bookpower Chapter 448
Chapter 448
jiang xinyue wanted to change the status of women and alter society's traditional perceptions of them. taking a gentle approach would not suffice.
they had to make a resounding impact, achieve something earth-shattering, and surpass men by a thousandfold. only then would men close their skeptical eyes and silence their tiresome mouths.
"no!"
jiang xinyue spoke with bold determination: "guard meng is transporting provisions via the official road. when they reach the rocky cliffs, they might be ambushed. i propose that your majesty grant shi ruojun a squad of five hundred men to infiltrate goguryeo. i want her to take jin fengyu's head."
but she only requested five hundred men, precisely within the emperor's acceptable limits.
"yue'er, do you truly believe she can accomplish this?"
jiang xinyue smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming with unwavering confidence: "your majesty, like everyone else, thinks women are weak. even the spies you deploy are all men. but what men can do, women can do as well. and what men cannot do, women can still achieve."
the greatest advantage of men underestimating women is that shi ruojun can approach the king of goguryeo under the guise of her gender.
on the battlefield, deception is fair game. even without resorting to seduction, shi ruojun would find it easier than any man to get close to jin fengyu.
and when he least expects it, she will kill him.
as for how to accomplish this, that would be for shi ruojun and third yan to figure out.
"what did you say? the emperor appointed me as what?"
"miss shi, you heard correctly. the emperor has appointed you as the eastern conquest general, leading a secret squad of five hundred black armor elite guards to infiltrate goguryeo and assassinate its king."
shi ruojun nearly kissed tang shiliang in excitement: "i've long heard that the emperor's black armor soldiers can fight a hundred men each, excelling in stealth and assassination. five hundred men are more than enough. can i set off now?"
tang shiliang hurriedly stopped her: "miss shi, please calm down. the emperor said this title isn't given freely. you must fulfill the promise made to her majesty the empress. moreover, you and the five hundred black armor soldiers have no official standing. if you fail, great yan will not acknowledge your identities."
in other words, the title of eastern conquest general would only truly belong to her upon her triumphant return. otherwise, no one would recognize it.
tang shiliang mentioned that she must fulfill the promise made to her majesty the empress, which implied that even this appointment was secured through the empress's efforts.
her initial excitement faded, replaced by a solemn expression: "please convey to her majesty that i, shi ruojun, swear on my life not to betray her trust."
tang shiliang produced a black iron token from his sleeve, engraved with a soaring five-clawed dragon, exuding an aura of majesty.
"this is the black armor elite guards' command token. miss shi, keep it safe. you will depart tomorrow alongside guard meng's supply convoy."
third yan pushed him onto his horse: "general shi is my superior now, with a higher rank than you. it's not your place to give orders. hurry up and go."
on the battlefield, where blades and arrows fly, if shi ruojun had to constantly look after him, it would only add unnecessary pressure.
a commander must consider the bigger picture and not be constrained by personal concerns.
besides, as a strategist who didn't fight on the front lines, what danger could he possibly face?
even as he mounted his horse, meng qingyu kept signaling shi ruojun, who nodded in acknowledgment.
even without meng qingyu's reminder, she would protect third yan at all costs.
the empress had personally petitioned the emperor to make her a general. how could she repay such kindness by harming her benefactor's brother-in-law?
oh, wait—
prospective brother-in-law.
third yan and scholar jiang's fourth miss jiang hadn't yet married!
those cursed goguryeoans! they were supposed to wed after the new year, but now fourth miss jiang would have to wait even longer.
the thought only strengthened shi ruojun's resolve to take jin fengyu's head.
"five hundred black armor elite guards, advance at full speed!"
"yes, general!"
no matter how intense the war became, the palace remained untouched.
great yan was strong in both military and financial might. the emperor was no indulgent ruler; since his ascension, he had never squandered resources on lavish projects.
he invested all his wealth in training and equipping the army.
he had no expensive hobbies, and even the royal-owned shops in the capital, backed by the emperor, thrived, their profits filling the national treasury.
it was precisely this wealth that had bred corruption.
but after two years of purges, most of the corrupt officials had been dealt with.