In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

General Meng Tian declared, "Our army is currently resting and preparing in Japan. Three days later, we will advance from the East Sea off Goryeo, joining forces with Silla and Baekje to launch a simultaneous three-pronged attack on Goryeo!"

Zhao Gao announced the news in the main hall, and the entire court was in an uproar.

They annihilated 300,000 Japanese troops and secured control of the four islands of Japan in one fell swoop.

Moreover, with Baekje and Silla in hand, Goryeo, surrounded on three sides, was already within their grasp.

This was an unprecedented victory for the empire since it unified the Central Plains.

Even the veteran general Wang Jian couldn't help but smile, knowing that this was a military achievement he had gained for free.

After Meng Tian and Wang Li returned, they were promoted at least three ranks.

"Good! Good! Good..."

Emperor Ying Zheng couldn't help but show a look of joy.

As expected, the Zhang family did not disappoint him.

He originally thought it would take a year to defeat Japan. But in such a short time, even in a war across the ocean, the Japanese army was as swift as the wind, and with the "543" strike, they easily annihilated Japan's 300,000-strong army.

Even if Japan's military equipment was inadequate, it still numbered 300,000 men, not 300,000 chickens.

Even the Japanese imperial family and the shogunate were uprooted.

In this way, even if there were those in Japan who wanted to resist, they would be leaderless.

"Furthermore, Your Majesty."

The Zhang family's assassins wiped out all the Japanese nobles and distributed land to the poorest people in Japan. General Meng Tian hopes the empire will send officials fluent in Japanese to Japan as soon as possible to maintain order!

"Did the Zhang family wipe out all the Japanese nobles?"

Even Emperor Ying Zheng couldn't help but look solemn upon hearing this; what ruthless methods!

This is a strategy to nip the problem in the bud.

However, Japan is a small island nation, and what he valued most was the strategic value of Japan and Goguryeo.

Once the ten-year plan is completed, the empire can set off from Shanhaiguan and coordinate with the imperial army stationed in Goryeo to launch a pincer attack on the Jin Empire.

In this way, the Youzhou region, which was originally occupied by the Later Jin, can be completely recovered.

"Li Si, you take charge of this matter."

Furthermore, inform them of the agreement between me and the Zhang family: all mining rights in Japan belong to the Zhang family.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

As the prime minister, Li Si naturally had to take charge of these minor matters personally.

Moreover, this is a lucrative position. Although Japan is a small island nation, it is now part of an empire.

Even if you don't go there to accumulate merits, just going there to "gild your resume" will get you a promotion upon your return.

As for the Zhang family's mining rights?

Even Li Si, who considered himself extremely knowledgeable about Japan, felt that Japan was just a small island with no real value for development and didn't take it seriously at all.

Moreover, only a few minor officials who are tired of living would dare to make things difficult for the Zhang family in the East China Sea.

The Zhang family's large ships and weapons, used in this campaign against Japan, shook the entire empire.

Each large Fu ship was equipped with a dozen or so Hongyi cannons, as well as three-bow crossbows, divine crossbows, and even a submarine that could be launched into the water at the back of each ship to deal with situations such as encountering water monsters.

At sea, the Zhang family was virtually an invincible overlord.

Fortunately, the Zhang family did not have much military power; they only traveled between Southeast Asia and the East and West via large Fujian ships.

Even the large Fujian-style ships operating inland did not have such powerful equipment.

···

"Have you heard? The Empire has achieved a great victory in Japan this time."

In just three days, they landed on the Japanese mainland and swiftly conquered the island, Hokkaido, and Shikoku. Then, in a decisive battle on Fusang Island, they annihilated the entire Japanese army of 300,000!

Hiss...

Zhang San, who told you that? Although Japan is a small island, I've heard that Japanese samurai are quite formidable.

Moreover, the empire had sailed across the ocean to the east; it had no advantage in terms of timing, location, or popular support. How could it possibly be destroyed by the empire so quickly?

"Hehe, you guys don't know this, do you know the Zhang family?"

"The Zhang family? Which Zhang family!"

What does this have to do with the Zhang family? All the Zhang family did was provide the large Fujian ship, paving the way for the empire.

"You are all ignorant. Last time the divine weapon appeared, the Emperor of Japan died on Peach Blossom Island."

What is the status of the Emperor of Japan?

That's equivalent to the emperor of our Kyushu. The emperor of Japan died on Peach Blossom Island. Would Japan just let it go?

Although the Zhang family is usually very kind, they will never let their enemies go unpunished once they turn against them. Besides, the Japanese emperor died on Peach Blossom Island. If Japan were to regain its former glory, how could they possibly let the Zhang family off the hook?

The reason Japan was defeated so quickly this time was that the Zhang family dispatched the Blood Droplets and the Twelve Zodiac Assassins to assassinate the Japanese Emperor, the Shogun, and even all the Japanese nobles. Furthermore, they distributed all the land, grain, and treasure held by those nobles to the poor people of Japan, which is why Japan was defeated so swiftly.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at 'Zhang San' in disbelief.

Unexpectedly, the Zhang family was involved in this, and for a moment, everyone's admiration for the Zhang family grew even stronger.

From wiping out entire families and clans, now they're even starting to destroy entire nations.

Meanwhile, people from all walks of life, both righteous and demonic, were shocked upon receiving the news.

Even with the aid of imperial armor, the Zhang family's strength was not to be underestimated; they could destroy a nation with a single family.

"By the way, I heard that the strategists will also be involved this time."

"Your Majesty's foremost swordsman, Gai Nie, is a disciple of the Guigu School of Diplomacy. The Empire's ability to conquer Silla and Baekje, and even easily defeat Japan, was due to this strategist's ingenious plan of alliances and counter-alliances."

"Senior brother?"

In a corner of the restaurant, Wei Zhuang, who was listening intently, suddenly narrowed his eyes and gripped Shark Tooth tightly with both hands.

However, that person only briefly mentioned the ingenious strategy of "forming alliances and counter-alliances".

Feeling itchy inside, Wei Zhuang got up and went to the side of the eloquent 'Zhang San'.

choke!

The shark tooth sword suddenly emerged from its sheath and was stuck into the Eight Immortals table.

For a moment, the people around who were listening intently were startled and looked at Wei Zhuang, whose face was filled with murderous intent, with fear.

"You said Gai Nie also performed extraordinary feats on the empire's eastern expedition, tell me about it!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The man's initial look of fear suddenly turned into a knowing glint in the depths of his eyes upon seeing Wei Zhuang's appearance.

"Sir, it's like this..."

When Wei Zhuang revealed the empire's scheme to create an alliance that had utterly ruined Silla and Baekje, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He might believe it if he were the mastermind behind such a brilliant scheme; but for someone like Gai Nie to devise such an unethical alliance was completely out of character for his senior brother, who was known for his 'benevolence and righteousness.'

First, they used others to deal with Japan, and then they attacked Japan from behind. This can be described as the art of war.

But in terms of benevolence and righteousness, that was definitely not his senior brother's style.

It was either a trap set by the Luo Net or a scheme by the Zhang family; his senior brother was just taking the blame.

"Boring!"

After drawing his Shark Tooth sword and sheathing it, Wei Zhuang left the restaurant.

At this moment, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, they were amazed by this insidious scheme.

I never expected that the strategists were so brilliant. Their insidious and ruthless schemes can be said to have been incorporated into the Three Kingdoms period. No wonder the empire was able to easily defeat Japan.

This is a powerful alliance.

"However, the Zhang family remains as 'benevolent' as ever."

"Killing those greedy nobles and returning all the land and grain to our poorest people—this eastern expedition might not be a bad thing for the people of Japan."

"Indeed, the Japanese are barbarians. I've heard that they are morally corrupt and have a slave system where nobles have the right to kill or kill the poor at will."

By the way, do any of you know the ranking of Japanese swords?

"The ranking of Japanese swords? What's the explanation for that?"

Upon hearing Zhang San suddenly mention the grade of the Japanese sword, everyone looked at him with curiosity.

"Japanese swords are graded into first-class, second-class, third-class, etc. Divine-grade Japanese samurai swords can reach ninth-class or tenth-class."

"Dong? What does that mean?"

"That refers to the body; the grade of a treasured sword is determined by how many corpses it can slice through."

Ordinary samurai or blacksmith shops use the bodies of the dead.

Nobles, on the other hand, would test the swords on living people to better assess their properties.

Hiss...

At first, no one felt anything when they heard "one body, two bodies," but after understanding its meaning, they were all terrified.

Unlike blood sacrifices, Zhang Xiaoshan's blood sacrifices were all purposeful.

These Japanese nobles, purely for testing their swords, didn't care about human lives at all; they were incredibly extravagant.

No wonder the Zhang family wanted to wipe out all the Japanese nobles.

These Japanese nobles no longer treat people like human beings.

"What a fine Zhang family!"

On the second floor of the restaurant, several middle-aged men in fine clothes were also listening quietly on one side.

Looking at Zhang San's mouth, which was no less fluent than a storyteller's, he would never believe that he hadn't been trained or prepared in advance.

Moreover, 'Zhang San' is just an alias; he belongs to several Jianghu (martial arts world) forces of the Zhang family in Kyushu.

These forces, supported by the Zhang family, did not aim to expand their influence; they merely promoted the Zhang family's 'achievements' at the grassroots level each time.

This was intended to correct or enhance the Zhang family's reputation among the people.

For example, if someone were to spread rumors about what the Zhang family did in Japan, it might be interpreted as the Zhang family indiscriminately killing innocent people in Japan, going from wiping out an entire family to destroying a country.

But now, with Zhang San's propaganda, it's said that the Zhang family has taken revenge, eliminated the cruel and inhumane Japanese nobles, and liberated the oppressed poor people of the lower classes in Japan.

Moreover, even if they refute it, the Zhang family can cite a whole host of examples.

This is precisely where the Zhang family's brilliance lies; compared to the Zhang family, both the righteous and demonic paths are far inferior.

Chapter 661 Hundred-Step Flying Sword VS Swordplay

Ding! Ding! Ding...

The sword shadows, like a sudden storm, were not only incredibly fast with each strike, but also as elusive as a gazelle leaping over a cliff, leaving no trace and reaching the pinnacle of artistry.

In an instant, two sword lights burst forth like a silver pool exploding, and like a rainbow piercing the sun, their cold light illuminating thousands of miles, their sword energy sweeping across the nine provinces.

Before the Goryeo royal city, this is a duel between two top swordsmen.

Even though the fate of the Goryeo capital was already sealed, Fu Cailin still proposed a decisive battle, a final showdown on the battlefield.

It is hoped that the Goryeo royal city can prolong the dynasty's reign for some time.

Unfortunately, the army was surrounded by unparalleled masters, including Xiao Feng, Ding Peng (who wielded the Demon Blade), and Meng Tian (who commanded the army).

Regardless of victory or defeat, the Goryeo capital will fall.

After all, there is more than one Gai Nie in Kyushu, but there is only one Fu Cailin in Goryeo.

This battle was viewed differently by the soldiers of both countries.

Fu Cailin was like a god in Goryeo, a symbol of faith. In their eyes, the outcome of Fu Cailin's victory or defeat was the balance of power between Goryeo and the Empire.

Gai Nie was merely the Dragon Emperor's top swordsman, and the imperial soldiers treated it as a battle of wits, where winning and losing were common occurrences in warfare.

Moreover, they didn't think Gai Nie would lose to Fu Cailin.