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

The morning light was just breaking, and the dry grass on both sides of the dirt road was rustling. As we headed north, the coldness grew stronger.

A carriage rolled over dead branches and leaves, heading further north, and the air became increasingly cold.

Today, Li Che rarely rode a horse. He sat opposite Qian Bin in the carriage, with Qiu Wen serving on the side.

Qian Bin placed a piece and saw Li Che staring at the chessboard absentmindedly, his brows slightly furrowed, so he asked:

"Your Highness, is there something bothering you?"

Li Che came back to his senses and sighed, "The closer we get to Shanhaiguan, the more uneasy I feel. I always feel that I am not well prepared."

Qian Bin smiled and said, "Your Highness, if you have any concerns, please don't keep them to yourself. Feel free to speak frankly. I'd love to hear your details."

"It's just a little sad. Even for someone like Fourth Brother, his territory isn't peaceful. There are still restless people causing trouble. This shows how difficult it is to govern a region. I was too naive at first."

As Qian Bin placed his pieces, he began to advise, "Then, Your Highness, what aspects do you think are necessary to manage the affairs of a place?"

Li Che thought for a moment and said, "We need to tackle the five aspects of military, politics, agriculture, industry, and commerce simultaneously."

"Yes, very insightful." Qian Bin clapped his hands in praise. "Then how much have you accomplished now, Your Highness?"

Li Che gave a wry smile. "The army is newly established, and its organization is incomplete. Most battalion-level officers are temporarily replaced by captains. Military and political affairs can only be considered to be in their infancy. As for government affairs, we have not yet reached the fiefdom, so we have not encountered any specific problems. However, there are very few literate people under my command, and I am afraid they are not up to the task. As for agriculture, industry, and commerce, there is no way to talk about it. Only craftsmen are sufficient, and agriculture and commerce have not even formed a basic scale."

"So, the army under my command is actually quite outstanding and the only one I can show off."

Qian Bin shook his head helplessly: "Your Highness's concerns are too far-reaching. I am just a mathematics teacher and cannot help Your Highness much."

"But in my humble opinion, what Your Highness needs most right now is a strategist who can plan and strategize!"

After hearing Qian Bin's words, Li Che suddenly understood.

Yes, what I lack is a strategist like Zhuge Kongming, who has great talent and can plan strategies!

People like Qian Bin are all professional talents and are more than qualified to be in charge of a department.

But when it comes to coordinating the overall situation and winning a battle thousands of miles away, there is still some lack of skills.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. There are tens of thousands of exiled prisoners in Ninggu County, and among them there must be the wise and resourceful people Your Highness needs." Qian Bin comforted him.

Li Che nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved.

After casually pressing down a piece, he said with a confident smile: "Master Qian, you lose."

Qian Bin stared at the chessboard with wide eyes, the smile on his face gradually disappearing: "Huh?"

How could this guy just connect five chess pieces together and say I lost?

. . . . . .

Shanhaiguan is sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, and is the only vital throat from the Central Plains to the outside of the pass.

In the third year of Taishi in the Daqing period, Emperor Qing ordered Duke of Wei Xue Zhong to lead an army to the north. The barbarians were frightened and fled, and never dared to look south from then on.

Afterwards, Xue Zhong was ordered to build a pass and set up defenses here. Because it is backed by Yanshan Mountain in the north and faces Bohai Sea in the south, it was named Shanhaiguan.

As the first important road to the northern barbarians, Shanhaiguan has always been guarded by generals of the Xue family.

On that day, Xue Zhen was discussing matters in his mansion when he suddenly heard a hurried bell ringing from the direction of the city wall. He stood up suddenly and ran quickly to the top of the city wall.

On the city wall, the defenders had already heard the sound and were preparing for battle in a tense and orderly manner.

"Quick, quick, close the city gates!"

"Crossbow loaded, ready to meet the enemy!!"

"All troops put on their armor and defend the city!"

Seeing Xue Zhen approaching, the deputy general on duty quickly came over and reported:

"General, scouts report that a force of approximately 10,000 people has been spotted heading towards the pass from the south."

"There are many horses in the team, about half of them are cavalry, but we are still far away and can't see the flags clearly."

Xue Zhen nodded slightly and looked into the distance, only to see a dark shadow vaguely appearing on the horizon, slowly moving towards Shanhaiguan.

"Could it be the Prince of Yan's army?" The deputy general looked puzzled. "Who else but the Prince of Yan could have such a large cavalry? But why would the Prince of Yan come to us if he's not stationed in Yan territory?"

Xue Zhen shook his head slightly: "In my opinion, the one coming is not the Prince of Yan, but the Prince of Ninggu."

"Prince Ninggu?!" The deputy general's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is this possible? Didn't the news from the capital say that Prince Ninggu wasn't favored by His Majesty and only brought a thousand-plus criminal troops with him to his vassalage?"

Xue Zhen had no answer to the deputy general's question.

He really couldn't imagine how a vassal king who was not even a prince could expand his team tenfold in such a short time.

But there is no need to understand all this. As a military general guarding the border, the most taboo thing is to be involved with the vassal kings.

Soon, the troops gradually approached, and a soldier with good eyesight recognized the words on the king's flag:

"General, this is the banner of the Prince of Ninggu!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the defenders were in an uproar.

Ordinary soldiers were not as well-informed as the generals. They had never even heard of the name of Prince Ninggu, let alone why he led his troops here.

But they knew that after leaving Shanhaiguan and going a little further north, there was a place called Ninggu County, which was nominally also a territory of Daqing.

"quiet!"

Deputy General Xue Zhen shouted, and the noise on the city wall gradually dissipated.

He turned to look at Xue Zhen beside him and asked tentatively, "General, since the Prince of Ninggu is here in person, should we open the city gates and welcome him in?"

Xue Zhen's face was expressionless. He glanced at the troops with fluttering flags below the city and asked, "What are our responsibilities in guarding Shanhaiguan?"

The deputy general answered without hesitation: "Of course, it is to resist the enemies outside the Great Wall and protect our Daqing territory!"

"Then, who are the enemies outside the pass?" Xue Zhen's tone was calm, but it struck the deputy general's heart like a huge bell.

"Of course it's barbaric..." The deputy general's voice stopped abruptly, and cold sweat seeped out of his forehead.

Enemies outside the Great Wall...

Ninggu County is also outside the Great Wall.

These border troops, while guarding against the barbarians, also have the responsibility to monitor the Prince of Ninggu!

Looking at Xue Zhen's calm expression, the deputy general didn't dare to think any further and only felt a chill on his back.

If I had rashly opened the city gate and welcomed Prince Ninggu into the country, wouldn't that have confirmed the accusation that the border troops were colluding with the vassal kings?

If that arouses His Majesty's suspicion, my position as deputy general will be over.

"Once Prince Ninggu arrives, we must conduct a strict investigation to ensure there are no mistakes."

Xue Zhen looked up at the sky with an indifferent tone.

"It's getting late. Even if his identity is confirmed, we can't let him out today."