15: Chapter 15 Is the Master a Pawn Controller?

Zhuge Jinyu naturally understood.

"Liu Mang defied military law and has been executed on the spot by This Prime Minister."

"This Prime Minister knows that many of you did not come here of your own free will."

"Either you were sent by your families, received benefits, or were forced by your circumstances."

She changed her tone, throwing out a temptation that no martial artist could resist.

This was also Su Chen's idea.

It perfectly suited Da Qian, where hereditary officialdom was the norm and the path for social mobility was blocked.

"Today, as long as you are willing to join This Prime Minister's army, whether you are one of the eight hundred on this field or not, you are This Prime Minister's soldier."

"In the army, we only recognize military merit, not background."

"In accordance with His Majesty's decree, the old system is abolished. All kills and military merits will be clearly priced and recorded based on heads and spoils."

"No matter who you are, as long as you cut off an enemy's head on the battlefield and achieve military merit..."

"...you can obtain rewards, spirit stones, and cultivation techniques! Even..."

She paused intentionally to build anticipation, then said word by word.

"Even noble titles and fiefs!"

"Kill one person, receive ten spirit stones."

"Kill ten people, be promoted to Corporal."

"Kill a hundred people, and you can become a Colonel!"

"If someone can slay an enemy general in battle or be the first to scale the city walls, This Prime Minister will personally request rewards from His Majesty. Being enfeoffed as a marquis or appointed as a general is not impossible."

"Are your fathers' noble titles very high?"

A seductive curve curled at the corner of Zhuge Jinyu's mouth.

"As long as your blades are fast enough and your merits are great enough, your future titles will surely far exceed theirs!"

"Of course... once in my army, anyone who makes a mistake will be dealt with according to military law."

She strode forward with her long legs, stood before the headless corpse, and incinerated it with a burst of fire.

"Your end will be the same as his."

These words were like dropping a depth charge onto the training ground.

Except for a few who were there to cause trouble or were afraid of death and chose to quietly withdraw, most of the others' eyes turned red with excitement.

It went without saying for those veteran rogues who had come with the intention of risking their lives.

And those playboys, though from wealthy families, were not necessarily valued within their clans.

Now that a shortcut to surpass their fathers or even establish their own houses through military merit was before them, how could they not be moved?

It was unknown who shouted first.

"We are willing to die for the Prime Minister!"

Then, a sound like a mountain roar erupted.

"We are willing to die for Da Qian!"

"Kill the enemy! Achieve merit!"

"Become a marquis and a general!"

Zhuge Jinyu looked at the excited crowd below the stage and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although the original eight hundred people had decreased to over five hundred, she believed that as long as her words spread today, the number of people coming to sign up would certainly not be small.

By applying both kindness and authority, she had temporarily grasped this blade.

She turned and looked toward the east, the direction where the rebel army was rampaging.

"Sir, the first step is complete."

In the mirror, a smile curled at the corner of Su Chen's blurred mouth.

"Train for one month, and we shall set out!"

...

Lianzhou Prefecture, inside the Guo Clan's manor.

"The move I made in the capital of Da Qian was discovered by that little girl from the Zhuge Family; it's stalled."

"It seems she really isn't just a pretty face; she has some genuine talent..."

The Man in Black Robe put away the mirror in his hand and walked forward a few steps.

Prostrate before him was none other than Guo Wenzhuo, an Integration Realm expert who already acted somewhat like an emperor in Lianzhou Prefecture!

"The schemes in the Liu Family and the Da Qian capital have both been broken?"

He asked, somewhat trembling.

The Man in Black Robe snorted coldly.

"These have nothing to do with you, but..."

"Guo Wenzhuo, if your 'rebel army' doesn't achieve anything noteworthy and disrupts my plans for the entire Da Qian, I will withdraw all my investments in you..."

"Don't forget, even your peak Spirit Transformation Realm cultivation..."

Guo Wenzhuo seemed frightened by the Man in Black Robe's words and actually knelt down directly, kowtowing several times with loud thuds.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Sir, I, Wenzhuo, will definitely do my best..."

The Man in Black Robe turned around, leaving only his back to him.

"That girl from the Zhuge Family has already started forming and training elite troops. Your Lianzhou Army has also taken many benefits from me over the years."

"Even if you have to use human lives to stall, you must keep Da Qian's elite troops pinned down on this battlefield for me!"

Guo Wenzhuo did not dare to get up at all.

The Man in Black Robe walked to the door of the room when he suddenly heard the man behind him ask in a trembling voice.

"Sir..."

"Are you working so hard because you want to see Great Wei unify the three kingdoms, or do you want to seize the world of Da Qian for yourself?"

"The world of Da Qian?"

The Man in Black Robe did not get angry but merely sneered.

"I don't care for such things at all!"

It seemed someone had once said something similar to him.

"Brother Yi, you work hard every day practicing martial arts and learning the art of strategy; is it to conquer the world of Da Qian for me?"

At that time, his answer was: "Definitely."

But times had changed.

She was gone, the world was gone, and even Da Qian was almost finished.

Only that country-stealing Zhuge Family remained, sitting safely in the Da Qian capital for generations, enjoying the glory that being "number one" brought them.

And he, and even the surname Sima, were forever hung on the historical pillar of shame as "number two."

Thinking of this, the Man in Black Robe was slightly dazed.

He reached out his hand from under the black robe.

Those hands were as thin as bones, covered in age spots, without even a trace of color.

"In order to defeat you, I used every means to extend my life, even turning into this state that is neither human nor ghost..."

"Zhuge Family, what do you have to fight against me?"

...

Autumn of that year.

"Sir..."

Zhuge Jinyu took the battle report sent by Huang Ying, her mind in a daze.

Lists of casualties in bright red leaped off the paper.

Although she had been on the battlefield for over half a year, Zhuge Jinyu was still somewhat unaccustomed to the deaths of her comrades.

Especially since this was the battle with the highest number of casualties since she took to the field.

"This Jiangting Prefecture was originally an important granary and military stronghold in eastern Qianzhou. Our army's numbers were already fewer than the enemy's, so such losses are within expectations..."

Su Chen sighed softly, watching Zhuge Jinyu's jade-like fingers move back and forth across the map.

"Moreover, even if we capture Jiangting Prefecture, Guo Wenzhuo's army will soon..."

"...counterattack from the east, south, and north."

"And to the west, the direction we came from, the terrain is extremely poor, making it difficult to withdraw all our people in a short time..."

"But Jiangting must still be taken."

Zhuge Jinyu said firmly.

Su Chen nodded.

Between the plains of eastern Da Qian and the western low mountains and hills where the Da Qian capital is located, there is a narrow winding path connecting them.

At the opening of that narrow path lies Jiangting Prefecture.

It is also situated on the alluvial fan where mountain rivers emerge, with extremely fertile land, making it a major grain-producing area with abundant supplies.

"However, Jiangting Prefecture has been besieged by our army for over a month; the grain in the city has likely already run out."

"There's no need for further large-scale attacks; we just need to wait patiently."

Hearing Sir say so, Zhuge Jinyu also breathed a sigh of relief and removed her armor.

After a battle, the young girl was drenched in fragrant sweat, soaking her moon-white Prime Minister's robe completely.

The Female Prime Minister's figure had fully developed over the past half year.

Everything was as it should be—curvy where it should be, and slender where it should be.

On her pure and cold face, there was a pair of fox-like eyes that could charm all living beings.

It was hard to imagine that the expression of a strategist full of confidence, a young girl's innocence, and a natural, mature allure could all appear on the same face.

In the mirror, Su Chen's gaze moved up and down, finally landing on the white tights under Zhuge Jinyu's Prime Minister's robe.

A few metal strips wrapped around her small, jade-like feet; those were her simple shoes.

"Hmm... the socks are soaked too."

Just as Zhuge Jinyu was about to take off her socks, she saw in the mirror behind her those bright, piercing eyes on Sir's indistinct face.

Her mind suddenly went blank, and she hurriedly raised her vermilion bird feather fan to cover her blushing face.

Why was Sir... staring straight at her... feet?