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

As dusk fell, Shen Lang led his troops to land in Huizhou City, where they organized a defensive line and prepared for the upcoming battle.

Pei Ju accompanied Shen Lang to supervise the city's defensive fortifications and search for the most suitable location for sniping.

As the city's defensive fortifications were nearing completion, Pei Ju suggested, "Commander, the 1,700 main force of the military camp stationed in Bozhou are the core strength of Wuzhao."

As for the local garrison troops, they are nothing but a rabble; eliminating them would be pointless.

Shen Lang: "Therefore, the families of the officers and soldiers in the inner city's military camp are the best way to lure them in. As for those rabble..."

He glanced at the garrison soldiers with their raven tails who were helping the Chu army move sandbags, and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

"That depends on where you place them. If you treat them like pigs or dogs, then they are pigs or dogs, and they'll never amount to anything."

But if…

Shen Lang whistled at the captured officers and soldiers halfway through his sentence.

The next moment, all the Wuzhao soldiers turned their gazes toward Shen Lang.

Shen Lang took out a handful of silver dollars and slammed them on the table: "Listen up, whoever is willing to be the first to cut off the rat's tail on their head, these silver dollars are yours."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately resumed their work.

According to the laws of the Wuzhao Kingdom, "Keep your head, lose your hair"; a queue (braid) meant certain death.

That stack of silver coins was certainly tempting, but you had to be alive to take it.

Seeing this, Shen Lang remained calm and composed: "You don't want to? How about this then?"

As he spoke, he took half of the stack of silver coins: "There were originally twenty silver dollars, now there are ten silver dollars. Who among you is the first to cut off your queue?"

The officers and soldiers stared blankly at Shen Lang. Some of them were about to make a move, but were stopped by others.

"Still unwilling?"

Seeing that no one was willing to step forward, Shen Lang took away half of the ten silver dollars again.

"There are only five silver dollars left. You'd better think it over carefully."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier ran up to Shen Lang, bowed, and asked, "Sir, I'm willing to cut off my queue. Will I really get the money?"

Shen Lang handed him a dagger: "Cut off the rat tail on your head, and you can take the five yuan now."

The soldier hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and took the dagger to cut off the braid on his head.

This scene made the other officers and soldiers gasp in shock.

"Very good, these five silver dollars are yours from now on." Shen Lang took the money rat tail without even glancing at it and threw it aside, handing the five silver dollars to him and asking, "What's your name?"

"Replying to your question, sir, my name is Qin Erlv."

"Qin Erlv, you're very good. Take the money and go home."

Qin Erlu was taken aback. Holding the thick stack of silver dollars in his hand, he asked uncertainly again, "Are you really letting me go?"

Shen Lang waved his hand: "Go ahead, I keep my word."

Upon hearing this, Qin Erlu immediately thanked him repeatedly, stuffed the silver coins into his pocket, and turned to leave.

With the first, there is the second.

Soon more officers and soldiers surrounded them, all demanding to cut off their queues in exchange for silver dollars, some even offering just one silver dollar to cut off their queues.

This scene puzzled Pei Ju greatly. After Shen Lang stood up with a smile, he couldn't wait to ask, "Commander, what's going on? Nobody was willing to cut their queue for twenty silver dollars, but now that the price has been lowered, everyone is rushing to do it?"

Shen Lang said, "You have to put yourself in their mindset and consider their national circumstances when looking at problems."

Twenty silver dollars was beyond their means of acquiring this wealth, and they believed it was all unreal.

After the price reduction, they will naturally feel that the price is more appropriate, enough to break through their bottom line.

After all, if the money is less, they'll start to suspect that even if they don't take the money, we'll force them to cut off their braids anyway.

This created a sense of anxiety among them, especially after the first person set an example.

They will inevitably exchange their braids for a final profit when their value depreciates to the point of being unprofitable.

That's a reverse psychological warfare tactic; too bad, you've already learned it again.

Pei Ju immediately bowed and said, "Commander, I truly admire you beyond measure."

Shen Lang chuckled softly, then let out a long sigh. A deep sadness appeared on his face, as if he were thinking of something.

After a while, Lü Meng personally approached Shen Lang and said, "Commander, the inner city is in complete chaos. Those local soldiers who have not yet been brought to justice have already harmed more than a dozen wealthy families. Those wealthy families have all begged me to let them leave Huizhou City."

Shen Lang: "Go back and tell them that anyone who dares to leave the inner city will be shot dead. If they don't want anything to happen, they should stay at home."

Lu Meng paused for a moment, then immediately changed the subject: "I have already followed the commander's orders and released Nie Shitu and several other local officials out of Huizhou City."

Given the distance between Bozhou and Huizhou, the main force of Soin's army will arrive here within five days. Commander, leave the task of annihilating this main force to me.

Shen Lang shook his head: "No, I will personally deal with the main force of Soyin."

You should immediately organize the information on Huizhou's inner city and replenish the resources for the departure point as soon as possible.

After annihilating Soyin's main force, we will continue north to Minzhou.

"As ordered!"

Without asking any further questions, Lü Meng gave a military salute and immediately turned back to the inner city.

……

Inside the governor's mansion in Bozhou, Nie Shitu knelt before a foreign general with a full beard, not daring to breathe loudly.

This general was none other than Governor-General of Hui and Hai, Soin.

"You mean, Huizhou and Haizhou were successively occupied by foreign barbarians?"

"Lord Suo, the enemy's firearms are too powerful. We can't even find where the enemy is before we're completely overwhelmed!"

"waste!"

Soin kicked Nie Shitu to the ground: "How can foreign barbarians be compared with my Wu Zhao Kingdom? Since they dare to violate the borders of my Wu Zhao Kingdom, they should be prepared to be beheaded."

After speaking, Soyin immediately gave the order: "Order all officers and soldiers of the military camp to rebel at midnight tomorrow, assemble at 4 AM, and march to Huizhou at 5 AM."

Furthermore, notify the Tuqin cavalry to join the expedition. This general wants to see where these ignorant barbarians get the audacity to oppose my Wuzhao Kingdom.”

Nie Shitu hurriedly said, "With Lord Suo personally taking action, these Chu people will surely be beaten to a pulp."

"Stop flattering me. I will personally report the loss of Haizhou to the Emperor. You can just wait to lose your head."

After saying this, Soin turned and left.

Upon hearing these words, Nie Shitu collapsed to the ground, utterly powerless.

……

The following morning, Soyin personally led 1,700 officers and soldiers from the military camp and 800 men from the outer vassal states, along with 2,500 cavalry, and marched in a grand procession toward Huizhou.

This time, he didn't bring a single local soldier with him.

In Soyin's mind, the local officers and soldiers were all a rabble.

"Hmph, what nonsense about the foreigners' advanced firearms, they're just spouting nonsense. After I take Huizhou, I'll march on Haizhou and escort the foreign bandit leader to the capital to celebrate the Emperor's birthday."

Bozhou is only a two-day walk from Huizhou, not to mention that the army had the assistance of warhorses, and they arrived at Huizhou city twenty miles away by the morning of the second day.

Meanwhile, the two infantry blocking battalions led by Shen Lang had been waiting in front of the prepared trenches for quite some time.

Enraged by this, Soin raised his halberd and shouted, "How dare these barbarians abandon the city and fight in the open against my valiant troops! They truly do not know my might! Warriors, charge forward and wipe them out..."

Bang~

Suddenly a gunshot rang out, and a speeding bullet pierced through Soin's forehead, bringing out a pool of red and white brain matter, instantly choking him to death before he could finish speaking.