The Prince's Mansion in Lingnan.
Chen Zhennan instructed Zhou Xiang not to engage in direct confrontation with the imperial army and to avoid a decisive battle. Then, he took Song Yunyang and rode away from Lingnan.
The two rode their horses through the rugged mountain roads of Lingnan, their figures appearing and disappearing in the moonlight like ghosts in the night. They galloped swiftly, the sound of their hooves particularly clear in the silent night.
After two days and one night of travel, they finally returned to the Great Yan army camp outside Tianyang Pass.
The military camp was dimly lit, with soldiers standing guard or resting, and everything seemed orderly.
Chen Zhennan originally thought that his departure in the past few days would not attract attention. He even specifically instructed Song Yunming to guard the command tent and not allow anyone to approach it.
However, when they returned to the military camp quietly, they found the commander's tent brightly lit and filled with people.
"How...how could this be?" Chen Zhennan's heart tightened, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Hmph, it seems someone showed up uninvited while we were away."
Chen Zhennan's heart sank. He exchanged a glance with Song Yunyang, and the two quietly approached the entrance of the commander's tent.
Chen Zhennan gently pulled back the curtain and peered inside through the gap.
There were two people standing inside the tent: Song Yunming, Song Yunyang's younger brother, and a middle-aged man whom Chen Zhennan had never seen before.
"Don't you understand? The situation is critical. If we don't act now, it might be too late!"
The middle-aged man's voice was low and rapid, and his eyes flashed with anxiety.
Song Yunming, however, remained unyielding, coldly stating, "I know, but without my sister's orders, no one is to kill anyone in this military camp!"
"Your sister's orders? Where is she? She's not here. As the deputy commander and supervising officer, I have the right to give you orders!"
Outside the tent, Song Yunyang frowned slightly beside Chen Zhennan, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, and she couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
It was this cold snort that alerted the middle-aged man inside to something amiss.
He immediately turned to look at the door, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, and shouted, "Who goes there? Come in!"
Chen Zhennan and Song Yunyang exchanged a glance, a hint of determination flashing in their eyes.
The two slowly drew back the curtain and stepped into the commander's tent.
The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly became tense. When Song Yunming saw them, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"Sister, why are you back now?" Song Yunming was extremely nervous.
The middle-aged man's gaze was like a knife, coldly fixed on Song Yunyang, and he walked aggressively in front of her.
"Song Yunyang, as a marshal, you have left the military camp without authorization. Do you know that desertion of duty is punishable by death?"
Song Yunyang smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth curling up, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, completely unconcerned about Lin Wei's anger.
"When do I need to explain my whereabouts to you? You are just a minor Minister of War, and have no right to inquire about my movements."
Chen Zhennan stood to the side with a slight smile and asked, "Yun Yang, who is this Minister?"
“He is Lin Wei, the Minister of War in the imperial court. Oh, by the way, you should have heard it outside just now; he is now the deputy commander-in-chief and military supervisor.” Song Yunyang’s tone was calm, as if she were talking about something insignificant.
Chen Zhennan nodded, then swaggered over to Song Yunyang's marshal's seat and sat down, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The atmosphere inside the tent froze instantly, as if even the air had become thick.
Seeing this, Lin Wei flew into a rage, his face flushed red, and he roared, "How dare a rebel general be so insolent! Stand up for me!"
Lin Wei was furious, pointing at Chen Zhennan as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.
"He's the vice commander," Chen Zhennan reminded him with a smile.
"Someone come here!"
Lin Wei shouted, and more than a dozen imperial guards rushed into the tent instantly. Each of them had a cold face and held a sharp blade, like cheetahs waiting for their chance to strike.
Chen Zhennan glanced at it and sneered inwardly. As expected of Jiang Wenyu's man, his desperate behavior was exactly the same.
"Do you dare to lay a hand on me?"
Chen Zhennan picked up the teacup on the table, took an elegant sip, and remained calm, as if the guard in front of him was just a passerby.
In that instant, his composure and calmness seemed to freeze the air in the entire tent.
Lin Wei's anger intensified, and he gritted his teeth, ordering, "Kill him!"
Under orders, the guards advanced rapidly, their blades flashing, as if they intended to tear Chen Zhennan to pieces.
Chen Zhennan smiled slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, "Minister Lin, why are you doing this?"
Lin Wei's face contorted with rage as he roared, "Attack!"
With his roar, more than a dozen guards pounced on Chen Zhennan like cheetahs, amidst the flashing blades and murderous intent.
Chen Zhennan smiled slightly. He suddenly stood up, like a tiger ready to pounce. He stretched out two fingers and precisely caught the long sword coming towards him. The force was so great that the guard holding the sword was shocked and almost dropped the sword from his hand.
"snort!"
Chen Zhennan suddenly stood up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He stretched out two fingers and precisely caught the incoming sword blade.
This scene, reminiscent of a peerless martial arts master in a wuxia drama, left everyone speechless.
He leaned back and kicked out with such force that the three guards at the front fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Immediately afterwards, Chen Zhennan leaped over the table like a swallow skimming the water, caught the tip of a long sword between his feet in mid-air, and then spun around forcefully, sending the sword flying from the guard's hand and into Chen Zhennan's grasp.
His movements were fluid and seamless, piercing through the guard's chest in one smooth motion.
Lin Wei stared in disbelief, a wave of fear washing over him. He had never witnessed such agile martial arts.
"Those who do not retreat shall die!"
Chen Zhennan shouted, his voice booming like thunder, shaking everyone to their core.
He kicked the guard in the stomach, and in the process drew his long sword, which was still stained with bright red blood. He looked like a demon returned from hell, sending chills down one's spine.
The loud shout was so powerful that it frightened the other guards into stopping in their tracks, their eyes filled with fear and hesitation.
Chen Zhennan turned to look at Lin Wei, gripping his long sword as he approached step by step, his steps steady and powerful, each step seeming to pound on Lin Wei's heart.
At this moment, Lin Wei was so frightened that he was frozen in place. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and his face was as pale as paper.
Chen Zhennan was incredibly fast. He was able to take down one of the dozen or so guards so quickly. None of the dozen or so guards he brought with him had such strength.
"What...what are you going to do? Do you want to kill me?"
Lin Wei's voice trembled with fear as he watched Chen Zhennan approach, numbly forgetting to retreat.
Chen Zhennan smiled and said, "I won't kill you, but I'll give you a good beating!"
After saying that, Chen Zhennan slapped his left and right hands, and the crisp sound of slaps echoed one after another in the command tent.
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