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

This thought exploded in their minds like thunder, and cold sweat instantly soaked their backs.

no! Absolutely not!

When Du Fuchen thought of this, his blood boiled and he almost spoke up immediately and risked his life to persuade him.

The old minister Huo Tao was more meticulous and responsive.

He grabbed Du Fuchen's arm and stopped his impulsive thoughts with his eyes.

But Huo Tao's heart sank to the bottom. His Majesty's thoughts have become increasingly difficult to guess over the years.

It seemed as if he had become extremely indifferent to family affection, and he had not summoned any prince back to the capital for three years.

Even with His Royal Highness Prince Feng, who is generally recognized as the most likely successor to the throne, His Majesty is not at all close to him, and he even intends to reduce Prince Feng's influence in the court.

If Your Majesty really intends to dethrone His Royal Highness Prince Feng, the only powerful vassal king in Daqing, it would be tantamount to destroying the Great Wall!

Prince Feng not only has a Feng Kingdom that is powerful enough to challenge Daqing, but also has extremely high prestige in the Daqing army, especially his roots in the north of Daqing are unfathomable.

Forcibly reducing the power of the feudal lords will inevitably lead to a huge chaos, and the entire Daqing will fall into turmoil!

This is like cutting your own flesh with a knife!

Just as Du Fuchen's face turned red and Huo Tao's thoughts raced.

Emperor Qing's hoarse voice sounded again:

"The longer the border, the more places we need to deploy troops to guard."

"It is difficult for Fengguo to continue relying on its own strength. We are afraid that we will make mistakes and be exploited by foreign enemies."

"I have decided to send additional troops from the interior to Feng State to jointly garrison the newly expanded territory and relieve the pressure on Feng State's borders."

Du Fuchen and Huo Tao's pupils shrank sharply and their hearts were shocked.

Send more troops?!

It's over! His Majesty is really going to take action against Prince Feng!

Once the central government's troops entered King Feng's territory in large numbers, conflict was almost inevitable.

Du Fuchen could no longer hold back and broke free from Huo Tao's hand: "Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable! His Royal Highness the Prince..."

Before he finished speaking, Emperor Qing seemed not to notice Du Fuchen's excitement and continued to speak:

"You two nobles suggest that General Xue Zhen of Shanhaiguan lead his 30,000 elite border troops and transfer them to the Feng State, placing them under the command of Prince Feng."

"At the same time, the Ministry of War has issued a letter to the four northern prefectures of You, Ji, Bing, and Shuo, drawing on their elite city defense forces to form a new army of 50,000 men. They will be sent together and placed under the unified command of King Feng to fill the defense gaps in Wa, Baekje, and other regions."

"How about this arrangement..."

Du Fuchen and Huo Tao seemed to be under a spell, completely frozen in place.

The shock and anxiety on their faces froze in an instant, replaced by confusion, an emotion rarely seen in the two prime ministers.

This...what kind of method is this?

Everyone knows that Xue Zhen, the general of Shanhaiguan, has been out of the central command for a long time and has sent troops to support Prince Feng many times. It can be said that he is already Prince Feng's trusted and beloved general.

Let him take his 30,000 elite border troops and merge into Feng State?

This is not just adding sand, it is clearly welding a piece of iron plate directly to Prince Feng.

The four northern states are precisely the bases where Prince Feng and Prince Yan Li Lin have been operating for many years.

Especially the two states of You and Ji, which can be regarded as the rear base of Feng State.

A few years ago, Prince Feng used thundering means to purge the disobedient aristocratic families in the north. The remaining local forces were either tamed or became die-hard supporters of Prince Feng and Prince Yan.

Elite city defense troops were drawn from these places to form a new army of 50,000 and put under the command of Prince Feng... This was almost equivalent to packing up the entire northern hinterland and giving it to Prince Feng.

Your Majesty is doing his utmost to support Prince Feng in consolidating his rule in the newly expanded territory.

Emperor Qing finally raised his head and swept his turbid eyes over the two stunned ministers.

Seeing the unconcealable shock on their faces, the corners of their mouths seemed to twitch upwards ever so slightly, so quickly that it seemed like an illusion.

"Why? Do you two nobles have any objections to this proposal?"

After all, Huo Tao was an experienced and wise minister. He was the first to recover from the huge shock and forced himself to suppress the huge waves in his heart.

Your Majesty's action seems to have a flavor of... entrusting an orphan to someone else.

Acting in this way is tantamount to making the attitude of supporting King Feng public.

However, the court is now under the control of Your Majesty. If you really want to support Prince Feng to ascend the throne, there is no need to do this. You can just issue an order to depose the crown prince and appoint a new one.

Your Majesty...who are you guarding against?

He quickly gathered his thoughts and spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty is a man of profound consideration. Xue Zhen's troops have been stationed at Shanhaiguan for many years. They are familiar with the border situation and have formidable combat capabilities."

"Transferring it to Feng State will greatly enhance the land defense capabilities of the newly expanded sea borders and deter rogues."

"Moreover, General Xue and His Royal Highness Prince Feng have always had a comrade-in-arms relationship. They are of one mind and will command without any hindrance. This is the best choice."

Huo Tao first confirmed Xue Zhen's deployment, then changed the subject: "But... after Xue's troops are relocated, Shanhaiguan will be the gateway to the capital. Who will take over its defense?"

"This is a critical matter. Your Majesty must make careful arrangements."

Emperor Qing nodded slightly. "Shanhai Pass is no longer Daqing's frontier. Is it still necessary to station troops there? Give them to the Sixth Brother."

Du and Huo were even more shocked when they heard this.

This is to open the door to Daqing and completely ignore the defense of Feng State.

Although the imperial court had long lost control of the Shanhaiguan army, it was at least still under the imperial court's control on paper.

Your Majesty's move may seem like just a favor to Prince Feng, but the attitude it conveys is enough to shock the court and the public.

Huo Tao understood. He continued, "The 50,000 new troops drawn from the four northern states come from various states and counties, and their organizational structure is mixed. Who will lead them?"

"Where will their food, wages, and weapons be supplied? If they are directly placed under the command of King Feng, I'm afraid we need to clarify the responsibilities and powers to avoid future constraints."

Compared with Shanhaiguan, this is the key.

Fifty thousand people is not a small number. The command and logistical supply rights are directly related to the actual control of this army.

Du Fuchen also woke up from his initial shock at this moment.

He saw clearly that Emperor Qing's real intention was not to reduce the power of the vassal states, but to strengthen the power of Prince Feng in order to stabilize the new border.

He immediately said, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Huo is absolutely right. Fifty thousand new troops are no small matter."

"If the leadership is not human and the orders are inconsistent, not only will it not be helpful, but it will become a burden."

"I believe that we should choose a veteran commander who is well-known for his prestige and has a good relationship with His Royal Highness, so that he can be used like an arm."

"For food, wages, and weapons, the Central Government and Fengguo also need to clarify the regulations to ensure a safe supply."

Du Fuchen was subtly suggesting that the commander must be someone trusted by the king, otherwise it would be useless to send him.

Emperor Qing seemed to have considered these questions long ago and gave a direct answer: "As for the leader, I think Duke Zheng Chang Pan is very suitable."