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

Chen Qingwan took the letter and quickly read it.

The smile on his face gradually froze, replaced by shock and confusion.

Lu Yan...actually defeated the Beixiang Kingdom's 100,000-strong army with a smaller force?

How exactly did he do it?

Lu Yan's face with a playful smile appeared in my mind.

How many secrets does this man hide?

She became more and more curious about Lu Yan's talents and methods, and more and more eager to recruit him.

A bold idea gradually took shape in her mind:

He went on another incognito visit and personally went to Shannan Prefecture to meet Lu Yan!

She was about to tell Qiao'er to get ready when the door of the imperial study was slammed open with a bang.

Prime Minister Liu An and a group of officials knelt on the ground in a mighty manner.

"Your Majesty, the country cannot be without a king for a day, and the harem cannot be without a queen for a day!"

Liu An burst into tears, as if Chen Qingwan had done something unforgivable.

Chen Qingwan rubbed her eyebrows and cursed in her heart that this old guy was really haunting her.

"I'm busy with all sorts of things every day, how can I have time to think about these personal affairs?"

"Your Majesty, the country is certainly important, but the royal bloodline is even more important!"

"You're already twenty-five, and you still don't have a child. A hundred years from now, this great country..."

Liu An was heartbroken and spoke as if Chen Qingwan would die tomorrow.

"Prime Minister Liu," Chen Qingwan's tone turned cold.

I am in very good health, and it is not your turn to worry about what will happen a hundred years from now."

"But...but our ancestors' legacy..."

Liu An wanted to persuade her again, but was interrupted by Chen Qingwan.

"I have made up my mind. There is no need to discuss this matter any further. Dismiss!"

Chen Qingwan flicked her sleeves and turned back to the inner hall.

Liu An and a group of officials were left looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

However, Chen Qingwan knew that the old fox Liu An would not give up easily.

Sure enough, not long after, Liu An came again, and this time he brought out a stronger reason:

"Your Majesty, for the future of Datong, for the sake of the country, you must give birth to a prince!"

Chen Qingwan sneered in her heart. This old guy finally showed his true colors.

She pondered for a moment and said slowly:

"Okay, I promise you. However, my husband must be chosen by me personally!"

Liu An was overjoyed when he heard this and kowtowed immediately:

"I will obey your orders!"

He thought to himself, as long as His Majesty agrees to the selection, won't they be at his mercy then?

"Pass the order down. From now on, select handsome men from all over the country to enter the palace!"

Liu An announced proudly.

As soon as the news came out, the whole country was in an uproar.

Men of marriageable age in every household, regardless of their social status, began to get ready.

Prepare to stand out in this draft and become a phoenix.

For a time, the prices of rouge, powder, silk and satin skyrocketed.

All the major garment shops in the capital were crowded and bustling.

Naturally, this news also reached Lu Yan, who was far away in Shannan Prefecture.

Lu Fei rushed into Lu Yan's study with excitement and shouted:

"My lord, great news! His Majesty is selecting a man for the imperial court!"

Lu Yan was leisurely sipping his tea and almost spit it out when he heard this.

"A draft boy? It's none of my business!"

"My lord, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"If you can be selected, it will be a step to the sky!"

Zhang Xun also joined in the fun.

"Ascending to heaven? Isn't it good for me to be a local emperor in Shannan Prefecture?"

"I can enjoy delicious food and spicy drinks every day, and have you brothers by my side. I'm free and easy. Why would I want to go to that cannibalistic palace?"

Lu Yan curled his lips with a look of disdain.

"Sir, you can't say that. You're not a child anymore, it's time for you to find a wife..."

Han Sheng also followed suit to persuade.

"That's right, my lord. Look at how wonderful Princess Mingyue is. She's gentle, virtuous, well-educated, and well-mannered..."

Zhang Xun had a wicked smile on his face.

"Princess Mingyue? Forget it, I can't afford it."

Lu Yan couldn't help but shudder when he thought of Princess Mingyue's shy look.

"Then...why don't you consider someone else? For example...that person?"

Lu Fei winked, hinting at something.

Lu Yan naturally knew who he was referring to, and a ripple appeared in his heart.

However, he quickly suppressed this strange feeling.

"Come on, stop worrying about it. I don't want to be a duck."

Lu Yan waved his hands, looking impatient.

"Duck? What duck?"

Lu Fei was confused.

"Forehead……"

Only then did Lu Yan realize that he had let the cat out of the bag and he felt extremely embarrassed.

"Nothing, nothing, kid, don't ask so many questions."

Zhang Xun and Han Sheng looked at each other, and saw a hint of doubt in each other's eyes.

What nonsense are you talking about, sir?

What duck? Could it be...

The two did not dare to think further and quickly changed the subject:

"Sir, do you want to participate in the draft?"

"Alright, alright, stop worrying about it. I just want to protect Shannan Prefecture now. We can talk about other things later."

However, what Lu Yan didn't know was.

The gears of fate have begun to turn, and his peaceful life is about to be disrupted.

……

Capital city, inner courtyard of the imperial palace.

In a side hall, the smoke from the incense burner was curling up behind a light gauze curtain.

Chen Qingwan sat upright on the phoenix chair, scanning the ten men standing below with cold eyes.

These ten people were all well-dressed and handsome.

They are all the best selected from all over the country after layers of selection.

Although it is called a selection, in fact most of it was arranged by Liu An himself.

They are all children of wealthy families, with slicked-back hair and powdered faces.

I wish I could carve the words "I want to be in power" on my forehead.

Chen Qingwan sneered in her heart, this old fox.

Did he really think she couldn't see through his little tricks?

These people don't seem to be as good as that unruly yet talented official Lu Yan!

The first man stepped forward, bowed, and said loudly:

"Your humble servant, Lin Zixuan of the Lin family, greets His Majesty!"

He has a handsome face.

But his eyes were rolling around, and it was obvious that he was not a quiet person.

"What are Master Lin's specialties?"

Chen Qingwan's tone was indifferent, and it was impossible to tell whether she was happy or angry.

"I am proficient in poetry, songs, calligraphy, and painting."

As Lin Zixuan spoke, he shook his sleeves in a pretentiously elegant manner.

A strong smell of powder hit her face, making Chen Qingwan almost sneeze.

The faint herbal scent on Lu Yan's body suddenly appeared in his mind very clearly.

Next, the second, the third... one by one took turns to show off their skills.

Some boast of their distinguished family background, while others brag about their literary and military skills.

Some even performed their talents on the spot.

Chen Qingwan felt sick seeing her coy look.

Compared with Lu Yan, these people are simply worlds apart.

Although Lu Yan is occasionally sharp-tongued, every word he says makes sense and he never beats around the bush.

Unlike these people, who are full of fancy words but have no substance.