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

These words were so powerful that Zhuge Zhe and the others were filled with admiration.

"Your Highness is wise!" the four responded in unison.

"Let's follow your advice," Li Che said. "Ziyuan, you will personally write the memorial to the court. Make sure your words are righteous and stern, neither servile nor overbearing."

Zhuge Zhe: "I obey your command."

"Master Qian, you will be in charge of expanding border trade and transporting supplies. You must do it well, demonstrating respect and gaining real benefits."

"Leave it to me."

"Wenqing, the responsibility of intimidating the tribes and controlling their movements will be handed over to you. As for Zhengze..."

Li Che finally looked at Huo Duanxiao and said, "Although it is deep winter now, we must not relax our military preparations. Send out orders to all passes and forts to send out additional scouts to closely monitor the movements of the various tribes, especially those of the Northern Hu and Shiwei. Although the imperial capital may be in chaos, the gates of our country must be as strong as an iron barrel!"

"I obey your command!" Huo Duanxiao bowed.

The main business was settled and the atmosphere in the hall eased slightly.

Li Che changed the subject and asked, "Master Qian, this winter is very cold. How about implementing the plan for the people to keep warm?"

Qian Bin immediately replied, "Your Highness, before winter comes, I have issued strict orders to all provinces to complete the reinforcement and repair of houses. The necessary wood, lime, straw mats, and other materials will be provided by the government at a uniform price, and the cost of the work will be largely subsidized by the government treasury."

"According to the latest reports from the various state governments, over 95% of the projects have been completed on schedule. The tragedy that occurred in Chaoyang City last year will definitely not happen again."

"What about the distribution of honeycomb coal?" Li Che asked.

"According to His Highness's decree, the price of honeycomb coal for civilians this winter will be reduced by another 15%. Widows, widowers, orphans, and families of soldiers and martyrs will receive a quota of coal free of charge upon presentation of their household registration certificates. Each province has established affordable coal shops and free distribution points, and has assigned special personnel to oversee and supervise them."

"Well, people's livelihood is no small matter, especially keeping warm during the winter. It concerns human lives and people's hearts, so we must not slack off." Li Che urged, "If there are any difficulties, please report them in time, and the treasury will provide full support."

"I understand!" Qian Bin responded solemnly.

"Zhengze, the shipyard?" Li Che looked at Huo Duanxiao.

Huo Duanxiao bowed, "Your Highness, the new shipyard at the mouth of the Yalu River has begun to take shape. Together with the shipyard in Dalian, four clippers have already begun construction. The shipyard's craftsmen, recruited from Jiangnan and Fujian, along with the skilled shipbuilders from Goryeo, are working together to achieve excellent results."

"However, building such a warship is extremely expensive... colleagues from various departments have expressed dissatisfaction."

Li Che shook his head and said, "The navy is the foundation for Fengguo's future maritime development, deterrence of Japanese pirates, and communication with southern Xinjiang. As the king has said before, the Ministry of Revenue will give priority to allocating the money and materials needed for the shipyard, and there will be no shortage."

How could Li Che not know that building a ship costs a lot, but some money has to be spent.

Now that winter has arrived, it is not a good time to start a war. After the spring comes, it will be a good opportunity to start a war again.

Li Che has been tolerating those little dwarfs in the east for two years.

It has been two years and I still haven't made a living. If the time travelers had a group chat, I'm afraid they would laugh at me to death, right?

Moreover, the purpose of conquering Japan was not only revenge. Although those islands were located in an earthquake zone, they were rich in gold and silver minerals.

When the Fengtian Army lands on the island, they will kill half of them first, and use the other half as miners to produce the silver that Daqing desperately needs, and the Fengtian Kingdom will never be short of money again.

I can also transform myself from the protagonist of a historical article to the protagonist of a super-rich article!

Thinking of this, a cold light flashed in Li Che's eyes: "The Ministry of Revenue must ensure the supply at all costs! If necessary, we can use the name of 'trade and friendship' to trade directly with Luzon and Champa!"

Li Sheng had already arrived in Champa and brought back Champa rice.

The Champa king was also a timid man. When he heard that the Fengtian Army had destroyed the Portuguese fleet, he was frightened and surrendered immediately without any threat from Li Sheng.

Although Champa and Luzon are small countries, the wealth accumulated by their royal families over hundreds of years cannot be underestimated.

As a good friend, Li Che asked them to lend him some money for emergency. Presumably, the two kings would not dare to... ahem, they wouldn't be so stingy, right?

"Yes!" Qian Bin and Huo Duanxiao answered at the same time.

"Also," Huo Duanxiao added, "Donghu border scouts report that with the onset of winter, the grasslands have been hit by severe snow and wind, and many cattle and sheep have frozen to death. General Yue, seeking to expand his victory, has advanced deep into the heart of the grasslands and has not been in touch with us for some time."

"Zilong is not such a reckless person." Li Che raised his eyebrows slightly, "How long has it been?"

"It's been a month. If you count the time it took to pass on the message, it's probably been two months." Huo Duanxiao replied.

"Hmm." Li Che pondered for a moment, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes, "Wait a little longer. If there is no news, we will send troops to search."

. . . . . .

The north wind was as sharp as a knife, sweeping up the dead grass and snow foam, making them swirl miserably under the lead-gray sky.

In this dead and silent wasteland, a Beihu camp has been trampled into ruins.

The charred remains of the tent were still emitting wisps of blue smoke, and broken arrows, broken scimitars, and scattered leather bags were everywhere.

The frozen pool of blood was a strange dark purple color, covered with a thin layer of white frost.

Several war horses that had lost their masters wandered aimlessly on the edge of the ruins, uttering low mournful cries.

Teams of Fengguo cavalry, clad in dark iron armor and heavy, bright red cloaks, passed through the ruins. Their faces were hard, their armor caked with dark red ice and blood, and their breath condensed into frost beneath their helmets.

Yue Yun reined in his horse and stood on a slightly higher slope. He had already taken off his helmet, revealing a sharp-edged face.

The scar on his brow bone was still oozing blood, but it couldn't hide his sharp eyes at all.

Deputy General Li Leshi galloped over on his horse and pulled the reins in front of Yue Yun's horse.

"General!" Li Leshi's voice was hoarse, exhausted from the fierce battle. "In this battle, we beheaded 738 people, captured over 400 women and children, and captured over a thousand cattle, sheep, and horses! Our army lost... 107 cavalrymen, 42 seriously wounded, and not counting the minor injuries."

Yue Yun's eyes swept over the soldiers in the distance who were collecting the remains of their comrades. He nodded slightly, a flash of regret on his face. "Yes, I understand."

He had expected these losses.

Going deep into this bitter and cold land, fighting with the ferocious Northern Hu tribe, every victory was watered with blood.

His gaze passed the still smoking ruins of the camp and looked into the distance.

On the horizon where the gray sky meets the withered yellow grassland, a towering and huge mountain stands silently.

The mountain top is covered with white snow, the mountain is steep and dangerous, with a sense of loneliness and oppression.

"Engrave the stone." Yue Yun's voice was low and clear. "What mountain is that in front of us?"

Li Leshi followed Yue Yun's gaze and saw that the mountain shadows were indeed imposing.

He frowned slightly, obviously not knowing the name either, and shouted to the soldier guarding the prisoners not far behind him: "Bring us a living person who can speak Xia language!"

Soon, a surrendered Beihu soldier with his hands tied behind his back was roughly pushed in front of Yue Yun's horse by two Fengguo cavalrymen.

The surrendered soldier was obviously frightened, his whole body shaking like a sieve. He fell to his knees on the cold frozen ground with a thud, not daring to raise his head.

Li Leshi shouted in a blunt Hu dialect:

"Tell me! What's the name of that big mountain ahead?!"

The surrendered soldier shuddered suddenly, raised his blood-stained face with difficulty, and looked in the direction Li Leshi pointed, towards the towering snow-capped mountain.

When his eyes fell upon the mountain shadow that was so familiar that it was engraved into his soul, an indescribable light suddenly burst out from his turbid eyes.

His lips trembled violently and a strange sound came from his throat, as if the name of the mountain carried some kind of forbidden power that made it difficult for him to speak.

Under Yue Yun's cold gaze, the surrendered soldier finally used up all his strength and uttered a few syllables in a voice that was almost crying:

"Wolf, Wolf Mountain, that...that is our tribe's sacred mountain, Wolf Mountain!"