Chong Shidao had already hurried back to the imperial court. He had originally claimed illness and returned to his hometown due to his dissatisfaction with Cai Jing and his faction, but in reality, he had always kept the nation in his heart. He initially thought the Emperor had finally seen the light and summoned him back. However, upon his hasty return, he found that the Emperor had not shown his face at all. Not only that, but Cai Jing and his cronies were already finished.
After some inquiries, the former Gao Lian, also known as Gao Yanei, entered their sights. They heard that not only had this Gao Lian arrested Gao Qiu... he was even playing the Emperor in the palm of his hand.
Faced with his hesitation, Fang Zhiyi did not pay it much mind. Little Hei did not quite understand, so he asked, Are they very formidable?
Fang Zhiyi shook his head. I do not know. I really do not know. But in the history I am familiar with... Chong Shidao, Wang Bing, and She Kecun were all genuine, renowned generals who resisted the Jin. At least before Yue Fei appeared, they were incredibly fierce. It is just a pity they were stuck with the weak Song Dynasty that was afraid to fight... Let us hope they are still just as fierce in this world.
I think if you dare to give them military power, they will kill you, right?
You are wrong about that... Based on my judgment, whether it is Chong Shidao, Li Gang, or She Kecun, they are all entirely devoted to serving the country, but they are not necessarily loyal to the monarch... Their hearts are filled with the nation. As for who sits on that throne, they do not care. This is the Northern Song... the Song Dynasty that values scholars and suppresses warriors.
Wang Bing is incredibly brave and only knows how to fight. He is completely clueless about court politics. His thinking is simple: whoever gives him troops and rations, he will work for them.
The only one who might cause trouble is... Before Fang Zhiyi could finish his sentence, the door behind him was pushed open.
Hu Shunzhi walked in, his face full of unyielding righteousness. Hah, to think that Gao Yanei could climb to such a high position today, it is truly unexpected!
Fang Zhiyi shrugged, and Little Hei also realized who he was talking about.
I thought it was the Emperor who summoned me back. I did not expect it to be a piece of work like you...
Fang Zhiyi was not angry. Instead, he grabbed a stack of memorials that the Directorate of Ceremonial had just sent over and threw them over. Hu Shunzhi was startled and scrambled to catch them.
Before you curse me out, take a look at these memorials. Local bandits are occupying the mountains and declaring themselves kings, while the local authorities sit by and do nothing. The campaigns to wipe out Liangshan Marsh have failed repeatedly. Fang La has proclaimed himself king for months now, and the Jin forces in the north are constantly invading. What? Do you want me to read them to you word by word?
Hu Shunzhi frowned as he flipped through the memorials.
You still expect your Emperor to handle this? Have you forgotten how you were driven out of Bianjing?
I...
I what? Is there a block of wood wedged between your ears? I only have one thing to say right now: quell the internal rebellions and destroy the Jin! The entire royal court is in my hands now. If you need money, I will give you money. If you need men, I will give you men! Just give me one word, are you in or out!
Hu Shunzhi's original fury was instantly halved when Fang Zhiyi pointed at his nose and berated him.
Wait, how could a treacherous usurper be so self-righteous?
Yet, he could not find any words to refute what Fang Zhiyi had said.
You, I, you...
You, you, you what? Did I gag you? Give me a straight answer, are you in or not? If you will not do it, there are plenty of others who will! Fang Zhiyi waved his hand.
I am in, I am in! Hu Shunzhi had completely lost his previous imposing manner.
He had actually investigated before coming here. Although the Imperial City Department under Fang Zhiyi acted arrogantly, the officials they arrested all had conclusive evidence of their crimes against them; it was just that their reputation was indeed poor.
As for holding the Emperor hostage... hearing the other party put it this way now, it actually seemed reasonable.
Although he, Hu Shunzhi, hoped to rectify the court discipline and crack down on corruption... ultimately, it was all for the sake of the entire Great Song... Hu Shunzhi stared at Fang Zhiyi, trying to find even a trace of deceit on his face, but ultimately failed.
While he was still conflicted, Chong Shidao walked through the door. The moment he saw Hu Shunzhi, Chong Shidao paused in surprise, then looked toward Fang Zhiyi.
Fang Zhiyi shot him an annoyed glance, casually grabbed a prepared piece of silk cloth next to him, and tossed it over. Chong Shidao caught it, opened it for a look, and stood completely stunned.
Appointing Chong Shidao as the Grand Marshal of the Empire's Armed Forces, with overall command of all national military operations, the authority to deploy Song troops across all regions, and the power to formulate all strategic policies. At the very end was the imperial seal of Emperor Huizong, and a tiger tally lay quietly right in the middle.
Chong Shidao was dumbfounded. Wait, did they really trust him this much?
All the doubts in his heart were now thrown to the back of his mind. Grand Marshal of the Empire's Armed Forces! He had also asked around about this man Gao Lian, and the results he heard had left him suspicious. But looking at it now.
What adopted son of Gao Qiu? What treacherous court official? This was a good man!
Li Gang, who followed closely behind, was also left dizzy by the title Fang Zhiyi threw at him.
Right Executive of the Department of State Affairs and Administrator of the Privy Council. Not only was he responsible for coordinating military logistics, but he could also assist with Chong Shidao's strategic plans?
As the few of them gathered.
I am holding the Emperor hostage? So what? Has the Emperor ever read these memorials sent from the borders? Does he know or not know the suffering of the common people? If he were left in charge, every single one of you would probably have to resign and return home by tomorrow! Fang Zhiyi grew more agitated as he spoke. I arrested bastards like Cai Jing and Gao Qiu, and suppressed those civil officials who only wanted to surrender, and after all that, you point at my nose and curse me? Is that appropriate?
Hu Shunzhi was completely out of objections, and even felt a bit ashamed after being scolded by the furious Fang Zhiyi.
Starting tomorrow, all of you need to get moving!
May I ask... Lord Gao, how do we get moving? Chong Shidao was still clear-headed, after all. He did not know whether the man before him actually coveted the Emperor's throne.
How do we get moving? You expect to lead troops into battle looking like this? Fang Zhiyi was practically a powder keg ready to explode, but it could not be helped; these military generals responded best to this kind of treatment. The Jin are invading the borders, but that can be put on hold for a moment. First, we must resolve our internal threats. To resist foreign aggression, we must first pacify the interior, do you understand?
My Lord, are you saying we will resist the Jin? Li Gang's eyes suddenly lit up.
Damn it, out of everything I said, the only thing you heard was resisting the Jin? How can you resist them when you have not even wiped your own messes clean? Fang Zhiyi roared.
Li Gang shrank his neck back.
Wang Bing will be the Vanguard Commander! He will be under your command, Chong Shidao! I do not care what methods you use, transferring border troops is fine, anything goes. Wipe out Fang La within three months. Is that a problem?
Chong Shidao froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously. Orders received!
Fang Zhiyi's expression suddenly turned cold and dark. Rest assured, the power of my Imperial City Department has already infiltrated every region... Even in Fang La's territory, there will be people to pass information to you. He paused. Also... I would not mind if you conveniently wiped out a few local tyrants who are colluding with the bandits along the way, understand?
Chong Shidao inexplicably shivered. Understood.
And then, She Kecun, Liangshan will be left to you! I will personally hold the line for you!
Huh?
Huh what? Are you looking down on me?
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
