The towering walls of the Shadow Moon Fortress blocked the way for the Tianyang army to enter the Danyang Empire, and if he wanted to completely end Jiang Bingkun's ambitions, Zhao Yu must find a way to conquer this strong fortress, unlike Night City, this city is still firmly in the hands of the Danyang Empire, with eternal defenses and excellent supply guarantees.

In order to support the victory of other fronts, Zhao Yu tried to launch several attacks, but the results were not ideal, the enemy army relied on the strong terrain to organize stubborn resistance, it was difficult for his army to move forward, if the city was forcibly attacked, it would inevitably suffer huge losses.

However, his attack did cause great pressure on the Danyang Empire, and in order to hold the fortress, Jiang Bingkun did not hesitate to send most of his military supplies to the Shadow Moon Fortress to support their holding mission, so that the other fronts received less and less supplies.

After several rounds of attacks, General Zhao Yu also found that the enemy army was united in hatred of the enemy at the moment, and had the intention of fighting against the water, and it was indeed difficult to conquer the fortress that occupied the time, place, and people.

Zhao Yu felt a trace of concern about the battle situation, this battle must be fought, but with the current situation, forcibly attacking the city will inevitably suffer heavy losses, and he has reached a stalemate.

Shi Xuan and Jiang Yuheng naturally saw all this, but in the face of such a strong city, they had no better way.

One day, Zhao Yu found Shi Xuan and Jiang Yuheng and said: "This siege of the Shadow Moon Fortress is even more difficult than we imagined, Jiang Bingkun obviously knows the importance of the Shadow Moon Fortress, he has mobilized almost all the forces he can mobilize to hold the city, in the face of such a stubborn defense, if we attack in an all-out way, even if we capture the Shadow Moon Fortress, we will have to pay a heavy price, maybe we can find another way?" Zhao Yu looked at Jiang Yuheng.

"General Zhao, what is his opinion, despite the orders, we will definitely try our best to cooperate?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"No matter how strong the fortress is, it often begins to split from the inside, we want to pass through the Shadow Moon Fortress, maybe we don't need to use military force, we try to cause internal turmoil in the enemy army, and the Shadow Moon Fortress can even be taken without blood", Zhao Yu had a new attention.

"What is your specific plan?" Jiang Yuheng asked.

"You are the key to the plan, if my guess is correct, you are the former crown prince of the Danyang Empire who fled from the Danyang Empire twenty years ago, right?" Zhao Yu said suddenly.

"Why do you say that?" Jiang Yuheng said vigilantly.

"You don't have to be nervous, our Tianyang Empire still has a lot of intelligence sources for this coup d'état more than 20 years ago, I even know the process of Yao Jingcheng colluding with Jiang Bingkun to assassinate your father, our Tianyang Empire has already found some clues, but due to the strength of the Danyang Empire, we are powerless to interfere", Zhao Yu was stationed at the border of the Tianyang Empire as a young general, and he knew the things of the Danyang Empire very well, including Jiang Yuheng.

"Then what does this plan have to do with me?" Jiang Yuheng asked.

"As a son of man, I think you must very much want to avenge your father, don't you want to regain the country on the land of the Danyang Empire?" Zhao Yu asked rhetorically.

"Over the years, I have never given up on my revenge plan, which is why I applied to come to the battlefield in the first place," Jiang Yuheng said.

"In this case, if you want to restore the country, you must be recognized by the Danyang Empire, until now, your identity is still able to challenge Jiang Bingkun's authority for the Danyang Empire, if you want to find a way to get the support of some important people in the Danyang Empire, and gain great power from within the Danyang Empire, we should work together to overthrow Jiang Bingkun's rule in one fell swoop, and you will also have the hope of failure", Zhao Yu said.

"I was taken out of the court by the palace guards since I was one or two years old, and now the Danyang Empire has probably forgotten about me a long time ago, who will choose to support me?" Jiang Yuheng looked sad.

"The information I got is not like this, I heard that since your father's death in the Danyang Empire, there has been an assassination group operating in the country, they have been looking for the prince who was exiled abroad, and they want to restore the country, you still have a group of your father's henchmen in the country, they will be an extremely important force, you may be able to lead them to overthrow Jiang Bingkun's regime and establish a new country", Zhao Yu said.

"But I don't even know who to trust?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"Is there someone you must be interested in?" Zhao Yu said.

"Who?"

"Hubu Shangshu Li Jiye, you may have heard of his name, he is the elder of the three dynasties of the Danyang Empire, since your grandfather he assisted him in a lot of reforms, the strength of the Danyang Empire has a huge relationship with him, he has always been heartfelt to the Danyang Empire, I believe that if you can invite him out of the mountain to help you, great things can be done", Zhao Yu said.

"Hubu Shangshu, I heard that he has resigned from his official position and returned home to retire without asking about the world," Jiang Yuheng said.

"He just can't get used to Jiang Bingkun's perverse behavior, he was originally involved in the smoky court, he has actually been worried and working hard for the Danyang Empire, he has always pursued the view of maintaining friendly development with neighboring countries in the Danyang Empire, he has always pursued a good-neighborly policy during your father's reign, and he is deeply used by your father," Zhao Yu said.

"Where can I find him?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"Taoyuan County, if you go there and ask around, you should be able to find him, and having him go out of the mountain will definitely help you find a large group of supporters, and even win the support of some important military ministers," Zhao Yu said.

"Why do you want to support my restoration of the country?" Jiang Yuheng asked.

"Because you have helped us, and at the same time the Danyang Empire must also have an enlightened monarch, I think you are very suitable," Zhao Yu said.

"But I don't want to be a monarch, I'm a cultivator, and I don't want power," Jiang Yuheng said.

"You can find a suitable person to take over the Danyang Empire, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be the monarch," Zhao Yu said.

"Okay, I'll immediately take some people to infiltrate the Danyang Empire and find a way to win the support of the former ministers, whether it can work depends on the will of heaven," Jiang Yuheng said.

"I'm just waiting for good news in Shadow Moon Valley, our army will continue to besiege Shadow Moon Fortress, and it's up to you next," Zhao Yu said.

Jiang Yuheng accepted General Zhao Yu's suggestion, he must now think about the future of the Danyang Empire, even if he himself does not want to be this monarch, he must find a suitable monarch to lead the country, he does not want the inheritance left by his ancestors to be completely destroyed.

He found Shi Xuan and Zhao Zhuo and told the two of them his thoughts, "Senior brother, have you decided?"

"It's decided, this time it's as if I owe it to you," Jiang Yuheng said.

"Senior brother is serious, we don't need to worry so much about each other, it's a sea of swords and fire, and our brother will also accompany you to break through", Shi Xuan and Zhao Zhuo both supported his action.

Jiang Yuheng did not take most of the spirit masters with him, and only selected a few powerhouses from the Heavenly Vein Realm to follow, and the rest continued to assist Zhao Yu in attacking the city.

Jiang Yuheng led Shi Xuan and Zhao Zhuo to start infiltrating the Danyang Empire, they were all powerhouses of the Tianmai Realm and easily crossed the towering mountains and mountains into the Danyang country, Jiang Yuheng finally returned to the long-lost land, since he was taken out of Danyang by the palace guards, this was the first time he really returned to the land.

Shi Xuan and his party rushed directly to Taoyuan County, where there lived an elder of the Three Dynasties, Li Jiye, the former head of the household department, who was Jiang Yuheng's target.

Jiang Yuheng looked at his former land and was full of emotion, if it wasn't for the coup d'état back then, maybe he would still be the crown prince of the Danyang Empire, the empire is still in the hands of his father, the country is still prosperous, the country is peaceful and peaceful, and friendly exchanges with neighboring countries are a thriving scene.

However, at this moment, the land he set foot in was very different from the land he imagined, the domestic scene of Danyang was not better than the other four countries, the same starvation was full of land, famine was raging, there were only some old, weak, sick and disabled people in the fields, young people were all conscripted into the battlefield by the empire, and the whole country had reached the point of fragmentation.

Jiang Yuheng looked at the ruined country, and there was a trace of tears in the corners of his eyes unconsciously, how many years his tears had already been dried by hatred, but he didn't expect that it was difficult to suppress his emotions at this moment. Walking on the vast land, he strengthened his determination to restore the country.

Along the way, they walked through many cities and villages, and a sense of desolation and ruin came, such a country and prosperity were completely untouched, and the war had completely drained the country, and there was no hope of relieving it for a decade or two.

Taoyuan County is an originally rich county within the Danyang Empire, but since the start of the war, all the grain and grass produced here have been conscripted by the empire, and the people have extremely heavy taxes, and the people are not able to make a living.

Jiang Yuheng They have traveled a lot of places, and found that many bandits are infested, many people are forced to burn and plunder for their livelihoods, and the people at the bottom are miserable, since the war situation is tense, Jiang Bingkun has gradually lost control of the many evil forces rising in the country, and the domestic organization of resistance against him has gradually developed.

"I can't imagine that the Danyang Empire, which was once famous all over the world, has become like this, what kind of person is Jiang Bingkun, how did he be so ruthless to start such a war? Even his country has become a hellish scene", Zhao Zhuo couldn't believe that this was the Danyang Empire.

"His ambition has destroyed the country and plunged countless Li people into misery, and he deserves to die, and this time we must pay him with blood," Shi Xuan said.

"We have now arrived in Taoyuan County, which should be the hometown of Li Jiye, the head of the household department, and we should gain something from inquiring in the town," Jiang Yuheng said.

They came to the street of Taoyuan Town and found an inn to stay, and when they entered the inn, they found that it was deserted and there were no guests, and a man came up and said, "How many guest officers eat or stay in the hotel?"

"Let's get us something to eat first," Jiang Yuheng said.

"A few guest officers look like people from afar, and our small shop only has some coarse tea and light rice, I hope the guest officers don't dislike it", the guy said with some apologies.

"It's okay, you can do whatever you have, right?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"So wait a minute?" the guy went to get busy.

"Senior brother, it's so deserted here, Taoyuan County, which was once famous all over the world, I have heard about it in my sandwich, the peaches produced here are famous all over the world, and the fish and rice here are all superb, and there is an endless stream of tourists who come here every year, but I didn't expect it to become such a scene now," said a disciple.

"It will get better in the future, and when the war is over, I must build a peaceful and stable country, let them recuperate, and I believe that the prosperous era will definitely appear again," Jiang Yuheng said.

The others also nodded, and after waiting for a while, the guy in the store brought some coarse tea and light rice.

"I'm really sorry, the Empire's heavy taxes have pushed us to the limit in the past few years, and this is already our best food", the guy said, looking at the food in front of him.

"It's okay, we understand, you go get busy", Jiang Yuheng slowly ate the food of his own country, this meal of coarse tea and light rice seemed to be the best food he had ever eaten in his life, he didn't waste a little, and ate it all.

After a few people finished eating, they finished paying and asked, "Man, I want you to inquire about someone?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"If you say, I'll tell you if I know," said the man.

"We heard that the original head of the household, Li Jiye, lives in Taoyuan County, and we don't know where to find him?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"What are you looking for Master Li? He has already resigned and retired from his official position?" the guy suddenly became nervous.

"We are his friends, and we have come to visit his old man's home, and I hope you can show him a clear way?" Jiang Yuheng said.

"Lord Li Shangshu is a noble man of our Taoyuan County, I think that under his governance, our Taoyuan County was rich in the world, everyone knows it, and our inn was also famous all over the world, but now the door is full of birds, and the shopkeeper is about to be unable to support it, if it weren't for Lord Li to help us reduce our taxes, we would not be able to live", the man said generously.

"So the people of Taoyuan County love Lord Li Shangshu very much?" Shi Xuan asked.

"Of course, the entire Danyang Empire doesn't know Li Shangshu's name, and he is the only one in the entire court who dares to contradict the emperor and Prime Minister Wei Wuji, in order to help our people, he was finally squeezed out by them, and now he has to retreat to the mountains and forests to ask about the world, what a pity", the guy sighed.

"Please also ask the little brother to help us, we are really in a hurry to find his old man", Shi Xuan took out a few gold coins and handed them to him.

"No, no, we have already collected your food money, you can't ask for this money, if you want to find Li Shangshu, you can go to Xiantaowu twenty miles away, where you should be able to find him", the guy looked at Shi Xuan and the others did not look like bad people, and finally told them.

"Thank you, man, you can take this money", Shi Xuan insisted on handing the gold coins to him, and the man reluctantly took it and showed them the way.

"Senior brother, the people here look really simple, it seems that this Li Shangshu is indeed extraordinary, even if he quits officialdom, there are still so many people who defend him, it seems that with his support, we will definitely be able to gain something", Shi Xuan said.

"I hope so, it's really embarrassing for him, for so many years in the Danyang Empire, he can be regarded as a real clear stream, and having him can be regarded as a blessing for the Danyang Empire," Jiang Yuheng said.

"It's a pity that many courtiers led by Wei Wuji have been harming the country, and they can't escape the blame for this war, because they have fueled Jiang Bingkun's ambitions," Jiang Yuheng said.

"Let's go to Xiantaowu and get to know this famous Shangshu," Zhao Zhuo said.

A few people walked towards the scenic road, although the people here are hard, but there is still a simple folk customs, if there is no clear stream like Li Jiye here, it is estimated that this place will become as dirty as other places.

At this moment, Jiang Yuheng has both expectations and worries, he is not absolutely sure that he will ask Li Jiye to help him complete his negative dreams, and he does not have a complete plan, but he believes that as long as he is sincere enough, he will definitely be able to get Li Jiye's support.

More than twenty miles is not a very long distance for them, but they do not have the sword to fly, but respectfully walk along the road, and they naturally lower their statures when they have a request.

Xiantaowu, can be regarded as an excellent feng shui location, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, the land of fish and rice, many villages have planted many peach trees, the peach rich here can even be used as a tribute to the royal family to taste, but in the era of war, the people are also unable to dot these peach trees, and it is not ideal to defend the city in recent years.

Shi Xuan and the others were also fortunate to taste some local peaches, which were indeed sweet and delicious, rich in aura, and belonged to the top grade of peaches.

In addition to the war, Shi Xuan also likes this place, his hometown Hongyanling is located in a remote area, not suitable for farming, the mountains and rivers here are beautiful, and the wind farm is suitable for human habitation, which is in stark contrast to his hometown.

On the road, some farmers are busy with farm work, and the hope of the year is in the fields, hoping for a good harvest and some surplus food after paying the state's taxes.

Jiang Yuheng asked a lot of people along the way, and finally got the accurate point of Taohuawu, and along the way, several people were quite touched.

Jiang Yuheng and the others turned around and finally saw a place that seemed to be a paradise, the environment here was quiet and elegant, peach trees were growing all over the village, quaint houses were scattered, and some children could be seen playing from time to time, and most of the villagers were busy with farm work in the fields.

Jiang Yuheng and they walked into the village, the quaint atmosphere here gave them a sense of intimacy, Jiang Yuheng and they walked towards a few children playing, "Little brother, is this Xiantaowu?" Jiang Yuheng asked a child.

A few children rarely saw outsiders, and a few children came around, "Big brother, where are you from? This is Xiantaowu", and the children felt a little timid.

"We're here to find someone, are your parents there?" Jiang Yuheng asked.

"They went to work in the fields," the child said.

"Then have you heard of Li Jiye?" Jiang Yuheng tried to ask.

"Are you asking Grandpa Li?" the child asked.

"Do you know where his house is, if you take me there, this thing will be given to you", Jiang Yuheng took out a talisman that could gather spirits and handed it to the child.

"Dad said you can't just ask for other people's things, I'll take you to Grandpa Li, his house is over there", a few children took Jiang Yuheng and they walked towards a quaint building not far away.

Jiang Yuheng and the others found that this Xiantaowu was much better than the village outside, and these children were also very happy.

Shi Xuan and the others came to a courtyard, and the courtyard can be regarded as a better building here, presumably they must have a certain family background to afford such a residence.

"Well, this is Grandpa Li's house, we often come to his house to play, Grandpa Li is good to us, often give us some delicious food", the child is quite familiar with this place, and took a few people directly to the outside of the courtyard.

"I'll go tell Grandpa that you are coming to him", the children ran in happily, "Grandpa Li, someone is coming to you", the children shouted into the yard as they ran.

Jiang Yuheng and they didn't dare to slack off, waiting for a response outside the courtyard, "Looking at these children, it seems that they have returned to our childhood all of a sudden, but I didn't expect that so many years have passed in a blink of an eye, and all they encounter are troubles, and they can't go back to such days", Shi Xuan looked at these cheerful children and remembered his childhood, and there was also a group of friends who played all day long.

In the courtyard, a kind old man with white hair sat under the gazebo, flipping through a book and looking intently, since Li Jiye, the head of the household, has completely lost confidence in Jiang Bingkun's regime, he is alone in the court, the emperor is no longer reusing him, he is deeply worried about the future of the empire, but the situation has been powerless.

At this moment, he doesn't care about the affairs of the empire at all, just like an idle cloud and wild crane, preparing for the rest of his life, occasionally remembering the grace of the former emperor, he is also deeply guilty, he failed to stop Jiang Bingkun's ambitions, the empire is now in dire straits, the people are in distress, and the country is facing the possibility of overturning, he has long been disheartened.

Attentively reading, he heard the laughter of several children, so he put down the book in his hand, and only when he saw these lively children, a smile appeared on his face.

"You've come to see me again, and I'm not ready to eat to-day," said the old man to the child.

"Grandpa Li, a few big brothers came outside and said they wanted to see you, and they are still waiting at the door," the child said.

"Are they wearing official uniforms?" asked the old man.

"No, it's not from the government, they don't look like bad people, and they gave me a strange thing", the child took out the spirit gathering talisman that Jiang Yuheng gave him and handed it to Li Jiye to check.

Li Jiye took the spirit rune in his hand, his eyes changed suddenly, he looked carefully at the pattern on the spirit rune, he stood up all of a sudden, and looked outside incredulously.

"What's wrong with Grandpa Li?" the child asked.

"It's okay, you take them to my kitchen, let the housekeeper cook some delicious food for you, I'll go meet the people outside, you are not allowed to tell your parents about today's things in the future, you must remember", Li Jiye said solemnly, he handed the spirit talisman to the child, let him keep it well, said that it would be of great use to him in the future, and the children went to the kitchen happily.

Li Jiye straightened his clothes at this time, and quickly came to the corner of the courtyard door to quietly observe.

Outside the courtyard, several energetic young people were waiting respectfully at the door at the moment, and the appearance of the young man at the head suddenly reminded him of the person from twenty years ago, and he looked at it blankly for a moment.

"Is it really him, the orphan of the former emperor, is he really alive?" Li Jiye was shocked.