Return my Yunji City to me, or I'll hang myself at the city gate

Inside Yunji City, the inner city barracks.

In front of the dense cluster of barracks connected to the city tower, several letters had long been posted on the city wall. Over the past two days, they had attracted an untold number of soldiers to read them.

Even though many of them were illiterate, they would gather by the wall to listen to those who could read read them aloud one by one and explain their meaning.

Explaining... the matter of the former defending general, Zhan Shubai, colluding with the barbarians.

Every time it was explained, it inevitably caused a massive uproar.

This time was no exception.

"Zhan Shubai sure has some nerve, actually daring to collude with the barbarians! It's one thing for him to commit a capital offense, but he's implicated us all!"

"Damn it, when Zhan Shubai was around, it was bad enough that he oppressed us every day. After all, he held a high position of power. But to collude with the barbarians... he's worse than a pig or a dog!"

"What should we do now? Zhan Shubai colluded with the barbarians, but he was our superior. Do you think the imperial court will investigate and punish us?"

"I'm afraid they will. Haven't you heard? Those seventy thousand soldiers of the Chifeng Army were slaughtered entirely just because they didn't listen to Her Majesty. The seventy thousand Chifeng Army soldiers were the elite of our Great Yu dynasty, yet they suffered such a fate. How could Her Majesty possibly forgive people like us?"

"Could it be that we have no choice but to die?"

"We've always worked hard, living a bitter life with not enough food to fill our bellies or clothes to cover our backs. We finally looked forward to the arrival of the Imperial Envoy, but are we going to die before we've even had two good days?"

"I have an elderly mother to support and a crying toddler to feed. If I die, what will happen to my family?"

...

Panic spread, and everyone feared for their lives.

The inner city barracks in Yunji City were like a powder keg.

A single spark falling would cause it to explode violently.

Standing in the distance, silently watching all this, Ren Tianye's eyes were as deep as the sea.

After the Empress slaughtered the seventy thousand Chifeng Army, the world was bound to fall into chaos. Let alone within the borders of Great Yu, just speaking of the barbarians—without the Chifeng Army to suppress them, how could they not seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Yunji City was located at the border between Great Yu and the barbarians. Although it was not on the main route for the barbarians' southward invasion, it would inevitably face the brunt of their forces.

It was almost entirely predictable that Yunji City would soon face a great catastrophe!

If these seven thousand soldiers rose up in resistance early on, there was still hope for them to survive under the hooves of the barbarian cavalry. But if they remained in a daze and let things take their course, it wouldn't be long before Yunji City became a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Follow this general, and I will protect your lives!"

Furthermore...

Ren Tianye's gaze sharpened.

As the saying goes, are kings and nobles given their high status by birth?!

It wasn't impossible for them to become kings, nobles, generals, or ministers either!

"Great General..."

A personal guard who hurried over whispered, "Zhan Shubai has returned. He's at the city gate. General Sun Xiang has already taken men to capture him."

"He's back?" Ren Tianye's spirits lifted. "How many troops did he bring?"

"Uh... just himself!"

"Just himself?" Ren Tianye frowned. "How can he retake Yunji City all by himself?"

"Could it be that he's a decoy?"

"Trying to trick us into opening the city gates while hiding an ambush behind him?"

Ren Tianye analyzed the situation, but looking at the sky, it didn't feel right.

It was a bright, clear day with radiant sunlight. Setting up an ambush in broad daylight? Did he really think the permanent sentries of Yunji City were just sitting around doing nothing?

At the very least, it would require a dark night with no stars or moon!

"What exactly is Zhan Shubai scheming?"

Ren Tianye couldn't figure it out.

He could only respond to changes by remaining unchanged!

He led his men on horseback at a brisk pace to the city gate, only to see Zhan Shubai being held by Sun Xiang's men, tied up securely, and kneeling on the ground.

The clattering of horse hooves startled Zhan Shubai.

Zhan Shubai immediately raised his head. The moment he saw Ren Tianye, his already aggrieved face was covered in tears falling like rain, and his cries shook the heavens and the earth.

"Ren Tianye, you are shameless!"

"I guarded Yunji City day and night, pouring my heart and blood into building it, all to give Her Majesty a gift in exchange for returning to the capital to be by her side."

"You, you, how could you steal it away?"

"With you stealing it, how am I supposed to explain this to Her Majesty?"

"Hurry up and give Yunji City back to me!"

"You must give it back!"

"If, if you don't give it back, I..."

"I'll just kneel here and cry!"

"I'll cry until your heart softens!"

"I'll cry until you yield!"

"I'll cry until your conscience won't let you rest!"

Ren Tianye: "..."

No, seriously, bro, I actually thought you had come to your senses and brought men to retake Yunji City. And yet, you're pulling this kind of nonsense?

Still crying?

Damn it!

Ren Tianye couldn't help but feel his insides boiling again.

Hell, the minds of these love-struck fools are so incredibly hard to guess!

"Ren Tianye, please give Yunji City back to me, okay?"

Seeing that Ren Tianye wasn't speaking, Zhan Shubai thought he was wavering and quickly intensified his offensive: "At worst, I admit defeat."

"From now on, you can be Her Majesty's third lover, and I'll peacefully be her fourth."

"I will never compete with you again."

"Is that okay?"

Ren Tianye: "..."

The surrounding soldiers: "..."

"Ren Tianye! What exactly will it take for you to return Yunji City to me? I'm not even fighting you for the position of her third lover anymore, isn't that enough?"

Zhan Shubai wobbled as he tried to stand up, but was forcefully pushed back down by Sun Xiang's men. However, he remained unyielding, his tone growing more intense.

His appearance finally no longer resembled a child whose toy had been snatched away.

"Ren Tianye, today, you must return Yunji City to me!"

"Otherwise..."

Zhan Shubai's eyes suddenly turned ruthless, and his tone was filled with a heavy threat: "Otherwise, I will hang myself right here at the city gate!"

"I'll let Her Majesty know what a despicable person you are!"

"If I can't be Her Majesty's third lover, don't even think about being her fourth!"

Crackle, crackle...

Ren Tianye clenched his fists so hard his knuckles cracked!

Not because of what Zhan Shubai said, but purely because of Zhan Shubai as a person.

His martial prowess was quite good, and he was diligent. If he were just a bit normal and worked steadily as a general, he would definitely bring blessings to the local people. How did he...

How the hell did he become such a pathetic simp?

Simping to the point of mental derangement?

This absurd female-oriented romance novel world was always shocking him, always giving him "surprises"!

"Say something, Ren Tianye!"

"Are you scared?"

"Hmph, if you're scared, then quickly agree to return Yunji City to me."

Snapping back to reality, Ren Tianye nodded. "Indeed, I'm scared. I'm so very scared!"

Zhan Shubai's eyes lit up. "So, you agree?"

"Yeah!" Ren Tianye nodded. "I agree."

"You agree to return Yunji City to me?"

"I agree to hang you up!"

Ren Tianye's face turned serious as he coldly ordered, "Sun Xiang."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Fulfill General Zhan's wish. Please hang him up on the city gate."

"Yes, sir!"

"If he can't get up there himself, give him a hand. We must make sure General Zhan is satisfied. Remember, the way we do things is to guarantee zero negative reviews!"

"Yes, sir!"

Although Sun Xiang didn't quite understand what Ren Tianye meant by "zero negative reviews," he definitely understood the part about hanging Zhan Shubai up.

To be honest, he had fucking wanted to hang this Zhan Shubai up for a long time too.

Damn it!

In all his life, this was the first time he had seen someone threaten others by offering to hang himself at the city gate. It absolutely terrified him.

If he didn't help Zhan Shubai fulfill this wish, he wouldn't even be able to stomach his dinner.

And so, amidst his furious roars, Zhan Shubai was bound tightly. With the combined effort of the soldiers, he was hoisted high into the air with a sturdy rope.

Zhan Shubai continued to bellow.

Unfortunately, the hanging service arranged for him at the city gates this time placed the point of tension directly around his neck.

He shouted and shouted, until he could shout no more.

At long last, the gates of Yunji City fell completely silent!

...