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

Li Che naturally noticed his father-in-law's predicament, and it was not good to let him lose face.

He coughed lightly, his gaze passed over the embarrassed Chang Pan and fell directly on Yang Lian:

"Mr. Yang, please announce the decree."

Yang Lian had been in the officialdom for decades and was well aware of the importance of the King Feng in front of him, so he would not care about such trivial matters.

He immediately adjusted his attitude and pretended he saw nothing.

He cleared his throat, held up the imperial edict with both hands, and began to read it in an official tone full of rhythm and majesty:

"The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, and the edict says:"

"In governing the country and maintaining its security, I place the highest priority on protecting the frontiers. I serve Prince Li Che, a man of wisdom, determination, and fortitude, who has long been renowned for his meritorious service.

He led a strong army across the sea to the east to wipe out the Japanese invasion, recover the four islands of Japan, spread the country's prestige overseas, and put an end to the war in the East China Sea.

This is a great achievement for the country and will benefit future generations. I am deeply pleased and would like to congratulate you for your special contribution!"

Yang Lian's voice echoed in the hall, describing Li Che's achievements in conquering Japan with gorgeous words.

No matter how rebellious Wang Sanchun, Qu Jinshan, Xue Zhen and other generals behind Li Che were, when they heard the emperor personally affirm the glorious military achievements of the Fengtian Army, their chests could not help but stand taller and their faces showed a look of pride.

"Yes," Yang Lian changed the subject, his tone becoming serious:

"The Wa land was just pacified, and the Emishi were newly annexed.

The territory of Feng State borders the bitter cold wilderness in the north and the vast ocean in the east. It is vast and stretches across land and sea.

I am well aware of the difficulty of the Fengtian Army in controlling the territory and defending against foreign enemies.

I remember your loyalty and diligence, understand your hard work, and worry that you alone cannot carry the burden and that the border may be lost."

Hearing this, Li Che's eyes narrowed slightly.

The foreshadowing is over, now comes the main topic!

"Special decree!"

"Xue Zhen, the defender of Shanhaiguan, is a man of commendable loyalty and bravery. He has guarded the pass for a long time and has made great contributions.

From now on, all the troops, defenses, and passes in Shanhaiguan will be under the command of Prince Feng Li Che!

Xue Zhen has been promoted to General of Mountains and Seas. He must obey the king's orders and guard the borders for the country without fail!"

Xue Zhen swallowed, his eyes filled with excitement.

Finally... I finally got a permanent position, and I finally got the credit for being a follower of the dragon!

If I don't get a regular job soon, I'll see that Xue Wei's contribution will surpass mine, even though I was the one who came here first!

Yang Lian glanced at Xue Wei and continued:

"To consolidate the northern border and protect the people.

Fifty thousand elite garrison troops were specially drawn from the four northern states of You, Bing, Ji and Shuo.

Duke Chang Pan of Zheng is appointed as the commander-in-chief, and he is to set out today and move to the territory of Feng State, and be under the command of Prince Li Che of Feng State!

Chang Pan should cooperate with the king, train the army and defend the northern lands!"

Chang Pan obviously knew this decree in advance and did not show too much excitement.

As for working under your own son-in-law, would it be embarrassing?

Tokiwa said absolutely not!

If it were an ordinary son-in-law, he would never agree to it even if it meant beating himself to death, as he couldn't afford to lose face.

But who is Li Che? Anyone with a discerning eye knows that Li Che is the successor appointed by Emperor Qing and the future master of Daqing!

Sooner or later you will have to beg for food from others. You just came early, so what's there to be embarrassed about?

Yang Lian paused, then read the rest of the imperial edict in one breath:

"I hope the king will understand my painstaking efforts, be grateful for the grace of heaven, guard against arrogance and impatience, and take good care of the military and civilians.

Externally, we should prepare our troops and horses, intimidate the various vassal states, resist foreign aggression, and make the villains dare not raise their eyebrows.

Internally, we must protect the territory and the people, pacify the local areas, enable the people to live and work in peace and contentment, and ensure the eternal security of the north!"

"Appreciate this!"

After the imperial edict was read, Yang Lian rolled it up and held it in his hands towards Li Che:

"Your Highness, please accept the order."

The hall was silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Che.

Li Che's brain was working rapidly, and he quickly weighed the pros and cons.

Complete control of Shanhaiguan is a huge benefit, and the addition of 50,000 elite troops also enhances the strength of the Fengtian Army.

Overall, this imperial edict has more advantages than disadvantages, but Li Che has a vague feeling that Emperor Qing's move seems to have deeper meaning, but he cannot see through it at the moment.

But it was obviously not the right time to think too much. He did not immediately accept the imperial edict, but bowed solemnly to Yang Lian:

"Your son, Li Che, thanks your father for his grace!"

"Your Majesty, your father, is profoundly thoughtful and considerate of your difficult situation. I am deeply grateful and deeply moved!"

"I will follow your father's teachings and live up to his trust!"

Yang Lian felt relieved when he saw Li Che's respectful attitude and appropriate words.

He silently wrote down Li Che's words, ready to repeat them to His Majesty word for word when the time comes.

Letting Your Majesty know Prince Feng’s filial piety through my own mouth will be a good thing for myself, Prince Feng, and Your Majesty.

As for the idea of ​​a minister refusing to bow to an emperor's order... huh? Is that true?

Yang Lian is certainly not a fool to have reached his current position.

Of course, even if you know something clearly, there is no need to speak it out.

It was similar to what Chang Pan thought. Sooner or later, he would have to beg for food under King Feng, so he had to make plans early.

Yang Lian's smile widened as he handed over the imperial edict again: "Your Highness is loyal and filial. Your Majesty will be pleased to hear this. Please accept this order."

Li Che respectfully reached out and took the imperial edict.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Everyone in the hall reacted at this moment and congratulated in unison, and the atmosphere became lively.

After the greetings, Yang Lian tactfully stood up and took his leave, leaving Emperor Li Che and his ministers some space to be alone.

"Lord Yang," Li Che said, smiling warmly. "You've had a hard time on your journey. Please stay in Dalian for a few more days. Once I've arranged military affairs, I'll host a banquet to welcome you."

Yang Lian smiled and bowed, "Your Highness is very polite. I will report your loyalty and filial piety to Your Majesty."

After Yang Lian left, the tense atmosphere in the hall instantly dissipated.

"Lao Xue! Hahaha! Now we're really one of us!"

Wang Sanchun was the first to grin, and slapped Xue Zhen's shoulder with his big hand like a palm-leaf fan, with such force that Xue Zhen staggered.

"Back when we were conquering the Khitan, we brothers wanted to bring you over. Now, His Majesty has sent you here by imperial decree! We must be very close from now on!"

"That's right!" Qu Jinshan also came forward with a bright smile on his face, "General Xue... Oh no, Commander Xue!"

"From now on, Shanhaiguan will be the southern gate of our Feng Kingdom. With you as the gate god, brothers will sleep peacefully!"

Zhang Shengxiang, as a civil official, was more reserved. He smiled and bowed, "Congratulations to General Xue for joining your Highness. Liao Province and Shanhaiguan are closely connected. I hope General Xue will continue to look after us."

Xue Zhen was surrounded by the crowd, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

After years of serving as the garrison commander of Shanhaiguan, where he was caught between the imperial court and Feng State, his career was like walking on thin ice. Now the dust has finally settled.

His face flushed red as he clasped his fists in return, "Thank you all for your kindness. Since I have entered Fengguo, I will be a soldier under your Highness's command. I will definitely work together with you all in the future!"

On the other side, Duke Zheng Chang Pan was having a pleasant conversation with Wen Zaiyin.

He has a special status, being both an important official of the court and the father-in-law of King Feng.

Although he had different civil and military identities from Feng State, it was not difficult for him to integrate into Feng State. Both civil officials and military generals would give Li Che this face.

The hall was filled with joy, with congratulations and greetings ringing in the ears.

Only Li Che, sitting in the main seat, seemed out of place.

Li Che sat on the chair above, holding the imperial edict tightly in his hand, scanning the words on the edict over and over again, as if trying to see something between the lines.

The noise in the hall seemed to have nothing to do with him. He was immersed in his own thoughts, exuding an invisible low pressure around him.

Li Lin, who had been listening in the back hall, quietly walked out, walked to Li Che's side, and asked in a low voice: "Sixth Brother, why are you so worried?"

"Isn't everything written in this imperial edict good news? Father is sending you reinforcements, and the generals leading them are all his own people."

Li Che was awakened from his thoughts by Li Lin's voice.

He raised his head, his eyes devoid of joy, “It’s because it’s too good that it’s wrong.”

"Huh?" Li Lin was stunned, a little confused, "What's wrong?"

"Fengguo's territory is so vast now, stretching from the grasslands to Shanhaiguan, and it also has to watch over overseas territories like Japan. It's true that its military strength is tight."

"Isn't it a timely help, Father, by sending you reinforcements?"

Li Che shook his head slowly: "Fengguo is short of soldiers, but it is far from the point where it needs support from the court."

"If we recruit and train ourselves, can't we gather 50,000 men? Doesn't the Emperor know this?"

Li Lin was stunned by the question and frowned: "So...what do you mean?"

Li Che stared at Li Lin with burning eyes, as if saying to himself:

"Father would never do anything meaningless."

"I thought that the emperor might give money, food, or even a few more titles, which would be normal."

"But they're sending only troops, and they're 50,000 elite northern troops, led by my father-in-law... This is completely abnormal!"

The originally noisy hall suddenly became quiet.

The smiles on the faces of Wang Sanchun, Zhang Shengxiang, Wen Zaiyin and others froze, and Xue Zhen and Chang Pan also looked thoughtful.

Li Che stood up and glanced at the many trusted ministers in the hall:

"The imperial court's soldiers are not so easy to capture."

"Father's move is definitely not simply out of sympathy for my lack of troops. There must be a deeper meaning behind it."

"Perhaps, something unexpected happened inside the pass that we are not aware of..."

Today, Li Che is no longer a political idiot and has a certain ability to think and analyze the court situation.

Emperor Qing is a shrewd and calculating emperor. Every move he makes deserves careful consideration, not to mention something as unusual as sending troops.

The imperial court's troops are probably not enough, they're sending 50,000 at once, and they're all elite...

Li Che felt that he was about to see through the truth, but he was always just a little short of grasping the key.

No matter how good a person's brain is, it is impossible to think of the overall situation, and there will inevitably be omissions.

Li Che was preparing to return to Fengtian to summon his ministers to brainstorm. There were so many smart minds in the cabinet, it would be a waste if they were not used.

Thinking of this, Li Che couldn't help but stand up: "Qiu Bai."

"Hmm?" Qiu Bai hurriedly bowed, "I'm here."

"There is no time to lose. Prepare your horses immediately. I will set off to return to Fengtian overnight."

"Ah? This...here!"