“My era, Ivan’s era, begins at this moment!” Ivan gazed at the retreating kingdom army from afar, a blazing fire burning in his heart.
Currently, Ai City had repelled the kingdom army.
Qian Renxue was now Ivan’s captive, held in his hands as a hostage, so neither the Ayers Kingdom nor the Tiandou Empire would dare to casually send troops to attack.
In short, with Qian Renxue in hand, Ai City was currently safe.
Now the other side only had two choices: one, send people over to negotiate and demand Qian Renxue’s return.
Two, send powerful Title Douluo experts to secretly plan a daring rescue of Qian Renxue or assassinate Ivan along the way.
But the most important point was that holding Qian Renxue as a captive also meant facing the threat from the continent’s strongest Spirit Master force, Spirit Hall!
So, he also had to be prepared for what was to come.
“You all send people to handle the post-war matters and set up defensive measures.
Xiahou Dun, Lü Bu, you two follow me back to the Dukes Mansion.” “Yes, Lord.” Ivan arranged for the third-rate and second-rate Three Kingdoms Generals to handle the aftermath, and he returned to the Dukes Mansion with Lü Bu and Xiahou Dun.
Lü Bu and Xiahou Dun, both Title Douluo level combatants, had to protect Ivan at all times.
He was too weak now, with only ten levels of spirit power and no spirit ring absorbed yet.
Without protection, any random assassin could easily kill him.
“Throw her on the sofa.” After returning to the living room of his room in the Dukes Mansion, Ivan immediately sat down on the sofa.
Qian Renxue was also thrown onto the sofa opposite him by Lü Bu.
He held his head in his hands, lost in thought.
Everything today had happened too suddenly.
The things he needed to do and prepare for next were too numerous, making his mind a bit chaotic for a moment, unsure where to start.
He quickly organized his thoughts.
He gradually listed out the things that absolutely had to be done at the moment.
First, send people to contact the Tiandou Empire, asking them to send someone to negotiate with him to ransom Qian Renxue with conditions, thereby achieving his desired goals.
Second, set up a comprehensive defense in Ai City, fully protecting Ivan and guarding Qian Renxue, to prevent Spirit Hall from sending powerful experts to assassinate or rescue her.
Third: Officially notify and announce in Ai City the establishment of the Ivan Duchy, self-proclaim himself as the monarch, establish a ducal system, confer official positions, set up various administrative departments, and manage his forces and territory as a state.
Fourth, renovate the city walls, enhance Ai City’s defense system, improve army equipment, supplies, and a series of other things—all of these involve funding issues!
The two hundred thousand soldiers summoned by the Three Kingdoms Generals were all real people.
As long as they were people, they needed to eat and be paid.
Not to mention whether they needed military pay or salaries, just the sudden increase of two hundred thousand people’s food expenses alone was a considerable cost.
Everything required money.
Therefore, he needed to solve the funding problem immediately.
This problem could be one of the conditions for negotiating with Qian Renxue.
Fifth: Absorb the first spirit ring and become a true Spirit Master!
After leveling up, continue to draw Three Kingdoms Generals and enhance national power!
As for expanding his influence, attacking the Ayers Kingdom, and investigating the cause of his father Duke Ayers’s death, there was no rush for now.
After clarifying the matters, Ivan immediately arranged them: “Send someone to the Tiandou Empire and have them send someone to negotiate with me.” “Yes!” “Announce to the people of Ai City that tomorrow I will hold a monarch enthronement ceremony in the city square and establish the Ivan Duchy!” “Yes!” Ivan arranged things one by one.
At this moment, Qian Renxue finally woke up.
“Ugh, hiss, ah…” On the sofa, Qian Renxue shook her heavy head, groggily opening her eyes: “Am I… am I in heaven?” Ivan smiled: “Heh heh, heaven?
Heaven doesn’t have this earthly scent.” Seeing Ivan on the opposite sofa, and Lü Bu and Xiahou Dun, two powerful figures, standing to his left and right.
Qian Renxue breathed a long sigh of relief: “Good, I’m not dead…” At that time, when she saw Xiahou Dun’s aura, she thought she was going to be killed.
“Oh, I can’t bear to kill you!” Qian Renxue quickly calmed down, looking warily at the two fierce generals beside Ivan.
Then she withdrew her gaze and looked directly at Ivan: “Can’t bear to?
I think you don’t dare to kill me, do you?” Saying that, Qian Renxue sat on the sofa in a comfortable posture, her legs crossed, and her arms folded across her chest, appearing very relaxed and composed.
She didn’t look like a captive or a hostage who had fallen into a tiger’s den at all.
“Heh, interesting.” Ivan smiled.
He knew Qian Renxue was a smart and calm woman, but he didn’t expect a 14-year-old Qian Renxue to have such a state of mind.
Ivan retorted: “What do I have to be afraid of?” Qian Renxue smiled faintly: “Heh heh, I am the First Prince of the Tiandou Empire.
If you kill me, the Tiandou Empire’s million-strong army will surely unite with the Ayers Kingdom to flatten your Ai City and tear you limb from limb.” “And you captured me and spared my life, nothing more than wanting to use me as a hostage so that the Kingdom and Empire wouldn’t dare to easily send troops to attack you.” “I imagine you’ll also use me to negotiate with the Kingdom and Empire, to help yourself get through this impending disaster, right?” This was Qian Renxue’s capital for being calm and composed now.
Because she knew that Ivan would not kill her at all.
But for Ivan, a six-year-old child, to possess such a mindset also greatly surprised her.
However, what Qian Renxue didn’t know was that Ivan’s soul was already an adult.
“Not bad!
Very good, truly worthy of being the First Prince of the Tiandou Empire!
You are indeed exceptionally intelligent.” Ivan clapped his hands in praise, then shook his head and said: “You’re right about everything, I am a bit hesitant to kill you, but it’s also true that I can’t bear to!” Qian Renxue muttered to herself: “Is this kid sick?
My disguised identity is Xue Qinghe, a man.
What does he have to be reluctant about?
If he knew my true identity was a woman, then it would make sense.” “Could it be that he likes men?
Wait, he’s so young, does he even know what liking is?” “Alright, before the Tiandou Empire sends someone to negotiate with me, you just stay put in my Dukes Mansion.” “I won’t mistreat you; I’ll provide you with good food and drink.” Ivan said, a mischievous smile appearing on his face: “But, I must warn you, don’t even think about escaping, or I won’t be polite to you~” Qian Renxue sneered inwardly: “Heh, I, the dignified Young Master of Spirit Hall, the First Prince of the Tiandou Empire, captured by a mere son of a Duke, and a six-year-old brat at that—this is already an extreme disgrace!” “If I cannot escape from your Ai City by my own ability, and am used as a bargaining chip to be traded back.” “That would be a humiliation for me, Qian Renxue!” “I will definitely leave by my own ability.
A small Ai City cannot trap me.” “And you, Ivan, dared to capture me.
After I leave and return again, this Young Master will certainly not let you off lightly!” Qian Renxue already had an escape plan in mind.