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

Zhang Liang believed that the current priority was to focus on developing the livelihood of the people in the northern frontier and that it was not advisable to resort to war. Even if the gateway to the northeast were taken away, the Great Qian would not stand idly by and watch the enemy from beyond the Great Wall advance unimpeded. This would be an opportunity to further weaken the Great Qian, and he did not recommend getting involved.

Huo Qubing and others believed that the Hu people were cunning and ruthless, and the Northern Wu were no less so, so they should not allow the Hu horses to enter the pass under any circumstances.

The two sides argued fiercely and could not reach an agreement.

This was the most divided opinion among Chen Futu's ministers since he took control of the northern frontier.

They came from different eras and backgrounds, and their attitudes toward the enemies outside the Great Wall were also different.

Zhang Liang emerged in the early Han Dynasty. During the Battle of Baideng, Liu Bei was besieged by the Xiongnu and cut off from internal and external communication. He finally adopted Chen Ping's suggestion to bribe the Xiongnu queen to resolve the predicament. Afterwards, he formed an alliance with the Xiongnu through marriage.

Huo Qubing, who lived during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, was a renowned Marquis of Champion who routed the Xiongnu. He was determined not to give the Tartars any chance to advance south.

As for Yu Qian, during the Ming Dynasty, he did not cede territory, pay reparations, pay tribute, or engage in marriage alliances. He was a man who guarded the country's gates and died for his country. He was a man of unyielding integrity who will be remembered in history.

In truth, aside from the greater good, Chen Futu personally leaned more towards Zhang Liang's decision because he was rational enough.

However, Zhuge Liang kept his eyes closed, waving his feather fan without expressing his opinion. Chen Futu had no choice but to stop the meeting and privately ask Zhuge Liang for advice.

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "My lord, the barbarians beyond the pass are nothing more than a minor ailment. Our army cannot sweep across the Central Plains in the short term. It would be better to let them fight each other."

Chen Futu was speechless for a moment; he had almost forgotten the historical context of this guy.

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, when warlords vied for power, they were still able to easily defeat the barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall. That era was truly full of martial spirit. It was normal for Zhuge Liang to look down on the barbarians beyond the Great Wall, after all, he himself had ventured deep into the barren lands, captured Meng Huo seven times, and completely subdued the southern frontier.

"Alright, let me think about it some more."

As Chen Futu walked out of the royal court, he happened to run into Di Renjie and asked, "Is everything going smoothly?"

"Your Majesty, since the establishment of the Surveillance Bureau, the security in the Northern Frontier has been restored very well. There have been no murder cases recently, and the administration is also quite good. However, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has too much power. Your Majesty should be cautious."

Di Renjie truly lived up to his reputation as Wu Zetian's trusted advisor; his insight was indeed astute.

Historically, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was too arrogant in the mid-Ming Dynasty. However, Chen Futu still needs to use the Embroidered Uniform Guard for now. At least before he can unify the country, this organization is of great use. It is not too late to abolish it after the country is at peace.

Then, when discussing the debate at the royal court meeting that day, Di Renjie said in a deep voice, "I do not know much about military affairs. I only know that the current enemy is the Great Qian. Your Majesty has many strategists and fierce generals under your command. Even if the Great Qian's passes are crushed by the enemy outside the pass, will Your Majesty be unable to cope?"

"Of course I can handle it. I'm just afraid that the barbarians outside the pass will bully the people of the Central Plains, and I can't bear to do that."

"To achieve great things, a bad reputation is inevitable, but all choices are up to Your Majesty, and we your subjects will follow Your Majesty's decisions."

"Di Renjie, stop trying to bluff me. Tell me, who can answer this question?"

"You can't hide it from the king. Why don't you go to Princess Beiwu? I've heard that the king wants to release her back to Beiwu. If she can mediate, she might be able to avoid harming the people."

Di Renjie explained the whole story.

Chen Futu's heart stirred. Liu Longyue had been in the Northern Frontier for some time now. She had said before that the day Qin Liangyu returned would be the day she was allowed to leave. Guan Xing's plans in the Northern Wu were almost complete. If she returned then, with Guan Xing's cooperation, seizing the throne might not be impossible.

Well then, let's talk to her for now. If she's sensible, I might be able to help her out.

Chen Futu ordered Consort Ge to summon Liu Longyue, and then took Liu Longyue to the city to enjoy the scenery.

Liu Longyue appeared worried and spoke much less.

Chen Futu said unhappily, "Speak your mind directly, don't give me that sour look."

"Your Majesty, Father Emperor has sent a letter saying that the Imperial Preceptor is enraged because his son was humiliated in the northern frontier. He has joined forces with the ministers and is attempting to wage war against the Great Qian Dynasty, flatten the mountains and cities, and come to you to demand an explanation."

Liu Longyue hesitated before taking out a secret letter.

Chen Futu examined it carefully and confirmed that it was indeed a document from Emperor Beiwu. The letter also mentioned the dispute between Empress Dugu and the Grand Wizard, which made things difficult for him.

"At present, Beiwu has no chance to break through Daqian's defense line. Even if it does, it will have to wait until next spring at the earliest."

“That’s right, so my father asked me if I could succeed in Beiwu. If not, I should take the key back to Beiwu.”

"Hmph, your father values ​​the key far more than you, his daughter. But don't even think about the key. When the time is right, I will give it to you. If you go back, you can pretend to hide the key and exchange it for power from your father. If you are ruthless enough, I will have someone cooperate with you, and perhaps you can become an empress."

Chen Futu rarely offered serious advice to Liu Longyue, but he was afraid she would refuse to assassinate the emperor and seize power.

As expected, Liu Longyue fell into an even deeper dilemma.

She wanted greater power, which meant she had to embark on a path of no return, but that path was her only means of avenging her mother.

Chen Futu was not in a hurry and gave her a chance to make a decision. In any case, Daqian would not withdraw troops from the Beiwu defense line in the short term.

Over the next month, Chen Futu increased the military strength on the southern front, putting great pressure on the Great Qian Dynasty. Sun Chengzong was held back by Qin Liangyu in the northern mountain range. In several small-scale conflicts, she and Qin Liangyu were evenly matched.

The situation within the Great Qian Dynasty was also not good. The Embroidered Uniform Guard continued to secretly fuel the rebellion, and the momentum of the uprising army grew stronger and stronger.

Especially towards the end of the year, people who could no longer survive joined the rebel army. They looted local governments, killed county officials, and opened granaries.

The princes were not idle either. Just as Chen Futu had predicted, they used the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to secretly recruit soldiers, preparing to fight the new emperor to the death.

In other words, the Great Qian Dynasty now has many more states within a state.

The new emperor's appeasement decree had no effect. He even wanted to restore the stipends of his relatives and repair his relationship with his brothers, but his decision was met with collective opposition from a group of aristocratic officials who were instigated by the Crown Princess, as well as a group of corrupt officials under Liu Longyue's control.

The new emperor is isolated and helpless; his only support comes from the military elite group controlled by Sun Chengzong and the new emperor's father-in-law.

A few days later, news came from the Great Qian Dynasty that the new emperor had issued a decree to recruit talented individuals and gathered heroes to form a new army called the Anti-Rebel Army.

This group was led by a powerful figure from the martial arts world, and their swords were aimed at the rebel armies.

Because the new emperor offered high-ranking official positions and generous salaries as a bargaining chip, many people responded, including some well-established martial arts sects and families.

Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang, however, scoffed at the recruitment order. They believed that the anti-rebellion army might be able to suppress the rebellion in the short term, but the consequences would be unmanageable. This was because the Jianghu people did not follow the rules and could not restrain their greed. They were oppressors by nature, and once they gained power, they would break free from control. The new emperor of Daqian was playing with fire.

When Chen Futu first heard the name of the Anti-Rebel Army, he doubted that he had heard it correctly. He really didn't know which brilliant person had come up with this idea.