Standing on the carriage, Ren Tianye swayed a little.
He thought he had misheard.
What the hell?
The Empress slaughtered seventy thousand soldiers of the Chifeng Army just because their commander, Lin Yi, opposed her marriage?
They stood in the way of her love, so the Chifeng Army had to be massacred?
What kind of bullshit reason is that!
No, he knew female-oriented romance novels could be absurd, but how could it be this absurd!
It was the mother of all absurdities!
And then there was this Zhan Shubai in front of him...
Willingly being the "other man"?!
Seriously, you're a grown man, and not only are you a side piece, but you're actually proud of it?
"I'll be damned, what kind of dogshit logic is this!"
Ren Tianye took a deep breath, taking quite a while to suppress the emotions welling up inside him.
The situation before him, though incredibly bizarre, might actually be a perfect opportunity for him.
He immediately continued to provoke him: "Hmph, you say there was no collusion, so there wasn't? Are you doubting Her Majesty's judgment?"
"Truly rebellious and treasonous!"
"Zhan Shubai, as the Imperial Envoy, I ask you now: will you bind your own hands, or do you want me to do it for you?"
Zhan Shubai didn't bind his hands, nor did he let Ren Tianye make a move. Instead, like a madman, he pointed at Ren Tianye and started cursing.
"I know, I know..."
"It's you!"
"It must be you!"
"You've bewitched Her Majesty! You took advantage of my absence to seduce her with sweet words, and now you want her to order my death!"
"Hmph!"
"Ren Tianye, I see right through you."
"You want to eliminate me as a rival to take my place in Her Majesty's heart."
"In your dreams!"
"Let me tell you, in Her Majesty's heart, I will always be her number three, and you, at best, can only be number four!"
"I will always be one step ahead of you!"
Rumble!
His words spread like thunder.
The soldiers following Ren Tianye were dumbfounded. In all their lives, this was probably the first time they had heard something so utterly ridiculous.
Strangely, the soldiers following Zhan Shubai, as well as those still on the city walls, remained completely solemn.
Their facial expressions didn't change in the slightest.
This kind of discipline could no longer be described simply as strict; it was more like they didn't dare to make a move under iron-fisted suppression.
This also extinguished the sudden thought that had popped into Ren Tianye's mind.
He had been wondering if he could take advantage of Zhan Shubai's emotional turmoil to deliver a fatal strike.
But after thinking it over, he gave up on the idea.
Setting aside the fact that Zhan Shubai was highly skilled in combat and the strike might not succeed, even if it did, Ren Tianye would likely be shot into a pincushion immediately after.
It seemed he could only continue kicking Zhan Shubai's sore spot.
With a sneer, his face was filled with disdain.
"One step ahead of me?"
"Zhan Shubai, do you really not know what Her Majesty thinks of you?"
"Heh!"
"Her Majesty personally wrote a letter to me, saying that you..."
Ren Tianye's tone was leisurely: "Are like a big tree hanging a chili pepper!"
Silence!
The area below the city wall suddenly fell dead silent, with only the crackling of the illuminating torches to be heard.
Zhan Shubai's eyes widened.
"No, wait, I remembered it wrong." Ren Tianye leisurely twisted the knife: "Not a big tree hanging a chili pepper."
"Rather, a big tree hanging a bean sprout!"
Zhan Shubai's face went deathly pale. He even forgot to yell at Ren Tianye, only muttering: "Her Majesty is pure and chaste, and she hasn't even been with me, how, how..."
"How could she evaluate, evaluate me like that?"
On the city wall, the soldiers stood like a forest of swords and spears.
A young soldier curiously asked in a low voice: "What does 'a big tree hanging a bean sprout' mean?"
"Quiet!" an old veteran scolded in a low voice. "Have you forgotten General Zhan's ruthless methods? You dare gossip about him behind his back?"
The young soldier jumped in fright and didn't dare say another word.
He just followed military discipline, remaining on high alert.
In the center of the field, Ren Tianye knew that his words had poked Zhan Shubai's deepest fear. Regardless of Zhan Shubai's actual physical condition, he was terrified of any negative evaluation from the Empress.
A classic pathetic simp persona!
He immediately magnified it.
Using all his strength, he shouted in a voice loud enough to ensure everyone heard: "You're a big tree hanging a bean sprout, and you still expect Her Majesty to like you?"
"What woman in this world would like a guy who's a big tree hanging a bean sprout?"
"What, you're a bean sprout yourself, and you won't allow others to dislike you for it?"
After emphasizing it three times in a row, Ren Tianye saw that Zhan Shubai's face was completely drained of color before adding: "Bean sprout, if you know what's good for you, kill yourself right here and now."
"As the Imperial Envoy, I can discuss this with Her Majesty. We'll announce to the public that you died of exhaustion from managing the military affairs of Yunji City, and we'll even issue you a fallen soldier's pension."
"Otherwise, hmph..."
"Not only will I execute you on Her Majesty's orders, but I will also broadcast the fact that you're a bean sprout to the entire country, letting everyone know that Her Majesty doesn't like a bean sprout like you."
Zhan Shubai's body swayed violently.
Ren Tianye's constant repetition of the word 'bean sprout' almost made him cough up blood.
"I am not a bean sprout!"
"Absolutely not!"
"I am Her Majesty's most trusted person. I've been diligent and conscientious with everything she's entrusted to me, she, she will believe me..."
Zhan Shubai suddenly roared: "I am going to see Her Majesty! I will tell her in person that I am not a bean sprout..."
Before his shout had even faded, Zhan Shubai viciously cracked his whip, landing a heavy blow on his horse's rump. The warhorse beneath him let out a shrill neigh and bolted forward.
In the blink of an eye, he was over ten meters away.
Looking up again, he was already rushing down the winding main road, quickly disappearing beyond the reach of the firelight.
The neighing of the strong horse rapidly faded until it could no longer be heard.
The defenders below and on the walls of Yunji City were dumbfounded.
Their defending general just left like that?
From the sound of it, he was going to the capital to see Her Majesty just to tell her he wasn't a bean sprout?
Then who was going to manage Yunji City?
Ren Tianye was also taken aback.
His mental state was a bit too fragile!
What, did simping for the Empress deprive his brain of oxygen?
Just faking an imperial decree from the Empress made him lose his composure and run off to beg for forgiveness?
Damn it, if he knew it was this easy, why did he even bother scheming!
Taking a breath, he shouted loudly: "Her Majesty ordered Zhan Shubai to defend Yunji City, yet he dared to disregard the imperial command and abandon the city! Truly... an unforgivable crime!"
"However, Yunji City is situated in a strategic location, guarding the borders of the Great Yu and blocking the path of the barbarians. It cannot be without a master for even a single day."
"Today, as the Imperial Envoy, I shall take over Zhan Shubai's duties and defend Yunji City..."
"Open the city gates!"
The soldiers of Yunji City couldn't immediately process this sudden turn of events, and all looked somewhat at a loss.
Ren Tianye shouted coldly again: "Why haven't you opened the gates yet? Are you still expecting Zhan Shubai to return? Or do you want a taste of my broadsword?"
With Yunji City now leaderless and Ren Tianye bearing the title of Imperial Envoy, his commanding shout carried an imposing aura, and the crowd dared not delay any longer.
The city gates swung wide open, inviting Ren Tianye inside.
Ren Tianye headed straight for the General's Manor of Yunji City. After first securing the military tallies and official seals, he breathed a massive sigh of relief.
This Yunji City was now in his hands!
It was just that...
Getting his hands on it was way too easy, wasn't it?!
In his imagination, he was supposed to have his eight hundred men charge out while tricking the gates open, engaging in a fierce bloodbath with the soldiers of Yunji City. It would have been a river of blood.
But now...
He had taken Yunji City without shedding a single drop of blood?
Ren Tianye felt as if he were in a dream.
After a long moment, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm starting to think that having a few more lovesick fools in this Great Yu Empire might not be such a bad thing after all!"
He paused, then called out, "Wang Ming."
"At your command."
"Go inform General Sun Xiang. Tell them to... bring the men into the city. This Yunji City is already ours."
"Yes, General!"
"Oh, and one more thing. Tell Sun Xiang to send a few men to finish off Zhan Shubai while his mind is still in turmoil."
"...Yes, General!"
...
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
