Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

The following morning, on Three Pages Island, the gate of the noble manor of the Li Kingdom in Lonely Sea City was violently smashed open by a group of Chu Kingdom soldiers.

"Who goes there, daring to cause trouble here? Do they even know where this place is...?"

"Get lost."

Before the manor steward could finish speaking, one of the leading naval officers grabbed his rifle butt and slapped him hard across the face.

The next instant, countless heavily armed Chu soldiers poured into the manor, completely surrounding it.

"Who are you people, and why are you causing trouble at my manor!"

Having just finished morning exercises with two Le women, the estate owner, Nguyen Thanh To, swished earthworms around, grabbed an overcoat, and grumbled as he walked out of the house.

But upon seeing the Chu army soldiers everywhere, along with the peasants squatting on the ground with their heads in their hands, he immediately shut his mouth.

Unfortunately, the next moment, his hair was grabbed by a soldier.

"Come here and kneel down!"

Then he was thrown hard to the ground and joined the group of people squatting and holding their heads.

After doing all this, the officer took off the white cotton gloves he was wearing, shook his shoulders, and walked up to them.

"By order of His Majesty and the Duke of Zhenguo, I have come to thoroughly investigate the case of the forced occupation of others' land and property. Upon investigation, it has been found that the manor where Ruan Chengtu currently resides..."

This land originally belonged to Geng Yinghua, a citizen of the Great Chu Kingdom, but ten years ago, Ruan Chengtu forcibly seized it.

This act violated the latest laws on the protection of the overseas territories of the Great Chu, specifically the crime of other ethnic groups seizing the property of Chu people. The main culprit, Ruan Chengtu, will be forced into hard labor from this day forward.

The remaining Li ethnic gardeners in the village are all considered accomplices and are all to be exiled for labor, demoted to the lowest social class. They are to begin labor immediately and all be taken away!

He spoke concisely and to the point, without any clichés.

In an instant, wails of agony filled the manor.

Some people, dissatisfied with the verdict, tried to resist, but as soon as they raised their hands, they were immediately knocked to the ground by the soldiers who were watching them intently from all sides.

Soon, all the Li people, including Ruan Chengtu, were taken to a temporary construction site to build city defenses.

After all this was done, the officer turned to Geng Yinghua, who had followed him, and said, "From now on, this manor is back in your hands. Whose kindness do you remember?"

Geng Yinghua was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, and he kept saying, "Long live the Great Chu! Long live His Majesty!"

After ten years of grievances, they finally got their revenge.

On this day, similar events occurred in various manors throughout Lonely Sea City.

The Lebanese nobles who seized the property accumulated by generations of overseas Chinese have finally faced justice.

Aside from these Li nobles, the Li commoners who settled on the island of Sanye were not spared either.

All the people of Li were forcibly gathered in the city square, all looking at Shen Lang, who was standing on a high platform wearing sunglasses.

Shen Lang surveyed the scene, then announced expressionlessly: "Effective immediately, the Great Chu Dynasty officially intervenes in affairs of the South China Sea."

As citizens of the Li Kingdom, you have illegally occupied the territory of our Great Chu without permission and harmed our citizens—a crime that is unforgivable.

Now, I, Shen Lang, the Emperor of Great Chu and Duke of Zhenguo, hereby formally declare that you all are to be relegated to the status of lowly.

All your property on Three Pages Island is confiscated; you must atone for your sins through labor.

Now, the navy of our Great Chu is going to build a military fortress on the island, and all men aged 15 and above must participate in the construction.

Until you have atoned for your sins!

As soon as he finished speaking, the Chu soldiers immediately pointed their guns at the heads of the men and forced them to step out of the ranks.

In an instant, cries, shouts, and pleas for mercy mingled together, and an atmosphere of despair permeated the air.

Soon, shackles were put on the hands and feet of the Li people, who had been demoted to a lowly status, and they were dragged out of the city in batches to collect stones.

Seeing this, Yue Pengju frowned and asked Shen Lang, "Principal, isn't this too cruel?"

"You sympathize with them?" Shen Lang asked rhetorically.

Yue Pengju shook his head: "Principal, please don't misunderstand. I am not aware of the grievances between the Li and Chu states, and I cannot offer any advice to persuade people to do good."

I just feel that targeting these unarmed civilians is a bit like bullying the weak.

Shen Lang chuckled lightly: "Pengju, you must remember, when a dynasty or nation becomes powerful enough, the bullying of the weak that you speak of is bound to happen."

Consider the relationship between your Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty. The Jin people, relying on their superior military strength, have been able to break their agreements and repeatedly invade your Bianzhou city.

The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is the rule of survival in this world. If a strong nation feigns weakness to seek stability, what is the point of its strength?

Yue Pengju: "Principal, this is the first time I've heard such undisguised remarks. According to you, just because Chu is powerful, it can bully the weak and start wars at will?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "You're wrong. No powerful country would start a war without a reason."

If a war is launched, it means that the war can bring endless benefits to one's own country.

Yue Pengju was even more puzzled: "But an unjust war will inevitably be despised by the world?"

Shen Lang corrected him again: "You're wrong again, Pengju. War is war. There's no such thing as justice or injustice. It's just a fig leaf for weak countries and small populations to cover up their incompetence."

War always brings only disaster and destruction, no matter how noble the reasons for starting it may be; this will never change.

The only thing that can be considered is always self-interest. Powerful nations wage war for their own benefit; for example, the Jin dynasty waged war to acquire land from the Song dynasty.

The Tianlang Kingdom waged war for the grasslands and cities of the Northern Yan, and so does my Chu Kingdom; all our wars are for the rich spoils of war.

After saying that, Shen Lang pointed to the overseas Chinese who were cheering and jumping for joy: "To be honest, if Southeast Asia didn't have the abundant resources that the Great Chu desperately needed..."

If the war is merely about rescuing these stranded overseas citizens, then it will forever remain just a theoretical exercise.

Upon hearing this, Yue Pengju looked at Shen Lang in disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that. We are of different statuses, and naturally, we have different things to consider."

A general only needs to think about going into battle to kill the enemy and defend the country, but someone like me has to ensure the stability of the nation at the same time.

"Once this war is over and you see the results, I think you'll understand what I'm saying today."

Shen Lang patted Yue Pengju on the shoulder, gave him a firm look, and then turned and left the platform.

He only cares about solving problems; as long as he achieves his goal, he doesn't mind being a villain who is remembered for all eternity.

As for winning people's hearts, that's something for his wife to do. After all, when the king himself gets close to the people, this favor will surely make it easier for those overseas Chinese to return to his country.

Yue Pengju watched Shen Lang's retreating figure and gradually fell into deep thought.

The Lord's Mansion of Lonely Sea City has become the Empress's temporary palace.

Jiang Mengxuan was sitting in the main hall, receiving greetings from several prominent local family heads.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. May Great Chu last ten thousand years, and Your Majesty last ten thousand years."

"No need for formalities, sit down and talk. I don't need you to perform such grand gestures."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The heads of the families sat cautiously in their seats, each with their palms clenched tightly in a sweaty grip.

The person sitting in the first seat now is the King of Great Chu. How can we let them not be on edge?