The next morning, the morning light shone through the exquisite wooden lattice windows onto the bluestone brick floor, forming patches of light.

Chen Zhennan and Song Yunyang stood side by side, facing Song Deqing and his wife, preparing to say goodbye.

Song Deqing's brows furrowed with worry, his gaze shifting between Chen Zhennan and Song Yunyang before he finally said in a deep voice, "Be careful on your journey. The Southwest is not like Qingzhou; you must not be careless in anything."

Although Song Deqing was very worried about Song Yunming's safety, he didn't mention it at all, not wanting to put too much pressure on Chen Zhennan.

Song Yunyang held Song Deqing's hand tightly, her eyes filled with tears: "Father, we will be careful. You must also take care of yourself. I will take you home when I return."

Chen Zhennan nodded, his gaze firm: "Uncle, rest assured, I will definitely protect Yunyang and ensure Yunming's safety."

Chen Zhennan's words were full of responsibility and determination; every word was like a nail, firmly nailed to Song Deqing's heart.

After saying goodbye, Chen Zhennan was just about to leave when Dong Ning and Zhang Xiao rushed over.

"Your Majesty, let us accompany you to the southwestern border. After all, the generals of the Great Zhou are not your men, and it may be inconvenient to use them."

Dong Ning's voice carried a hint of urgency, while Zhang Xiao stood ramrod straight, his face grave.

Chen Zhennan looked at the two men and could tell that they both wanted to go to the battlefield to lead troops into battle, but Qingzhou could not be without a leader and needed someone to guard it.

Chen Zhennan's gaze lingered between Dong Ning and Zhang Xiao before he finally made a decision.

"Dong Ning, you will come with me to the southwest. Zhang Xiao, Qingzhou needs you to guard it."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiao's expression instantly turned somewhat ugly. He was a marshal, while Dong Ning was merely a general. The emperor had actually taken Dong Ning to the southwest instead of him.

A sense of dissatisfaction and doubt welled up in his heart, but his years of military service allowed him to control his emotions.

Chen Zhennan noticed Zhang Xiao's dissatisfaction. He stepped forward, patted Zhang Xiao on the shoulder, and comforted him, "Zhang Xiao, you are good at defensive warfare, but this time I'm going to the Southwest not to defend, but to take the initiative. Dong Ning is a siege general that I personally trained, so he is more suitable to go to the Southwest."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiao's expression softened considerably. He had to admit that he was indeed better at defensive tactics.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xiao clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Chen Zhennan, saying in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely guard the thirteen prefectures of the customs."

Chen Zhennan gave a satisfied "hmm," then mounted his horse, took Dong Ning and a special forces team of two hundred men, and embarked on the official road to the southwestern border.

Chen Zhennan led his team out of Tianyang Pass in a hurry and stepped onto the territory that originally belonged to the Great Yan.

Song Yunyang followed closely behind, looking at the direction the group was heading, quite puzzled.

"Brother Nan, why don't we head directly southwest instead of heading north?" Song Yunyang's voice broke the silence, her brows furrowed, puzzled by Chen Zhennan's decision.

Chen Zhennan turned his head, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "Yunyang, in military campaigns, if the enemy discovers our whereabouts, we lose the initiative. My choice to head north is precisely to confuse the enemy and prevent them from figuring out our true intentions."

Song Yunyang said "Oh," but still didn't quite understand, and asked, "But how could the news of our team of over two hundred people setting off from Qingzhou be kept secret?"

“I never intended to hide the news; on the contrary, I wanted it to get out, ideally so that Greenberg would think we went to New South Wales. But I was going to sneak up behind Greenberg and catch him by the nose.”

...

Chen Zhennan led his team on a long journey along the rugged mountain road for a whole day, until the sun set and the clouds on the horizon were dyed blood red, at which point the team stopped to rest.

Yan Shiyu turned around and came to Chen Zhennan's side, pointing to a mountain not far ahead. The mountain was tall and densely forested, with lush trees, as if it were a natural barrier.

"Your Majesty, would you like to rest on the mountain?" His voice carried a hint of inquiry, but his eyes revealed a trace of vigilance.

Chen Zhennan looked up and nodded slightly, just about to ask Yan Shiyu to send someone to investigate.

But at that moment, countless arrows flew in like a torrential rain, instantly taking down the three teammates next to Chen Zhennan.

The air was instantly filled with the smell of blood and terror, and the team members' fatigue was dispelled by the sudden attack.

Without a second thought, Chen Zhennan immediately shouted, "Brothers, take cover!"

As he spoke, Chen Zhennan pulled Song Yunyang and hurriedly hid behind the carriage. His heart was pounding like a drum, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He cursed himself for his carelessness.

Yan Shiyu also hid behind the carriage, looking under the carriage towards the direction from which the arrows came. These arrows were flying from the woods not far away, but no one could be seen at all.

The sudden ambush resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen of Chen Zhennan's men from arrow wounds; this was the first time the special forces team had suffered such a heavy loss.

A surge of anger welled up in Chen Zhennan's heart. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he dodged the arrows.

A few seconds later, Chen Zhennan suddenly reached into the carriage, took out a submachine gun, inserted the magazine, and started firing in the direction of Shunlin.

Even though we can't see them, we must suppress them.

As a burst of gunfire rang out, the other team members also took out their submachine guns to fight back.

After emptying a magazine, Chen Zhennan immediately turned to look at Yan Shiyu.

"Shiyu, surround them in two seconds, and bring back two alive if you hear the news!"

After receiving the order, Yan Shiyu acted swiftly. His men were as agile as cheetahs, splitting into two teams and quickly encircling the woods.

Gunshots rang out in the woods, flashes of light filled the air, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air.

Chen Zhennan frowned as he led Song Yunyang to check on the condition of the team members who had been hit by arrows.

Upon examination, Chen Zhennan discovered that the team member who had been shot had purple lips and very weak breathing, clearly indicating poisoning.

"That's ruthless; they're aiming to kill me."

Chen Zhennan gritted his teeth, helpless. The toxins were spreading too fast, and he didn't even know what had poisoned them. He could only watch as they stopped breathing one by one.

As time ticked by, Chen Zhennan's mood grew increasingly heavy.

Finally, Yan Shiyu came into view, his body bearing the marks of battle.

He brought two prisoners, dressed in the attire and armor of the Great Yan Dynasty, which gave Chen Zhennan a sense of foreboding.

Song Yunyang frowned, her eyes flashing with anger and confusion. She drew her plain silver sword from her waist, the tip of which gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and pointed it at the two prisoners.

"Who are you working for? Why did you ambush us? How dare you!"

Faced with Song Yunyang's questioning, the two prisoners displayed a dignified yet composed expression.

"Marshal Song, we are the Imperial Guard of the Great Yan Dynasty, and we are here today to kill Chen Zhennan!"

Song Yunyang was taken aback upon hearing this, and then put down the plain silver sword.

If they weren't from the Great Yan, killing them with a single sword wouldn't matter. But if they were from the Great Yan, Song Yunyang absolutely couldn't take action herself.