Chen Xinjia straightened slightly before answering, his tone carrying a hint of forced confidence. "The commander of Hedong Circuit is named Xing Honglang. She was once a surrendered bandit, but unlike the others, her discipline is strict and her record in battle is consistently outstanding. Furthermore, she is not merely a military officer, she also understands trade and logistics, which is why she was promoted to the position of Military Defense Circuit official."
Zhu Youjian blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Is that not a civil post? And yet they appointed a surrendered bandit… and a woman at that?"
He waved the thought away almost immediately, as if realizing it was irrelevant. "Never mind that. What matters is whether she can defeat Zhu Youzhong."
Chen Xinjia quickly replied, "Since her surrender, she has not suffered a single defeat. Every campaign she has led has ended in decisive victory. If she takes the field, she should be able to capture Zhu Youzhong in one battle."
Zhu Youjian's expression brightened. "Excellent. Then have her march on Luoyang immediately."
Chen Xinjia hesitated. "However… Xing Honglang is currently stationed at Dalinghe City, preparing for operations against Shenyang. If we withdraw her now, that front will be weakened."
Zhu Youjian frowned without hesitation. "At a time like this, who cares about Shenyang? Is it more important than Luoyang? Recall her at once. Immediately."
Chen Xinjia felt that something about this constant redeployment of frontline forces was… not quite right, but he could not openly oppose an imperial command, and given the urgency of Luoyang, he had no choice but to comply.
Thus, a fast rider was dispatched, carrying the order toward Dalinghe City.
---
Several days later, Xing Honglang returned from Liaodong.
Just like Gao Jie before her, she would pass through the capital on her way south, but unlike Gao Jie's earlier passage, this time the reception was far more grand.
A large number of officials gathered at the city gates, and Zhu Youjian once again came in person to encourage a general before departure, standing at the eastern gate and gazing into the distance where a cloud of dust marked the approaching army.
"She should be arriving soon, correct?" he asked.
Chen Xinjia nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. That dust is from her marching troops."
Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes slightly. "I have heard of a skill called reading the dust, where one can estimate troop numbers from a single glance. As Minister of War, you must possess such ability. Tell me, how many troops does she command?"
Chen Xinjia froze.
He absolutely did not possess such a skill.
But at this point, there was no way to admit it.
His mind raced, calculating rapidly, recalling that Shanxi had suffered years of drought, that taxation had been insufficient, that any force stationed there would likely be underfunded, and that standard garrison troops often existed only on paper.
With that in mind, he made his guess.
"Your Majesty, from what I can observe, Xing Honglang commands approximately fifteen hundred troops."
Zhu Youjian frowned slightly.
Too few.
Could such a force really suppress Zhu Youzhong?
But he quickly suppressed the doubt, thinking that regardless of the number, these were still troops he desperately needed, and more importantly, this was a moment to inspire loyalty.
His thoughts shifted.
If he could compose a poem for her, personally written by the emperor himself, it would surely be seen as the highest honor, enough to secure her absolute dedication.
Yes.
A poem.
At that very moment, something remarkable happened.
His desire to suppress the rebellion, combined with the limited yet suddenly surging inspiration within him, fused into a rare moment of clarity, and lines of poetry began to flow through his mind like a sudden spring.
He turned sharply. "Bring me writing tools."
Wang Cheng'en immediately stepped forward, presenting brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Zhu Youjian lifted the brush and wrote in a swift, confident motion:
"Wielding broom and dustpan to sweep away the northern foes,
Cheers rising like thunder across the land.
When future generations look upon the halls of merit,
Let the painted scroll begin with a beauty's portrait."
When he finished, he read it again and felt a surge of satisfaction.
He was convinced.
He was not only a capable ruler.
He was also a poet of the highest order.
Around him, eunuchs and ministers immediately echoed in agreement. "Your Majesty's poetry is truly excellent. When General Xing receives this, she will surely be deeply moved."
Zhu Youjian nodded, pleased.
Soon, Xing Honglang's army arrived.
As they drew closer, Zhu Youjian took a careful look and suddenly felt something was off.
Had Chen Xinjia not said there were fifteen hundred troops?
But before him now stood no fewer than five thousand.
He turned sharply. "Minister Chen, is there something wrong with your so-called dust-reading skill?"
Chen Xinjia stammered, unable to respond.
Zhu Youjian immediately understood.
Utter nonsense.
He shot him a cold glare. "We will settle this later."
Chen Xinjia fell silent.
Zhu Youjian quickly adjusted his expression, forcing himself into a gentler demeanor, reminding himself that he was about to receive a female general, that he had just written a poem praising her as a beauty, and that he absolutely could not appear harsh.
He forced a smile.
At that moment, Xing Honglang arrived.
Clad in heavy armor, she dismounted in one fluid motion, stepped forward, and removed her helmet.
Zhu Youjian stared.
Everyone stared.
Silence.
There was, perhaps, only one person in the world who would consider Xing Honglang a beauty, and that person was Gao Chuwu.
For everyone else, that concept simply did not exist.
In a flash, Zhu Youjian spun around, grabbed the poem he had just written, tore off the final three words, and shoved them straight into Chen Xinjia's mouth. "Eat it."
Chen Xinjia could only mumble helplessly.
Xing Honglang stepped forward and cupped her fists. "This general greets Your Majesty."
All the gentle and inspiring words Zhu Youjian had prepared vanished instantly, replaced by a stiff, expressionless face. "General Xing, proceed to Luoyang at once and suppress Zhu Youzhong."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As she turned, her gaze briefly landed on the torn paper behind him. "Your Majesty, that poem…"
Zhu Youjian wiped a trace of sweat from his forehead. "That… was written for the Shizhu female general, Qin Liangyu. Yes, that is correct."
Xing Honglang nodded. "General Qin will surely be pleased."
With that, she turned, mounted her horse in one clean motion, her movements sharp and commanding, carrying a kind of raw, unrefined power.
Unfortunately…
Zhu Youjian did not appreciate that kind of beauty.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the crowd, a group of courtesans began shouting excitedly.
"Big sister is so cool!"
"Step on me, sister!"
Xing Honglang, unlike Gao Jie, showed no interest in such attention. Without even sparing them a glance, she flicked her whip and rode off toward the southwest, her figure disappearing into the distance with cold, unwavering resolve.