As Gu Siyao tightened the white silk, Jiang Wenyu's face turned bright red, his eyes bulged, and he made a gurgling sound in his throat, like a dying wild beast.

Gradually, his struggles weakened, and finally, Emperor Jiang Wenyu of the Great Yan Dynasty ended his life.

"I told you to hang yourself, why did you strangle him instead?"

Gu Siyao forced a smile. "I just want to help him end his suffering as soon as possible."

Chen Zhennan stood before Jiang Wenyu's body, his eyes filled with a complex expression. He sighed softly, a sigh that seemed to be a lament for the capriciousness of fate, or perhaps a regret for the deceased.

After a long silence, Chen Zhennan waved his hand, "Place his body in a coffin, then send it back to the capital of Da Yan and give it a proper burial in the He Mausoleum."

The news of Jiang Wenyu's death swept through the entire military camp like a whirlwind.

Upon hearing this news, the generals of the Great Yan were filled with righteous indignation and their hair stood on end in anger.

"His Majesty has suffered such a calamity, how can we sit idly by! We must make Chen Zhennan pay for his blood debt!" A burly general roared, waving his fist.

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and for a moment, the air in the army was thick with the smell of gunpowder, as if a conflict was about to erupt.

The generals of Da Yan led their soldiers and surged towards Dong Ning's army like a surging tide.

In an instant, the soldiers on both sides gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes filled with vigilance and hostility, like two ferocious beasts facing each other, waiting for a command to start a fierce battle.

Seeing this, Chen Zhennan frowned. If the situation were allowed to develop, it would surely lead to widespread death and bloodshed.

He hurriedly strode between the two armies and shouted, "Gentlemen, hold your fire!" His voice, like a resounding bell, echoed through the noisy military camp.

All the generals of the Great Yan turned their gazes to Chen Zhennan. One of the veteran generals, his face full of anger, questioned, "Chen Zhennan, His Majesty treated you well. Now that he has died under mysterious circumstances, you must exchange your life for his!"

Chen Zhennan clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said sincerely, "Generals, I, Chen Zhennan, am by no means an ungrateful person. I am also deeply saddened by the death of Jiang Wenyu. But things are different now. The situation in various countries has changed drastically. Although Jiang Wenyu is dead, the Great Yan will absolutely not undergo any changes!"

One of the generals sneered, "Hmph! Easier said than done. Then tell me what we should do?"

Chen Zhennan looked around and said loudly, "I know that you are all loyal and devoted. The best course of action now is for Song Yunyang to inherit the throne of Great Yan. Marshal Song is wise and brave, virtuous and talented, and will surely lead Great Yan to prosperity."

Upon hearing this, the generals' anger subsided slightly, but they still harbored doubts.

"Chen Zhennan, you have no proof. General Song and Young Master Song Yunming are not here. Who can vouch for you?"

Chen Zhennan took a deep breath and solemnly promised: "I, Chen Zhennan, hereby promise that within half a month, Marshal Song and Young Master Song Yunming will definitely return. Before they return, the Great Yan army will remain in place, and I, Chen Zhennan, will absolutely not use a single soldier of Great Yan to attack Tianyang Pass."

The generals of the Great Yan looked at each other and whispered among themselves. After a long while, someone finally spoke up.

"Since that's the case, we'll trust you for now. We hope you'll keep your promise, otherwise, the soldiers of Great Yan will not let this go."

Chen Zhennan bowed slightly: "Thank you for your trust, generals. I will certainly not go back on my word."

As the generals of the Great Yan gradually dispersed, the tense atmosphere, which had almost solidified, began to slowly dissipate.

Back in his tent, Chen Zhennan immediately sent someone to fetch Dong Ning.

Chen Zhennan said with a serious expression, "Dong Ning, the movements of Tianyang Pass are like undercurrents, and they are of great importance. Send out scouts to closely monitor every move of Tianyang Pass. The internal situation of the Great Zhou is also turbulent, so keep a close eye on it and don't miss any clues."

Dong Ning clasped his hands in a fist salute and replied loudly, "Your subordinate obeys the order and will make the arrangements immediately."

Having said that, he turned and strode away, his figure quickly disappearing outside the tent.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Zhennan turned his gaze to Gu Siyao and solemnly said to her, "There is an important matter that requires you to go to Dagan. Inform Song Yunyang that you must return before the end of the month."

Gu Siyao bowed slightly, "Don't worry, General, I'll set off right away."

After saying that, Gu Siyao hurriedly packed her bags and set off.

Then, Chen Zhennan turned to face the vast army and began to carefully select capable and skilled warriors from among them.

Those centurions and chiliarchs were all outstanding individuals who had distinguished themselves in countless battles; they were either physically strong or resourceful.

After three days of rigorous selection, and with the addition of over a hundred trusted subordinates he had brought back from the capital, a special operations team of three hundred men was thus formed.

Chen Zhennan distributed the guns and ammunition and personally instructed the three hundred men on how to use firearms and grenades. It wouldn't be long before they came in very handy.

At noon, a soldier came to report that Wu Yunyin's special envoy had arrived and requested to meet with Chen Zhennan.

A cold smile crept across Chen Zhennan's lips. He could guess Wu Yunyin's intentions without even seeing her.

Before long, the special envoy was brought before Chen Zhennan. The envoy appeared respectful, but could not hide the arrogance in his eyes.

He slowly took out Wu Yunyin's self-reproach edict, handed it over with both hands, and said, "Marshal Chen, His Majesty has specially ordered me to give this self-reproach edict to you. His Majesty is well aware of his past offenses, but now he has repented. I hope that you, Marshal, will be magnanimous and not hold it against His Majesty."

Chen Zhennan accepted the edict of self-reproach, but didn't even glance at it before casually tossing it onto the table beside him.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!