Chen Zhennan turned and descended the city wall, his figure appearing exceptionally upright in the morning light.

"Set off!"

Chen Zhennan shouted, and his voice echoed across the city wall, like the sound of war drums beating in one's ears.

After saying that, he led a group of several hundred people back towards the Slavic-Kurokawa border.

...

After a night of rest, Elena's army of over 200,000 men, like a sleeping dragon, had regained their strength and were ready to take flight once more.

Elena stood on the high platform, her gaze like sharp arrows sweeping across the faces of every soldier.

Although the true identity of Sergei's killer was still unknown, she knew time was of the essence and they couldn't waste any more time here. She took a deep breath and gave the order: "All troops, listen up! Target Novgorod, move out!"

At Elena's command, more than 200,000 troops surged toward Novgorod like a tidal wave.

The battle flags fluttered in the wind, as if cheering on the upcoming battle.

Infantry marches slowly, and while cavalry can reach Novgorod in a day, it would probably take Elena's army of over 200,000 three days.

This is a huge challenge, but for Elena, it's the perfect opportunity to showcase her leadership skills.

At the same time, Ai Zijun appeared remarkably calm.

He sat quietly in the carriage that originally belonged to Elena, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement and composure.

The more anxious Elena became, the calmer he became, as if he were enjoying himself.

"Ai Zijun, you don't seem worried at all?" Elena couldn't help but ask, her voice tinged with doubt.

Ai Zijun smiled slightly, his smile carrying a hint of confidence: "Worried? Why should I worry? War is like a game of chess. Your Marshal Ivanov has become a pawn, while Chen Zhennan is the real player. I'm just here to see the princess."

Elena was speechless for a moment. Faced with Ai Zijun's confident words that never strayed from her own words, she felt complicated.

"Are you always this confident?" Elena's voice carried a hint of mockery, her eyes flashing with a challenge to Ai Zijun.

"I'm always this confident. Don't forget, we've been rivals for seven years. If I weren't confident, how could I have dared to use 100,000 men to fight against your Slavic army of over 200,000?"

Elena sighed. The Slavic Empire had deployed nearly 300,000 troops on the Far Eastern border, but for a full ten years, they had not been able to break through Ai Zijun's defenses.

She knew the reason, but she never said it.

The imperial family, from top to bottom, had no generals who could lead troops into battle. Although Ivanov was a marshal, he was very arrogant and practiced nepotism. With more than 200,000 troops on the front line, he managed to produce more than 50 generals and more than 50 deputy generals.

The army marched swiftly forward, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on the soldiers' armor. By evening, Elena glanced at the map and realized they had only covered a third of the distance; it seemed the remaining journey would take two more days.

Elena ordered the entire army to rest on the spot and closely monitor the cavalry under Ai Zijun's command who had been following them.

"All troops, listen up! Rest in place, remain vigilant, and monitor enemy movements!" Elena's voice was firm and powerful, her eyes flashing with wariness for the approaching night.

Ai Zijun couldn't help but smile slightly, his expression showing a hint of ease and confidence.

"Without my order, my cavalry will absolutely not attack, General Elena, you can rest assured."

Elena knew the discipline of the Northeast Army, but she couldn't be sure if Ai Zijun had any plans, so she still needed to be prepared. Her eyes held a hint of wariness and deep thought.

As dusk fell and the military camp quieted down, Elena found Ai Zijun, and the two sat facing each other.

Ai Zijun looked at Elena with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"General Elena, what brings you here so late?" Ai Zijun's voice carried a hint of amusement, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation for the conversation that was about to begin.

Elena, however, did not display the coldness she had during the day; instead, she showed a hint of tenderness.

"Ai Zijun, I've always wanted to ask, why do you insist on making me your queen? I really don't understand what you like about me." Elena's voice carried a hint of sincerity, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity about Ai Zijun's feelings.

Ai Zijun smiled slightly, his expression carrying a hint of gentleness and determination. "Elena, the reason I like you is simple: your looks, your temperament, your abilities, and one more thing, you are the strongest general on the front lines of the Slavic Principality." His voice carried a hint of admiration as he stated an undeniable fact.

A look of surprise flashed across Elena's face, and a complex emotion welled up inside her.

She never imagined that she held such a place in Ai Zijun's heart.

"Ai Zijun, do you really value me that much?" Elena's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes flickered with uncertainty about her feelings for Ai Zijun.

Ai Zijun nodded, a hint of determination in his eyes.

"Elena, you are the most outstanding Slavic general I have ever seen. It's just a pity that your people don't know how to recognize and use people well, wasting your military genius."

The tent was brightly lit, and Elena and Ai Zijun's conversation was suddenly interrupted.

Elena's lieutenant suddenly burst in from outside, breaking the tranquility of the tent.

Elena frowned slightly, her displeasure like a volcano about to erupt, her voice tinged with coldness: "What is it? Didn't you report before coming in?"

The lieutenant knelt on one knee, his voice loud and clear, with a hint of urgency: "General, we have found General Sergei's bodyguard."

Upon hearing this, Elena suddenly stood up, her eyes flashing with murderous intent, like a sword drawn from its sheath, aimed straight at the heart.

"Bring him in!"

With a loud shout from Elena, the lieutenant hurriedly turned around and left the tent, soon bringing in Sergei's cavalry guard captain.

This man had been beaten black and blue, but his face still held an arrogant air, like a hard rock that refused to yield.

Elena walked up to the man, grabbed his collar, and asked with a cold look in her eyes, "Who ordered you to kill General Sergei?"

The captain of the guard was not afraid at all. Instead, he curled up the corners of his mouth and said arrogantly, "It doesn't matter who gave the order. You, Elena, can't afford to offend him!"

Can't afford to offend them?

Upon hearing this, Elena was enraged. Her eyes blazed with fury, like those of a provoked lion. She punched the man, knocking him to the ground.

"If you don't talk, I'll kill you!"

Seeing that Elena was really going to kill someone, the captain of the guard hurriedly revealed the truth, his voice trembling slightly: "It was Marshal Ivanov!"