My lady, I'm going to rebel.

Mu Zheng acted decisively and quickly summoned his soldiers. He briefly explained the defense of Qingyan Mountain and then led 500 elite soldiers to follow Deng Yu on the journey to Kunyang.

Along the way, with the sound of hurried horse hooves and flying dust, Deng Yu told Mu Zheng in detail about the establishment of the Gengshi regime and the severe situation Kunyang currently faced.

It turned out that after the Green Forest Army won several consecutive victories, its power gradually grew.

To rally the people against Wang Mang, various rebel armies proclaimed Liu Xuan emperor and established the Gengshi regime. Wang Mang considered the Gengshi regime a grave threat and was determined to mobilize a large army to destroy it in one fell swoop.

The 430,000-man army led by Wang Yi and Wang Xun, boasting a million-strong force, had been unstoppable, forcing cities to surrender wherever they passed. Now, the army had completely surrounded Kunyang, where the Gengshi army remained with only a little over 10,000 men. The disparity in strength between the two sides was immense, and the situation was extremely critical.

Mu Zheng listened to Deng Yu's story, his heart growing heavier. But he showed no sign of retreat. Instead, he remained brimming with fighting spirit, constantly encouraging the soldiers around him. After several days and nights of hard work, they finally arrived at the Gengshi Army camp outside Kunyang City.

On the city wall, the Gengshi Army soldiers were on full alert, their expressions tense. Deng Yu led Mu Zheng through the camp to the central army tent.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, as everyone was intensely discussing countermeasures. Mu Zheng immediately spotted Liu Xiu standing in front of the map.

Liu Xiu was tall and slender, with a handsome face. He wore a white battle robe and a silver helmet, his eyes revealing wisdom and composure. Unlike the majestic and cold emperors in legends, he exuded a kind of affinity that made people unconsciously respect him.

Deng Yu stepped forward and said respectfully, "General, General Mu Zheng is here."

Mu Zheng quickly knelt down and saluted: "I am General Mu Zheng, paying my respects to the General!"

Mu Zheng felt mixed emotions when he knelt down. It had been five or six years since he traveled to this world 2000 years ago. At this moment, facing this well-known figure in history textbooks, he felt a mixture of reality and absurdity.

He actually met Liu Xiu, the legendary emperor who created the Kunyang Miracle by defeating a larger force with a smaller one and founded the foundation of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Liu Xiu raised his hand slightly and said gently, "General Mu, please stand up. The situation is urgent now. I have heard that you are quite strategic, so I have summoned you to discuss a strategy to defeat the enemy."

Mu Zheng slowly stood up, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.

He looked at Liu Xiu and summoned his courage to say, "General, although I am not talented, I am willing to do my best to help lift the siege of Kunyang."

After some pleasantries, Liu Xiu summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures in his tent. They gathered around a map, their faces solemn, the atmosphere tense as if water could be squeezed out of them.

Some generals advocated abandoning the city and escaping the siege, preserving their strength and attempting a comeback later; others believed they should hold their ground and wait for reinforcements, but no one knew when those reinforcements would arrive. For a time, the camp was filled with endless debate, each holding their own opinion.

Liu Xiu pondered for a moment, then scanned the crowd with a determined gaze. He spoke in a steady and forceful voice, "Everyone, Kunyang may be small, but its strategic location is extremely important. If we abandon the city and flee, our generals will be thrown into chaos, and Wang Mang's army will surely pursue us. The Gengshi regime will be in imminent danger. We must hold on to Kunyang while simultaneously sending troops out of the city for assistance. Only by attacking from both inside and outside can we have a chance of victory."

Mu Zheng listened to Liu Xiu's analysis and secretly agreed with it. He stood up, clasped his fists, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. I am willing to lead my soldiers to defend the city and live and die with Kunyang!"

Seeing this, other generals also responded, and their morale was immediately boosted.

So, everyone began to divide the work and cooperate. Mu Zheng was responsible for leading a group of soldiers to defend the eastern section of the city wall, which was the key area of ​​attack by Wang Mang's army.

He quickly went to the city wall to inspect the defenses, only to find that the wall was piled high with stones, arrows, and several large pots filled with boiling oil.

Although the soldiers were tired, their eyes showed firm belief.

Soon, it was May.

The army led by Wang Yi and Wang Xun, like a dark cloud covering the sun, joined Yan You and Chen Mao and quickly advanced from Yingchuan to Kunyang.

In just two or three days, an army of over 100,000 men surged to Kunyang City like a tide, instantly encircling the small city. Commander Wang Yi, riding atop a tall horse, gazed at the walls of Kunyang with disdain in his eyes, and without hesitation, ordered the siege of Kunyang.

General Yan You looked at the solid walls of Kunyang with a sense of uneasiness in his heart. He recalled the lessons learned from previous battles and knew that although Kunyang was small, its defenses were strong. If he attacked by force, he would surely suffer heavy losses.

So he rode up to Wang Yi and advised, "General, Kunyang is a small city, difficult to attack, and will not have much impact on the overall situation. Our army should march directly to Wancheng and defeat the Han army besieging it. In this way, Kunyang will fall without a fight."

Wang Yi sneered disapprovingly and said arrogantly, "When I besieged Zhai Yi before, I was criticized for not being able to capture him alive. Now, commanding a million-strong army, we encounter an enemy city and bypass it, unable to capture it. How can this show our power? We should first kill all the soldiers and civilians in this city, and then the whole army will march forward on their blood, singing and dancing. Wouldn't that be more satisfying?"