“Princess!” Zhang Yulin turned around and saw Wen Yuesheng riding toward him.

He immediately shouted loudly.

Not long after they set out from the capital, they received news of the rebellion in Fuzhou.

Since he was leading a small force and was accompanied by Yan Wei, Zhang Yulin carefully considered the situation and decided to slow their march.

The main reason for this was that he didn’t know who the imperial court would send to support them.

Given that they had already received the news, rushing into the rebellion with only five thousand soldiers would be too risky and could put all the soldiers in danger.

As a result, they arrived a few days later than originally planned, and during these extra days, they happened to meet up with the forces led by Wen Yuesheng.

When Yan Wei saw Wen Yuesheng appear, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, inside the governor’s office in the state city, several officials of Fuzhou were gathered.

The rebellion had been instigated by them, yet at this moment, they did not seem overly tense.

The leading governor, in fact, was leisurely enjoying his tea.

“…In my humble opinion, now that Lord Kong has passed away, we should march directly to the capital to avenge the Prince and Lord Kong,” he said calmly.

“The capital has three elite armies, plus the stationed forces. With our current forces, we might not be able to contend with them!”

“Since we’ve already caused trouble, there’s no turning back! Fuzhou’s location is special. Why don’t we crown Lord Han as king from now on, gather wise men from across the land, and use Fuzhou as our base to gradually expand our power?”

“It could be done, but it would take time. And now that imperial troops are approaching, we will soon face reinforcement. What we need to focus on now is how to defend against their attacks.”

Upon hearing this, the governor finally put down his teacup and coldly said, “What’s there to be afraid of?”

“Fuzhou is entirely under our control. The area is complex, easy to defend, and hard to attack. If they want to break through the defense lines, it won’t be easy.”

“Moreover…” He paused briefly, then firmly continued, “If we want to avenge the Prince and Lord Kong and achieve something great, we may have another choice.”

“What do you mean, Lord Han?”

The governor narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice: “The reason so many soldiers are stationed in Fuzhou is that beyond Fuzhou to the east is Haozhou, and to the west is the Sea Kingdom.”

“We’ve been preparing for a long time, and now that the Great Hui Dynasty has fallen into chaos, it’s not easy to make a move quickly. In that case, why not open the defenses of Fuzhou completely?”

Upon hearing this, the officials were shocked, their hearts racing.

One official’s face changed slightly and he responded with trembling eyes, “Lord, you mean we should open Fuzhou’s border defenses and lead our forces into Haozhou?”

Although the officials present understood the meaning of Governor Han’s words, they couldn’t help but have a slight change in their expressions when they heard him say this.

The governor replied directly, “Exactly.”

“After all, we’re all rebels now. Haozhou is strong. If we move there, we shouldn’t worry about failure. Moreover, we will surely be treated favorably in Haozhou.”

“I still have the defense maps of Fuzhou to the capital. What we couldn’t gain in Great Hui will certainly be possible in Haozhou!”

“Now that we’re at this point, why not take a chance?”

In fact, this plan had been decided before they started their rebellion.

However, some of the officials hadn’t been able to make up their minds before.

Not all of them were former supporters of the Prince; some were officials who had been demoted or reassigned to Fuzhou.

Now, hearing the governor’s words, they were tempted.

At this point, there was no turning back.

Perhaps, as the governor suggested, they could make a prosperous future in Haozhou.

After a brief silence, the officials stood up and said, “We obey your command, Lord.”

Seeing this, Governor Han smiled with satisfaction and narrowed his eyes. “Continue to send more men into the city. Find Zhou Yuandu for me!”

Most of Fuzhou was under his control.

Before starting the rebellion, he had even killed an officer who was disobedient to intimidate the others.

However, when he went to Zhou Yuandu’s residence, he discovered that Zhou had already fled, along with several other officials who refused to surrender.

Governor Han had always been cautious of Zhou since his arrival in Fuzhou.

He never entrusted any important matters to him but hadn’t expected Zhou to escape.

His smile didn’t last long before it was interrupted by a soldier rushing in.

“Lord, the imperial reinforcements have arrived. The city gate commander has been killed by the reinforcements’ leader.”

The officials present changed their expressions.

Governor Han remained calm and coldly asked, “Who is the leader of the reinforcements?”

“I’m not sure… but the guard at the city gate said that the leader seems to be a woman.”

There was a brief silence, and one of the officials reacted. “A woman leading the troops… Could it be the renowned Princess of Sinning in the capital?”

“She killed the gate commander? Are you sure?” Another official asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

The atmosphere grew tense.

Governor Han sneered. “What’s the panic? The fact that they arrived so quickly means they probably didn’t bring many troops.”

“Right now, they likely only have about ten thousand soldiers. Even if they are fierce, how can they be a match for our Fuzhou army? Jiang Cheng.”

He called over a general and said in a low voice, “Go to the city gate and lead the defense. We must repel the imperial army.”

After a brief pause, he added with a smile, “And capture that Princess of Sinning.”

“I’ve heard that the new Emperor of Haozhou is interested in her. Perfect. Let her be our first gift to Haozhou.”

The officials’ eyes flickered.

Jiang Cheng raised his voice. “I will follow your command!”

After leaving the governor’s office, Jiang Cheng rushed to the city tower.

Upon reaching the top, he saw the vast army below.

Looking out, the Fuzhou soldiers in red armor outnumbered the imperial soldiers in black armor, even after the two armies had joined forces.

Jiang Cheng’s expression froze for a moment, then he shouted, “Send the order to repel the imperial army and capture the Princess of Sinning alive!”

The soldiers below immediately shouted in unison: “Repel the army, capture the princess alive!”

The cry echoed throughout the city.

Wen Yuesheng, riding on horseback, looked up and immediately spotted the soldier who had issued the order on the city wall.

She coldly said, “Archers.”

The bow she had used to kill the gate commander was once again in her hand.

From a great distance, she drew her bow and shot an arrow, targeting the soldier on the wall.

The soldier, Jiang Cheng, who had been watching her from above, saw her move and froze for a moment but did not attempt to avoid it.

“General?” One of the guards beside him asked nervously, “This princess is an expert archer. Shouldn’t you avoid it?”

Jiang Cheng, however, scoffed. “She’s just a woman. From this distance, you think she can hit me? Do you take me for one of your useless generals?”

Jiang Cheng was a general of the Fuzhou army. Fuzhou was far from the capital, and news didn’t travel easily.

He didn’t know the full extent of Wen Yuesheng’s abilities.

When he saw a slender woman, he assumed that the previous gate commander must have been killed because he strayed too far from the wall.

The guards around him were uneasy, but Jiang Cheng didn’t care, confident he could block the shot.

Wen Yuesheng, from a great distance, lightly smiled and drew her bow to the fullest.

Whoosh—

Yan Wei heard the eerie sound of the arrow slicing through the air and looked up.

The second arrow Wen Yuesheng shot tore through the air with incredible speed and pierced the soldier’s throat on the city wall!

Boom!

The general’s sword didn’t even have time to be drawn before he was pinned to the wall by the arrow.

Thud.

The guards beside Jiang Cheng watched in shock as the general, who had just appeared on the wall, was pinned there in a matter of moments.

When they saw the arrow buried deep into his throat, their legs gave way, and their swords fell to the ground.

The soldiers below were silent for a moment before Wen Yuesheng’s troops burst into unprecedented cheers.

“Princess, mighty!”

“Princess, mighty!”

The cries echoed through the sky.

Wen Yuesheng, clad in dark robes, sat on horseback, her expression cold as she ordered, “Knife Brigade, all commanders.”

“Present!” They responded in unison, their voices so loud it seemed to shake Fuzhou City.

“Form ranks, draw your knives.” Wen Yuesheng said indifferently. “Break through the city gates.”

At her command, the three thousand soldiers of the Knife Brigade drew their massive blades, forming a huge formation like a giant sword aiming straight for the enemy’s throat, charging with unstoppable force toward the Fuzhou army.

The battlefield erupted with terrifying momentum, while inside the governor’s office, chaos ensued.

Another soldier rushed in, shouting, “Lord, General Jiang Cheng… has been killed by the imperial general!”

The room fell silent.

Some of the more timid officials turned pale upon hearing the news.

“How could this happen? Are you sure it was General Jiang?”

“Yes… his body is still nailed to the city wall.”

Clang!

Someone accidentally smashed the teacup in their hand.

Han Zhizhou’s face darkened. “Look at you all, why the panic? Where are the three generals of Fuzhou? Go!”

The three generals of Fuzhou, whom he referred to, were the three most valiant warriors in the Fuzhou army, famous throughout the region.

When they saw that he had sent the three generals out, the people here felt a bit relieved.

However, their mindset was now entirely different from before.

In the eerie silence, some even heard the voices of the soldiers outside the city, filled with enthusiasm.

The more they listened, the more anxious they became, but at this moment, they dared not show it, fearing to shake the morale.

Outside the city, the 3,000-strong Knife Camp broke open a massive gap in the large Fuzhou army.

After Wen Yue Sheng had fully taken over the Palace Guard and the four main guarding armies, the Knife Camp expanded to over 3,000 men.

Only the finest warriors remained in the camp.

Now, after she had killed two generals on the battlefield, morale was high, and the momentum was like a raging tide, almost invincible.

After shooting down those two generals, Wen Yuesheng didn’t make another move.

When the three generals of Fuzhou appeared and lined up in formation, she spoke calmly, “Watch over Lord Yan.”

The officers beside her quietly acknowledged her command.

As her words fell, Wen Yuesheng grasped the long blade that had been personally delivered by Lu Hongying before setting off, and alone, she charged toward the enemy forces.

Yan Wei was stunned. “Princess!”

The enemy was coming at full force, and the three generals in front were clearly formidable warriors.

Wen Yuesheng was riding alone, holding her blade.

Yan Wei couldn’t help but worry.

But just as the words left his mouth, he looked up to see Wen Yuesheng riding her horse, gripping her long blade.

Wherever she went, the flashing cold light from her blade reflected off the bodies of the attacking soldiers.

In the blink of an eye, countless soldiers fell.

The cold blade light was like the scythe of the Grim Reaper—whoever it touched, died.

She cut down numerous soldiers along the way, each blow fatal, without hesitation or mercy.

The ice-cold blade was soon stained with blood.

All those who continued to rush forward were slain by her hand.

The speed and precision with which she killed, left everyone stunned.

She remained emotionless, but the soldiers around her couldn’t help but feel an unprecedented sense of fear.

Initially, they had rushed to capture her alive or defeat her, but now, they retreated step by step.

By the time she passed through, a circle had formed, with numerous soldiers holding weapons, standing on high alert, but none dared to approach, fearing that the deadly blade would fall upon them.

Her overwhelming strength and ease in killing made it seem as though she was cutting vegetables, a sight so shocking that even seasoned generals were frozen in place.

At this moment, the Fuzhou generals’ faces were grim.

After exchanging a few glances, one of them shouted and called for crossbowmen.

“No matter how fierce she is, can she survive under a barrage of crossbow bolts?” the general sneered. “Fire!”

Initially, Han Zhizhou had ordered to capture her alive, but facing the overwhelming killing intent from Wen Yuesheng, no one could remain calm.

She sat atop her horse, alone, dressed in simple black robes, exuding the aura of a god of death.

The intense killing intent spread out, and no one survived in her wake.

In such circumstances, the possibility of capturing her alive was gone.

Many people knew that if Wen Yuesheng didn’t die today, then it would be they who perished.

The crossbow bolts had far more power than ordinary arrows.

When so many bolts were aimed at one person, it seemed as if an army of thousands was after one life.

No matter how skilled a person was, there seemed to be no chance of survival.

But when faced with this barrage, Wen Yuesheng didn’t even attempt to dodge.

She was being encircled, yet it was the encircling soldiers who were trembling in fear.

The general shouted, “Fire!”

The sharp sound of his command rang out, but no crossbow bolt was released.

He was furious and turned to reprimand his men, but when he turned around, he was met by the sight of a pitch-black purple-gold hammer.

Boom!

The massive hammer struck him without hesitation, and he crashed to the ground, dead on the spot.

Zhang Yulin, holding twin hammers, led a group of elite soldiers who had flanked the enemy from the side.

They tore through the soldiers and destroyed all the crossbows.

Swinging his hammer, Zhang Yulin moved through the battlefield like a force of nature.

His ferocity and combat skills were enough to take on hundreds of opponents.

Meanwhile, the Knife Camp advanced like a sharp blade, and Wen Yuesheng’s killing intent was unrelenting.

Just as Han Zhizhou had said, they were indeed outnumbered by the Fuzhou army.

But under their relentless assault, the entire Fuzhou army crumbled like paper.

No effort was required to make the Fuzhou forces retreat in defeat, showing signs of collapse.

It hadn’t been long since the battle began, but the Fuzhou army was already on the verge of collapse.

The generals’ faces changed dramatically.

Under such a frenzy of attacks, not only were the soldiers losing their composure, but the morale of the Fuzhou army was in complete disarray.

After Wen Yuesheng personally killed the remaining two of Fuzhou’s three generals, the Fuzhou army was in complete chaos.

With three generals dead in quick succession, many soldiers began to contemplate retreating.

Meanwhile, a soldier rushed to the governor’s mansion in panic.

“The three generals of Fuzhou have been killed on the battlefield, and the morale has completely collapsed!” the soldier reported urgently. “The imperial army is about to invade!”

Upon hearing this, the entire governor’s mansion descended into chaos.

Han Zhizhou wanted to speak but was interrupted by the military supervisor beside him. “Sir! The imperial army is too strong! We’ve never seen such a fierce assault before.”

“At this point, continuing to fight is no longer a good strategy. It would be better to abandon the city and flee to the border!”

Han Zhizhou gritted his teeth.

He never expected that the Fuzhou army, despite its numerical advantage, would collapse in such a short time.

What he didn’t know was that the Fuzhou army’s strength had always been overrated.

Over the years, they had only managed to defend the frontier due to Fuzhou’s natural fortifications, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Wen Yue Sheng’s forces, however, didn’t attack from the frontier.

After receiving news, the neighboring two states had opened their gates to aid them.

Zhang Yulin’s elite forces, along with Wen Yue Sheng’s Knife Camp, made the conquest of Fuzhou city a matter of time.

Now, with the three generals dead and the army in chaos, even if Han Zhizhou were to intervene personally, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the imperial army.

Panicked, he gritted his teeth and ordered, “Evacuate the city and head straight for the frontier.”

“Send someone ahead to order all the frontier troops to retreat and open the gates!” In the rush, he wasn’t even sure if his letter had reached the new emperor of Haizhou.

He hoped that by opening the frontier gates, Wen Yuesheng wouldn’t be able to chase them all the way into Haizhou.

“Understood.” The soldiers responded quickly, and they hastily prepared to leave.

Before, when they had gathered here, they were full of arrogance.

Now, they were fleeing in disgrace, like rats scurrying away from a collapsing city.

Han Zhizhou led several thousand guards and ran hurriedly out of the city.

On the battlefield, the Fuzhou army couldn’t hold on any longer.

Their morale had collapsed.

No news had come from the governor’s mansion, and no new generals had arrived to lead the army.

Some soldiers had already begun to entertain thoughts of retreat.

In this chaotic situation, the Knife Camp continued its relentless assault, advancing to the city gates.