Chen Zhennan led an army of 300,000 men, marching towards Dawu like a surging torrent.
Those feudal lords who had been spared by Chen Zhennan were now like a group of cowardly mice. They hardly needed Chu Feng to keep an eye on them. They all chose to stand by and watch, like wooden or clay sculptures, without any reaction.
Finally, five days after Zhou Xiang returned to the capital, Chen Zhennan, leading a massive army of 300,000 men, arrived outside the capital like a winding, endless dragon.
In an instant, an army of 300,000 surrounded the entire capital city, making it completely impenetrable, as if encasing the city in an airtight iron barrel.
Standing on the city wall, Zhou Xiang looked at the densely packed army outside the city, and he had long expected such a grim situation.
His face was solemn, and his eyes showed determination. He had already ordered his men to prepare many logs and rolling stones on the city wall.
The logs and boulders piled up like mountains, like small hills, silently waiting to deliver a fatal blow to the invading enemy. He was already prepared to fight Chen Zhennan to the death.
However, after Chen Zhennan arrived, he only besieged the city without launching an attack.
Since Zhou Xiang is already trapped and cannot escape, rushing to attack the city at this point will only result in unnecessary casualties for the soldiers, which would be a losing proposition.
The army was like a group of silent behemoths, quietly lurking outside the city, exuding an invisible sense of oppression.
Seeing this scene from the city wall, Zhou Xiang became increasingly flustered, unable to fathom what Chen Zhennan was up to.
"What exactly is Chen Zhennan up to? Why is he surrounding us without attacking? Could he be plotting something?"
Chen Zhennan sat on a tree branch, leisurely sipping his wine, with a roasted lamb hanging on a branch next to him.
"Brother, Wu Yunyin is still inside, you didn't know that, did you?"
Hearing the sound, Chen Zhennan looked down and saw Song Yunyang staring at him with a curious expression.
"Brother? You're not going to be husband and wife anymore, so you want to be my buddy, huh? Oh right, you mean Wu Yunyin? I know her, and I also know she became Zhou Xiang's empress."
Song Yunyang was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you angry? As far as I know, you used to like her a lot, right?"
Chen Zhennan rolled his eyes, then jumped down from the tree branch.
"The past is the past, what does it have to do with me now? Are you jealous, or are you worried that I can't forget my old flame?"
"Both!" Song Yunyang tilted her head slightly, pouting, and said, "But this is your attitude? Besieging the city without attacking, what exactly do you mean?"
Chen Zhennan crossed his arms, a confident smile playing on his lips, and said loudly, "Yun Yang, don't be impatient. If I wanted to break through this city, it would be a piece of cake. Right now, I could just give an order and have the city gates opened, but I'm not in a hurry."
Song Yunyang frowned slightly, her eyes full of doubt. She simply couldn't understand Chen Zhennan's actions.
"Zhennan, if we end this stalemate with Zhou Xiang sooner, wouldn't we be able to get on with other matters sooner? If we keep dragging this out, won't we miss a crucial opportunity?"
Upon hearing her question, Chen Zhennan couldn't help but throw his head back and burst into laughter.
"Yunyang, are you in such a hurry because you want to deal with other matters as soon as possible, or are you eager to become my empress?"
Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang blushed slightly, clicked her tongue, and scolded, "What time is it for you? You're still not serious and keep saying irrelevant things."
Upon seeing this, Chen Zhennan's smile gradually faded, and his expression became serious and solemn.
"Yun Yang, Zhou Xiang may seem like a formidable rival, but he's just a stepping stone in my plan. My mobilization of 300,000 troops to besiege the capital is known throughout the land, but it's all just a facade."
Upon hearing his words, Song Yunyang immediately became interested and asked eagerly, "Zhennan, you say this is all an illusion, so what is your real intention?"
Chen Zhennan took a deep breath and slowly said, "The real threat is not the seemingly arrogant Zhou Xiang in front of us. Those feudal lords are the biggest trouble. Although they are lying low now, they will definitely become our biggest problem in the future. Therefore, before dealing with this little troublesome Zhou Xiang, I must uproot all the feudal forces in the Great Wu territory and complete the true centralization of power."
After hearing what Chen Zhennan said, Song Yunyang finally understood what he wanted to do.
"I understand, then?"
"I'll set off tonight, but you have to stay and keep an eye on Wang Lei. You absolutely cannot let him attack the capital. After all, he is a general of the Great Yan, and his authority is questionable."
Song Yunyang nodded slightly: "Don't worry, I know."
Night fell like a giant black ribbon, slowly enveloping the entire earth.
Following Chen Zhennan's instructions, Song Yunyang commanded the 300,000-strong army in an orderly manner.
"All soldiers, listen to my command! Guard all key roads and ensure that there are no leaks. Strictly control the entry and exit of anyone from the capital."
With Song Yunyang's orders, Wang Lei naturally didn't say anything more. He hurriedly followed her orders, dispersing the 300,000 troops and setting up sentry posts in all the places where they could travel together.
Meanwhile, on Chen Zhennan's side, Yan Shiyu had already led the special forces team to stand ready. With Chen Zhennan's order, more than two hundred people mounted their horses and headed towards Mingzhou.
Two days later, at noon.
In Mingzhou, sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows as Zhao Xiong led a dozen or so guards on a patrol of the city's defenses.
Not far from the capital, Zhao Xiong was constantly plagued by an uneasy thought: if Chen Zhennan captured the capital, he would inevitably turn around and attack Mingzhou.
He gazed at the surrounding mountains and forests. Although the dense forests around him were like a natural barrier, easy to defend and difficult to attack, he felt increasingly troubled.
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