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

The Bureau of Armed Forces was located in the eastern part of the city, occupying a large area that was designated as a restricted zone and guarded by elite troops from the northern frontier.

Ordinary people wouldn't go near this place, but according to Gao Shun's intelligence, there were often suspicious people loitering around. He once arrested and interrogated a few of them and found out that they were idle guys who had been bribed at a high price to sneak into the Armory. Unfortunately, they didn't know the identity of their employer, so Gao Shun had to give up.

In fact, Chen Futu could also guess the identity of the person behind it all; it was most likely the Great Qian Dynasty.

In addition, Huang Yueying's main research direction was weapon modification, and she even researched new weapons. She recruited many craftsmen with good forging skills.

"Your Majesty, if we could invite that master blacksmith to come, perhaps the weaponry of our Northern Frontier could be upgraded to a higher level."

Huang Yueying offered her opinions.

She was a woman, skilled in investigation and creation, but her expertise in weapon development was not as great as that of the established veterans.

Chen Futu had heard of that master blacksmith very much, but inviting him to Dragon City was no easy task.

Not to mention the rumors that he is aloof, just going into the territory of Daqian would be troublesome.

"Your Highness, an iron mine has been discovered in Dongding Mountain."

The Longcheng garrison, which went to investigate Dongding Mountain, brought back news.

Surprisingly, the system randomly selected an iron mine of exceptional quality. With Beiwu expanding its military capabilities, this excellent iron mine will greatly alleviate the pressure on its mineral reserves.

Chen Futu took out the steel forging technology given to him by the system and handed it to Huang Yueying. The latter was both surprised and delighted after seeing it. She immediately called on the people of the Ministry of Commerce to help with the setup. She was busy for half a morning and then said to Chen Futu, "I still hope to invite that forging master. Perhaps you can use the steel technology to lure him here."

“What you say makes sense, Madam. I’m thinking of making a trip to Daqian soon.”

Chen Futu agreed to Huang Yueying's request, and then went to the warehouse to see her improved crossbows, repeating crossbows, and rail torch carts, etc.

The torch carriage was a great piece of equipment, a real weapon of mass destruction on the battlefield. It had a kind of post-era flamethrower aesthetic, but unfortunately it was a bit cumbersome.

Before leaving, Chen Futu gave Huang Yueying several blueprints and formulas, which included the production of three-eyed muskets and hollow cannons, as well as gunpowder formulas, the characteristics of various ores, and basic firearms technology, but she needed to arrange for someone to handle it herself.

"Your Majesty, you seem to be preoccupied. Is something wrong?"

After leaving the military supply depot, Dian Wei asked in a simple and honest manner.

"It's a pity that there are no specialized geological talents in the Northern Frontier. If there were one or two, it would be much easier to find various mineral deposits, and they could also help me draw more detailed maps of the world."

As Chen Futu spoke, he instructed Dian Wei to summon all the civil and military officials for a meeting, as he wanted to establish a new department dedicated to exploration and geographical research.

Half an hour later, civil and military officials gathered together.

Upon hearing Chen Futu's request, all the civil and military officials were collectively stunned.

They're good at leading troops in battle, but when it comes to exploration and such, they're really not up to the task.

"System, do you have an accurate map of the world?" Chen Futu asked tentatively.

[The system has been upgraded and can now reward users with a map of the entire world, but it is not sold directly. If the host is lucky enough, they might be able to obtain one.]

"It will take forever to get it randomly."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Futu asked Yu Qian and others to set up the department first, and finally only kept Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang once went to Xichuan and presented the map of Xichuan to the rebel leader Liu Bei. He had the ability to do so, but as the prime minister of the northern frontier, how could he go out to do such a difficult task?

Zhuge Liang said solemnly, "If my lord is willing, I can give it a try."

"The Prime Minister can help me find talented people in this field among the common people, but unfortunately the disciples of the academy are still not ready. Otherwise, they could be put to good use."

Over the next few days, Chen Futu ran back and forth between the royal court and the weapons bureau, mainly because Huang Yueying didn't understand firearms, and Chen Futu needed to spend time explaining it to her.

One afternoon, just as Chen Futu returned to the royal court, a young boy staggered over, then knelt down before him with a sob, crying out in anguish, "Your Majesty, my grandfather... he was killed by the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"what?"

Chen Futu looked at Zhong Xiu, and his head was spinning.

Ding!

[Zhou Qingzhi has been found dead; his body is hanging at the capital gate. Please make a decision.]

[1. Choose to ignore it, and you will be rewarded with a finished telescope and telescope crafting materials.]

[2. Choose to send subordinates to collect the body, reward with 1,000 guards from the Imperial Guard, and the leader Guo Jia]

[3. Choose to disguise yourself, personally lead a group to the capital to collect the body, bury it in Zhongshan, and reward Xu Hongzu.]

Xu Hongzu, also known as Xu Xiake, was a famous geologist in the Ming Dynasty. Over a period of more than 30 years, he personally traveled to 16 provinces and more than 100 places, compiling more than two million words of research notes. He was hailed by later generations as a remarkable figure throughout history.

"Xu Xiake...it's like a pillow delivered just when I was sleepy. I was just worried about not having any professional talent."

Chen Futu was both surprised and delighted. Although Guo Jia was good, he had enough advisors at the moment. Moreover, the functions of the Office of Investigation and Statistics overlapped with those of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It was Cao Pi who made great use of it until the Sima clan usurped power and the aristocratic families took power, at which point the Office of Investigation and Statistics, which conflicted with their interests, was abolished.

"System, you're really helpful. I choose number three: Xu Xiake."

[Selection successful. Xu Xiake will arrive at the Dragon City Royal Court in one hour. Please prepare to receive him. Also, please go to the capital in time to collect Zhou Qingzhi's remains and bury them at Zhongshan.]

As soon as the system notification ended, Chen Futu, with a grim face, helped Zhong Xiu up and then asked Dian Wei, "What exactly happened?"

Dian Wei hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment, I'll go and ask."

"My grandfather died a terrible death! The Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty was a tyrant! Waaaaah—"

Zhong Xiu cried very hard.

Chen Futu sighed and led him into the royal court.

When he was young, Dian Wei arrived with a group of civil officials and messengers from the capital.

The messenger knelt on the ground and said in a sorrowful voice, "After the old gentleman returned to the capital, he met with the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty and rebuked him in front of all the civil and military officials for being heartless and unrighteous, unworthy of his position, and deserving that the Great Qian Dynasty should perish. He also read aloud your proclamation against the traitor in court. The Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty was enraged and ordered that he be torn apart by five horses. His mutilated body was then hung at the gate of the capital to warn the people of the world."

The words "torn apart by five horses" were uttered, and the royal court fell silent.

"You old dog! You've gone too far in bullying me!"

Chen Futu stood up in a rage, his murderous aura palpable. Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiu cried until she nearly fainted.

Below the hall, Zhuge Liang and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. This outcome was not unexpected. The old man had been seeking death, but his death was too tragic and heroic.

Zhang Liang stepped forward and said, "The Great Qian Dynasty is perverse and cruel. Your Majesty should raise the banner of righteousness, speak out for the people of the world, and issue proclamations to all the states to jointly punish the wicked."

"I second the proposal."

The civil officials all chimed in with their agreement.

This was almost a godsend. The old emperor was old and, like many emperors, had become tyrannical and cruel in his later years. He only wanted to clear obstacles for the crown prince and smoothly pass on the throne. However, such behavior was bound to anger the scholar-official class.

As soon as someone stands up to condemn it, chaos will ensue.