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

......

Liaocheng was easy to defend but difficult to attack, but once it was breached, the advance was unstoppable.

Its strength lies in its geographical terrain, not its military.

Coupled with the commander's cowardice, the Iron Fist Army quickly took over and encountered almost no major resistance.

After a few shouts, the banners of the Great Yan Dynasty were already fluttering in the wind atop the city walls.

Inside the main hall of the temporarily requisitioned Liaocheng County government office.

Chen Shao sat in the hall, with Dian Wei standing beside him like an iron tower.

Having captured Liaocheng, he was completely relieved.

To take this place head-on, we would need to commit at least ten times the number of troops and risk our lives.

Now it's like tearing the mouth of the river open, from now on we can attack or defend as we please.

Unless the city is defended by someone like Hong Qianyi, Hedong will not be able to send troops to the Central Plains.

Hong Qianyi was kneeling there, trembling with fear.

Her gray hair was scattered on the ground.

The heroic spirit of "the city exists as long as people live" has long since vanished.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, spare my life...This sinful subject was blind and ignorant, this sinful subject failed to recognize the might of Heaven, this sinful subject..."

Chen Shao came over and personally helped the old general up.

Then she took two steps back and looked him up and down.

"General Hong is already quite old, yet he is still willing to guard the border city of Hedong, which is truly commendable."

"It is truly a blessing for Hedong to have such an old general."

He thought to himself, "I'm definitely going to have a wife in this life."

"General, rest assured, your wife and I have sacrificed their lives for righteousness and are true heroines. I have already sent people to rescue them, and they are waiting for you in the backyard."

At this point, Hong Qianyi felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

I was so moved that I almost cried on the spot.

He kowtowed repeatedly:

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty!"

"General, there is no need for such formalities, nor for any guilt. I have personally led the troops here not to conquer cities and seize territory, nor to kill people."

Chen Shao unfolded the map and invited Hong Qianyi to look at it together.

"General, north of Liaocheng, there are Liaocheng, Shuocheng, and Yanmen, and further north is Taiyuan, the capital of Hedong."

"If I really want to fight, my 50,000 troops can crush our way through. At the speed of the attack on Liaocheng today, we can reach Taiyuan in half a month at most."

"Does the old general agree?"

Hong Qianyi nodded emphatically. With Chen Shao's decisiveness, he was able to take Liaocheng in such a short time with overwhelming force, and it was all thanks to Hong Qianyi's personal command.

The strength is evident.

"Your Majesty's military strategy is truly divine; you are indeed capable of achieving this."

"Yes, but I don't want to fight."

Chen Shao sighed, "Whether they are soldiers from Liaocheng, Liaocheng, or Taiyuan, they are all subjects of the Great Yan."

"I took Liaocheng only to show Wang Yuanji that I have the ability to sweep across Hedong."

"Whether the old general believes it or not, this siege is not about killing, it's about rescuing people; it's not about starting a war, it's actually about seeking peace!"

Hong Qianyi knelt down again with a thud.

"Your Majesty has the world in your heart, while I, your sinful servant...I am utterly ashamed. If Your Majesty does not despise me, I am willing to use my old bones to lead Your Majesty's horse and whip you, to atone for my past sins!"

Holy crap... they surrendered so quickly?

This was somewhat unexpected for Chen Shao.

Chen Shaochao waved his hand at Dian Wei and brought over a stool.

They pressed the old general up.

It's really tiring to keep kneeling and supporting yourself like this.

Chen Shao pointed to the largest city from this place: Liaocheng.

"The general garrisoning this city seems to be named Liu Siyuan. What is he like?"

Hong Qianyi shuddered. If he was the most famous and senior person in Hedong, then Liu Siyuan was the most ruthless and infamous person in Hedong.

"Your Majesty, Liaocheng is the second most important town after Taiyuan. Liu Siyuan is Wang Yuanji's confidant and has been stationed in Liaocheng for seven years, commanding 20,000 elite troops."

"This man is skilled in warfare and ruthless in his methods; even a disgraced official... is no match for him."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong, who was standing below the hall, immediately looked disdainful.

"Your Majesty, with just 30,000 elite troops, I am certain that this man can be captured for you."

Liao Hua curled his lip: "Your Majesty, I only need three thousand elite soldiers. If you can't take them, you can bring me your head."

Chen Shao glared at the two of them and said, "Can you even stop bragging?"

Others may not understand you, but I do?

Chen Shao acted as if he hadn't heard and gestured for Hong Qianyi to continue.

"This man is skilled with a solid iron spear and has the courage to fight ten thousand men. His 20,000 elite soldiers are all veterans who have fought a hundred battles."

"If Your Majesty wishes to take this city, I, your humble servant, am willing to be the vanguard and open the city gates for Your Majesty."

Chen Shao waved his hand.

"I will not attack Liaocheng. I have said that I want to negotiate peace."

"I am here to bring happiness to the people of Hedong."

A fierce general like Liu Siyuan would definitely not bother with someone like Hong Qianyi.

This wasn't Hong Qianyi's task either.

"General Hong, I know you are highly respected in this area. I cannot bear to see the people suffer, so I would like to entrust you to go to the nearby small and medium-sized towns and persuade them not to fight against me."

"Persuade him to surrender!" Hong Qianyi immediately understood Chen Shao's meaning.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Although I am old, I am highly respected throughout Hedong. I will surely persuade them to surrender."

"It's about peaceful coexistence, not surrender. Don't put it so harshly."

Chen Shao waved his hand: "There's no time to lose. General Hong, say goodbye to your wife and then go with my imperial edict."

"This subordinate obeys!"

When Hong Qianyi came out of the county government office, his legs were still weak.

This young emperor put too much pressure on him.

This is something that a rough and uncouth man like Wang Yuanji could not compare to.

How to put it? It's like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, but the rain is full of knives.

After standing in front of the county government office for a while in the cold wind, I calmed myself down before walking to the backyard.

The lady had already been pulled out of the moat by the Imperial Guards and changed into dry clothes.

She was sitting in the side room, combing her hair in front of a bronze mirror.

Her hair wasn't completely dry; it clung damply to her shoulders.

His complexion had improved considerably, but his brows were still furrowed, clearly indicating that he hadn't yet recovered from the series of events that had transpired.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, she turned around abruptly.

Seeing her old man push the door open and come in, she instantly burst into tears, jumped up, and buried herself in his arms.

"master!"

"lady!"

"master!"

"lady!"

The two poured out their hearts to each other, revealing their deep affection.

The lady tugged at his sleeve, about to ask a question, but suddenly realized that he was wearing the newly issued military officer's robe of the Great Yan Dynasty.

???

The lady pushed Hong Qianyi away and asked incredulously:

"Sir, where did you get these clothes?"

"I... found it on the road..." Hong Qianyi turned his head away.

The lady was intelligent and beautiful, and she understood immediately.

I found it on the street, hehehe.

Her voice couldn't help but turn cold:

"Sir, now that you've put on these clothes, do you still remember the kindness and favor the Prince showed you?"

"Back then, you were frustrated and unsuccessful in the court, and you almost committed suicide. It was the prince who gave you a chance to be reborn, made you famous, and made you a famous general in Hedong."

"How could a person... at least not this fast..."

"You just said those things to the soldiers from the city wall, what are they going to think of you now?"

Hong Qianyi's face turned red and then green.

He hesitated, unsure how to explain to his wife.

"My lord! Everyone must die, but some deaths are heavier than Mount Tai and others lighter than a feather."

"Though I am a woman, I still have a sense of shame. Now that the city has fallen, you and I, husband and wife, have no choice but to atone with our deaths. My lord, how can you surrender!"

Hong Qianyi shrank back as he was scolded.

He unconsciously scratched his head.

"My lady, this is not a surrender. I just... I was just too itchy, so I changed into a new robe."