Under Chen Zhennan's orders, the special forces members moved like ghosts through the night, carrying news of Ivanov's capture, and rushed towards the border.

"We must get the message back as soon as possible; this is the key to the peace talks!"

The team members nodded, their shadows stretching long in the moonlight, like a pack of cheetahs moving swiftly and silently.

At this point, the border was completely blocked by Elena's army, like an indestructible iron wall.

Elena stood on the high ground, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, looking down at the army below.

“Ai Zijun’s army must have already infiltrated the country.” Elena’s voice was heavy, and her eyes flickered with worry about the unknown.

Her adjutant stood beside her, his brow furrowed: "General, what should we do? Ai Zijun's cavalry are elusive; we have no idea where they are."

Elena pondered for a moment, then cast her gaze into the distance.

"Novgorod, that's the food depot for the entire front. If I were Ai Zijun, I would also choose that place as my target."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a scout rushed over, his face filled with anxiety: "General, Ai Zijun's cavalry has appeared, and they are constantly harassing our army from all directions."

Elena's face darkened, and a hint of shock flashed in her eyes: "Breaking down the whole into smaller parts, Ai Zijun is indeed cunning."

Ai Zijun's cavalry moved like ghosts along the border. Although their numbers were small, their combat power was extremely strong. They circled in the air like falcons, searching for their prey.

"Ignore these cavalrymen; they'll shoot our soldiers like rabbits."

"But if we can manage these cavalry, our infantry can't keep up."

Elena's voice carried a hint of helplessness, and her eyes flickered with anxiety about the predicament.

Elena frowned. Her army was being held back near the border by Ai Zijun's cavalry, like a caged beast unable to break free.

"Go find Sergei, who has ventured deep into Kurokawa territory, immediately!" Elena's voice revealed a hint of urgency.

Elena knew that without Sergei's cavalry, she would have no way to deal with Ai Zijun's cavalry.

The adjutant beside him looked troubled and said with some helplessness, "General, General Sergei has gone deep into Kurokawa and there has been no news of him since. How are we supposed to find him?"

Upon hearing this, Elena gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with determination, but inside she was filled with anxiety.

She felt extremely annoyed as she looked at Ai Zijun's cavalry, who were harassing the border like fleas.

After thinking for a while, Elena regained her composure.

"Order the army to retreat in defensive formation, with shield bearers on the outside, horsemen on the inside, and archers in the rear!"

Following Elena's command, the more than 200,000 troops instantly changed formation, switching to a defensive posture and slowly heading back into the Slavic Principality.

The soldiers moved swiftly and in an orderly manner, demonstrating strict discipline and high efficiency.

The lieutenant stood beside Elena, a hint of worry in his eyes: "What about General Sergei? Without the help of the main army, they are very likely to be wiped out at Kurokawa."

Elena gritted her teeth, her expression showing a hint of helplessness and determination: "I have no choice. Although our 250,000 troops are numerous, if they are separated, our strength will be on par with Ai Zijun's, and we will completely lose our advantage."

After a pause, Elena sighed deeply: "Moreover, I suspect that Ai Zijun's army has already entered our territory. As for Sergei, we can only wait and see. Compared to Sergei, the grain depots in the rear are more important."

Her words revealed a hint of coldness, but this was also the cruel reality of war.

In this war, everyone must fight for their own survival, and Elena must make the decisions that are most beneficial to the overall war effort.

As the afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded and the last rays of sunset slowly disappeared, Elena's army, under her command, had switched from an offensive formation to a defensive one.

This shift rendered Ai Zijun's harassment tactics useless, forcing him to hastily gather his cavalry and devise alternative plans.

Ai Zijun's cavalry assembled on the distant horizon, their movements swift and orderly, demonstrating excellent training and discipline.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" a cavalryman asked anxiously, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Ai Zijun took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes: "It's alright. At Elena's current speed, Chen Zhennan has plenty of time. By the time Elena returns, Novgorod will have already been occupied by our people."

Elena stood on the high ground, her gaze fixed on the distance, her heart filled with worry. Her brows were furrowed, like a sky covered with dark clouds.

"General, our march is too slow. At this rate, when will we be able to return home?" The lieutenant's voice was tinged with anxiety, and his eyes reflected his worry for the future.

Elena sighed, a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "I know, but we must maintain our formation to prevent Ai Zijun's cavalry from harassing us again."

At this point, Elena was certain that something had happened back home.

Besides the 5,000 defenders in Novgorod, there are other troops in other places, but they haven't sent anyone to contact them yet, so they may have already fallen.

Her heart was filled with unease, as if a boulder was pressing on her chest; the situation in the war was becoming increasingly complicated.

"General, we cannot sit idly by and wait to die; we must find a way to speed up the march," the lieutenant said, his voice tinged with urgency.

Elena gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice, "I know, but Ai Zijun's cavalry is watching from not far away, we must remain vigilant."

Elena couldn't accelerate, and Ai Zijun's cavalry were watching from a short distance away, seemingly forming a tacit understanding not to attack each other. This stalemate made Elena feel extremely oppressed.

Ai Zijun stood on a high ground, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's, watching the figures of Elena's army.

Although he couldn't stop Elena from retreating, her speed of retreat was well within his acceptable range, which made Ai Zijun feel a little smug.

"Elena, you still can't escape my grasp after all." Ai Zijun's lips curled into a smug smile, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the night wind.

"Your Highness, if Chen Zhennan really succeeds, why not take this opportunity to win over Elena? It seems you really like her," the lieutenant said with a smile.

"Regardless of whether Chen Zhennan succeeds or not, Elena will be my queen sooner or later."