This tactic worked.
The surrendered soldiers were full of energy and trained exceptionally hard.
They all knew in their hearts that following Lu Yan was the only way out.
In addition to reorganizing the army, Lu Yan also did not forget to appease the people.
He intensified his publicity efforts, posting notices everywhere.
They promoted their image of benevolence and love for the people, as well as the prosperity of Shannan Prefecture.
Of course, some of this was embellished.
They exaggerate minor incidents into major ones, and portray ordinary achievements as earth-shattering feats.
"I heard that our Lord Lu single-handedly took on an army of 100,000 from the Northern Xiang Kingdom and slaughtered them until they were terrified!"
In the teahouse, a storyteller was recounting Lu Yan's "heroic deeds" with great enthusiasm.
"Really? That's amazing?"
One listener stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.
"How could it be fake? I saw it with my own eyes!"
The storyteller spoke with great conviction.
"Lord Lu is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also proficient in the art of divination and escape, able to summon wind and rain, and is omnipotent!"
"Wow! Lord Lu is truly a genius!"
The people listened with great interest.
Her admiration for Lu Yan was like a surging river, never-ending.
After dealing with the internal affairs of Shannan Prefecture, Lu Yan began to think about the next step of his plan.
He knew that the Northern Xiang Kingdom would not let this defeat go unpunished.
They will make a comeback soon.
Lu Yan decided to accelerate the development of Shannan Prefecture's economic and military strength.
On the one hand, he encouraged the people to reclaim wasteland and develop agricultural production.
On the other hand, he ordered the craftsmen to work day and night.
They created a batch of powerful artillery pieces and rockets.
These cannons utilize the latest casting technology, resulting in longer range and greater power.
Rockets, on the other hand, are improvements made to traditional rockets.
With the addition of explosives, its lethality is even greater.
At the same time, he also secretly developed a new type of weapon – the "Thunderbolt".
This is a weapon similar to a modern hand grenade.
It was incredibly powerful, enough to destroy city walls.
He also ordered the creation of a special weapon called the "wolf's tooth club".
This is a long-handled weapon with an iron ball covered in spikes at the top.
It is powerful and deadly when swung.
To train soldiers to use these new weapons.
Lu Yan also specially compiled a training manual.
He personally guided the soldiers in their drills.
Lu Yan even secretly began to study hot air balloons.
I dream of one day riding in a hot air balloon.
They flew to the palace of the Northern Xiang Kingdom and captured their emperor as a hostage.
"Sir, this...this thing can really fly?"
Lu Fei stared at the enormous spherical object in front of him, his face full of doubt.
"Of course!"
Lu Yan patted the hot air balloon and said confidently.
"This little thing can't possibly stump me?"
"But...this thing doesn't even have wings, how can it fly?"
"Idiot! This is called a hot air balloon, don't you understand?"
"By utilizing the principle of hot air rising, it can fly!"
Lu Yan explained in an annoyed tone.
"oh…"
Lu Fei nodded as if he understood, but he was still half-believing and half-doubting.
In preparation for the impending war, Lu Yan decided this time to abandon passive defense.
Instead, they chose to take the initiative.
He summoned his generals to discuss plans to attack the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
"Gentlemen, the Northern Xiang Kingdom is going too far, repeatedly invading our Shannan Prefecture!"
"This time, we can't sit idly by and wait to be killed. We must take the initiative and teach them a lesson!"
Lu Yan spoke with great passion and fervor.
"Sir is right! We've wanted to beat these bastards up for ages!"
Zhang Xun was the first to express his support.
"That's right! We must march on their stronghold and show them what we're made of!"
"But... sir, we only have 100,000 men,"
"But the Northern Xiang Kingdom has an army of several million, how... how can we fight them?"
"What's there to be afraid of! We have firearms, new weapons, and a genius strategist like me!"
"Even if they have a million-strong army, I can still rout them!"
Lu Yan said confidently.
"Moreover, we can also turn the soldiers of Beixiang Kingdom against their cause!"
"Their soldiers are underfed and poorly clothed, and have long harbored resentment towards the Northern Xiang Kingdom,"
"With just a little trick, we can make them turn against us!"
Lu Yan paused, smiled mysteriously, and continued:
"And I have an ace up my sleeve..."
"What trump card?"
Everyone asked curiously.
Lu Yan smiled mysteriously, but didn't answer, instead keeping everyone in suspense:
You'll find out then!
Lu Yan's "trump card" remains shrouded in mystery, keeping everyone in suspense.
After the meeting, Zhang Xun and Han Sheng put their arms around each other's shoulders.
They kept muttering to themselves, trying to guess what Lu Yan was up to.
"Lord Lu always manages to come up with something unexpected."
Maybe they really are hiding some secret weapon!
Thinking about this, they also became somewhat excited.
They couldn't wait to see Lu Yan's "trump card" make its debut.
...
Outside Shannan Prefecture, inside the tent of Li Mu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, the atmosphere was heavy.
A weary scout knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and reported:
"General, our scouts report that Lord Lu... has won a great victory!"
Li Mu suddenly stood up, his thick eyebrows furrowed:
"A great victory? Are you sure? Zhao Xuan brought 100,000 troops,"
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