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

"The second thing that must be done is to build roads!"

"The benefits of this matter do not require me to elaborate."

"You have all seen with your own eyes in Fengguo the cement road running north and south, bringing great convenience to the deployment of troops, the transportation of food and fodder, and the travel of merchants and travelers."

"What we need to do is to build these roads to every corner of Daqing, closely connecting the north, south, east and west, like human blood vessels, unobstructed!"

His eyes were blazing as he scanned the courtiers. "Only in this way can the system of the Four Capitals truly operate smoothly, the imperial decrees can be swiftly transmitted to all directions, and the royal army can march from morning to night, rushing to any dangerous border pass."

"By then, many border towns will no longer need to stockpile heavy troops year-round, saving countless grain and money, which can be used for livelihood construction or development."

"This is a great undertaking that will benefit the present and future generations!"

All the ministers in the palace, except Du Fuchen, agreed with this.

They knew very well how much change the cement road within Fengguo had brought to Fengguo.

It is not only the artery of commercial prosperity, but also the lifeline of military mobility and the cornerstone of Feng State's rapid rise.

With this road network, the central government's control over the local governments will be unprecedentedly strengthened, and the emperor's decrees will truly penetrate every inch of the territory.

Only Du Fuchen frowned, pondered for a moment, and then stepped forward to say, "Your Majesty, building a road of this scale will require an astronomical amount of money, food, and labor. I'm afraid the national treasury is now..."

Although he did not say it explicitly, his meaning was clear.

The new dynasty had just been established, and there were many things to be done. The war in the south was still ongoing. Where would the money come from to carry out such a huge project?

Daqing is short of money nowadays.

Emperor Qing's civil administration was rather unsatisfactory. Although he had saved some money over the past decade, the successive natural disasters had also cost him a lot of money.

The false emperor took away a lot of wealth, and now the warehouses in the imperial capital are empty.

Li Che nodded, but his tone remained firm: "Prime Minister Du is right. Building roads does require a huge amount of money, but its long-term benefits far outweigh the immediate expenses."

"When roads are open, commerce flourishes; when commerce flourishes, tax revenue increases; when the people are prosperous, the country becomes strong. This is a virtuous cycle."

If you want to get rich, build roads first. This is a cliché.

In fact, the essence of road construction is connection, connecting the military, connecting politics, and connecting the economy.

Although road construction seems to cost a lot of money, in fact the wealth has not evaporated, but has been transferred to the merchants who provide building materials and the laborers who build the roads.

Li Che had witnessed the various benefits brought about by the development of transportation in later generations.

He changed the subject, "As for the expenses... Prime Minister Du, don't worry too much. The state has accumulated a little money over the years and can still cover the expenses."

"If it's really not enough..." He paused, his eyes sweeping over the Fengguo civil and military officials: "I will go to the surrounding 'friendly countries' to beg for alms."

"Thinking back then, Khitan, Goryeo, Shiwei, and Wa all generously donated money to help build our Feng Kingdom."

"Now that Daqing has been newly established, I believe Nanzhao, Tubo, Tianzhu, and the countries in the South China Sea will also be willing to contribute their efforts."

As soon as these words were spoken, the generals of Fengguo in the hall couldn't help but laugh knowingly, and even the usually serious Yang Zhongsi smiled and twirled his beard.

Only Du Fuchen was stunned and horrified.

What frightened him was the thoughts of the king and his ministers.

During the reign of Emperor Qing, if the treasury was empty, he would only resort to conventional means such as tightening his belt, increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and even borrowing from private individuals.

Have you ever heard an emperor talk about foreign looting so confidently?

The new emperor's style of doing things is completely different from Emperor Qing's, which makes him feel a little worried.

Isn't this just reckless behavior? How can Daqing, a great country, bully the small neighboring countries like this?

But seeing Li Che's firm attitude, Du Fuchen sighed and said no more.

Li Che immediately changed the topic and began to discuss the next military deployment.

"Now that Daqing has just been established, I need to stay at the center and it is difficult for me to leave the capital for a long time."

"I intend to hand over the battle to defeat the false emperor and unify Jiangnan to General Yang as the full governor."

"Your Majesty!" Yang Zhongsi hurriedly stepped out and bowed, saying, "This old minister's energy is no longer as strong as before, and I haven't been on the battlefields in the south for a long time. I'm afraid I can't handle this important task. I've failed Your Majesty's trust!"

Li Che waved his hand and said sincerely, "Old General, you are too modest. When you were young, you were the governor of the war in the Western Regions, and you were feared by the Rong and Di people. In recent years in the Northern Frontier, you have been able to take charge of the situation. Your experience, prestige, and ability are all excellent. You are the best choice for the governor of the Southern Expedition."

Yang Zhongsi still declined: "The past of my youth is not worth mentioning. I am almost sixty years old this year, and my energy is declining. I am really afraid that I will delay the military and national affairs!"

Li Che knew that he was not making excuses entirely, and that he was actually old and frail.

So he smiled and said, "I don't want the veteran generals to personally take charge of the military. Wang Sanchun, He Conglong, Chen Pingzhi and others have leadership talents and can handle it on their own."

"However, the generals are good at tactics, but they still need experience in strategic coordination. This time, the old general only needs to plan and coordinate the troops."

"And use this battle as an opportunity to teach them a lesson and train a few more capable generals for Daqing who can take charge of the overall situation."

"This task belongs to you!"

After hearing this, Yang Zhongsi looked at Li Che's trusting eyes and stopped refusing:

"Your Majesty trusts me so much, how dare I not die for you?"

"I will use all my remaining strength to help Your Majesty pacify Jiangnan!"

Seeing that Yang Zhongsi no longer refused, Li Che's eyes flashed with relief: "Since that's the case, I will appoint you as the General of Rebellion Suppression and Governor of All Military Affairs in the South!"

"Appoint Wang Sanchun, He Conglong, and Chen Pingzhi as deputy generals, commanding 200,000 elite troops, and choose a day to march south!"

He paused and said, "After we go south, all military affairs and strategic decisions will be handled by the old general on the spot. There is no need to report to him for instructions on everything."

"I grant you the power to execute first and report later. Anyone who delays military operations or disobeys military orders will be subject to military law!"

Li Che was well aware of the principle of "trust people when you employ them, and don't employ people if you don't trust them." He had to give absolute trust to an old and respected minister like Yang Zhongsi so that he could act freely on the front line.

What's more, he has the confidence.

Today's Fengtian Army system no longer relies solely on the personal prestige of generals.

The political commissar system runs through the entire army, and political commissars are delegated from the company level down.

Through continuous organizational construction, he has ensured that the entire army is absolutely ideologically loyal to him, Li Che.

Even if Yang Zhongsi really had rebellious intentions, it would be impossible for him to truly control this army.

Unless Li Che himself does something evil, the military power will be as solid as a rock.

Seeing Li Che's trust in him, Yang Zhongsi could not help but say solemnly, "Your Majesty has such great trust in me. I, an old minister, will do my utmost to serve you."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will go to the military camp to recruit and organize the troops. We will march south as soon as possible to quell the rebellion for Your Majesty!"

After saying this, he turned around and left.

"Wait a minute, old general!" Li Che smiled and waved his hand to stop him. "There's no need to rush in the next few days. I have something else that I need you to do in the imperial capital."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhongsi stopped in his tracks, a puzzled expression on his face. "Your Majesty, is there anything more urgent than pacifying the false emperor?"

Li Che's smile widened as he glanced at the important officials who had followed him throughout the palace: "Now that the world has been initially settled, the overall situation has stabilized."

"My dear ministers, you have followed me across the country, fought bloody battles, and endured countless hardships to achieve the situation we have today."

"Such an unprecedented achievement, how can it go unrewarded?"

When everyone heard this, they seemed to realize something and became excited in an instant.

Li Che announced loudly: "I have decided to hold a grand court meeting soon to reward people according to their merits!"

"I will confer honors and titles upon all of you meritorious officials, and grant you wives and children titles to reward your contributions!"