Continue the Northern Expedition!

It should be known that Luo Shenhuang was not only unmatched in martial prowess, but also well-versed in literature. Naturally, she understood the meaning expressed by Ding Hao's poem.

She could even picture it already: herself old and frail, with snowy white hair, lighting a lamp at night to inspect a silver saber, filled with sorrowful regret!

If she failed to seize this chance to utterly crush the Northern Barbarians, then such a scene would surely appear in her later years!

"Ding Hao, do you think I should refuse the decree to turn south and pick lychees, persist with the northern expedition, and wipe out the barbarian tribes?"

Suddenly, Luo Shenhuang looked at Ding Hao with a face full of hope. Clearly, torn by indecision, she wanted him to give her a definite suggestion!

Yet Ding Hao shook his head. "Army Lord Luo, I, Ding Hao, am merely a death-row prisoner. What use is what I think? You must decide what you think yourself!"

Luo Shenhuang's beautiful eyes were visibly conflicted. "Naturally, I believe we should persist with the northern expedition. But as a soldier of Great Zhou, obeying imperial decrees is my duty. And if I defy the decree, the soldiers of the Divine Phoenix Army may all be implicated by me. I..."

Seeing Luo Shenhuang's conflicted expression, Ding Hao let out a faint sigh inwardly!

Only then did he say, "Army Lord, though I cannot give you a definite suggestion, would you be willing to hear me tell you a story?"

"A story?"

Luo Shenhuang was startled, but in the next moment, Ding Hao spoke. "The protagonist of this story was called Yue Fei, courtesy name Pengju..."

Afterward.

Ding Hao told her the story of how Yue Fei had resisted the Jurchens in his previous life, only to be falsely accused and harmed.

Once she had heard it all, Luo Shenhuang's heart was clearly struck by a tremendous shock!

Her face flushed with anger. "This General Yue Fei clearly had a chance to drive out the Jurchens completely and prevent Great Song from suffering further Jurchen invasion, yet in the end he was falsely accused and met such an end. How utterly tragic!"

The moment she finished speaking, the expression on Luo Shenhuang's face froze completely. At last, she understood why Ding Hao had told her this story!

Because her current circumstances were so similar to Yue Fei's in the story.

She was even worse off than Yue Fei, because the one targeting Yue Fei had merely been treacherous ministers, while the one targeting her, Luo Shenhuang, was the Empress of Great Zhou!

At this moment, she finally understood what Ding Hao had wished to convey.

She could obey the decree, remain blindly loyal, and head south to pick lychees, but from then on, neither she nor the Divine Phoenix Army would meet a good end!

On the other hand, while she still held great power, she could strike while the iron was hot and wipe out the Northern Barbarians in one burst. With such heaven-reaching military merit, perhaps she could still preserve herself!

"Ding Hao, thank you!"

At last, Luo Shenhuang softly thanked Ding Hao. The conflict had vanished from her beautiful eyes, leaving behind only determination!

"There is no need to thank me. You merely followed your own heart."

Ding Hao shook his head, though inwardly, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief!

After all, Luo Shenhuang persisting with the northern expedition was what best served his interests!

That was why he had composed a poem and told her the story of Serve the country with utmost loyalty.

But he would never give Luo Shenhuang explicit advice on such a matter. Otherwise, should anything go wrong, he would be the first to die!

The next day, at dawn.

Luo Shenhuang assembled all the soldiers of the army, including the Death Row Camp.

There she stood upon the command platform, clad in golden armor, a silver saber at her waist, a red cloak billowing behind her in the wind. She looked especially valiant and heroic.

Below, the army had already fallen into chaos because of the court decree that had been announced!

"Soldiers, the northern expedition is about to succeed, yet the Empress at court has ordered us to halt the war and head south to pick lychees!"

"Tell me, are you willing to stop the war? Are you willing to pick lychees?"

When Luo Shenhuang solemnly shouted her question at the entire army, a neat, thunderous roar instantly resounded throughout the military camp for ten li.

"Unwilling!"

"Unwilling!"

"Unwilling!"

Among them, the Death Row Camp where Ding Hao was located shouted the loudest of all!

What a joke!

If they stopped the northern expedition and headed south to pick lychees, the Death Row Camp would instantly gain more than ten thousand heads. None of them wanted that!

"Very good!"

Luo Shenhuang raised an arm, and the entire army immediately fell silent. She continued, "Yesterday, someone said something to me that this Army Lord found most fitting: a general in the field need not obey every imperial command!"

"Our Divine Phoenix Army came to the northern border to destroy the barbarian tribes, to ensure that the eight million people of the northern border would no longer suffer barbarian depredations!"

"To hell with picking lychees, and to hell with the decree! Those willing to defy the decree and continue the northern expedition with this Army Lord, take one step forward. Those unwilling, this Army Lord will not force you. You may leave on your own now!"

Thud!!

The instant Luo Shenhuang's words fell.

Ninety percent of the soldiers present took a neat step forward.

Only Zhang Dalong and some of the soldiers under his command did not move.

Clearly, they were unwilling. But in the next instant, everyone's eyes fell upon Zhang Dalong and those soldiers who had not moved!

For a time, even Zhang Dalong felt boundless pressure!

Clearly, he was unwilling to defy the decree. After all, his home was not on the northern border. Even if the barbarian tribes returned in force, it had nothing to do with him.

But he knew.

If he left today, he would never have another chance to return to the Divine Phoenix Army, and his status would plunge from then on!

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Dalong ultimately took a step forward. The soldiers behind him also hurriedly followed suit!

In response, Luo Shenhuang merely gave Zhang Dalong an expressionless glance.

Only then did she draw the silver War Saber at her waist, raise an arm, and shout, "Soldiers, from this moment onward, follow this Army Lord and continue the northern expedition!"

"Kill!!"

"Kill!!"

"Kill!!"

For a time, every soldier of the Divine Phoenix Army erupted with earthshaking battle cries!

That very day, the entire Divine Phoenix Army broke camp and surged forth like a rolling flood, charging toward the Northern Barbarian Royal Court two thousand li away!

Naturally, many barbarian cities and strategic towns still lay in their path, such as Tulu City, Man Niu Pass, Beisha Ancient Town, and others.

Some regions had even gathered together a considerable number of the previously defeated Northern Barbarian main forces!

In response.

The Divine Phoenix Army showed no mercy whatsoever. They attacked every city they saw and shattered every pass they encountered!

They carried themselves with the air of those who would never rest until the Northern Barbarians had been utterly crushed!

Even the Northern Barbarians' army of three hundred thousand had failed to stop the Divine Phoenix Army, so naturally, these cities, passes, and towns could not hinder its advance!

But very soon.

News that the Divine Phoenix Army had ignored the court's decree and continued the northern expedition against the barbarian tribes spread back into Great Zhou, especially to the Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

What was even more laughable was.

This news had actually been delivered by spies dispatched by the northern barbarian tribes.

Their reports harshly accused the Great Zhou Divine Phoenix Army of lacking martial virtue. Great Zhou's court had clearly ordered a halt to the war, yet they still continued their assault!

And they uttered a truly sinister sentence.

"In this vast Great Zhou dynasty, does the reigning Empress Weiyang have the final say, or does Luo Shenhuang, Army Lord of the Divine Phoenix Army?"

In the end.

When all this news and these secret reports reached Xia Weiyang's ears.

The dragon desk in the Golden Palace Hall was smashed to pieces by Xia Weiyang's furious strike. Her enraged voice made both civil and military officials tremble like leaves!

"Bastard!"

"Does Luo Shenhuang intend to—rebel?!"