Ming Dynasty: I, Zhu Yunwen, started by resurrecting my grandmother.

Zhu Yunwen was also very happy to see Zhao Ling'er.

He gently pushed Zhao Ling'er away and then explained the current situation.

Zhao Ling'er was shocked upon hearing this: "What did you say? Li Jinglong's 50 troops attacked Beiping's 1 troops and couldn't win?"

"Yes!" Zhu Yunwen nodded.

"This is truly the most ridiculous thing in the world. Throughout history, it is probably unprecedented that a force of 50 to 1 could not capture a city. Even Zhao Kuo could not compare to him in terms of ability."

Zhao Kuo forced King Zhaoxiang of Qin to secretly replace Bai Qi with him.

Zhu Gaochi wasn't exactly a capable general, so how could Li Jinglong be so useless?

How could Zhu Yunwen entrust him with an army of 50?

"Isn't this a joke?"

Xu Huizu looked somber: "But the Emperor trusts him, what can we do?"

Because I am related to Zhu Di, the Emperor doesn't trust me.

Zhao Ling'er was furious: "It seems that Zhu Yunwen is also a foolish ruler."

He couldn't tell who was loyal and who was treacherous, who was wise and who was foolish.

night.

Zhu Yunwen's army was stationed 50 li east of Zhen Ding City.

He said to everyone, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. I plan to go to Zhen Ding myself to find out what's going on."

Zhao Ling'er was very worried: "Wouldn't it be very dangerous for you to go yourself?"

"Don't worry, this isn't the first time I've done something like this. Nothing will happen."

Xu Huizu stood up: "I'm more familiar with the terrain over there, I'll go with you."

"That's fine too."

So Zhu Yunwen and Xu Huizu packed their belongings, mounted their horses, and headed towards Zhengding.

From a great distance, they could hear the roar of cannons and the flames shooting into the sky.

Xu Huizu and Zhu Yuntong slowed down.

Xu Huizu said to Zhu Yunwen, "It seems that Zhu Bai's navy and Wang Zuo's army have already clashed. Let's go and take a look."

"Can."

When Zhu Yunwen and Xu Huizu arrived at the banks of the Hutuo River, the battle was already over.

Zhu Yunwen observed by the moonlight that hundreds of warships were lined up on the river, densely packed together.

Zhu Yunwen thought to himself, "Everyone says the Jingzhou navy is formidable, and seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary."

They strolled along the banks of the Hutuo River and got a general idea of ​​the troop deployment of the Jingzhou navy.

Zhu Yunwen and Xu Huizu arrived at Wang Zuo's camp.

When Wang Zuo saw Xu Huizu and Zhu Yunwen, he knelt down with a thud and wept bitterly: "King Wu, General Xu, you have finally come."

Zhu Yunwen quickly helped him up: "General Wang, what happened to you?"

"Oh dear, we're in such a terrible state! I brought 1 troops out of the city, and now less than 2000 are left. The rest have all perished in battle!"

Zhu Yunwen and Xu Huizu were both shocked when they heard this. It's truly remarkable that you've managed to hold on until now. You're both commendable.

What's the current situation in Zhen Ding City?

"When Li Jinglong was about to leave, he left behind 10,000 troops to guard Zhen Ding."

Who is the garrison commander of Zhen Ding City?

"They are Li Jinglong's two younger brothers, Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huizu sighed deeply, "His two younger brothers are nothing but spoiled brats, good-for-nothings. How could they possibly defend Zhen Ding City?"

Wang Zuo also said: "When we were fighting a bloody battle with Zhu Bai's navy, I sent someone to ask for help."

However, Li Zengzhi said that they were going to defend Zhending, so where would they get the troops to come to our aid?

Xu Huizu said, "You are helping them defend Zhen Ding. If it weren't for you keeping watch here, the Jingzhou navy would probably have attacked long ago."

Zhu Yongtong lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "You all stay here and keep watch. I'll go into the city and see what's going on."

"Then be careful!"

Zhu Yunwen changed into a night outfit and rode his horse to the outskirts of Zhen Ding City.

Zhu Yunwen originally wanted to openly and openly call for the city gates to be opened, but then he thought that this was a critical time, and people's hearts were unsettled, so it might not be appropriate to enter the city directly.

Besides, it's not certain whether those two lads, Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying, will even let us into the city.

It was around midnight.

Zhu Yunwen found a place, first tied up the horse, then took the rope off his shoulder, with a steel claw attached to the end of the rope.

He threw the steel claw onto the wall.

Then, he used his hands to pull himself up the rope and climbed to the top of the wall.

After Zhu Yunwen climbed to the top of the city wall, he glanced around and couldn't see anyone standing guard or keeping watch.

After descending from the city wall, he hurried to the general's mansion.

The General's Mansion was originally where Geng Bingwen was stationed. After Geng Bingwen left, Li Jinglong came.

Li Jinglong renovated the General's Mansion, making it grand, imposing, and magnificent.

Zhu Yunwen noticed that the general's mansion was lit up, and he could hear two men's voices coming from inside.

Zhu Yunwen did not want to eavesdrop, but the two men inside mentioned his name.

Zhu Yunwen quietly crept to the window, poked a hole in the paper windowpane, and peeked out. It turned out to be Li Jinglong's two younger brothers, Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying.

Li Fangying said, "Brother, the Jingzhou navy is coming down the Hutuo River. Wang Zuo and his 1 troops have probably suffered several thousand casualties and are about to be overwhelmed."

With Geng Bingwen gone, we probably can't count on Zhu Yuntong and Chang Yuchun this time.

Should we send troops to support Wang Zuo and his men?

Li Zengzhi waved his hand: "Reinforce what?"

Wang Zuo and his men are doomed. Are we going to perish with them?

"Brother, it's probably not as you say. Wang Zuo and the others are also helping us defend Zhen Ding."

If it weren't for Wang Zuo and his men fighting a bloody battle ahead, our Zhen Ding City would probably have been captured long ago.

Isn't that so?

Li Zengzhi stood up and paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back: "That's true, but since it involves life and death, we have to consider our own interests."

If they can't hold out, and our elder brother can't return to defend in time, then we'll be besieged in Zhen Ding City, and we might as well surrender.

"What? Surrender? How can this be allowed? The imperial court has regulations that abandoning a city and surrendering is a capital offense."

Besides, our elder brother has made a solemn pledge before the Emperor.

Li Zengzhi shook his head and sighed, "I don't want to do this either, but how can Zhen Ding City be defended with so few troops?"

"Brother, you're mistaken. Zhu Gaochi of Beiping had 10,000 troops, and so did we."

"But even with 50 troops, my elder brother couldn't take Beiping. We have to hold out until he comes back," Li Fangying advised.

"You know that's Beiping (Beijing)."

Although Zhen Ding City is well-defended, how can it compare to Beiping?

Moreover, Zhu Gaochi had Yao Guangxiao to advise him, but who do we have?

Needless to say, my mind is made up. As long as Zhu Bai leads his army to our city, and as long as my brothers are spared, I will surrender.

"What's the point of loyalty to the court? For those who aren't, living is more important than anything else," Li Zengzhi said, hands on his hips.

"Brother, you handle it, okay?"

Zhu Yunwen heard everything clearly outside and thought to himself, "These two brothers haven't even started fighting yet, and they're already thinking about surrendering."

With such a fortified city as Zhen Ding, even if Zhu Bai wanted to take it, it probably wouldn't be so easy. Why rush to surrender?

We should fight them first, and it's not too late to surrender if we lose.

No wonder Xu Huizu called the two brothers spoiled brats and good-for-nothings; it seems he was right after all.

Zhu Yunwen really wanted to go in and kick them a couple of times, but he decided to hold back.

Zhu Yunwen went to the back of the General's Mansion, intending to come out from there. He saw a room with a light on and could faintly hear a woman's laughter. He was very curious and wondered who was in the room.

He went to the window again, poked a hole in the paper windowpane, and looked inside.

Inside, curtains were drawn, and a breeze seemed to blow in from somewhere, causing the curtains to sway.

Zhu Yunwen could vaguely see a woman bathing in a large wooden tub behind the curtain.

Zhu Yunwen was puzzled, wondering where this woman from the General's Mansion came from.

Who is this woman?

He remembered.

He had heard Xu Huizu say that a woman named Hongyu had come to the General's Mansion. She was the courtesan from Heming Tower. Could it be her?

On that occasion, Zhu Yunwen had a brief encounter with Hongyu when he arrested Zhu Gaoxu at Heming Tower.

In his memory, that woman was no ordinary person.

This time, Xu Huizu was ostracized by Li Jinglong and sent to the outskirts of the city, which was also related to that woman.

Zhu Yunwen lifted his foot, just about to leave,

The woman in the room spoke up: "King Wu, now that you're here, why not come in, sit down, and have a cup of tea before you leave?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen thought to himself that this woman was indeed extraordinary; it turned out that she had already discovered that he had come to the window.

Now that we've been found out, let's talk to her.

So Zhu Yunwen went to the door, pushed it open, and went inside.

At that moment, a string of silvery laughter echoed through the room: "You've finally arrived."

"What? You knew I was coming?" Zhu Yunwen looked around warily. Apart from the woman, there was no one else in the room.

"Who doesn't know your name, King of Wu?"

Last time, Geng Bingwen and Guo Ying were defending Zhengding, and it looked like it was about to fall. You led more than 3000 men and relieved the siege of Zhengding.

This led to a great victory for Geng Bingwen and his team.

Isn't this all thanks to you?

Before the words were finished, the curtain was drawn back, and sure enough, Hongyu was sitting in a wooden tub taking a bath.

Hongyu was half-naked, her hair wet and wrapped in a floral towel, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zhu Yunyu with seductive charm.

Zhu Yunwen discovered that she was indeed quite beautiful, with a slender neck and fair skin. The woman's back was completely exposed, and a red ribbon hung in front of her chest. Her proud breasts were very firm.

There is a deep ravine between the two peaks.

Hongyu stood up. Her waist was as slender as a willow, her abdomen was flat, and a gold ring was set above her navel.

The water droplets dripped down its white body.

Hongyu was wearing a black short skirt, and her hips were large and round.

She lifted her jade-like legs out of the wooden tub, her feet pure white and flawless.

She picked up a white bath towel and wrapped it around half of her body.

As she dried herself off, she walked up to Zhu Yunwen and said, "Long time no see, how have you been?"

Zhu Yunwen frowned, thinking to himself, "There doesn't seem to be anything between us, yet you act like we're very close."

"Are you Hongyu from Heming Tower?"

"You have a good memory. Yes, it is me."

As Hongyu finished speaking, she placed her right hand on Zhu Yunwen's shoulder and praised him, "King Wu, I've noticed that you're becoming more and more handsome."

Zhu Yunwen looked at him, pushed his hand away, and said seriously, "I want to ask you something."

"Oh, what is it? Please tell me."

"Did you intentionally drive Xu Huizu out of Zhen Ding City?"

Upon hearing this, Hongyu giggled: "I don't understand how you knew about this?"

"What exactly is your intention in ousting Xu Huizu?"

"Could it be that you are a spy sent by Zhu Di?" Zhu Yunwen looked at her sharply.

"King Wu, why speak so harshly? I am but a weak woman, only wanting to preserve my own life. If I did not listen to the Prince of Yan, how could I possibly survive?" Hongyu whispered in Zhu Yunwen's ear, her breath sweet as orchids. "In this world, it is not an easy thing for a weak woman to survive."

Zhu Yunwen took two steps back: "So, your arrival in Zhen Ding was intentionally arranged by Zhu Di?"

"You could say that. Everyone knows Li Jinglong is a lecherous man. Back when I was at the Heming Tower on the Qinhuai River, he was a frequent visitor to me."

However, I'm not a promiscuous person. I sell my art, not my body, so he could only stare blankly, unable to do anything.

I heard he came to Zhengding and was searching for beautiful women everywhere, so I gave him a chance and naturally ended up by his side.

However, Xu Huizu seems to dislike me a lot and doesn't seem to respect me at all.

So, I said a few words to Li Jinglong, and sure enough, Li Jinglong sent Xu Huizu away.

I know that Tie Xuan has been demoted and is now just a grain official.

There's probably little hope in relying on him; the only one we can count on is you, King of Wu.

So, I think you'll definitely come.

Zhu Yunwen listened and thought to himself that this woman was truly extraordinary. She had a keen understanding of the current situation, and she could change the layout of Zhen Ding City with just a few words.

No wonder people often say that beautiful women are a source of trouble; a woman can make a country prosper or destroy it.

There are countless examples like this throughout history.

A famous example is King You of Zhou, who played with the feudal lords by lighting the beacon fires. It is said that he fell in love with a woman named Bao Si, who was a cold beauty and never smiled.

No matter how King You of Zhou tried to coax her, she never smiled.

Later, King You of Zhou came up with an idea: he lit the beacon fires to summon the feudal lords to his aid.

In reality, there was no war in the capital. When Bao Si saw the feudal lords rushing over in a panic, she indeed smiled.

King You of Zhou lit the beacon fires several more times, and the feudal lords came again. Seeing that there was no war, they were all very annoyed.

From then on, whenever King You of Zhou encountered war and lit the beacon fires again, no one came to his aid.

In the end, King You of Zhou lost his kingdom and became a laughing stock in history.

Xi Shi was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was known for her beauty and outstanding looks, as she was washing silk by the stream.

After the Yue Kingdom was defeated by the Wu Kingdom, Goujian selected beautiful women within the Yue Kingdom and presented them to King Fuchai of Wu.

King Wu was captivated by west Shi's natural beauty and built the Spring Night Palace for her.

Because Xi Shi was skilled in the "clapper dance," a "clapper corridor" was built for her.

From then on, Fuchai indulged in wine and women, while King Goujian of Yue worked hard to develop production and expand his army. After 10 years of perseverance, he finally made Yue strong again, defeated Wu, and wiped away the shame of the past.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Duke Xian of Jin favored Li Ji, who was quite beautiful and captivated him.

Duke Xian of Jin and she had a son named Xi Qi.

At that time, Duke Xian of Jin already had three older sons: Shen Sheng, Chong Er, and Yi Wu.

However, Li Ji wanted Duke Xian of Jin to make her son Xi Qi the crown prince.

Therefore, Li Ji plotted to frame Shen Sheng.

On one occasion, Shen Sheng presented food to Duke Xian of Jin.

Just as Duke Xian of Jin was about to eat, Li Ji stopped him.

Li Ji had poisoned the food beforehand.

She got a dog to try it, and the dog died. From then on...

Duke Xian of Jin then suspected that Shen Sheng had ulterior motives, and gradually, he distanced himself from Shen Sheng.

Soon after, Shinsaeng was murdered by Lady Kuri.

Chong'er and Yiwu were forced to flee.

Because Duke Xian of Jin favored Consort Li, his sons eventually fought amongst themselves, further weakening the state of Jin.

During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a beautiful woman named Diao Chan.

She was the adopted daughter of Situ Wang Yun.

At that time, Dong Zhuo controlled the court, defiled the harem, and wantonly slaughtered loyal officials.

Dong Zhuo had an adopted son named Lü Bu, who was extremely brave and could be considered the most valiant general in the Three Kingdoms period.

Therefore, the civil and military officials dared to be angry but dared not speak out.

Situ Wang Yun used a series of stratagems.

He first betrothed Diaochan to Lü Bu, and they agreed to get married on a chosen date.

Later, he secretly presented Diaochan to Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo was old and had acquired such a beautiful wife, so naturally he doted on her.

Lu Bu thought to himself, "Diao Chan has already been betrothed to me. How can you, Dong Zhuo, take her for yourself?"

Lu Bu grew angrier the more he thought about it, and in order to get Diao Chan, he ultimately did not hesitate to kill Dong Zhuo.

Upon realizing this, Zhu Yunwen wondered if Zhu Di had intentionally arranged for Hongyu to be brought to Zhengding.

She's just like Diao Chan back then; this elaborate scheme is undeniably ruthless.

If Xu Huizu were inside Zhengding City, he would definitely have stopped Li Jinglong from going out of the city to chase Zhu Di's army, because doing so would have been too risky.

After hearing Hongyu's words, Zhu Yunwen asked, "So, you knew I was coming?"

Hongyu smiled sweetly, her beautiful eyes looking at Zhu Yunwen: "To be honest, when I saw you at Heming Tower that time, I was deeply impressed by you."

I've always hoped that we could meet again.

Finally, this day has come.

As Hongyu finished speaking, she wrapped her arms around Zhu Yunwen's neck again and whispered, "Now that you're here, tonight is a beautiful night, and a moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Why don't you stay here and keep me company?"

Zhu Yunwen thought to himself that this woman was really shameless. No wonder she had worked at Heming Tower; she could even say such things.

He moved Hongyu's hand away, his expression stern: "Please have some self-respect!"

Seeing Zhu Yunxuan's coldness towards her, Hongxuan felt her face burning, because in her memory, no man had ever been able to resist her temptation.

Could it be that Zhu Yunwen was not a normal man?

Thinking of this, Hongyu burst into tears.

As she wept, she said, "King Wu, my life is so bitter. I lost both my parents when I was young and lived with my grandmother."

My grandmother raised me by begging.

Later, my grandmother got old and died.

I was all alone and had no choice but to enter the Crane Cry Tower, not for any other reason than to have food to eat and clothes to wear.

However, I suffered the cold stares of the world, and everyone thought I was a bad woman.

There are many scholars and literati studying along the Qinhuai River, preparing for the exams. They all appear respectable, but in reality, many of them are dishonest and want to take advantage of me.

But I'm not a reckless person.

No matter how high the price they offer, I'm just performing.

If Zhu Yunwen wanted to make a living, there were many ways. He didn't necessarily have to go to a place like Heming Tower. Did he think that if he didn't go to Heming Tower, he would starve to death?

It seems you still have too many desires.

"King Wu, do you think I'm unclean because I stayed at Heming Tower?"

You're mistaken. Although I love money, I only sell my art, not my body.

No matter how high-ranking an official, how wealthy a scholar or merchant, it is impossible for them to obtain my body.

Although Zhu Di betrothed me to Zhang Xin, Zhang Xin was impotent in that area.

My relationship with Zhang Xin is also innocent.

Zhang Xin dotes on me; he wouldn't force me...

Hongyu wanted to continue, but Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said, "Miss Hongyu, you don't need to say anything more. Those things have nothing to do with me."

I'd like to ask you, when Li Jinglong left, did he leave behind 10,000 troops to his two younger brothers, Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying, to defend the city?

"Yes, Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying are like two walking corpses, they have no souls at all. If I wanted to deal with them, it would be as easy as turning my hand."

"My original plan was to deal with those two brats after Zhu Bai's navy defeated Wang Zuo's army, and then hand over Zhen Ding City," Hong Yu said casually.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen was secretly shocked and quickly said, "You can't do this! Zhending is of paramount importance to the court. How can you hand it over to Zhu Di?"

Hongyu laughed like a silver bell: "Zhu Di said that if I can take Zhen Ding City, he will reward me with a large sum of gold and silver, and I will be set for life."

For us women, having money is more important than anything else.

Why am I forcing a smile at Heming Tower?

Isn't it all about money?

With enough money, I can do whatever I want.

"I need to correct your point of view. It's understandable to love money; everyone wants to live a good life."

"But you have harmed the interests of the court by betraying Zhen Ding and enriching yourself. That is wrong." Zhu Yunwen said righteously and sternly.

Hongyu smiled slightly: "I don't care about any of that. What imperial court, what Prince Yan? Whoever gives me money, I'll do their bidding. Do you think I have a grudge against money?"

I am loyal to the court, but Zhu Yunwen won't give me any money.

I stayed by the Qinhuai River for so long, but he still didn't choose me to go to the palace.

If he had chosen me to go to the palace back then, I would naturally have spoken on his behalf.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuntong thought to herself that this woman was quite honest.

They dare to say anything, and they say it so frankly.

However, it won't be so easy for someone like you to enter the palace.

When the emperor selects his concubines, he considers the lineage of his ancestors for three generations; not just anyone can enter the harem.

"Miss Hongyu, I think you may have some misunderstanding. Don't think of the emperor's harem as something so wonderful. It's a walled city."

Those outside wanted to rush in, while those who were already inside wanted to get out. Moreover, many of the concubines who wanted to leave were now trapped.

"Why is that?"

"Because they all died in the harem."

Without connections or status, it's probably best not to enter the harem.

The harem is like a starting point, a graveyard for newcomers!

"What? The starting point?"

"In short, it's your luck that you didn't end up in the inner palace." Zhu Yunwen crossed his arms.

"I won't go to the harem. If I can become your woman, Wu, then my life will not have been in vain." Hongyu spoke directly, without needing to beat around the bush.

"As you probably already know, Zhao Ling'er and I are engaged, and I can never marry another woman in this lifetime."

Upon hearing this, Hongyu laughed so hard she bent over: "In our Great Ming Dynasty, with your status, isn't it normal to have three wives and four concubines?"

It's not that I'm being unreasonable; there's always a first-come, first-served order to things.

I'm not saying I have to be your legal wife; I'd be willing to be your concubine, and then we could have a bunch of kids...

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand, interrupting her again: "Miss Hongyu, please stop talking such nonsense."

I'd like to ask you how you plan to treat Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying.

Hongyu walked to the table, poured a bowl of tea, and handed it to Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen was also thirsty, so he took the teacup and drank the water.

"Those two guys have been harboring those kinds of thoughts towards me ever since I arrived in Zhengding, but I won't give them the chance."

As Hongyu spoke, she took out a packet of medicine from the drawer: "See this? This is a packet of anesthetic."

I just need to put this medicine in their wine, and they will lose consciousness after drinking it.

By then, dealing with them will be a piece of cake for me.

If I invite them for drinks, they'll come running right away.

Zhu Yunwen nodded, thinking to himself that this woman was truly wicked and full of ideas. He gave her a thumbs up: "You're really good, truly remarkable."

"Dealing with those two newbies is a piece of cake, isn't it?" Hongyu said with a smug look on her face.

Zhu Yunwen thought to himself, "People often say that nothing is more poisonous than a woman's heart, and it seems that this is indeed true."

This woman is not only beautiful, but also cunning and ruthless.

Her ability to navigate among Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi, Zhang Xin, and Li Jinglong with ease is something few can do.

"Here's what we'll do: call Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying over, and I'll have a good talk with them."

"This—." Hongyu hesitated for a moment.

"Why, is that not allowed?"

"It's not that it's impossible, but this is very risky for me."

If they find out my true identity, how will I ever be able to stand in this Zhen Ding City again?

"I have to think about myself." Hongyu looked somewhat worried.

"Don't worry, I can make sure you're safe."

Hongyu picked up her outer garment and put it on, then looked at Zhu Yunwen with her beautiful eyes: "King Wu, how can I trust you?"

What if you sell me?

Zhu Yunwen laughed heartily: "It seems that you have no choice but to believe me now."

"Okay, I like men who are a bit assertive like you. I believe you."

As Hongyu spoke, she called over a maid and said to her, "Go and invite Generals Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying here. Tell them I want to invite them for drinks."

"Yes!" the maid replied.

The maid was quite surprised to see Zhu Yunwen there.

She agreed and turned to leave.

Hongyu said to Zhu Yunwen, "It's so late at night, you must be hungry."

The chef here is quite skilled; I'll have them make something delicious for you to try.

"But don't worry, I won't drug your drink."

Zhu Yunwen was a little hungry, and he nodded slightly.

Before long, a sumptuous feast was served.

Zhu Yunwen found it to be indeed very fragrant.

A little while later, Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying arrived.

They were both quite surprised to see Zhu Yunwen there.

"King Wu, what are you doing here?" Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying quickly came over and bowed.

Zhu Yunwen returned the courtesy, saying, "You two generals have worked hard."

"How did you get in?" Li Zengzhi couldn't help but ask.

"I heard that the situation in Zhen Ding City is quite critical, so I led my troops here to provide support."

"Yeah?"

Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying exchanged a glance: "King Wu, you are truly a master strategist. Before we knew it, your army had reached Zhen Ding. It's as if it fell from the sky."

What about Xu Huizu?

Have you run into him?

"We came together; he's in the military camp outside the city."

Hongyu said to the three of them, "The banquet has been set out. Please sit down and chat while you eat."

The four people took their seats as host and guest, each occupying a side.

Zhu Yunwen, leaning on the table, asked, "Did you brothers know that Wang Zuo was leading his army to fight the Jingzhou navy on the city walls?"

"This—." Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying lowered their heads.

Li Zengzhi said, "Of course we know about this."

"The Jingzhou navy has a larger force, while Wang Zuo only has 1 troops. Have you sent any troops to support him?"

This is a pointed question.

Li Fangying didn't know how to answer.

Li Zengzhi drank a cup of wine and said, "King Wu, it's not that we brothers don't want to go and support them."

Rather, my elder brother instructed us before he left to guard Zhen Ding and not to leave the city.

Wang Zuo guarded the Hutuo River, and we each performed our duties.

"If the Hutuo River were lost, that would be better. But if it were truly lost, who could bear the blame if the imperial court were to hold them accountable?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen thought to himself that he couldn't say that what he said made no sense.

"Alright, then, I'll tell you. I just came from Wang Zuo's army camp. Wang Zuo's army had 1 men, but now there are less than 2000 left."

"What? Is that so?" The heads of Li Zengzhi and Li Fangying were buzzing.

Of those 1 vibrant lives, more than 8000 died in just a few days.

Fortunately, the two brothers didn't go to guard the Hutuo River; if they had, they probably would have fared even worse than Wang Zuo.