After crossing, I was forced to hold on to my thighs and build a kingdom

That day, Su Cheng'an went to see King Dingbei. After the father and son discussed it, they felt that it would be most appropriate to send someone in person to deliver such a huge amount of aid.

The first thing is to get acquainted with General Liu Zhongquan and have an in-depth discussion with him.

Years ago, he was still loyal to the court and had no response to the northern border. After all, the military pay and food at that time were all allocated from the capital.

The imperial court is now in such chaos that it no longer cares about the Northwest Army and wants to let them fend for themselves. Therefore, it is natural for the Dingbei Palace, which is providing timely assistance, to make its presence felt.

It's impossible to give the money and not hear any response, right?

After much deliberation, it was finally decided to let Su Cheng'an go there in person.

Firstly, he is important enough, and this trip can better demonstrate the Dingbei Palace's goodwill and sincerity towards the Northwest Army, thereby maximizing the friendship and trust between Liu Zhongquan and the Northwest Army he leads.

The second is to let Su Cheng'an go to the northwest to personally understand the topography and landforms.

At the same time, we will conduct in-depth investigations into the size of the Northwest Army's troops, the combination of arms, the quality of its armaments, as well as the training quality and combat capabilities of the soldiers, so as to have a clear understanding of the key information of the Northwest military and provide a reliable basis for subsequent decision-making.

The third is to take this opportunity to explore the possibility of actual combat.

If by chance we encounter a confrontation with the Western Rong people, we can engage in close combat with them and start a real fight with swords and guns.

This will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the fighting temperament and distinctive characteristics of the Xirong people, and also help us accumulate rich experience for future foreign challenges.

A close look at Su Cheng'an's actions reveals the deep meaning behind them.

On the surface, it was to protect the country and the people, but in fact it was to lay the groundwork for controlling the overall situation in the future, holding powerful troops and dispatching them freely, and carefully preparing a strategic chess game that could be advanced or retreated.

When Jin Chu learned that he was going to the northwest in person, he hurriedly wrote a letter home that day and asked him to pass it to Ye Jinxuan.

Huanyan is already three months pregnant, and her morning sickness symptoms are gradually improving. Under the careful care and meticulous treatment of Mother Chu and Aunt Song, her belly is slightly bulging and her complexion is more radiant.

So she wrote in the letter that Huanyan was pregnant, intending to encourage Ye Jinxuan not to act rashly and to take care of himself while fighting.

It might take Su Cheng'an ten months at the fastest or two or three months to travel to the northwest.

They had never been apart for such a long time since they got married, so that night, the young couple naturally made love in bed again.

The next day, Jin Chu, contrary to his usual behavior, did not sleep in. He dragged his sore body to get up early, personally sent Su Cheng'an out of the city, and then returned to Shaoguangyuan.

After leaving the northern border, Su Cheng'an and his Qingyun Guards disguised themselves as a caravan and set off towards Lingyun City in the northwest.

After seven days of rushing, the group finally arrived at Lingyun City and met up with the elite soldiers from the northern border sent by Ye Jinxuan in the city. They went directly to Ye Jinxuan's residence and met General Liu Zhongquan who was waiting for them.

After a brief exchange of greetings, both sides got down to business.

"General Liu is the uncle of my uncle's wife, so Yizhi will shyly follow suit and call you uncle. I hope General Liu won't mind." Su Cheng'an spoke respectfully.

The young man has a tall and straight figure, like a slender bamboo, with a handsome face and a natural and noble air in his movements.

This is Su Cheng'an, the prince of Dingbei who is famous in the Jin Dynasty. His reputation is well-deserved.

Liu Zhongquan smiled and stood up. "I am a martial artist of my generation. I am grateful that the Crown Prince has condescended to call me Uncle. This is truly the honor of my life."

He glanced at Ye Jinxuan beside him, then turned his gaze to Su Chengan and said with a smile: "Axuan is not an outsider, so if you have anything to say, just speak directly."

"Since Uncle Shi said so, then Yizhi will speak frankly and tell Uncle Shi directly!"

"That's as it should be. We soldiers always like to be straightforward. Your Highness, just tell me. If I can do it, I will do my best and there is no reason to shirk my responsibilities."

Seeing that Liu Zhongquan was open-minded, eloquent and decisive, Su Cheng'an felt a sense of closeness to him.

Then he smiled and waved his hand, and the green figure behind him directly took the bag on his body and put it on the table and opened it. It was full of silver notes with a face value of one thousand taels. A rough look showed that there were at least two hundred thousand taels.

Liu Zhongquan was stunned when he suddenly saw this huge amount of banknotes. Surprise flashed across his eyes. He then looked at the young man not far away and asked, "May I ask what your intention is, Prince?"

When he came, Su Cheng'an made an agreement with Ye Jinxuan that today he would just say that the Prince of Dingbei had something to meet with General Liu, so he didn't know why Su Cheng'an came here?

Now that I suddenly see this huge amount of silver bills, I must first find out what happened.

"Uncle, please don't worry. Let me explain it to you in detail."

Su Cheng'an smiled and spoke, explaining the purpose of the trip in detail.

After listening, Liu Zhongquan lowered his head and thought in silence.

After a long while, he finally spoke: "Your Highness has traveled thousands of miles to come to Lingyun City in person, bringing a large sum of money to help our Northwest Army overcome its difficulties. This is like sending charcoal in the snow. Our Northwest Army is grateful for your generosity and will definitely remember it in our hearts. But,"

Liu Zhongquan's face showed an embarrassment. After a moment's hesitation, he finally asked, "Your Highness, since you don't want our Northwest Army to be loyal to you, yet you are offering such a huge sum of money to help us, may I ask what you want?"

Su Cheng'an stood up, his eyes frank. "To be honest with you, uncle, Yizhi has his own selfish motives for coming here to deliver the silver, but they are not greater than Guo'an. Floating Cloud City is the city that my father-in-law has guarded for over twenty years. It is also a solid fortress for our Great Jin to defend against the Western Rong and protect the people of the northwest."

"Now that Floating Cloud City has changed hands, its defenses have collapsed. The Western Rong bandits have become even more powerful, ready to march southward at any moment, swords drawn. Our vast northwest territories have lost their defenses, as if exposed to a sharp blade, and are in imminent danger."

Liu Zhongquan's expression was solemn, and it was obvious that these words also hit the nail on the head for his worries.

Su Cheng'an looked far away and sighed, "By then, my people in the northwest will be forced to face the plunder and slaughter of the Western Rong people, trapped in dire straits and suffering unspeakably. By then, half of our northwest territory will be lost, and all lives will be devastated. Homes will no longer be homes, and our country will no longer be a country."

"Even if our northern border comes to war with the capital someday, what good will this half of our territory do?"

Liu Zhongquan's eyes flickered, and just as he was about to speak, he heard the young man speak loudly, "Those people in the capital are only concerned with power, not caring about the lives of those in the northwest. We in the north cannot turn a blind eye and allow our country to fall. Only if the Northwest Army maintains its vitality can we march north to retake Floating Cloud City and protect the people here."

"Your Northwestern Army does not need to take sides. You only need to take care of this territory and protect the people here."

"Today, our Northern Territory will fight a battle with the capital. If the Northern Territory wins, the Northwestern Army will be rewarded for their contributions in defending the border and protecting the people. If the Northern Territory loses, you will still be the Northwestern Army loyal to the Great Jin, protecting the people of this area."

Looking at the young man's stern face, the iron-blooded man Liu Zhongquan couldn't help but feel excited.

There is really no harm without comparison. Thinking about the court's perfunctory and cold treatment of the Northwest Army in the past few years, and then looking at the Dingbei Palace's righteous help, Liu Zhongquan once again felt an uncontrollable resentment towards the court.

"Prince, no matter what happens to the northern border and the imperial court in the future, as long as I am in the Northwest Army, I will never fight against you!" The middle-aged man was full of admiration. He stood up and bowed his head.

"Yizhi thanks Uncle Shi for his generous promise today!"

Su Cheng'an stepped forward and solemnly returned the greeting to Liu Zhongquan.