"Er... I truly never thought things would turn out like this..." Dongfang Yi said somewhat awkwardly.
"That's good. As long as Your Majesty no longer suffers in this harem, this concubine will be at ease," Concubine Shu added.
Since the incident with Cuiping, she had clearly lost a lot of her spirit, and even her lively personality had been somewhat tempered.
Seeing her like this, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but feel heartache. Then she said, "Concubine Shu, have you ever thought about leaving the palace and living a free life?"
She knew that the woman in front of her had grown up in the mountains and fields since childhood, but had been trapped in the harem forever. Her original personality was being gradually worn away.
Hearing her words, Concubine Shu's eyes involuntarily flickered for a moment, then dimmed. Then she said, "What good is it to yearn for freedom? Since I've entered the harem, I'll never have the chance to see freedom again."
The harem was originally a bottomless pit that had buried the youth of countless young women, devouring and wearing them down until they were completely exhausted.
Seeing her so dejected, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but be deeply moved. Then she said, "Trust me. I'll definitely find a way to let you regain your freedom!"
...
At this moment, on the battlefield in the Western Pass.
"Report—!"
A soldier ran into the tent, with blood on his body. It was obvious that he had just come back from the battlefield. He knelt down in front of the hall excitedly, then shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, we've won!"
Hearing this, everyone immediately stood up. You should know that this was the first piece of good news since the start of the war.
A proud smile curled up on Helian Qi's lips. Then he said, "Good! Inform the brothers. We'll hold a grand feast today!"
On the other hand, in the tent of the Southern Neighboring Country.
"Are you all useless? How can you not even defeat a group of weak Central Plains people? Have all the meat and wine I gave you been fed to the dogs?!" Ye roared angrily, with uncontrollable rage on his face.
He never expected to receive the news of defeat so soon, and Helian Qi hadn't even been on the battlefield.
The people below didn't dare to say a word after being scolded. They could only lower their eyes. But Zhu Qing on one side stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now that the morale of the Eastern Victory Country is greatly boosted, it's time for us to change our way of fighting."
He was still saying the same thing he had said a few days ago, with a tone of persuasion in his words. But the person being persuaded didn't listen at all. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and retorted, "Do you think our Southern Neighboring Country is no match for the Eastern Victory Country?!"
"It's not like that, Your Majesty. I'm just reminding you that it's time to change the battle plan. We will surely be invincible again!" he added.
But Ye sneered when he heard this. Then he said, "Zhu Qing, I've cultivated you for so many years. I've been kind enough, haven't I? But how are you repaying me now?!"
After sending Yaoji to spy yesterday, he later discovered that Zhu Qing had secretly met a stranger. The mysterious look of their meeting made it hard not to suspect that they had some ulterior motives.
Thinking of this, Ye's expression became even more ferocious. Then he grabbed the young man's neck in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Do you dare to betray me?!"
"I... I didn't!" Zhu Qing struggled even though his neck was being strangled. He didn't admit what Ye said at all.
"Then who was the person you met secretly yesterday?" Ye asked again.
Zhu Qing didn't expect that Ye would send someone to monitor him. There was a hint of hurt in his expression. But he still didn't want the man in front of him to misunderstand him. Then he said, "That was a spy I sent out to find out the real situation in the tent of the Eastern Victory Country..."
After hearing his words, Ye's expression still showed some suspicion, but he still let go of his hand.
The man who finally breathed in fresh air opened his mouth wide. He had the illusion of escaping from a tiger's mouth. After all, if the man had been a bit more determined just now, his neck might have been broken by now.
Thinking of this, a chill ran down his back.
"I'll trust you one more time for now. If you ever act smart and hide things from me again, watch out for your life!" Ye threatened like this, with endless coldness on his face.
Zhu Qing bowed and withdrew from the lord's tent. He relaxed a bit when he was finally alone, but his heart was filled with coldness.
That man was the one he had admired and served for so many years. But now he was suspecting him. How ridiculous, truly ridiculous!
The sky gradually darkened. Bonfires had been lit in the territory of the Eastern Victory Country. The soldiers were sitting around the bonfires, drinking and eating meat. It had been a long time since they had had such a carefree day.
"Your Majesty, the war isn't over yet. Isn't it a bit too relaxing to do this now?" General Liu said.
Hearing this, Helian Qi let out a soft laugh. He cast his gaze on the cheering soldiers. Then he said, "They need a victory, but they need a celebration even more. Throw all the previous defeats behind and only have victories in the future."
He said every word firmly, which was exactly what was on his mind.
Hearing this, General Liu nodded thoughtfully. Then he echoed, "Your Majesty truly has a brilliant strategy!"
After a night of indulgence, all the plans returned to the right track. Then there were wave after wave of battles.
Because of Helian Qi's brilliant tactics and the high morale of the soldiers, after two months, they had completely defeated the Southern Neighboring Country. They were about to force them to retreat.
At this moment, in the tent of the Southern Neighboring Country, Ye finally realized the seriousness of the situation. He also knew that this matter wasn't that simple. All the secret guards he had sent out to spy had been taken care of without exception.
Now that they were losing steadily, even though the soldiers of the Southern Neighboring Country were brave, they couldn't withstand the long - term consumption. Now their morale was greatly weakened, and they were on the verge of running out of ammunition and food.
"Damn it!" He roared and threw the water cup in his hand. With a "bang", it shattered on the ground, scaring everyone to immediately kneel on the ground and not dare to say a word.
"Why is Your Majesty so angry, Brother Emperor!" Yaoji walked over slowly, with a charming smile on her face. Then she added, "Yaoji still has a brilliant plan. It will surely help Your Majesty capture the Eastern Victory Country within two months."
"Oh?" Ye raised his eyebrows when he heard this and stared intently at the person in front of him.
"Yaoji knows that Brother Emperor once practiced the art of poison. Now that the two countries are at war, we can spread the poison. Let's see how they can fight back then!" She said every word harshly, not caring at all that this plan would harm the innocent people around.
Hearing this, Ye squinted his eyes slightly. Then he threw his head back and laughed loudly.