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

The deputy general swallowed.

He said again with lingering fear:

"And their thunder bombs..."

"It's even more powerful, with a very wide explosion range. A single bomb can blow up a large area, causing heavy casualties among our soldiers..."

"Furthermore, the city defenses of Jingzhou Prefecture are also extremely strong, easy to defend but difficult to attack..."

The deputy general added.

"The city walls are high and the fortifications are well-developed. Our army has launched several assaults but failed, suffering heavy losses..."

"Enough!" Zhou Chen waved his hand irritably, interrupting the deputy general.

"Alright, alright, stop talking! I know Shannan Prefecture's firearms are powerful! What I want to know now is, what should we do next?!"

His voice was filled with anger, yet helplessness.

At this time, a trusted advisor came forward and whispered:

"Sir, this defeat has put Jingzhou on alert. Further attacks will be extremely difficult. In my opinion, the Empress will undoubtedly send troops to Shannan Prefecture to purchase military supplies."

Zhou Chen snorted coldly and gritted his teeth:

"That kid Lu Yan from Shannan Prefecture is such a fox! He's doing business with us on the surface, but he's secretly keeping a trick up his sleeve!"

"I spent a lot of money to buy explosive arrows and thunder bombs from him, and what happened?"

"The armor and muskets equipped by the Yulin Army are all high-quality products made in Shannan!"

"This kid is clearly making fun of us!"

Zhou Chen became angrier as he spoke, his fists clenched tightly and veins bulged.

The trusted counselor rolled his eyes and offered a suggestion:

"Sir, I have a plan that may turn the tide."

Zhou Chen rubbed his temples irritably. Upon hearing this, his eyelids slightly raised:

"Oh? Tell me."

The counselor's eyes rolled around, and he leaned close to Zhou Chen's ear and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Why don't we drag others into this as well!"

Zhou Chen frowned and stared at the counselor sharply:

"Who to pull into the water? How to pull them?"

The counselor chuckled, his tone ruthless:

"We can spread the Empress's whereabouts!"

He paused, and seeing that Zhou Chen did not interrupt, he continued:

"My Lord, think about it, the Empress is a hot commodity nowadays, everyone wants to take a bite."

"As soon as the news spreads, those who have improper intentions towards the Empress will naturally become restless."

"Then we can sit back and watch the tigers fight, profiting from it. When they're both badly hurt, we can take action. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Zhou Chen did not express his opinion immediately, but paced back and forth.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if he was thinking about the counselor's advice.

"That's a good idea,"

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment and said.

The counselor answered confidently:

"Don't worry, sir. I have my own arrangements. We can spread some plausible news."

"The truth and falsehood, the reality and the fake, leave those people confused."

"We can also take this opportunity to test the true nature of those people and see who has the greatest ambitions towards the Empress and who is just bluffing."

Zhou Chen's eyes flashed with brilliance. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this idea was feasible. He nodded approvingly:

"Okay, I'll do as you say! However, we must be very careful about this matter and make sure it doesn't leak out."

"My subordinate understands!"

The counselor responded quickly.

Zhou Chen walked to the window and looked at the gloomy sky outside, with greed flashing in his eyes.

"Empress..." he muttered to himself.

"The Empress must be from the Zhou family, and only from the Zhou family! No one else can get involved!"

He paced back and forth, greed glittering in his eyes.

His breathing became increasingly rapid, like a wild beast about to catch its prey.

"Don't even think about it!"

He emphasized again, his tone full of dominance and possessiveness.

An accidental discovery made him ecstatic.

He came from a prominent family, and the Zhou family had deep roots and flourished in Dazhou.

He also has connections in the court and can be said to be in a high position of power.

He was a man of both civil and military talents, and he gave up the army to pursue literature in his early years.

He knew the appearance, personality and background of the court officials very well.

One day, he was walking on the street, thinking about how to make a better progress in this chaotic world.

Suddenly, a familiar red figure flashed before his eyes.

The bright red armor, the tall figure, and the familiar steps instantly ignited a fire in his heart.

Zhou Chen was shocked and looked carefully. The man was none other than Li Mu, the commander of the Yulin Army!

He had served in the army and was deeply impressed by Li Mu, so he would never admit his mistake.

Li Mu's appearance was like a flash of lightning across the night sky, illuminating the doubts that had long been in Zhou Chen's heart.

The Yulin Army, the personal guards of Empress Chen Qingwan, appeared.

Doesn’t that mean…

The Empress is in Jingzhou?!

This idea grew wildly like weeds, occupying Zhou Chen's entire mind.

He suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and observed his surroundings calmly.

Sure enough, he found some unfamiliar faces dressed in casual clothes, but exuding a solemn and murderous aura.

These people are well-trained, with sharp eyes, and their every move reveals traces of their military career.

Combined with the appearance of Li Mu, Zhou Chen could almost conclude.

These people are the elite of the Yulin Army, responsible for secretly protecting the safety of the empress.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his excitement.

Now that Liu An occupied the capital, he used the emperor to command the princes, but he could not get real recognition.

The real empress Chen Qingwan is the orthodox one in the world and the key person that everyone is looking for.

Now, she is right under his nose!

If they could control the empress and use the emperor to command the princes, the Zhou family would be able to conquer the north in no time!

Even better, he could "marry" the empress, replace her, and achieve unprecedented success!

Thinking of this, Zhou Chen's breathing became rapid.

An irrepressible excitement surged in his heart, making it almost impossible for him to control himself.

He seemed to have seen himself wearing a dragon robe and ruling the world.

In his eyes, Empress Chen Qingwan was already in his pocket.

"Pass the order down to closely monitor every move within Jingzhou City, especially the movements of the Yulin Army!"

"If you find any trace of the Empress, report it immediately!"

Zhou Chen couldn't wait to give the order, his words full of excitement and anticipation.

The rumors spread by the Zhou family spread like a virus, spreading across the country.

Every corner and every force received this shocking news.

After receiving the news, Chu Wen twirled his sparse beard and smiled sinisterly.

He thought the news was most likely false and thought this was Lu Yan's trajectory.

But what if it’s true?

If he could capture Chen Qingwan, he could use the emperor to control the princes and command the world!

Thinking of this, he immediately ordered the dispatch of an elite force.

Disguised as a merchant caravan, they went to Jingzhou to gather information.