Zhang Shi Crosses the Yangtze River

Ning Wanqin was a woman who always kept her word. When she said she would give Lu Chaosheng something big, she really did—and left him so exhausted that he could barely get up.

Still, Lu Chaosheng had the physique of a military commander and was by no means weaker than Ning Wanqin. The only reason he had allowed her to leave was that it formed part of their plan.

“Ah, she’s gone to find General Zhang Shi. From now on…”

“I won’t have any more chances!”

Lying on the bed, Lu Chaosheng thought gloomily.

Ning Wanqin was equally miserable. Her entire body was weak, and now she had to sneak off to find Zhang Shi. If it were not for their grand plan, she truly did not feel like moving at all.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Even the soldiers on patrol seemed to have gone blind; not one of them noticed her. She reached Zhang Shi’s tent without a hitch.

The tent was brightly lit.

Although it was already deep into the night, Zhang Shi had yet to retire. Ning Wanqin could already imagine how badly his nerves must be fraying, and her confidence grew several notches.

She immediately slipped inside. Just as she was about to speak, a precious sword descended and came to rest against her neck.

“Heh. I never thought a woman would dare come assassinate this general.”

“You’ve certainly got some nerve!”

Zhang Shi’s gaze was sharp. Firelight danced along the blade in his hand, and together with his scarred, rather ferocious-looking face, it was enough to make anyone shudder.

Ning Wanqin was frightened at first, but then delight bloomed in her heart.

As expected of the peerless military commander who had swept across the Northern Frontier and crushed every stronghold in his path. Even at such close range, he exerted a pressure like a towering mountain.

She hurriedly said, “General Zhang Shi, don’t misunderstand. I’m not here to assassinate you.”

“My name is Ning Wanqin. I’m from the other side of the Yangtze.”

“The other side of the Yangtze?” Zhang Shi frowned. “You’re from Yunjing?”

“Yes.” Ning Wanqin nodded. “I’m from Yunjing.”

“Heh!” Zhang Shi’s gaze turned even colder. The edge of his sword pressed closer, slicing a thin line of blood into Ning Wanqin’s neck. “Someone from Yunjing dares enter my military camp?”

“You really don’t value your life!”

“Since you’re so eager to die, this general will be magnanimous and send you on your way!”

Ning Wanqin’s heart nearly stopped. She hurriedly cried out, “General Zhang Shi, I—I have something extremely important to discuss with you! Something extremely important! Please don’t kill me!”

Only then did Zhang Shi halt the sword. He said indifferently, “What could someone from Yunjing possibly have to discuss with me?”

“I—I want to ask General Zhang Shi to join our Grand Commander…”

Before she could finish, Zhang Shi snorted again, his expression perfectly measured.

“You want me to join your Grand Commander?”

“What a joke!”

“Under Lord Duke, I am the man who swept across the Northern Frontier and crushed every stronghold in his path. It won’t be long before I am granted a title of nobility and appointed to high office. Join your Grand Commander?”

“Am I supposed to throw away all the accomplishments of my life?”

“Stop dreaming!”

Ning Wanqin had been prepared for this. She immediately said, “General Zhang Shi, the achievements you earned by sweeping across the Northern Frontier and crushing every stronghold will not change in the slightest, whether you remain in Great Yu or come to Yunjing.”

“These are accomplishments you achieved for the people of Yu.”

“The whole world will remember them.”

“And Yunjing will remember them as well.”

“Moreover… we won’t merely remember them. Yunjing will certainly grant you an exceptionally high position. We absolutely will not let you suffer the humiliation you endure today under Ren Tianye!”

Zhang Shi’s hand trembled, but he said nothing.

Seeing an opening, Ning Wanqin immediately intensified her assault.

“General Zhang Shi, you are a genius the likes of which appears only once in a century. Yet under Ren Tianye, you have been overshadowed by a mere Wang Ming. Ren Tianye even humiliated you in public. Can you really accept that?”

“But things would be different in Yunjing.”

“Once you pledge yourself to the Grand Commander, he will certainly treat you as an honored guest. After we defeat Ren Tianye and Yunjing counterattacks the capital, who else but you could become General-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition, given your talent?”

“Surely you’ll at least think it over?”

Zhang Shi still said nothing, but he did sheath the sword in his hand.

Ning Wanqin was even more delighted and continued pressing her advantage.

She deliberately focused on all the occasions when Wang Ming had outshone Zhang Shi. One moment she spoke of Wang Ming taking the lead in outflanking the enemy; the next, of resources being wasted for nothing. Every word struck directly at Zhang Shi’s sorest spots.

His veins bulged with fury as he listened.

If not for the plan, he would have killed Ning Wanqin on the spot.

Damn it! When Lord Duke and the other brothers teased him, it was merely playful banter among comrades. He might feel annoyed, but he would not make an issue of it. But who the hell was Ning Wanqin to mock him so relentlessly, every single word stabbing straight into his heart?

Was she really looking to die?

Yet precisely because Zhang Shi’s emotions were so genuine, Ning Wanqin became even more certain of her success. She launched into an even more eloquent and relentless tirade, until—

Clang!

With a single stroke, Zhang Shi cleaved the table in front of him in two and roared, “Enough!”

The sheer force of it drained the color from Ning Wanqin’s face. Even so, she still said, “General Zhang Shi, surrender!”

“Surrender, and it will do you a world of good!”

Only after saying this did Ning Wanqin finally fall silent, her face tense as she waited for Zhang Shi’s answer.

Zhang Shi’s face was torn with conflict. Then…

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze fierce.

“Fine. I’ll surrender!”

“I’ve wanted to surrender for a long time!”

“Why should all the credit go to Wang Ming? He’s nothing more than a minor deputy general—how can he possibly compare with me? I swept across the Northern Frontier and crushed every stronghold in my path, earning immense merit, yet Wang Ming has overshadowed me at every turn. I can’t swallow this grievance any longer!”

“Wang Ming… heh. Then I’ll stand against him and show him what I’m truly capable of!”

Ning Wanqin nearly jumped for joy.

It had worked. It had really worked. At last, everything had fallen into place!

She immediately said, “General Zhang Shi, congratulations on abandoning the darkness and turning toward the light. There’s no time to lose. You should cross the river with me right now and head for the Yangtze defense line.”

“What do you think?”

“Agreed!” Zhang Shi answered at once. “I’m a straightforward man. Since I’ve given you my word, we should leave immediately. I won’t drag my feet or fuss and dither!”

“Let’s go. Right now!”

Zhang Shi packed only a few things.

In fact, he packed so little that all he took was his precious sword. He did not even mount the Night-Illuminating Jade Lion given to him by Ren Tianye. He and Ning Wanqin left the camp under cover of darkness.

Even if Zhang Shi had not made arrangements beforehand, given his current position under Ren Tianye, no one in the military camp would have dared stop him, much less ask where he was going.

Everything went smoothly, and they soon reached the riverbank.

Just as before, boats were waiting there to ferry people across. Among them was another vessel belonging to Shen Zhian’s family.

Ning Wanqin hurriedly pointed it out. “General Zhang Shi, that is the ship coming to pick us up!”

Zhang Shi nodded without another word and boarded with Ning Wanqin. Just as when Ning Wanqin and Shen Moyan had returned earlier, they were shown to a guest cabin and watched as the large vessel slowly crossed the Yangtze.

The difference was that neither of them slept this time.

Zhang Shi gazed across the vast Yangtze at the opposite bank drawing closer and closer, his heart surging with boundless ambition.

This journey would be extremely dangerous. He was going alone into the unknown.

But for the natural barrier of the Yangtze, and for the chance to truly prove himself superior to Wang Ming, he was willing to take the risk.

He simply had no idea what kind of situation awaited him.

Ning Wanqin, meanwhile, was secretly grieving. The last time she had returned to the Yangtze’s natural defenses with Shen Moyan, his voice and smile had still been vivid before her eyes. Yet now, that old friend was gone.

In this world, she was the only one left.

Well, there was also Lu Chaosheng—a man who had changed so much that she could barely recognize him, and who now cared about nothing but her body.

Still, Ning Wanqin did not wallow too deeply in her melancholy, because she had something important to do next!

“I need to send a letter to the other side of the Yangtze, informing them of this good news and telling them to make preparations as soon as possible…”

“But…”

“Should I send it to Ruan Fei?”

“Or should I send it to Shen Zhian?”

“Both of them have formed alliances with me. No matter which one I write to, I won’t lose out. But… if I send letters to both of them at the same time, wouldn’t that make my position even more secure?”

Ning Wanqin grew excited at the thought. Not daring to delay, she immediately informed Zhang Shi, made up an excuse, and left the guest room to find the steward.

She asked for brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. After writing the letters, she handed them to the steward and said, “These two letters are both urgent—absolutely urgent. You must send people across by small boat and deliver them to the Yangtze’s natural defenses as quickly as possible. Can you do it?”

Her words made even the steward tense.

He hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, yes! I will certainly deliver them to you, Miss.”

“Good. Send them out at once!”

The steward did not dare delay. Before Shen Zhian had departed, she had specifically instructed him that if Ning Wanqin gave any orders, he was to fulfill them to the best of his ability.

He immediately dispatched people. They even waved lanterns from the boat and used signal flags to summon the nearby escort vessels. Once one arrived, they arranged for messengers to deliver the letters at top speed.

The steward’s efficiency was impressive. A small boat sped toward the opposite bank of the Yangtze, and before long, the two letters had reached Shen Zhian and Ruan Fei respectively.

Shen Zhian could hardly wait to open hers. The moment she saw what Ning Wanqin had written, she was overjoyed.

“It seems my decision to deliberately establish ties with Ning Wanqin back then was absolutely correct. Now that she has come upon something good, I was the first person she thought of.”

“By maintaining a personal alliance with both Ning Wanqin and Ruan Fei, how could my position in the entire women’s army possibly be unstable in the future?”

“It’ll be rock-solid!”

Shen Zhian was ecstatic, but Ruan Fei was even more thrilled upon receiving her letter.

“Sister Wanqin actually managed to turn Zhang Shi against them—and she informed me at the very first opportunity! That means I can claim part of the credit too!”

“Hahaha! I knew befriending both Sisters was the right choice. Aren’t the benefits coming my way now?”

“Now that General Zhang Shi has been won over, I have another trump card!”

Ruan Fei felt as though she were floating.

Because just moments earlier, she had obtained her first trump card!

Lord Gu Qingyue had sent word!

Lord Gu Qingyue had already formed an army of women!

There were tens of thousands of them!

Now, as long as Zhou Mengyan nodded, Lord Gu Qingyue’s women’s army—no, their women’s army—would march along the Yangtze and join forces to block Ren Tianye’s troops!

“With General Zhang Shi assisting me, and our women’s army on top of that… How could I fail to establish a great enterprise here at the Yangtze’s natural defenses?”

“If Madam can do it, I can certainly do it better!”

“When the time comes, Brother Mengyan will be mine!”

It took Ruan Fei a long time to calm down. In the end, she simply decided not to sleep. Before dawn, while the sky was still gray and hazy, she strode toward the central command camp.

“Halt!”

Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan’s personal guards blocked her path. “Miss Ruan Fei, the Grand Commander was arranging troop deployments until late into the night and has only just fallen asleep. It would be inappropriate to disturb him. Please return.”

The guard’s tone was polite enough, but his expression was cold and unyielding, as though he wanted nothing to do with her. Ruan Fei instantly became furious.

This guard had been transferred here after the naval commanders Zhao and Qian were killed. He was one of Madam’s people!

In the past, Ruan Fei could only swallow her anger and rely on her Brother Mengyan to turn the tables. But now… she held General Zhang Shi and the women’s army in her hands—two trump cards so powerful that she felt she could swallow the entire world.

She did not take this insignificant personal guard seriously at all.

She said coldly, “How dare you!”

“I am a naval general personally appointed by the Grand Commander. I have come to report urgent military intelligence—intelligence that concerns the safety of our Yangtze defenses. How dare a mere soldier like you stop me?”

“Are you looking to die?”

Her words rang out like clashing blades, sharp and fierce.

Yet the personal guard remained completely unmoved.

Did she really think they did not know who she was? Wasn’t Ruan Fei merely a poor fisher girl whom the Grand Commander and Madam had once supported? And hadn’t she since developed ambitions she had no business harboring, causing trouble and making a scene every day until she had nearly turned the entire military camp upside down?

Her, carrying important military intelligence?

If she ever truly had something important to report, the Yangtze defenses would probably have collapsed already!

Thus, the guards drew the weapons at their waists and held them horizontally across Ruan Fei’s path, refusing to let her enter.

Ruan Fei was so furious that she wanted to seize a blade and kill the guards herself. Unfortunately, she did not have the strength to truss a chicken. She could only glare at them helplessly and fume.

In the end, she hardened her heart and shouted, “Brother Mengyan! Brother Mengyan! Brother Mengyan!”

Her voice rang clearly through the camp. She called out again and again, each time more urgently and more loudly, until a muffled voice came from inside the tent.

“What is it?”

It was clearly the voice of Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan.

A moment later, Zhou Mengyan emerged in his robes. He first glanced at Ruan Fei, his eyes cold.

After all, it was because of Ruan Fei’s foolish recommendation that he had lost the naval commanders Zhao and Qian. To this day, he still had not decided who would replace them.

It could be said that Ruan Fei had single-handedly severed his left and right arms. How could he not harbor some resentment toward her?

Yet that coldness lasted no more than an instant before Zhou Mengyan’s voice softened.

“Little Fei, it’s not even dawn yet. You shouldn’t have come to disturb me at this hour.”

“Go back and get some rest. Whatever it is, tell me later. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

Ruan Fei instantly seized upon the tenderness in his words. Her eyes reddened, and with a slight movement, she leaned weakly into Zhou Mengyan’s arms. Looking pitiful and aggrieved, she said, “Brother Mengyan, did I do something to upset you?”

“You haven’t paid any attention to Little Fei for such a long time. Little Fei…”

“Little Fei must have done something wrong and made you unhappy.”

Zhou Mengyan’s heart immediately ached for her. He hurriedly said, “Little Fei, don’t let your imagination run wild. How could you possibly have upset me? It’s just that we still haven’t found anyone to take charge of the navy. There are so many matters that I have to handle personally. I’ve been working day and night and simply don’t have enough energy…”

…