Plan for Changing Commanders in Yunjing

Xie Liu, feeling elated, could also predict how difficult Wang’s days would be from now on. But what did that have to do with him?

Right now, he only wanted to hold onto the happiness before him.

To work steadily for the Lord Duke, to diligently complete every task assigned by the Lord Duke.

He turned around and went to find General Zhang Shi, reporting in detail the gains from this trip.

“Good, good, good!” Zhang Shi exclaimed several times after listening, unable to contain the joy on his face.

This place, Luofeng Slope, was not bad at all.

The yield of sweet potatoes was even higher than at Qingchou Plain.

From this, it was clear that Xie Liu was an extremely capable person.

No—Xie Liu was an extremely hardworking person.

He poured almost all his effort into crops like sweet potatoes.

But in the past, all that hard work had been wasted, without receiving the pay he deserved. Now, though, things were different. Every task Xie Liu accomplished would become his merit.

He would receive rewards from both Zhang Shi and the Lord Duke.

Zhang Shi believed that Xie Liu would become even more dedicated.

This also inflated Zhang Shi’s confidence to an astonishing level, and he immediately had an idea.

“The Lord Duke’s strategy for Pukou City is to cut off their water and food. Now that the sweet potatoes supplying Pukou City have all been seized by me, the task has been completed ahead of schedule.”

“So what’s next?”

“Just wait for Pukou City to collapse?”

“At a time like this, shouldn’t I be more proactive?”

“Might as well take over the surrounding outposts of Pukou City while I’m at it?”

Zhang Shi thought this wouldn’t be difficult.

At the very least, to his now skyrocketing confidence, it was very easy. So why not do it?

“I’ll write a letter to the Lord Duke to explain the situation, but... I’ll have to lead the main army forward first.”

Once Zhang Shi made up his mind, he set off immediately.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as he finished arranging things here, Lu Shuang advanced alone ahead of the group. This had become the fixed pattern of their cooperation: Lu Shuang would scout first, gather information—especially about “love-brain” types—while Zhang Shi followed behind to command the big picture.

...

In Pukou City, Song Shaoyi burst excitedly into the temporary lodging, where his ally Chen Liang was lost in thought, head down.

Ignoring Chen Liang’s mood, he exclaimed, “Good news, good news, Brother Chen! Great news!”

Chen Liang snapped out of his reverie, turned his head, and smiled. “What good news has you this thrilled?”

“The grain prices in Pukou City have skyrocketed!” Song Shaoyi said excitedly. “It rises three times a day, to the point it can’t be controlled. And it’s not just ordinary food—even the military in Pukou City has come out to buy grain, and the prices are absurdly high.”

“People can’t afford to eat anymore.”

“Do you know what this means, Brother Chen?”

Chen Liang’s eyes lit up.

He understood perfectly.

It meant that Pukou City’s grain system had completely collapsed—especially the sweet potatoes, which the city relied on most.

“From this, it seems the Lord Duke’s people have made their move, cutting off the supply of sweet potatoes around Pukou City... The Lord Duke is also going with the strategy of cutting off water and food!”

“Brilliant!”

“As expected of the Lord Duke!”

Chen Liang’s face was full of admiration.

He wasn’t impressed just because Ren Tianye had come up with this strategy, but rather because of Ren Tianye’s efficiency. How much time had it taken to completely control Pukou City’s grain supply?

After all, he and Song Shaoyi had been messing around inside the city, constantly trying to manipulate grain prices and squeeze the military’s food supplies, but Zhou Xiong was no ordinary man—he had deep defenses that couldn’t be shaken.

But now...

It was done!

“It seems...” Song Shaoyi said, “it won’t be long before Pukou City changes hands.”

“Absolutely!” Chen Liang said with blazing eyes. “Because, aside from this, there’s another huge piece of good news—though I’m not completely sure yet.”

“Another good news?” Song Shaoyi’s excitement grew. “Tell me, Brother Chen, hurry up!”

Chen Liang said, “After I led the members of the Pukou City Love Alliance to tirelessly send countless letters to the Yunjing court, Yunjing...”

“Is considering replacing the general.”

“They plan to replace Zhou Xiong!”

Song Shaoyi’s excitement faded, and he frowned. “Is that even good news?”

“Of course it is,” Chen Liang explained. “This Zhou Xiong is a real oddball in Yunjing. With someone like him guarding Pukou City, it’s an impenetrable fortress for the Lord Duke.

“But once Yunjing makes up its mind and sends in their own people... Pukou City will fall to the Lord Duke with little effort.”

This hit Song Shaoyi like a revelation. He nodded in agreement. “When you put it that way, it really is true.”

“Of course it is. And...” Chen Liang stared into Song Shaoyi’s eyes. “Do you know who the replacement might be?”

Song Shaoyi felt a rush of blood, sensing that the name Chen Liang was about to say would be the one he most wanted to hear.

“Who?” he asked.

“I don’t know either,” Chen Liang said.

Song Shaoyi: “...”

“Though I don’t know who it is, I have some idea about that person’s identity.”

“That person’s idol is the Prince of Love of Yunjing!”

Song Shaoyi said, “The Prince of Love of Yunjing? You mean Xiao Che, the brother of the former Yunjing king, who was titled the Prince of Love of Yunjing? I heard that guy loves to hide his identity and chase so-called 'love.'

“Every time, he disguises himself as a commoner to test a woman’s sincerity, claiming to seek true love unpolluted by status or money."

"But when things get tense, he has his subordinate Yu Chenglong bring out his dragon robe to reveal his identity, and after that, he usually has anyone who offended him exterminated down to nine generations?"

Chen Liang nodded. “You’ve got it right. That’s the Prince of Love of Yunjing. And it’s very likely that the person Yunjing plans to send as the replacement looks up to him.”

Song Shaoyi got excited again. “Then it’s a sure thing!”

“What’s more,” Chen Liang added, “I heard that person has been retired from military service for over five years. Now they’re dragging him out of his home and putting him straight into the army.”

Song Shaoyi paused.

Five years without touching a weapon, and then leading troops right away?

Will the soldiers even respect him?

Even more excited: “Then it’s even more certain!”

Chen Liang said, “Absolutely. The day Yunjing replaces Zhou Xiong will be the day Pukou City falls!”

...