——
Li Hailian, kneeling on the ground, said yes.
Lian Xiaoru glanced at him and said coldly, "Alright, get up."
"Do what you are capable of. It is indeed not easy to ask you to guard Zhucheng and stop Qin Ze."
Upon hearing this, Li Hai's expression softened, and he slowly stood up, chuckling as he said:
“Father-in-law is right. Zhucheng is too small and its troops are insufficient. Tonight, I entered Anyang County and passed through many checkpoints before entering the outer city. I also saw the troops that Father-in-law had stationed in the outer city. They are truly extraordinary.”
"This entire Anyang Prefecture is truly impregnable; not even a bird can fly in!"
"Father-in-law, the city's defenses are truly impeccable; your son-in-law is impressed!"
"After defeating Qin Ze, I would appreciate any guidance from my father-in-law. I will learn a little bit, which will be of great benefit to me in the future."
These words eased Lian Xiaoru's expression, and the slight displeasure in his heart dissipated. He chuckled and said:
"His Majesty has appointed me as the Third-Rank General of Annan. Anyang County is an important town, so I must do my utmost."
"Where do you think the money for the mountain villas His Majesty has built in Jiangnan over the past few years, and the palace that is currently under renovation, came from?"
"Thirty percent of the tax revenue comes from my Anyang Prefecture!"
Li Hai's eyes widened. "Anyang Prefecture can send out so much tax revenue? Logically speaking, shouldn't Suzhou and Hangzhou be the ones sending out the most...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Lian Xiaoru scoffed.
"What do you know? Although Anyang County is slightly inferior to Suzhou and Hangzhou, it is strategically important. The tax revenue from the cities in the East China Sea passes through here every year."
Li Hai nodded repeatedly.
"No wonder the city defenses are so tight; isn't Anyang County a major source of tax revenue for the national treasury?"
Lian Xiaoru hummed in agreement, then smiled and said, "That's right. Speaking of which, His Majesty is currently having money sent over to the palace that is under renovation."
“Yes, Anyang County is indeed of great importance. It seems that my decision to lead my troops to Anyang County was the right one. After all, it can help us resist Qin Ze,” Li Hai said with a forced smile.
Lian Xiaoru snorted coldly, "What are your few men compared to my 200,000 troops and your 10,000 soldiers?"
"Those are soldiers I personally trained!"
"Whether it's the watchtower, the barbican, or the outer city tower, they are all heavily guarded, and there are countless heavy crossbows mounted on the outer city tower!"
"Several years ago, when Da Gan was still at war with foreign tribes, the Hu horses came with great force and captured several cities in succession. When they reached my Anyang County, they could no longer advance."
Li Hai nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, I know that."
"After the Hu Ma army attacked Anyang County, they were stopped. Then, after Qin Haotian quelled the rebellion of the Southern Barbarians, he led his army to chase the Hu Ma all the way to the Beiku Grassland, and only then was the Hu Ma rebellion quelled."
"To be honest, my father-in-law played a lot of the role in this."
Upon hearing this, Lian Xiaoru frowned and said in a deep voice:
"After Hu Majun arrived in Anyang County, I held them off here for several months. They were short of clothes and food, and I killed many of their men during their several attacks on the city. They were already at their last gasp."
"When Qin Haotian came to Anyang County, he had a strong army and was well-rested, which is why he was able to sweep away the Hu horses with overwhelming force and drive them to the Beiku Grassland."
"Without me, do you think he could have won?"
Li Hai nodded hurriedly, "So that's how it is! I only learned the truth today!"
"In that case, my father-in-law should be credited with the greatest merit for quelling the Hu Ma rebellion!"
Lian Xiaoru raised his chin slightly and squinted his eyes, saying, "Heh, Qin Haotian is very sharp and ambitious. I am different from him, so I didn't say much."
"What use is such empty fame? I'm used to being indifferent to fame."
Li Hai sighed and said, "Suppressing the Hu and Ma tribes is a great achievement. It's a real pity that my father-in-law gave up such an easy victory."
"If my father-in-law had received this credit, he would surely be a second-rank official today."
These words clearly pleased Lian Xiaoru greatly. He walked over to Li Hai, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled:
"The saying 'true gold is refined by the fires of karma' is something we should know in our hearts."
Li Haishen agreed and immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:
"Yes! I have learned my lesson!"
Lian Xiaoru said calmly, "Now that you've come from Zhucheng, Qin Ze will probably take Zhucheng within a few days, and soon he'll head straight for Anyang County."
"You are my son-in-law, but it wouldn't look good to lose Zhucheng like this, do you understand?"
Li Hai blushed and nodded in embarrassment.
"Father-in-law, please give your son-in-law a chance to make amends!"
Lian Xiaoru nodded slightly and said, "You don't have many troops, so you'll just be stationed in the barbican. If Qin Ze attacks, you'll join forces with the troops at the watchtower to defend against him."
Li Hai lowered his head but did not reply immediately.
Lian Xiaoru raised an eyebrow and, seeing the hesitation on Li Hai's face, immediately shouted:
"What? You're afraid even if you're guarding the fortified city?"
“It’s not just your troops. There are countless archers on the watchtower, and my troops are also inside the barbican.”
"Qin Ze hasn't even attacked yet, and you've never fought him. Why are you so afraid? What are you afraid of?"
Li Hai's expression changed, and he forced a smile, saying, "No, it's not that I'm afraid, it's just..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lian Xiaoru angrily rebuked, "But what? Why are you so timid and hesitant?"
"I'm behind you, what are you afraid of?"
"Even if Qin Haotian were to come back from the dead and lead hundreds of thousands of Chiyan Army soldiers to attack the city, I would have no fear! This Qin Ze is only twenty years old, how much experience does he have in attacking cities?"
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