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

In Java, when Jin Xuanming heard the news, he sat up suddenly and sobered up.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes, his heart full of doubts.

What was Lu Yan up to? He was completely baffled.

When Liu An went to the capital, he was excited when he heard the news, but he also doubted its truth.

Immediately summon ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Seeing that the rumors worked, the Zhou family immediately turned their attention to the north and sent troops to attack Chazhou.

Inside Jingzhou City, the atmosphere was as solemn as the calm before a storm.

Chen Qingwan sat at the head of the hall, her face terribly gloomy.

Li Mu, Qiao'er and other confidants stood on both sides, not daring to breathe.

"Your Majesty, apart from Shannan Prefecture, I can't think of anyone who knows you are here."

Qiao'er said indignantly, her delicate little face full of anger.

Li Mu pondered for a moment, clasped his fists and said:

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is probably related to the Zhou family."

"Zhou family?" Chen Qingwan sneered.

"That old fox Zhou Chen is indeed restless. He's trying to fish in troubled waters and seize power!"

"Your Majesty, now that the news has spread, various forces are ready to take action. How should we respond?"

Li Mu asked worriedly.

Chen Qingwan tapped the table lightly with her slender fingers.

It made a crisp sound, striking everyone's heart again and again.

"Jingzhou City is now the center of the storm."

She spoke slowly, her voice cold.

"Zhou Chen's intentions in spreading rumors are clear. Within a few days, all forces will converge here."

"By then, Jingzhou City will become a piece of fat meat that everyone will salivate over."

She paused, her eyes swept over everyone, and finally landed on Li Mu.

"General Li, the safety of Jingzhou City is now in your hands."

Li Mu clasped his fists and said in a deep voice:

"I will defend Jingzhou to the death, even if it means death!"

Chen Qingwan nodded slightly and looked at Qiao'er again.

"Qiao'er, you are smart and clever. You must assist General Li well."

Qiao'er bowed and said in a crisp voice:

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best!"

"I have decided to go to Shannan Prefecture in person."

Chen Qingwan's words were shocking, and everyone was stunned.

Li Mu immediately dissuaded him:

"Your Majesty, absolutely not! The situation is turbulent right now. How can you, a noble person, risk your life?"

"I am willing to go to Shannan Prefecture on your behalf to purchase military supplies!"

Chen Qingwan waved her hand and rejected his proposal.

"Shannan Prefecture is safe along the way, Lu Yan will definitely not sit idly by. On the contrary, Jingzhou needs you to take command."

"You are the commander of the Yulin Army, and you shoulder a heavy responsibility. You must not leave lightly."

Although Li Mu was unwilling, he knew that what she said was true, so he had to give up.

"I expect to return in ten days to half a month. During this time, Jingzhou City will be handed over to you."

"Remember, be sure to take strict precautions and don't take it lightly!"

Chen Qingwan reminded again.

That night, Chen Qingwan changed into an inconspicuous men's outfit and quietly left Jingzhou City.

Her purpose of this trip was to purchase military supplies, but also to test Lu Yan's attitude.

……

In Shannan Prefecture, in Lu Yan's residence, the evening breeze was blowing, bringing a hint of early autumn coolness.

In the courtyard, the stone table was filled with wine and food, and Princess Mingyue and Lu Yan sat opposite each other.

The moonlight fell on the two of them, giving them a layer of silver glow.

The wine glass in Princess Mingyue's hand trembled slightly, and the wine rippled, just like her mood at the moment.

Several times, she wanted to pour the poison in her hand into Lu Yan's wine glass.

But every time I gave up because of various "accidents".

Once, Li Kui suddenly broke in and said he had caught a fat rat that had stolen cakes;

One time, Lu Yan suddenly stood up and said he wanted to look at the city defense map;

Another time, a lost butterfly even landed on Lu Yan's wine glass.

She was so frightened that her hand shook and the poison spilled on the ground.

Princess Mingyue was struggling internally.

She came to Shannan Prefecture on the orders of the uncle of the King of Beixiang State, ostensibly for marriage, but actually for assassination.

But she had complicated feelings towards this man.

He is generous and sharp-tongued, but he has a pure heart.

He was strict in military discipline, but also caring towards the people.

How could she bring herself to kill a man like this?

After three rounds of drinks, Princess Mingyue's face flushed and her eyes became blurred.

She finally mustered up the courage, put down the wine glass in her hand, and choked up:

"Lu...Lord Lu, I...I have something to tell you..."

Lu Yan looked at her, his eyes as calm as water, as if he had already seen through everything about her.

He sighed softly and said:

"Princess Mingyue, I think I've guessed what you want to say."

When Princess Mingyue heard this, she shuddered and tears welled up in her eyes.

She fell to her knees and sobbed:

"Master Lu, I... I'm sorry... They asked me to kill you..."

She revealed the King of Beixiang's plan and confessed her intention to poison him.

And the reasons why success has been repeatedly unsuccessful.

She apologized to Lu Yan tearfully, admitting that deep down she didn't want to hurt him.

Lu Yan was not furious, nor was he surprised at all.

He simply helped Princess Mingyue up calmly and said:

"Princess Mingyue, don't blame yourself. I knew it a long time ago."

Princess Mingyue raised her head and looked at him in surprise:

"You...you knew it a long time ago?"

Lu Yan smiled slightly, revealing a cynical expression:

"Your poor acting skills can only fool a three-year-old. The first time you spilled the poison on my shoes, and the second time you poured the poison into the flowerpot."

"The third time you even spilled poison on your skirt... Do you think I'm blind?"

Princess Mingyue's face flushed red, and she felt ashamed.

She didn't expect that her plan, which she thought was perfect, would be so ridiculous in Lu Yan's eyes.

"Princess Mingyue, I know you have no choice. Your father forced you to do this, and you had no choice. I won't blame you."

Princess Mingyue felt relieved, and the guilt in her heart was alleviated a lot.

She wiped away her tears and looked at Lu Yan with more admiration in her eyes.

"Lord Lu..."

She called out softly, her voice trembling.

"Princess Mingyue, you are very beautiful and brave. I admire your honesty."

Princess Mingyue's face turned even redder. She lowered her head, not daring to look directly into Lu Yan's eyes.

Lu Yan looked at Princess Mingyue, and a playful smile suddenly appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"Princess Mingyue, if your father knew you had true feelings for me, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood, right?"

Princess Mingyue's face turned pale. She knew that Lu Yan was testing her.

She bit her lip and mustered up the courage to say:

"I dare not disobey my father's order. But...but I am also sincere to Lord Lu."

Lu Yan laughed out loud, his laughter was full of sarcasm:

"Sincerely? Princess Mingyue, do you take me for a fool? I know exactly what kind of person your father is."

"He wishes me dead, so how could he sincerely marry you to me?"