With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

Lu Fei, Zhang Xun and Han Sheng heard that the capital had fallen.

The Empress's life or death was uncertain, and everyone gasped.

"This old thief Liu An is so bold!"

After hearing this, Zhang Xun's eyes widened with anger.

Han Sheng even cursed directly:

"Damn it! That old scoundrel Liu An is so bold! How dare he rebel!"

After saying this, he frowned and rubbed his thumb and index finger back and forth.

But his eyes fell on Lu Yan, as if waiting for his decision.

Zhang Xun frowned, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he slapped his thigh:

"No wonder I ran into Li Mu and Miss Chen on the way to the capital."

"They were being hunted down by the imperial guards of the capital, who said they were accomplices of the rebellion."

"Luckily I ran into him and saved him."

"Now that I think about it, these imperial guards are probably the minions of that scoundrel Liu An!"

When Lu Yan heard this, his eyes lit up and he immediately asked:

"Where are Li Mu and Miss Chen now?"

"We'll put them up at the inn in the city."

Zhang Xun replied quickly.

"Quick, invite them here immediately!"

Lu Yan ordered impatiently.

After Zhang Xun took the order and left, the study fell into a brief silence.

In the silence where one could hear a pin drop, the only sounds were Lu Yan's rapid breathing and Han Sheng and Li Kui's restless pacing.

"Sir, the capital has fallen, and the Empress's life or death is unknown."

"This is a golden opportunity for us to come to the king's rescue and achieve great things!"

Lu Fei broke the silence with an excited tone.

He clenched his fists, already imagining himself leading an army.

The scene of breaking through the city gate and achieving great success.

"Yes, sir, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"We in Shannan Prefecture are strong in military strength and have ample food and fodder. We can definitely take this opportunity to expand our influence!"

Han Sheng echoed.

Li Kui's eyes were rolling around.

Rubbing his hands, he approached Lu Yan with a flattering look:

“Sir, Lu Fei and Victor Han are right!”

"This is a great opportunity! We can..."

He deliberately lowered his voice and moved closer to Lu Yan.

"Take advantage of the chaos to establish yourself as king!"

When Lu Yan heard this, his face darkened and he slammed the table.

With a "pop" sound, Li Kui was startled.

The teacup in my hand almost fell to the ground.

The tea splashed out, leaving a circle of water stains on the table, just like the ripples in Lu Yan's heart at this moment.

"Nonsense! I, Lu Yan, am loyal to the Empress. How could I do such a treasonous thing!"

Lu Yan righteously rebuked, his tone firm and unquestionable.

He stood up suddenly, with his hands behind his back and his eyes shining.

Just like a loyal and brave hero.

However, behind these passionate words.

Lu Yan had another plan in mind:

Proclaim yourself king? That's not impossible... Shannan Prefecture is currently powerful.

It is more than enough to make himself king.

But it is still not enough to fight against the entire Datong Dynasty and the covetous Beixiang Kingdom.

What's more, the old man Mu Qing, the general of Beixiang State, is stationed dozens of miles away.

If he led his troops to the capital, he would take advantage of the opportunity.

That would be a complete loss of both the wife and the army!

After much deliberation, Lu Yan finally decided to remain in place.

"The situation in the capital is unclear, so we must not act rashly."

"Let's live our own lives in Shannan Prefecture!"

"As long as others don't invade us, we can live and work in peace. If others dare to invade us, hmm..."

"Then let them taste the power of our Shannan Prefecture's firearms!"

While he was thinking about it, Zhang Xun took Li Mu and Chen Qingwan back to the government office.

Li Mu was covered in dust and had a tired look on his face.

Chen Qingwan was wearing a plain dress.

Although she looks a little disheveled, it cannot hide her elegant and refined temperament.

"Sir, General Li and Miss Chen are here."

Zhang Xun reported respectfully.

Lu Yan's gaze fell on Chen Qingwan, and Chen Qingwan nodded slightly as a greeting.

But she did not let Li Mu reveal the truth that she was the empress.

"Thank you for your hard work, both of you."

"General Li, what exactly happened in the capital?"

Li Mu took a deep breath, glanced at Chen Qingwan, and slowly spoke...

"Lord Lu."

Li Mu clasped his fists and saluted, then said anxiously:

"A sudden change occurred in the capital. The traitor Liu An was plotting a rebellion. The Empress... The Empress..."

At this point, he choked up and couldn't speak.

Chen Qingwan patted Li Mu's shoulder gently.

Li Mu understood and remained silent.

Chen Qingwan bowed slightly and said softly:

"Thank you, Lord Lu, for saving my life."

Lu Yan quickly replied:

"Miss, there's no need to be so polite. We've known each other for a while, so why should we be so polite?"

"But what exactly is going on? Why is the capital in chaos? How is the empress now?"

Chen Qingwan sighed softly, with lingering worry hanging between her brows.

She recounted the events that had taken place in the capital, starting with Liu An's conspiracy and intrigue.

From the desperate resistance of the Yulin Army to the Empress being forced to flee the capital, her life or death hanging in the balance...

When she got excited, she couldn't help but beat her chest and stamp her feet, and her grief was beyond words.

After listening to this, Lu Yan sighed in sorrow:

"Alas! How unpredictable things are!"

"I didn't expect that old thief Liu An to be so audacious! How dare he rebel!"

He secretly thought in his heart, this is a good opportunity!

If I could take this opportunity...

He rolled his eyes and temporarily suppressed this dangerous thought.

"You two can rest assured and stay in my Shannan Prefecture. I will take care of everything."

Chen Qingwan nodded gratefully, but had other thoughts in her mind.

Living under someone else's roof is not a long-term solution after all. She must find a way to regroup as soon as possible.

That night, Chen Qingwan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

She was unwilling to waste her time in Shannan Prefecture, and she was also concerned about the safety of the people in the capital.

She put on her clothes and quietly left the room.

In a hidden valley outside the city, the remnants of the Yulin Army set up camp.

The simple tents and tired faces all tell of the hardships they have experienced.

Chen Qingwan rode into the valley, and Li Mu immediately came forward to greet her, clasping his fists and bowing:

"His Majesty!"

"General Li," Chen Qingwan turned over and dismounted, her tone solemn.

"Take a head count."

Li Mu immediately took the order and left. After a while, he returned to report:

"Your Majesty, there are still 1,123 people left here."

"More than a thousand people..."

Qingwan repeated the number in a low voice, feeling powerless in her heart.

With such a small number of troops, it is nothing but a pipe dream to want to recapture the capital.

Qiao'er beside her asked worriedly:

"Your Majesty, where are we going next?"

Chen Qingwan took a deep breath, her eyes firm:

"Xijing!" Xijing is the secondary capital of the Datong Dynasty and also her last hope.

"Your Majesty! You must not!"

Li Mu was shocked when he heard this.

"Although Xijing is the secondary capital, Liu An is now so powerful that there is no guarantee that he doesn't have spies there."

"Going to Xijing is like walking into a trap!"

Chen Qingwan also felt that what Li Mu said made sense. She calmed down and asked:

"So, according to General Li, where should we go?"