Faced with Chen Zhennan's imposing presence, Lin Cheng frowned, but he eventually nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will immediately order the coastline to be sealed off."

Lin Cheng's orders were issued swiftly and decisively, but new problems followed one after another like waves.

Bohai only had 80,000 troops. Even with the addition of the yamen runners and garrison troops from various prefectures and counties, they were barely able to patrol the coastline.

Such a force is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Chen Zhennan's ambition to go to war.

As night fell, the stars in the sky appeared exceptionally dim, as if splashed with ink.

Lin Cheng hurriedly arrived at Chen Zhennan's study with a detailed map in hand.

His face was full of anxiety as he reported his difficulties to Chen Zhennan in detail.

"Your Majesty, the forces in Bohai are insufficient. Even with the addition of garrisons from various regions, it will be difficult to completely blockade the coastline. Your expedition plan is likely..."

Chen Zhennan frowned as he listened to Lin Cheng's words, a look of seriousness flashing across his face.

Chen Zhennan's gaze lingered on the map, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, producing a crisp sound.

"Now that we are surrounded by enemies on three sides, our forces are indeed stretched thin."

The only remaining forces are the Thirteen States of the Customs District. However, the Thirteen States of the Customs District are located in the middle. Although they have a considerable number of troops, if something happens in the southwest or northeast, the troops of the Thirteen States of the Customs District will have to be transferred to provide support.

Just as Chen Zhennan was deep in thought and caught in a dilemma, the door to the study was gently pushed open.

Yan Shiyu's figure arrived quietly, like the first rays of dawn.

"Your Majesty, the brothers of the Qingzhou Special Forces have arrived. Tomorrow at noon, elites from special forces teams across the country will also gather here." Yan Shiyu's voice carried a hint of excitement, and his expression showed that he was very happy.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan slightly raised his eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, as if a ray of warm sunshine in the dead of winter had melted the frost on his face.

"Shiyu, how many special forces brothers are there in total across the country?"

Yan Shiyu pondered for a moment, a hint of pride in his eyes.

"A total of 3,300 people. 3,000 of them came this time. The ones who didn't come are instructors from various places, who are training the new recruits."

Upon hearing this number, a hint of surprise flashed in Chen Zhennan's eyes. He hadn't expected the special forces team to expand so rapidly, growing from three hundred people at the beginning to three thousand in less than a year.

"That's enough! Three thousand men are enough to crush Japan!"

Chen Zhennan's eyes were sharp, and his face was full of confidence.

Three thousand men, armed with automatic firearms, could easily conquer half the world, let alone a small country like Japan.

Yan Shiyu stood to the side, a smug smile on his lips, his face equally full of confidence.

However, Lin Cheng frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He wondered if he had misheard something.

"Your Majesty, what can three thousand men do? Although Japan is small, its navy has a force of sixty thousand men. How can three thousand men fight against sixty thousand?"

Although Lin Cheng had won more battles than he had lost, and could even be considered the god of war at sea in the Bohai Sea, he would never have dared to dream of fighting 60,000 men with only 3,000 men.

Upon hearing Lin Cheng's question, Chen Zhennan's smile deepened, and he turned to look at Lin Cheng.

"Lin Cheng, have you heard about how I, with only three hundred men, charged into the Great Zhou's army of three hundred thousand?"

Lin Cheng nodded slightly and pondered, "I have indeed heard of this matter, but Your Majesty, land warfare is not the same as naval warfare. Naval warfare is too immobile, and apart from bows and arrows, there are no means of long-range attacks. In the end, we still need close combat ship to ship."

Lin Cheng was well aware of the cruelty and uncertainty of naval battles, where both favorable and unfavorable winds could be the key to victory or defeat.

With such a huge disparity in troop strength, victory seemed impossible.

Hearing Lin Cheng say this, Chen Zhennan realized that in this era there were no cannons, and the navy ultimately relied on numbers and ships to win.

Seeing Lin Cheng's suspicious look, Chen Zhennan's interest was piqued, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"How about it, Lin Cheng, let's make a bet."

Lin Cheng was taken aback. "A bet?"

Chen Zhennan nodded: "If I defeat the Japanese pirates' 60,000 water bandits with 3,000 men, how about you give me your treasured 'Qilin Map of the Vast Ocean'?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng's lips twitched slightly, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

The "Qilin Painting of the Vast Ocean" is a treasure passed down through three generations of the Lin family. The painting is not only magnificent and grand, but also showcases the vast coastline of the Great Wu, making it extremely precious.

It is not just a painting, but also a symbol of the Lin family's glory and a testament to the family's history.

However, faced with the emperor's challenge, Lin Cheng had no choice but to accept.

"Very well, Your Majesty, it's settled then."

He didn't ask Chen Zhennan what would happen if he lost; questioning the emperor's defeat would be a brainless and foolish act.

Chen Zhennan nodded in satisfaction, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

Standing up, Chen Zhennan smiled and said, "If I don't win, I'll give you half of the recovered silver. You can spend it however you like."

Lin Cheng grunted, gave an awkward smile, and didn't dare to say anything.

"The bet is settled, Lin Cheng. Prepare 150 warships, find the best boatmen to steer them, and set sail tomorrow night."

Lin Cheng nodded slightly, and was just about to turn around to prepare when he suddenly froze.

“Three thousand people, one hundred and fifty ships? Twenty people per ship? Your Majesty, this…”

Chen Zhennan clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Don't ask any more questions, just get ready."

Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng said nothing more and turned to leave to prepare the warship.

After Lin Cheng left, Chen Zhennan and Yan Shiyu exchanged a smile. Yan Shiyu's lips curled up slightly, and he laughed out loud.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Bohai has never seen the firepower of a submachine gun. I think he will definitely want to equip his navy with it when the time comes."

Chen Zhennan nodded with a smile: "Yes, but I won't give it to them. I don't plan to equip any other troops with this equipment except for the special forces."

Yan Shiyu grunted, then asked, quite puzzled, "Your Majesty, if the entire Great Yan army were equipped with such powerful firepower, we would never have to worry about foreign invasions again. And now that we have a certain level of production capacity, why not…?"

Chen Zhennan reached out his hand, interrupting Yan Shiyu.

"Human hearts are uncontrollable. As long as the world knows I have the ability to destroy them, that's enough. I don't want to kill innocent people indiscriminately. Besides, this thing is too dangerous. The Great Yan territory is so vast, and communication is slow. I don't want to cause internal strife."

"But……"

"There are no 'buts'. You'll understand. Go and rest."

"yes!"

...

The following day, special forces members from all over the country flocked to Lingzhou like a tide, totaling 3,006 people.

Lin Cheng's warships were ready, lined up neatly in the harbor like soldiers awaiting inspection.

"Lin Cheng, you're in the same boat with me, and you'll be in charge of command."

Lin Cheng was taken aback, then solemnly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Let's go to sea!"