Upon seeing Lan Ming bow his head, Zhang Xiu sneered inwardly and then slowly unfolded the imperial edict.

"By order of the Emperor of the Great Han, due to the westward migration of the Xiongnu and their wreaking havoc in the Western Regions, in order to protect the people of the Western Regions from slaughter, from the date of this edict, all soldiers of all countries shall be under the unified command of the Great Han. So be it!"

Zhang Xiu's powerful voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present, causing them to feel a chill.

King Lanming, in particular, was filled with resentment.

He knew that the Han envoy's arrival was definitely not for anything good, but he never expected that the Han would directly demand his military power.

It should be noted that Lan Ming was able to act with impunity here because of his army. Although the number of soldiers was small, it was enough to ensure his absolute status in Gaochang.

If I hand it over, what will I use to suppress those unruly people if they rebel?

For a moment, Lan Ming stood there with his body bent over, staring at the ground with an extremely ugly expression, constantly calculating in his mind.

Seeing Lan Ming standing there in a daze, Zhang Xiu's face darkened, and a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.

"What? Is King Lanming preparing to refuse the Emperor's edict?"

Zhang Xiu's cold voice brought Lan Ming back to his senses instantly.

The nobles and officials in the hall shuddered instantly, cold sweat breaking out on their backs.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty was a man of absolute authority; anyone who dared to refuse his edicts was challenging his authority and offending the majesty of the Han Dynasty.

The consequences of this are not something a small kingdom like Gaochang could bear.

If they angered the Han, any one of their armies could wipe out Gaochang, and none of Lanming or the others present would escape.

In an instant, all the officials and nobles looked at Lan Ming, their eyes filled with both pleading and threats.

If Lanming dares not agree, they dare to stage a coup on the spot and put a new king on the throne.

This kind of thing is not impossible.

In the past, many small countries often acted recklessly, provoking the Han Dynasty to send troops to conquer them. In order to save their lives, the ministers of those countries would often kill their kings, replace them with obedient ones, and then try to curry favor with the Han Dynasty.

Now, faced with the threat of life and death, the officials and nobles of Gaochang Kingdom naturally would not die with Lan Ming.

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Lan Ming closed his eyes helplessly. He knew that he had to accept this imperial edict today.

Lan Ming bowed deeply, palms facing upwards, and proclaimed loudly, "Your subject Lan Ming thanks Your Majesty for your divine grace!!"

He was stripped of his military power, yet he still had to thank others.

Lan Ming's mood at this moment was full of bitterness and helplessness.

Seeing Lan Ming accept the imperial edict, Zhang Xiu immediately said, "Tomorrow morning, summon all the soldiers in the Gaochang royal city to the square in front of the palace. I will personally train them!"

"promise!"

Lan Minggong responded in unison, his heart frozen to the extreme.

After reading the imperial edict, Zhang Xiu left the palace and returned to his post station.

"My husband, you're back!"

Lanzhi, who was waiting in the living room, saw Zhang Xiu return and her face relaxed. She quickly got up to greet him.

"What? Is my wife afraid that I won't be able to return?"

Seeing Lanzhi in such a state, Zhang Xiu couldn't help but laugh and tease her.

Lan Zhi nodded upon hearing this: "Lan Ming is vicious, he killed his brother and father, I am indeed a little worried..."

Zhang Xiu smiled and waved his hand: "No matter what his character is, he will be at the mercy of absolute power. Don't worry, in less than two days, I will kill him for you and avenge your father and grandfather!"

"Thank you, my husband!!"

Lanzhi looked up, deeply moved, and unconsciously nestled into Zhang Xiu's arms again...

Early the next morning.

Zhang Xiu then led fifty Imperial Guards to the square in front of the palace.

Looking at the two thousand soldiers in the square, scattered in formation and poorly equipped, Zhang Xiu frowned.

With just two hundred Imperial Guards he brought, how could such a force possibly withstand the Xiongnu's attack?

Zhang Xiu, his face grim, looked at the guard commander beside him and asked, "These are the soldiers of your Gaochang Kingdom who guard the capital? You're not trying to fool me with a bunch of civilians, are you?"

Seeing Zhang Xiu's displeasure, the guard commander quickly explained, "Replying to General Zhang, the original soldiers were quite capable in combat, and their equipment was also quite complete."

However, since five years ago, in order to pay the annual tribute to the Later Chariot Army, the King has reduced military pay and expenditures. Furthermore, with no wars on ordinary days, the soldiers have received little training, and their equipment hasn't been updated!

"Is your king a fool? To cut off his own arm just because of the annual tribute? Won't he be at the mercy of others then?"

Upon hearing the words of the guard commander, Zhang Xiu also spoke sarcastically to Lan Ming without any politeness.

Upon hearing this, the commander of the guards could only shake his head and sigh, not daring to say anything.

Back then, although Gaochang was a small country, it had a well-trained army, ample food supplies, and excellent equipment. The surrounding countries were very wary of it and dared not bully it.

However, in recent years, he has watched his team decline step by step to this point, and naturally, he feels extremely bitter.

Which leader doesn't hope to lead a force with superior combat capabilities?

Seeing this, Zhang Xiu also had an idea.

Now, Lan Ming has not only lost the hearts of the people, but also almost lost the hearts of the army. It may be much easier for me to act here than I imagined.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiu immediately said, "From today onwards, you will be under the command of the Han Dynasty. I will also help you recover the military pay you are owed and reorganize your equipment!"

"Thank you, General!"

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