Carrying his blood-dripping scimitar, Tu Rong strode up to Night Owl and excitedly reported on the battle situation.

"Good! Tu Rong, you have done a great service this time!"

Night Owl patted Tu Rong on the shoulder, then turned to look at Lu Fei.

"Lu Fei, you really stole the show with your Mauser carbine this time!"

Lu Fei chuckled and touched the rifle in his hand.

"The thing our Lord Lu made is really useful! One burst of bullets and the enemy falls down like wheat being harvested!"

Just then, a huge multi-story ship slowly sailed in from afar.

A man dressed in a white robe stood at the bow of the ship; it was Lu Yan.

Night Owl and the others quickly went to meet them and knelt on one knee.

"Welcome, sir!"

Lu Yan stepped off the ship and looked at the group of soldiers who had fought so hard in front of him, his heart filled with emotion.

He walked up to Night Owl and patted him on the shoulder.

"Night Owl, you did a great job! You deserve the most credit for this battle!"

"Thank you for the compliment, sir!" Night Owl replied excitedly.

Lu Yan looked around at the city that had just been conquered, his heart filled with pride.

...

The smoke of battle at Haixia Pass had not yet dissipated when news of victory took flight, soaring northward toward Jingzhou Prefecture.

Chen Qingwan stood on the bustling street, watching people receive their vaccines in an orderly manner.

A huge weight has finally been lifted off my shoulders.

The shadow of cholera seems to be gradually fading, replaced by a vibrant scene.

Although the people were still somewhat uneasy, the glimmer of hope in their eyes brought her immense comfort.

"Your Majesty, news has come from Shannan Prefecture: Lu Yan... Lu Yan has captured Haixia Pass!"

Li Mu rushed over, his voice filled with undisguised shock.

Chen Qingwan turned around abruptly, her almond-shaped eyes wide open.

"What did you say? He took Haixia Pass?"

Even though she had anticipated that Lu Yan would use force against Java.

But no one expected him to capture this important pass so quickly.

Li Mu nodded heavily.

"Absolutely true! Moreover, the entire population of Shannan Prefecture has already been vaccinated."

He paused, his tone filled with complex emotions.

"This Lu Yan is truly remarkable!"

Chen Qingwan felt a mix of emotions.

She was both pleased with Lu Yan's victory and uneasy about his growing power.

She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and asked in a deep voice:

What are the casualties?

Li Mu gave a wry smile.

"It is said that more than 10,000 enemies were killed and more than 200,000 were captured! The Shannan Prefecture army only lost a few people."

"Less than two hundred were wounded; the casualty ratio is shockingly low."

He paused, then added.

"What's even more bizarre is that once Haixia Pass was captured, Shannan Prefecture was taken over as easily as playing around!"

Chen Qingwan frowned slightly. "Easy? How so?"

Li Mu then recounted the intelligence he had gathered.

This includes how the owl penetrated deep into Java, how he rescued Princess Aisha, and how he gained the king's trust.

How to take Haixia Pass by working together from the inside and outside, etc.

After hearing this, Chen Qingwan couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, that Special Forces soldier Night Owl became an officer in Java?"

"Who says otherwise?"

Li Mu's tone was tinged with envy.

"It is said that the Javanese princess was so beautiful that she could topple kingdoms, and the Night Owl saved her."

"And they even gained the king's trust. Their luck is simply enviable!"

Chen Qingwan snorted, but her anxiety only grew.

Shannan Prefecture now stretches for over 300 li from east to west, and its territory is quite large.

It has the advantage of the canal, and is also surrounded by a powerful city, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

This battle severely weakened Java, rendering it unable to continue fighting.

Shannan Prefecture is about to enter a period of rapid development.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Seeing that Chen Qingwan's complexion was not good, Li Mu asked her with concern.

Chen Qingwan shook her head.

"I'm fine, just a little... tired."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Let's return to the palace."

Back in the palace, Chen Qingwan sat alone in the imperial study.

He clutched a letter from Shannan Prefecture tightly in his hand.

The letter was written by Lu Yan, and its contents were very simple.

He simply reported on the battle situation at Haixia Pass and inquired whether she was alright.

At the end of the letter, he addressed her as "Miss Chen" as always.

Chen Qingwan looked at these three words and felt a mix of emotions.

She knew that Lu Yan had no ill intentions towards her; in fact, he treated her with great respect.

But he was gradually eroding her empire and expanding his own power.

How should she face him? How should she deal with this complicated situation?

She rubbed her temples, feeling a sudden headache.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

A palace maid pushed open the door and entered, carrying a steaming bowl of bird's nest porridge. "Your Majesty, it's time for your dinner."

Chen Qingwan took the bird's nest porridge, but had little appetite.

She took a few sips absentmindedly and then put down the bowl.

"Prepare the carriage, let's go to the camp outside the city," she suddenly said.

"Your Majesty, are you going to the main camp?"

The palace maid was somewhat surprised, "But it's already late..."

"My mind is made up."

Night falls, and the stars twinkle.

Dressed in military attire, Chen Qingwan rode a tall horse and, accompanied by Li Mu, arrived at the camp outside the city.

The camp was brightly lit, and the soldiers were drilling.

Upon seeing Chen Qingwan arrive, they all knelt down and bowed.

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