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

Tu Rong, carrying a bloody scimitar, strode up to Ye Xiao and excitedly reported the battle situation.

"Good! Tu Rong, you have done a great job this time!"

Ye Xiao patted Tu Rong's shoulder and turned to look at Lu Fei.

"Lu Fei, your Mauser Carbine is really a big hit this time!"

Lu Fei chuckled and touched the rifle in his hand.

"This thing our Lord Lu made is really useful! With one volley of fire, the enemies fall down one by one like wheat!"

At this moment, a huge ship slowly approached from the distance.

Standing at the bow of the ship was a man in a white gown. It was Lu Yan.

Ye Xiao and others hurried forward and knelt on one knee.

"Welcome, my lord!"

Lu Yan got off the boat and looked at the group of soldiers fighting bravely in front of him, his heart filled with emotion.

He walked up to Night Owl and patted him on the shoulder.

"Night Owl, you did a great job! You played a huge role in this battle!"

"Thank you for the compliment, sir!" Night Owl replied excitedly.

Lu Yan looked around and saw the city that had just been conquered, feeling very proud.

……

The smoke from Haixia Pass had not yet dissipated, but the news of victory had already spread on wings and flew north all the way to Jingzhou Prefecture.

Chen Qingwan stood on the bustling street and watched people getting vaccinated in an orderly manner.

A big stone in my heart finally fell to the ground.

The shadow of cholera seems to be gradually dissipating, replaced by a vibrant scene.

Although the people were still somewhat uneasy, the glimmer of hope in their eyes made her feel extremely relieved.

"Your Majesty, news has come from Shannan Prefecture that Lu Yan... Lu Yan has taken over Haixia Pass!"

Li Mu hurried over, his tone filled with undisguised shock.

Chen Qingwan suddenly turned around, her eyes wide open.

"What did you say? He took over Haixia Pass?"

Even though she had already expected Lu Yan to use military force against Java.

But no one expected that he would take this important pass so quickly.

Li Mu nodded heavily.

"Absolutely true! Moreover, Shannan Prefecture has completed the vaccination of all its people."

He paused, his tone filled with mixed emotions.

"This Lu Yan is really amazing!"

Chen Qingwan felt mixed emotions.

She was happy about Lu Yan's victory, but also worried about his growing power.

She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and asked in a deep voice:

"What were the casualties?"

Li Mu smiled bitterly.

"It is said that over 10,000 enemies were killed and over 200,000 captured! Yet only a few soldiers from Shannan Prefecture died."

"Less than 200 people were injured. This casualty ratio is shockingly low."

He paused and added.

"What's even more bizarre is that after taking Haixia Pass, Shannan Prefecture was as easy as taking a piece of cake!"

Chen Qingwan frowned slightly, "Relax? How do you mean relaxed?"

Li Mu then told some of the information he had gathered.

Including how Night Owl penetrated deep into the heart of Java, how he rescued Princess Aisha, and how he gained the trust of the king.

How to take over Haixia Pass with internal and external cooperation, etc.

After hearing this, Chen Qingwan couldn't help but laugh.

"So, that special forces soldier Night Owl is now an official in Java?"

"Who says it isn't?"

There was envy in Li Mu's tone.

"It is said that the princess of Java was born with a beauty that captivated the whole country, and she was saved by the Night Owl."

"And I've even gained the king's trust. This is such good luck, it's almost enviable!"

Chen Qingwan snorted, but became more and more anxious.

Shannan Prefecture now stretches over 300 miles from east to west, and its territory is quite large.

It has the advantage of the canal and is surrounded by a strong city, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

After this battle, the Javanese Empire was severely damaged and unable to fight again.

Shannan Prefecture will usher in a period of rapid development.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Li Mu saw that Chen Qingwan looked unhappy and asked with concern.

Chen Qingwan shook her head.

"I'm fine, just a little...tired."

She took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm.

"Let's go back to the palace."

Back in the palace, Chen Qingwan sat alone in the imperial study.

In his hand he tightly grasped a letter from Shannan Prefecture.

The letter was written by Lu Yan and the content was very simple.

He just reported the battle situation at Haixia Pass and asked if she was safe.

At the end of the letter, he still called her "Miss Chen".

Chen Qingwan looked at these three words with mixed feelings.

She knew that Lu Yan had no ill will towards her, and could even be said to respect her.

But he was gradually encroaching on her territory and expanding his own power.

How should she face him? How should she deal with this complicated situation?

She rubbed her temples and felt a headache.

Just then, there was a slight knock on the door.

"Come in."

The maid opened the door and walked in, holding a bowl of steaming bird's nest porridge in her hand. "Your Majesty, it's time for dinner."

Chen Qingwan took the bird's nest porridge, but had no appetite.

She took a few sips absentmindedly and put the bowl down.

"Let's go to the camp outside the city." She said suddenly.

"Your Majesty, are you going to the camp?"

The maid was a little surprised, "But it's getting late..."

"My decision has been made."

Night falls and the stars are shining.

Chen Qingwan, dressed in military uniform and riding a tall horse, came to the camp outside the city accompanied by Li Mu.

The camp was brightly lit and the soldiers were training.

Seeing Chen Qingwan coming, they all knelt down to salute.

"See Your Majesty!"

Chen Qingwan dismounted, walked up to a soldier, and asked, "

Do you know how the Shannan Prefecture army captured Haixia Pass?"

The soldier was stunned for a moment, then puffed out his chest and said proudly:

"Your Majesty, the Shannan Prefecture's army is well-equipped and well-trained."

"Even with Lord Lu's masterful planning and decisive battles from afar, we were able to defeat the enemy with fewer troops and easily capture Haixia Pass!"

Chen Qingwan asked several more soldiers and got similar answers.

She couldn't help feeling powerless.

Lu Yan's prestige has been deeply rooted in everyone's eyes.

In their eyes, she, the emperor, may just be a distant symbol.

"Li Mu," Chen Qingwan suddenly turned and looked at Li Mu.

"Tell me, how should I deal with Lu Yan?"

Li Mu was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to strengthen the defense of Jingzhou and recruit more elite soldiers and generals to prepare for any emergency."

Chen Qingwan nodded, "I think so too."

......

At the same time, in the Golden Palace of Beixiang Kingdom.

The place was now shrouded in a heavy, gloomy cloud, and the air was heavy and oppressive, making one feel suffocated.

The King of Beixiang sat on the dragon throne with a gloomy expression.

His eyes were as sharp as a knife, fixed on the battle report in his hand that had been sent to him urgently from eight hundred miles away.

Veins bulged on the back of his hand, and his knuckles turned white from excessive force, as if he was about to crush the thin paper.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, the battle report was thrown heavily onto the dragon table.