We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

After ordering the soldiers to start training, Wang Sanchun and He Conglong left the training ground and rode towards the government office.

Since arriving in Chaoyang City, Li Che's small team has held regular meetings every morning. Their diligence far exceeds that of other vassal kings and is almost on par with Emperor Qing.

There is no way, there are too many official tasks, and each one must be implemented as soon as possible.

Although they were extremely busy, no one from Li Che on down felt bored. Instead, they were all full of energy.

Everyone knows that the efforts at this moment are not in vain, and this city is really getting better little by little.

It is also not like the court, where although the officials work very hard, they are all trying to fight for power instead of making real contributions to the country.

"The city wall restoration is progressing very quickly. The people are very enthusiastic and are almost sparing no effort."

Liu Ye was also shocked. Having worked in the Ministry of Works for so many years, he often came into contact with people doing corvee labor, but he had never seen such capable people.

Since ancient times, it has been the responsibility of the people to perform labor service. The country will not give money to the people, and it is already a great mercy to provide them with a full meal.

People like Li Che, who provide food and money, are simply the weirdest of the weird.

When Li Che first proposed this policy, many officials opposed it. It was Li Che who overcame all objections and insisted on doing so.

But after it was actually implemented, everyone was surprised to find that the people's work efficiency became very high.

The work that was supposed to take three days was completed in less than two days. In this way, it actually saved the palace money.

"We've already recruited three thousand new soldiers, and the people's enthusiasm remains undiminished," He Conglong reported. "Your Highness, could you please assign me some more veteran soldiers? I don't have enough instructors."

Li Che nodded and said, "I'll send you another ten squad leaders and twenty corporals. Make sure you lay a good foundation for these new recruits."

"Yes." He Conglong hesitated for a moment and then said, "Your Highness, there is one more thing."

Li Che laughed and said, "When did you, Old He, become so fussy? Just tell me if you have something to say."

"You gave your daughter to the soldiers yesterday, which really boosted their morale, but..."

Having been in society for so long, Li Che knows that what comes before the "but" is the correct principle, and what comes after the "but" is the key point.

As expected, He Conglong then said seriously:

"However, the soldiers haven't touched women for a long time, and some are experiencing sex for the first time, so it's inevitable that they lose control.

During today's morning training, most of the rewarded soldiers arrived late and were absent-minded during training.

Moreover, although the soldiers who did not receive rewards did not express it, I felt that they were somewhat dissatisfied in their hearts.

Especially those soldiers who participated in defending the city but did not join the battle."

When He Conglong said this, everyone was stunned and took a few steps back to distance themselves from him.

Li Che also fell silent, with no emotion in his eyes.

Zhuge Zhe sighed secretly.

Yesterday was the first time that His Highness rewarded his ministers and soldiers after he officially took up his fiefdom. Even if there were any mistakes or omissions, they should not have been pointed out to their faces and embarrassed His Highness.

You know, His Highness is a very young prince, and young men of this age are most afraid of losing face.

If he angered His Highness and his rewards were reduced in the future, General He would probably be ostracized by his colleagues for the rest of his life.

However, after a brief silence, Li Che suddenly smiled: "Old He is absolutely right."

Everyone looked up and saw that Li Che's admiring look towards He Conglong did not seem fake.

There are few ministers who can firmly implement the leadership's strategies, and even fewer who dare to speak out and make suggestions.

Emperor Taizong of Tang had a Wei Zheng, and the dialogue between the monarch and his subject has been passed down through the ages.

He Conglong obviously also has some of these characteristics.

Therefore, no matter whether what He Conglong said was reasonable or not, Li Che had to agree with him, which was like paying a thousand gold coins for a piece of bone.

"This is indeed an inappropriate thing for me to do. I would like to ask you and other generals to urge the soldiers not to indulge in excessive sexual activities."

He Conglong and others hurriedly saluted and said they dared not.

Wang Sanchun felt even more guilty. If he were to be accused of excessive indulgence, he would probably become the worst offender in the army.

Last night, that was more than seven times...

"As for the other soldiers, it's normal for them to feel resentful," Li Che mused. "Tell them that in my army, only merit counts."

"Rewards are meant to motivate hardworking individuals. If rewards can be earned by taking advantage of troublesome situations, where will the lives of those brave enough to sacrifice their lives be placed?"

"Yes." He Conglong replied.

"Alright." Li Che smiled again. "You haven't had breakfast yet, right? Then have a bite with me and then go back to work."

"I heard some people are so busy these days they only eat one meal a day. That's not okay. Your health is the foundation for success... ahem, great things."

Everyone smiled and thanked him.

Li Che noticed that there was a figure behind the ministers, looking at him hesitantly.

"Jie Ming, look at me and say whatever you want to say."

Jie Ming stepped forward, his face troubled. "Your Highness, I'm afraid I've said too much and annoyed you."

Li Che couldn't hold it anymore. This guy was even more straightforward.

He Conglong is upright and dares to speak out, but he is stubborn and always has a bad face. He and Hu Qiang can be combined into the "stupid and unhappy" combination.

"I know. It's about Yang Zhongsi, right?"

Jie Ming breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Highness is wise."

Li Che laughed. Can the word "sagely" be used casually?

But he didn't care about this scoundrel. He looked at the others and said, "Since that's the case, let's discuss it. I said Yang Zhongsi must be rescued. The key is when and how to rescue him."

Everyone fell silent after hearing this.

For such a major matter, people who are not important enough would not dare to speak rashly.

In the end, it was Qian Bin who spoke first: "Your Highness, I am not familiar with military affairs, but the city now has sufficient food and grass, and it is no problem to support an army of 10,000."

Li Che nodded and looked at Liu Ye again.

"It will take some time to defend the city, but there are no barbarians too close to Chaoyang City anymore, so I don't think it will be a big problem."

Wang Sanchun also bowed and said, "If Your Highness has any instructions, I will go into battle!"

The three big bosses in charge of military, finance and industry have all spoken, so naturally everyone has no objection.

Li Che thought for a moment, then shook his head: "This battle, I still have to go there in person."

Li Che raised his hand to stop everyone's persuasion, and without pausing, he said in one breath:

"This battle carries little risk, but it holds great significance. I will not hide it from you. The purpose of rescuing Yang Zhongsi's troops is to recruit them. I must go there myself."

Everyone knew that although their prince was easygoing, once he made up his mind, no amount of persuasion would be of any use, so they simply gave up trying to persuade him.

And everyone knows that the reason why the soldiers of the Ninggu Army are victorious in every battle is because Li Che always goes to the battlefield in person.

If Li Che had not gone with the army on this long journey to Liaodong to fight, they might not have won.

Zhuge Zhe sighed, stood up, and asked, "In that case, may I ask when Your Highness plans to depart?"

"The soldiers still need to recuperate, and military provisions need to be raised. The accompanying chariots, horses, and laborers also need time to be recruited."

"Your Highness, don't act too hastily."

Li Che thought about it for a while, and finally made his decision:

"So, in three days, the army will attack!"