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Despite being the Emperor of Great Zhou, she found herself reluctant to approve such extreme measures. After a pause, she finally broke the silence.

“I understand,” she said slowly, her voice calm but burdened.

“I will inform Heichi Changzhi of both strategies. Which one he chooses to implement will be left to his discretion. After all, the effectiveness of a strategy depends on the circumstances.”

Yang Yi, his expression unreadable, offered a slight bow.

“Your Majesty is wise.”

Ten days later, at the Zhou-Qing border, inside a bustling military camp…

“General, this is a secret letter from Her Majesty,” a guard announced as he entered Heichi Changzhi’s tent, his tone both urgent and respectful.

The general, in the middle of a military meeting, looked up, surprised by the sudden interruption. His face lit up, hopeful.

“Bring it here,” he commanded, his deep voice resonating with authority.

The guard swiftly handed the sealed memorial to Heichi Changzhi, who wasted no time opening it. The soldiers gathered around watched intently, their anticipation thick in the air. The past days had been grueling for the troops.

The enemy, aware of their plague-ridden camp, had refused to engage directly, forcing the Zhou army into a costly stalemate.

Li Cunxiao stood among the soldiers, his calm and composed demeanor revealing the presence of a capable leader. His excellent battlefield performance had earned him the rank of deputy general, a promotion that did not go unnoticed by his peers.

All eyes were fixed on Heichi Changzhi as he read the letter. His dark face revealed a spectrum of emotions, shifting from curiosity to surprise and, finally, to something inscrutable. When he set the letter down, the atmosphere in the tent grew tense.

“Her Majesty does not allow any retreat,” he announced, his tone grave.

A collective murmur of disbelief rippled through the room. Shocked, the soldiers exchanged glances, worry etched into their faces. They had all hoped the Empress would allow them to pull back, given the dire conditions. The thought of continuing without respite was demoralizing.

Sensing the growing unease, Heichi Changzhi sighed.

“However,” he added, “His Majesty has proposed two strategies to defeat the enemy.”

A bitter silence followed. The soldiers’ faces betrayed their skepticism. Many harbored the same thought: What kind of strategies could those officials back at court possibly devise from so far away?

One of Heichi Changzhi’s longtime officers, unable to contain his frustration, finally spoke.

“General, with all due respect, what kind of strategies can those civilian officials come up with? They’ve never even touched a sword, let alone experienced the realities of war. How can they advise us from over a thousand miles away? It feels like they’re treating war as if it’s some kind of game.”

His blunt words echoed the sentiments of many in the tent, and they nodded in agreement.

“Yes, General, we’re fighting with real swords and spears, yet these scholars are the ones giving us orders!”

“Hmph, I think Her Majesty has been misled by those people; otherwise, why wouldn’t she let us retreat?”

“Exactly! A bunch of fools coming up with nonsense strategies!”

“Our situation is already dire. If we get any more useless plans, we’re finished!”

The tent filled with the angry voices of hot-tempered generals, their frustrations boiling over. They had been under heavy pressure, and their emotions were quick to ignite.

Heichi Changzhi observed them quietly, not chastising anyone, though his expression grew increasingly strange. After a moment, he cleared his throat.

“Alright, enough. Stop talking.”

The soldiers reluctantly fell silent, though their faces remained tense and discontented.

Heichi Changzhi turned to Li Cunxiao and spoke calmly.

“Listen to the strategies first before you start complaining…”

The first man to speak muttered again,

“What kind of brilliant strategy could this be? Probably just more nonsense.”

His remark drew nods of agreement from the others.

Heichi Changzhi shot him a glare.

“Jingzhi, be quiet.”

Guo Jingzhi fell silent, though the defiant look on his face remained, clearly unconvinced that any scholar could devise a worthwhile plan.

With a complex expression, Heichi Changzhi held up the secret letter.

“The letter contains two strategies, both of which could break the siege and possibly annihilate the enemy.”

As his words sank in, all eyes turned to him. They didn’t trust the scholars back at court, but they trusted Heichi Changzhi. If he believed in these strategies, there had to be something to them.

Heichi Changzhi sighed, as though even thinking about the plans gave him a headache.

“The first strategy is to use catapults to throw plague-infected corpses into the city. The enemy won’t be able to stay behind their walls much longer.”

Silence.

The tent fell into an eerie stillness.

The soldiers stared at Heichi Changzhi, eyes wide with shock. None of them had expected such a terrifying, horrific plan.

These were battle-hardened veterans, but even they felt a chill at the thought of such devastation. They knew better than anyone the consequences of catapulting diseased bodies into a city.

Even these blood-soaked warriors felt their hearts constrict at the thought. Who could come up with such an evil plan? It was ruthless beyond words.

Heichi Changzhi took in their reactions, then sighed once more.

“The second strategy is to send scouts to locate the city’s water source and throw the plague-infected corpses into the upstream river. Within a month, the city will fall.”

The room went cold.

Everyone’s hair stood on end as they stared at Heichi Changzhi in disbelief. Their eyes widened as the full weight of the strategy hit them.

They gasped, their hearts racing as waves of unease crashed through them. Goosebumps prickled their skin, and a chill crawled up their spines.

In broad daylight, this plan was enough to freeze their very souls. It wasn’t just about defeating the enemy. It was about condemning everyone inside the city to certain death.

This second plan was ten times more ruthless than the first.

Too vicious. Too inhumane.

The tent remained silent for a long time, the soldiers still processing the sheer brutality of what they had heard.

Finally, Guo Jingzhi managed to speak, his voice hushed.

“General… who came up with these strategies?”

Everyone else nodded, their shock still evident. They were desperate to know who could conceive such a cruel and merciless plan.