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

"Your Majesty, the royal army has finally arrived! We, the people of Chu, who are isolated overseas, have been waiting for this day for over a hundred years!"

Inside the hall, an elderly man, with tears streaming down his face, recounted to the Empress the century-long history of humiliation suffered by overseas Chinese.

"Your Majesty, it is truly difficult for your people to live in this sea area. Not only the Li Kingdom, but even those uncivilized savage natives oppress us."

"However, at this moment, after years of waiting, the royal army has finally arrived, and even more unexpectedly, His Majesty himself is there to receive them."

This left us common folk completely bewildered, our hearts filled with a turbulent mix of emotions, like a vast, turbulent sea!

Jiang Mengxuan sighed softly and said to the old man, "Old man, I know in my heart the suffering and hardship you have endured over the years."

It is because of your presence here that the territory of Great Chu in the South Seas has legitimacy. I apologize to you all.

"Gentlemen, please accept my bow."

After speaking, Jiang Mengxuan stood up and was about to bow to the people in the hall.

"Your Majesty, you must not do this!"

The fact that the dignified Empress of Great Chu was about to bow and apologize to him startled everyone in the hall, who immediately knelt on the ground ahead of time.

"Your Majesty, what virtue or ability do I possess to deserve such a grand gesture from you?"

"My lords, how can we commoners accept such a grand gesture? Please withdraw your courtesy!"

"The ruler is like heaven, the ministers are like earth, and the people are like humanity. If heaven were to kneel before humanity, wouldn't the heavens collapse? How could we mortals bear such a fate? I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree."

Jiang Mengxuan never expected that her simple attempt to appease the Chu people would provoke such strong resistance.

The hall was filled with kneeling voices pleading, and an old man even untied his belt and tied a knot, looking as if he would hang himself if anyone dared to bow to him.

It's clear that the ideology of imperial power is deeply ingrained in their hearts, and they simply don't dare to make the emperor apologize to them.

This left Jiang Mengxuan somewhat amused and exasperated. She could only sit back down and slowly say, "Very well, since that's the case, I will remember my apologies."

"Tell me your thoughts and requests, and I will fulfill them if it is within my power."

As soon as he finished speaking, another elderly man surnamed Zheng cupped his hands and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask, how long will the royal army stay on Three Pages Island?"

This is their most pressing concern right now.

The arrival of the Chu army certainly helped them suppress the oppression of the Li Kingdom, but what would happen if they left?

Almost every elder present had experienced how cruelly the Li Kingdom treated these overseas Chinese from the Great Chu Kingdom.

They were a bunch of ruthless beasts who wanted nothing more than to plunder all the wealth of the overseas Chinese.

Although the situation has reversed, no one is sure how brutal the retaliation of the Li people will be after the Chu army leaves.

Jiang Mengxuan immediately saw through their concerns and calmly replied, "I know your worries, but rest assured..."

From this day forward, Sanye Island will be the military and political center of the Great Chu Navy in the South Seas.

Using this as a base, and then controlling the entire South China Sea, you will no longer have to worry about suppression and bullying from the countries of Southeast Asia.

Those days of humiliation and fear will never return; this is my promise to you.

"Really, Your Majesty?"

Everyone beamed with joy upon hearing Jiang Mengxuan's promise.

Jiang Mengxuan nodded, glanced at the door, and saw Shen Lang's figure appear. She couldn't help but smile faintly.

"As the Empress of Great Chu, my word is law. You are all my subjects, citizens of Great Chu, and I have a responsibility to protect you from humiliation."

After saying this, Shen Lang strode into the hall.

Upon seeing Shen Lang, the family heads immediately shut their mouths and stopped talking.

Actually, they originally wanted to go to this Duke Zhenguo to discuss the future of the Three Pages Island.

However, after witnessing Shen Lang's decisive and unpretentious style, they were all hesitant to approach him and instead brought gifts to see the Empress to try their luck.

Unexpectedly, the Empress was also worried about how to cultivate favor on Three Pages Island, and now that they had taken the initiative to come to her door, they had the opportunity to meet Jiang Mengxuan.

Compared to the Empress's composure and magnanimity, Shen Lang only gave them a sense of oppressiveness that made them feel unapproachable.

"Your Majesty, all the Li people on Three Pages Island have been divided into three groups according to age and gender, totaling more than 42,000 people."

Of these, 11,000 are men, and I have already assigned them to build the foundation for the fortress.

Upon hearing that a fortress was to be built on the island, the family heads were immediately reassured.

This indicates that the Chu army will be stationed on the island for a long time. With the protection of the army, there is naturally no need to worry about invasions from Southeast Asian countries.

Jiang Mengxuan: "Will building the fortress take too long? Will it delay the voyage?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the fortress will be completed in less than half a month."

"Half a month? Is that even possible?" Jiang Mengxuan frowned slightly. "Duke Zhenguo, isn't the construction period too tight?"

Shen Lang said nonchalantly, "Your Majesty, half a month is already quite generous. The necessary manpower has already been arranged."

Today, all men of the Li Kingdom who are fifteen years of age or older have been assigned to cut down trees and quarry stone.

The women were responsible for cleaning up the trash at the chosen site, while the elderly and children were responsible for cooking.

Construction will officially begin at midnight tomorrow.

As for the other related matters, I will prepare a detailed report later.

Jiang Mengxuan: "Even so, isn't half a month too tight?"

A cruel smile appeared on Shen Lang's lips: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will definitely build the first military fortress on Three Pages Island within half a month."

Seeing how confident Shen Lang was, Jiang Mengxuan naturally trusted him completely.

But the local expatriates didn't understand: "May I ask, Duke Zhenguo, how do you plan to build a fortress on the island in just half a month?"

Unexpectedly, Shen Lang didn't even glance at him and asked directly, "Is this something for you to consider? Remember your identity. You are citizens of Great Chu. Just fulfill your responsibilities. It's best not to ask questions you shouldn't ask."

After being lectured by Shen Lang, the overseas Chinese were even more convinced that their judgment was correct.

Shen Lang is the kind of person who won't listen to reason, so it's a good thing I didn't have to deal with him.

Jiang Mengxuan: "Since you have your own plans, then the responsibility for building the fortress will be entirely entrusted to you."

"Yes!" Shen Lang answered loudly. "There is another matter that requires His Majesty's approval."

"What's the matter?"

"I propose that we select several hundred or even a thousand strong men from the local overseas Chinese population, conduct short-term military training, and then form a defense force to assist our Great Chu army in managing local security."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall's eyes lit up.

That's a good idea. In the past, they had also spent a lot of money trying to train militias to fight against invasions from Southeast Asian countries.

However, due to a lack of relevant experience, they failed several times.

But now, with the regular army of the Great Chu providing training and guidance, and with military fortresses as a support, even if the Chu army goes far away, it should not be a problem to resist the invasion of Southeast Asian countries in a short period of time.

"I'm sure."

Jiang Mengxuan answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"This matter will also be handled by you."

"The minister obeys the order."

After bowing, Shen Lang immediately looked at the family heads and said, "I will need your cooperation on this matter."

"Yes, yes, we will definitely do our best to cooperate with the Duke of Zhenguo."