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

Sharifei was stunned for a moment, and seemed to understand a little, but he felt something was wrong.

"But...the national seal..."

General Chisha waved his hand, interrupting him.

"The national seal? Whether it's real or fake is no longer important. I underestimated the wisdom of that little empress. This one move of hers has dragged everyone into this trap."

He paused, and his tone turned sinister.

"But, so what? It's still unclear who will be the winner!"

Sharifei's eyes lit up and he quickly asked:

"General, you mean... you did it on purpose?"

General Chisha patted his shoulder and said meaningfully,

"That's right, withdraw the troops! We won't fight for the moment. When the time comes, we will not only get the national seal, but also capture these people and seize the power of these states!"

Sharifei suddenly understood, his eyes full of admiration.

"The general is wise!"

After saying this, he took the order and left, ordering the army to set out.

The Chisha army evacuated the battlefield in a mighty manner, and the remaining three armies also evacuated slowly.

……

Jingzhou City, inside the meeting hall.

Chen Qingwan sat at the top, tapping the table with her slender fingers.

She was waiting, waiting for her plan to be successfully implemented.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence.

Qiao'er rushed into the meeting room, with an expression of uncontrollable excitement on her face:

"Report—the enemy…the enemy is retreating!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the conference room.

The originally tense atmosphere collapsed in an instant, replaced by incredible surprise.

"Resigned? Really?"

"How is this possible? They've been besieging the city for days and are on the verge of breaking through the gates..."

"Could it be... that your Majesty's brilliant plan has worked?"

Everyone was talking at once, their eyes all looking at Chen Qingwan, their eyes full of admiration.

Chen Qingwan smiled slightly and nodded calmly:

"My dear ministers, don't be alarmed. This is my plan."

She was secretly proud of herself, using the national seal as bait, and herself as a bigger bait.

Using marriage as a bargaining chip, the Zhang family was dragged into this game.

She made the right bet. These greedy jackals would indeed be tempted by greater benefits.

If we don't bring the Zhang family, this fierce tiger, into the game, these people will come back again, and then Jingzhou City will be in danger.

At this moment, Chen Qingwan truly felt the charm of military tactics and also tasted the secret of repelling the enemy without bloodshed.

However, the joy of victory was soon replaced by hidden worries.

The news of her marriage to the Zhang family will spread throughout the world within a few days.

How will Lu Yan react then?

When Chen Qingwan thought of Lu Yan, ripples appeared in her heart.

Will he care?

Do you care that she is about to become someone else's wife?

"Ugh……"

Chen Qingwan sighed softly and suppressed these chaotic thoughts in her heart.

How can you have any freedom when you are in the chess game?

For the ultimate victory, for the country and people of Datong.

She had to make some sacrifices, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.

This is also the truth she learned since childhood...

……

On the other side, Lu Yan and Li Kui were training their troops on the parade ground.

Li Kui brandished his sword with great vigor, muttering to himself:

"General, when do you think we're going to fight this? My sword is almost rusting!"

Lu Yan glanced at him sideways and complained mercilessly:

"With your skills, your knife is rusty? I think your brain is rusty! Besides, is war a joke? Do you think it's a dinner party?"

"Hehe," Li Kui scratched his head.

"General, what I'm saying is that I, Old Li, am just a chatterbox. Don't take it to heart."

At this moment, Night Owl came quickly and reported solemnly:

"General, spies report that the siege of Jingzhou City has been lifted, and the enemy troops have... retreated."

"Retired?" Lu Yan raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.

"What's going on? Did the empress come up with some clever plan?"

Night Owl hesitated for a moment, then told the truth:

"According to the spies, it was... because the Empress wanted to form an alliance with the Zhang family, and the Zhang family sent troops to lift the siege of Jingzhou."

"Tsk tsk, this empress is so cruel,"

Lu Yan shook his head and casually brushed away the ants on the ground with a small branch in his hand.

"Using myself as a bargaining chip in exchange for the safety of the people of a city, I can be considered a... barely qualified monarch."

He paused, as if choosing his words, after all, in his opinion.

This empress's brain is sometimes sharp and sometimes not, making it hard to understand.

Night Owl corrected him seriously:

"Sir, it was not Her Majesty the Empress who arranged the marriage personally."

Lu Yan paused the branch in his hand, and the ants took the opportunity to flee in all directions.

"Oh? Not her? Then who else could it be? Could it be... Qiao'er?"

He stroked his chin and analyzed the situation to himself.

"Well, it must be Qiao'er. She came to me begging for help a few days ago. Maybe it was because of this matter."

Ye Xiao helplessly interrupted Lu Yan's wild speculation:

"My Lord, it's not Miss Qiao'er, it's... Miss Chen."

The branch broke into two with a snap.

Lu Yan suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of disbelief:

"Miss Chen? Which Miss Chen?"

Ye Xiao's tone was calm, but it hit Lu Yan's heart like a heavy hammer:

"It's the Miss Chen you know, sir."

After a brief silence, Lu Yan roared:

"Damn! This damn empress!"

He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth.

"I don't agree to this marriage! Call the troops! Call the troops!"

Li Kui on the side was already rubbing his hands and eager to try.

He was secretly thinking:

The Zhang family is really tired of living if they dare to marry me, the future mistress of Shannan Prefecture!

As soon as the general gives the order, I will kill the Zhang family without leaving a single survivor!

However, Lu Yan's anger came and went quickly.

After walking back and forth for a few steps, he suddenly stopped and waved his hand dejectedly:

"never mind."

Li Kui and Ye Xiao slammed on the brakes and stood there in a daze, their faces full of confusion.

Lu Yan took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart.

Since the news has already spread, Chen Qingwan must have agreed to this marriage.

He smiled bitterly and muttered in his heart:

What is mine will eventually be mine, and I cannot force it.

Li Kui couldn't help but ask:

"Sir, what's wrong? I, Old Li, will go and get Miss Chen back right away!"

Lu Yan forced himself to remain calm and waved his hand:

"What are you robbing for? Just go do what you want!"

He turned his back, not wanting everyone to see how lonely he was at the moment.

Li Kui and Ye Xiao looked at each other, both with confused expressions, but they didn't dare to ask more questions, so they could only retreat silently.

Lu Yan stood alone in the training ground, looking at the empty space, not knowing what to say.

He recalled every detail of his time with Chen Qingwan, from their first chance encounter.

Later they fought side by side, and now... they are separated.

Lu Yan returned to the study dejectedly and sat down on the chair. He seemed to have been drained of all his strength.