Inside the royal palace in Java.
The King of Java was indulging in pleasure with several concubines, amidst the sounds of music and decadent indulgence.
"Your Majesty, the tribute from Shannan Prefecture of the Datong Dynasty has been delivered."
A eunuch bowed and reported.
Upon hearing this, the King of Java perked up and pushed away the concubine in his arms.
"Bring it here quickly!"
Soon, several guards carried in a large box.
The King of Java eagerly opened the chest, only to find it filled with all sorts of novel and exotic items:
Exquisite porcelain, luxurious silk, and soaps with a strange fragrance…
"Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent! This Shannan Prefecture is indeed a treasure land!"
The King of Java clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes filled with greed.
Just then, a guard rushed in in a panic.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! A madman has come from outside the palace!"
"A madman? What madman?"
The King of Java was somewhat displeased.
"That madman...that madman was carrying a human head, saying...saying it was a gift from Lu Yan, the prefect of Shannan Prefecture, to His Majesty!"
The guard was so frightened that he couldn't speak coherently.
The Javanese king's obese body trembled violently, his fleshy face shaking as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"A madman? A head?"
"Sent by that bastard Lu Yan? Hahaha!"
"Has he lost his mind? Does he really think I'm easily frightened?"
He gave the orders while laughing wildly.
"Bring that madman here! I want to see what tricks he's up to!"
A group of guards rushed out of the palace gate as if facing a formidable enemy, only to bring back a bloody human head.
The head, its eyes wide open in death, belonged to the gambling den owner.
The king's smile froze instantly, and his fat jiggled even more violently, like a pile of boiled pork fat.
"Where is he? Where is that madman who was just throwing his life away?"
The guards were terrified, their faces ashen, and they knelt on the ground, trembling.
"Your Majesty, that person...that person is extremely skilled."
They can...they can scale walls and leap across rooftops...we...we can't catch up..."
"Flying over rooftops and scaling walls? Bullshit!"
"I think you're all tired of living! You can't even catch a madman!"
The king flew into a rage and kicked over the table in front of him.
The delicious food was spilled all over the ground, just like his disheveled mood.
"Search the entire city immediately! Dig three feet into the ground and find that madman for me! I want him to be torn to pieces!"
The guards, as if granted a pardon, scrambled out of the room.
In the empty hall, only the king's heavy breathing and the mess on the floor remained.
He stared intently at the severed head, gritting his teeth as he cursed:
"Damn Shannan Prefecture! That damned Lu Yan! How dare he humiliate me like this!"
"I will make you pay a thousandfold price!"
At this moment, an old man wearing a strange long robe and sporting a goatee slowly walked in.
He was the royal advisor of Java, who was usually eccentric and mysterious, but was highly trusted by the king.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. How dare a mere prefect provoke our Great Java Kingdom like this? He is simply courting death!"
"The Imperial Advisor is absolutely right!"
The king slammed his hand on the table, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.
"Lu Yan, a mere nobody official, dares to be so arrogant! He doesn't take Java seriously at all!"
The Imperial Advisor gave a sinister smile, stroked his beard, and said:
"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that Lu Yan's actions are clearly a declaration of war against our Great Java Kingdom!"
"We must teach him a lesson, otherwise, won't other small countries look down on Java in the future?"
The king seemed to have found a kindred spirit, and excitedly stood up, pacing back and forth.
"I've long disliked Shannan Prefecture!"
"I've heard that their land is rich in resources, and the people live in peace and prosperity. Even the barbarians have submitted to them. This is outrageous!"
"I want to see whether their muskets are more powerful, or whether the warriors of my Javanese are superior!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" the Imperial Advisor quickly echoed.
"Shannan Prefecture is but a tiny place. Our Great Java Kingdom has a strong and well-equipped army, and we will surely be able to flatten it!"
"At that time, won't His Majesty be able to use the wealth of Shannan Prefecture at will?"
The king's eyes immediately filled with greed at the thought of the wealth of Shannan Prefecture.
He could almost see himself sitting atop mountains of gold and silver, enjoying wealth and luxury.
"Very well! As the Grand Preceptor says! Issue the order to immediately muster the troops!"
"Raze Shannan Prefecture to the ground and capture that brat Lu Yan alive!"
Several ministers immediately advised upon hearing this:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Lu Yan is cunning and treacherous. Let us consider this carefully..."
"A long-term plan? I can't wait any longer!"
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! Shannan Prefecture is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and they also have a musketeer battalion..."
"What's there to be afraid of! I refuse to believe that their mere Shannan Prefecture can withstand the million-strong army of my Java Kingdom!"
The king secretly pondered:
Taking over Shannan Prefecture would not only wash away today's humiliation, but also allow us to seize its wealth.
At that time, there will be plenty of silk, porcelain, soap, and perfume.
More importantly, the musketeer battalion of Shannan Prefecture was an elite force that had even defeated the Northern Xiang Kingdom!
If he could bring this army under his control, wouldn't Java's strength be greatly enhanced?
At that time, it wouldn't be impossible for them to dominate Southeast Asia or even challenge the Da Tong Dynasty!
Thinking of this, a smug smile appeared on the king's face.
He seemed to already see the day he would rule the world.
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