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

Xue Zhen is still the commander of Shanhaiguan.

When Li Che went out of the border for the first time, he whipped him three times in order to create the illusion that there was discord between the border guard and the vassal king.

Or perhaps these three whips worked, making Emperor Qing and the court believe that the two were not in harmony, so they never replaced the generals.

This is a good thing for Li Che. Although he and Xue Zhen appear to be at odds, they both know what is going on.

Not to mention collusion or secret dealings, they admire each other and have even reached a certain consensus tacitly.

If there is an incident in the capital one day and the Fengtian Army enters the pass, Li Che is 70% sure that he can persuade Xue Zhen to help him.

Of course, the prerequisite is that you are in a righteous position, or at least be forced to do so like Zhu Di did, and to quell the rebellion.

If someone were to rebel without any reason, Xue Zhen would not follow him.

When they arrived at the foot of Shanhaiguan, Yiyaxi and Jitaihan beside them looked up and couldn't help but gasp.

What a magnificent pass!

Yi Yaxi was a well-traveled man. He had been to Khitan, Goryeo, Shiwei, Mohe and other countries, but he had never seen such a towering pass.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is a man-made mountain.

Li Che expressed his understanding of the two people's misconduct.

No matter how many times I visit Shanhaiguan, I am always shocked and even feel insignificant.

Emperor Qing spent a huge amount of money to build this magnificent pass. After all, Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty had carried out large-scale construction projects, and there was strong opposition from both the court and the people.

But Li Che felt that the greatness of this pass had little to do with Emperor Qing.

Like the Great Wall, this is the crystallization of the blood and sweat of countless Chinese working people, and represents the indomitable will of the entire nation!

Not long after the team arrived at Shanhaiguan, Xue Zhen went out to greet them with a group of officers.

Xue Zhen's attitude towards Li Che has now become much more moderate and he is no longer so confrontational.

In his opinion, Li Che had not caused any major trouble recently. He was just guarding his fiefdom and developing people's livelihood in an orderly manner.

This approach would not arouse the suspicion of the emperor and the court, and there was no need for him to always pretend to be at odds with the princes. After all, acting was quite tiring.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Feng." Xue Zhen stepped forward and bowed.

Li Che laughed heartily and said, "Hahaha! General Xue, Happy New Year! I wish you a happy new year!"

A look of surprise flashed across Xue Zhen's face. It was the first time he had seen this way of greeting.

"Um...His Highness too...Happy New Year."

Hearing the familiar greeting, Li Che subconsciously wanted to reach out and take out the red envelope.

After searching for a long time, I finally remembered that I had not prepared a red envelope, and this was in ancient times, and there were no paper red envelopes like modern ones.

He could only reach out his hand with a slight embarrassment and pat Xue Zhen on the shoulder: "Thank you for your hard work. You still have to guard the border during the New Year."

Xue Zhen felt warm in his heart, but he still said seriously: "Serving the country with loyalty is the duty of a general. It can't be said to be hard work."

Li Che nodded slightly, but Xue Zhen was still stubborn and refused to listen.

"I wonder why Your Highness is entering the pass this time?" Xue Zhen asked again.

Li Che replied, "The Emperor has ordered that all the princes come to the capital to observe the New Year's Eve. I was delayed by something, so it has been delayed until now."

"I see." Xue Zhen nodded.

Xue Zhen didn't know about Fengguo's eastern expedition to Goryeo.

Ever since the scouts he sent to monitor Chaoyang City were discovered, Xue Zhen simply withdrew all his spies from Feng State to avoid further humiliation.

Logically speaking, with such a big commotion, even if no one was spying on Fengguo, some news would have leaked out.

But Feng State was a resolute entity, and not a single piece of news got out.

"In that case, I will prepare some wine. Your Highness, please rest for a while," Xue Zhen said. "I will inspect the troops and then let Your Highness pass."

Li Che responded, "Forget about the wine. General Xue has his duties to perform. Please do as you please."

It’s not that Li Che doesn’t want to drink with Xue Zhen to improve and consolidate their relationship, it’s just too late.

If I don't reach the capital before the end of the year, I don't know what my father, the emperor, who suffers from persecution mania, will think.

Xue Zhen no longer insisted and walked towards Li Che's team with several of his men.

Li Che had nothing to do, so he followed behind.

The so-called inspection was just a formality. Li Che brought back more than 2,000 people, which posed no threat to Daqing.

At the forefront were Li Che's personal guards. As the most elite troops of the Fengtian Army, they were dressed in bright clothes and armor, exuding murderous aura. Even their heights were almost the same, as if they were cast from the same mold.

Xue Zhen took a quick look and walked away.

These guards were elite, but he could not envy them.

To build such a powerful army, a huge amount of silver, excellent soldiers, and capable leaders are all indispensable.

Xue Zhen could not even meet the first requirement. The military salaries of Shanhaiguan all depended on the court, so there was no extra money for him to build an elite force.

Following them were more than a thousand cavalrymen from the Fengtian Army Cavalry Battalion, wearing red scarves and black armor, each riding three horses.

Xue Zhen's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was already in turmoil.

With this configuration, your Majesty's personal army is no more than this, right?

Where did King Feng get the money to afford so many horses and cavalry?

Behind them are the Jujia Camp and the Shenji Camp.

Xue Zhen has become numb.

He didn't understand the firearms of the Shenjiying, but he knew the armored cavalry, which was not something that could be made by just spending money.

Even with the entire Daqing nation's strength, there were only a few truly armored cavalry, and most of them were concentrated under the command of Prince Jin.

The last to appear were the Sauron tribe. Logically speaking, these barbarians should have caused Xue Zhen the most caution.

But Xue Zhen's gaze only fell on those sturdy Sauron warriors for a moment before he was attracted by a prison cart.

He looked at Li Che behind him and asked in confusion, "Your Highness, why did you bring a prisoner back to the capital? Who is this person?"

Li Che's expression was calm: "King of Goryeo."

"Oh, it's Goryeo King Lee... Wait, who?!!!"

"King of Goryeo, Li Weiyou." Li Che repeated.

"King of Goryeo (broken voice)?!!!"

After hearing Li Che's words, Xue Zhen was stunned and his head felt like it was about to explode.

King of Goryeo?

The King of Goryeo in the capital of Goryeo?

The King of Goryeo ran into the prison car of King Feng. Doesn’t this mean that the Fengtian Army has already destroyed Goryeo?

What the hell is going on?!

King Feng, weren't you supposed to be recuperating? Why did you end up destroying Goryeo while you were resting?

"The King of Goryeo also wants to be brought into the imperial capital?" Xue Zhen asked again.

Li Che nodded calmly: "Yes, he is a gift from me to my father, so of course I have to send it to him."

Xue Zhen's face turned pale, and he was still in shock.

When he understood the current situation, his face suddenly darkened and his tone became harsh: "Now that we have investigated, Your Highness, please do not stay here any longer and leave Shanhaiguan immediately!"

If Li Che hadn't caused any trouble, Xue Zhen could have eased the relationship with him.

But now it has made such a big news, even destroying Goryeo...

If I continue to be friendly with him, I'm afraid His Majesty won't be able to sleep peacefully.

Li Che looked at Xue Zhen with a puzzled look on his face. He felt that this guy was a dog-faced person who changed his mind at any time!

But he didn't care. Pretending to be disagreeable was a tacit understanding between the two of them.

Then he led the team out of the customs and headed south.

Xue Zhen's face remained gloomy until Li Che's flag disappeared from the horizon.

The deputy general beside him was still in high spirits, chattering non-stop: "Prince Feng is so strong! Goryeo, he actually conquered Goryeo!"

Xue Zhen glanced at him and said unhappily, "Alright, you're a bit deep-minded for remaining calm even when facing a huge enemy.

After saying that, he turned and walked back to his room.

After closing the door of the room, Xue Zhen's stern face instantly relaxed, replaced by a look of ecstasy.

He waved his fists in the air a few times, his mouth grinning from ear to ear.

If he wasn't afraid of making noise and letting the soldiers outside hear him, he would have rolled on the ground.

Destroyed Goryeo, that was Goryeo, the Goryeo that even the previous dynasty’s million-strong army could not conquer!

His Highness... is too strong!

You are worthy of being the lord chosen by me, Xue Zhen!