Shalifei paused, seemingly understanding something, but then felt something was off.
"But...that imperial seal..."
General Chisha waved his hand, interrupting him.
"The Imperial Seal? Whether it's real or fake is no longer important. I underestimated the wisdom of that little empress; her move has dragged everyone into this mess."
He paused, then his tone turned sinister.
"But so what? It's not certain who will be the one to reap the benefits!"
Shalifei's eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed for an answer:
"General, do you mean... you did this on purpose?"
General Chisha patted him on the shoulder and said meaningfully,
"That's right, retreat! We won't fight for the moment. When the time comes, we'll not only take the Imperial Seal, but also these people and the power in these states!"
Shalifei suddenly understood, his eyes filled with admiration.
"General, you are wise!"
Having said that, he accepted the order and left, commanding the army to set off.
The Red Sand Army withdrew from the battlefield in a grand manner, and the remaining three armies also withdrew slowly.
...
Inside the council hall of Jingzhou City.
Chen Qingwan sat upright at the head of the table, her slender fingers tapping the tabletop repeatedly.
She was waiting, waiting for her plan to be successfully implemented.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
Qiao'er rushed into the council hall, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement:
"Report—the enemy...the enemy has retreated!"
The moment the words were spoken, an uproar erupted in the council chamber.
The tense atmosphere instantly dissipated, replaced by an unbelievable surprise.
"Refunded? Really refunded?"
"How is this possible? They've besieged the city for days, and they were about to break through the gates..."
"Could it be... that His Majesty's brilliant plan has worked?"
The crowd chattered amongst themselves, their eyes all turning to Chen Qingwan with admiration.
Chen Qingwan smiled slightly and nodded, feigning composure.
"My dear ministers, there is no need to panic. This is my plan."
She secretly rejoiced, using the imperial seal as bait, while she herself became an even bigger bait.
Using marriage as leverage, they drew the Zhang family into this game.
She made the right bet; these greedy jackals were indeed tempted by greater profits.
If we don't bring the Zhang family, this fierce tiger, into the game, these people will come back with a vengeance, and then Jingzhou City will be in grave danger.
At this moment, Chen Qingwan truly felt the charm of military strategy and tasted the wonder of defeating the enemy without bloodshed.
However, the joy of victory was soon replaced by lingering worries.
The news of her marriage to the Zhang family will spread throughout the world in just a few days.
How will Lu Yan react then?
Thinking of Lu Yan stirred up ripples in Chen Qingwan's heart.
Would he care?
Would he care that she is about to become someone else's wife?
"well……"
Chen Qingwan sighed softly, suppressing these chaotic thoughts in her heart.
When you're caught in the middle of a game, what freedom do you have?
For the final victory, for the sake of Datong's empire.
She had to make some sacrifices, even sacrificing her own happiness.
This is a lesson she learned from a young age...
...
On the other side, Lu Yan and Li Kui were training their troops on the training ground.
Li Kui brandished his broadsword with fierce power, muttering to himself:
"General, when will this battle begin? My old Li's sword is practically rusting!"
Lu Yan glanced at him sideways and retorted without any mercy:
"With your skills, you think your knife is rusty? I think your brain is rusty! Besides, is war a game? Do you think it's a dinner party?"
“Hehe,” Li Kui scratched his head.
"General, you're right. I'm just a chatterbox, please don't take it to heart."
Just then, Night Owl strode over and reported with a grave expression:
"General, our scouts report that the siege of Jingzhou has been lifted and the enemy... has retreated."
"Withdrawn?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised.
"What's going on? Has the Empress come up with some brilliant plan?"
Night Owl hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth:
"According to the spies, it was because the Empress wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Zhang family, and the Zhang family sent troops to lift the siege of Jingzhou."
"Tsk tsk, this empress is ruthless."
Lu Yan shook his head, casually poking at the ants on the ground with a small twig in his hand.
"Using himself as a bargaining chip to ensure the safety of the people of a city, he could be considered... barely a qualified monarch."
He paused, seemingly considering his words, after all, in his view...
The empress's mind is sometimes sharp and sometimes unpredictable, making her difficult to fathom.
The owl, however, corrected him with a serious expression:
"My lord, it was not Her Majesty the Empress who personally arranged this marriage."
Lu Yan paused on the branch in his hand, and the ants took the opportunity to scatter and flee.
"Oh? Not her? Then who could it be? Could it be... Qiao'er?"
He stroked his chin and began to analyze the situation to himself.
"Hmm, it's probably Qiao'er. She came to me for help a few days ago, so it might be because of this."
Night Owl reluctantly interrupted Lu Yan's wild speculation:
"Your Excellency, it's not Miss Qiao'er, it's... Miss Chen."
The branch snapped in two with a "crack".
Lu Yan suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief:
"Miss Chen? Which Miss Chen?"
Night Owl's tone was calm, yet it struck Lu Yan's heart like a heavy hammer:
"It's the Miss Chen you know, sir."
After a brief silence, Lu Yan erupted in a roar:
"Damn it! That damned Empress!"
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