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

"Wang Xuance".

"What are your orders, Commander?"

After hearing Hailan's request, Shen Lang expressionlessly called Wang Xuance to his side.

After whispering a few words in Wang Xuance's ear, Wang Xuance immediately accepted the order and entered the military camp.

Seeing Wang Xuance leave, and having to face Shen Lang alone, Hailan's face was filled with unease and anxiety, and she was very frightened.

After spending a few days together, he had developed an inexplicable fondness for Wang Xuance. Now that he was leaving, how could he face this young man in front of him?

"Don't be nervous. I can agree to any of the conditions you just mentioned."

After offering some words of reassurance, Shen Lang directly offered his opinion.

"However, if you want to have enough to eat, you still have to prove yourself with real skills."

Hylanin: "Sir, please just tell us what you need us to do."

"it is good."

Shen Lang turned around and pointed in the direction of Rangzhou City.

"See that big flag on the city wall? Shoot it down, and I'll make sure you all have enough to eat every day."

Hailan looked in the direction Shen Lang pointed and couldn't help but lick her dry lower lip.

"No problem, sir. I can shoot him down from a hundred paces away, but we're starving and dizzy. Could you let us have a meal first?"

"No."

Shen Lang refused without even thinking.

"The food is reserved for those who are useful. We do not keep useless people in our army. You must prove that my selection of you is worthwhile."

As they were talking, a group of Goryeo soldiers carried cooking pots and firewood to the outside of the camp and began cooking on the spot.

Hundreds of large pots were set up, and the cooks were busy chopping vegetables and throwing them into the water.

Several cooks cut a sheep into pieces, sprinkled it with salt and seasonings, and threw it into a boiling pot to start cooking.

This scene instantly energized the Solon people, who gathered around the stove, their eyes glued to the gradually boiling soup.

The sound of Adam's apple bobbing echoed continuously among the crowd.

Shen Lang patted Hailanyin on the shoulder, drawing his attention back to him.

"It'll be a little while before dinner, so you can decide what to do yourself, as long as you do as I say."

"Shoot down the banner on the city wall, and all this mutton and soup will be yours."

Upon hearing Shen Lang's words, Hailan first glanced at the banner on the city wall, then at the meat and vegetables in the pot.

The next moment, he made a decision.

"Hailanzhou!"

"Brother!"

A warrior from another tribe, a few years younger than Hylanin, responded loudly and walked to Hylanin's side.

"Bring me my bow and horse. Today, I will ensure that all my people have a good meal!"

"Yes, brother!"

Hailanzhou loudly accepted the order and immediately went back to fetch Hailanyin's warhorse.

Without saying a word, Hailan mounted her horse, grabbed the carved bow hanging on the side of the horse, and spurred her horse toward the city wall of Rangzhou.

Wang Xuance frowned and hurriedly said to Shen Lang, "Commander, this is probably not appropriate. Hailanyin has not eaten for five days and four nights."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang fell into deep thought.

Wang Xuance thought Shen Lang was soft-hearted, so he immediately suggested, "Commander, I think we should let him have a meal first."

Unexpectedly, Shen Lang came to his senses and said, "Someone, tell the cook to cook more rice. As long as he comes back, let him eat his fill!"

Wang Xuance was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Shen Lang smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I believe in him. He will definitely impress me."

……

On the city wall of Rangzhou, the garrison soldiers saw Hailan approaching the city wall alone on horseback and immediately reported to Xue Yan.

"Just one person and one horse?"

Xue Yan looked out of the city in disbelief.

Sure enough, just an arrow's throw away from the city walls, a rider galloped rapidly towards them.

Deputy General Lou Tai'a said, "Could it be that they've come to persuade us to surrender again?"

"wrong."

Xue Yan shook his head.

"This isn't how you persuade someone to surrender. There must be something fishy going on. Tell everyone to be on high alert and be prepared for an enemy attack on the city!"

"Yes!"

On the other side, Hylanin's gaze was fixed on the large banner on the city wall, silently calculating the best distance to shoot it down.

"Given my current physical condition, I can't possibly shoot him down from a hundred paces away. Let's get closer, even closer."

When he was within fifty paces of the city wall, he finally seized the opportunity, drew back the bowstring sharply, nocked a heavy arrow with a crescent-shaped arrowhead, gritted his teeth, and aimed at the banner.

He only had one chance to shoot. If he missed, he really wouldn't have the strength to fire a second arrow in a short time, and the defenders on the city wall wouldn't give him that chance either.

"Go!"

Boom~

The moment the bowstring was released, the arrowhead transformed into a streak of light, piercing straight towards the city wall.

"careful!"

Xue Yan cried out in surprise and instinctively dodged the incoming arrow.

Click~

A sound of wood cracking.

The crescent-shaped arrowhead pierced directly through the flagpole, which was as thick as a large bowl, and immediately knocked it down.

"Success!"

After firing the arrow, Hailan was completely exhausted, but the moment she saw the flagpole on the city wall fall, she couldn't help but exclaim in her heart that she was saved.

The next moment, he spurred his horse and quickly turned it around, galloping back the way it came.

When Xue Yan on the city wall came to his senses, he only saw a cloud of yellow sand rising outside the city, while Hailanyin had already ridden away from the range of the crossbows.

"Damn it! How dare the Goryeo people humiliate me like this! When His Majesty returns in triumph, I will tear them to pieces!"

Xue Yan could only stand on the city wall, pounding his fist in impotent rage, utterly helpless...

When Hailan returned to Shen Lang's side, the aroma of meat filled the air, making him feel weak and sweating profusely.

He rolled over and bumped into Hai Lanzhou's arms, and with his help, he came to Shen Lang.

"My lord, as you instructed, I have shot down that banner... Now, may my people eat?"

Even at this moment, Hylan was still thinking about her people.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang got up, walked to a large pot, and picked up a piece of mutton with tongs.

"They're cooked just right. Now, they're all yours. Just eat."

As soon as the words were spoken, the already starving Solon people immediately gathered in groups of three or five around the large pot, grabbed bowls from the ground, and began to put meat into the pot.

"Just eating meat isn't enough. Bring out rice too, and let me eat as much as I want."

With a wave of his hand, Shen Lang brought over a dozen wooden barrels, each as tall as a person, to the Solon people.

It was filled with thick white rice porridge.

"You've been hungry for a long time. Have some rice porridge to warm your stomachs first, and we'll give you something dry later."

"Thank you for your understanding, sir. Thank you, sir."

Hailan was so hungry that her eyes were practically glowing green. She drank three large bowls of meat soup in a row before ladling out a bowl of rice porridge and picking up a piece of stewed mutton to eat in big bites.

Seeing them wolfing down their food, Shen Lang simply stepped aside without disturbing them.

But at that moment, Shatuo and his men shattered this pleasant dining environment.

When Shatuo saw that these Solon people were eating mutton and rice porridge, he was so angry that he shouted, "You bunch of beggars, do you deserve to eat such good food?"

"You're not allowed to eat any of this, do you hear me! No eating! Put everything down, throw it all down! You only deserve to eat grass roots and tree bark!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a whip and lashed it fiercely at the Solon man who was engrossed in his meal.