I'm letting you win over the female lead, not conquering cities and territories!

At Qingmu Pass, a brand-new crimson flag fluttered in the wind, rustling in the autumn breeze.

On the banner, besides a flamboyant "Qin" character, four large characters were embroidered in extremely dazzling gold thread: "Fengtian Jingnan" (Restoring the Rebellion by Imperial Decree).

Standing atop the city gate tower, Qin Hao looked down at the soldiers who had donned their new Chiyan Army uniforms and officially declared that, in the name of the "remnants of the Chiyan Army," he would completely occupy Qingmu Pass as the base for his uprising.

This was by no means a rash act driven by momentary passion, but rather a well-thought-out strategy by Qin Hao.

Although the encirclement of 120,000 troops was as solid as an iron barrel, the battlefield was ever-changing.

Since he was able to miraculously tear open a gap with his three hundred brothers, who knows if other soldiers of the Crimson Flame Army might also manage to break through and escape before the executioner's blade falls?

Although the possibility is extremely slim, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, as long as the banner of the Crimson Flame Army is still flying over Qingmu Pass, those surviving comrades scattered in the wilderness can find their way home by following the banner.

More importantly, the slogan "Upholding Heaven's Will to Pacify the Rebellion" was an extremely useful political bargaining chip.

For decades, the Chiyan Army guarded the northern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, repelling countless invasions by foreign enemies.

In the northern states, which family hasn't been protected by the Chiyan Army?

In many villages and towns, people have even spontaneously built shrines for the heroes who died in battle throughout the history of the Chiyan Army.

Now, this once-protective army has been overthrown and has been brutally murdered by its own people.

Once this news spreads widely, it will inevitably cause an unprecedented earthquake throughout the entire northern part of the Great Qian Dynasty!

If the other border guards who had once been on good terms with the Chiyan Army and shared life and death with them were to learn the truth, they would surely be outraged.

It could even trigger a series of mutinies and rebellions.

Qin Hao, on the other hand, intends to take advantage of the chaos in this impending storm.

By actively raising the tragic banner of "the remnants of the Chiyan Army," they were essentially cloaking themselves in a veneer of morality.

This will cause most of the rebel forces dissatisfied with the imperial court to not regard Qingmu Pass as an enemy of the Great Qian Dynasty, but instead regard them as like-minded allies and heroes!

As it turns out, Qin Hao's strategy was surprisingly effective.

In just a few days after raising its banner, Qingmu Pass was not avoided by surrounding forces, but instead became more bustling than ever before.

Those border merchants who knew of the Chiyan Army's loyalty and righteousness did not detour after learning that Qingmu Pass had changed hands; instead, they chose to come here specifically to trade.

Many patriotic businessmen spared no expense, sending truckloads of medicine, cloth, and pig iron to support this lone army that had survived a desperate situation.

What surprised Qin Hao even more was that the retired border guards in the surrounding villages and towns, after hearing the tragic news of their commander's death and the bloodshed of 70,000 comrades, dug out their moldy leather armor from under their beds and sharpened their dull wood-chopping knives.

They brought their families and came to Qingmu Pass in droves to join the army, not for promotion or wealth, but to avenge the 70,000 heroic souls of the Chiyan Army who had guarded the northern region for decades but ultimately died tragically!

For a time, Qingmu Pass was strong and well-equipped, and it seemed poised to become the center of a storm in the north.

Meanwhile, at the Great Qian Imperial Palace, thousands of miles away.

Within the magnificent imperial garden, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air.

Exquisite spices from the Western Regions burned in the golden cauldron, emitting an intoxicating sweet aroma.

The young empress, who had just ascended the throne, leaned lazily against the phoenix couch covered with gold-threaded cushions.

She wore an extremely luxurious bright yellow phoenix robe with a train that stretched for several meters, and idly played with a thumb-sized pearl from the East China Sea.

"How are things going with the tasks I entrusted to you?" The Empress's red lips parted slightly, her voice charming yet revealing a cold indifference that regarded human life as worthless.

The Vice Minister of War, kneeling below the jade steps, trembled, his official robes soaked with cold sweat. He kowtowed in trepidation and reported:

"Your Majesty, I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon to confirm."

The 120,000-strong city defense force has completed its mopping-up operation. The commander of the Crimson Flame Army has been executed, and 70,000 soldiers... have all been executed on the spot, leaving no survivors.

Upon hearing the news of the annihilation of 70,000 elite troops, the Empress's previously listless face finally revealed a satisfied smile.

She nodded gently, her tone even carrying a hint of girlish excitement:

"That's more like it. You're quite efficient. Just don't delay the 'token of love' that I prepared for the prince of Great Yan."

In the eyes of this high and mighty Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty, those 70,000 elite soldiers who had fought for the country and sacrificed their lives to defend the borders, those pillars that were enough to ensure the eternal stability of the Great Qian Dynasty, were actually... merely a "gift" she used to curry favor with the prince of the Great Yan Kingdom and win the favor of her beloved!

The Empress ate the peeled grapes with a smile, as if what had died were not the 70,000 beams of the Great Qian Dynasty, but 70,000 ants used for amusement.

The Vice Minister of War knelt on the ground, listening to the Empress's shocking words, feeling his scalp tingle and his whole body go cold.

But he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

After hesitating for a moment, the Vice Minister of War swallowed hard, preparing to continue reporting the unusual intelligence coming from the northern border:

"Your Majesty, I have another matter to report. According to confidential intelligence, remnants of the Chiyan Army seem to have fled to Qingmu Pass, occupied the pass, and launched an attack..."

However, he hadn't finished speaking.

"Your Majesty~~"

A sickeningly sweet male voice suddenly came from the entrance of the Imperial Garden.

Immediately afterwards, a flamboyant man with a face covered in thick white powder, eyeliner, and a bright red gauze robe walked into the courtyard with a gait more alluring than a woman's, swaying his hips.

"Oh my, my darling has arrived."

Upon seeing this alluring male concubine, the Empress's eyes lit up, and she casually tossed aside the luminous pearl in her hand.

She waved her sleeve impatiently at the Vice Minister of War, her tone suddenly turning cold:

"Alright, alright, I understand. This is none of your business. Step down, don't spoil my enjoyment."

"But Your Majesty, what about Qingmu Pass...?"

"Insolence! I ordered you to leave!"

The Empress raised her eyebrows and roared angrily.

"...Your humble servant obeys the decree."

The Vice Minister of War was so frightened that he dared not mention any border battle reports and hurriedly scrambled out of the Imperial Garden.

The earth-shattering military news of the loss of the border in the vast Daqian Dynasty was absurdly suppressed by the jealousy of a male concubine.

Qin Hao, far away in Qingmu Pass, was naturally unaware that such a suffocatingly absurd palace drama was unfolding in the imperial city a thousand miles away.

He was sitting in the general's chair that originally belonged to Zhao De, rubbing his throbbing temples.

Because, although Qingmuguan is currently developing very well, it has encountered a more troublesome and infuriating problem.

A powerful bandit stronghold in the nearby Black Wind Mountain range seems to have its eyes on the merchants who have been frequently traveling to and from Qingmu Pass recently.

This group of bandits was extremely cunning and arrogant. They didn't attack other places, but instead, like a persistent affliction, they specifically targeted and robbed merchants who claimed to be supporting the Chiyan Army!

In just three days, four caravans laden with grain and pig iron had been plundered on a deserted road less than twenty miles from Qingmu Pass, and even most of the caravan guards had been killed.

If these bandits are allowed to continue running rampant, the reputation that Qingmu Pass has just built up and the trade routes that have been painstakingly opened up will be completely severed.

Without the material support of merchants, his fledgling base would become a dead city.

"Dare to provoke me? You'll cut off my economic lifeline..."

Qin Hao slammed his hand on the table, his deep eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

"These blind bandits, do they really think my 'Supporting Heaven and Pacifying the Rebellion' banner is just for show?!"