"Go, gather all the officers in the army. I have something to say!"

"Yes, General!"

The confidant agreed and then quickly left.

Watching his trusted aide's departing figure, Daruk turned his head towards the capital and clenched his fists.

He knew that the only way to protect his wife, children, and family was through his own fists and the military power he held.

Soon, Daruk's officers gathered together.

Daruk slowly glanced at his men and said in a deep voice, "Brothers, you have all seen what happened today. Fighting the Han fleet is nothing short of suicide."

But those greedy and short-sighted ministers in the country wouldn't think that way; they would only think that we were cowardly and afraid to fight.

Furthermore, over the years, many ministers in the country have been very dissatisfied with my and your colleagues' practice of intercepting port taxes, and have long wanted to get rid of us and replace us with their own people.

Now that we are no match for the Han fleet and have retreated to our naval port, once the news reaches the capital, neither I nor anyone here will escape death.

Upon hearing this, all the officers present turned pale. They knew that Daruk's words were not an exaggeration.

The greed of the ministers in the country far exceeded everyone's imagination; otherwise, Parthia would not have stood between the Han Dynasty and Rome, extracting exorbitant taxes and offending the two great empires of the East and West to the point of no return.

They were a group of people who would do anything for money.

Now that the Han Dynasty and Rome have begun maritime trade, the ports controlled by us will surely become cash cows in the eyes of those ministers.

Even if those ministers don't do anything to me now, they will try to get rid of me in the future.

"General, what do you suggest we do?"

"We will all listen to you; we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!"

"That's right! We brothers have been guarding the sea area with all our might for so many years, but those guys stabbed us in the back. They are utterly hateful!"

In an instant, all the officers present expressed their positions.

"Right now, if we want to keep our lives and our positions, we only have two paths to take!"

First, defeat the Han fleet and use our victory to shut those ministers up.

Second, let's take up our swords and bows and arrows and make those guys give up their improper thoughts..."

"General, those guys in the country are extremely greedy, and sooner or later they will become a major scourge to Parthia."

"As soldiers, we not only have the responsibility to protect our homeland, but also the duty to uphold justice and rectify the state!"

"Yes, we should purge the court of corrupt officials and rectify the administration!"

Upon hearing Daruk's two proposed methods, all the officers present unanimously chose the second option and shouted the slogan "Purge the court of corrupt officials."

In their eyes, compared to defeating the Han fleet, starting a rebellion seemed to be an easier thing to do.

Although the Parthian navy was far smaller than the army, it was still capable of holding onto several ports and establishing a regional power.

As long as the port is held, and with the continuous income, one can recruit soldiers and build a large army in the future, it is not impossible to succeed.

"Good!" Seeing that all his subordinates shared the same idea, Daruk immediately stood up and said in a deep voice, "Immediately order all the garrisons in the ports to block all passages from the capital to the ports and to construct defensive fortifications!"

"yes!"

The officers all agreed in unison, and then quickly dispersed.

Soon, all 40,000 naval soldiers in the naval port left the port and headed down several different roads.

While Daruk and the others were busy, several assault ships that Chu Qian had sent out to track them returned to the fleet.

Inside the command center, Chu Qian also marked the location of the Parthian naval port on the nautical chart, based on the scout's report.

Then, Chu Qian turned to an advisor beside him and asked, "What's the wind direction tonight?"

"Reporting to the messenger, according to my observations, there may be a southerly wind in the nearby waters tonight, with a force of about level six!"

Was the wind direction assessment correct?

Chu Qian asked with a solemn expression. After all, this was the unpredictable sea, and the slightest mistake could plunge the entire team into danger.

"I'm 80% confident!"

The staff officer replied with a solemn expression that before becoming a naval staff officer, he was a scholar at the Imperial Academy who was in charge of studying astronomy.

Later, he was recruited into the navy and was responsible for drawing nautical charts and marking routes. His long years at sea allowed him to accumulate a wealth of experience.

Especially in meteorological observation, he believed he was no less capable than those who dealt with the sea for a long time.

"Eighty percent?" Chu Qian pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's acceptable!"

Chu Qian then looked at Cheng Pu beside him: "General Cheng, how many oil bombs do we still have?"

"There are about a thousand left!"

Cheng Pu replied that the oil bomb he mentioned was a naval weapon developed by the Research and Development Department, specifically for use with crossbows, and it could not be extinguished by water after burning.

"A thousand is enough!"

Chu Qian smiled and then ordered, "Pass down the order: in addition to the 10,000 naval soldiers, requisition 500 ships and 20,000 sailors from those merchants. Equip each of the sailors with bows and arrows and have them accompany the army."

Cheng Pu asked, "Your Excellency, what about the Romans? Should we also conscript their men?"

Chu Qian waved his hand: "No need. This military port is extremely important to the Han Dynasty. Only we can handle it ourselves."

As for the Romans, let them just watch the show from behind!

"You are right, sir!"

Soon, Chu Qian's order was relayed, and the accompanying Han merchants did not hesitate to send all their sailors to protect them.

The maritime laws of the Han Dynasty stipulate that anyone overseas, whether a merchant or an adventurer, must unconditionally cooperate with any official summons.

Of course, during the operation, their treatment was the same as that of naval soldiers. If they killed the enemy, they could also be credited with military merit and receive equivalent titles and rewards.

This was a golden opportunity to change their social class and status, and the merchants and sailors who guarded them naturally wouldn't miss it.

Chu Qian originally planned to recruit only 20,000 men, but after the count, the number of people who volunteered to participate in the recruitment was as high as 30,000. Even many merchants personally carried weapons, thinking of following the navy and picking up some credit.

The Romans following behind the fleet were also stunned by the sight.

They had thought that their own people, who were constantly at war, were already considered warmongers. But they never expected that the Han people were even more warlike than them. Even the merchants, who were usually profit-seeking and risk-averse, were thinking of taking up arms and killing people. This undoubtedly shattered the Romans' perception.

What kind of terrifying country is this that can inspire everyone to yearn for battle without fear?