How come I'm invincible?

Chapter 133 What? I led an army of 200,000, and you actually said you wanted to become a vassal state? Are you dreaming?

The city of Wugu fell even faster than the city of Baiyan.

The soldiers in the city offered no resistance.

Lin Fan walked up to the deputy general and looked down at him condescendingly. "Those who know when to yield are the heroes. Hmm, you are a smart man. Smart people often live longer."

The kneeling deputy general was sweating profusely and trembling with fear.

"The... the Great General is a god of unparalleled power, a celestial being. Now that a god has taken action and breached this place, it must be the will of Heaven. How can we, mere mortals, defy the will of Heaven? We only hope that the Great General will have mercy and give our brothers a way to survive," the lieutenant said, trembling.

Eight thousand men against an army of over one hundred thousand—anyone would be confused.

"Don't worry, since you've all surrendered, how could I possibly kill those who surrender? I also won't disturb the people in the city. The Central Plains Dynasty is the army of kings, and we would never do what barbarians do," Lin Fan said.

"Thank you, General."

The lieutenant breathed a sigh of relief.

His biggest fears were surrendering and being killed, and the enemy massacring the people in the city.

Now that I have this assurance, I feel much more at ease.

at this time.

The soldiers at the rear of the army all stood on tiptoe to look ahead, but unfortunately, all they could see were heads; they couldn't see anything about the enemy.

"You said we came out on a distant expedition to serve our country?" a soldier asked his companion weakly, leaning on his halberd.

"Of course it is, isn't that a pointless question?"

"What about the enemy? They've been out for so long, and I still haven't even seen what they look like!"

"..."

This situation is quite common nowadays.

The soldiers at the rear had never even seen what the enemy looked like. They only knew to follow the army forward and then received orders to set up camp on the spot, as there was no extra space in the city.

They cooked the dishes, rested, and then waited for orders to break camp and march.

That's the process so far.

In fact, let alone the soldiers being completely bewildered.

Even the generals who followed them felt the same way; they had never fought such an easy battle before. As generals, they certainly needed to arrange their troops and deploy their forces when marching and fighting.

But now?

It can only be said that following General Shenwu is truly like playing house, easy and simple, without any difficulty.

……

at this time.

Ding'an Kingdom, the imperial court.

The Eastern Sage King sat on his dragon throne, awaiting battle reports from the front lines. The Central Plains Dynasty had dispatched the Divine Martial General with an army of 200,000 men, who were coming in a grand procession.

Although the court officials were very confident, believing that the Baiyan City defense line would give them a hard time.

But it would be a lie to say I'm not worried.

There has been no news from Mengye Kingdom so far, and he doesn't know what's going on. When Mengye Kingdom invaded the Central Plains Dynasty, he only knew that General Tudan was captured and the Mengye Kingdom's crown was taken as spoils of war.

To this day, he still doesn't understand how the crown was stolen.

Just now.

Urgent sounds came from outside the hall.

"Report..."

The messenger rushed in, looking quite disheveled. Upon entering the hall, his knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud, holding up the battle report. "Your Majesty, battle report from White Rock City!"

Seeing the messenger's expression, the Eastern Sage King felt a pang of panic, but he forced himself to suppress it and said, "Quickly, quickly deliver the battle report."

The trusted eunuch quickly took the battle report and hurriedly delivered it to the Eastern Saint King.

The Eastern Saint King's hand holding the battle report trembled slightly. He then unfolded it and stared intently at it. The officials in the hall frowned slightly, some exchanging glances. For some reason, they all had a sense that something was amiss.

suddenly.

Looking at the battle report, the Eastern Saint King seemed to lose his balance, staggering back two steps, the battle report slipping from his hand, and the eunuch beside him quickly helped him up.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The Eastern Saint King stared wide-eyed, muttering in disbelief, "How could this be..."

The officials were alarmed when they saw that His Majesty was not in good condition.

"Your Majesty, what is the situation at the front?" the Grand Tutor asked.

The Eastern Sage King said, "The 50,000-strong army of Baiyan City was breached in less than half a day. General Ding'an was killed, and the soldiers either fled or were captured. The first line of defense of Ding'an Kingdom has been completely torn apart."

As soon as these words came out.

The officials, both civil and military, were shocked. Some stared wide-eyed, while the Grand Tutor hurriedly stepped forward to pick up the battle report and immediately examined it. Upon reading it, he felt dizzy and disoriented, as if the sky were falling and the earth were cracking.

I was deeply shaken and speechless for a moment.

In an instant.

Inside the hall, discussions were incessant, with voices rising and falling.

"Shut up, all of you shut up!" King Dong Sheng roared, glaring angrily. "Who can tell me what exactly happened? How could an army of 50,000 be breached in just half a day?"

The officials remained silent.

They didn't know what to say.

It was breached in half a day?
Even they can't understand it.

With 50,000 troops guarding the city, even if a pig were appointed as the garrison commander, it could hold out for a while.

The Grand Tutor said, “Your Majesty, now is not the time to dwell on this matter. Wugu City is the most important place right now. This city is a mountain city, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The best course of action now is to mobilize troops to Wugu City. No matter what, this city must not be breached.”

"Yes, yes, Wugu City must not be lost. Men, immediately dispatch troops to Wugu City." The Eastern Saint King came to his senses and hurriedly issued the decree.

The Grand Tutor pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, we must not underestimate the Central Plains dynasty now. We must mobilize the entire nation's military forces to aid the capital. In any case, we must ensure the safety of the capital."

The Eastern Sage King said, "Let's do as the Grand Tutor says."

……

Now that the army has entered Wugu City, Lin Fan has kept his word, neither slaughtering the surrendered soldiers nor harassing the people in the city.

In the general's residence.

Qin Xiang unfolded the map and was issuing battle orders, instructing his generals to lead their troops to clear out the strongholds around Wugu City, where there were still Ding'an Kingdom troops. This was to prevent the main army from continuing its advance and having the troops in these strongholds launch a counterattack, thus cutting off their supply lines.

When issuing these operational orders.

Qin Xiang glanced at the general sitting there drinking tea and eating 'snacks' from time to time. Every time he looked at him, he saw the general smiling and nodding.

The meaning is clear.

You're in charge of everything now; you don't need to look after me.

Although he has been studying military strategy diligently during this period, he can only say that military strategy is profound and extensive. So far, his deepest understanding is of winning by surprise. His understanding of other military strategies is still a little lacking.

Soon, Qin Xiang issued the order, and the generals left to lead their troops to wipe out the enemy.

Qin Xiang approached Lin Fan and said, “General, now that we have taken Wugu City, Ding’an Kingdom is practically ours. However, the last danger is crossing the river, and Ding’an Kingdom will definitely deploy a large force there.”

"However, we did not prepare warships for this expedition, so we had to go around to this place. The water here is shallow and the banks are close together. The only drawback is that the Ding'an Kingdom's army can easily hide around and launch a surprise attack once we get close, while we have nowhere to hide."

Qin Xiang reported the facts truthfully.

Lin Fan said, "It's alright, I'm here, what are you afraid of? I'll go first when we cross the river. If they're hiding around, I'll just pull them out."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiang was no longer so worried.

We've seen it all from the previous two battles.

The general's bravery far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.

He even thought that if the general came to Ding'an Kingdom alone, he could probably terrify the entire kingdom with his own strength, given enough time. There would be no need for them.

Of course, he was only thinking about it.

If this were to happen...

The general is likely to become a murderous maniac.

a few days later.

The capital of Ding'an, the imperial court.

"Report!!!"

With the arrival of messengers.

The Eastern Saint King's heart trembled uncontrollably. As if he had expected it, he hurriedly ran down from the palace, snatched the battle report, and quickly flipped through it.

When he saw the battle report, his face grew paler and paler, devoid of any color.

Fear was written all over his face.

His eyes were filled with terror.

Her lips trembled uncontrollably.

The weather wasn't hot, but the Eastern Saint King was drenched in sweat. If it weren't for his trusted eunuch appearing beside him to support him, he would have collapsed to the ground.

"Your Majesty, could it be that Wugu City was... was..." The Grand Tutor hesitated, seemingly guessing but not daring to say it outright.

The Eastern Sage King raised his head, looked at the assembled civil and military officials, and said with a slight opening of his mouth, "My dear ministers, Wugu City has fallen. Just like Baiyan City, it couldn't even hold out for half a day. Eight thousand soldiers were captured. Now, in the eyes of the enemy, the capital is like a fish on a chopping board. What do you say we should do?"

Of course!

The officials inside the palace were also terrified.

The city fell too quickly, so quickly that they couldn't even react. This was completely different from what they had expected. Even if they could hold out for a month or two, the city would still be breached.

They only felt that the Central Plains dynasty was coming with great force and should not be underestimated, but now the two major gateways have been so easily conquered.

This left them feeling utterly hopeless.

Seeing the officials remain silent, the Eastern Sage King roared, "Speak up! You usually have so many ideas, why are you all so quiet now?"

Sudden.

An elderly civil official knelt down and said, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, please surrender to the Central Plains Dynasty for the sake of the country and its people."

These words, once spoken, were like ice water poured into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar.

On the military officer's side, an elderly officer suddenly stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell, and angrily rebuked, "Cui Shan, how dare you utter such words that shake the morale of the army and dishonor the dignity of the nation! Your Majesty, I request that this coward be executed to appease the army and uphold the law."

With tears streaming down his face, Cui Shan said, "General Jin, how could I be a coward who fears death? Fifty thousand elite troops of Baiyan City were captured in half a day. Wugu City, a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, was also breached in less than half a day. This is not a contest of strength, but clearly the work of divine soldiers sent from heaven. What can we gain if we fight again? What result can we achieve except to make Ding'an Kingdom bleed like a river?"

General Jin roared, “Absurd! Defending the country is the duty of soldiers! To die on the battlefield is the glory of a warrior! To surrender before the battle is a great disgrace. Even if the Central Plains Dynasty truly sent down divine troops, how could the men of Ding’an fear them? Your Majesty, the capital still has 20,000 imperial guards, and the able-bodied men in the city can also be conscripted. As long as we are united, there may still be a chance. Even if we are ultimately defeated, the Central Plains Dynasty’s army will surely pay the price.”

Cui Shan looked at General Jin and retorted, "But have you considered the situation after the city falls? How will the people in the city be resettled? Or are you going to wipe Ding'an Kingdom out of the world completely?"

"Where there's life, there's hope. Surrendering at worst only makes us vassals. Endure this humiliation for now, and preserve the seeds of our nation's restoration. One day, Ding'an Kingdom may still have a chance for revenge."

Cui Shan felt that they should continue to fight to the bitter end.

The military strength of Ding'an Kingdom will surely be crushed.

There is absolutely no chance of turning things around.

It's not too late to surrender now.

Based on his understanding of the Central Plains dynasties, they all followed the path of benevolence and virtue. As long as Ding'an Kingdom was willing to become a vassal state, the Central Plains dynasties would surely withdraw their troops.

General Jin knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty, we would rather die in battle than live on our knees. This old minister is willing to lead troops in a surprise attack on the Central Plains Dynasty's army. Even if we fight to the last man, we will never surrender."

At this moment, some of the civil officials had been persuaded by Cui Shan.

Indeed, as Lord Cui said.

Surrender, become a vassal state, and there will be opportunities in the future.

But if they really fight to the bitter end, the Ding'an Kingdom will surely cease to exist.

gradually.

The civil official knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, what Lord Cui said makes sense."

The military officer also knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, we are willing to fight to the death and swear to live and die with the capital."

In the imperial court, the two factions, those who surrendered and those who fought, were clearly divided and argued endlessly.

But their gazes were all fixed on the pale-faced, terrified Eastern Saint King. Faced with the situation before him, the Eastern Saint King was so confused by the noise that he seemed to have temporarily lost his ability to think.

Just now.

The sound of a messenger's report came from outside the palace.

"Report..."

Upon hearing this, the already frightened Eastern Saint King found it even harder to remain calm, his body went limp, and reports kept coming in one after another. What good could this possibly be?

"Speak, what's the situation?" The Eastern Saint King's aura was weak and he seemed somewhat dispirited.

"Your Majesty, the Central Plains Dynasty's army has crossed the Qingchuan River and is heading towards the capital. The local garrisons are unable to stop them, and the Central Plains Dynasty's army is advancing with unstoppable momentum," the messenger said, his voice trembling.

Hear this.

The Eastern Saint King let out a strange sound from his throat, his eyes rolled back, and his body fell straight backward, completely unconscious.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

"Quickly call the imperial physician!"

The courtiers were immediately thrown into chaos, rushing forward in a panic.

Amidst the violent shaking, the Eastern Saint King slowly opened his eyes. Upon learning of this, the Eastern Saint King seemed to age twenty years in an instant, as if his vitality had completely dissipated at that moment.

General Jin, who had just been advocating for war, lowered his head and remained silent.

All of this happened so fast.

They were not given any chance to breathe.

If the Central Plains dynasty had not crossed the Yangtze River, there would still have been a chance, but now, there is absolutely no hope. The current capital is like a helpless child; it seems to still exist, but in reality, it is about to disappear.

Two scenarios kept flashing through the mind of the Eastern Saint King.

降！
Fight to the death!

Neither of these two options is something he wants to avoid.

Cui Shan shouted, "Your Majesty, please make a decision! Whether to surrender or not is entirely up to Your Majesty. Please consider the overall situation!"

After a long silence, the Eastern Saint King, his breath weak and his voice feeble, said, "Surrender, surrender."

No chance.

Once the Central Plains dynasty's army crossed the Qingchuan River, the fate of the world was sealed. Even if the capital had 20,000 imperial guards, it would be useless. Baiyan City was guarded by General Ding'an, and even 50,000 troops could not hold out for half a day. How could the capital possibly hold out?
Two days later.

The advancing army slowly came to a halt, and the Ding'an Kingdom's envoy, alone, came before the army and handed over the letter of surrender.

"General, this is the letter of surrender from the Eastern Sage King of Ding'an Kingdom." Qin Xiang respectfully handed the letter of surrender to Lin Fan.

It's only been a little over a month since we set out.

So, with such a vigorous and beautiful army, they were about to reach the capital of Ding'an Kingdom. To be honest, if he hadn't been personally involved, even if his father were still alive and told him these things, he would probably have been furious.

How much counterfeit alcohol did you drink?

Only someone with that ability could utter such nonsense.

Lin Fan took the letter of surrender, didn't even look at it, and threw it directly in front of the messenger. "Letter of surrender? This general will not read it. This general wants to enter the capital and have a proper talk with your Eastern Saint King face to face."

The messenger bowed his head, his heart pounding.

Lin Fan said, "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you. Go back and tell your Eastern Saint King whether he will open the city gates to welcome me into the city or fight back. Give him some time to think it over. Don't let your Eastern Saint King be dragging his feet when I'm at the gates. If that happens, I'll consider it a sign that your Ding'an Kingdom is determined to resist to the death."

"Go, go back."

Lin Fan waved his hand indifferently.

The messenger dared not say much. He only glanced at Lin Fan when he arrived, and then dared not look at him again. Even when he left, he kept his head down and left respectfully.

After the messenger left, Qin Xiang said, "General, it seems that the Eastern Sage King already knows that there is no way to reverse the situation, and it will be futile to continue resisting."

Lin Fan smiled and said, "The surrender is to make Ding'an a vassal state. Others might agree, but did we gather an army of 200,000 to make it a vassal state?"

Qin Xiang looked at the general. Although he said this with a smile, he could feel a powerful and domineering aura in the general's tone.

"The General is right."

Now, it can be said that Qin Xiang has a deep-seated awe and respect for the general.

Although Lin Fan's age is not much different from his.

But that's the feeling he got.

……

a few days later.

The capital of Ding'an Kingdom.

A sense of impending doom spread silently through the streets and alleys like a plague.

News of the defeat at the front could not be kept secret forever; it eventually found its way into teahouses, taverns, and the streets.

"Have you heard? The army of the Central Plains Dynasty has already crossed the Qingchuan River and is about to reach the capital."

"What exactly is our imperial court doing?"

"Oh dear, don't even mention it. The 50,000 troops of Baiyan City couldn't defend it in half a day, and the defending general was General Ding'an. But what can be done?"

"The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen. Since that is the case, we young men should take up arms and become soldiers. Anyone who wants to destroy our Ding'an Kingdom is dreaming."

The people are very concerned about this matter.

A man in a coarse cloth jacket slammed his teacup on the table, splashing tea everywhere. "Damn it, do they really think we, Ding'an Kingdom, are easy to bully? I'll fight them to the death!"

“That’s right, we are still alive. There are still people in Ding’an. As long as His Majesty gives the order, we will sacrifice ourselves for the country.”

Just then, a rapid gong sounded from afar, and several officials rode fast horses, galloping along the street, shouting at the top of their lungs.

"His Majesty has decreed that Ding'an Kingdom must surrender, and its people are forbidden from resisting!!!"

"His Majesty has issued a decree..."

When this sound reached the ears of the people.

All the people were stunned.

They all gaped, their faces filled with shock, as if they had seen a ghost. They looked at each other, seemingly unable to believe that such an imperial decree could be issued. A moment later...

The crowd was outraged, and the people vented their grievances.

"How can His Majesty accept our surrender? We able-bodied men are still alive!"

"Yes, we haven't even resisted yet, and they're already making us slaves of a conquered nation. No way, how can this be allowed?"

As citizens of Ding'an, they are patriotic. Now that their country has been invaded by the Central Plains dynasty, how can they sit idly by? As long as His Majesty needs them, they are willing to take up arms to defend their homeland.

But who could have imagined that the Emperor would surrender?

This is something they cannot tolerate.

Just now.

The ground trembled slightly, startling them into thinking it was an earthquake.

"what happened?"

"I do not know."

While they were still wondering, a voice came from outside: "The army of the Central Plains Dynasty is here."

The voice was filled with panic.

It didn't take long.

News of the arrival of the Central Plains dynasty's army spread throughout the city. Many people hid in cellars, while others grabbed kitchen knives, carrying poles, and other household items and headed towards the city gate.

When they arrived at the city gate and found that the soldiers had left it open and showed no intention of closing it, some civilians anxiously said, "What are you doing? The enemy is almost here, what are you trying to do by not closing the city gate?"

The soldiers guarding the city gate watched as more and more people gathered.

"His Majesty has decreed that Ding'an Kingdom accepts the surrender and welcomes the Central Plains Dynasty into the city. You should all go back and not stay here."

The city gate soldiers were utterly helpless.

They also longed to close the city gates and defend against the invaders.

However, His Majesty's decree required them to welcome the Central Plains Dynasty's army into the city, and even if they were unwilling, they had no choice.

Soon, some people climbed the city wall. When they looked into the distance, they saw a vast, dark mass stretching out, like dark clouds pressing down on them. The shock and oppression they felt weighed heavily on their hearts.

Banners and flags were like clouds, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Countless weapons reflected a cold, blinding glint.

The ranks were orderly and uniform, their steps heavy as they made their way down to the city walls.

Bang!

Some civilians were so shocked that they unconsciously dropped their weapons.

They seemed oblivious, staring blankly into the distance, their lips trembling slightly, their faces deathly pale.

At that moment, they realized how insignificant they were in the face of such a massive army.

The army halted.

Lin Fan rode Ye Zhao, his gaze falling on the city wall not far away. He looked at Qin Xiang and said, "Have the soldiers wait here. I will enter the city alone."

Qin Xiang asked, "General, is it not necessary for someone to accompany us?"

"No need." Lin Fan waved his hand. Given the current situation, what could possibly happen if he went into the city alone?

After saying that, he tightened the reins. Ye Zhao raised his head and moved forward slowly without running. Every step he took closer was an invisible pressure to the people watching from the city wall.

After a while.

Lin Fan strode through the city gate. The soldiers guarding the gate looked up at him and, with just one glance, they were so startled that they lowered their heads and dared not meet his gaze.

Lin Fan tightened the reins, and Ye Zhao stopped. He calmly surveyed the people of Ding'an Kingdom lining both sides of the street. Every single person's eyes were filled with anger, and they looked at Lin Fan as if he were a mortal enemy.

He didn't get angry or scold them; he just met their gazes.

"I am Lin Fan, the Divine Martial General of the Central Plains Dynasty. Do you have any questions?" Lin Fan asked.

For ordinary people.

They were clearly angry inside, but for some reason, the moment they met the other person's gaze, they felt as if their inner feelings were being suppressed.

An indescribable fear and trepidation welled up in my heart.

The people all lowered their heads.

I dare not look you in the eye.

"drive!"

As they continued onward, the people who had previously vowed to fight for their country remained silent and made no move, until their eyes met Lin Fan's.

The weapon in his hand was discreetly placed behind his back, as if he was afraid of being seen.

Lin Fan witnessed this scene.

Just smiled.

There was no indication of anything.

Along the way, Lin Fan felt like a triumphant hero, receiving the bowed welcome of the people. Before long, he arrived at the gates of the palace.

……

Inside the palace.

The atmosphere was very quiet, without the slightest sound.

The civil and military officials who were once eloquent and eloquent now stood with their heads bowed like clay or wooden sculptures, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The Eastern Sage King, seated on the dragon throne, had lost all his regal bearing. He was slightly hunched over, head bowed, staring blankly at the ground.

Princess Ding'an stood to one side, her gaze fixed on the passageway outside the palace.

There's clearly no one there right now.

But for some reason, she always felt that a person covered in blood was about to appear.

A eunuch rushed in, "Your Majesty, the Divine Martial General of the Central Plains Dynasty has arrived."

Hear this.

The Eastern Sage King and his officials looked up at the entrance, where a tall, imposing figure walked in with a smile on his face. "The capital of Ding'an Kingdom is quite nice. Eastern Sage King, we meet."

Then, he looked at Princess Ding'an and said with a smile, "Princess Ding'an, it's been a while since we last met."

Princess Ding'an looked at Lin Fan with a very complicated expression.

She never imagined that her country would fall so quickly.

The Eastern Sage King slowly rose from his dragon throne. He took a deep breath and tried to straighten his back, but his slightly trembling voice betrayed his inner panic.

"As expected of the Divine Martial General of the Central Plains Dynasty, my Ding'an Kingdom thought its army was strong and well-equipped, but I never expected that in just over a month, the General would lead his army to the capital. I admire you, I really admire you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Fan shook his head, speaking casually, "Eastern Holy King, a month is actually a long time. If I were to come here directly to find you, I think it would only take five or six days at most."

To the Eastern Sage King, those seemingly casual words revealed the sheer domineering and confident nature of the Divine Martial General before him.

But the other party arrived here.

That proved everything.

"Great General Shenwu, my Ding'an Kingdom is willing to surrender and become a vassal state of the Central Plains Dynasty. From now on, we will pay tribute once a year and have no other intentions."

When the Eastern Saint King uttered these words, his fists were clenched tightly, as if he had used up the last bit of strength in his body.

To him, these words were a great humiliation.

However, the current situation forces him to back down.

"vassal state?"

Lin Fan smiled, revealing an expression of disapproval.

The Eastern Saint King was slightly startled, feeling that the situation was not as he had thought.

"General, what is the meaning behind your laughter?"

The Eastern Sage King suppressed the thoughts in his heart, but dared not consider the possibilities.

Lin Fan said, "Do you think that I, the general, led an army of 200,000 here just to make your Ding'an Kingdom a vassal state?"

"Then you mean...?"

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to? The territory of Ding'an Kingdom must be incorporated into the Central Plains Dynasty. From now on, Ding'an Kingdom will no longer be a kingdom, but a prefecture under the Central Plains Dynasty," Lin Fan said.

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the court turned to look at Lin Fan.

They had considered the worst possible outcome, which was nothing more than becoming vassals, paying heavy annual tributes, and ceding some border cities. They never dared to imagine that the other side came with the ambition of devouring them whole and completely destroying their nation and its people.

"impossible!!!"

Before the Eastern Saint King could recover, the Grand Tutor could no longer suppress his shouts. He staggered forward, pointing his finger at Lin Fan, "You're delusional, you're daydreaming."

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "I'm not here to discuss this with you, but to inform you that the territory of your Ding'an Kingdom will be incorporated into the Central Plains Dynasty. This is something that no one can stop."

Suddenly, General Jin burst into loud, maniacal laughter, mocking, "Listen to this! Is this what you call surrender? You actually think about becoming a vassal state? Have you ever considered that the Central Plains dynasty wants to annex us?"

"It's too late. Everything is too late."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

His laughter abruptly stopped, and his gaze turned sorrowfully to the distraught Eastern Saint King on the dragon throne. He bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, did you see this? Did you hear this? This is the consequence of surrender. I have served the country for many years, and now I see such a humiliating scene. I will take my leave first."

Before he finished speaking, General Jin suddenly straightened up and, with all his might, slammed into the pillar supporting the main hall beside him.

"Minister Jin, you mustn't!"

"General!"

Bang.

General Jin's head shattered, blood spurting out, and he staggered, crying out, "The country is lost, the country is lost..."

After saying this, General Jin collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Lin Fan did not stop them. If these stubborn old ministers wanted to die, let them go.

"Minister Jin!!!" The Eastern Sage King was shocked, and the officials in the hall were also frightened. They never expected General Jin to be so tough.

The other military officers also cried out in grief. They noticed that there was no army from the Central Plains dynasty outside, and as if realizing something, they asked, "Did you come alone?"

Lin Fan said, "That's right, I came alone. What? Do you think that just because I'm alone, you can take me down and force the Central Plains Dynasty's army to retreat?"

"If that's really what you think, then I can give you a chance."

When he said this, some of the military officers present did indeed have the same thought.

Have the palace guards arrest him.

"No..." Princess Ding'an cried out hurriedly, "You can't do that, you mustn't do it, or you'll all die."

“You have no idea how terrifying he is.”

Others don't know.

But how could she not know?

The Divine Martial General is terrifying. She had learned about him when she was in the capital. His personal strength is unimaginable and beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Once we actually take action.

The officials present were sure to die.

Lin Fan smiled at Princess Ding'an, "Princess, if I had to say who understands me best in Ding'an right now, I would say it's you, Princess."

Princess Ding'an said, "General, why do you insist on this? Wouldn't it be better for the two countries to cooperate? Even if your Central Plains dynasty annexes Ding'an, the people will not accept it."

Lin Fan did not answer Princess Ding'an's question, but looked at the Eastern Saint King and said, "Do you think what the princess said makes sense? Eastern Saint King, you should know best what your truest thoughts are when a powerful neighbor appears beside your bed, making you unable to eat or sleep and forcing you to be on guard day and night?"

Now, things have come to this.

It's no use saying anything.

King Dong Sheng knew that 200,000 troops were at the city gates and there was no hope left.

"General, I won't say much more. My only request is that you spare my family and these officials. They are quite familiar with Ding'an. If the Emperor of the Central Plains can treat them with courtesy and trust them, I believe they will be willing to serve the Central Plains Dynasty," said the Eastern Sage King.

"His Majesty……"

An official looked at His Majesty with emotion.

At such a critical moment, His Majesty was still thinking about their safety.

Lin Fan smiled and said, "You can rest assured about that. I will not harm any members of your royal family. After all, you are more useful alive than dead."

He was perfectly clear-headed.

If the Ding'an royal family were slaughtered at this moment, it would inevitably incite unrest and further escalate the already unstable public sentiment.

Conquering a country is easy, but truly winning over its people requires time, strategy, education, and integration.

It would be a real challenge for him to govern.

The Eastern Sage King accepted it without saying much. He was willing to take the royal family to the Central Plains Dynasty. He had already thought about the rest of his life, which meant he would have to stay in the capital of the Central Plains Dynasty for the rest of his life and could not go anywhere else.

This is what is meant by imprisonment.

Let him live, so that the people of Ding'an know that their emperor is not dead and has always been in the Central Plains dynasty. If he were to invade the Central Plains, he would do the same.

"General, I hope you can treat the people of Ding'an well. I just never expected that the so-called expedition to destroy the country would be so hasty."

The Eastern Saint King mocked himself, "General, could you please tell me how you breached the city? Although the number of soldiers in Ding'an is not as large as that of the Central Plains dynasties, they are able to defend the city and not leave, so even if their numbers are many times greater, it is useless."

Lin Fan said, "The battle report should include that."

"You mean you want to smash the city wall with one punch?"

"Yes."

The Eastern Saint King remained silent, simply watching quietly, seemingly trying to discern falsehood in Lin Fan's eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn't detect the slightest hint of deception.

Could it really be like that?

a few days later.

Lin Fan remained in the palace, instructing Qin Xiang to send people with the imperial edict to the other unconquered cities. He intended to use the Eastern Sage King's edict to order the generals guarding those cities to open their gates and welcome the Central Plains army.

This task can be left to Qin Xiang.

He's been away for so long, he should go back now.

In terms of gains, he only managed to establish this territory for the Central Plains Dynasty. However, for Lin Fan, there was still some regret. He had conquered a country but failed to attract the extraordinary person from Ding'an Kingdom.

His biggest hope now is to figure out where the inscription on the stone tablet came from.

at this time.

Inside the palace in the capital city.

The emperor remained in high spirits throughout this period. The initial victory was a great joy, so he required officials to attend court every day.

How boring it would be if battle reports came in and there was no one to share them with.

The second prince noticed that his father's mental state had been much better lately than before, which gave him a rebellious thought.

That was his former father, who seemed to be in good health, but gave him the feeling that he could die at any moment.

What if Father suddenly dies?

Then the throne must be passed to him.

But now he realizes that his father seems to still have some time left to live.

"Report!!!"

The voice of a messenger came from outside.

Before the prince could speak, the emperor immediately stood up and shouted, "Quickly, come in and present the battle report."

The messenger had just entered the palace.

The waiting emperor immediately snatched the battle report, unfolded it, and stared at it intently.

After reading this.

The emperor's face was flushed with excitement. "My dear ministers, do you know what this battle report says?"

He looked at the officials with a joyful expression.

Upon seeing this, the second prince quickly forced a smile and preemptively flattered, "Father, this must be another great victory brought back by the Divine Martial General!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor glared at him with displeasure and rebuked him, "Nonsense! If it weren't for a great victory, would you be hoping for something bad to happen to Minister Lin?"

The second prince felt he was being wronged.

Father, do you really have a problem with me? If you do, just say so. Why do you have to do this in front of all the officials and not give me any face at all?
The Duke said, "After Baiyan City was breached, if they want to enter the heartland, they must take Wugu City. This old minister believes that this must be news that General Lin has taken Wugu City."

"Hahaha..." The emperor laughed and said, "My dear minister, you only guessed half right. This battle report is not only about Wugu City, but also about Minister Lin leading a large army that has crossed the Qingchuan River and is heading straight for the capital of Ding'an."

"what?!"

"They crossed the Qingchuan River in Jiangdu?"

"This...this speed is too fast!"

Everyone was astonished, wondering why the speed was increasing so rapidly.

We crossed the Qingchuan River.

In other words, we have already reached the heartland, and the capital of Ding'an is right in front of us.

Even the mature and steady Duke couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh, his eyes filled with emotion.

The Divine General is truly a gift from Heaven.

Judging from the current situation, it's only a matter of time before Ding'an Kingdom is annexed into the territory of the Central Plains dynasty.

The Duke looked at His Majesty.

Since the Grand General took office in the capital, His Majesty's smile has never faded.

No elixir or panacea can compare to the effect of this battle report.

……

Ding'an, the Imperial Palace.

"Princess, I've noticed that the look in your eyes always reveals awe and fear. Can you tell me what you've seen?" Lin Fan asked, sipping his tea in the garden.

After a brief silence, Princess Ding'an slowly said, "My eyes see corpses strewn all around you."

Lin Fan: ...?
(End of this chapter)