After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

"My son becoming the King of the Northern Frontier and then nominally marrying into the Northern Wu can temporarily appease them and prevent the Great Qian from launching any further attacks. However, this won't last long. After all, you don't like Liu Longyue, and you can't remain childless forever. All of this is just a temporary measure," the old lady warned.

"What do you plan to do with Liu Longyue? She's a woman who can't stay still. I'm afraid she'll do something underhanded and harm you."

Chen Futu truthfully relayed Zhang Liang's analysis.

The old lady sneered, "A mere young girl dares to scheme against me? Back when I was fighting alongside your father, she was nowhere to be found."

"Domineering!"

Chen Futu immediately gave a thumbs up.

"You don't need to send anyone to keep an eye on her. I will arrange for people to watch her, and she won't be able to escape. As for your Qin Liangyu, once Liu Longyue is no longer of any use to you, I will take care of things for you."

"Hehe, my mother understands me best."

"Hmph, she dared to scheme against my son, framing him with fabricated charges. Why should I be lenient with her?"

After the old lady finished speaking, she took Chen Futu to the ancestral hall to worship the King of Zhenbei.

Chen Futu knelt before the memorial tablet, while she muttered many words to it.

Chen Futu even heard a secret story.

My father's death in battle was a joint plot by Daqian and Beiwu, and even the Hu people were involved.

"Your father's position is too sensitive. The Great Qian royal family is not at ease with him, and the Northern Wu and the Hu people will have to face him when they move south. So the three treacherous parties have joined forces."

The old lady fell into reminiscence.

That winter, Longguan was attacked. What seemed like an ordinary disturbance turned out to be a deadly trap.

They set up an ambush on the Ten Directions Ancient Road. The Prince of Zhenbei fought six Xiantian masters alone and was seriously injured. At that time, three Xiantian masters died in the Northern Frontier. Xu Mao risked his life to bring the Prince of Zhenbei back, but he still couldn't survive.

"Mother, don't worry, I will make them pay back every single debt they owe us!"

Chen Futu stared at the memorial tablet and secretly vowed that he would sweep away the northern court and exterminate the entire imperial family of the Great Qian Dynasty!

The old lady sighed, "I believe you can do it. Actually, I've always wanted to ask you, where do all those elite soldiers, generals, and strategists under your command come from?"

“Mother, I have actually been secretly cultivating my own people, but you just don’t know it.”

Chen Futu hurriedly made up an excuse, his eyes darting around.

The old lady immediately smiled.

She was a veteran of war; how could she possibly believe such a claim?

The men under Chen Futu's command are far more powerful than the troops under the Prince of Zhenbei back then. How could they have been trained overnight?

Take Qin Liangyu for example; her personal talent, character, and military strategy were all impeccable.

Not to mention unparalleled warriors like Guan Yu and Ma Chao, any one of them could stand alone as a peerless hero.

As for Zhang Liang, Liu Bowen, Yu Qian, and the like, they can only be described as great sages of the state; having even one of them would bring peace to the world.

Hearing the old lady's evaluation of Zhang Liang and the others, Chen Futu could only smile foolishly.

"Alright, my son, you've grown up. Even if you don't ask, I won't. With them as your support, it's only a matter of time before you sweep across the world. I can only give you one piece of advice: take things one step at a time and don't rush things."

"I remember."

Chen Futu was very impressed with his mother.

He wouldn't be so arrogant as to say he'd conquer the world. If that day ever comes, he'll have to wait until the Northern Frontier has an army of 500,000. Then, with a combination of civil and military officials, and each general leading an army to sweep across the Central Plains, who could stop him?

On the other side, Qin Liangyu told Zhang Liang and the others about the current situation.

Liu Bowen smiled and said, "As expected of the old lady, she has considered things very thoroughly. Keeping Liu Longyue will be more useful. If the young master wants to dominate the northern frontier, he does need external assistance, and Beiwu is just right."

"What if Liu Longyue refuses to give up her position after we made her the Crown Prince's consort? Should we just kill her?" Li Xiuning asked疑惑地.

Zhang Liang explained, "By then, the Crown Prince will have complete control of the Northern Frontier, and the Northern Frontier will be able to fight on multiple fronts. In that case, we will no longer need to consider the Northern Wu's opinion when dealing with Liu Longyue."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood, and a huge weight was lifted from their hearts.

Next, Yu Qian began to arrange the grand ceremony.

Before Qin Liangyu set off, Zhang Liang instructed her: "General Qin, the old lady sent you to the south so that you could completely take control of the military power left by the Prince of Zhenbei. Those soldiers have not had much contact with us, and it is inevitable that some of them will not be obedient to you. You might as well take the White-Spear Soldiers and General Dian with you on this trip."

Zhang Liang's considerations were very thorough.

Qin Liangyu is the future Crown Prince's wife and the matriarch of the Northern Frontier. It would be most appropriate for her to take over the military power from the old lady. Unfortunately, she is a woman, which will create an additional obstacle on this journey.

Dian Wei said in a deep voice, "Take me with you, and anyone who dares to disobey will be beaten to a pulp!"

Ma Chao and Huo Qubing immediately stepped forward, saying, "This humble general is also willing to go!"

"She's going to take over military command, not to fight a war. Don't cause trouble."

Chen Futu happened to return and couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene.

Qin Liangyu, Ma Chao, and Huo Qubing were all commanders, while Dian Wei was a bodyguard, making him the most suitable candidate.

Dian Wei immediately raised an eyebrow at the two men, while Ma Chao pursed his lips and remained silent.

After seeing everyone off, Chen Futu kept Qin Liangyu alone and said gently, "I'm sorry to trouble you again. If you encounter anyone who is dissatisfied, don't hold back. If anything happens, I'll be there for you. No one will have a problem with you."

A gentle light flashed in Qin Liangyu's eyes. "Your Highness doesn't trust my abilities? Rest assured, I will complete the mission as soon as possible."

"How about we eat first before we set off?"

Chen Futu was truly reluctant to part with Qin Liangyu; this separation would last at least several months, and he wouldn't see her again until at least the New Year.

Qin Liangyu shook her head and murmured, "No need, I'll leave now. The sooner it's over, the sooner it'll be resolved."

Knowing her personality, Chen Futu had no choice but to personally escort her out of the royal court. When they reached the door, Chen Futu couldn't help but hug her tightly from behind.

Qin Liangyu trembled and muttered, "Young Master, don't be silly, the servants are watching."

At this moment, the servants of the royal court saw Chen Futu brazenly embracing the female war goddess, and they all avoided him with maternal smiles on their faces.

Soon only the two of them remained in the courtyard.

Chen Futu whispered in Qin Liangyu's ear, "Once you've resolved these matters, let's have a child, otherwise everyone will keep nagging about it."

"This humble general did not agree to the Crown Prince's request."

"Let's see how long you can keep your mouth shut."

Chen Futu reluctantly let go, and Qin Liangyu practically fled in panic.

After Qin Liangyu and Dian Wei led the White-Spear Soldiers out of the city, Chen Futu had Liu Bowen draft a list of rewards.

All the generals contributed to the great battle in the northern frontier and deserve to be rewarded.

For the next ten days, Chen Futu stayed at the Bureau of Armory.

Suddenly, a guard came to deliver a message: "Your Highness, many people from Chuzhou have fled here."

Chuzhou is not far from northern Xinjiang, so there shouldn't be any disasters at this time of year.

Chen Futu, accompanied by An Jingsi and several guards, exited the south gate and saw a large throng of people rushing towards them, numbering at least a thousand.

These people were dressed in rags, some with their families, and looked emaciated. They wanted to enter Dragon City, but they were all stopped.

Chen Futu stepped forward and asked an old man, "Old man, what happened in Chuzhou?"