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

The crowd began to stir, and the whispers grew louder.

Lu Yan's words were like a sharp knife, piercing their numb hearts.

"If you still want to be maggots in the mud to be stepped on, go ahead!"

"Just treat it as a fart from me, Lu Yan!"

"From today on, you will be my slaves in Shannan Prefecture, working like slaves until you die of exhaustion!"

Lu Yan's tone suddenly became cold, like ice and snow in the cold winter, making people shudder.

This sentence was like a bomb, exploding in the crowd, sweeping everyone!

The soldiers' breathing became rapid.

Yes, why do those officials eat and drink the best food and drink the best drinks?

These military households have to guard the border for generations, and their ancestors have lived like animals?

Didn’t their ancestors shed blood?

Why should I work so hard but still have no way out in my life?

In the crowd, a middle-aged man with a full beard suddenly stood up.

His eyes were red as he roared:

"I quit! I won't work for the Beixiang Kingdom anymore! I want to join the Shannan Prefecture!"

With the first person taking the lead, the rest of the people stood up one after another.

They waved their fists and shouted:

"Join Shannan Mansion! Join Shannan Mansion!"

"Okay! From today on, you are all members of Shannan Prefecture!"

Lu Yan swept his eyes over the crowd. Although these soldiers were pale and thin, they were all strong.

Unlike barbarian soldiers, these people have been soldiers for generations and are natural warriors.

Just a little training and they can become top-notch elite soldiers.

When Shannan Prefecture was first established, it was in need of manpower, and Jianmen Pass also needed people to be stationed there.

Lu Yan turned to Lu Fei and others and said:

"Recruit soldiers locally! Every legion, recruit at least 10,000 men!"

"Pick out the good ones, the strong ones, and throw the ugly ones back!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Fei, Zhang Xun and Han Sheng all smiled happily.

Lu Fei shouted:

"If you want to eat meat, drink wine, or marry a wife, come to the Musket Battalion!"

"I'll teach you how to play with the most powerful guys, so you can walk sideways in the future!"

Zhang Xun was not to be outdone and shouted at the top of his voice:

"If you want to ride a majestic horse and gallop across the battlefield, come to the Cavalry Battalion! Follow me, kill the enemy, earn merit, get promoted, and make a fortune!"

Han Sheng had the smallest voice, but he also tried his best to shout:

"Although the infantry battalion is tough, it's the best way to train people! If you want to become a true warrior, come to the infantry battalion!"

"I will personally train you and make you into warriors who can fight one against a hundred!"

The three of them chatted with each other, like vendors in a vegetable market, working hard to promote their own legion.

The surrendered soldiers below gradually raised their heads, with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

Lu Yan also ordered people to repair the damaged city gate and collect all the remaining food at Jianmen Pass.

After an inventory, it was found that more than 70% of the military rations were burned, and the remaining ones were only enough to feed these people for three or four months.

Most of those weapons are old, but they can be melted down.

Lu Yan looked at the mountain of spoils and felt secretly happy.

Although the losses in this battle were considerable, the gains were even greater.

The geographical location of Jianmen Pass is extremely important. It is the throat connecting Beixiang State and Shannan Prefecture.

Taking Jianmen Pass is equivalent to opening the gateway to Beixiang State.

"Sir, a secret room was found in the city. It seems to contain a lot of things."

A soldier came to report.

Lu Yan became interested: "Oh? Take me to see it."

The secret room is located in the backyard of the commander's residence, and the entrance is blocked by a huge stone slab.

If the soldiers hadn't searched carefully, it would have been difficult to find.

Entering the secret room, Lu Yan was stunned by the scene before him.

The secret room was filled with gold, silver, jewelry, silks, and various rare antiques.

Obviously, this is the fat and blood of the people that the defenders of Beixiang State have plundered for many years.

Lu Yan casually picked up a golden chamber pot, weighed it, and found it was very heavy.

"Be careful with this thing when you pee at night, or you might get blinded."

He turned and looked at Li Kui.

"Xiao Kui, this thing is for you to use for peeing at night."

Li Kui looked disgusted:

"Sir, please don't make fun of me."

"I don't dare use this thing. What if I get up at night and get blinded by the golden light and fall flat on my face?"

Lu Yan laughed out loud:

"Yeah, this thing is a bit dazzling. Let's keep it and melt it down later to give the brothers a reward."

At this time, Li Kui said excitedly:

"Brother, that move you just made was truly brilliant! Now, our Shannan Prefecture's military strength has grown significantly!"

Lu Yan smiled and shook his head:

"This isn't some clever trick; it's simply what people want."

"These people just want a hope to survive."

"Brother, you are such a good person!"

Lu Fei exclaimed sincerely.

"Good guy?" Lu Yan sneered.

"I'm not a good person. I just want to make Shannan Prefecture stronger."

Having said that, Lu Yan said:

"Count all the merits clearly and reward them accordingly when we return."

"Tomorrow, send 10,000 elite soldiers to guard Jianmen Pass for me!"

Li Kui rubbed his hands and laughed:

"Brother, we've seized so much gold, silver, and jewelry this time. Isn't it time to reward our brothers?"

Lu Yan glanced at him:

"You only care about money. When will you be able to achieve something?"

"Hey, follow Big Brother, you can eat delicious food, drink spicy drinks, get promoted and make a fortune, what else do you want?"

Li Kui looked as if it was a matter of course.

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense. You'll definitely be part of this reward, but..."

Lu Yan deliberately dragged out the words, looking at Li Kui's nervous expression before continuing.

"If you want more rewards, you have to show more merit!"

Li Kui patted his chest and promised that he would work harder next time.

As they were talking, the two of them walked to the city wall of Jianmen Pass.

Lu Yan then stopped and looked down at the scenery outside the pass, feeling very proud.

He took a deep breath, feeling the joy of victory.

In the distance, the rolling hills are bathed in the morning light, like sleeping dragons.

"Sir, what are you thinking about?" Li Kui asked with some confusion.

"I'm thinking about what to do next."

Lu Yan sighed and looked into the distance.

"What's next? Of course, we'll pursue the victory and attack the Beixiang Kingdom's stronghold!"

Li Kui waved his fist and spoke with great enthusiasm.

Lu Yan smiled and shook his head.

"It's not that simple. Beixiang State is very powerful. Although we have captured Jianmen Pass, we must be cautious and tread carefully at every step."

"Your Excellency is right."

At this time, Lu Fei, Zhang Xun and Han Sheng also came over.

There was a hint of fatigue on their faces, but more of the joy of victory.

"Brothers, you have all worked hard in this battle."

Lu Yan looked at the three of them, with a hint of gratitude in his tone.