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

"Commander, as you instructed, we have obtained silver from these wealthy families, totaling 6.23 million taels, which is equivalent to 7 million silver dollars."

"What was the reaction of those wealthy households?"

"They were all crying so miserably, as if they had lost a loved one, beating their chests and stamping their feet. It was really laughable."

Upon hearing Pei Ju recount the process, Shen Lang couldn't help but laugh.

"They probably never imagined that one day they would have to spit out the blood and sweat they had squeezed from the people of the outer city for generations."

Pei Ju: "In my opinion, Commander, you are too soft-hearted. If it were me, I would just kill them all and then use all the wealth I have squeezed out of them over the years to fund the military."

Shen Lang: "With tens of thousands of military families in the inner city, if they really cause trouble, I can't guarantee that I can quickly quell the unrest here."

After all, our goal this time is to get Wu Zhao Kingdom to open a trading port; let's not create any unnecessary complications.

"You're right, Commander. I'll remember that."

Pei Ju responded and sat down next to Shen Lang: "Commander, we've received news that a cavalry force is rapidly advancing towards Jiankang City."

If I'm not mistaken, this should be the military corps that came from Shengjing. In the entire military system of Wuzhao Kingdom, only the military corps and the outer vassal states are permitted to possess warhorses.

Shen Lang: "Have you found out how many troops they have?"

Pei Ju: "Roughly estimated, there are around 20,000 warhorses and at least 10,000 cavalry."

"it is good."

Shen Lang clapped his hands.

"Notify the Imperial Guard to immediately deploy two brigades outside Jiankang City to establish a defensive line and ensure the complete annihilation of this cavalry force!"

……

When Shen Lang captured Jiankang and prepared to engage in a direct confrontation with Zhang Gui and Fu Chang'an's forces, far away in Haizhou...

Despite his best efforts and the privileges granted by Li Hong, Seng Qinlin managed to organize a force of nine thousand men from various regions and began to advance on Haizhou.

In order to resolve this matter peacefully and to buy enough time for the arrival of the garrison troops, Seng Qinlin decisively dispatched a team of envoys into Haizhou City to negotiate with the Empress of Great Chu.

The city of Haizhou has been completely transformed since the arrival of the Chu army.

On the street, a row of soldiers in dark blue uniforms were holding scissors, cutting off the ugly rat tails of the people.

After capturing Haizhou, Jiang Mengxuan decided that Haizhou City was now part of the Great Chu's territory in the Western Continent, and therefore should be governed seriously according to the laws of the Chu Kingdom.

First and foremost is the appearance of the city, especially those disgusting hairstyles, which must be changed.

Of course, the measures are not mandatory; everything is "voluntary." However, those who keep their queues have to pay an extra "queue tax."

Surprisingly, the people of Haizhou and those who had fled from Huizhou did not have much resistance to the rat's tail after its head was cut off.

It's not that they have any love for the State of Chu; that's pure nonsense.

It's entirely because Wu Zhao's governance of the region was so incomprehensible that no one else could have handled the situation any worse than it is now.

The fact that ordinary people have become less knowledgeable under long-term reign of terror does not mean that they are unaware of their current situation.

Of course, the most important factor is that Haizhou is far from the core of Wuzhao's central control.

After the Chu army occupied Haizhou, the first thing they did was to establish a temporary customs office and set reasonable prices for tariffs on relevant goods, thus completely eliminating the local officials' insatiable demands for bribes.

This move also received strong support from local merchants and even merchants from overseas countries.

At noon that day, a long queue had already formed in front of the temporary customs office, all of whom were foreign merchants coming to process their customs documents.

"The State of Chu is truly extraordinary."

To thank Li Hong for his disaster relief and rescue of the people under his rule, Queen Tian Ying of Qi set foot on the land of Wu Zhao for the second time.

Unfortunately, she was unlucky and happened to witness the Chu army attacking Haizhou City. She could only stay in the outer vassal district and wait for the situation to develop further.

Unexpectedly, in just a few days, the previously chaotic city of Haizhou was stabilized under the rule of the Chu army.

With the establishment of the Customs Administration and the clarification of the required commodity tax rates, Haizhou nominally became Chu's territory in the distant ocean region.

Having heard rumors about the Chu Empress's personal campaigns in recent days, and seeing how skillfully and systematically the Chu Kingdom governed its regions, Tian Ying immediately developed a sense of admiration for the Empress.

Today, she also wanted to come to the customs office to see if she could make contact with the State of Chu, but she didn't expect to encounter so many people processing certificates.

As the ruler of a country, Tian Ying naturally did not need to personally queue up for such matters as obtaining certificates. After arranging for two servants to handle it, she entered a teahouse opposite the customs office with a maid.

The teahouse was packed with merchants waiting for the results of their receipts, including both locals and foreigners.

The tea shop owner was extremely busy; his business in the past two weeks was more booming than it had been in a year.

Tian Ying looked around and suddenly saw a beautiful woman drinking tea at a table not far away.

At first glance, Tian Ying felt a strong liking for this woman.

The woman had exquisite features and an ethereal air, standing out like a ray of holy light among the crowd in the teahouse, making her seem unworthy of the slightest disrespect.

Seeing that she was alone at the table, Tian Ying mustered up her courage, walked over, and bowed, saying, "Madam, may I sit here?"

The woman was quietly sipping her tea when she noticed someone speaking to her. She glanced up, narrowed her eyes, and gently closed them again: "It's nothing, please sit down."

"excuse me."

After Tian Ying sat down, she instructed the maid to fetch two more cups of tea, and then said to the woman beside her, "Madam, are you also a foreigner here to process your customs documents?"

"I guess so. Are you here to get a certificate too?"

Tian Ying smiled and said, "I just came to see if we can establish trade relations with the State of Chu."

"I never imagined that so many changes would occur in Haizhou City since the Chu Kingdom arrived."

Upon hearing this, the woman smiled but remained silent.

Seeing her refined demeanor, as delicate and fragrant as a chrysanthemum, yet possessing an aloof and unapproachable air, Tian Ying felt a deep sense of envy.

She paused, then said, "Madam, you must also come from a noble family, right? To be honest, I am the Queen of Qi, Tian Ying. Please give me your guidance."

Upon hearing this, the woman's exquisite eyes flashed with a light, and she smiled slightly and bowed: "So it is Her Majesty the Queen who has come in person. How rude of me."

The manner of etiquette was neither arrogant nor impatient, and the balance was just right. There was neither aloofness nor excessive flattery because of the other party's high status.

Tian Ying gave a wry smile: "To put it nicely, I am a queen, but compared to a real empress, I am nothing."

The woman asked in surprise, "What makes you say that?"

Tian Ying leaned closer and whispered, "Madam, have you heard? This time, the Empress of Great Chu has personally led the army, and Her Majesty the Empress is currently in Haizhou City."

"Yeah, I heard about it."

Tian Ying sighed, "As a woman myself, look at the Empress of Great Chu, so full of vigor and spirit. She didn't hesitate to travel thousands of miles across the ocean to come to Wu Zhao Kingdom and wipe out the Wu Zhao navy in one fell swoop."

I've heard that her fleet is now heading straight for Shengjing, and the Wu Zhao army along the way is unable to withstand it. It's truly admirable.

Throughout history, there has been no one who dared to wage war against such a powerful empire as the Wu Zhao Kingdom, and who was able to successfully capture Haizhou and defeat the Wu Zhao army.

Don't you think a woman like that is enviable? Isn't she amazing?

Upon hearing this, the woman couldn't help but smile, gently covering her lips with the back of her hand, and nodded to Tian Ying, replying with two words: "Yes, impressive."