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

"This is so satisfying! I've been training for over thirty years, and killing people isn't as easy as with a rifle like this. If I had known this would be so great, why would I have bothered training at all?"

The fact that Mu Qingqiu could achieve such a significant victory on her first command of a rifle squad made her secretly feel a little smug.

Zhang Dayong and the other seven officers who hadn't stood up all dropped to the ground and covered their heads with their hands the moment the gun went off.

Smelling the acrid smoke and seeing the twenty-two figures lying in pools of blood like wheat, Zhang Dayong was deeply shocked.

He had previously wondered why this Duke Zhenguo would be so bold as to confront the officers in the camp, but it turned out he had been prepared all along.

"Zhang Dayong!"

"I am here...I am here...I am here. May I ask, Lord Shen, what are your orders?"

A deep shout startled Zhang Dayong so much that he immediately jumped up and knelt on the ground, stammering as he spoke.

Even his helmet was crooked, and he awkwardly hurriedly straightened it.

"Go and inform the main camp that an enemy attacked the main tent, and these twenty-two generals all died in battle while protecting me."

"Yes!"

"return!"

Just as Zhang Dayong was about to leave, Shen Lang immediately called him back.

"My lord, is there anything else you need?"

Zhang Dayong was so shocked by Shen Lang's decisive and ruthless demeanor that he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

They were afraid that if they weren't careful, they would end up like their former colleagues.

Shen Lang got up and walked over to him, personally helping him up and patting the dust off his clothes.

"You all get up too."

Upon hearing this, the other six people also stood up tremblingly, looking at Shen Lang with uneasy expressions.

"General Zhang, I only have one question for you: are you willing to pledge allegiance to His Majesty or to Governor Zheng?"

This time, Zhang Dayong did not hesitate at all: "Lord Shen, although I am a rough man, I know that the salary I receive is bestowed by the emperor, and I am naturally loyal to the court."

"Me too!"

The other six instantly channeled Zhang Fei's spirit and pledged their loyalty to Shen Lang.

Shen Lang nodded: "Alright, since that's the case, then from this day forward you will be the acting commander of this Suzhou camp. After I have reorganized the Suzhou officialdom..."

"I will certainly report this to His Majesty and issue the appointment document!"

Zhang Dayong was shocked to hear this, never expecting such immense wealth to fall into his lap.

But he also knew that his abilities and reputation were far from enough to convince the public, so he immediately demurred, saying, "Lord Shen, this humble general is illiterate and I am afraid I am not qualified for such an important position!"

Shen Lang smiled: "You don't need to be afraid. Military reforms are imminent. His Majesty has made up his mind to reclaim military power in various regions."

All generals loyal to His Majesty will be reassigned to familiarize themselves with new military tactics. You will also need to undergo a period of further training upon assuming your post.

"Once you complete your studies, you will definitely become a qualified general. Don't worry."

Upon hearing Shen Lang's words, Zhang Dayong immediately knelt on one knee: "Zhang Dayong thanks Lord Shen for his promotion. This humble general will be loyal to His Majesty and will never change his mind!"

"Ah."

Then Shen Lang looked at the other seven people: "From now on, you will temporarily take over the subordinates of these loyal and righteous men who died. When I return to the capital, you will all be at least deputy generals."

"Thank you, Lord Shen! Thank you, Your Majesty! We are willing to give our lives for you, even unto death!"

Shen Lang nodded in satisfaction. With these people appeased, the situation in Suzhou could be opened up smoothly.

Aristocratic families without military power are essentially a bunch of toothless sick cats, utterly insignificant.

What needs to be done now is to use Zhang Dayong and his group of brainless people to reorganize the Suzhou camp for me.

Once the army is reorganized, the entire Suzhou Prefecture will be completely transformed.

"Issue an order to the entire army, telling them that I will not let these twenty-two righteous men die in vain, and I will definitely seek justice for them."

Looking at the twenty-two corpses, a cold smile appeared on Shen Lang's lips. He decided to make the most of their remaining strength.

Their deaths were already part of Shen Lang's plan.

Mu Qingqiu asked in a low voice, "Kid, what are you planning to do next?"

"Next step?"

Shen Lang chuckled softly.

"Naturally, I'll go to Suzhou Prefecture to meet that Minister Zheng and see what kind of show he can put on for me."

Mu Qingqiu instantly understood: "You mean to divert their attention, to stop focusing on the military camp, and give you time to reorganize the Suzhou camp?"

"Sometimes, you're not stupid, hahaha."

"How long will it take?"

"Seven days, I will only play with them for seven days."

Shen Lang was very certain.

"Within seven days, I will gather all the evidence that Liu Wu has not yet collected. Once the seven days are over, not only Suzhou, but the entire Jiangnan officialdom will be shaken by a storm."

Shen Lang's eyes were icy cold. His purpose in returning to Suzhou was to take the opportunity to eradicate the aristocratic families in Jiangnan who were threatening the imperial family.

……

"After eating pickled vegetables and stewed tofu, even the emperor is no match for me!"

Inside the Suzhou salt warehouse, a fat, big-eared salt official was sitting at a table, drinking wine, eating a hot pot of salted vegetables and tofu, and humming a little tune from "Nine Clans Elimination Game" with a look of complete enjoyment on his face.

As the hot pot began to boil, he skillfully added some delicate seasonings, then grabbed a piece of tofu and took out a small knife to measure it.

In no time, the thick block of tofu was transformed into sixteen neat little blocks of tofu.

Adding this to the pot, along with the aroma of pickled vegetables and bamboo shoots, makes it incredibly delicious.

The salt official's name was Huang Daorong. Although his official position was not high, the job of overseeing the salt warehouse was quite lucrative.

During his years in office, he amassed over a hundred thousand taels of silver, living a very happy and fulfilling life.

He didn't take a concubine or anything like that. He would only go to brothels and theaters to relieve his fatigue when he was tired. His usual hobbies were good food and tinkering with things that the aristocratic families jokingly called "strange skills and frivolous crafts".

Huang Daorong was drinking, singing, and eating hot pot, while the laborers around him were busy piling bags of salt filled with mud and sand into the warehouse.

"Work hard and don't slack off. Finish early so you can rest early. You'll get a good bonus later."

Huang Daorong urged him on while taking a sip of his wine.

"I know you are all very tired, but haven't I suffered with you?"

"Stop gossiping and do more work. You've been following me for so long."

"When have we ever mistreated you? Rest assured, you'll be paid every penny you're owed."

After saying that, he picked up his chopsticks, scooped up a piece of perfectly cooked tofu from the hot pot, blew on it, and then stuffed it into his mouth.

The scalding hot tofu caused Huang Daorong's cheeks to twitch uncontrollably, and he even rolled his eyes back.

However, after the tofu was eaten, a feeling of satisfaction and comfort gradually brought a smile to his face.

When the mood struck him, he used his chopsticks to hold up his wine cup and continued humming a little tune: "They say the emperor's life is wonderful, but it's not as good as a minor official's cup of wine; three thousand beauties in the harem are not as good as a courtesan's song~"

"Haha, how wonderful, how wonderful!"

Huang Daorong downed another glass of wine.

At this moment, Old Sun, the accountant, came to him with the ledger: "Lord Huang, I've calculated it. This year, the actual amount of official salt is short by a full two thousand yin (one yin is three hundred catties). What if the higher-ups investigate? How are we going to explain this?"

"Hmm, this much, I hope I haven't miscalculated. Let me check."

Huang Daorong put down his wine glass, picked up the ledger, and looked through it, his brows furrowing in disapproval.

"Heh, this is getting more and more outrageous."

After Huang Daorong finished reading, he threw the ledger back into Old Sun's hands.

"It's alright. Even if the sky falls, the Governor's Mansion will hold it up. Let's not worry about these troublesome things and just do our jobs well."

Old Sun: "Sir, have you thought this through? These past few days, my eyelids have been twitching; I have a feeling something important is about to happen."

If something goes wrong, you'll be the first one caught as a scapegoat.

Upon hearing this, Huang Daorong smiled dismissively: "Don't worry, it won't happen. The Governor's Office will definitely protect me."

"Why?"

Huang Daorong laughed: "The accounts of how officials in Suzhou and Ningzhou and Mingzhou have profited from reselling salt permits over the years..."

I've already started a new one. If they betray me, then we'll fight to the death.

"If this ledger is exposed, it won't just affect Suzhou."

The entire officialdom in Jiangnan is about to undergo a major upheaval, so don't worry, the Governor-General's office will absolutely not let anything happen to me.

Old Sun: "Then you should be careful, sir. Do you remember that Lord Liu? He stirred up half of the officialdom in Suzhou."

"In the end, he was still imprisoned by the Minister, wasn't he? Don't worry, nothing will happen. Even if the sky falls, the higher-ups will hold it up for us."

Huang Daorong rolled his eyes and swallowed another piece of tofu, saying casually.

"This ledger is our talisman. With it, even the gods can't subdue us."

After speaking, Huang Daorong tilted his head back and drank a glass of wine in one gulp.