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

A new day begins in Shengjing City.

As the peddler's cries echoed through the market once more, crowds gradually gathered, and the lively atmosphere instantly filled the air.

As the shadow of war faded, the city regained its former prosperity.

"Shopkeeper, a few side dishes and a pot of wine, please, hurry up."

Inside a tavern, a group of government officials who had just finished their night duty entered in small groups, yawning as they sat down at the tables, intending to have a snack before going back to rest.

The group occupied three tables, took off their shoes, put their smelly feet on the long benches, and casually tossed their braids.

The lead official picked up the teapot, which was already patinaed, poured a cup of water into it, swirled it, and then spilled it on the ground.

He then poured himself another glass of water, took a sip, and began chatting with his colleagues.

"It's finally over. These past few days, we were terrified because of the foreign barbarians. We thought they were going to invade the capital."

Upon hearing this, the other officials were also shaken and began to complain bitterly.

"To be honest, I was so scared that I didn't sleep well for several nights, fearing that foreign barbarians would invade and lose our heads."

"Have you heard? These foreign barbarians have been burning, killing, looting and committing all sorts of atrocities abroad. I heard there are hardly any survivors left in Zhongdu City."

"So fierce! Fortunately, our Emperor is in good spirits and turned the tide at the critical moment. I don't know what method he used, but he forced the foreign barbarians to obediently withdraw their troops."

"Damn it, our Emperor is the best! Anyone else would have been finished long ago."

At this moment, the food and wine were served, and the officials immediately perked up, eating and chatting happily.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from inside the tavern.

"Shopkeeper, warm a bowl of wine and a cup of fennel beans."

The leading official turned around and couldn't help but smile when he saw the newcomer.

"Hey, isn't this that... who was it again? Right, Wang Shanshui, the dismissed scholar? What's up, drinking so early in the morning? Why don't you come over and have a couple of drinks with us?"

This person was Wang Shanshui, who had been removed from the register of officials and had his residence confiscated.

At this moment, Wang Shanshui was unusually dejected than he had been a month ago. He was dressed in a gray cloth robe, his face was covered with a stubble, and he was unkempt. He looked completely different from before.

Since being dismissed from his post and having his family property confiscated, Wang Shanshui, suffering such a blow, has been drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day, unable to face reality.

Wang Shanshui paid no attention to the officials' mockery and ridicule, and just stood in front of the counter to urge them: "Shopkeeper, is the wine ready yet? I'm getting impatient."

Before long, the shopkeeper brought over a bowl of wine and a plate of fennel beans.

Just as Wang Shanshui was about to take the wine, the shopkeeper stopped him: "Wait, Scholar Wang, pay for the wine first, it's twenty-three coins in total."

"So expensive? Wasn't it only twenty coins the day before yesterday?"

"Take your drink if you like, or don't. Goodbye."

The shopkeeper didn't give Wang Shanshui a friendly look at all and raised his hand to drive him away.

But Wang Shanshui quickly waved his hand and said, "I have money, I have money."

As he spoke, he pulled out a string of copper coins from his pocket.

Just as I was about to count the copper coins, the shopkeeper snatched them away.

"Stop counting. You still haven't paid back the money you owed for drinks last time. Let's settle it all together this time."

Wang Shanshui wanted to get the money back, but seeing that the shopkeeper had already thrown the copper coins into the cash box, he could only shake his head helplessly.

"Forget it, who told me, Wang Shanshui, to be bullied by dogs when I'm down on my luck? If it were before, I wouldn't even glance at this kind of tavern, let alone come in."

Unexpectedly, as soon as these words were spoken, the official could no longer sit still.

"Hey, Scholar Wang, what do you mean by that?"

Wang Shanshui asked, puzzled, "This is pointless. What did I do to offend you?"

The official laughed and said, "Are you saying you look down on this place? Are you laughing at our worthless lives?"

Wang Shanshui wanted to argue with him, but seeing the official's ferocious face, he knew he was not someone to be trifled with, so he shrank back and muttered, "A gentleman does not argue with a brat."

"What are you muttering about? Are you insulting me?"

The officer grabbed him by the collar.

Wang Shanshui immediately became agitated: "Let go! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, are you planning to commit violence? Let me tell you, I used to be an advisor to the Crown Prince, you..."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

When the officers saw that he was still pretending, they shouted and slammed him against the counter.

"You said it yourself, it was before, but now you're just a disgraced commoner, a pedantic scholar who doesn't recognize his ancestors. You've fallen so low and you're still putting on airs for me... I..."

clap clap...

When the official got excited, he slapped Wang Shanshui twice, making him dizzy.

"Kid, listen up! Starting tomorrow, you'll send me two hundred coins every month as a tribute to your Uncle Hu. If you don't, I'll loosen your spine every day. Got it?"

Wang Shanshui kept nodding; he was truly bewildered by this unreasonable official.

"Humph."

The official snorted and returned to the table to continue eating and drinking, while the shopkeeper watched coldly the whole time, making no attempt to stop him.

He had also disliked Wang Shanshui for a long time.

Wang Shanshui touched his burning cheek, feeling a deep sense of sorrow.

"Why did things turn out this way?"

Thinking of this, he picked up his wine bowl and took a sip of wine.

Thinking about her current situation, where even eating was a problem, she couldn't help but bury her face in her hands and cry...

On the other hand, Guan Mao, who was also dismissed from his post, did not give up on himself like Wang Shanshui. Instead, he continued to publicize the wisdom and prowess of Wu Zhaoguo, hoping to regain his original position.

The news of Wu Zhao's great defeat was kept strictly confidential by Li Hong, and only princes, nobles and officials knew about it.

In order to "learn from shame and then be brave", Li Hong's younger brother, the Eighth Prince Li Cheng, reorganized the Beijing Garrison with Li Hong's tacit approval.

Li Tang's method of reorganizing the Beijing garrison was quite unique.

He neither thoroughly investigated military discipline nor stopped the spread of opium in the army, and he also turned a blind eye to the neglect of military equipment in the army.

It was just that the Beijing Garrison was given a more prestigious name: Tiger God Garrison.

Why is it named Tiger God Camp?

Li Tang's explanation was perfectly reasonable.

"The reason why I, Wu Zhao, have suffered such a great humiliation is all because of the Chu Yi. The Chu Yi came from the sea, hence the name 'Yang' (洋, meaning ocean)."

The renaming of the Capital Garrison to the Tiger God Garrison was specifically designed to counter the Chu barbarians. As the saying goes, a tiger eats a sheep; once the Capital Garrison is renamed the Tiger God Garrison, our Wu Zhao Kingdom will surely defeat the Chu barbarians!

These words quickly gained unanimous approval from the court.

Even Li Hong, whose health had been declining due to the Qian Feng incident, said that his eighth brother's words made a lot of sense and told him to immediately start reforming the Beijing Garrison.

Today, the Tiger God Camp is officially established, and Li Tang has invited all officials to attend the founding ceremony.

Like Li Hong, Li Tang was a man who loved grandstanding. Hearing that Guan Mao was quite skilled at storytelling, he invited him to perform a song at the army's founding ceremony.

Guan Mao felt his opportunity had come, so he immediately accepted the task, took his meal, and rushed to the ceremony site.