The cruel little princess

"If you want to return without any worries and without distractions, in my opinion, the safest way is to completely conquer the Qinglong Kingdom..."

Wang Gang hesitated to express his thoughts.

"Hmph!" Shen Zijin stopped abruptly, his eyes revealing determination as he said in a final voice, "A defeated nation has already lost its fighting spirit. What's the point of talking about bravery now?!

Since I was able to defeat him once last time, I can defeat him a hundred times!

If you really ask me, if we want to fight, we should go straight to the capital of Qinglong Kingdom!

We've been receiving good news along the way. When we return triumphantly, we'll send this news back as a birthday gift for my little niece!

Oh my! This way, not only will Youyou's life and death be resolved, but it will also add a bit of joy. This idea is simply brilliant..."

Wang Gang stood aside, looking at the high-spirited Shen Zijin, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, and secretly complained in his heart: When it comes to spoiling children, it has to be you, the eldest brother!

The Qinglong Kingdom just started fighting without thinking about the hardships involved, and even insisted on using the news of the war as a birthday gift for your niece. I'm surprised you could think of that!

"Someone come here!" Shen Zijin shouted outside with high spirits.

"I'm here! What are your orders, General?" The soldier who had been standing guard outside the door came in, saluted, and asked in a steady manner.

"Now go and invite all the generals to come and discuss matters together!" Shen Zijin gave the order generously.

"Yes! I will do it immediately!" The soldier saluted again and then retreated to invite the generals at the border.

In the dim morning light, fine dust danced in the room. Shen Zijin was dressed in a black robe, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were like a falcon, fixed on the sand table in front of him, which had cost Wang Gang countless efforts and was carefully made according to the border defense.

His slender fingers gently stroked the edge of the sandbox, and his nails turned slightly white due to the force.

A moment later, all the generals who had a say at the border came forward as ordered.

After everyone saluted, they separated into two sides, with a sand table of the border terrain placed in the middle.

Shen Zijin was the first to speak up and resolve everyone's doubts, "My nephew has an important matter to discuss with you! Our Shen Family Army has been here since my father's generation led the troops. In the past twenty years, we have fought with the Qinglong Kingdom hundreds of times, and countless of my uncles and brothers have been killed or wounded! The people at the border are fed up with it!

But since we invented black powder last year, we have temporarily gained the upper hand in combat!

Therefore, I would like to ask the emperor for permission to take down the Qinglong Kingdom! Save our people on the border from suffering from displacement! Save our parents and brothers from the pain of separation from their loved ones!

I invited all the uncles here because I wanted to hear their opinions! What do you think? "Shen Zijin's words were so righteous that they made his blood boil.

There was a moment of silence among the people in the room.

Shen Zijin thought they thought their move was too risky, so he was about to persuade them, "Uncles! Although we have a temporary advantage with black powder, it doesn't mean they won't research... If..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a loud noise.

"Oh! Boy Shen, if your uncle Zhang were to tell you, we should have started fighting a long time ago! We shouldn't have accepted their crappy letter of surrender last time! We should have gone straight to Huanglong and fought all the way!..." This is the deputy general, Uncle Zhang.

"Yes, yes! Let's take advantage of the black powder we have now! We will kill them all without making a sound!" This is another deputy general, Li Bo.

"That's right! If we don't deal with that bastard now, when he makes black powder, he'll become our boss, right? Just do as Shen said, beat him! Beat him hard!"

"Haha, as long as we have black powder in our hands, we can just close our eyes and throw it forward! Who would be so stupid as to rush forward?"

"Hey! No one wants to steal the kills from my Tiger Team this time! We, the Tiger Team, will be the first to charge!"

"No, no! We haven't been on the battlefield for a long time, and you Tigers have become rusty. Let our Lions team get the chance to charge into battle and kill the enemy first!" These were the voices of the two vanguard captains.

Shen Zijin looked at everyone in the field, tears welling in his eyes.

"Thank you all for your trust and support! To be honest, I've already submitted a petition to His Majesty requesting a fight! I expect an urgent decree will arrive within the next two days!"

"Yes! Just fight! After the fight, we can go back and enjoy our old age! We all support you! We also hope that there will be no suffering of broken families in the future..." Uncle Zhang echoed.

"Then we have to get ready now! Arrange people to go and challenge!" said the captain of the Tigers team.

After a long moment, Shen Zijin let out a sigh, regret ripples spreading through the air: "It's just... General Hu Ben of Qinglong Country is like a quail hiding in seclusion, refusing to come out.

I have sent people to challenge them several times in the past few days, but all to no avail. What should I do now?"

"If that doesn't work, just curse! Call a few brothers with loud voices to take turns cursing!" Uncle Li suggested.

Wang Gang had been listening on the side. When he heard this, he tilted his head back and took a few big gulps from the wine bag in his hand. The wine flowed down the corners of his mouth and wet the front of his shirt.

He glared at Shen Zijin with a playful look, as if he were looking at a child who knew nothing of the world, and said jokingly, "Brother, we don't have to stick to these rules. Why can't we just send troops to crush them? Why bother with this nonsense of challenging them?"

As soon as he said this, everyone in the room fell silent.

Shen Zijin suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of confusion and distress. He irritably lifted up the strands of hair on his forehead and questioned, "We are an upright army. If no one responds to our challenge, wouldn't we be ridiculed by the world if we rashly attack?

Is this what a gentleman does?"

When everyone in the room heard this, they started talking about it. Some said that Wang Gang’s idea was good. No matter whether he agreed to fight or not, they could just find a reason to fight!

Some also say that we must fight fairly.

When Wang Gang heard this, he was stunned for a moment, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, and then he burst into earth-shaking laughter, laughing so hard that he almost choked.

He pointed at Shen Zijin while laughing, and said breathlessly: "Brother, it's already this late, and you're still talking about morality!

In this day and age, can morality be eaten, or can it help you win this war?"

After laughing, he wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, rolled his eyes, and came forward. He lowered his voice and offered a mysterious suggestion: "This is easy to do. We can just find an excuse, bring the powerful black powder, and attack directly!

You have to understand that speed is of the essence in war!

We must attack Huanglong directly, capture their capital, and decisively fight a quick victory. This way, we can return to the capital in time for Sister You to give birth."

Wang Gang spoke with great joy, saliva flying everywhere, and a cunning light flashing in his eyes.

"What is upright and what is moral? Let me ask you, will this delay our conquest of Qinglong Kingdom? Will the outcome be the same?" Wang Gang decided to teach them a lesson, to let them know that they need to know how to adapt, and not just talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality!

Just like Sister You said: As long as I have no morals, no one can try to blackmail me morally! Haha!

"It's like all roads lead to Rome. Some people run, some take a boat, some fly...some ride a horse. Although the paths are different, the destination is the same, and the result is the same!"

All the soldiers looked at Wang Gang with sparkling eyes, full of admiration! But they were a little confused: where was this Rome? Why did they want to go to Rome?

"Besides, history books are always written by the victors! The losers are just a passing mention in history books!

So, don't worry too much! Just find an excuse to get over this hurdle in your heart, and the rest is something both the enemy and us know clearly!

Wang Gang has always been an excellent speaker, and his words were passionate, which directly opened a door to heaven for their innocent little hearts!

So fighting can be done this way? Oh! I've learned something! No wonder General Shen's distant cousin, Wang Gang, once said that a cook who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier! So he's so amazing! He really sees things clearly!

Shen Zijin frowned even more tightly, his eyes full of doubt, and asked, "Just making up an excuse?

How can it be so light?

What excuse can I give you?"

His eyes were clear and bright, like a clear spring, but at this moment they were full of confusion. He looked at Wang Gang eagerly, as if he was a student waiting for his teacher to answer his questions.

Wang Gang's eyes rolled, and countless absurd thoughts flashed through his mind. He blurted out: "For example, your beloved pet was captured by the people from Qinglong Country and brought before General Hu Ben. This is a great shame and humiliation. We have a legitimate reason to go to war!"

When the word "pet" is mentioned, all kinds of rare and exotic animals emerge in Wang Gang's mind, such as the majestic cheetah or the snow-white fox.

When Shen Zijin heard this, he seemed to fall into deep self-recollection, and his eyes became distant and blurred.

He raised his head slightly, looked at the top of the tent, and murmured to himself: "Pet?

"For the past twenty years, I've been completely absorbed in military and political affairs, without even a caring woman by my side. How could I possibly have a beloved pet?"

His voice was low and mellow, with a hint of melancholy, like the long bell tolling in an ancient temple, echoing in the silent tent.

The wine Wang had just taken a sip of instantly spurted out, splashing the sand table in front of him.

He laughed so hard that he pounded the ground, pointed at Shen Zijin with trembling fingers, and shouted with a gasp: "Puchi...Brother, you are really...so stupid that you are cute!

A pet doesn't have to be a human. Cats, dogs, birds, and animals can all be considered as pets, as long as they are small animals that you love and care for.

Shen Zijin's eyes lit up like bright stars in the dark night. He clapped his hands excitedly. All kinds of delicious food instantly appeared in his mind, and he was so greedy that his mouth was watering.

“A pet is a small animal?

Then pigs, sheep, and chickens, are they all okay?

Especially the pork chop you made last time. The taste was so tender and juicy. The first bite was so delicious that it lingered on my lips and teeth. I still can't forget it!"

As he spoke, he closed his eyes, his face intoxicated, and suspicious "tears" actually flowed from the corners of his mouth, sparkling with crystal light in the sunlight.

Wang Gang looked at Shen Zijin like this, as if he had been struck by lightning, and stood there in a daze.

His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief, and he wailed in his heart: Ahhh! I'm completely lost in this world of foodies, someone come and save me!

After a while, he shook his head helplessly, then pulled himself together, thought for a moment, and made what he thought was a reasonable suggestion: "Then let's drive a pig out!

Once the people on the other side bring the pig back to Qinglong Pass, we will immediately take the gunpowder and go to their house to ask for it back.

Attack the city with justification!

If they dare not hand it over, we will blow open the city gates!"

Wang Gang spoke passionately, with a determined light flashing in his eyes, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

"What if they see the pigs and don't open the city gates to catch them?" Shen Zijin asked hesitantly.

"Who doesn't want a pie in the sky? If there's an unwanted pig running in front of your house, why don't you hurry back home?" Wang Gang asked back.

Shen Zijin nodded reluctantly, looking as if he was about to give up his beloved, and muttered sadly, "Okay then..."

I just hope that before we capture Qinglong Pass, that greedy old Hu won’t steal and eat my precious pig…”

When he thought of the delicious pork chops, he couldn't help swallowing.

Wang Gang looked at Shen Zijin's useless appearance, rolled his eyes, and complained in his heart: Thank you, I shouldn't have had too high expectations of you. Expecting you to be like a serious commander is simply a daydream!

At this moment, the pig tied outside the tent seemed to understand the conversation between the two people and was spinning around in anger.

It stared with red eyes and complained in its heart: Brothers, you may not believe it if I tell you!

Although I am a pig, I usually live a dull life of eating and sleeping.

But today I am so unlucky that I ran into these two unreliable guys. They actually planned to use me as bait and take a pig to lure people from Qinglong Country.

My pig life has never been so "wonderful"!

For the next three days, the camp was like a boiling pot, a scene of hustle and bustle.

Shen Zijin was like a tireless spinning top, coordinating food supplies all day and night, and taking care of every detail.

He personally supervised the soldiers to focus on making black powder, and his focused expression was as if he was carving the most precious work of art in the world.

At the same time, he personally trained the soldiers. He was as agile as a cheetah, moving around the training ground, roaring like thunder, inspiring the morale of the soldiers.

Under his leadership, the soldiers were like phoenixes reborn from the ashes, full of energy and vigor.

After the busy work, the army rested for a whole day, recuperating and recovering to its peak condition, like a powerful crossbow with a fully drawn string, ready to fly out at the command of a single order.

Finally, at dawn on the fifth day, the dawn light pierced the silence of the night sky like a golden sword.

Shen Zijin, clad in armor, stood majestically on the reviewing platform, the spear in his hand flashing coldly in the morning light.

Below the stage, soldiers were dressed in neat armor and lined up in strict formation, like a Great Wall made of steel.

Shen Zijin's eyes were like torches as he scanned the soldiers below the stage. His voice was like a bell, and he shouted, "Today, we are marching out for our country and honor. Follow me to conquer Qinglong Pass!"

After saying this, he took the lead and led the army, marching towards Qinglong Pass in a mighty manner. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, raising a cloud of dust.