Heading South to Pick Lychees!

Hiss!!

Hearing his Vitality surge, Ding Hao couldn't help but exclaim!

After all, with over a thousand points of Vitality, it would take him half a day to loot corpses. Yet, this small Vitality Pill could achieve it so easily!

This showed that the pill was indeed high-grade merchandise, not something ordinary!

Of course, he couldn't consume all the Vitality Pills at once, or his body would explode from the immense Vitality!

For this reason, Ding Hao circulated the Heavenly Tyrant Body Art to speed up his refinement!

Now, Ding Hao possessed over a thousand points of Comprehension, more than a hundred times his initial Comprehension!

And under this hundred-fold Comprehension, even the second layer of the Heavenly Tyrant Body Art, which once felt obscure and profound, was now within reach!

Ding Hao understood that as long as he took it step by step, he would definitely undergo a great transformation in just a few days!

[Ding! Vitality +1280!]

[Ding! Vitality +1050!]

[Ding! Vitality +1122!]

[...]

However, just as Ding Hao was breaking through and transforming within the Death Row Camp.

At that time, in the imperial city of Great Zhou.

A military rider, covering eight hundred li in an emergency, galloped into the city holding a battle report high.

As he spurred his horse forward, he shouted, "Great victory in the northern border! Great victory in the northern border! The northern border has achieved victory!!"

Wherever he passed, countless citizens of the imperial city erupted in a clamor!

Finally, the military rider galloped all the way to the palace gates before dismounting, continuing to shout and hold the battle report aloft as he rushed forward!

He galloped unimpeded all the way into the Golden Palace Hall, where he stopped and knelt, shouting, "Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress, a great victory in the northern border!"

Seeing this, Empress Xia Weiyang, who was sitting high on the dragon throne, trembled violently, and a look of joy appeared on her pretty face!

The civil and military officials flanking the Golden Palace Hall were also shaken!

"Quickly present the battle report!"

As Xia Weiyang urged, the eunuch Wang Weitong, who was serving by her side, personally dismounted and presented the battle report to Xia Weiyang.

Xia Weiyang eagerly opened it and read. As she read, her eyes grew brighter and brighter!

After finishing, she somewhat lost her composure and slammed the dragon desk.

"Good!"

"Our Great Zhou Divine Phoenix Army, after taking the northern barbarian passes, has achieved a great victory in the Tianman Mountain Range. The main force of two hundred thousand northern barbarians was annihilated by the Divine Phoenix Army, with less than a hundred thousand remnants escaping!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Golden Palace Hall erupted in cheers and commotion!

The civil and military officials were all in an uproar, and many ministers stepped forward to congratulate her.

"Heaven blesses the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Divine Phoenix Army's great victory is entirely due to Her Majesty the Empress's skillful deployment of troops and effective governance!"

"Indeed, Her Majesty the Empress, upon ascending the throne, has severely struck the northern barbarian tribes that have plagued our Great Zhou Dynasty for hundreds of years. She truly possesses the demeanor of an empress for all ages!"

"Long live the Empress! One can imagine that under Her Majesty the Empress's leadership, Great Zhou will surely enjoy peace and prosperity and grow stronger day by day!"

"We congratulate Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty's achievements are comparable to the founding imperial ancestors, destined to be renowned for eternity and remembered forever!"

"..."

Praise! Unsparing praise!

Admiration! Overwhelming admiration!

All sorts of praise and admiration echoed throughout the Golden Palace Hall!

This made Xia Weiyang, seated on the dragon throne, feel as if she were bathed in a spring breeze, a look of intoxication and satisfaction appearing on her face!

Until, a voice that was clearly different from the surrounding voices rang out.

"Your Majesty, this great victory against the northern barbarians is entirely thanks to our Great Zhou Divine Phoenix Army, this army of kings, especially the Commander of the Divine Phoenix Army, Luo Shenhuang!"

"Brave and resourceful, already a Grandmaster at a young age, I hope Your Majesty will heavily reward Commander Luo and the soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army for this great victory!"

The surrounding civil and military officials were all stunned. Looking at the newly promoted Minister of War, everyone's eyes held admiration!

Good heavens!

As expected of this year's new Top Scholar, although he was a substitute, he was just as stubborn as the one who was demoted to a death row inmate!

As expected, these words made Xia Weiyang's expression somewhat displeased!

What made Xia Weiyang even more unhappy was that although many officials in the hall remained silent, they clearly agreed with such words!

However, she couldn't get angry in the Golden Palace Hall, so she said kindly, "Of course, I will not be stingy with rewards for meritorious officials!"

"Guards, present the detailed battle report to the Imperial Study. I want to review it personally!"

A moment later, Xia Weiyang arrived at the Imperial Study from the Golden Palace Hall.

As soon as she sat down in the Imperial Study, she said indifferently to Wei Tong, "Issue my decree, dismiss the newly appointed Minister of War!"

Wei Tong seemed to have anticipated this and asked, "What is the charge?"

Xia Weiyang pondered for a moment, as if she couldn't think of a suitable charge. Impatiently, she said, "Sentence him for entering the Golden Palace Hall with his left foot first during this morning's court session, violating the rules. Send him to the imperial prison first, and then execute him later!"

"Yes!"

Wei Tong nodded, and Luo Shenhuang then began to review the detailed battle report!

Unlike reading a simple victory report, as she read this detailed battle report, Xia Weiyang's brows were furrowed from the very beginning!

"Hmm?"

"Why is it this Ding Hao again? He's actually won three major military merits? Not only does he need a special pardon, but he's also to be promoted to deputy general?"

Xia Weiyang raised her eyebrows. Although she knew that this Ding Hao couldn't possibly be the one she knew, she was still very displeased with the name.

So, without even thinking, she picked up her brush and rejected it again.

As she continued to read, Xia Weiyang's brows furrowed even more!

After finishing the detailed battle report, she suddenly closed it.

She let out a sneer. "Heh, my good best friend is truly devoted to her soldiers like they are her children! This battle report details every line, pleading for merits for the soldiers under her command, but not mentioning herself at all!"

"Does she think that by doing this, I will forget that she holds great power?"

"Does she think that by doing this, I won't be able to confiscate her military power?"

"Does she think that in the future, she can also sit on my throne?"

The successive questions were delivered with a tone that had already become bone-chillingly cold!

Wei Tong beside her did not reply, as he already knew how wary Xia Weiyang was of her best friend, who had helped her ascend to the throne.

It was even possible that she had intentionally sent her to lead the troops to attack the Northern Barbarians this time, intending to weaken the Divine Phoenix Army with the strength of the Northern Barbarians, and perhaps even employing a strategy of using a borrowed knife to kill.

What she hadn't expected was that the Divine Phoenix Army would be so valiant, defeating the Northern Barbarians with less than half their forces!

"Wei Tong, do you think this battle... should still be fought?"

Xia Weiyang suddenly asked.

Wei Tong was startled and bowed, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the Great Zhou today. If Your Majesty wants to fight, you should fight. If Your Majesty does not want to fight, you should not fight!"

"You!"

Xia Weiyang was clearly dissatisfied but did not ask further. Instead, she said, "Go, send your spies to investigate and see how the officials and common people are discussing this in private!"

"Yes!"

Wei Tong nodded and quickly left. After a full day and night, he returned and presented a large stack of reports to Xia Weiyang!

Xia Weiyang took the stack of reports and began to read them.

As she read, her beautiful eyes became colder and more piercing than ever before!

"Good, good! What a bunch of foolish officials and wicked commoners! They all deserve to die!"

It turned out that the news of the Divine Phoenix Army's great victory in the northern territory had already spread and caused a stir, both in the imperial city and in other cities of the Great Zhou!

Countless people were discussing the bravery of the Divine Phoenix Army and praising the might of Luo Shenhuang. Their discussions had already overshadowed her, the current Empress!

Beside her.

Wei Tong sighed inwardly. This is what is meant by "high achievements cause great influence"!

Especially when dealing with an empress as cunning and ruthless as Xia Weiyang, Luo Shenhuang was destined to have no good end!

As expected, in the next moment.

Xia Weiyang sneered, "The northern lands are harsh and cold. After this battle, the barbarian army is no longer a threat. As the Heavenly Kingdom's superior dynasty, our Great Zhou cannot commit acts of genocide. This battle shall end here!"

"Also, I remember that the lychees from the Southern Ridge should be in season by now. Lychees are a good thing, fresh and juicy, and can be used to reward the army. However, this fruit is difficult to transport, and it's best eaten fresh from the tree!"

"Yes, draft an imperial edict, ordering the commander of the Divine Phoenix Army, Luo Shenhuang, to immediately cease the Northern Expedition and lead the entire Divine Phoenix Army south to pick lychees as a reward!!"

Upon hearing this edict, even Wei Tong, who was somewhat prepared, was stunned!

Good heavens!

The Northern Expedition was about to succeed, and you are ordering the army to go south to pick lychees!

One had to admit, it still had to be you, the Great Zhou's number one Empress Weiyang!

"Your will be done!"

Finally.

A scroll of imperial edict was sent out from the Imperial Study, heading towards the front lines of the Northern Barbarians!!