A Moron for the History Books

The authority Zhang Shi carried was immense, even, in some respects, greater than that of Ren Tianye.

After all, he was a hardened man who had truly fought his way across the grasslands. The scars on his face were a testament to his journey and a symbol that made everyone who saw him tremble with fear.

They knew...

This was a man who absolutely dared to draw his blade and kill!

As a result, the moment Zhang Shi announced he would lay down new rules, the entire military camp, no matter how boisterous and heated it had been moments before, fell silent instantly.

Everyone turned to look at Zhang Shi in unison.

They looked at him, his face flushed red, barely able to contain the excitement surging within him.

They waited for Zhang Shi to establish the rules.

Liu Xu and Gao Ning, the newly surrendered couple, even stood up instinctively.

Then Zhang Shi slowly began to speak: "I have decided that this army under my command will resolutely carry out the Lord Duke's decree—which is to firmly crack down on love-blind fools!"

"And furthermore..."

"Not only will we crack down, but we will also provide a channel for everyone."

"A channel where they can seek redress!"

"From now on, wherever there are love-blind fools, I, Zhang Shi, will be there, and I will strike them down!"

"So, anyone who has suffered injustice because of love-blind fools, I, Zhang Shi, will rescue."

"Even if the love-blind fools flee to the ends of the earth, or deep into the grasslands... I, Zhang Shi, will lead the army to deal with them!"

After speaking, Zhang Shi looked around the camp, his gaze finally landing on Lu Shuang. He asked, "Lu Shuang, what do you think of this rule I've set?"

Lu Shuang nodded: "Very good, very good!"

"No, it's excellent!"

"From what I've learned, if this rule can spread throughout Yun Jing, then... General Zhang Shi, your path ahead will surely be one of brightness!"

"Good!" Zhang Shi shouted. "Then let's make this rule official and spread it to Yun Jing."

"Hmph, aren't those love-blind alliance people in Yun Jing the best at spreading rumors, saying that the Lord Duke's army is cold-blooded and ruthless? Now, I'll use the same method to let the millions of common people in Yun Jing know exactly why the Lord Duke's army has come to Yun Jing!"

Zhang Shi faced the surging waves with bold ambition.

The military camp erupted in excitement as well.

The scribes who had already been prepared immediately began summarizing and copying. Liu Xu and Gao Ning also quickly mobilized their connections in Fanshan Fort, speeding up the transcription process.

By the time the banquet was over, most of the preparatory work had been completed. By dawn the next day, over a thousand leaflets had been printed and distributed.

Led by Lu Shuang, they went deep into the countryside to spread the word.

Their destination was naturally the second of the two great barriers guarding Pukou—

The Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress!

...

In Pukou City.

Defending general Zhou Xiong finally figured out the situation at Fanshan Fort.

The letter in his hands detailed everything: how Liu Xu, the defending general of Fanshan Fort, had surrendered to Zhang Shi; how Liu Xu's wife, Ke Xunfang—a member of the love-blind alliance—had divorced him; and how Gao Ning had risen to power.

The more he read, the more furious Zhou Xiong became.

His rage reached its peak, and he could no longer hold it in.

"Rip!"

"Rip!"

The letter was torn to shreds in his fury.

With both hands, he flung the pieces into the air, where they scattered and drifted down.

Zhou Xiong's face was ashen as he cursed loudly.

"Idiot!"

"Absolute idiot!"

"A fool destined for the history books!"

"Had a perfectly good fortress at Fanshan, why not just hold it? Why the divorce?!"

"Now you've handed Fanshan Fort over to the enemy on a silver platter, and what good end will you come to yourself?"

"Damn it... I should never have trusted those love-blind alliance people. Even if they are born enemies of Ren Tianye, as incompatible as fire and water, they aren't worth even a speck of trust."

"Pure brain rot!"

"Utterly sick in the head!"

Even after cursing, Zhou Xiong was still fuming.

He practically wished he could storm over to Fanshan Fort, hang that stupid woman Ke Xunfang up, and whip her a hundred times.

But anger was anger; in the end, he had to face reality.

In particular, now that Zhang Shi had taken Fanshan Fort so effortlessly, he would very likely set his sights on Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress next.

Fanshan Fort and Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress were both barriers for Pukou City—its two great shields.

With Fanshan Fort in hand, Zhang Shi could use its higher ground to station troops, keep watch, and even command artillery fire.

If he also took Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress, he could block the river docks, cut off their escape route, and pin down the southern gate defenders...

Most importantly...

If he lost Fanshan Fort first, and then Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress, his already shaky credibility in Yun Jing would be utterly destroyed. Yun Jing would very likely send someone to take his position.

At that point, all his ambitions would collapse into nothing.

"Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress must not fall!"

"This time, I must hold Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress firmly!"

A plan quickly formed in Zhou Xiong's mind.

Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress was already naturally fortified and hard to attack. Surrounding it were vast stretches of muddy riverbanks, where infantry would sink deep into the mire, making it impossible to advance. Heavy warships couldn't get close to the shallows, and only small sampans could reach the fortress's walls.

On top of that, Ren Tianye's soldiers were mostly infantry, unaccustomed to fighting on water. With such a perilous position and the water defenses of Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress, under normal circumstances, Zhang Shi's troops would take huge losses and a great deal of time to capture it—though not as hopeless as facing Pukou City itself.

Still, time was on Zhou Xiong's side, giving him plenty of opportunity to send reinforcements.

But having seen how the actual situation was completely different from the theoretical defenses, he knew he had to come up with another approach.

The first idea immediately sprang to mind.

"The wife of Shen Du, the commander of Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress, is also a member of the love-blind alliance. She's naturally hostile to Ren Tianye's army and would never surrender, so..."

"As long as she doesn't do anything reckless, Linjiang Shazui Water Fortress will be fine."

"Then I..."

"I'll write her a letter!"

Zhou Xiong himself had never liked the love-blind fools in Yun Jing and had always been reluctant to deal with them. But now...

For the greater good of Pukou City!

He had to deal with them.

He personally wrote a letter.

In the letter, he emphasized one key point.

...