Zhao Sheng sat before the low table, listening to Master Cai, the strategist beside Princess Zhenguo, tell him about his past. Only then did Zhao Sheng learn that this Master Cai had originally been a strategist in the mansion of Jin’s Left Chancellor Li Mao. Later, because the Left Chancellor offended Princess Zhenguo, he pushed Cai out to be dealt with by Princess Zhenguo as she saw fit. Not only did Princess Zhenguo not punish him, she instead recruited him into her ranks and never treated him as an outsider.

Cai Ziyuan knew that Bai Qingyan was someone with a broad heart capable of embracing all under heaven, so he easily guessed Bai Qingyan’s intention to recruit Zhao Sheng, including her thoughts on recruiting the Zhao Family Army under Zhao Sheng’s command.

Cai Ziyuan held hot tea in his hands, smiling as he said to Zhao Sheng: “Perhaps General Zhao still thinks I’m a persuader sent by Princess Zhenguo, but… Princess Zhenguo has always been an upright person. She likes to speak her mind directly. The opportunity is placed before General Zhao – if General Zhao doesn’t want it… Princess Zhenguo certainly won’t force it! After all, for Princess Zhenguo, with her intelligence and her methods of training troops, she doesn’t need to rely on others!”

Having said this, Cai Ziyuan slowly blew on his teacup and took a sip before continuing: “Recruiting General Zhao is only because Princess Zhenguo naturally cherishes talent. If she could gain General Zhao’s assistance… Princess Zhenguo would surely accelerate the speed of unifying the realm. But if General Zhao is unwilling, it would only slow things down a little. Princess Zhenguo can still accomplish it, because there are too many people willing to be devoted unto death for Princess Zhenguo, for the chance to see the day of unification, and to leave their names in history.”

For Zhao Sheng, what he wanted was to see that day of unification and to participate in such a great undertaking, to leave his name in history…

Zhao Sheng had remained silent all along. He no longer needed Cai Ziyuan’s persuasion.

Today, Zhao Sheng had met with various generals of the Zhao Army and various generals of the Liang army, already making his intentions clear…

At first, some cursed Zhao Sheng as a traitor, but when Zhao Sheng spoke of the situation in the Liang court, of how urgent Great Liang’s epidemic was now, of how the Emperor only indulged in private vendettas while abandoning Great Liang’s countless people and the lives of his soldiers, those Liang generals fell silent.

Later, Zhao Sheng told the Great Liang generals about what Bai Qingyan had said to him that day, planting the seed of unification in all the Great Liang generals’ hearts. He also clearly explained Great Yan’s current schemes and progress, as well as Jin’s determination to destroy Great Liang as a foundation for future unification.

The Great Liang generals all knew that Great Liang’s royal house… lacked the spirit to unify the realm and end this chaotic age.

The Great Liang officers and soldiers even more doubted whether Jin’s Emperor, who devoted himself to seeking the Dao and immortality, had such a spirit.

Only then did Zhao Sheng tell his brothers-in-arms his inner speculation – he believed Princess Zhenguo had the ambition and spirit to unify the realm, he had glimpsed Princess Zhenguo’s rebellious intentions, and he suspected that Jin’s current full-scale attack on Great Liang might be the result of Princess Zhenguo’s planning.

Because Princess Zhenguo had already stated clearly that if Jin wanted to unify, it must first take Great Liang… to eliminate worries from the north.

When Zhao Sheng told his Great Liang brothers-in-arms that he was certain Princess Zhenguo would definitely rebel against Jin’s royal house and was already fully prepared, that Princess Zhenguo was now preparing for the great unification while waiting for the right moment, and would surely establish a new nation in the future, the Zhao Family Army generals were the first to kneel and declare their willingness to follow Zhao Sheng in serving Princess Zhenguo.

As military officers, who wouldn’t want to become one of the meritorious officials who pacified the realm?

Speaking privately, Great Liang had already become like this. Even if Great Liang could still survive as a nation, these military officers would probably have few opportunities to advance in Liang.

Chaotic times produce heroes. If a new nation were established, they would follow Princess Zhenguo with Zhao Sheng and become meritorious officials of the new nation in the future, leaving their names in history.

But if they stubbornly defended Liang, they probably wouldn’t even have their names appear in history books.

Later, Great Liang generals also successively declared their willingness to follow Zhao Sheng, but Liang also had loyal bones who would rather die than submit, who cursed Zhao Sheng and the generals who followed him in betraying Liang.

However, after learning that Yan had already begun systematically advancing the great unification, Zhao Sheng became even more determined to follow Princess Zhenguo in pacifying the realm. He respectfully bowed to those who insulted him, and upon leaving the prison, the first thing he did was request an audience with Princess Zhenguo.

Zhao Sheng didn’t tell Master Cai any of this – Zhao Sheng had never been good at confiding in others.

Seeing Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi enter Zhao Sheng’s barracks, Cai Ziyuan quickly set down his teacup and rose to bow.

Bai Qingyan nodded to Master Cai, her gaze falling on Zhao Sheng: “I heard General Zhao wishes to see me.”

Zhao Sheng stood up, straightened his clothes, came out from behind the low table, lifted the hem of his robes, and knelt on one knee before Bai Qingyan, declaring loudly: “Zhao Sheng is willing to lead all officers and soldiers of the Zhao Family Army to follow Princess Zhenguo and pacify the realm!”

This result was already within Bai Qingyan’s expectations. From the moment Bai Qingyan saw that map in Zhao Sheng’s traveling pack, she knew… Zhao Sheng was also someone with great ambition and aspirations. It was just that Great Liang’s Emperor truly couldn’t be called a heroic lord, so Zhao Sheng had buried this thought deep in his heart.

Zhao Sheng was unyielding in his bones. When he learned that Yan had already begun working to unify the realm by destroying Wei, he would naturally feel anxious and want to compete for this unprecedented achievement.

Bai Qingyan stepped forward and helped Zhao Sheng up, saying: “General Zhao went to the prison today to see Great Liang’s various generals – was it to persuade them to follow General Zhao?”

“Since I’m to follow Princess Zhenguo, I must show my sincerity,” Zhao Sheng gazed at Bai Qingyan’s deep, dark eyes and said respectfully.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “General Zhao must have been cursed in that prison!”

“Just as Jin once had the Zhenguo Prince, Great Liang has its loyal ministers and steadfast bones! After all… Great Liang is our motherland that bore and raised us. Our ancestors for generations have been defending this place. Now… to follow Princess Zhenguo in attacking our motherland – not everyone can reconcile this in their hearts!” Zhao Sheng said.

“This realm is originally one family. This action is not to destroy Liang for the sake of attacking Liang, but to make the realm once again become one nation, to make the people under heaven once again become one family, so that there will be no more warfare in this realm!”

Bai Qingyan looked at Zhao Sheng. These words were what Bai Qingyan wanted to say to Great Liang’s officers and soldiers, but these words couldn’t come from Bai Qingyan.

“General Zhao, I, Bai Qingyan, swear to Heaven that in every city I reach… I will never harm a single hair of the common people. Moreover, while Great Liang’s royal house won’t provide medicine to treat the people’s epidemic, I will! The people of Great Liang’s royal house cannot be protected, I will protect them! If I violate this oath… General Zhao may take my head.”