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

The lady could no longer contain herself; her eyes widened.

"Say it again?"

Hong Qianyi loosened his collar a bit and muttered:

"My lady, look at these red marks on my body, they're so itchy!"

"So you put on this new robe and threw away half a lifetime of loyalty and reputation?"

"lady!"

Hong Qianyi decided to try a different strategy, and he became slightly angry.

"My lady, why don't you understand? I know you mean I'm spineless and betrayed you so quickly?"

"But didn't you ever consider that there was a deeper meaning behind what your husband did?"

"Firstly, if my husband does not surrender, Chen Shao will surely unleash a massacre in his rage, and the innocent people of the city will be left destitute."

"Secondly, I was merely being hypocritical. I can't reveal too much about this, but you'll understand my good intentions later!"

The lady, of course, did not believe his sweet talk.

He sneered:

"Ha, the water's too cold, it's making me itchy. Your mouth is harder than your spine."

"A woman should not speak nonsense."

Hong Qianyi got angry and suddenly stormed off.

He walked to the door and then turned back:

"You cannot talk to a summer insect about ice, because it is bound by the season; you cannot talk to a frog in a well about the sea, because it is confined by its limited space."

"The pure remain pure, and the impure remain impure!"

......

After Hong Qianyi left, Chen Shao's warm expression disappeared.

"Dian Wei, gather eight hundred men and immediately follow me to Liaocheng."

He knew that speed was of the essence in warfare.

Taking Liaocheng is just the beginning. Now is the time to seize the important town of Liaocheng before Wang Yuanji can react. The rest will be much simpler.

Dian Wei did not ask for the reason, but simply clasped his hands in agreement and turned to go and muster his troops.

Liao Hua and Li Jinglong immediately stepped forward, their faces filled with anxiety:

"Your Majesty, eight hundred men?"

The two felt they had already boasted enough, one saying 30,000 and the other 3,000.

I didn't expect His Majesty to be even more ruthless, eight hundred?

Eight hundred people wouldn't even be enough to fill someone's teeth.

"Your Majesty, Liu Siyuan is the most powerful man in Hedong, with 20,000 elite troops, and he can rely on the high walls and strong fortifications..."

"Your Majesty, how can you take such a risk? Perhaps this humble general could go to Liaocheng on your behalf."

Both of them were trained cards, so their loyalty was naturally maxed out, and they always spoke with Chen Shao's best interests at heart.

However, his own abilities limited his thinking.

I simply can't understand Chen Shao's intentions.

"Listen, Li Jinglong, you're leading 20,000 elite troops to garrison Liaocheng. You might not be good at fighting, but you should be quite good at dealing with people. Take care of all the troublemakers in Liaocheng and turn it into an impregnable fortress, is that alright?"

Li Jinglong blushed and nodded.

"Liao Hua shall lead the remaining 10,000 cavalry and 30,000 Iron Fist Army to set off immediately, detour around Liaocheng and ambush on both sides, and await my signal."

Liao Hua's expression brightened, revealing a "victorious parade" smile, and he glanced arrogantly at Li Jinglong.

"This subordinate obeys!"

"Also, prepare a camel for me."

"Huh? Camel what?" the two asked in unison.

"What does Your Majesty need this for?"

"Does the emperor need to explain himself to you?"

......

......

The city walls of Liaocheng.

Liu Siyuan stood with a group of generals, looking out.

The autumn wind made the banners on the city wall flutter, and it also made the letter of peace in his hand tremble.

The handwriting on the letter was neat and tidy, and the wording was extremely polite.

The gist of the statement is that the Emperor of the Great Yan personally led a large army here not to conquer cities and seize territory, but to negotiate peace with the generals of Hedong.

The letter was stamped with the bright red imperial seal.

In the distance, the emperor's entourage had already appeared on the horizon.

There weren't many people, only seven or eight hundred, and they were slowly making their way towards Liaocheng.

There was not a trace of murderous intent in it.

The letter seeking peace had already been circulated among the people, and they were now discussing it extensively.

"General, there may be a trap here."

"Chen Shao is a cunning and treacherous man. He could single-handedly chase down an army of over ten thousand on Panlong Ridge, and he could personally lift a cauldron to smash open the gates of Liaocheng. Would such a person come to negotiate peace?"

"This humble general believes it would be better to keep the city gates closed and avoid battle. Liaocheng has ample food supplies and strong walls. Even if his 60,000 troops launch a strong attack, they will definitely not be able to take it."

"Once the military commander arrives with reinforcements, we can launch a counterattack and capture him alive."

This is the view of most people.

This is also the most reasonable and conventional approach at present.

Liaocheng truly lives up to its reputation as the second most important town in Hedong; judging from this, there are no incompetent soldiers among its troops.

At least no one suggested that they immediately leave the city and fight Chen Shao to the death to retake Liaocheng.

Liu Siyuan was a man of imposing stature, comparable to Dian Wei.

His full beard made him look even more rugged.

However, he was a man who was rough around the edges but meticulous and thoughtful.

It is far from the impression it gives on the surface.

He leaned on the battlement with one hand, squinting as he looked at the gray line slowly approaching at the end of the official road in the distance.

Chen Shao and his ilk became increasingly despicable, their outlines becoming clearer and clearer.

Liu Siyuan stared intently, as if he wanted to glare Chen Shao and the others to death.

No one dared to speak, for they all knew that this was a time when General Liu was deep in thought.

for a long time...

Liu Siyuan suddenly burst into laughter.

The generals beside him looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Why is the general laughing?"

Liu Siyuan pointed to the team in the distance.

"Do you know what Chen Shao relied on to achieve what he has today?"

The crowd shook their heads.

This is when the leader speaks; even if you know the answer, you can only pretend you don't.

Sure enough, Liu Siyuan's smile deepened.

"Chen Shao relied on nothing more than three things."

"Firstly, donkey carts."

"This man charged through the enemy ranks like the wind, and neither the Northern Barbarians nor the Yellow Turbans could do anything about him. Every time he charged into battle, he would cut the road with a donkey."

"And that's why he earned the reputation of being so famous that thousands of troops would avoid him."

Liu Siyuan clicked his tongue.

"Look, he didn't come riding a donkey this time, but a camel. What does that mean?"

"This shows that he is genuinely trying to make amends with us."

"Camels are also called the ships of the desert. They have large, thick hooves that allow them to walk on sand as if it were flat ground. Even when heavily loaded, they do not sink in. However, they are clumsy and slow, and their ability to sprint over short distances is far inferior to that of horses."

"His arrival on a camel is a message to us that he cannot escape or charge. Do you agree?"

After careful consideration, everyone realized that this was indeed the case.

Riding a camel would completely deprive you of the initiative.

"General, you are brilliant. What about the rest?"

Liu Siyuan nodded and held up his second finger:

"Secondly, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade."

"This person's martial arts skills are mediocre, but he is an excellent swordsman, especially with the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, which he wields with ease."

"He moved through an army as if it were empty, killing people like cutting vegetables."

"He must have received the true teachings of this sword technique. You see, he didn't bring the Green Dragon Crescent Blade this time."

The crowd looked in the direction he pointed, only to find that Chen Shao's hands were empty, without even a riding whip.

"Not carrying a knife indicates that this person does not intend to resolve the matter through violence."

Thirdly, teacups.

"It is said that this person is proficient in hidden weapons, especially using cups as weapons, and his shots are always accurate, killing or injuring those hit."

"Each cup is deadly, and none fails to kill."

"Even Helian Xiong, the number one warrior of Northern Mang, could not withstand his attack head-on."