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

"You mean to say that you just came back from who knows how far away at sea, and now you're going to go back to the chaotic imperial capital?"

After hearing what happened in the imperial capital, Zhuge Zhe, who had been under a lot of pressure recently and whose hairline was moving higher, spoke loudly.

The complicated state affairs of Feng State were very stressful for this prime minister who was not even thirty years old.

Among the three cabinet ministers, Tao Qian was the most experienced one, so Zhuge Zhe and the others naturally did not want to entrust too many government affairs to him.

Huo Duanxiao was a genius. No matter how complicated the political affairs were, he could handle them quickly and efficiently.

Only Zhuge Zhe, this cabinet minister, although also a genius, is obviously not a monster. All his abilities are acquired through hard study and practice day and night.

After waiting for a long time for Li Che's return, he didn't expect that his own prince would give him such a big scare as soon as he came back.

Li Che quickly waved his hands: "That's not the case. This time, I will not return to the capital. Only the Prince of Yan will go alone."

Zhuge Zhe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

A country cannot be without a king for a day. Although Feng State was as peaceful as usual during the three months when Li Che was away, that was based on high loyalty and the ministers' hard work and dedication.

If Li Che had walked for a few more months, Feng State might not have been in chaos, but his Zhuge Zhe would definitely have been exhausted.

Li Che continued, "I asked you to come here, first, to inquire about the recent situation in Feng State, and second, to get a few things for the Prince of Yan to deliver to His Majesty."

Zhuge Zhe nodded and said seriously, "I am in charge of government affairs. I don't know much about military and agricultural affairs."

"The reforms His Highness instructed have been nearly completed. The six ministries have begun to take shape, officials are working diligently, and all provinces are developing steadily."

"Also, the university has enrolled another 1,500 new students. The scholars have also completed many research projects, but I cannot understand them and need your Highness's personal guidance."

"Over at the factory..."

Zhuge Zhe spoke very carefully and Li Che listened very carefully.

It can be seen that Zhuge Zhe is indeed methodical and hands-on in his work. No matter how big or small the matters are, he will personally inquire about and decide them.

Moreover, he acted decisively and with principles, and had some of the style of the prime minister who had the same surname as him.

It took a full hour for Zhuge Zhe to finish his report.

Li Lin had fallen asleep leaning on the armrest, and Huo Duanxiao and Tao Qian also looked tired.

Li Che was actually a little tired of listening, but he didn't dare to show it.

Instead, she was generous with her praise and gave Zhuge Zhe a lot of praise with her little mouth.

What about my Guan Zhong, the loyal Yue Yi, who is like a fish in water, and the arm of this king.

Zhuge Zhe was so confused that he didn't even dare to say anything.

Fortunately, Zhuge Zhe is a rare wise man, otherwise, with Li Che's tricks, any good person would be coaxed into a placenta...

After Zhuge Zhe finished speaking, Huo Duanxiao also came up to report on his work.

Apart from major events concerning the fate of Feng State, the three cabinet ministers each had their own specific areas of responsibility. Huo Duanxiao was responsible for a small part of government affairs and all military affairs.

"The Fengguo military system has been completely restructured. Not counting the navy, only the army is counted. Your Highness now has twenty-four divisions, half of which are garrison troops, and the other half are divided among the Ninggu, Chaoyang, and Huguo armies."

"There are also seven special brigades: the East Wind Brigade, the Armor Brigade, the Shenji Brigade, the Scout Brigade, the Medical Brigade, the Engineering Brigade, and the Sauron Brigade..."

"According to your previous orders, each division is composed of a mixture of Qing people and barbarians. Except for the Solon Brigade, the proportion of Qing soldiers is over 50%."

"Each division is equipped with an artillery regiment and a musket regiment. Firearms are no longer exclusive to the Shenji and Dongfeng 2nd Brigade, but are now widely deployed throughout the army."

Li Lin, who was standing by, also woke up at this time, and was filled with shock.

He didn't understand the previous government affairs, but he was very familiar with the military affairs being discussed now.

According to what Lao Liu had told him before, the number of people in a division of the Fengtian Army was between 12,000 and 18,000.

Twenty-four divisions, even if we count the minimum number of 12,000 people, there are still 280,000 people!

Together with seven special brigades of the same level as the division, the total number of troops of the Fengtian Army alone exceeded 300,000!

Is this the military strength a princely vassal state could possess? In times of chaos, wouldn't such a force be enough to sweep across the world?!

This does not include the forces of Xue Zhen at Shanhaiguan, the Yan army and the Fengguo navy. If all of them were added together, wouldn’t the number be close to 500,000?

No wonder my father is wary of him, and the crown prince and other princes are afraid of him.

Now Li Che has become the person with the most power in the entire Daqing except for his father.

Nominally the head of all kings, but in reality second only to the emperor!

Li Che was also very satisfied with this. After Huo Duanxiao finished speaking, he nodded slightly and said, "Stop expanding the army for now. Fengguo already has enough troops at the moment."

Feng State originally implemented a policy of elite troops. Except for some new recruits, the combat effectiveness of these 300,000 troops far exceeded that of other soldiers of that era.

Three hundred thousand full-time soldiers with military discipline, quality, and faith, equipped with muskets, artillery, grenades and other firearms...

At least on land, Li Che couldn't think of anyone who could defeat such an army.

Even if Daqing had millions of troops, it might not be a match for the Fengtian Army today.

Today, Feng State has truly taken root outside the Great Wall and is in an invincible position.

"I stopped recruiting soldiers last month," Huo Duanxiao said. "According to your instructions, Fengguo now implements a militia system. All young people of appropriate age can join the militia if they wish, and they will undergo a month of intensive training every year during the slack season."

"If the war breaks out again, we can gather an army of one million in a very short time!"

Li Che nodded approvingly. Holding the powerful military force made him feel safe.

Of course, 300,000 active troops and one million reserve troops are by no means the limit for Fengguo.

However, with the current land output of Feng State, it can only support 300,000 people. Any more will become a burden to the people.

Thinking of this, Li Che looked at Tao Qian and asked, "How is the autumn harvest? Is Fengguo still well fed?"

Tao Qian was only responsible for farming.

This old minister has been studying agronomy all his life, and only now in Fengguo has he truly found his own path.

At this moment, his cloudy eyes were sparkling: "Amazing, amazing!"

"Especially the crop called corn. It is sweet and juicy, extremely filling, and its yield is beyond my imagination!"

Tao Qian looked regretful and said, "There are too few seeds planted. I can only take them all back from the people and pick out the best seeds to use as crops for next year."

Li Che smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Tao. The number of people in Fengguo is increasing. Next year, we will have more arable land to plant corn. When we have enough reserves, we can also share some of it with the people."

Tao Qian nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, the yields of soybeans and other vegetables are not bad. As for the cotton you specifically mentioned, I have saved the seeds and will let the people plant them after the spring."

"We won't have to plant soybeans next year," Li Che mused. "In fact, this time when I went to Southeast Asia, I found a kind of food called sweet potatoes, which has a much higher yield than corn."

Tao Qian was shocked and said, "How could there be such a grain in the world, with a yield higher than corn?!"

"I saw with my own eyes that a single vine yielded three pounds of fruit, all of which were edible. The yield is at least ten times that of rice!"

"Immortal food! This is the food of the immortals!"

Tao Qian's face flushed immediately. He looked so excited that Li Che was afraid that he would not be able to catch his breath and pass out.

Li Che quickly changed the subject: "Mr. Tao, how is the construction of the greenhouse going?"

"Your Highness, rest assured. With the help of scholars, the Ministry of Agriculture has built several experimental greenhouses using glass, allowing for cultivation even in winter."

Seeing Tao Qian gradually recovering, Li Che also breathed a sigh of relief:

"That's good. Plant some of the sweet potatoes in the greenhouse first, and store the rest properly. After a while, Mr. Tao will be able to see the yield of the sweet potatoes with his own eyes."

Tao Qian smiled and said, "I, this old minister, can't wait any longer."

Li Che looked at Li Lin and said, "These are the things I asked you to bring to the imperial capital: sweet potatoes, corn, and cotton. Each one of them can change the fate of Daqing."

"You must explain the pros and cons to your father. These crops must be properly preserved and must not be leaked."

Li Lin was horrified: "You want to offer this divine object to my father?"

"It's not for my father," Li Che shook his head. "It's for the people of the world. The sooner we promote this in Daqing, the fewer people will starve to death. This will benefit the world."

Upon hearing this, Tao Qian immediately exclaimed: "Your Highness is wise and has such a kind heart. It is a blessing for the country, the people of Daqing, and the whole world!"

It’s no wonder that Tao Qian was so excited. Li Che’s words were completely in line with the Taoyuan School’s ideas.

Providing food to the people of the world, no one in Daqing would starve to death from then on. This was a great merit that saved countless lives.

Li Lin also knew the seriousness of the matter and said seriously, "Don't worry, I will definitely send them to Father safely."

Li Che shook his head: "You alone are not enough. I will send an army to accompany you and protect your safety."

Li Lin also knew that this trip was dangerous, and there was no reason for him and Li Che to be polite.

He thought for a moment and then said directly, "Just lend me half of your personal guard battalion."

Li Che shook his head and said, "Don't even think about the personal guard camp. My personal guards are only responsible for protecting my safety. Asking them to leave me to protect you will make them anxious and restless, and they won't be able to exert even 50% of their strength."

The personal guards were all loyal to Li Che. They had not undergone any ideological education from the political commissars, and the only thing that drove them to fight tenaciously was their loyalty to Li Che.

This loyalty has even evolved into fanaticism. Only when they are with Li Che can these guards exert their strongest strength.

Li Che even had a weird idea that if he was forced into a desperate situation one day, he could try to charge into the enemy camp alone and then commit suicide.

These loyal guards would inevitably enter their final state, explode directly, and then transform into hundreds of 'Cloud Furies', crushing any enemy with their mortal bodies.

Of course, the method is a good one, but it is a bit life-threatening to implement...