Creak!

As soon as Fang Tianyao finished speaking, the tightly closed door of the side hall was pushed open from the inside.

Empress Dowager Su Wan'er, dressed in a bright red phoenix robe, led the three-year-old Emperor Lingwu of the Great Xin Dynasty out of the side hall, escorted by a group of imperial guards.

Seeing this, Fang Tianyao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

He hurriedly stepped forward and knelt before Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, for some unknown reason, Wu Sanjia suddenly launched a fierce attack on our naval camp;"

"I am also unsure whether Wu Sanjia intends to rebel or has other plans, so I have come here hastily to ask Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager for a decision!"

As he spoke, Fang Tianyao did not forget to express his loyalty, saying, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, if this Wu Sanjia harbors any rebellious intentions, your subject and the officers and soldiers of the naval camp will risk our lives to protect Your Majesty and Empress Dowager!"

"We urge Your Majesty and Empress Dowager to move to the main gate of the naval camp and personally see why Wu Sanjia has done this!"

Um!

Empress Dowager Su Wan'er nodded and replied calmly, "Please trouble Your Highness to lead the way!"

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this way please—"

As they spoke, the group hurriedly headed out of the naval camp.

Now that things had come to this, Empress Dowager Su Wan'er had no choice but to try anything, and at Fang Tianyao's request, she went to the outside of the naval camp.

Surely we can't be so naive as to think that the Imperial Guard Commander He Changdong and his hundred or so Imperial Guard soldiers can hold this small side hall.

Taking a gamble might offer a glimmer of hope.

The worst outcome would be that Su Wan'er and her mother would die for their country.

During the past few months of fleeing, Su Wan'er had long since had enough of living in fear and constant displacement.

Death may be a kind of relief.

If, as Fang Tianyao said, the one attacking the naval camp was indeed Wu Sanjia, who came to protect the emperor, then it might not be a bad thing for Empress Dowager Su and Emperor Lingwu.

At the same time.

Outside the main camp of the Daxin Navy, more than 10,000 elite Tiger-like naval troops, who had sailed down the river, were landing in batches at the dock under the cover of crossbowmen and archers on their warships, making final preparations before the attack on the city.

Meanwhile, the soldiers guarding the city walls of the naval camp strictly followed the orders of the Four Seas King Fang Tianyao and did not launch an attack on the Tiger-like naval officers and soldiers who had landed and assembled outside the camp.

He simply stood on the wooden city wall, bow drawn and arrow nocked, cautiously observing the Tiger Warriors outside the camp.

"Report—"

"Reporting to the General, our Tiger-like naval officers and soldiers have landed and assembled at the dock, and are ready to launch a strong attack on the enemy's naval camp at any time. Please give your instructions, General!"

He Kang, the deputy commander of the Tiger Fleet, immediately reported the combat readiness of his naval officers and soldiers to General Wu Sanjia.

Um!

Wu Sanjia nodded and ordered, "Pass down the order: without my command, no one is permitted to launch an attack on the enemy's naval camp."

"This general will personally go to knock on the gates, and it would be best to make the rebel soldiers in the camp surrender without bloodshed and open the gates so that my Tiger Fleet officers and soldiers can welcome Your Majesty."

As Wu Sanjia spoke, he stepped off the warship, muttering to himself, "In the end, all this fighting is just draining the military strength of the Great Xin Lingwu Dynasty."

"It will only allow traitors like Qin Ruhui and Chen Huai'an to reap the benefits."

"If it's possible to avoid fighting, then it's best to avoid fighting!"

Soon, Wu Sanjia arrived at the dock outside the Daxin Navy camp, surrounded by a group of Tiger-like naval commanders.

Standing on the dock, one could almost see with the naked eye the tense expressions of the officers and soldiers of the Daxin Navy on the city wall.

Wu Sanjia strode forward and shouted towards the city wall of the naval camp: "Listen up, officers and soldiers of the Great Xin Navy on the city wall! I am Wu Sanjia, the mighty General of the Great Xin Dynasty, the Imperial Commander-in-Chief who commands all the armies of the realm!"

"I have come here on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor to welcome His Majesty back to the naval camp. All officers and soldiers of the Great Xin Navy, why don't you open the camp gates immediately and welcome this general into the city!"

On the city wall of the naval camp, Xie Baoguo, the deputy admiral of the Daxin Navy, immediately replied, stammering, "General, this humble general Xie Baoguo is ordered to guard the naval camp."

"However, I dare not take it upon myself to open this camp gate for the General and the brothers of the Tiger Legion!"

Xie Baoguo continued cautiously, "This humble general has personally witnessed the might of the Tiger Warriors under the General's command. If the camp gates were opened, this humble general fears that the General and his Tiger Warriors would not be able to stop their swords!"

"Let's wait until my lord returns before discussing anything else!"

After thinking for a moment, Xie Baoguo hurriedly added, "By the way, General, my lord has already gone to invite the Emperor and Empress Dowager to move to the naval camp on the city wall."

"Please, General and your men, remain calm. The wooden walls of this naval camp are old and dilapidated, and prone to fire. They cannot withstand the onslaught of the Tiger Legion brothers!"

oh?

Xie Baoguo, the deputy admiral of the Daxin Navy, successfully caught the attention of General Wu Sanjia with his answer.

He immediately replied, "Thank you, Vice General. Since your lord has already gone to invite the Emperor and Empress Dowager to move, then this general will wait a little longer."

"If I haven't seen the Emperor and Empress Dowager by the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, my fellow naval officers and soldiers, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"My brothers from the Tiger Warriors' Crossbow Battalion wouldn't mind burning down the enemy camps again!"

After saying that, Wu Sanjia waved his hand and ordered, "Deputy General He Kang, convey my order: if the Emperor and Empress Dowager are not seen after one incense stick's time, attack the city immediately, without delay!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn quickly passed.

However, Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su were still nowhere to be seen on the city walls of the naval camp.

On the dock, Wu Sanjia, who was personally in command, frowned and said sternly, "Deputy General He Kang, convey my order: the army will attack the city!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Deputy General He Kang immediately accepted the order, then turned around and instructed, "Archers, prepare for fire attack!"

brush!

In an instant, thousands of archers simultaneously lit their fire arrows and aimed them at the wooden walls of the naval camp.

The words "release the arrow" from Deputy General He Kang were already on the tip of his tongue, but he was forced to swallow them back down.

All that could be heard was the sound of the Emperor's arrival echoing throughout the narrow wooden walls of the naval camp.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

These four simple words became the lifeline for the officers and soldiers of the naval camp on the city wall.

Deputy General Xie Baoguo saw that the Tiger Legion archers outside the camp had already lit the arrows soaked in flaming oil and were about to unleash a volley of arrows to burn down the naval camp. His clothes were soaked with sweat.

Fortunately, Prince Fang Tianyao finally managed to invite the Emperor and Empress Dowager at this crucial moment.

At that moment, Xie Baoguo felt as if he had survived a disaster and was relieved of a great burden.

He hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, Wu Sanjia's archer battalion almost set fire to the naval camp. Fortunately, I managed to restrain myself and persuade them to stop, which prevented a major disaster!"

Um!

Fang Tianyao nodded. The situation was extremely critical, and he didn't even have time to praise his deputy general Xie Baoguo. He just hurriedly lay down on the crenellations of the city wall.

He shouted to Wu Sanjia outside the camp: "General Wu, why are you making such a large-scale attack on my Great Xin Navy camp?"

"Could it be that you, General Wu, have already sided with the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui and installed Emperor Hongxi, intending to harm the current emperor and the empress dowager?"

snort!

At the dock outside the camp, Wu Sanjia first waved his hand, signaling his deputy He Kang to pass down the order to immediately stop the attack.

Then, he coldly snorted and replied to Fang Tianyao on the city wall: "Your Highness, you really know how to throw accusations at this general!"

"I have come here on the orders of His Majesty to welcome His Majesty back. How has it come to you, Your Highness, that I intend to harm His Majesty and the Empress Dowager?"

"It is you, Your Highness, who are quite suspected of using the emperor to command the feudal lords!"

Wu Sanjia continued, "Otherwise, why didn't you obey my orders and send the Daxin Navy to Jinling City to fight? Instead, you brought the Emperor and Empress Dowager to your naval camp and imprisoned them."

"Is it you, Your Highness, who intends to harm the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?"

"Enough with the nonsense, hand over the Emperor and Empress Dowager right now!"

snort!

On the city wall, Fang Tianyao sneered, "Wu Sanjia, I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you. Whether I'm loyal or treacherous, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager know for sure!"

"Guards! Invite the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to the city walls!"

"Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, please move to the city wall!"

As the announcement sounded from the city wall, Empress Dowager Su of the Daxin Lingwu Dynasty, holding the young Lingwu Emperor's hand, ascended the city wall of the Daxin Navy Camp under the escort of He Changdong, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

Su Wan'er stood on the city wall, leaning half her body out from the crenellation and looking down. Sure enough, she saw the mighty General Wu Sanjia on the dock outside the naval camp.

Almost simultaneously.

Wu Sanjia, who was on the dock, also recognized the person as Empress Dowager Su.

He immediately took a few steps forward and knelt before Empress Dowager Su and Emperor Lingwu on the city wall of the naval camp: "Your subject, Wu Sanjia, pays respects to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager;"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

With General Wu Sanjia leading the way in paying homage, the other officers and soldiers in the Tiger-like naval forces followed suit, kneeling and bowing towards the city wall, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

For a time, shouts of "Long live the naval commander!" echoed throughout the empty naval camp.

On the city wall, Empress Dowager Su Wan'er nodded and waved her hand with an air of authority to Wu Sanjia outside the camp, instructing, "General Wu, you may rise and dismount!"

"General Wu, please rise, no need for formalities!"

The guards, led by He Changdong, the commander of the Imperial Guards, immediately shouted and repeated the Empress Dowager's order to ensure that Wu Sanjia outside the camp could hear it.

Only then, after confirming that the "visitor from outside the camp" was indeed General Wu Sanjia, who had come to the aid of the emperor, did Empress Dowager Su Wan'er finally feel relieved after her anxious journey.

Her entire demeanor has undergone a dramatic change.

When she first entered the naval camp, Su Wan'er, who was living under someone else's roof, was cautious and timid, and had to be mindful of the mood of the Four Seas King Fang Tianyao in everything she did.

Now, Wu Sanjia, the general she personally appointed to command all the troops of the Great Xin Dynasty, has led the Tiger Army to come to the rescue of the emperor from afar, which immediately gave Su Wan'er the confidence to confront Fang Tianyao, the King of the Four Seas.

In that instant, she regained the powerful aura of an empress that she possessed when she first ascended the throne.

Turning to Fang Tianyao, the Prince of the Four Seas, he commanded in an unyielding tone, "Your Highness, General Wu has led the new Tiger Warriors to the naval camp on my orders to welcome Your Majesty."

"It's also my fault for not informing Your Highness beforehand, which led to a misunderstanding between General Wu's Tiger Legion and Your Highness's Dragon City Navy."

After a pause, Empress Dowager Su continued, "Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Your Highness can order the naval officers and soldiers to open the camp gates and welcome General Wu and the Tiger Legion soldiers into the camp!"

hiss--

Upon hearing Empress Dowager Su's words, Fang Tianyao couldn't help but gasp.

He thought to himself, "This woman changes her attitude as quickly as turning the pages of a book."

A few days ago, in order to please me and avoid being pushed out of the naval camp and becoming a victim of the Lingwu coup, he did not hesitate to humbly promise me a high-ranking official position and generous salary.

Now, as soon as Wu Sanjia, this martial artist, arrived outside the naval camp, Empress Dowager Su seemed to have become a different person, daring to speak to him in a domineering and commanding tone.

Has she forgotten who took them in when Nanjing fell?

Women, haha!

Fang Tianyao was still lost in thought when he heard a delicate voice shout in his ear again: "Your Highness, give the order!"

ha?

Fang Tianyao suddenly came to his senses and wanted to play dumb.

But then they heard Empress Dowager Su give some instructions to He Changdong, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and then He Changdong shouted loudly outside the camp: "General Wu, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's decree:"

"The naval officers and soldiers will soon open the camp gates to welcome the new Tiger Army. At that time, the Tiger Army soldiers must obey orders and must not engage in any further conflict with the naval officers and soldiers."

"Those who disobey orders shall be punished for treason!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

At the dock outside the camp, Wu Sanjia immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and accepted the order.

Now that things had come to this, it was unrealistic for Fang Tianyao to continue feigning ignorance. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and order his naval officers and soldiers: "Men, relay my command—"

"Open the gates of the naval camp and welcome the new Tiger Warriors into the camp!"

"Open the camp gates and welcome the new Tiger Warriors into the camp!"

With a series of orders issued, the tightly closed gates of the naval camp were finally opened from the inside.

Seeing this, Wu Sanjia waved his hand and shouted sternly, "All soldiers of the Tiger Fleet, form ranks and enter the camp to welcome back the Emperor!"

"Form ranks and enter the camp to welcome back the Emperor!"

......

Meanwhile, at the mouth of the Yangtze River, 300 li away from the Daxin Naval Camp, in the nearshore waters of the East China Sea.

A large naval fleet is approaching the mouth of the Yangtze River.

The lead super warship had a huge four-clawed yellow dragon flag hanging from its tall mast, with a large "Jin" character written on the scarlet flag.

It was the Longcheng naval fleet that was heading south to fight!