The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

Liu Feng turned around and said to Zhang Yuan, "Master Zhang, within the next three days, I need to reorganize the army and familiarize myself with the terrain of Hexi. I hope Master Zhang can provide me with a lot of assistance."

His tone was sincere, so Zhang Yuan naturally had no reason to refuse.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best."

He turned sideways and gestured "please" and led Liu Feng deeper into the government office. "I have already arranged a residence for your Highness. It's not far from the training ground, which will be convenient for your training."

Liu Feng spent almost all the next three days in the training ground.

He carefully observed the soldiers' training and found that although these soldiers were poorly equipped, they had high morale and strict discipline, which gave him more confidence in the upcoming battle.

He personally demonstrated various formations and tactics, and adjusted them according to the characteristics of the soldiers, striving to maximize their combat effectiveness.

The training ground was filled with flying dust and the sound of killing was deafening. Liu Feng's figure was moving around in it, like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed.

Three days passed in a flash, and outside Hexi City, the night was as dark as ink.

In the distance, a group of people appeared in the shadows. They were the Five Pecks of Rice Army.

They were holding torches, and Zhao Jun, who was in the lead, was riding on a horse, looking back from time to time with a nervous expression.

He lowered his voice and said to the deputy general beside him, "Speed ​​up and try to reach the city before dawn."

The deputy general nodded and urged the team to speed up.

On a hidden hillside outside the city, a team of twenty people sent by Liu Feng was lying in ambush.

They were wearing night clothes and blended into the surrounding environment. If you didn't look closely, it would be difficult to detect their presence.

The team leader was named Li Hu. He held the long knife tightly in his hand and watched the movements of the Five Pecks of Rice Army with sharp eyes.

"Everyone, brace yourself! As soon as the Five Pecks of Rice Army's vanguard enters the trap, attack immediately and make sure to capture them all!"

The soldiers nodded and tightened their grip on their weapons.

The vanguard of the Five Pecks of Rice Army gradually approached the trap area set by Liu Feng.

Suddenly, the horses in front neighed, their front hooves stepped on empty air, and they fell heavily to the ground.

The soldiers following closely behind were also hit one after another, falling to the ground, and screams rang out one after another.

Li Hu shouted loudly, and the soldiers in ambush jumped up, waving their swords and rushing towards the chaotic Five Pecks of Rice Army.

Zhao Jun waited for a long time but received no report from the vanguard.

He felt a faint sense of unease, reined in his horse, and said to the deputy general beside him: "What's going on? Why is there still no news?"

The deputy general also shook his head in confusion.

At this moment, a burst of shouting and killing sounds came from the distance. Zhao Jun's face changed drastically, "Oh no! There's an ambush!"

However, Liu Feng had already led a large army to surround them from all directions.

The Hexi defenders rushed towards the Five Pecks of Rice Army like a tide.

Zhao Jun gritted his teeth and had no choice but to fight.

Liu Feng led the troops and personally went into battle.

He rode a tall horse, holding a spear, like a god descending from heaven, charging left and right in the enemy camp, invincible.

One by one, the soldiers of the Five Pecks of Rice Army fell at his feet, and their corpses piled up like a mountain.

The battlefield was filled with flying dust and deafening shouts of killing. Liu Feng's heroic performance greatly boosted the morale of the Hexi defenders.

During the fierce battle, Liu Feng also noticed that these Five Pecks of Rice soldiers were well-equipped, with shining armor that looked more like official standard equipment.

It would be impossible for ordinary people to get such equipment for these Five Pecks of Rice Army. Could it be that someone is secretly funding them?

The battle lasted for several hours, and the Five Pecks of Rice Army was eventually defeated by Liu Feng's elite troops and was completely routed.

Zhao Jun was captured alive by Liu Feng. Seeing that the situation was not going well, the remaining soldiers quickly retreated. In order to prevent Zhao Jun from escaping, Liu Feng did not pursue him.

Liu Feng returned triumphantly, and the people of Hexi City lined the streets to welcome him with deafening cheers.

They threw flowers at Liu Feng to express their gratitude to him.

Zhang Yuan was overjoyed. He quickly walked up to Liu Feng and said excitedly, "Your Highness is truly brave. The people of Hexi are eternally grateful!"

Liu Feng dismounted and said with a smile, "Master Zhang, you are too polite. This is what I should do."

Zhang Yuanyuan saw Zhao Jun being escorted down from afar and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that we have captured the leader of the Five Pecks of Rice Army, the remaining remnants of the defeated army are nothing to be feared."

He raised his hand to signal the soldiers to take Zhao Jun away and put him in jail temporarily, preparing to interrogate him first.

Liu Feng suddenly patted Zhang Yuan on the shoulder and said, "Master Zhang, we were able to win this battle thanks to your careful arrangements a few days ago. This allowed me to focus on training the troops."

The latter quickly waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. I am just doing my duty."

Several soldiers pushed Zhao Jun forward, and the people on both sides pointed at Zhao Jun and cursed him.

"Damn thief."

"It's you thieves who destroyed my family!"

"Master Zhang, look at the armor he wears... I can tell it's not something you'd find in ordinary Five Pecks of Rice soldiers. It's exquisitely crafted, and the style is identical to that of the imperial army."

Liu Feng informed Zhang Yuan of his discoveries during the battle.

Zhang Yuan had already noticed this. In fact, he had been secretly investigating for quite some time, but the other party acted extremely cautiously and no new discoveries had been made so far.

On the other side, in the magnificent Shangshu Room.

Li Chengfeng sat upright, with three slightly nervous young men standing in front of him.

They are the top three in this imperial examination: number one Chen Tingshu, number two Wang Bo, and number three Li Siming.

Especially Chen Tingshu, who still couldn't believe that he was the top scorer in the imperial examination. After all, his writing style had always been unconventional, and he didn't expect that this time he would catch the emperor's eye.

"My three beloved ministers, please do not be so reserved. I have summoned you today to hear your opinions on government reform."

Li Chengfeng's gentle voice made the three of them relax a little.

He handed them the reform plan he had drafted. "These are some of my preliminary ideas. You can boldly put forward your own opinions without any concerns."

Chen Tingshu took the plan, and the other two came over to read it carefully together.

Although this plan is brief, it is based on the test paper I submitted earlier, and adds many details that I didn't expect. I can't help but secretly admire Your Majesty's thoughtful consideration.

Chen Tingshu couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty is wise. If this plan can be implemented, it will surely give Daqian a brand new look!"

Wang Bo and Li Siming also nodded in agreement.

Li Chengfeng was very pleased to see this. "I hope the three of you can pool your wisdom and improve this plan as quickly as possible. Don't be bound by the old system, and make bold reforms!"

The three of them received the order and immediately started discussing it in the Shangshu Room.

Chen Tingshu was quick-witted, quoted classics, and put forward many practical suggestions;

Wang Bo was well-read and knowledgeable, and he was well-versed in the local customs and practices of various places, and he added many details;

Li Siming is meticulous, good at finding problems, and points out some shortcomings in the plan in a timely manner.

The three of them cooperated well and had a lively discussion.

Li Chengfeng left three people in the Shangshufang to continue to improve the plan, and he returned to the Imperial Study.

Seeing him return, Little Liuzi immediately stepped forward to report, "Your Majesty, I've heard that Wang Dezheng has instructed the Ministry of Personnel to dissuade the ministers from cooperating with the three students' reforms, clearly indicating that he will not provide any resources."

Li Chengfeng's face darkened upon hearing this. "What does he want to do? To hinder my reform plans?"

"My humble opinion is that Wang De is the Right Prime Minister's man, and he must have received instructions from him."

The cold light in Li Chengfeng's eyes grew even colder. "It's indeed Qi Daokun... Little Liu, secretly send someone to monitor Wang De's every move. Report any signs of trouble immediately!"

"According to the order!"