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

According to Yang Xuan's report, the Fengguo naval fleet had arrived at the Yangtze River waterway outside Zhenjiang Prefecture a day ago.

However, the government of Zhenjiang City was clearly controlled by the aristocratic families.

Faced with the sudden appearance of the huge fleet, local officials took a tough stance and used various excuses to strictly prohibit the fleet from approaching the port and forbid any personnel from going ashore.

Although Li Sheng, who led the army, was concerned about Li Che's safety, he was unwilling to suddenly conflict with the local forces when the situation was unclear.

He had no choice but to order the fleet to drop anchor in the river far away and wait and see what would happen.

At the same time, a large number of scouts were sent out to closely monitor the movements in the direction of the imperial capital.

Until late last night, the situation changed suddenly.

The scouts on lookout were horrified to find flames rising into the sky from the direction of the imperial capital, illuminating half of the night sky red. Immediately afterwards, several flares rose into the sky and exploded with conspicuous tails of flame.

Seeing this, Li Sheng immediately concluded that something terrible must have happened to Li Che in the imperial capital.

Eager to save his lord, he no longer had any scruples and immediately issued the order to launch a violent attack!

The Fengtian Navy is the elite among the Fengtian Army, and its equipment is the best among the Fengtian Army.

On the warships, sailors and soldiers were all equipped with the latest muskets, and a large number of heavy artillery were also carried.

Following Li Sheng's order, the fleet adjusted its sails, approached the port, and opened fire.

Had the Zhenjiang defenders ever seen such a devastating scene?

After several rounds of violent volleys, the port defenders were completely scared out of their wits and the defense system collapsed.

As the artillery fire extended, Yang Xuan personally led the Marine Battalion and rushed straight to the shore in assault boats.

There was almost no decent resistance during the landing process. The frightened defenders either knelt down and begged for mercy, or abandoned their weapons and fled.

Yang Xuan immediately launched an assault on Zhenjiang City. The defenders in the city only put up a weak symbolic resistance before completely collapsing.

In less than half a day, the Fengtian Army's battle flag was hoisted on the top of Zhenjiang City.

The next step was to eliminate the remaining enemies and take full control of the city defense.

By dusk, the entire Zhenjiang City garrison was completely disarmed and under control, and order in the city was initially stabilized.

Yang Xuan did not stop for a moment and immediately called a team of elite cavalry to go out of the city to search for support.

Unexpectedly, it went so smoothly and I met Li Che here.

After hearing what Yang Xuan said, Li Che and Li Lin couldn't help but look at each other.

It has to be our own Fengtian Army, and the martial virtues are abundant.

I was still racking my brains over how to outsmart and deceive the defenders, but they simply broke through with force and took down the entire city.

"Good!" Li Che clapped his hands in praise. "Pass the order down. Everyone should immediately enter Zhenjiang City to rest and recuperate. The wounded should be treated as soon as possible. All units should take inventory of personnel and supplies!"

"Tomorrow morning, the fleet will set sail and return to Fengguo, so as to avoid any more troubles!"

It is absolutely safe to recuperate in Zhenjiang City.

This city is adjacent to the imperial capital and is an important hub in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It has high and thick city walls and complete defensive facilities.

Even if the imperial capital reacted and sent a large army to besiege the city, it would not be possible to capture it in a short period of time due to the fire support of the city defense and the naval fleet.

The people who rushed out of the imperial capital were already exhausted. If they did not rest well for a night, they might not be able to withstand the wind and waves on the sea.

The army set out and entered Zhenjiang City.

On the top of the city wall, the original flags of the government army had long disappeared, replaced by the black and red flags of the Fengtian Army fluttering in the wind.

The Fengtian Army has always had strict military discipline, especially when it comes to the civilians in the areas under its control, where they have an iron rule of not harming even the slightest bit.

Therefore, although the streets in the city seemed a little deserted, there were no signs of unrest.

Most of the shops were closed, and occasionally some brave people would secretly look at the army entering the city through the gaps in the doors and windows with doubtful and slightly fearful eyes.

Walking on the bluestone-paved streets, Li Che looked at this majestic city that controlled the river and couldn't help but sigh:

"It is truly a strategic river port location blessed by nature, with convenient water transportation, and commerce is bound to flourish."

"No wonder every dynasty has worked so hard to develop the canal. Once it's open, goods from the north and south will converge here, and it's hard not to think this place will prosper."

Li Lin, who was standing by, chuckled and said, "Since Sixth Brother is so optimistic about this place, and now that the city is in our hands, would you like to leave some troops to garrison it?"

"Using this as a wedge will make it easier to travel south in the future."

Li Che shook his head without hesitation: "Fourth brother, I can't keep it."

"This place is too close to the imperial capital, deep in enemy territory, and the defense pressure is extremely high."

"We are alone deep in our territory, and logistical supplies are difficult to maintain. Once the rebels recover and mobilize land and sea forces to block the river, this place will immediately become an isolated city, and the soldiers left behind will be like turtles in a jar."

Li Lin thought about it for a moment and understood the pros and cons. He nodded and said, "If that's the case, then this trip can't be in vain."

"We simply took this opportunity to raid the government warehouses of the wealthy families in the city who were colluding with the aristocratic families. We loaded all the gold, silver, and grain we could take with us onto ships, and the ones we couldn't take with us..."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Distributing it to the poor people in the city will not only replenish our army's supplies, but also win over some people and create trouble for those traitors!"

Li Che couldn't help but burst into laughter when he heard this, and patted Li Lin on the shoulder: "Fourth brother, fourth brother, your thinking is becoming more and more like my style of serving the country!"

"Let's follow this plan and let Qiu Bai do it. Make sure it's quick, accurate, and steady!"

"Report——"

At this moment, a scout in front turned back on his horse, came closer, reined in his horse and reported:

"Your Highness, there are several monks blocking the road at the street corner ahead, demanding to see you."

"Monk?" Li Che raised his eyebrows slightly, "What's the matter?"

The scouts reported back, "They claim to be monks from Baochan Temple in the city. The leader claims the abbot is a highly accomplished monk. We've long heard of Your Highness's virtuous reputation and would like to invite Your Highness to visit the temple for a chat."

Li Che looked up in the direction pointed by the scout, and sure enough, he saw a large temple nestled against the mountains and beside the water not far away.

The red walls and golden tiles are hidden in the shade of trees, and the melodious sound of bells in the twilight creates a solemn and majestic atmosphere.

Li Lin looked at Li Che doubtfully: "Sixth Brother, when have you ever dealt with these monks?"

Li Che shook his head slowly.

He himself is a time traveler and has always kept his distance from matters related to gods and Buddhas.

Even in the original body's memory, there was no preference for worshiping Buddha or chanting scriptures.

On the contrary, the late Emperor Qing seemed to have great respect and care for Buddhism and had a very good impression of it.

At this time, Yang Xuan rode over and said cautiously, "Your Highness, the situation in the city has just been stabilized and is still unclear."

"I think it's best to avoid unnecessary complications. We should rest properly at the government office and board the ship as soon as possible tomorrow."

The other generals also echoed.

Li Che pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "No problem, since the other party has invited me with courtesy, and he is a monk, I will go and see what this monk has to say."

“Perhaps, there will be some unexpected gains.”

He had his own thoughts in mind, and it might not be a coincidence that he met a monk here.

Buddhism has been popular in the Central Plains for a long time, so it must be useful.

Li Che's thinking is increasingly leaning towards that of a ruler. Even though he has a mediocre impression of Buddhism, he still has to make use of it.

So, the group changed direction slightly and headed towards the Baochan Temple.

As we got closer, we felt that this temple had an extraordinary atmosphere.

The mountain gate is tall, the halls are numerous, and the incense seems to be extremely prosperous.

Even when the city was in chaos, monks could still be seen moving around in the temple, probably no less than a hundred of them.

The Buddha statues enshrined in the main hall are majestic and solemn, with golden bodies shining brightly.

Even Li Lin couldn't help but murmur in admiration: "What a prosperous incense! It seems that the abbot here is perhaps a truly virtuous and eminent monk."

Li Che smiled but said nothing.

When did the level of one’s Buddhist practice become equated with the size of a temple and the splendor of the Buddha statues?

He has no prejudice against this and knows that there are good and bad people in every group.

There are definitely people in Buddhism who practice purity and do good deeds, but there are also those who use Buddhism to make money and whose six senses are impure.

As I entered the hall, I saw an old monk wearing an embroidered robe and with a gaunt face sitting upright on a cushion, chanting scriptures with his eyes closed.

The most eye-catching thing is the twelve neatly burnt scars on his head.

Seeing this, Li Che's expression became a little more serious.

He knew that in this era, the number of scars on a monk's head often symbolized the years of his practice and the depth of his vows.

Twelve is the highest number, and only those with great perseverance and determination can endure it.

It seems that this old monk is indeed practicing Buddhism sincerely.

Li Che stepped forward and nodded slightly: "Master, you specially invited me. I wonder what you can do for me?"

The abbot slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and peaceful. He smiled and clasped his hands together: "Amitabha, I do not deserve your guidance."

"I saw Your Majesty lead his army of fierce warriors into the city, yet he did not harm the civilians in the city. His military discipline was so strict."

"I deeply believe that Your Majesty is a wise ruler with a heart of benevolence and justice, and is definitely not one who kills indiscriminately. Therefore, I take the liberty of asking you to establish this amicable relationship."

Li Che smiled and sat down cross-legged on the futon opposite him. "Protecting the country and the people is the duty of a soldier. The Feng Army is the king's army, not a bandit group. This is part of our duty. It is not worthy of such praise from the master."

The abbot's smile widened, and he said slowly, "Your Majesty is too modest. You have the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, yet you can maintain such a kind heart. This is particularly precious."

"It can be seen that the king is indeed a kind person with extraordinary roots and Buddha's light in his heart. He is truly destined to be with our Buddhist sect."

When he heard the word "fate", the good impression in Li Che's heart immediately dissipated, and his brows wrinkled slightly.

It's this set of rhetoric again, which seems to have become the standard opening line for Buddhists to win over the powerful and raise funds.

"Master, if you only want to talk to me about these opportunities," Li Che said in a lighter tone, as he made a move to stand up. "Then I am busy with military affairs, so I am afraid I cannot stay with you for long."

"Your Majesty, please wait."

The abbot's voice was still calm as he called out to Li Che.

Li Che paused and looked at him.

The old monk raised his head, his kind eyes remained the same, but his gaze had become extremely deep.

He looked at Li Che quietly and said:

"Last night, while I was meditating, I received the Buddha's mercy and was shown a dream... a prophecy that is closely related to the king."

"Oh?" Li Che sat back down, a playful sneer on his face. "I wonder what kind of earth-shattering prophecy it is that would require the Buddha to reveal it in a dream?"

The old monk pointed at Li Che and said word by word:

"The Buddha said that if Your Majesty comes here today, he will chop off this poor monk's head!"