The people of Anyang are prosperous, the social order is stable, and all kinds of entertainment venues are readily available; it is simply a paradise on earth.
Chen Qingqing slept until she naturally woke up every day, counted money until her hands cramped, and lived a very happy life.
She is currently unaware that the four nations have united to attack Anyang, their aim being to seize her and Anyang's enormous wealth...
That day, Chen Qingqing had just finished breakfast and was about to go out when Zhou Jingyuan hurriedly walked in.
Kexin raised an eyebrow, her words tinged with a hint of mockery, "Lord Zhou, your office must be quite peaceful. What wind blew you here to the Princess's residence?"
Zhou Jingyuan ignored her and looked at Chen Qingqing, saying with a serious expression, "Princess, something terrible has happened."
This was the first time Chen Qingqing had ever seen Zhou Jingyuan so flustered. She smiled slightly and asked, "Why is Lord Zhou so flustered? What happened?"
"The four kingdoms of Gaoluo, Xiyue, Beiyi, and Nanjiang have joined forces and simultaneously instigated war on the border, intending to launch an attack at the same time and take advantage of the situation to conquer the entire Daning."
Chen Qingqing waved her hand dismissively, "Lord Zhou, there's no need to panic. The Emperor will surely decide how to defend against the enemy. There's no need for you or me to worry about it."
“What the princess says is absolutely right.” Although Zhou Jingyuan comforted her with these words, he couldn’t help but add, “Although the emperor is a capable and skilled warrior, with the four kingdoms now united, I’m afraid our Great Ning Dynasty will suffer a loss!”
Seeing the worry in Zhou Jingyuan's eyes, Chen Qingqing frowned slightly.
Since becoming Princess Anyang, she has been paying close attention to the situation at court.
Chu Jiuqing's title of God of War was not earned for nothing. Before ascending the throne, he guarded the border and struck fear into the hearts of his enemies.
After ascending the throne, neighboring countries submitted to him and kept to themselves. Why are they attacking him today?
Thinking to himself, he asked, "Lord Zhou, do you know why they have joined forces to attack my Great Ning Dynasty?"
"Our Great Ning Dynasty is developing rapidly, the country is prosperous and the people are strong, and everyone is at peace and content. They're just envious!"
Chen Qingqing never dreamed that the wealth of the Great Ning Dynasty would arouse the covetousness of neighboring countries, who would not hesitate to launch a war to try to divide the Great Ning Dynasty. It was simply wishful thinking.
"Since they know that the Great Ning Dynasty is rich and powerful, why do they still dare to start a war? Aren't they afraid of being attacked?"
“Otherwise, why would four countries unite? If it were just one country provoking us, it wouldn’t be a problem. But now that they’ve joined forces, things are probably not going well.” Zhou Jingyuan said, shaking his head and sighing. “Your Highness, in my opinion, their choice to attack the northwest border means they’re definitely targeting Anyang. We’d better make plans as soon as possible.”
Chen Qingqing's breath hitched. The northwestern border was only a thousand miles from Anyang. If they could break through the border defenses, it would only take a little over a month to reach this point.
But such a big matter, Chu Jiuqing, as the monarch of a country, could not just stand by and watch the enemy advance unimpeded. He might have already set up defenses and sent elite troops to guard the area. There was no need for her to worry about it.
Thinking about it this way, Chen Qingqing's tense heart relaxed, and she said in a nonchalant tone,
"Lord Zhou, do not panic. The King of Chu is a wise ruler. He must have anticipated the enemy's scheme and has already sent reinforcements."
Zhou Jingyuan gave a wry smile. "Princess, the enemy is cunning. Although my emperor is wise, he has indeed been deceived by them this time."
"What's going on?"
"The four kingdoms launched a feint attack in the east while attacking in the west. Our emperor made a mistake in his prediction. Half a month ago, he sent large armies to the borders of the Northern Barbarian Kingdom, the Western Moon Kingdom, and the Southern Frontier Kingdom. Now it is too late to recall the troops."
Chen Qingqing clenched her fists, pondering to herself, "Although there are troops stationed on the northwestern border year-round, how can we possibly withstand a combined army of 500,000 from the four countries?"
The enemy is bluffing and creating tension on the border, but their sudden deployment of troops to the northwest must be a well-prepared move.
The weakest point of the Da Ning Dynasty's border defenses should have been the northeastern border, yet they chose to attack from the northwestern border.
She couldn't understand the purpose of the four kingdoms.
It seems she needs to prepare, to be on the safe side and take precautions.
“Lord Zhou, since that’s the case, we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom. It is our inescapable duty to protect our Great Ning territory.”
“The princess is right. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Even if it means death, I will fight them to the death.”
"Very well, since Lord Zhou is so determined, please follow me."
The two entered the study.
On the wall hung a huge map, which was a defense map of the entire city of Anyang.
This wasn't because Chen Qingqing had foresight, but because she could quickly understand the location of each town and village based on the map.
"Anyang is surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side. If the enemy wants to attack, they certainly can't do it by water; they will probably choose the land route."
However, we can't let our guard down even in watery areas; we must be fully prepared. Chen Qingqing gestured with her hands as she spoke.
"Princess, do you have a good plan to defend against the enemy?" Zhou Jingyuan asked hopefully. In his heart, Chen Qingqing was completely different from other women. She was decisive and intelligent and could accomplish things that many men could not.
Chen Qingqing did not answer his question, but instead inquired,
"If an enemy country invades, how many soldiers and generals do we have to defend against it?"
Zhou Jingyuan truthfully replied, "We currently only have three thousand soldiers to guard the city, but Princess, please don't worry. I have received a secret letter that the Emperor has personally led an expedition with one hundred thousand troops and is on his way."
"Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst; we still have to rely on ourselves, otherwise even if the emperor comes, he will only be collecting our corpses."
“What the princess says is very true.” Zhou Jingyuan frowned. “Princess, why don’t we issue a recruitment notice, and have all men over the age of fifteen report to the government office to prepare to fight the enemy at any time?”
"No, untrained soldiers will only die in vain on the battlefield. We must not let the fine men of Anyang die easily unless absolutely necessary."
Chen Qingqing resolutely refused. She frowned slightly. Developing the economy was just to enable people to live a good life with enough to eat and wear, but she never expected to be targeted by wolves and tigers. Since that was the case, she would never show any mercy.
Zhou Jingyuan was somewhat puzzled, "If we don't recruit soldiers, are we just going to abandon Anyang?"
“How can that be? Every blade of grass, every brick and tile in Anyang is the result of my painstaking efforts. How can I just hand it over to someone else?”
Chen Qingqing narrowed her eyes as she spoke, pointing to three routes on the map that enemy countries would inevitably pass through.
"Lord Zhou, quickly send men here, here, and here to set up traps and tripwires, the more the better. Also, set up defensive fortifications and start the operation immediately. Do not disturb me for the next few days. Notify me when the city defenses are in place."
"Yes, I will send someone to do it immediately." Zhou Jingyuan didn't ask any further questions. He knew that every decision Chen Qingqing made was correct; as long as he did as she said, he couldn't go wrong...
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