Pria modern terlempar ke masa kerajaan, pimpin Kaisar Perempuan taklukkan seluruh dunia! #drama
I worked my whole life for this. Finally rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and went public. Thought the rest of my life was set. Unlimited gold coins, like some cheat code. But then, just to save some random kid, got hit by one of those wild old folks’ scooters and ended up time traveling. How could I possibly be happy about this? Even if I’m top of the class now, I still can’t shake off the Pace family, those leeches. Other people who time travel always land in rich families, never have to worry about food or money. But me? Of course I end up in some crappy situation. The Pace family’s just a bunch of lazy freeloaders, they’re burning through the family fortune. Damn it, universe, I didn’t ask for this. Just let me go back. Master Pace is talking nonsense again. Master, master, the officials are here. They’re waiting in the front hall. Zhang Bo, go to the vault, bring out all the silver, and deliver it to the front hall. But master, if you give it all away, what will we do? We have to send it. If we don’t hand over the silver, I’ll lose my job as an official. Just these leftover tea leaves? Even livestock wouldn’t drink this. Are you looking down on our family? No, no, we wouldn’t dare disrespect Mr. Yuan. Ah, ah, yeah, that’s right. Sir, this is the best tea we have in the house. So if you want to blame someone, blame Mr. Pace for being too stingy. A bunch of idiots, they buy good tea with stolen money but won’t serve it, and insist on giving me the cheap stuff I bought for my own cravings. Sir, the elders in the house don’t know any better, please don’t take it to heart. Here, this is a small gift from me, please accept it with a smile. Hmph, for such a big Pace family, you only bring out a handful of silver? The top scholar sure is stingy. Sir, things are really tough right now. Uh, once I join the court, then, you know, if you want the top scholar, it’s not me trying to make things hard for you, I’m just here to deliver the emperor’s orders. If you disrespect me, that’s disrespecting His Majesty. That’s a serious offense against the emperor. Damn eunuch, getting all cocky. I’ll put up with it for now. Ah, Prince, you’re bringing just a handful of silver? Isn’t this like lice on a bald head? It’s obvious you’re looking down on Mr. Yuan. Ah, right, right, right. Sir, please calm down. This kid lost his parents young, he doesn’t know any better. What a shame. Hey, I remember your father gave you a precious jade when he was dying. Hurry up and give it to Mr. Yang. These two idiots, actually siding with the eunuch. Guess I’m just cursed. It’s all family here, I’ll put up with it again. Oh, you mean this piece of jade? Looks nice, let me take a look. Sir, this jade isn’t suitable. To be honest, it’s the only keepsake my father left me. Wow, you really can’t tell. Our future Mr. Pace is such a filial son. Mr. Pace, at a time like this, is that piece of jade really worth more than the future of our family? Come on, Mr. Pace, don’t be so stingy. Think about the Pace family. Yeah, exactly, what are you thinking? What do you mean, what are you thinking? You’re still so young. This little brat, just keeps bouncing back. Host’s resentment level detected at maximum. Nine Clans System successfully activated. Every time a family member dies, host can choose any item from the store. If all nine clans are wiped out, host can immediately return to the original world. What? If my nine clans are wiped out, I can go back? But to save myself, I’d have to sacrifice the Pace family. That’s a lot of people. Forget it, I’ll put up with it a bit longer. I’m looking for something, you know. Why are you just standing there? Hey, you useless brat, hurry up and offer the jade to Mr. Yuan. Heh, that’s right, Grandpa Pace. Don’t forget how you became the head of the clan. If you mess up today, the whole Pace family’s in trouble. We all lost the clan leader because of you. Hurry up, top scholar, let’s go, we’ve got a lot to do. Come on, get moving. It’s just a jade token, give it to him. What’s the point? I’m getting anxious for him. What’s going to happen to the Pace family? You dare glare at me? Even the Prime Minister wouldn’t dare. You… I’ll put up with it. Your mom, I’ll put up with it. Screw it, I’m not just glaring at you, I’m going to hit you. Ahhh! You bastard, stop right now! Don’t you know Mr. Yuan is close to the emperor? If something happens to him, the whole Pace family is finished. Old man, I’m beating you on purpose. Some random eunuch from Mengzi, daring to act tough in front of me. Looks like we’re still short a bit here. I’ve got a mean punch, bear with it. Damn emperor, like master, like servant. This damn emperor isn’t any better. Assaulting officials, insulting the emperor, arrest them and execute the whole family. Cao Yan, look at the mess you’ve made! You, you, you, if you want to die, don’t drag us down with you. Seriously. It’s over, it’s over, generations of the Pace family’s fortune, ruined by this son of a concubine. Ha ha ha, finally, I can go back! Hahahahahaha! Your Majesty, Mr. Yuan was beaten. Once again by those civil officials. Dock their pay for six months. Send the imperial physician to the garden with some medicine. Your Majesty, Mr. Yuan was beaten by the top scholar you appointed. He even called you a foolish ruler. Those civil officials always love to accuse the emperor of lacking virtue, then act all dramatic and suicidal, just to earn a good reputation. Looks like our top scholar is determined to die for fame. Wants to be remembered for centuries. Let’s go, let’s see our loyal official. Hahaha. I’m innocent, hahaha! The Pace family has been loyal for generations, how did we end up with someone like Cao Ye? Ahhh! I’m innocent! Let me out! I want to see Mr. Yuan! His Majesty has arrived. Your Majesty. Are you here to interrogate Cao Ye yourself? If Your Majesty is here, that means there might be a chance for things to turn around. Don’t forget, Cao Ye was personally appointed top scholar by Your Majesty. As long as Cao Ye bows his head and apologizes, Your Majesty will definitely forgive our Cao family. Cao Ye, oh Cao Ye, you better seize this opportunity. He lives right here in this group. I was born and raised in this group, you know. Doesn’t dress all that well. Host has sold nine doses of happiness. Step one, reward the host with a random item. A Coke. Been in this world for so many days, finally get to have a sip of that taste from my memory. Oh wow, it’s even cold, ha ha ha! Why aren’t you kneeling when you see His Majesty? Are you out of your mind? Cao Ye! It was obviously your fault my dad died. You owe me a Coke! How dare you be so disrespectful to His Majesty! Your Majesty! The damn emperor is actually a woman? Looks pretty good, honestly. Too bad, little lady, you won’t get to enjoy it. I’m about to go home anyway. Cao Ye, let me ask you, why did you call me a useless ruler? I have no manners, okay? I say what I want. Hey, emperor, hurry up and pour me my wine already. Cao, you’re nothing but a debt collector. Our Cao family treated you well, even made you head of the family. And this is how you repay us? He’s lost it. Don’t listen to his nonsense. Those people who only care about their reputation would never dare to do this. But this Cao Ye actually dares to risk his whole family’s life to speak out. Looks like he really wants to die. You can give me an explanation, and I can have your whole family arrested right now, and chop them down one by one in front of you. Ha ha, you’re actually pretty sharp. Fine, then let me tell you. First, that damn eunuch at your side comes to announce your decree, but he still takes bribes and makes things difficult. I’m the top scholar, yet I’m not even as good as a eunuch? If that’s how it is, I might as well join the palace and become a eunuch myself. Why should anyone bother studying then? Second, you’re the emperor, but your vision is stuck inside your own palace. The border’s been attacked for years, the people are suffering terribly. Those soldiers are using civilians’ heads for military merit. And those officials keep lying about peace in the land, deceiving their superiors and hiding the truth. And as emperor, you know nothing about it. So if you’re not a useless ruler, who is? Shut your mouth! Your Majesty, let me execute this traitor. I’m done talking. All you emperors, go ahead and arrest my whole family and chop them up. So by your logic, all officials in this land are beasts, and I’m just an idiot, and only you see things clearly, is that right? Fine. You think you’re so capable? Then I refuse to let you die. I’m going to bring you into the palace as an official, and see just how talented you really are. From today on, Cao Yan is appointed as Censorate Attendant, and is permitted to attend court sessions. The damn emperor goes back on their word! I don’t want to be an official, I want to go home! Hey, wait, hey! Damn emperor! I want to go home! Hey, hey! His Majesty pardoned our Cao family, and even promoted Cao Ye. Tell me, is this some kind of new way to get promoted? Wow, that bastard Cao Ye, he used our Cao family as bait and actually got the emperor’s attention. That jerk, he hid it deep, real deep. How come my smart brain never thought of that? Oh, the head of the family is just playing dumb. Ha ha ha, genius! Genius, playing dumb. Hmm. Shut the hell up, all of you! It’s all your fault, you bunch of idiots! Ha ha! Boss, stop acting, His Majesty already left. I just want to go home. Your Majesty, why not let me just execute that traitor? He’s just a scholar, learned a bit from books, and thinks he knows how to run a country. Didn’t he say my rule is unstable? I’ll make him see just how prosperous and powerful my Da Qing is. Your Majesty, the Turks attacked south yesterday and broke through Hengzhou. The Hengzhou commander, Wang Qian, abandoned the city and ran. Hengzhou has fallen? How is that possible? A few days ago, we heard good news, that he went out to fight the enemy, and killed hundreds of Turks. How did the city suddenly fall? It was fake, all of it was fake. That bastard, the Turk heads Wang Qian sent were just civilians from outside the border. You—you better come up with a plan fast, otherwise in less than five days, the Turks will be at Yecheng’s gates. Those soldiers are using civilians’ heads for military merit. And those officials keep lying about peace in the land, deceiving their superiors and hiding the truth. And as emperor, you know nothing about it. He nailed it exactly. Could he really be the great Cao? Hurry and summon all the officials to court, to discuss a plan to repel the enemy. Bring Cao along too. Yes, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I’m telling you, Xiao Ye, don’t get cocky. Even though His Majesty made you a Censor, but old man, if you say one more word, I swear I’ll knock your teeth out. Ha ha ha ha ha! Like they say, when one person makes it, everyone rises with him. Ha ha, look at you, you’re an official now! Don’t you dare forget about our Cao family! It’s not like we were counting on you anyway. Soon, you’ll all be rising up together, not a single one left behind. The damn king changed his mind, sent people to raid our house! Lord Cao, His Majesty has an order, inviting you to a banquet at the palace. Not going. Hmm. His Majesty also said, if Lord Cao refuses, they’ll just tie you up and bring you in. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! I’ll go, I’ll go! Is that not enough? Hey, Xiao Ye, once you’re at court, watch your words and actions. What did I just say? Jiazhe, don’t forget, you promised to take us all to the top! Heh heh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! We’re just waiting for you! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Hey, come take a look! Fresh buns, just out of the steamer! Pack me up another order, hey! You got it, sir! Wait, let me think, my money, my hacked life, it’s all the fault of that damn emperor who can’t keep their word! Lord Cao, remember to slow down and get off your horse at the palace gate. Riding in the palace is a capital offense. Hyah—uh, uh! Lord Cao, what are you doing? Stop right now, hey! Let that damn emperor go talk to my whole family! I’m all about the whole family thing! Hey, Che. Your Majesty, about the battle in Hengzhou. In my opinion, the fault lies with the Ministry of War. After all, General Wang Qian is the Deputy Minister of War. He personally promoted that old fool. Always talking nonsense. What does Wang Qian have to do with me? Your Majesty, that old crook is clearly trying to frame me on purpose. Who are you calling an old fool? I’m calling you an old fool. What, you got a problem with that? I’ll pull your hair out. I’m the old fool, hey, hey, hey. I’ll take you out, Your Majesty. The emperor’s bodyguard is Lord Cao. He rides horses in the palace. Who’s Lord Cao? Who cares who he is? Riding a horse in the palace is a capital offense, Your Majesty. He should be executed immediately, and his whole family wiped out. Everyone, shut up! Guards, bring Lord Cao here. Cao Ye rode a horse, with my permission. Look at you all. The battle with the Turks is about to begin. I called you to court for a meeting, but how many of you are taking your sweet time, riding in carriages to get here? Even when you finally arrive, you’re still busy fighting amongst yourselves. But look at Cao Ye, he knows how urgent things are. Even though he risks death, he still rides a horse to attend court. You should all learn from him. Your Majesty, the man has been brought in. Whoa, old man, your beard is so long! And it’s all curly and styled. Is that supposed to be fashionable? Kid, is it hard to take care of? How do you know? I use hair gel for my hair too. What’s hair gel? Oh man, use a lot and I’ll let you try it out, mm-hmm. Hey, emperor, we meet again. I just rode a horse in your palace, that’s a capital offense. Go ahead and keep your promise—execute my whole family. How dare you, Your Majesty! This man insults the court and disrespects your authority. I request you have him dragged out and beheaded in public, then wipe out his entire family. Why not go for ten generations while you’re at it? Weren’t we just chatting nicely? Anyway, thanks. That’s enough! Cao Yan, the Turks have suddenly moved south. They’ll reach Yecheng in five days. You bragged in jail, said you’re the only real talent in the land. Now’s your chance to prove it. I think we should just surrender. How dare you suggest surrender! Everyone shut up, Cao Yan! If the Turks reach Yecheng, it’ll be a massacre. Can you really watch all the people of Daqing die under Turkish blades? Why should I care? I just got here a few days ago. The magic talisman hasn’t worked once, but I’ve been blamed for everything. Honestly, I’d rather have the Cao family fight the Turks. Hey, that’s right! I can send them to fight the Turks! I know you’re still upset about Lord Yuan. You call me a dog emperor, but I’ll take this job. He changed his attitude so fast. Cao Yan, are you just messing around? What are you talking about? Dog emperor, I, Cao Yan, am a loyal subject of Daqing, I should help Daqing out. So, I’ll make a military pledge right now. I’ll drive the Turks out in three days. If I fail, execute my whole family. The Turks are brutal. If the Cao family leads the charge, there’s almost no chance anyone survives. Even if someone gets lucky, my pledge will still give them hell. I really am a genius. Heh, little master, I’m about to go home. Cao Yan, hey, watch what you say. I’m not saying anything wrong. Just go ahead and issue the order. Ignorant child, Ignorant child, you don’t know military strategy, how can you lead? I’ve got my whole family as collateral. You’re weak as a chicken, how are you going to stop the Turkish army? I’ve got my whole family as collateral! You—what do you mean, you? If you don’t like it, put your whole family on the line. I’m telling you, I’ve got my whole family as collateral. Fine, Cao Yan, you’ll be acting general for now, in charge of the capital’s imperial guards. All appointments are up to you. That’s all I need to hear. Dog emperor, I’m off to get ready! Turks have 200,000 troops, the whole capital has barely 20,000. Lord Cao, you’re asking for trouble. Everyone, get to the hall for a meeting, now! No wonder he’s so arrogant, he’s used to ruling the roost at home. Hahaha! Listen up, the dog emperor appointed me as commanding general, in charge of all the troops in the capital. We’re all family here, if I make it big, you all get a piece of the pie! Alright, alright, we’ll do whatever you say. I plan to get all of you in, even your family dogs will get imperial rations. That’s a lot of people! Isn’t that too many relatives? Too many? I think it’s not enough! Hey, wait a minute, send someone to notify our relatives. Anyone with a blood tie, bring them all to Yecheng. I’m putting our whole clan in! Hahaha! Hey, clan leader, what kind of jobs can we get in the army? Don’t worry, I’ve got it all figured out. Men will be soldiers, women will take care of the wounded, even the little ones count. The little ones, too? Yeah, they’ll do something. Hey kid, what’s your name? Just, uh, Cao Chong. You went to middle school? Yeah. I think you’re pretty smart. He’ll help me out at the camp. Cao, His Majesty gave you power, not so you could mess around. Well, the dog emperor said I’m in charge of everything military. You gonna interfere? But you can’t put everyone in! Enough, quit complaining. Hand out the gear, everyone goes to the vanguard camp first. Wait, the vanguard camp? You sure you want everyone in the vanguard? Yeah, what’s the vanguard camp? I don’t know either. Why do you care so much? Come on, it’s just for show. You think the family will get us killed? Hahaha, you think the Cao family are all cowards? It’s just fighting on the front lines. The Cao family always leads the charge! Yeah, what, you think our clan leader’s not up to it? I may be old, but I can still fight! I thought he was abusing his power, planting his own people in the army. Turns out, he’s putting the whole clan’s lives on the line to prove his loyalty to the country. His Majesty was right, Cao Ye is a once-in-a-century loyal minister. Lord Cao is devoted to the nation, I apologize for offending you before. I’ll go take care of it now. Your Majesty, this battle decides the fate of Daqing. How can you entrust such a crucial war to Cao Ye? Yeah, Your Majesty, he’s just a scholar, what does he know about military tactics? So what do you suggest? Should I run away with all the officials? Move the capital to Shangjing? No way. I’m the emperor. Even if I die, I’ll die here in Yecheng with my people. But everything’s ready on Cao Ye’s end. Your Majesty, right now everyone from the Cao family has already been assigned to the vanguard unit. Are you sure I’m handling this all by myself? At this point, the entire Cao family has reported to the military. Even the newborns are at the camp. There’s not a single person left at the Cao residence. Cao Ye is a loyal minister. Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, something’s wrong! All the officials are running out of the city right now. Please, Your Majesty, you have to order them stopped, otherwise Yan City will be in chaos. Well, aren’t they all such loyal subjects of mine. Go tell Cao Ye to keep an eye on them. Man, who knows when the Turks are gonna attack. I just want to go home already. Host detected receiving worship from the clan, random clan attribute awarded. Intelligence plus 10. Strength plus 10. Me. Ugh, what the hell is this? Forget it, those vampires won’t last much longer anyway. Why worry about them? Might as well just lie down and win, go home. Heh heh. Lie down and win, oh yeah. My hometown is right here in this village. I’m a native sheep born and raised here. Uh, wearing… Hey kid, do you get it? Uncle team leader, I don’t get it. Don’t get it, but you sure look the part. Cao Yan, let’s go. Cao—Cao Ye, why are you still lying here? His Majesty ordered you to mobilize the Ye City guards immediately, hold the city gates, don’t let those officials run wild. What does he think I am? Free labor? Wants me to work like a horse—no way. You believe I’ll report you to His Majesty for dereliction? Fine, please, go ahead and accuse me harshly. Might as well wipe out my whole clan while you’re at it. Those damn officials, battle’s about to start, not thinking about fighting for the people, living and dying together, just grabbing money and running. They’re cutting off the livelihood of our Great Qing people. So, the old emperor wants me to cut off their path instead. I’m not doing that kind of thing. Battle’s coming, if I cut off the officials’ escape now, wouldn’t that bring a ton of hatred on the Cao family? If the Cao family doesn’t die out completely, once those officials recover, they’ll definitely come after us for payback. Damn, I love dealing with people like that. It’s our duty as ministers to help His Majesty carry the burden, am I right? Right, right. Clan leader’s got it right. You have to go yourself. Of course, it’s urgent. I have to handle this personally. Guards, follow me! Ransack the house and chop off heads! Hey, wait! His Majesty didn’t say to kill him, did he? If I say kill, then kill. Go tell my clan about it. Step aside, someone needs to hold the camp. Alright. Me. Cao Yan, I told you to watch the officials, not throw them into prison, and definitely not kill them. You killed twenty city gate commanders, thirty various officials, if I hadn’t arrived in time, my royal uncle, my high-ranking ministers, would’ve all been wiped out by you. They were all running away, so I killed the wrong people? Tomorrow the Turks will arrive, who’s gonna command the defense? You killed so many leaders, did you think about morale? Are you done talking? If so, I’m leaving, Cao Ye. You really think I don’t dare kill you? Whatever. Better arrest my whole clan while you’re at it. Cao Yan, you’d better actually hold Ye City tomorrow. If even one Turk gets on the wall, I’ll behead you first, then wipe out your clan. Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty. What’s going on here? Lord Cao, this was all written by the kid. After writing, he even stamped it with the command seal, said he wants to send it to all the units. Wow, good kid! Heaven’s really helping me out. So did you send them? He—he can’t even read. All those orders are just scribbles. I couldn’t argue with him, so I just pretended to send them. Ridiculous, you’re delaying our chance! Right now, get those orders to the camps, make sure they’re carried out immediately, no mistakes allowed. Lord Cao, he’s just a hostage, are you really willing to guarantee with your whole clan that these orders are correct? Would you dare? No? Then send them back. Uncle team leader, is there something wrong with what I wrote? No problem at all. You’re our Cao family’s top commander. From now on, From now on, all the work is your responsibility. Remember, make sure our Cao family folks lead from the front. Alright, uncle clan leader, I’ll make sure our clan members do their best, won’t embarrass you at all. Hmph hmph hmph, goodbye to this boring world, I’m off to enjoy life. Uh huh, Lord, bad news, Fu Quan’er is here! They’ve tied up Great Qin civilians at the front lines, asking us to use them to break through. Grandpa, get ready. Lord, they’re all Great Qin civilians! Civilians, listen up! You’ve only got two choices now: be shot by your own people’s arrows, or turn around and take the Turks down with you. Why is the Khan’s prime minister so different today? Ha ha ha, who’d have thought these Central Plains people are so ruthless, don’t even care about their own civilians’ lives. No worries. Great Qing civilians, listen up! Help us break through Ye City, and you’ll live. Plus, you get three days to loot inside the city. Everyone, charge! To hell with the court! I want to survive! Charge! Charge! Great Qing people aren’t so tough after all. Ha ha ha, Khan is impressive! This move will crush the Great Qing army’s morale! Ha ha ha! Lord, they’re really charging! What do we do? Those Turks want us to make our own choice. If we shoot our own people, our army’s morale will suffer. If we let them storm the city, the city won’t last even an hour, then what? What do we do? If only Xia Zhu were here, what would he do? Within three days, he’d drive out the Turks. If not, wipe out my whole clan. Cao family army, listen up! Draw bows and get ready! Cao family army attacks first! If anyone asks, it’s the Cao family’s responsibility alone, nothing to do with the other soldiers. Soldiers, Today the Turghut invaders have attacked our land, oppressed our people, and want to destroy our country and our homes. I, Cao Pi, will never allow it, and neither will the blade in my hand. Every member of the Cao family is here in the vanguard camp, even the hostages are no exception. The Cao family has sworn a military oath: If the city falls, our entire clan will be punished. Today, I, Cao Jie, stand here and ask all of you to fight by my side, to bravely face the enemy, and protect our home and our nation. For brothers, we live and die together, for the glory of Da Qing, we stand or fall as one. Charge for me! Ahhh! Long’er, are we really going to attack the Turghut on Qixi? Can’t we just stay back and hide? Second Lord will definitely hold the line, the Turghut won’t take Ye City anytime soon. If we can just capture their supply depot in the rear, they’ll have to retreat. Hey, that actually makes sense. Hey, did the clan chief tell you that? No, it was the gods who put it in my head. The clan chief prayed to the gods for us. When did the clan chief pray for us? Found it! Oh! Ah, this is bad! We’ve been spotted! The rats are here! So this is your commander? Turns out he’s just a brat. Looks like Da Qing is finished. Oh no! Run, everyone, run! Don’t be scared, the clan chief blessed us. We can handle them, it’s fine. With me here, let’s see who can escape. Hey, hey! Chonger, how did you even draw that bow? Grandpa, I’ve told you a bunch of times, the clan chief blessed us! Our Cao family really is protected by the gods. Let that dog emperor talk to my whole clan about it. I thrive on clan-wide consequences! No wonder the family head is always so confident. He always had a plan up his sleeve. To the family head! The Cao family is about to soar! Cao sons, follow me to war! Wow, wow! It’s incredible, unbelievable! I feel like my strength now is just as good as when I was young. Cao sons, fight with me! Yeah! Detected: the host is worshipped by the clan, rewarding random clan member attributes: Intelligence +10, Strength +10. Detected: the host is worshipped by the clan, rewarding random clan member attributes. Ugh, everyone’s so noisy! How is anyone supposed to sleep? Oh, why are you all here? Family head, what about us? Alright, alright, I get it. You couldn’t hold the line, right? It’s not your fault you couldn’t hold it. You’re that dog emperor’s messenger here to blame us, aren’t you? Hurry up and pour the wine, I’m in a rush. Hey, Lord Cao, I— hahahaha! What are you all doing? Ahhhh! What do you mean, hold the line? Stop, stop! Don’t come down here! Wasn’t the Turghut army 200,000 strong? Are you sure you held them off? Not only did we hold them off, we won a huge victory! Yeah, yeah, yeah! All thanks to your brilliant strategy, and Chou’er’s stroke of genius! Clan chief uncle, we drove off the Turghut Khan! You became my stroke of genius! Hey, hey, stop right there! What’s wrong with you? Don’t come closer! Z old buddy, are you done yet? Even sending a broken system comes with reverse controls? What’s up with him? Oh, I get it now. Great Sage is most likely to get cocky right now. Family head, he’s motivating us in the most unique way. Yeah, yeah, the clan chief really cares. That frustrated look is his way of warning us: A small victory is nothing, we still need to keep working hard. Clan chief uncle is the best! Lord Cao, as commander, I’ve learned a lot again. Detected: the host is deeply worshipped by the clan, motivational worship, rewarding random clan member attributes: Intelligence +15, Leadership +10. Come over here and clap! Uncle! Palace Jade Wine! Chicken changes, but the odd one doesn’t. Chicken, you’re too beautiful! Clan chief uncle, are these some kind of secret codes? You’re really not a time traveler? Then it’s just the system boosting your stats. It’s insane! Even idiots can get this smart. Can I go home now? No, I can’t give up, there’s still a chance! Alright! Cao Chong, listen up! The Turghut may be defeated, but their remnants remain. They’re not giving up. As commander, I order you to lead the troops immediately, just you alone, ride solo to the enemy’s retreat point, head to the outpost and scout right away. If anything happens, report back to me at once. What, family head? Just one person? I hate that he’s super smart, but he’s still just a kid! Aren’t you sending him to die? That’s just soft-heartedness. My orders aren’t for you to question. You, second in command, take the order! Hey, don’t mess around! Clan chief uncle isn’t messing around! Respected elders, Commander Wang, have you heard of the upgraded Empty City Stratagem? Hostage at the gate! We may have won, but it was a hard-fought victory. We need to regroup. If we send the whole army after them now, we’ll just show our weaknesses. If we provoke the enemy into a desperate counterattack, they’ll fight even harder. But if a mere child rides alone to the front, what will the Turghut think? They’ll definitely believe the clan chief uncle is full of tricks, trying to lure them in deeper. Who would dare attack? Impressive, that’s right! Yeah, this kid is really something. Since when did it get so hard to wipe out a whole clan? No, we need another plan. Lord Cao! It’s Lord Cao! General Cao! General Cao, Lord Cao! Lord Cao, Lord Cao, Lord Cao! Lord Cao, please accept a bow from your student! What are you doing? Robbery, robbery! Go find an emperor, I’m broke! Lord Cao, these scholars are all sons of our nation’s officials, top students from the Imperial Academy, and the future of our government. They’re doing this because they admire you. Admire me for what? You scolded the ministers at the front, risked your life to advise His Majesty, then planned brilliantly and crushed the Turghut. These stories are already legendary in Ye City. They see you as their role model. I’m their role model? Mm-hmm. All of you, so-called talented young men. Supposed pillars of our country. Yet here you are, talking nonsense and making empty claims. Just sitting around, pretending to admire each other. What’s the point? Sure, the Turks lost. But their remaining troops are still out there. Waiting for the right moment to strike back. Our border soldiers are sleeping with their weapons, ready for battle. Fighting with their lives on the line. But what about the future of our country? You’re all just here waxing poetic, Talking about serving the country with words alone. Aren’t you ashamed? A real man should wield his sword, And achieve greatness. We’re ready to follow General Cao’s orders. Alright then. As your commander, I order you all to pack up immediately, Head to the front lines, And meet up with my son, Cao Chong, from the Cao family. Turn your pens and ink into swords and spears, Use your knowledge to strike fear into the enemy. Defend our borders for the nation. Starting today. Do you dare? Cao Yan, you’re crazy! These are the future leaders of the country. Many of them are from prestigious families. You’re sending them to war? If something happens to them, Who’s going to take responsibility? I want those from the prestigious families. If any of these guys get hurt, The Cao family will still be fine. Plus, they don’t have any special protection. This is a sure win, ha ha ha. Commander Wang, His Majesty’s order Is for me to take full charge of military affairs. The front lines need them. That’s an order. As for the consequences, What guarantee are you giving me with your toast? Lord Cao’s noble spirit Is our guarantee. He vouches for our loyalty to the nation. Lord Cao treats us like brothers, Sharing the risks with us. How could we possibly back down? How could we possibly back down? Lord Cao’s noble spirit. Lord Cao’s noble spirit. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! Hey, you guys! This “extermination of nine clans” order, Is it his death sentence, Or his way to stay alive? Let’s go, let’s see that dog emperor. Your Majesty, the people have been brought. Your Majesty, Cao Ye has lost his mind. He’s forcibly conscripted the students from the Imperial Academy, And sent them straight to the most dangerous front lines. This will sever our cultural heritage, And destroy the foundation of the court. Please, Your Majesty, execute this official as a warning to others! Your Majesty, Cao Ye is abusing his power, Disregarding the laws of the court. Your Majesty, this is a dead end! Cao Yan, I put you in charge of military affairs To protect our borders and people, Not to act recklessly And ruin the future of the court. Well said, say it even harsher! Hurry up and charge him, execute his whole clan! Your Majesty, a report! A victory report! Is this going to mess up my plans again? Young General Cao Chong, Together with the newly arrived Imperial Academy scholars, Launched a surprise attack, Ambushed the enemy at Black Wind Valley, Defeated hundreds, Captured over a thousand, Seized countless supplies. Not a single casualty for our side. The Turks are asking for peace. Lord Cao, Lord Cao, Princess Consort! Quick, help Lord Cao up! Hang in there, Lord Cao! They’ve all gone mad, every single one! Even scholars can fight wars now! Ha ha ha ha! Everyone, First, Lord Cao used his whole clan as hostages, To defend Ye City to the death. Then he strategized brilliantly, Sent out surprise troops again and again. Now he’s even recruited scholars, To fight in a way that’s Unprecedented in history. He’s forced the Turks to beg for peace. This is truly heaven’s blessing for our country. Cao Ye, hear your reward! Cao Ye is promoted to Minister of War, Granted the title of Grand General of the State, Gifted ten thousand pieces of gold, And a thousand acres of prime land. Your Majesty, now that the war is over, The military command in Cao Ye’s hands Should be returned to the court. Lord Cao, now that the Turks have asked for peace, The military seal and authority should be returned to the Ministry of War. Let the soldiers get some rest, right? Hand over the military seal. Ha ha ha ha! Just as I thought, Opportunities always go to those who are prepared. Your Majesty, It’s not time to hand over the seal yet. How dare you, Cao Yi! Are you trying to hold onto power? Your Majesty, this is treason! Please arrest this traitor immediately! Lord Cao, what does this mean? Your Majesty, even though the Turks have asked for peace, They’re unpredictable and treacherous. If you take back military command now, Our defenses will weaken, The soldiers will slack off, If the Turks betray us and return, Ye City will be in danger. This is dangerous talk! You’re just trying to scare everyone. Cao, I think You’re clearly disrespecting His Majesty, Plotting something bad. Damn it, Why not just say I’m rebelling? At this point, what’s the point of beating around the bush? Your Majesty, the seal can’t be handed over yet, I even think it’s not enough to reassure Your Majesty, And intimidate the troublemakers. I’ll personally go to the camp outside the city, And reward the troops. Cao Yi, if you don’t hand over the command, What right do you have to represent His Majesty outside the city? Your Majesty, this is treason! This is clearly a wolf in sheep’s clothing, You absolutely cannot agree! Treason, you absolutely cannot agree! Fine. Well said, Lord Cao, always thinking for the country. I approve. But this time, Lord Cao has made great contributions. Tonight I’ll host a banquet in the palace, First, to celebrate your victory, Second, to wait for your inspection to be over, And then discuss handing over command. Lord Cao, you must attend on time. I accept your order. A trap banquet, ha ha ha. That dog emperor is finally ready to kill me. At tonight’s banquet, If Lord Cao dares not to hand over the military seal, I’ll smash my cup as the signal to have him killed. Come, come, come, a toast to you! Bunch of losers. Can’t get anything done, Just make things worse. And you still have the nerve to celebrate here? Boss, didn’t we win? His Majesty even gave us rewards. Our Cao family risked our lives, That dog emperor gave us a little reward, Just to send us away like beggars. He’s getting rid of all of you. Everyone, Get back to the camp right now! Wait for my orders to take over all the properties. Go now, yes, sir! Second Master, stay a moment. Ah, in our Cao family, You’re the most calm and reliable, You can handle big things. Tonight at the banquet, when His Majesty drinks, Put this in his wine. Hey, is this… is this poison? Second Master, if you pull this off, You’ll be the biggest hero in our Cao family. A promotion and title are just around the corner. Ha ha ha ha! Hey, blame yourself, Don’t blame me, blame this damned fate. Your Majesty, there’s a secret report from outside the city. The Cao family, under the pretext of taking over security, Has completely seized control of the camp outside the city. All our people have been detained. They’ve taken over the camp. Cao Ye, you really are rebelling! Princess Consort, take your people immediately. Minister of War, bring Cao Ye in! Your humble subject, Cao Ye, greets Your Majesty. You may step back now, okay. Your Majesty, I have come here First, to thank you for your grace. Second, to ask forgiveness. Why do you ask for forgiveness? Earlier today, I withheld the command token, I was truly worried about Great Qin. Now, the Turks have sent their official letter, Sincerely seeking peace. So the command token should be returned to its rightful place. Please, Your Majesty, take it back. Lord Cao, I just learned the Cao family has taken control of the military camp, And assumed defense duties. Armed troops everywhere. What is the meaning of this? Are you really returning the command token, or is this just for show? Cao Yu really is ambitious like a wolf. Hmph, taking over the military camp, Are you trying to force a coup? Here it is, the grand show is finally here. What? His Majesty took over the military camp? I’m being framed, I’m innocent! Your Majesty, I only ordered them to return to the camp And train more rigorously, But I never told them to take over the camp. All of this, all of it, Was their own doing. Honestly, Your Majesty. The Cao family overstepped, Using this outrageous act to threaten Your Majesty. Such behavior deserves death a thousand times over. Lord Cao, Your Majesty I have received such royal favor, I have no way to repay you. Now that my clan has committed such a heinous crime, I am ashamed to face Your Majesty, And even more ashamed to face the world. So, to prove my loyalty, And fulfill my duty, I beg Your Majesty to sentence my entire family to death. Every Cao clan traitor involved in this, Leave none alive. To uphold the law, And restore order. Wait, that’s not right. While Cao Ye held the command token in the camp, He never bribed fake generals. Now, if it were a rebellion, Why would he only send those idiots from his own family To take over the camp? It doesn’t add up. Come on, you bastard emperor, Hurry up, let me say goodbye to my family. Lord Cao, ah Loyal and unwavering. Cao clan members are foolish, Acting recklessly. Lord Cao, to prove your innocence, You would sacrifice your entire clan. Such tragic self-sacrifice, To prove your innocence. Such heroic willingness to give up your own for the greater good. Your Majesty, I haven’t As for the Cao clan, Dock their pay for three years, And keep them confined to reflect on their actions. High Emperor, did you learn reading comprehension From the same teacher as my family? I’m just Lord Cao, Come sit by my side. The lady photographer gave you a chance, You blew it. Don’t blame me for being ruthless then. Ha! Hahaha, Your humble subject is grateful for Your Majesty’s great kindness. Why? Your Majesty, blessed with good fortune and a long reign, I have brought you My family’s secret recipe, A legendary wine aged for seventy years. Please, Your Majesty, you must try it. The Cao family actually has such a delicacy? Quick, bring it here! Second Master, you’ve worked hard. Hahahahahaha! Wait, this wine Lord Cao, this wine Has it gone bad after all these years? You’re joking, Your Majesty. How could this wine possibly go bad? These are clearly Wine blossoms. Lord Cao, a seventy-year vintage, But these wine blossoms Look a bit too unusual. Ah, ah, ah, Your Majesty Th-this is the finest wine! Uh, uh, uh, Chief You said This medicine is extremely nourishing. Your Majesty, this wine does look quite unique. Your old subject is willing to taste it for Your Majesty. Guards! Ah, Your Majesty, This wine has Grand Tutor, Quick, someone call the imperial physician! Second Master, why are you standing there? Pour wine for His Majesty! Cao Yan, are you really trying to rebel? Enough talk! You bastard emperor, drink it! If you drink, you’ll just sleep for a while. If you don’t, I’ll send you straight to Meet the King of Hell right now. Protect His Majesty! Protect His Majesty! Quick, protect His Majesty! Cao Yan, You’re a traitor with the heart of a wolf, Plotting rebellion, ha! Don’t expect them to save you. I promise you, You’ll die before I do. Fly, regicide traitor! Surrender now! Your Majesty, such traitors Should be executed along with their ten families, leave none alive. Hahaha, it’s done, it’s done! This time, it finally worked. Regicide and rebellion! Finally, I get to go home. Annoying, if I die, you won’t survive either. Your nine—no, ten families will be wiped out. Why so much talking? If you’d executed my nine families earlier, I wouldn’t have to drink this poison now. Hey, I got it wrong. I killed the emperor and rebelled, Lords, So does this mean if something happens to His Majesty, Someone’s plotting rebellion, They’ve colluded with the remnants of Tibet, Opened the west gate, Now they’re storming the city, And blowing up the palace. Rebellion! I’m standing right here, Isn’t that obvious enough? Wait, the Turks are invading, His Majesty is unconscious, Lord Cao is standing in front of His Majesty, so There’s only one truth. Lord Cao is a loyal minister, Right now, he’s protecting His Majesty from harm. And these corrupt officials and guards, Are all in league with the Turks, Trying to kill Lord Cao in the chaos. The traitors will accidentally kill Lord Cao. Huh? Lord Cao is the pillar of the nation, How could you villains frame him? If you want to touch Lord Cao, You’ll have to step over my Princess Consort’s dead body first. Wait, how did we become traitors? Commander Wang, you You’re confused! Cao, the corrupt official, the evidence is clear, He’s already helped the wicked, Stop spouting nonsense. Lord Cao must have a deeper plan. You’re the ones with evil intentions. No, Commander Wang, I That’s why I want to kill the bastard Emperor. Lord Cao is loyal to the throne and the nation, How could he do this? This must be a palace coup, A clever tactic. Damn, you people Have so much drama in one day. I just want to quietly die. You’re lying in front of all the ministers, How are they supposed to kill me? Hahahahahaha! Well, what a spectacular show! Sister Emperor, oh Sister Emperor, Never thought you’d see this day. Of course, For me to sit on this throne today, General Cao deserves the highest credit. What does that have to do with me? It was you, Cao Ye, Who first offended that eunuch in the garden, Made him lose favor, Then, You killed all those cowardly generals And officials, clearing obstacles for me. Today, you used poisoned wine to threaten Sister Emperor, Threw the whole palace into chaos, So I could easily take control of the gates. Wow, I’m really that awesome? Look at this chaos in the hall, The unconscious emperor, Loyalists and traitors killing each other, Hahaha! It’s all thanks to you, Cao Ye. You’re the reason I succeeded today, Purged the court, And claimed the throne. Hahaha, damn it, I just wanted my nine families executed so I could go home, How did I end up Becoming your chief accomplice? I don’t want this credit! Prince, how could you commit regicide and rebel? I admit the rebellion, But where did the regicide come from? Hmm. That’s right, I’m the one who killed the emperor. But, Prince, I don’t want the credit. I just want to ask you for a favor, okay? Alright, Lord Cao, what do you want? Right now, Execute my nine—no, ten families, Right outside this hall, In front of everyone, Wipe them all out. Lord Cao really is loyal to the throne and the nation. Even now, still trying to fool the traitors. Is this woman stupid or what? Alright, I promise you, Once I take the throne, The first thing I’ll do is wipe out your Cao clan, Ten families, leave none alive. Not a single chicken or dog from your Cao family will survive. Lord Wang, what do we do now? Lord Cao is smiling so calmly, He must have a perfect plan. Enough! You traitors, Don’t you dare harm my master! Who the hell told you to come here? Old fool, you’re blocking the Prince’s plan to capture the enemy, You’re looking for trouble! Anyone who harms my master Are you talking about those clan members Who only eat, drink, and play, Squander the family fortune, And don’t even know why they’re dying? Do they really look like that? Master Cao strategizes behind the scenes. Pretends to rebel. Lures the Lord into making mistakes. Then smoothly takes advantage of the chaos. Such a plan, I truly admire it. Damn you, Mr. Xie! What kind of buff did you give my people? Are these folks useless, or are they the reincarnation of Lu Bu, or maybe Xiang Yu reborn? Seriously, what kind of monsters are the Cao family? Red eyes that see through everything, an old man who fights like a god. Ahahaha! You want to hurt our leader? Did you ask our clan first? No way. How is this even possible? Are you people human or ghosts? Uncle Team Leader, What should we do with this guy? Bug Team Leader said, Villains die from talking too much. Just finish him off. No, no, wait! I’m the Lord, You can’t kill me! You sure talk a lot. The traitorous leader has been dealt with. Sorry we were late to save you. Please forgive us. Master Cao, you saved the day. Once His Majesty wakes up, He’ll reward you handsomely. Just want to say goodbye to my whole family, Why is it so hard? What’s wrong with the leader? Uncle Team Leader, Finally reaching the peak of his life. Yelling at the eunuchs, Defending Night City to the death, Offering poisoned wine, Holding a sword to the throne. All this time, Uncle Team Leader planned every step, Just to change fate, And put on the royal robe. Mhmhm. Leader, Uh, no, no, no, Your Majesty, It’s cold out, put on another layer. Traitor Cao Yan, So you really want to steal the throne? You’re already wearing the royal robe. The evidence is clear. The Cao family’s going to be wiped out. No, make that eleven families. Insulting His Majesty, Do you know what crime that is? Enough! Are you trying to rebel? Leader, no, Do you want to be emperor? What, me? Heartless, Poisoning the emperor, Seizing the throne, And killing his own brother. If this damn emperor survives, My Cao family won’t just lose nine generations, Ten, eleven generations will be wiped out! Stop spouting nonsense! I, Cao Yansheng, am a loyal subject of the Qing. I’ll die as a loyal soul of the Qing. Everyone, my clan got confused for a moment. This royal robe means nothing. Right now, We need to save His Majesty. If he stays in a coma, That would be a disaster for the country. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Give me a hand here! Hurry, help me out! I’m coming! Your Majesty, please be okay! Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Hey, hey! Whoa, whoa, oh man. Hey. Oh wow. This damn emperor is actually good-looking. Nice body, too. Legs for days. If I wasn’t in a hurry to leave, Sticking around to help you conquer the world might not be a bad idea. Of course, I’ll take a little advantage while I’m at it. Since I have to detox you anyway. Here we go. Oh wow. How’s the damn emperor feeling now? I’m going up. Oh. This acupressure technique might be a little sketchy. No idea if it’ll work. A little higher. Ah! Cao Ye, you’re disgusting and shameless! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m shameless, I’m despicable, I’m filthy. So hurry up and wipe out my whole clan! I’m begging you, Just do it already! Finish me off! Get out! Guards! Your Majesty, what is going on? Didn’t Master Cao force me to drink poisoned wine? Why is he in my study? Your Majesty, you’ve got it wrong. Master Cao didn’t—enough! Summon the Grand Tutor! And, Tell my brother to bring troops and save me, Rip out the Cao family, Root and stem, from the Qing! Commander Wang, Did Cao Ye buy you off too? Your Majesty, Master Cao never betrayed you. In fact, He saved you, Saved the officials, Saved the Qing! Yes, Your Majesty, I misjudged him. Cao Ye, Master Cao, He’s loyal, Loyal like no other in history. Grand Tutor, Commander Wang, Are you all senile? He held a sword to me, forced me to drink poison, rebelled, and And did all sorts of beastly things. Every single one is a crime punishable by exterminating my clan! You tell me, How is he loyal? Your Majesty, the real traitor Isn’t Aunt Cao, It’s your brother, Prince Ning. Yeah, what? How dare he? All the officials saw it. After you fainted, Yang from the Turks broke into the city, Prince Ning barged into the palace with a sword, Even sat on the throne! He even, Even wanted to wipe out Master Cao’s clan! But Cao Ye forced me to drink poisoned wine, That’s a fact, right? Your Majesty, that cup was fake. If it was real poison, How could you and I still be standing here talking? Your Majesty, Master Cao did it So you wouldn’t have to witness The heartbreak of siblings fighting to the death. Everything Master Cao did Was for you, Your Majesty. Yeah, So I misunderstood him. As soon as Prince Ning’s rebellion was put down, Master Cao brought you straight to The study, Did everything he could just to wake you up. Cao Ye went to great lengths, Just so I wouldn’t have to see that heartbreak. Everything was for me. But I—I just told him to get lost. Your Majesty, Master Cao did it all for your sake. Your Majesty, You should be thanking Master Cao. Summon Cao Yi! Yes, Master Cao, His Majesty requests you. This time, The damn emperor’s really going to wipe out my clan, right? Guilty subject Cao Yan, Greets Your Majesty. Cao, my loyal subject, get up! You’ve worked hard tonight. Worked hard—wait, Why’s the damn emperor acting like this? Something’s off with the script. I already know everything that happened tonight. Prince Ning rebelled, You, Cao, kept your cool, Smart and brave, Used yourself as bait, Saved the day. I—what are you talking about? You’re just spouting rhymes, Are you prepping for grad school? Anyway, I was wrong about you. No, You weren’t wrong about me—I drank poison for you, The Qing, the throne, all that was me. If you’re really an emperor, Keep your promise already, Wipe out my clan! Cao, my loyal subject, How can you joke at a time like this? Everyone knows, You’re my most loyal minister. Grand Tutor, issue the decree! Cao Ye, your actions have been judged. You’ve protected the throne with great merit. Your loyalty and courage are unmatched. You are hereby promoted to Grand Chancellor. You are granted the Nine Bestowments. You don’t have to kill me. But what about the traitors in my Cao family? You’ll have to execute them, right? They’re the ones who put the imperial robe on me. I know. All of this was just a show you put on for the court, to prove your loyalty. Cao Ye, there’s no need for more formalities. I will always trust you. You damn emperor, you’re a real monster. Let me tell you something. I accept it. I really do want to rebel. If you don’t wipe out my entire clan today, you’ll regret it someday. My loyal subject, I promise I’ll work hard to govern the country. One day, I won’t need you to use drunken words to push me forward. Why? Why, God, why? It seems Grand Chancellor Cao still has some harsh words for me. I’ll have to work even harder on myself from now on, so I don’t let down Grand Chancellor Cao’s good intentions. Your Majesty, urgent news from the border, eight hundred miles away. What’s happened? The Turks have returned in force, they’re closing in on the border. Speak. They demand that our empire send them a thousand beautiful women every year, two hundred thousand bolts of silk, one hundred thousand taels of gold, and that we lower our status and submit, only then will they stop preparing for war. And if we refuse, then what? They’ll march south and destroy our country. Call an emergency court meeting. The Turks are once again at our borders. They want our empire to bow down, they want to force me to submit. Gentlemen, how should we fight this war? Your Majesty, we cannot go to war. The treasury is empty. The Turks are fierce, and this time, they’re out for revenge. If we really fight them, our empire will be doomed. Your Majesty, I am the Minister of War, yet I fear battle. Your Majesty, it’s not cowardice, but I’ve received word from Jinyang. Northern Zhou is amassing troops at the border, waiting for an opportunity. Southern Chen may be quiet for now, but if we go to war with the Turks, both Southern Chen and Northern Zhou will attack. We’ll be fighting on three fronts, and our nation will be destroyed. At this point, I’m afraid Your Majesty must temporarily avoid the Turks’ attack, endure humiliation for now, and wait until our strength recovers before fighting back. We agree. The Turks want me to bow and submit, and all my ministers urge me to do the same. Are you all really not even worth a hair on Cao Ye’s head? I absolutely refuse. Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the army north to fight the Turks. Commander Wang, war is no child’s game. If you want to fight, then tell me, where will we get weapons, supplies, and soldiers’ pay? You cowards, if you can’t help relieve Your Majesty’s worries, what right do you have to wear those official robes and stand in this golden hall? All you do is argue, but you’ll only ruin the country and its people. Should I really back down from the Turks? Should I become a puppet emperor? Your Majesty, I have a plan that can help our empire survive this crisis. Speak. The Turks are coming south to steal money and supplies for the winter. Because Cao Ye drove them back last time, they’re furious and want war. If we send Cao Ye to the Turks Nonsense! How can you even say that? Guards, strip him of his rank immediately and throw him in prison. Yes, Your Majesty. Guards! Please spare me, please spare me! Spare me, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, have mercy! Grand Chancellor Cao, do you have any ideas? Your Majesty, Grand Chancellor Cao isn’t here yet. Summon the Princess Consort at once. Grand Chancellor Cao is here to see you. Why is this clan so hard to kill? No matter what, they never die. When will I finally get to go home? Ha ha ha! Grand Chancellor Cao, another chance to wipe out a whole clan! Grand Chancellor Cao, I finally found you. Something big has happened! Hey, don’t panic, just tell me slowly. I—I can’t help but panic! The enemy is coming back, the border is in danger, they’ve called you in to discuss a plan. We need to attack right away, or we’ll lose our heads. Isn’t it always like this? When have I ever lost my head? Grand Chancellor Cao, ha ha ha! I already saw this coming. Here’s what we’ll do: Once Cao Chong attacks and defeats the enemy, everything will be resolved. Cao Chong? But he’s just a kid! Hey, Cao Chong is a genius. Last time we beat the Turks, it was his idea. I’ve already put him in charge of this. Take him to the palace, and there’s no way anything will go wrong. Now go on, get going. I need to take my afternoon nap. I see. Then I’ll take Cao Chong to the palace right now. Come on, heavens, bless me. This time, please let the whole clan die! Maybe I’ll finally get to go home. Hey, where’s my notebook? Hey, why is there a kid here? Tch, ha ha! Where’s Grand Chancellor Cao? Grand Chancellor Cao said Cao Chong will handle this, no problem at all. This is ridiculous! Such an important matter, and you send a kid to handle it? Bring Grand Chancellor Cao here! Your Majesty, are you looking down on me? I’m actually really smart. You can talk to me about anything. Heh, ha ha ha! A little brat like you probably can’t even read, how could you have any right to discuss state affairs? Oh, so you think you’re qualified? If you’re so smart, why haven’t you helped Your Majesty solve his problems? You All talk! We ministers can’t solve this, but you can? but you can? Does that mean we’re all useless? Ha ha ha, exactly! You talk big for your age, but what real skills do you have? When the ruler is angry, the minister shares his worries. You people are useless yourselves, so you think everyone else is an idiot. Fine, I want to hear it. What’s your brilliant plan? This is my plan. It will fill the treasury and defend us from the Turks. You wrote all of this? I just learned how to write, so it’s not very neat. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I’m not talking about the handwriting, I mean the content. Of course, it’s all thanks to the clan leader. He knew the Turks would come back, so he prepared a counterattack plan in advance. He’s so exhausted he’s still not awake. So I’m here to report. Grand Chancellor Cao really is devoted to the country. Yes, Your Majesty. So what does it say? You’re worried about not having enough money and supplies, and Grand Chancellor Cao’s solution is to reform the land and army in Jinyang to raise funds. Your Majesty, the situation in Jinyang is complicated. There are powerful nobles with their own armies, and many influential families. It’s practically a state within a state. If we clean things up there, we can solve our current crisis. I’ll immediately send the Grand Chancellor as envoy to Jinyang. Your Majesty, if the Grand Chancellor goes to Jinyang, then who will fight the Turks? I have my own plans. Where is Lu Kuo? I’m here,Your Majesty. I’ve heard you have some insights into military strategies. I’ve been studying military tactics since I was a child, they’re already second nature to me. I can even recite them backwards. Good. If I send you to lead our troops against the Turks, do you have confidence? As a descendant of the Da Qing royal family, it’s my duty to serve the nation, I will not let Your Majesty down. Your Majesty, our Cao family also wants to defeat the Turks. Your Cao family has made outstanding contributions, and you’ve saved the country from disaster before. How could I ever forget? Everyone in the Cao family is loyal and brave. So the role of vanguard will go to the Cao family. And not just that, I’ll also grant your family a plaque for loyalty and valor, so the Cao family’s name will be honored for generations, remembered throughout history. On behalf of the clan leader, I thank Your Majesty. You may all step down now. We take our leave. The Turks are attacking. I’ll have Cao Chong stir things up, let’s see that dog emperor get humiliated. He still hasn’t given me a “Nine Provinces Match-3” game. Heh heh heh heh. Host, reward for the death of Tang’s great-grandfather. Host may choose any item, limit is 1,000. Perfect timing for his death. Couldn’t have happened at a better moment. I’ve been here for days after crossing over, my mouth’s so bland I could die. Time to upgrade my meals. Oh hahaha. That taste of additives, haven’t had that in ages, heh heh heh. Grand Preceptor Cao, His Majesty has an order. Looks like you’re being sent to the front lines. Double blessings today. Heh heh. Great Master Cao, His Majesty has an order. Hey, hey. Grand Preceptor Cao, what’s this? Hmm, it smells amazing. Ha ha ha, since you’re here, let’s have a drink together. Consider it a farewell toast. Ah, come on. Great Master Cao, what is this? One sip and it’s icy and refreshing. Is there more? Pour me another. Oh, so good, too good. Is there more? No more? Let’s get to business first. Hey, what’s with that look? Hmm hmm. Hi. Hey, what the hell, let’s get to business first. When do we hit the road? Jack is really heading out. Jinyang? Wasn’t it supposed to be Nine Provinces Match-3? Why am I getting sent to Jinyang? Of course, it’s the strategy you had Cao Zhong present to His Majesty. His Majesty approved it. Damn it. Damn it. Stupid system, what kind of overpowered ability did you give Cao Zhong? How did that dumb kid turn into a genius? Well, right now, the national treasury is actually empty. But don’t worry, after this, His Majesty will reward you handsomely. I don’t need it. Grand Preceptor, you’re showing your displeasure on your face. That’s not good. Grand Preceptor, your achievements are huge, and you have serious prestige in the army. It’s easy for your reputation to overshadow the emperor. Then you’ll provoke His Majesty’s anger, and your whole clan could be implicated. That would be the end. So you have to keep a low profile. Low profile, hahaha. How do you keep a low profile? Cao Lord really knows what’s up. Let me tell you, first, try not to interact with the military commanders too much. Otherwise, people will think you’re building a power base. Second, especially stay away from the high-ranking officers. Yeah, I keep my distance too. Makes sense. If I start forming cliques, and build up my own troops, I’m basically dancing on a knife’s edge. If that dog emperor can tolerate it, my “Nine Provinces Match-3” game will finally arrive. Hahaha. Ha ha ha, uh. Commander Wang, you’re so sincere, how could I not treat you well? So we have to host you properly. Drink up! Tonight, drink as much as you want. No holding back. If you get too drunk, just stay at my residence. Hey, uh, actually, I shouldn’t. I still have to report back to His Majesty tonight. Not giving me face? Don’t think of me as one of your own? It’s all in the drinks. Tonight, we’re drinking with a true friend—never too many cups. Drink as much as you want, come on. Lord Cao, you’re a man of real character. Tonight, my princess consort won’t stop until she’s drunk. Bottoms up, hmm! Another! Come on, come on, another bottle, bottoms up! Eat, take your time, yeah. Hey, hmm. Great Master Cao, why do you have two heads? Heh, impressive. No wonder you’re Great Master Cao, you’re amazing. Commander Wang, are you drunk? Not drunk! How could I be drunk? I’m totally fine. You’re Grand Preceptor Cao, I’m Commander Wang, I’m not You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you. Look, I can stand! See, I’m not drunk, I haven’t had too much. Not acting up just because I drank too much. I can stand, ah! His Lordship. I, Cao, am not a traitor. I never take advantage of others’ weakness. Of course, if you insist, I guess I can’t refuse. Uh, can’t drink that much, all these little side dishes. Attendants! My Lord! Commander Wang can’t hold his liquor, get a room ready for him to rest. Yes, and also notify all the officers and commanders in the army, tell them the Grand Preceptor is hosting a banquet for them, to celebrate. Yes! Ah, the drinks were worth it. Hahaha! Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Weren’t you inspecting the troops? What happened? I went to the barracks, found all the officers missing. Turns out, they were all invited to Grand Preceptor Cao’s residence. He said he was treating the troops to a feast. What do you mean, treating the troops on Your Majesty’s behalf? That’s overstepping authority! That’s treasonous intent! Impossible. Cao Ye isn’t that kind of person. Your Majesty, Cao Yue is highly respected in the army, we can’t be too careful. Come with me to check it out. Yes. Thank you all for coming to see Grand Preceptor Cao. Everyone, relax, no need to be formal, come. Everyone, His Majesty is busy with state affairs, he couldn’t celebrate with you. But I have time. Today, I’m celebrating with you. Come, let’s raise a glass together. This first cup, is for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives. Ah. This second cup, is for all of you, who stepped up in Da Qing’s time of crisis, thank you for defending our country and families. I’ll drink first to show my respect. Serving the nation is our duty. So smooth and refreshing. It’s the middle of summer right now. Even the Empress probably can’t drink something this rare that often. Such precious wine. Master. And yet you’re sharing it with us rough soldiers. I’m honestly honored. This third glass from Master, is a promise from me, Big Cao, to all of you. From now on, if any of our soldiers fall in battle, I’ll take care of their widows and families myself. I, Big Cao, will never let you down. Master, there are five soldiers in my unit who’ve given their lives, most of them leaving behind parents, wives, and kids. Could you also Mm. Of course, Second Chief. If I say it, you can count on it. From now on, any soldier who gives his life, their families, will all be brought to live at the Cao estate. Their parents, I, Cao Ye, will treat as my own. I, Cao Ye, will honor these fallen soldiers as if they were my own family. And their widows will be given jobs, with the best pay we can offer. The kids, the kids the kids must be sent to school to get an education. Master, it’s a soldier’s duty to risk his life, but no one has ever treated us this well. On behalf of the fallen, let me bow and thank you. Hey, don’t say that. You all risk your lives for our country, I’m just trying to do a little something for you. It’s nothing, really. There’s a lot of people, not enough rooms. If there’s not enough rooms, buy land. Build more houses, build them nice. These are all heroes. Don’t they deserve the best? Mm. Thank you so much, Master, thank you. Alright, let’s stop talking and eat. I’m telling you, even the Emperor might not have tasted food like this. Only today. There’s all the food and drink you want. Eat up, enjoy, eat, eat, eat! This is delicious, Chef! What is this? Such amazing food, and this smooth wine this is truly a feast fit for the gods! It smells incredible! So good! This stuff Everyone, today, not only do you get to eat, you’ll get to take some things home. I know things aren’t easy for your families. So take this food back, help make life a little better. If you ever run into trouble, just come to me. I’ll do everything I can to help you put food on the table. Hey, let me help you with that. No way, the team leader said, you guys are heading out soon. You need to rest up tonight, let us take care of you. Such a good kid. But Uncle’s strong, I’ve got plenty of strength left. Guys, let’s not make Master’s family wait on us. We can handle it ourselves. Hey, old man, you’re not getting any younger, let me do it, okay? No, I can’t let you do that. Haha, ma’am, don’t tire yourself out. I can handle all this myself. Hey! Everyone, listen up! Master’s been so generous to us, from now on, I’ll go through hell and high water for him, I won’t ever back down. Through hell and high water! Never back down! Who would you go through hell and high water for? Who would you never back down for? Are you all plotting a rebellion? Your Majesty. We would never dare. Just because you wouldn’t, doesn’t mean others won’t. Cao Yan, why aren’t you kneeling before His Majesty? Does Master need you to tell him how to act? How dare you! You dare act so arrogant before His Majesty? Master Cao is in charge of military affairs. Why aren’t you in the camp overseeing the troops, but instead gathering soldiers at your own home? What are you planning? Since Your Majesty puts it that way, I won’t argue. If the King wants me dead, then I must die. Your Majesty, go ahead and order the execution of my entire family. So quick to admit it? Did I misunderstand you? Big Cao, hey, Dog Prince, what are you waiting for? Give the order, wipe out my whole family! Your Majesty, please don’t! Yes, Your Majesty, please don’t! Your Majesty, please don’t! Your Majesty, please don’t, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, this man is too powerful, everyone here is speaking up for him. If he’s not dealt with, he’ll become a huge problem. Lu Kuo is right. All the soldiers are on Cao Yan’s side. This could be a disaster. Cao Yan, do you know that making friends with generals outside of official channels is forming a clique for personal gain? That’s punishable by death. Well, it’s come to this, I have nothing more to say. Your Majesty, actually, Your Majesty, you can’t kill him. Your Majesty, you can’t kill Master! How dare you, Commander Huang, defend a traitor! Did Big Cao buy you off too? Your Majesty, Master isn’t trying to win people over, he knows the treasury is empty, so he’s using his own money to make sure the families of our warriors are taken care of. Ugh, why is this dumb woman here? Weren’t you drunk? Is it really so hard for me to die? Every word is true, Your Majesty. That’s right, we’re willing to stake our lives on it. Master has no intention of rebellion. Master has no intention of rebellion. Come on, don’t— the treasury is broke, we can barely reward the army. Master is helping me out, and I misunderstood him. Dog Emperor, don’t listen to their nonsense. They’re with Master. No need to say more. This was my mistake. I’ll issue a decree to spread the word, let everyone know how wise Master is. Your Majesty is wise! See? If I hadn’t thought quick, you’d be dead by now. You owe me a meal and a drink, got it? Damn it. Master leaves for Jinyang tomorrow, the army is heading north soon, so tonight, let’s celebrate together. Long live His Majesty! This is just not fair, what a mess! Why is this “Nine Clans Match” game so hard? How am I supposed to get all nine clans to boost my score with the King of Hell? Ugh, hey, hey! Yingzi, how many times have I told you, don’t drink and drive, don’t drive if you’ve been drinking! I’m starting to think you’ve been trying to kill me so you can take over as team leader, huh? Isn’t that right, boss? No, we were just about to finish, but they stopped us at swordpoint. Qingyang is full of noble families, generals and aristocrats, no one is allowed to ride horses into the city without permission. How dare you! This is His Majesty’s own envoy, and Master Cao Ye himself. Master Cao, you’re pretty bold, daring to defy orders. Who the hell is this Cao Ye? Who can prove it? What if he’s a spy from Zhou? Everyone off your horses for inspection! I might want to die, but I’m not just some nobody that anyone can push around. Sir, His Majesty says Jinyang is full of proud, fierce warriors. Given the situation, maybe we should give way. Even if the Emperor himself were here, I wouldn’t give up my path. Let alone for some lowly soldier. Why should he block my way? Dog Emperor, let me handle these nobles my way, I’ll make sure to put them in their place. I don’t believe these Jinyang nobles can hold back from coming after me. Well, since we’re here, might as well play along. When in Rome, right? Let’s get out of the car. At least you know what’s good for you. Everyone, full search. Don’t let a single one I’m willing to get off my horse and let you check me out. But if you can’t handle my pride, then it’s only death that awaits. From now on, if anyone tries to block my way, show no mercy. Ah. Sir, today, that envoy Chi Jie is arriving in Jinyang. Should we go greet him or something? Greet him? Yeah, right. What kind of joke is this envoy Chi Jie? His reputation is worth less than toilet paper in Jinyang. I’ve already sent my own guards to block him at the city gate. They won’t even make it inside. Wherever they came from, that’s where they’re going back. If he wants to get in, he’ll have to beg me. Sir, you really are a strategist. Yeah, Jinyang’s still under your control. Let me tell you, he’s nothing. Who are you guys? How dare you barge into Jinyang Palace? You must have a death wish, huh? Watch your mouth! Cao Ye, Grand Preceptor and Imperial Envoy, is here! Lord Cao has arrived! Kneel and welcome him, now! Greetings, Lord Cao! Greetings, Lord Cao! Alright, that’s enough. No need for all the formalities. Relax a bit. Oh dear. Hey, are you all just thinking about how to make things hard for me, or maybe even kill me? Sir, you really know how to joke. We were just discussing how to throw you a welcome party. Yeah, we’d never plot against you, sir. Hey, you must be General Yang Ye, right? I’m Yang’s deputy, Lu Lushan. So, where’s General Yang? I’m the imperial envoy, personally appointed by His Majesty! Now that I’m here, does he dare not come greet me himself? Sir, here’s the thing it’s just bad timing, today General Yang suddenly fell ill, he’s bedridden and really can’t make it. Oh? So is it that he really can’t come, or does he just not want to? We’re about to get exposed. Hahaha! I’m just messing with you. Why so tense? Well, since General Yang can’t make it, I’ve got something to say later, please pass it along for me. Of course, go ahead. Alright. I came to Jinyang for three things. First, to check the military strength. Second, to implement the new tax reforms, standardize the surcharges, and make the gentry pay their dues. And the third… And the third… Hmm. The third thing is to investigate whether the military funds allocated by the court have actually been used properly, and whether anyone’s been embezzling or breaking the law. So I hope you all will cooperate, so I can report back. Lord Cao, don’t worry. I’ll make sure my people cooperate fully. Yes, sir. Don’t worry. Everyone in Jinyang will cooperate. Alright, then I’ll count on you. I won’t bother you any further. I’m heading out. Hmm. By the way, before I got into the city, I killed some idiot who didn’t know his place. Folks, he brought it on himself, daring to block your way, sir. He got what he deserved. Exactly, maybe he was a spy from Zhou. Lord Cao did the right thing. Good riddance. You got rid of a cancer for Jinyang. Yeah, anyone who dares block Lord Cao is basically defying the court. He deserved to die. But I don’t think I said I killed him because he blocked me, or wouldn’t let me in, right? Hahahaha! Look at you, getting all nervous again. Just kidding. Alright, go do your thing. I’ll find a place to rest myself. Spare my life! He’s just a dog raised by the Lu family. Seven holes, eight holes, dare to kill my elder, I’ll tear you to pieces! General Lu said all those so-called reforms are just a knife at our throats, they want to eat our flesh and drink our blood! What should we do? Screw those reforms. I’ll find some excuse, kill him with one stroke, and pretend nothing happened. Just do what you always do. Business as usual. But what if Cao Ye asks about the reforms? Just get a few people, whatever he says, you write it down, post it on the wall, let everyone know it was all Cao Ye’s idea, nothing to do with me. I’ll take care of it. And no matter what you do, ruin Cao Ye’s reputation for me. At least in Jinyang, I want his name dragged through the mud. Not good, not good at all! General Li, Lord Cao just took people to seize Master Cui’s mansion! Lord Cao is robbing Master Cui’s house! Saw it with my own eyes! Saw it clear as day! I’m sure of it! General, so now, should we step in and help Master Cui? After all, Master Cui is pretty close with us. No need to interfere. Let him cause a scene. Let all of Jinyang’s people see what kind of man Lord Cao really is. As for Master Cui, if he sends for help, just say we’re powerless to do anything. But… but… Just do what you’re told. Get out. Cao Ye, you really are an idiot. All the grain business in Jinyang and even the border is basically run by the Cui family. If Cao Ye offends the Cui family, pretty soon, no one will sell him food. It won’t be long before Cao Ye gets run out of Jinyang. Let me introduce myself. My name is Cao Ye, I’m the imperial envoy appointed by His Majesty. So this time, I represent the face of the court. That means I need to stay somewhere decent. The three of us have circled this city a bunch of times today, and your estate is the nicest we’ve seen. So I’m going to requisition it for a while. Hope you won’t mind too much. But if you have any objections, just say it. Ah, no, no, no, we’ll do whatever you say, sir. No objections at all. Alright, then it’s settled. It’s getting late today, let’s all head inside and get some rest. Yingzi, remember to have people patrol, make sure everything stays safe. Yes, sir. Sir, sir. All the money in the house, and the treasures in the storeroom, whatever you want, sir, you can take anything. All I ask, is that you don’t hurt my family. I, Cao Ye, have studied the classics since I was a child, graduated top of my class, and now I am the Grand Tutor of the court, personally appointed by His Majesty as an envoy. Not to mention I’ve turned the tide, defeated the Turks and protected the emperor. All the officials in court, whenever they see me, they praise my character, call me a true gentleman. Are you saying this to insult me? No, no, sir! I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare! I’ve admired you for so long, just wanted to show my respect. As a scholar, I cannot be swayed by poverty, nor intimidated by force. Money and material things, mean nothing to me. But I can’t refuse your kindness either, so let him stay and keep me company. Guards, take him away! No, sir! No, my daughter! Daughter, sir! Sir, sir! Please, have mercy! I’ll give you everything I own, just give me back my granddaughter! Sir, please! Sir, don’t take my parents! Ah, throw them all out! Oh, my poor daughter… I—I, the Cui family, have always been honest and upright, never thought we’d face such disaster today. Dad, he thinks just because he’s the Grand Tutor, and an imperial envoy, he can do whatever he wants, break the law and act recklessly. We should go report this to the authorities, let the court give us justice. I know what I’m doing, but government officials always protect each other. Cao Ye has power and status, and follows the rules. I’m useless. So we’re just going to do nothing, and watch our cousin get ruined by Cao Ye? Of course not. Second brother, go to the academy, spread the word about everything Cao Ye has done. Ruin his reputation, maybe even get the emperor to punish him. Good. Third brother, go notify all the shops, from now on, no one is allowed to sell Cao Ye a single grain of food. Also, give all the money in the house to the soldiers, have them look for a chance to kill him. Cao Ye is our father, what do you need me to do? Go burn all the grain in the warehouse, not a single grain left. Don’t worry, the fish is in my house, he won’t get a single grain. Just in case, after dark, I’ll go find Lu Lushan, do whatever it takes, ask him to help me get rid of Cao Yan, as our last resort. Until this is over, tell the family not to go out, especially the women, don’t let me find out. Cao Yan’s relatives can’t know about this, the consequences would be unimaginable. And don’t get into conflict with them, to avoid bringing trouble on ourselves. Is that clear? Yes, we’ll do as you say, right away. How’s everything arranged with Miss Cui? All set. But sir, if you have no interest in Miss Cui, why go through all this trouble, and make the Cui family unhappy? Everyone’s saying outside, you’re nothing but a beast, that Bai Jinyang, is just out to steal money, food, and women. I call that ‘evil deeds bring their own punishment.’ You foolish woman, what do you know? Jinyang, the situation is complicated right now, and reform can’t wait. In extraordinary times, we need extraordinary measures to provoke the Cui family, so our enemies will reveal themselves. I see. So, don’t pay attention to those rumors outside. The team says, no businesses will deal with us now, we can’t buy any food, the locals hate us, it’s hard to even go outside. I’m afraid we can’t last long. That’s nothing yet. If you don’t believe me, let’s make a bet. Within an hour, not just outside the house, even the grain inside will be burned. No team leader, should we send more people to guard the granary? What’s the rush? Just wait and see, if they want to burn it, let them, it’s their food, not ours, right? Oh, but if all the grain is burned, what will we do? What did I just say? Just wait and watch TV. Bad news, the granary’s on fire! Someone help, fire! Sir, how did you know? I’ve used these tricks before, nothing new to me. It’s a secret. Hey, team leader, shouldn’t we do something? How could we not? The Cui family is on fire, they’re short-handed, and we’re staying here, how could we just stand by? Listen to my orders, go immediately, guard the storerooms, especially the valuables and money, don’t let anything happen. Oh. Yes. I heard the Cui residence caught fire. Why aren’t you out fighting the blaze so late at night? Old Mr. Cui, what urgent business brings you to my place? General Lushan, let’s not beat around the bush. I’m sure you know why I’m here tonight. Ever since Mr. Cao arrived in Jinyang, he’s seized my family’s ancestral property. He even assaulted my granddaughter. Hmph. If I don’t get revenge, I’ll die with regret. I’m here today to ask for your help, General. I hope you’ll help my Cui family. Kill that monster. Ah, this is a tough situation for me too. Mr. Cao is a government official. Even if he’s done wrong, it should be reported to the court. Let His Majesty decide, I can’t do anything. General, stop giving me the runaround. Let me be direct. I’ll agree to every condition you set before. I just ask you to kill Cao Yi. Before I kill Cao Yi, I asked you to pay up. Help me. Build a thousand-man heavy cavalry unit. You all dodged and said you had no money. So now you suddenly have the funds? That deal’s not enough now. The one you want dead is Cao Ye. He’s a government official, a favorite of the Emperor. You’ll need to pay more, I want you to fund a two-thousand-man heavy cavalry unit. What? Two thousand heavy cavalry? Not just that, every squad’s food, pay, and armor, all expenses, you’ll cover them. As long as you kill Cao Ye, I’ll agree to any condition you set. Then, once I’ve killed Cao Ye, everyone in the Cui residence will pay ten thousand taels in military support every month, alright? After all, word gets around, my men deserve a good reward too. If His Majesty investigates later, we’ll need to keep quiet. If you kill Mr. Cao, fine, that works. Old Mr. Cui, you really don’t mess around. But now’s not the time. We need to wait for the right moment. Hahaha. I understand. Once Cao Ye steps out, you’ll get everything you asked for. Alright, it’s a deal. Ah, another beautiful day. You two, why do you look so worried? What’s wrong now? Sir, we’re out of food. After breakfast, my men have nothing left to eat. Hmm, what about the Cui family? They’re all eating outside. The people of Jinyang hate us. Even with money, we can’t get a meal out there. Chief, what do we do now? No food? That’s easy. The Jinyang army has some. Let’s go ask for it. I’m afraid they’ll just make excuses. If they refuse, I Cao Ye is the Emperor’s appointed envoy. Getting food is for His Majesty’s business. If Lu Lushan refuses, he’s defying the court. Men, come with me to get food. Remember, from now on, if the Jinyang army won’t cooperate, kill them all. Yes, sir. That rabble isn’t an army, they’re just bandits. When the granary caught fire, they didn’t rush to put it out, they went straight to the treasury and grabbed piles of silver and jewels. Don’t worry, let’s wait and see. They took so much money, let’s see if they live long enough to spend it. Dad, I just saw Mr. Cao leave the residence with everyone. Now’s our chance for revenge. Alright, good. Old Cai, did you notify the death squad? Is everything set? Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve got it all arranged. If things go smoothly, you’ll see Cao Yan’s corpse tonight. General, General! Cao Yan left the Cui residence. What did you say? Mr. Cao took his people and left the Cui residence. Sir, the news is absolutely true. This morning, I was watching Mr. Cao at the Cui residence, I saw them slip out quietly. Hahaha, good! Send my orders. Envoy Cao Ye has acted recklessly, kidnapped local women, hurt the people, caused outrage among the citizens of Jinyang, looted the Cui family granary, then fled in fear after being exposed. Notify the troops around Jinyang, if you see Cao Ye, kill him on sight. Yes, sir. Also, send someone to the capital right away, report this to His Majesty. Say that I, Lu Lushan, discovered Cao Ye’s treason, and am doing everything to hunt him down. I’ll arrange the report immediately. General, bad news! General, tell us, what’s going on? Jinyang’s government office is surrounded. That’s right, General, Mr. Cao Mr. Cao brought his men and surrounded the whole government office. What, Mr. Cao’s coming for me? He’s really looking for trouble. Since he’s here, he’s not leaving. Send my orders, follow me to capture and kill Cao Yan! Yes, sir! Cao Yuan’s brought troops to surround the government office in Jinyang. Is he trying to rebel? Is he planning a coup? Lushan’s turning the tables on us. All the dirty things you did, we’ve known about for ages. Alright, then let me hear how you twist the truth, Cao Ye. You, for your own gain, colluded with Zhou and the Turks to betray Daqing. And, you bribed the Jinyang soldiers with the powerful elite. Worst of all, you even dared to imprison a government minister, General Yang Ye. Trying to seize power, plotting to steal our great land. All this, since he arrived in Jinyang, he never even left the Cui residence. How does he know about my plans? Did the Cui family betray me? Cao Yan came by order of His Majesty to reform Jinyang. You’re royalty, but for your own gain, you cut off our food, burned our granaries. Today, for His Majesty, for the people of Jinyang, I’ll rid us of this cancer. Nonsense! Mr. Cao, it’s you and Jinyang who’ve done evil, making the people suffer. Today, for the Emperor, I’ll wipe out this traitor. Soldiers, listen up! Take him! Yes, sir! Yeah! As long as I’m here, no one will lay a finger on our chief. Damn, you two are fierce! Shut the doors, shut the doors! Yunlongshan, don’t close the door! Hey, hey! Hold the line, block them! Quick! Lord Sirius, get the city troops here to save me! And send a carrier pigeon, tell the border army to mobilize now! Mr. Cao’s got guts. He wouldn’t act like this unless the Emperor’s onto him. We have to strike first if we want to survive. And the Cui family control the Cui family, don’t let anyone escape. Yes, sir! I’ll deal with the Cui family after I’m done with Mr. Cao. You traitors, daring to team up with Cao Ye to stab me in the back. You deserve to die! Dad, just got word Cao Ye’s leading people straight to the government office, saying Lu Dushan’s rebelling, and he’s here by imperial decree, surrounding the government office. What’s the situation? Lu Dushan fought back, but Cao Ye crushed him. What? Dad, bad news! The Cui residence is surrounded. We’re trapped! What’s going on? Did Cao Ye come back? No, not him, Dad—it’s Lu Lushan’s men. What? Lu Lushan? Why’s he trying to destroy our Cui family? We didn’t provoke him. Dad, Mr. Cao’s been living with us, but today he suddenly turned on us, declared Lu Lushan a rebel, and surrounded the government office. Lu Lushan probably thinks we’re in cahoots with Mr. Cao. Should we hand over all our money? Maybe that’ll save us. Lu Lushan’s always had his eye on our Cui family fortune. Now he’s got a chance to swallow it all at once, why would he let us go? If he wipes us out, all our money’s his. Right away, right away! Send a carrier pigeon, tell the death squad to follow Mr. Cao’s orders, help him kill Lu Lushan. Our only hope is Mr. Cao now. But Dad, the Cao family humiliated our Cui family, and defiled my niece. So what? With things like this, if we want to survive, we have to rely on Mr. Cao. Send the message now! Yes, Chief! This Jinyang government office is way too sturdy. Without the right gear, we’ll never break in. Damn it, we really screwed up. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have brought these two. They actually forced Lu Lushan to hole up inside. I don’t care—today, even if I have to chew through the door, I’ll get it open. Who’s there? Reporting to Mr. Cao, we’re here to follow your orders. And you are? We’re the Cui family death squad. Mr. Cui heard about Lu Lushan’s rebellion, he sent us to help you defeat the traitors. All those times the Cui family got bullied, these guys never showed up. Old foxes really do hide deep. So, are you any good at spying and investigation? Of course, that’s our specialty. If I turn these guys into my own secret police, the Emperor won’t be able to sit still. With things in Jinyang like this, who knows if I’ll end up with my whole clan executed. Better keep a backup plan. Alright, since Old Cui handed you over to me, I’ve got a big job for you. Please give your orders, sir. Go to the capital and gather intelligence for me, help me build a spy network. Why aren’t you saying anything? Can’t do it? No, we can do it. Just say the word, I’ll go talk to him. Government officials aren’t just for show, and they’re definitely not idiots. With so many people suddenly showing up in the capital, gathering intel, if we get caught, I refuse to believe that bastard of an emperor, or that he’d ever think I’m starting a rebellion. Damn you, Cao Yan, so you really are working with the Cui family. Boss Cao, so you really did team up with the Cui family. Quit your damn yapping, just open the door already. Boss Cao, don’t get cocky just yet. There are still tens of thousands of troops in Jinyang City. Once they get the word, they’ll be here in no time. I’m telling you, surrender now, there’s still time to save yourself. Oh yeah? Then hurry up and come over! Boss Cao, you’re ruthless and ambitious, don’t fall for his slick talk anymore. He’s the real traitor plotting rebellion, he’s been lying to you all along. Wake up before it’s too late. If you capture Boss Cao, we’ll report to His Majesty, and you’ll get off easy. Lord Cao, does he not know you’re the most loyal official in Da Qing? He actually accused you of rebellion. General Li, I’m rebelling! I surrender, I’ll confess to everything. Just come out and arrest me, then take me to the emperor for a reward. How about that? The Prince treats me like an enemy, never thought you’d be so sneaky. Let me tell you, I’ve fought countless battles, I’m not stepping out there. You’re not fooling me. So what would make you trust me? Unless you drop your weapons. Drop your weapons. I don’t have any weapons, if I drop them, I’ve got nothing left. Is that good enough? And take off your armor. Throw away all your gear too. Didn’t you hear me? Drop your weapons, take off your armor, throw out your gear! General Lü, everyone’s following your orders now, armor off, weapons down. Is that good enough? Cao Yue, the way you’re acting so fearless, you must’ve set up an ambush ages ago. If I step out, I’ll be caught right away. What ambush? Seriously, why are you dragging this out? Boss Cao, still pretending? Is that it? Tell your ambush to back off. This is your last chance from me, I’m unarmed now, I’m down to just my boxers. You’ve got battle-hardened elites all around you, what are you even scared of? Boss Cao, you’re all set, trying to get in, trying to get me out, well, I’m not coming out. If you’ve got guts, come in yourself! If I come in, you better open the damn door! Come over here alone, I’ll open the door for you. Hey, chief, seriously, you’re clueless. Can’t even take the meal when it’s right in front of you. Boss Cao, what are you mumbling about? Are you secretly giving orders? I’m chanting prayers for your soul! First you want me to come over, then you tell me to stop, are you arresting me or not? Boss Cao, you want in, I’m not letting you have your way. I’m telling you, I’ve already sent word to my men by carrier pigeon, the border troops and Jinyang army are all under my command. I’m telling you, once the main force arrives, I’ll be the first to kill you, then march straight to the capital, and kill the emperor. Kill the emperor? Damn, rebellion is such a niche game, can’t believe people are fighting me for it. So you’re saying you want to rebel? That’s right, I’m rebelling. I’m in too. Why should he get to be emperor and enjoy life, while I have to risk my neck on the battlefield? I want to be emperor too, I want the good life. Lord Cao, you’re the real deal. This Lü Lushan is a master at hiding his intentions, and you exposed him in just a day. Well, my clan chief is a genius. Boss Cao, if you surrender to me, join me in taking the capital, and kill that bastard emperor, I’ll make sure you live in luxury for the rest of your life. At this point, worst case, we really rebel. Once word gets back to the capital, they’ll wipe out my whole family, right? Fine, I’ll rebel with you. What did you say? I said I’ll rebel with you. Hahaha! Cao Yu, you really are a schemer, just to gain my trust, you’d say something so outrageous. Who do you think I am? You want to trick me? You think I’d believe you? Freeze, don’t move! Move and I’ll shoot an arrow through you. Yu Luoshan, I’ve never seen anyone like you. Chief, did I nail that shot or what? Yingzi, who the hell told you to shoot? Chief, I saw you pointing at him, wasn’t that the signal to take him out? You think that’s what I meant? I wanted to curse him out face-to-face, call that idiot out. How was I supposed to know you were so dramatic? Shooting without orders. Lord Cao, the gates of King Jin’s mansion are open! Holy crap, there’s still a chance! Hey, why are they all waving white flags? They’re waving white flags, they’ve surrendered. Surrendered, waving white flags. Sir, the rebel Lü Dongshan has been executed. Please, sir, come take charge at Jingyang. Chief, be careful, could be a trap. Trap? You think I’m afraid of that? I want it to be a trap! Otherwise, how would they catch me, wipe out my whole family? Hmph. Who are you? Sir, I’m the captain of Lü Lushan’s personal guard. Why surrender? Lü Lushan abused his royal connections, acted like a tyrant, even imprisoned General Yang Ye, and tried to start a rebellion. We’ve been loyal all along, kept our heads down, finally waited for you to arrive, and now we’re switching sides. So you’re saying, you all knew Lü Lushan was planning a rebellion? That’s right, but we had no choice. You knew and still helped him? By rights, you two should be executed for treason too. Spare us, sir! Sir, sir, I’m begging you, please spare me. I’ve got an eighty-year-old mother, and a one-year-old baby. Sir, please have mercy. Sir, sir, we were just fooled by Lü Dongshan, we didn’t know anything! Enough! I’ll give you a way out, go to Jinyang City and spread the word: anyone who ever worked with Lü Lushan dies. Yes, yes, yes, we’ll do it, we swear! We’ll do it! Sir, you’re just letting them go? Aren’t you afraid they’ll rally troops, and come back for revenge? I want them to come back. If they don’t want to die, they’ll team up, and deliver me when I start my rebellion. Everything will be under control. Ha, that’s called trusting the right people, and never doubting them. You wouldn’t understand. Wow. Hmm. After all these days, how come no one’s come to arrest me yet? Here they come, finally someone’s here to arrest me. Sir, all the traitors have been caught. Sir, this is the official record for Jinyang, every plot of land, including the private estates hidden by officials and nobles. Just say the word, and we’ll roll out your reforms immediately, hand out land to the people. So you’re telling me, in one day, you combed through every inch of Jinyang, and actually rounded up everyone who ever worked with Lü Lushan? That’s right, any official with ties, even the big family clans, if they had any connection, we arrested them all. Just waiting for your orders. Did the war scramble your brains? You’re all idiots. This was your big chance to rally troops and catch me, and you wasted it. Get out, go on, yes sir, move. Where’s the princess consort? Commander Wang isn’t back yet. He took some men to survey the fields. And to round up those people. They’re still wrapping things up. What battle order did he issue? When did he leave? How come I didn’t know about this? Seems like, clan chief, right when you went to rest in Jinyang, he left. Didn’t you notice? Why did I even come to Jinyang? Brought you two geniuses along. Chief, are you complimenting me? So, what do we do next? Should we report this to the court? Report my ass. Hey, wait, we do need to report. We’ll report after we kill them. Chief, those are all imperial relatives. If we kill them first and report after, won’t that be a problem? Yingzi, haven’t I told you before? In extraordinary times, you have to use extraordinary methods. Go on, hurry up and chop those people down. Remember to read out their crimes. Yes, sir. Hey, wait a second! Chief, anything else? Take all the loot confiscated from the officials and nobles, divide it among the troops. Then give them three days off. After three days, everyone returns to camp. In the meantime, go wherever you want, have fun wherever you want. Remember to send someone to the capital to tell the emperor that I, Cao Ye, am on a killing spree in Jinyang, targeting only nobles and officials. Chief, what exactly are you trying to do? Just do what I say, don’t ask so many damn questions. Yes, sir. Oh, right. How’s General Yang Ye? He’s been locked up for days, his health is bad, he’s getting treated at the clinic. Forget the damn treatment, lock him back up right away, got it, got it. There’s still a chance. There’s still a chance! The Cui family’s assassins are in the capital, gathering military intel. I also killed Lu Lushan, won over the army and the people. This time, wiping out nine generations is in the bag. Let me go! I’m the emperor’s own sister! I’m the emperor’s own nephew! I’m an imperial relative! You have no right to kill me! Envoy and Grand Preceptor Lord Cao is here! Lord Cao, Lord Cao! Let me go, please! Do you even know what you’re doing? This is treason! Killing imperial kin without permission! You’re nothing but a dog of the Li family, kill me and Li Tian’s days are numbered! Yeah, I’m rebelling. What are you gonna do about it? You dare—ah! Everyone, right here I have this guy’s file. Let me read it out for you. Lu Jian, using his status as an imperial relative, preyed on the people, killed over a hundred innocent civilians, abused more than fifty young girls, illegally seized over a thousand acres of farmland, trafficked nearly a thousand people, embezzled a million taels in Jinyang taxes. Not only that, he also broke court bans, forged documents to trade with the Turks, sold tea and grain for personal profit, and helped Lu Lushan plot rebellion. I’m an imperial relative! So what if I killed some lowlifes for money? Lu Jian, Lu Jian, you’re rotten to the core and still unrepentant. Today, as the imperial envoy, I’ll do the deed first and report later, and rid the people of your filth. Men! Carry out the execution! Stop! Your Highness, save me! Your Highness! You’re so annoying—how dare you! Didn’t I tell you to arrest them all? Why is there still one left? Chief’s men said he went back to the capital to visit family, so they didn’t catch him. Sorry, my men didn’t cover all the bases and missed you. Cao Ye, what do you mean by this? What do I mean? Take her down! Cao Ye, Cao Ye! I’m the emperor’s own sister! If you treat me like this, it’s basically rebellion! Tell them to back off right now, let my whole family go! You sure talk a lot, hurry up and chop them all together, don’t miss the time! Cao Ye! I’m the emperor’s own sister! I don’t care if you’re the emperor’s damn mother! Ever heard “the law is equal for the emperor and the commoner”? With all the crap he’s done, wiping out nine generations is the least of it. Hurry up and chop them! Mother! My child! Ahhh! That’s what I call justice! Hey, where’s Li Jian’s father? Perfect timing, cut the line, come up here with them. A family should stick together, right? Don’t, don’t! My lord, honestly, if my nine generations could die this clean, that’d be great. Folks, from now on, I’m in charge of Jinyang. If anyone’s got a problem, just speak up. I won’t tolerate any nonsense. Alright, alright, alright! Now that things are this big, let’s hope that dog emperor has some guts, and wipes out my whole clan quick! Impossible, absolutely impossible! Your Majesty, please take care of yourself! Cao Ye It’s impossible for him to kill imperial kin without my permission, this must be a rumor! Your Majesty, this is the truth! Lord Cao acted on his own, executed your sister and nephew, and wiped out all the nobles in Jinyang. He’s basically wiped out your entire clan! He clearly has no respect for you, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, it’s come to this, you should summon Cao Ye back. If he keeps this up, Jinyang will be in chaos. Did you hear me? Bring Lord Cao back to me immediately! I want to know where he gets the nerve! My imperial authority, my clan, he just kills them as he pleases! What, is he going to poison me one day too? Your Majesty, Lord Cao said he can’t come back just yet. He said—he said What else did he say? Lord Cao said the poisoning issue still isn’t resolved, he’ll come back once everything’s handled. Your Majesty, people’s hearts are unpredictable. Lord Cao has huge prestige in the army now, and the people of Jinyang are probably very grateful to him. If he puts on the imperial robe, I fear Send word to Lu Kuo for me, tell him to lead troops right away, arrest everyone from the Cao family, bring them all back to the capital! Also notify Cao Yan, if he can’t get back from Jinyang in three days, I’ll personally take the entire Cao family to Jinyang, let him see with his own eyes how his clan is wiped out! Yes, yes, right away! My lord, to receive the imperial edict, you should kneel. Of course I know that as Grand Preceptor, but I can hear it just fine lying down. Go ahead, read it. What, you can’t read? No, no, I can read! I’m just saying, why are you so nervous reading an edict? Even if you’re a eunuch, you were still a man once, right? Why so timid? Don’t die of fright on me, or the dog emperor will use it against me again. My lord, I really don’t dare read it. Maybe you should read it yourself. Mm. Alright, I get it. You can go now. Thank you, my lord. Sir. What was that eunuch here for just now? Just delivering an imperial decree, that’s all. What did His Majesty order this time? Nothing much, just told me to return to the capital. And by the way, if I don’t make it back in three days, he’ll have my whole family executed. So, sir, are we in trouble or not? Well, that damn emperor always talks big but never follows through. He’s always threatening to wipe out my whole family, but has he ever really done it? Let’s not talk about that anymore. What did you two want to see me about? Captain, we’ve discovered signs of a large army approaching Xinyang. It must be the border troops that Lü Lushan mobilized before he died, coming for revenge. Coming for revenge? Tell me exactly what’s going on. Reporting, sir, the Red Marquis says he spotted two armies, about fifty thousand men in total, coming toward Jinyang from two directions. Sir, should we take the initiative and attack, set an ambush outside the city, or stay put and defend? Almost forgot about that. But the damn system gave the Cao family a buff, it’s insane. What if that kid actually wins? If the emperor hears about it, he might hesitate, and won’t dare to wipe out my family. But what should we do? The Lord of Jinyang can’t be moved, we need to watch out for Zhou. Handle everything else as you see fit, okay? Yes, sir. So, sir, what does this mean? Is the chief telling us to go on the offensive? The Jinyang army has to guard against Zhou, so they can’t make any moves. How are we supposed to attack? If the Jinyang army can’t move, didn’t we bring five hundred cavalry when we came here? Do you really think we’re superhuman or something? They have fifty thousand on their side, twenty thousand in one group, thirty thousand in the other. We’ve only got five hundred cavalry. What are we supposed to do, just go die? Worst case, I’ll take on the thirty thousand myself. Is this a discussion about which group to attack? The real issue is the numbers—it’s way too lopsided. There’s no way we can win. If you’re scared, you don’t have to go. I can lead the troops myself. Hey, hey, hey, what are you thinking? Why do you think we can win? The captain must have his reasons for saying so. There’s no way we’ll lose. Fine, fine, you’re the tough one. I’ll take three hundred, you take two hundred. You go after the thirty thousand inland, I’ll go for the twenty thousand. Let’s see who dies first, hmph. Oh, man. How many days has it been now? Why hasn’t the damn emperor sent anyone to kill me yet? Your lowly general reporting. General, you may rise. Both rebel armies have been defeated by your lowly general. Their leaders have been killed. Our army won a complete victory, not a single casualty. Mission accomplished. Wait, what? We won? Both enemy armies—fifty thousand men all taken prisoner. What did you say? Five hundred against fifty thousand, and we actually won? How did you pull that off? The enemy was setting up camp to rest. They expected I’d lead the cavalry in a charge, so I waited for the right moment, took two hundred cavalry, and charged straight into the enemy’s main camp. That was it. We killed their main general, which broke their morale. We told them we’d only kill the leader, the rest could drop their weapons and they’d be spared. So everyone gave up fighting, and I brought them all back as prisoners. Pathetic, just pathetic. How does an idiot like that become a border commander? It’s a miracle Qin hasn’t fallen yet. And what about you? Your lowly general is nowhere near as brave as General Cao, just lucky, that’s all. I took the troops to hold the line, waited for the enemy to get settled, then did a flanking maneuver. The enemy thought we had overwhelming numbers, so they tried to retreat, but it was chaos, and a lot died or got trampled. The enemy’s main general, died in the confusion—scared to death. Scared to death? How does that even happen? I asked around, the enemy’s general was already sick, worn out from travel, completely exhausted. I gave him a scare and he just died. Talk about luck. The rest of the soldiers, I brought back to Jinyang. Alright, it’s getting late. You two must be tired. Go get some rest, take it easy for a while. Sir, we’re not tired. Yeah, captain, we’re good. I feel like I could head right back into battle. I meant I’m tired, I’m going to rest. Your lowly general will take his leave. Damn, if this keeps up, I’ll end up as the guy who actually pulls off a coup. I’ll be the new emperor. That damn emperor might end up so scared, he won’t even dare to kill me. Better get ready, just in case. Damn. Sir, is there something you needed from me? I’d like to borrow General Yang’s command token. I’ve kept it hidden all this time, Li Dushan never found it. Sir, take it, use it however you need. Thanks. Hey, wait, sir, aren’t you going to ask me anything? Actually, yeah. Go ahead. You’ve basically got Jinyang under your thumb, so how did you end up getting locked up by Lü Lushan? It was a setup by Lü Dushan. He framed me, and my loyal men. If it weren’t for you, sir, my reputation would’ve been ruined. I get it, you locked me up because the emperor wanted you to investigate me, see if I’d defend myself. Don’t worry, I’m definitely not a traitor. You got it wrong. Everything I did was for myself. His Majesty ordered me to return to the capital, and threatened to execute my whole family if I didn’t. I never agreed to that. So, sir, you want the command token… it’s exactly what you’re thinking. Alright, General Yang, I’ll take my leave. Eat and drink well here, if you need anything, just ask. Man, Lord Cao really is selfless. For the sake of the nation’s stability, he’s willing to wipe out the parasites, even if it puts his family in danger. Taking the command token is just so he can solve all the border problems faster, make the frontier stable, and strengthen the army. No, I have to find a way to get an audience with the emperor. Lord Cao is loyal and patriotic, I have to plead his case. Worst case, I’ll risk my life to speak up. What else could I do to get His Majesty to execute my whole family? Maybe defect to Zhou, but how would I convince anyone? Sir, the counties under Jinyang’s control sent people to borrow some silver, they said they were hit by disasters this year. Will you lend it? What do you mean, will I lend it? That’s an insult. If you won’t lend, wait, let them in. I was just looking for an excuse, and here it is. Lord Cao, please forgive me, Lord Cao. Wishing all the counties in Jinyang a speedy recovery. Jinyang’s always been wealthy, how are you short on food and money now? Too many corrupt officials in Jinyang. They seize taxes and grain under all kinds of excuses. Oh. The counties have been overwhelmed for a long time, the disasters just made it worse. I see. But His Majesty hasn’t issued any orders yet, if I make decisions on my own, I’m afraid… This is a small token of my appreciation. There’s another cart outside. What do you mean by this? I, Cao Ye, am a top scholar, Grand Tutor of the nation, and Imperial Envoy. I’m known for my integrity. You dare try to bribe me? Unbelievable. Ah, how pathetic. You and I both work for the Qing Nation. We should be united in our efforts. Yet you try to bribe me. Hey, come here. Take all this stuff away, quick. Don’t dirty my sight with it. Master, there’s another carriage outside the gate. How should we handle it? Take it all away. Don’t leave this filth in front of my house. Yes, sir. As for you… Master, please Hey. You took all the grain from Jinyang. And to prevent unrest, you took away all the Jinyang and border troops too. To maintain order. Master, this—did I hear you right? As the saying goes, when the general is away, the emperor’s orders don’t always apply. The disaster is urgent. Even without His Majesty’s decree, I can make decisions on my own. Enough. I was just warning you. Never take bribes. Master, I understand. Stop with the nonsense. Just go, now. Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master. You’re officially transferring everyone out. Then you’ll turn and join the Zhou Nation. I don’t believe it—this time, His Majesty really won’t wipe out my whole family? Ha ha ha, chief! Yelling and shouting. What are you doing, Yingzi? Look at yourself. Do you look like a general at all right now? Do you have even a bit of the steadiness our old Cao family is known for? Huh? Master, Zhou Nation’s been itching to attack. If all the Jinyang troops are gone, and Zhou breaks through our defenses in one go, we’re done for. Do you think I’m an idiot? I saw this coming ages ago. Come, get me a pen. I’ll dictate, you write. Yes, sir. Write this: Dear Emperor of Zhou Nation, I am Cao Yi, Grand Tutor and Special Envoy of Qing Nation. I wish to switch sides and join you. I have secretly transferred out all the defending troops. Zhou Nation can take Jinyang without a fight. Please send your army quickly, before things change. Master, hurry and write. When you’re done, send it over to the other side. Then give it to the death squad, have them “accidentally” let the dog emperor get his hands on it. Uh, yes, sir. Yingzi, Yingzi, let me ask you something. If Zhou attacks, which place are they least likely to target? Chief, definitely Shangdang. Take all your soldiers and ambush Shangdang right away. Don’t ask why. Your lowly general will obey. Master, the letter’s done. Then send it off, yes. This time, I’ve used every trick I’ve got. If Qing Nation won’t help, I’ll have to rely on Zhou Nation. If this doesn’t work, I’m out of options. Hmph, Lord Cao really looks down on me. Still dreaming of using an empty city ploy to lure my troops. I’m sure the main force is hidden inside Jinyang. Lord Cao wants to play dirty with us? Then we’ll play along and take Shangdang. Let’s see what he does then. And while we’re at it, let’s mess with Cao Ye. Go buy some medicine, say it’s poison, have him poison that Qing emperor as proof of loyalty. Yes, sir. Zhou Nation is full of lunatics. How do you even get your whole family executed? Do I really have to go back to the capital and commit murder? His Majesty is here! He really came. Cao Yan, your three-day deadline is up. You defied the imperial order and colluded with Zhou Nation. Today I’ll execute your entire family. Your Majesty, I have my reasons. As for colluding with Zhou Nation, that’s pure fiction! Cao Yi, stop pretending. We got your letter selling out Jinyang to Zhou Nation on the way here. The evidence is clear. Confess now! How did this happen? Your Majesty, it’s come to this. I have nothing more to say. Just kill me, kill me now. Cao Yan, if you have a reason, speak up. I can show mercy. Fine, Cao Yan. Since you refuse to see reason, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Order: Execute Cao Yan immediately. Finally, the nine generations are doomed. Your Majesty, you mustn’t! Cao Ye is a hero of Qing Nation. You absolutely can’t kill him! General Yang, you’re alive? How did he get out? Everything Lord Cao Ye did was for Qing Nation! I’ll stake my life on it—please don’t kill a loyal subject! General Yang, you’re right that Cao Yan is loyal. Your Majesty, my crimes are too great. I beg you to uphold your sentence—execute my whole family. Cao Yan killed royal family members without permission, bought off everyone in Jinyang. How could a loyal subject do such things? Your Majesty, Zhou Nation is eyeing us hungrily. Lord Cao only acted to quickly settle internal strife. He even protected me, kept me hidden, and took all the blame himself. Hmph. Hmph. Hmph. Even if that barely makes sense, you sold out Jinyang. Was that for Qing Nation too? That’s outright treason! Selling out Jinyang—Lord Cao must have another reason. He would never betray Qing Nation otherwise. What reason could there be? Good thing we had a backup plan, or we’d be finished. General Yang, no need to defend me. Cao Ye, I still had a shred of hope for you. But you’ve let me down. Do it. Wait! Your Majesty, Lord Cao took risks only to defeat Zhou Nation! Damn, another obstacle. Princess Consort, what do you mean? Your Majesty, we’ve captured the Zhou general alive. You can ask him yourself. Bring him in! Let go of me! Hey! Cao Yi, you despicable rat! You’re nothing but a schemer. Do you dare fight me fair and square? All you do is play dirty tricks! You cost my Great Zhou hundreds of thousands of troops! I swear, we’ll get revenge! Let go of me! Take him away. Let go of me! Your Majesty, Lord Cao risked everything just to crush the Zhou army. They said Jin Nation was fighting on two fronts, sure to be worn down. Please don’t blame the clan chief. This is a huge matter—the chief didn’t even tell us everything, afraid the secret would leak and ruin it all. So that’s how it is. Lord Cao is loyal to his nation and king. I wrongly accused him, I’m truly ashamed. What the hell, is this even possible? This whole thing is my fault. I promise I’ll find a way to make it up to you. Everyone else, leave. I want to talk to you alone. You’re just way too unpredictable. You never tell me anything. It’s made me misunderstand you so many times. Your Majesty, please sit down and have some water. Your Majesty. It’s done, ha. Come on, what kind of reward do you want? I don’t care. Any reward is fine. Before my father passed away, he told me I’m a woman, and ruling a country isn’t easy. If someone is willing to give up everything for me, I could make him Regent. Back then, I didn’t care. Until you showed up. Looking back through history, there are plenty of loyal subjects but, someone as loyal as you, there’s only you. You don’t want anything, you don’t care about anything. My father said, people like that must have something more important in their heart. Is going home not important? I thought about it over and over, and finally realized, you did it all for me. Since I have nothing left to reward you, I’ll make you my husband. Rule the world with me. Hey, wait a second. Shit, damn aphrodisiac! Ahhh! No, stop! Seriously, what is this mess? I’ve been trying everything to get back, but I just can’t. Forget it. If I really can’t go back, sticking around isn’t so bad. Second only to one, above everyone else. Worst case, whatever’s missing, who cares? Stupid system, right? System detects host reaching the peak of life. Conquer and become Regent, no risk of clan extermination. County Magistrate achievement unlocked. Returning to original world soon. Portal opening. I can’t go back. Gao Xidou, Is there any way I don’t have to go? Portal locked on host, cannot be closed. Damn, what is this? I have to go. Where are you going? Qingshi, if I leave, would you come with me? We’re married, we’re one. Wherever you go, I’ll go with you. Warning, portal crossing imminent. Reminder to host: People from another world cannot cross. Without system protection, they’ll be torn apart by space. Damn. Xingchi, wait for me. Last night. Stupid system, stupid system, let me go back! Come out! Is there no way back? It was all just a dream. I think, in this life, maybe we’ll never meet again. Come on, seriously? Are you not even watching? Film director. You’re nuts. Little stinky tofu. Sorry about that. I just wondered why the director would be here. So annoying. Director. How are you here? I have no idea. You disappeared for a year. I had a baby boy. Named him Lu Niannye. I missed you so much. There was a voice echoing in my mind, and then, suddenly, I ended up here. We have a child together. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through all these years. At least we’re together again. System upgrade complete. Host and Lu Director’s descendant facing deadly crisis. Host must go rescue them as an 18-year-old CEO. Do you accept?
❤️Bukan seperti itu, ini hal yang luar biasa!
💥 youtube.com/@UCoeZCRviBFDU4BxIYyExWuw
📣 Jika Anda ingin membuat lembaran baru, beri tahu saya apa yang Anda inginkan!
#television #cdrama #drama #chinesedrama #goddess #bestromanticchinesedrama #CEO #kdrama #cinderella #Drama Pendek #Drama Manis #Cinderella #Romansa #rebirth