Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

The altar, made of iron frames, stands on the mountaintop with no obstructions.

That Yellow Turban banner was practically a giant lightning rod!

Zhang Jiao must have predicted that there would be thunder and rain today.

Therefore, the altar was built in advance using an iron frame.

Therefore, they dared to stand the Yellow Turban banner openly on the mountaintop, waiting for him to come and pull it down.

Anyone who dares to touch that flag will become a target for lightning; a bolt of lightning will strike and burn both the person and the flag to ashes.

The Yellow Turban Army didn't know anything about lightning rods; all they saw was that lightning had struck and killed the Emperor of the Great Yan.

By then, Zhang Jiao will no longer be a charlatan, but a true god.

It is the destiny of Heaven!

For the Yellow Turban Army, which rose to power based on faith... this was an unparalleled miracle.

In such a frenzy, the warrior could undoubtedly take on ten men single-handedly.

On the other hand, in the Great Yan, regardless of whether they believe in God or not, they all feel that destiny is on the other side.

With morale fluctuating so drastically... the consequences would be unimaginable.

"What a Zhang Jiao! He's certainly something!"

"He's even proficient in celestial phenomena; impressive!"

They'd have to be astronomers no matter where they are, right?

Chen Shao muttered a couple of sentences to himself, then looked up at the sky and laughed loudly.

He let the increasingly heavy rain stream down his face.

"Zhang Jiao is truly formidable! Too bad you've run into me!"

"Aluminum cloth!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I will lead two thousand men to follow; I will personally climb to the top and pull down his yellow turban banner!"

"Absolutely not."

Yu Qi'an rode up to Chen Shao and blocked his way.

"Your Majesty, a torrential rain is coming, and the mountain roads are muddy. It is absolutely not advisable to venture out alone at this time."

"I request to temporarily retreat ten miles to set up camp and wait for the rain to stop before making further plans."

The aluminum cloth was equally shocked.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to remove the banner for you. My legs are strong, and I can walk on flat ground in the mountains."

Even Yuwen Huagu stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that this plan is too risky. It would be better to wait until my legs have fully recovered..."

Before he could finish speaking, a bolt of lightning struck an old tree near the altar on the mountaintop, splitting the trunk in two, and charred wood chips exploded in the rain.

"If we don't fight today, it will be difficult to gather them together again."

Chen Shaoqing patted Yu Qi'an's horse with his dragon crescent blade.

"Lord Yu, trust me."

Although Yu Qi'an was extremely unwilling, seeing Chen Shao's determination and recalling the scene in the fire, he was deeply moved.

They could only reluctantly step aside.

He also glared at the aluminum cloth.

"If anything happens to His Majesty, none of you should come back!"

Aluminum Cloth patted his chest and guaranteed:

"If Your Majesty were to fall... ptooey, ptooey, that's too ominous. In any case, I will risk my lowly life to protect Your Majesty."

"Yu Qi'an, heed my signal!"

"The moment I pull down the Yellow Turban banner will be the moment the entire army charges forward!"

Chen Shao had just spurred the donkey forward a few steps when he suddenly turned back.

He looked at Yuwen Huagu.

The latter immediately cried out in pain, hugging his knees and grimacing.

"This awful weather... it's killing me..."

Chen Shao didn't respond to that, but simply smiled, his tone unusually gentle:

"General Yuwen, don't misunderstand, I don't want you to go up the mountain."

"I just wanted to remind you that during thunderstorms, you should avoid lightning, because... lightning doesn't discriminate."

"Um?"

Yuwen Huagu's eyes were wary. What kind of trick was this kid up to now?

Chen Shao's gentle demeanor must be a sign of ulterior motives, like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken.

"Your daughter is my concubine, so by right I should call you father-in-law. A father-in-law is also a father, don't you think?"

Yuwen Huagu stared blankly for a long time, his mind racing.

What does that mean?

What exactly does this sudden gesture of goodwill mean?

He really couldn't understand it, so he could only keep talking.

"Yes, yes, yes, a son-in-law is only half a son."

Chen Shao smiled and nodded, then waved to the messenger beside him:

"Set up a tent for my father-in-law so he can rest properly."

"There's really nothing that can be done about my chronic leg pain in this weather."

"His Majesty?"

Yuwen Huagu felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and looked at Chen Shaodu, who seemed quite handsome.

"This is the treatment you deserve."

After Chen Shao finished speaking, he grabbed the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and squeezed the donkey's belly hard with his legs.

It shot out rapidly.

Aluminum Cloth roared at the two thousand elite cavalrymen who were holding the line behind him:

"Brothers, let's go up the mountain!"

"His Majesty is personally leading the team, so all of you better open your eyes wide! Anyone who dares to slack off, I, the general, will slaughter their entire family!"

Two thousand elite cavalrymen responded in unison, their hoofbeats booming through the rain.

Yu Qi'an spurred his horse and chased after Chen Shao for a few steps, shouting at his retreating figure:

"Your Majesty, please be extremely careful!"

Chen Shao didn't turn around, but simply raised the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and waved it.

Yu Qi'an reined in his horse, watching the emperor's figure slowly blur.

With a sudden grit of his teeth, he turned his horse around and returned to the front of the battle, drawing his sword and raising it high above his head.

"All troops, listen to my command!"

"His Majesty took the lead and personally climbed to the top of the mountain."

"Everyone, prepare for battle! Be ready to strike at any time!"

......

On the other side, Zhang Jiao stood in front of the Yellow Turban army, with two Yellow Turban soldiers behind him holding up a canopy to shield him from the rain.

The terrain here is slightly higher, allowing for a clear view of the other party's every move.

Zhang Bao stood beside him and suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Brother! This mountain path is already difficult to walk on, and with the heavy rain, it will be even more difficult. Chen Shao will definitely not dare to go up the mountain, and all our preparations for the altar will be in vain."

"He will come."

Zhang Bao was taken aback: "How did you know, brother?"

"Because he is Chen Shao."

"This man is extremely ambitious. He wants to eliminate us once and for all, so he will not only come, but he will come in person."

Zhang Bao's expression changed:

"Come in person? Then he's not afraid..."

"Of course he's afraid, but he has no choice but to come."

"You know how the Yellow Turbans rose to power. If they want to defeat us with minimal losses, they must accept this declaration of war at this altar."

"He will personally go and pull down the flag; he wants to shatter our Yellow Turban faith."

"Without faith, our hundreds of thousands of people are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs, collapsing without a fight."

These are Zhang Baoxin's words.

In those times, the force that sustained ordinary people and sustained soldiers in battle was the elusive power of faith.

Without faith, they were left to be slaughtered.

If there's even a bite to eat, even just tree bark, they won't pick up a weapon.

With faith, one can mold people into any shape one desires, just like clay.

Zhang Jiao's gaze pierced through the rain, across Panlong Ridge, and landed on Chen Shao in the army.

"So this is a high-stakes gamble!"

"We failed to pull the flag and were injured by lightning; it was fate that brought us here."

"Paper figures can also serve as soldiers."

"If he really is..."

Zhang Jiao shook his head; no one could withstand lightning like that.

(Thank you all for the little gifts, love you all. I've come up with a name: Your Majesty, please stop your supernatural powers, the Empress is about to be scorched! What do you think?)