The night wind howled, and a tense and uncertain atmosphere filled the air in the backyard of the Marshal's Mansion.

Moonlight filtered through the treetops, dappling the bluestone slabs. Yan Shiyu, accompanied by two Slavs who could speak the language of the Great Yan, pushed open the heavy wooden door and slowly entered this place filled with intrigue and power struggles.

"General, they both speak our language."

Yan Shiyu's voice broke the silence of the night, his expression serious, with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety in his eyes.

Chen Zhennan turned around, his gaze sharp, and quickly sized up the two Slavs beside Yan Shiyu.

Their eyes were filled with unease and fear, clearly worried about what was about to happen.

Chen Zhennan waved for the two Slavs to come over. He pointed at Ivanov and asked in a calm but authoritative tone, "Is this your marshal?"

The two Slavs exchanged a glance, then nodded and stammered in broken Yan language, "Yes, this is Ivanov, our marshal on the front."

Chen Zhennan nodded slightly, a cold smile playing on his lips, and then asked them to translate his words.

"Make Ivanov immediately order the garrison to give up resistance."

Both translators nodded in agreement, and one of them translated Chen Zhennan's words into Slavic and repeated them to Ivanov.

Ivanov, the Slavic marshal, looked somewhat comical at this moment.

His eyes were blurry with drunkenness, and his face was full of disdain; he didn't take Chen Zhennan seriously at all.

"You want me to give up resistance? Dream on! I have five thousand garrison troops in the city. I don't care who you are. Lay down your weapons, surrender, and I might spare your life!"

After the two translators repeated Ivanov's words, Chen Zhennan turned to look at the entire backyard, then looked at Ivanov again, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Now that I've captured you, who's going to surrender?"

Ivanov remained disdainful, even showing a hint of anger, and he straightened his chest, trying to maintain his dignity.

"You rats of the Great Yan dare to be disrespectful to me. Once my five thousand troops arrive, I will make sure you die without a burial place."

Ivanov's words were like adding fuel to the fire, completely igniting Chen Zhennan's anger.

"You're courting death!" Chen Zhennan's voice was deep and powerful, filled with anger and disdain.

Chen Zhennan suddenly swung his arm and slapped Ivanov hard across the face.

The slap was crisp and loud, echoing in the silent night sky, as if even the surrounding air vibrated.

Five bright red finger marks immediately appeared on Ivanov's face, and a look of shock and anger flashed in his eyes.

"As a prisoner, you should act like one!" Chen Zhennan said coldly, his voice full of sarcasm and contempt.

Chen Zhennan's eyes were full of disdain for Ivanov, as if he were looking at a clown.

The slap jolted Ivanov awake; his drunkenness vanished instantly, replaced by a burning rage.

He was furious and wanted to attack Chen Zhennan. Although his movements were swift, they appeared clumsy and ridiculous in Chen Zhennan's eyes.

Seeing this, Yan Shiyu instantly stepped forward, his movements as swift as a cheetah. A powerful roundhouse kick struck Ivanov in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

Ivanov fell heavily to the ground, groaning in pain, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Chen Zhennan walked up to Ivanov, his figure casting a long shadow in the moonlight.

Outside the Marshal's Mansion, gunfire rang out incessantly, like a violent storm.

"Did you hear the noise outside? My men will stop when the noise stops. If you don't order your troops to surrender, you'll only be able to wait until your entire garrison is wiped out."

His voice echoed in the night sky, like the whisper of death, sending chills down one's spine.

Ivanov, the once-powerful Slavic marshal, now resembles a wild beast driven to the brink of despair, his eyes gleaming with resentment and anger.

Gritting his teeth, his face was filled with stubbornness and defiance, as if he wanted to make a final counterattack.

His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he were searching for a chance to turn the tide.

Chen Zhennan stepped forward, his movements swift and decisive, and stomped on Ivanov's chest, rendering him unable to move.

Chen Zhennan's voice was calm yet powerful, like a cold winter wind, as he coldly asked, "I'll give you one last chance. Do you want to give up the fight?"

Ivanov gasped for breath and reached out to grab Chen Zhennan's ankle, but found that he couldn't move at all, as if he were being pressed down by a mountain and couldn't budge it an inch.

Just then, Petrov suddenly stepped forward. His movements were swift and stealthy. He reached behind him, pulled out a short knife, and stabbed it toward Chen Zhennan's chest.

His eyes gleamed with cunning and ruthlessness, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for the chance to deliver a fatal blow.

Chen Zhennan frowned slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. His movements were swift and precise as he raised his hand and fired a shot at Petrov.

Gunshots rang out, Petrov fell to the ground, threw away his dagger, clutched his thigh, and groaned in pain, his eyes filled with disbelief and fear.

Chen Zhennan turned the gun towards Ivanov, his eyes filled with contempt and warning.

Looking at the dark muzzle of the gun, Ivanov finally showed fear, his eyes flashing with terror of death and despair of defeat.

"I...I give up resisting."

Ivanov's voice trembled, his eyes filled with resentment and fear, like a defeated beast that had finally lowered its proud head.

Chen Zhennan glanced at the two translators and ordered, "Go out and convey Ivanov's orders to the garrison in the city."

The two translators nodded, then quickly turned and hurried away from the backyard to relay Ivanov's orders to the city's garrison.

With Ivanov's surrender, the atmosphere in the backyard of the Marshal's Mansion gradually eased.

The gunfire gradually subsided and eventually stopped, like the calm after a storm.

Chen Zhennan stood in the moonlight, his figure appearing exceptionally upright and resolute.

Chen Zhennan glanced at Petrov, who was groaning in pain, and then looked at Yan Shiyu with a face full of impatience.

"Take him away and treat him, just make sure he doesn't die. Anyone who can be near Ivanov must be of high status."

Yan Shiyu gave a heavy "hmm," then waved to the two team members. Upon seeing this, the two team members hurriedly stepped forward and pulled the groaning Petrov out of the backyard.

“We’ve got the leverage. Now it’s time for negotiations. Shiyu, send someone to contact Ai Zijun and tell him that it’s time for peace talks. Have him bring Elena with him.”