Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 752: Chapter 587: She Wants to Kill the Chicken to Scare the Monkey

A simple phrase had sealed the demise of one of the supreme Three Palaces and Six Halls of the Southern Borderlands!

That night, blood pooled into rivers on the street in front of the inn!

Thousands of corpses from the Miaosu Clan, too horrible to behold!

The locals of Red Rock City who were tasked with collecting the dead bodies, each one silent as cicadas in winter, their faces filled with reverence!

If it were just the ordinary defending army and subjects, it might be one thing, but this was one of the Six Halls, the Miaosu Clan! These were the former rulers of Miaosu City!

Just like that, they had been easily massacred?

The blood-soaked corpses served as a stark reminder to the people of Red Rock City of one fact: their Sovereign, the Phoenix’s Monarch, was so resolutely murderous, it was chilling and humiliating!

The same Miaosu Clan, one of the Six Halls, had their city destroyed and clan annihilated overnight, an immense shock indeed!

After resting in the inn for two days, Gu Changsheng still hadn’t mustered the courage to take another look at Yuan Bao!

Two days, neither long nor short, but for Red Rock City, the smoky scent of blood from the battle had just dissipated, and the whole city had been refreshed. The city walls were bustling with the activities of the remaining citizens!

Gu Changsheng looked at the revitalized Red Rock City and curved her lips into a bitter smile.

With her lightning-fast tactics and iron-blooded style, she had allowed the city to begin reconstructing in the shortest time possible!

Yet, this could not hide the fact that the city had almost perished under her dominion!

”Indeed, only blood can pave the way to the throne...” Standing at the window of the inn, Gu Changsheng gazed at Red Rock City below and spoke softly.

In this world, high positions are never easily attained!

She had learned this through personal experience on her journey!

”Changsheng, I am still here,” Zhou Mu said from behind her, draping a cloak over her.

”Yes, thank goodness you are here to offset the bloodiness of my actions,” Gu Changsheng turned around, smiling at the evildoer in front of her, though the smile couldn’t mask her bitterness.

”Changsheng, there’s no turning back once the bow is drawn. Xiao Gu Ze is still in Great Swamp Mountain, and on this path, we can only move forward, not back!” Zhou Mu lifted his hand, brushing past the bright eyes of the woman in front of him as he spoke earnestly.

”Yes! There’s no turning back. Everything... is irreversible!” Gu Changsheng lowered her head.

Ever since Xiangka Tianji had ruthlessly snatched her ”little bun,” everything seemed fated!

There was no turning back!

Even if the path ahead was unknown, as long as she still lived, regardless of how many died, it was all destined!

”Summon Hongfu Su!” Gu Changsheng commanded resolutely, lifting her head.

”Yes!” Outside, Xiao Cui responded, quickly departing.

Hongfu Su arrived swiftly, and in less than half a moment, under Xiao Cui’s lead, entered the guest room.

Inside the guest room, with two figures, one in red and the other in purple, standing by the window. Hongfu Su glanced at them, then lowered her head and kneeled, ”Hongfu Su pays respect to the Sovereign, and to the Son-in-law.”

The title of Undefeated War God of Great Zhou was indeed mighty and powerful!

Yet, whether it was significant to the Gu Residence in Liuzhou City or the old servants of the Phoenix Clan in the Southern Border, it was their Sovereign who mattered the most! The term ”Son-in-law” was becoming increasingly prevalent.

Zhou Mu happily accepted this title; even his normally stern expression at the Divine Residence couldn’t hide his deep satisfaction.

”Hongfu Su, you begged for a three-day truce in front of me, and now two days have passed. What do you have to say?” Gu Changsheng did not instruct Hongfu Su to rise, admiring the fortitude of the Hongfu family, the Red Rock City’s connected kin through marriage.

However, in a hierarchy of ruler and subjects, since she had set foot on this path of no return, the Art of Controlling People, though disdainful to her in the past, was something she had now started to employ!

Upon capturing Red Rock City, she originally hadn’t planned to stay long. Although reluctant to see innocent people suffer, undoubtedly, using powerful artillery was more suited to her style!

However, Hongfu Su had stopped her!

Arguing that slaughtering so many connected by the Southern Border Miao Ethnic Group was too unbearable!

At that moment, Gu Changsheng had happily agreed to the proposed three-day truce, yet she had someone deliver a declaration of war to the eight neighboring cities.

Now that two days of the three-day truce had passed, it was time for her to close the net!

”Reply... reply to the Sovereign, your subordinate... has nothing to say!” Hearing this, sweat beaded on Hongfu Su’s forehead as she bowed her head to the ground, not daring to look up.

As a woman who had led the Hongfu Clan to thrive under the Miaosu Clan, in terms of tactics and strategies, she considered herself highly skilled!

Understanding the intentions of others, she prided herself on being proficient, which is why, upon realizing Gu Changsheng’s reluctance in the face of the dying civilians on the streets, she had voiced the request for this three-day truce!

However, now in front of Gu Changsheng, Hongfu Su felt as if all her thoughts were transparent!

It was she who had asked for the three-day truce, which the Sovereign had granted. However, Hongfu Su knew that failing to achieve the results the Sovereign desired meant she must bear the responsibility!

This was the way of ruler and subject!

”Thus, with the three-day period already two days past and no news from the returning spies of any city surrendering under the Surrender Flag, it appears I underestimated the eight cities vassal to the Miaosu Clan!” said Gu Changsheng in a cold voice. She clenched her fingers around the window frame, and in a moment, pieces of wood in her grasp crumbled to dust and scattered on the floor.

Hongfu Su, upon witnessing this, was so terrified that she didn’t dare to breathe heavily, bowing her head and trembling lightly.

”Let me ask you, among the eight cities, which one has the closest relationship with the Miaosu Clan? Include marital and party affiliations!” Gu Changsheng looked back, gazing at Hongfu Su on the ground, and asked in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Hongfu Su couldn’t believe it and immediately raised her head.

Why would the Sovereign ask this?

With the three-day deadline approaching, and the eight cities yet to surrender, the Sovereign’s question clearly had a purpose!

Her answer could very well determine the survival or destruction of a city!

Asking about the city closely related to the Miaosu Clan while the anger of their own Sovereign had yet to subside—its implication was self-evident!

”Forty li south of Red Rock City, the nearest city is Canglan City, which commands thirty thousand soldiers and more than forty thousand subjects. The City Lord of Canglan City is from the Miaosi clan, who have intermarried with the Miaosu Clan for generations, deeply related. Moreover, most citizens there are of the Miaosi people and the old partisans of the Miaosu Clan, most loyal to the Miaosu Clan...” Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, Hongfu Su tried her best to stabilize her voice, trembling terribly as she spoke, afraid of uttering a single wrong word.

Upon hearing this, Gu Changsheng nodded in approval.

The Hongyan Clan has none other than an unconscious Hongyan Jiaojiao, who is of no use to them! Xia Ruyan has the posture of a military leader, yet lacks the capability to manipulate court politics! However, this Hongfu Su from the Hongyan family seems quite useful!

With such a question, Hongfu Su immediately understood her intention! This keen insight, befitting of a court official!

Commanding thirty thousand troops, having forty thousand subjects, and being intimately connected to the Miaosu Clan as in-laws and old partisans!

This city, neither large nor small yet deeply connected with the Miaosu Clan, was precisely what she needed!

This was exactly the city she intended to use to make an example, like ”killing the chicken to scare the monkey”!

”Xiao Cui, gather Liu Nv and set off for Canglan City immediately. If I don’t see a surrender flag over Canglan City by the three-day deadline...” Gu Changsheng turned back and looked towards Xiao Cui, who stood respectfully at the doorway, and spoke each word with gravity, ”I want you to level Canglan City to the ground!”

Startled by the words, Xiao Cui looked up in disbelief at her mistress.

The resolve in her mistress’s eyes was indisputable!

And Xiao Cui had never questioned any decision made by her mistress!

”As commanded! Xiao Cui will set off at once!” Xiao Cui bowed and acknowledged, her figure flashed and receded.

Her mistress had once said, the path to strength is inevitably paved with bloodshed!

Even they could not escape it!

The ten of them didn’t carry much gunpowder, but after conquering Red Rock City, Han Qiu led the four sisters of Jin, Yu, Liang, and Yuan, and they started to get busy!

Gunpowder powerful enough to create earth-shattering effects—every member of the Dark Night Army knew its formulation intimately! Creating sufficient amounts in the shortest time was not a difficult task for them!

While Xiao Cui and Liu Nv hurriedly left Licheng City, the moment Hongfu Su heard the words about leveling Canglan City, her entire being collapsed to the ground, her eyes on Gu Changsheng filled with reverence and... deep fear!

That was an entire city! Even if it wasn’t a large city, it was still a city!

There were, after all, seventy thousand military and civilians in the city!

Although she had already guessed the Sovereign’s intent, she had not expected the Sovereign to be so resolute!

To level an entire city to the ground?

What did that entail? It meant leaving nothing unscathed!

Not to mention the people, even the dogs and chickens probably couldn’t escape death!

Thunder... Thunderous rage, bloodshed for thousands of miles!

This... this was the supreme majesty and decisive brutality of the Imperial Family!

In that moment, Hongfu Su, who had earlier harbored a sliver of pride from being the first to surrender, found an unprecedented solemnity settling in her heart!

”What? Do you think I am being too rash?” Gu Changsheng eyed the dispirited Hongfu Su sprawled on the ground and spoke vigorously.

”Your servant... does not dare!” Upon hearing this, Hongfu Su immediately straightened up to kneel properly and hurriedly responded.

Gu Changsheng stared at her for a while, and just when Hongfu Su was almost trembling under that gaze, Gu Changsheng finally spoke softly, ”Hongfu Su, you have an astute mind. You must understand my intention, right?”

She intended to kill a chicken to scare the monkey!

The earth-shattering battle at Red Rock City was deeply experienced by only the people within the city. Even when it spread, it wouldn’t be as vividly felt by others!

The core force of the Dark Night Army, eight hundred strong, remained stationed in Red Sun Valley. Gu Changsheng had thought this through. Speaking in broader terms, by having the Dark Night Army stationed at Red Sun Valley, it stabilized her rear. Looking even further, although the Southern Borderlands and the Four Kingdoms were separated by Bashu, disruptions in the Southern Borderlands could potentially cause neighboring countries to harbor unacceptable ambitions!

Great Zhou was still manageable since both she and Zhou Mu hailed from there. The Emperor had high regard for Zhou Mu, and even if he didn’t look favorably upon her, he would not easily dispatch troops to Bashu!

But Southern Chen was unpredictable!

Northern Mongolia and Liaodong, being distant, were beyond Gu Changsheng’s immediate concerns, but Southern Chen!

Gu Changsheng did not believe that merely a Gu insect could quell the wolfish ambitions of the Prince of the Southern Borderlands, known as a dragon among men!