Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Changsun Ying was taken aback: "North bank of the Han River, what do you mean?"

Shen Lang smiled but said nothing.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shangxian added, "On the north bank of the Han River lies the mass grave of 200,000 Western Xia soldiers."

Even the renowned Western Xia general Helian Qianjun was utterly annihilated by General Shen in this battle.

Now, the city's inhabitants and the Imperial Guard are busy burying and burning their bodies.

Upon hearing this, both Changsun Yang and Changsun Ying looked at Shen Lang in utter shock.

Shen Lang simply smiled faintly: "It was nothing more than a small favor. It's not worth Your Highness showing off like this. It's all thanks to the concerted efforts of my Imperial Guards."

Changsun Yang and Changsun Ying were completely shocked. How could the entire army of 200,000 Western Xia cavalry have been wiped out?

Then Jiang Shangxian continued, "General Shen, this is the reputation you deserve, so why be modest?"

"Leaving aside these Western Xia cavalry, didn't you also wipe out the Blood Fiend Alliance?"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Yang and his daughter were once again greatly surprised.

The Blood Fiend Alliance is the most powerful sect in the Northwest region. Everyone in the sect eats raw meat and drinks blood, making them feared by all. Even the powerful clans of Guanzhong turn pale at the mere mention of them.

Now, it's been destroyed too?

"The Blood Fiend Alliance has plagued the common people for many years, and its actions have long since reached a point where they are intolerable to heaven and earth."

My Imperial Guard, acting on the Emperor's orders, marched into the Northwest. Eliminating this threat would be a service to the people.

Changsun Ying asked impatiently, "General Shen, did you really wipe out the Blood Fiend Alliance?"

Shen Lang calmly replied, "The Blood Fiend Alliance, with its nine thousand seven hundred and forty-three members, was completely annihilated by my Imperial Guard."

Soon, the people of Xulong Mountain will be able to enter and exit freely, and will no longer need to suffer persecution from cults.

Changsun Ying fell silent. Shen Lang's tone made it seem as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Are there really such outstanding people in this world?

Moreover, he was so young, and looked very dashing, much younger than my minimum age for marriage was forty.

Young, promising, and handsome, he achieved what others could never attain in their entire lives at the height of his youth.

This perfectly matches my image of a hero.

In an instant, Changsun Ying's heart, yearning for love, began to stir.

Isn't this the perfect son-in-law I've been searching for?

Jiang Shangxian's next words further solidified her resolve.

"The head of the Changsun family may not know that in the latter half of last year, the southern border of Chu was invaded by Luchuan. General Shen led his troops more than 3,000 li south."

They marched directly into Luchuan territory, beheading over 100,000 and expanding the borders of our Great Chu by 300 li. If it weren't for the unusual climate in the Central and Southern regions...

Within a few months, Luchuan will surely be destroyed, and the entire territory of the Great Chu will extend to the Indochina Peninsula.

Changsun Yang was dumbfounded, never expecting that Shen Lang, at such a young age, would possess such military talent.

Changsun Ying's eyes gleamed. After a moment's thought, she took the initiative to raise her wine glass and toast Shen Lang.

"General Shen, your prowess is truly admirable. To possess such talent at such a young age, I toast you with this glass of wine!"

Shen Lang smiled and shook his head, picking up the teacup beside him and replying, "A young man should volunteer at the age of twenty. We, the descendants of a civilized and courteous nation, should strive to be better."

I, Shen, am of humble origin, having risen through the ranks of the military. Though my rank is low, I know that only a strong nation can bring peace and security to its people.

Everything is simply about fulfilling one's duty and staying true to oneself. Drinking is forbidden in the army while on campaign.

"From today onwards, we will serve tea instead of wine. We hope Young Master Changsun will understand."

Changsun Ying's heart started racing.

Does this man always speak so sweetly?

I imagine his literary talent is equally impressive.

Changsun Ying drank the wine in one gulp, then gracefully took her seat, her face gradually flushing red.

She is determined to decide on this man!

Even the Queen Mother of the West couldn't stop it!

Changsun Yang had no time to care whether his daughter had found her ideal partner or not; his mind was filled with Jiang Shangxian's introduction of Shen Lang.

Now he finally understood just how terrifying the young man sitting next to him was.

Now he fully understood that the rapid recapture of Luoyang, the subsequent capture of Hangu Pass, and the resulting upheaval in the entire Guanzhong region were no accident.

Everything was the result of Shen Lang's meticulous planning.

The reason he didn't immediately send troops to Guanzhong to recapture Chang'an was not because he lacked the strength, but because he was waiting for the reaction of the major clans in Guanzhong.

If the powerful clans of Guanzhong respond to the call of the Great Chu to recover the old capital, Shen Lang will negotiate the relevant matters on behalf of the court in a peaceful manner.

If it's opposition...

Two hundred thousand Western Xia soldiers were slaughtered, and what power would the powerful clans of Guanzhong have to stop the Chu army's advance? At that time, the entire Guanzhong region would inevitably suffer devastation.

The only thing they could use to negotiate with the Chu court was the threatening slogan, "If we are not afraid of our death, Guanzhong will surely be in chaos."

But what good is that? The Great Chu is not like the Western Xia; what it has in abundance is officials who can govern the local areas.

Shen Lang is waiting for my attitude.

After figuring out the reason, Changsun Yang immediately picked up his wine glass, gestured to Shen Lang, and then downed it in one gulp.

At this moment, he had made a choice for the entire powerful clans of Guanzhong.

"Shen Shuai!"

In an instant, his way of addressing Shen Lang also changed.

"General Shen, our powerful clans in Guanzhong have longed for the royal army for many years. Now we finally see the dawn of liberation from foreign oppression, and we will certainly do our utmost to help you."

"I urge Commander Shen to take advantage of the fact that the Qiang people in Guanzhong are currently preoccupied with their own troubles and quickly send troops to Chang'an!"

This statement directly revealed his stance.

The powerful clans of Guanzhong were willing to welcome the royal army into Guanzhong and completely abandoned the Western Xia regime.

This is actually the way of survival among powerful families. When they sense that a government is so corrupt that it is beyond repair and their own interests will be greatly affected, they will not hesitate to abandon the old regime and seek a new protector.

This is the general structure of aristocratic families across the entire continent. Apart from the special case of the Wu Zhao Kingdom, the relationship between aristocratic families and the ruling regime is not one of good or evil, but only of interests.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang sighed again: "Sir, you have the world in your heart, and though you are in the Hu camp, your mind is with Chu. This sentiment truly moves me."

Mr. Shen also wanted to immediately advance into the heart of Guanzhong and drive out the Qiang and Hu tribes, but there were still many difficulties at the moment…

As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair, revealing a troubled expression.

Changsun Yang hurriedly said, "If Marshal Shen is facing any difficulties, and if there is anything that requires the assistance of the powerful clans of Guanzhong, we will certainly do our utmost to help."

Shen Lang shook his head: "Since Mr. Changsun has spoken, then I will speak frankly."

The imperial court was under considerable financial pressure; the money and provisions used for this large-scale military campaign had been exhausted.

As the army marches into the Guanzhong region, its provisions will likely be insufficient to cover its needs.

Moreover, as you have probably seen, Luoyang is filled with starving people.

We are all urgently awaiting grain supplies from the imperial court. Without them, the army cannot set out.

Upon hearing this, Changsun Yang immediately replied, "Regarding mere grain and fodder, the various large families in Guanzhong still have some in their warehouses."

"As long as Commander Shen is willing to lead his troops into Guanzhong, all the major families in Guanzhong are willing to provide this amount of grain to relieve Commander Shen's urgent needs."

As he spoke, Changsun Yang made a "three" gesture.

Seeing this, Shen Lang thought to himself that they were finally on their way.

He then rubbed his mouth with his palm and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

After a long silence, he tentatively asked, "Three hundred thousand shi?"

"Three million shi!"

Changsun Yang solemnly announced an astronomical figure, which even surprised Jiang Shangxian.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately leaned back in his chair, covered his forehead with his left hand, and began to rub it back and forth.

He had to try to calm himself down.

I told myself not to laugh and to maintain a composed demeanor.

It's because my perspective is too narrow; I don't have a clear understanding of the wealth of the powerful families in Guanzhong.

However, Changsun Yang interpreted Shen Lang's action as disbelief and immediately added, "As long as Commander Shen agrees today that our royal army will continue its westward advance into Guanzhong..."

Within fifteen days, three million shi of grain will be delivered to Luoyang port!

Shen Lang rubbed his cheek, remaining silent.

Changsun Yang stood up abruptly: "Ten days! The first batch of grain must arrive at Luoyang Port on time within ten days!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately poured himself a glass of wine and then toasted Changsun Yang: "Sir, your righteousness is truly admirable."

Military regulations are strict, and I, Shen, should not normally drink this glass of wine. However, today, I am willing to make an exception for you, sir. Please!

Jiang Shangxian immediately raised his wine glass and toasted Changsun Yang.

"General Shen, Your Highness, please!"

After receiving a definite answer from Shen Lang, Changsun Yang immediately picked up his wine glass and drank heartily with the young man in front of him.

"Hahaha……"

After drinking heartily, the three of them burst into laughter.

Changsun Ying, however, was completely focused on Shen Lang, becoming more and more fascinated the more she looked at him.

"Should I tell him my identity? Or go to his room tonight? But will he look down on me if I do that? Ugh, this is so annoying."

As she indulged in fantasies, she felt her cheeks burning red.