss, Liang Jiang immediately leaped up and fled the place.

Tong Shouliang angrily shouted, "I have the imperial sword. If the emperor himself is here, anyone who dares to question or obstruct me will be killed without exception."

He brandished the imperial sword, ready to fight his way through the guards and prevent Liang Jiang from leaving.

"Stop her, Liang Jiang! Otherwise, you'll be punished according to military regulations!"

Among the guards protecting the Empress Dowager were some of Tong Shouliang's confidants, who followed his lead and attempted to intercept Liang Jiang's path.

Liang Jiang was extremely grateful that she had switched identities with Xie Wan'er.

Otherwise, given Xie Wan'er's skills, she wouldn't be able to escape this place today.
Taking advantage of Tong Shouliang's predicament, she fearlessly fought her way out. Then, without delay, she mobilized assassins from the Fengying Pavilion and contacted her fellow disciples from Yuhua Mountain to rescue Gu Xizhi.

Weixi Prefecture City.

Gu Xizhi had been besieged by Fang Chengxu's army for a day and a night.

He led the Weixi army in a fighting retreat, eventually being surrounded by the main force on a desolate mountain. Only then, relying on the high and treacherous terrain, did he manage to resist Fang Chengxu's army for a day and a night.

However, as time passed, their arrows ran out, and the soldiers' strength gradually diminished. If they could not break through the encirclement, they would starve to the point of losing their ability to resist and be completely defeated.

Moreover, Lady Liang and Liang Jiang are still waiting for him to come and rescue them.

Gu Xizhi made a desperate decision: to capture the leader of the thief.

While Fang Chengxu was directing his soldiers to launch the next attack, Gu Xizhi ordered his men to use the prepared giant rolling stones to clear a path, covering everyone as they fought their way through the rain of arrows.

An even more brutal battle ensued.

The soldiers understood that the only way to survive was to fight to the death.

They were fearless in the face of enemies far stronger than themselves.

Gu Xizhi's long sword was invincible and unstoppable.

Continuous fighting and hunger had exhausted everyone, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.

Just as life and death were at stake, a chorus of battle cries was heard, and the sound of galloping hooves filled the air. A chestnut-red steed led the way, with a woman on its back carrying a silver spear with a red tassel. Her legs were straight, her body leaned forward, taut like a bow, and she swept towards Fang Chengxu's army in an instant.

Behind her followed countless agile figures. Although their attire varied and their weapons were strange, their leaping figures revealed them to be highly skilled experts.

Fang Chengxu, who had been confident of victory on horseback, stiffened and his eyes darkened slightly.

Covered in blood, Gu Xizhi swung her sword and sent the enemy flying, then smiled with delight at the woman.

I knew it! Liang Jiang wasn't an ordinary, weak woman; she would never sit idly by and wait for death. Not only did she escape from a thousand guards, but she also gave me such a wonderful surprise.

His spirits lifted instantly: "Brothers, reinforcements have arrived! Follow me and fight your way out!"

When Tong Zhao'er, who was standing next to Fang Chengxu, saw Liang Jiang, her eyes immediately reddened.

With a flick of the reins, ignoring Fang Chengxu's attempts to stop him, he spurred his horse and charged towards Liang Jiang.

"Liang Jiang, I never expected you to dare walk into my trap. Today, it's time to settle our score!"

Fang Chengxu was taken aback, realizing that she was no match for Liang Jiang, and immediately rode forward to help.

Liang Jiang rode her horse through the blood, her silver spear flashing up and down like a dragon entering the sea, and in the blink of an eye, she had charged into the formation.

The people following behind them were like tigers descending a mountain, vying to be the first.

Fang Chengxu stopped the agitated Tong Zhao'er and called out to Liang Jiang: "Liang Jiang, don't make another mistake. Daring to oppose the imperial army is treason."

Liang Jiang swept across the area, piercing through a single line with her spear, fearless and undaunted. When she saw the overconfident Tong Zhao'er, she smiled contemptuously.

"If I, Liang Jiang, were afraid of death, I wouldn't have come today!"

Liang Jiang scoffed lightly, exuding an overbearing and domineering aura, as arrogant as a princess:
"The emperor was tyrannical, jealous of the virtuous and capable, and allowed Tong Shouliang to collude with Xiliang, causing my father, Duke Liang, and thousands of vanguard soldiers to be buried in Xiliang."

After the truth was revealed, he instructed the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to secretly switch Tong Shouliang's identity. What is there to fear from such a tyrannical and incompetent ruler?

Her outrageous and treasonous words, especially in front of so many soldiers, shocked Fang Chengxu: "Liang Jiang, have you gone mad? How dare you disrespect the Emperor!"

"What a load of bullshit about an emperor!"

Liang Jiang was determined to expose the emperor's conspiracy in public. She killed the soldier in front of her with a single spear thrust, and then loudly proclaimed:

"The emperor is tyrannical, concealing the late emperor's edict and usurping the throne from the Prince of Pingxi. Now he wants to exterminate the Prince of Pingxi. Are you still willing to serve this tyrannical and incompetent ruler?"

Tong Zhao'er interrupted her sharply: "Don't listen to this crazy woman's nonsense and her attempts to incite the army."

Liang Jiang's next words shocked the soldiers even more: "The late emperor's edict of succession is in my hands! The Empress Dowager ordered me to come and deliver the edict!"

After speaking, he reached into his robe, pulled out the imperial edict, and held it high above his head.

Fang Chengxu immediately raised his hand and ordered the gong to be sounded, temporarily halting the fighting.

The entire battlefield fell silent instantly. Everyone looked up at Liang Jiang on horseback, exchanging bewildered glances.

Liang Jiang sheathed her silver spear and unfurled the imperial edict before the soldiers: "Written by the late Emperor himself, stamped with the Imperial Seal, and bestowed by the Empress Dowager herself, Prince Pingxi, receive this decree!"

Covered in blood, Gu Xizhi stared at Liang Jiang in disbelief, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Could it be that she's forging an imperial edict to try and save me in order to turn the tide? I hope it doesn't backfire.

He stepped past the equally astonished soldiers, walked up to Liang Jiang, and knelt down obediently: "Prince Gu Xizhi of Pingxi receives the imperial decree."

Liang Jiang channeled her inner strength into her voice, which pierced through the clouds and resounded throughout the crowd before her as she solemnly read out the late emperor's edict of succession.

Guan Qi followed closely behind Gu Xizhi, listening to Liang Jiang solemnly and earnestly read out the imperial edict. He secretly admired how convincingly this Princess Liang Jiang acted. The imperial edict itself was also forged, meticulously worded and even had a certain tone.

But isn't she incredibly audacious? At most, she could have forged an imperial edict to punish Fang Chengxu, but she actually dared to covet the emperor's throne.

Indeed, when Princess Heya gets ruthless, she doesn't even care about the emperor.

(End of this chapter)