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

The vast royal court fell into a long silence, which even Zhuge Liang found somewhat troublesome.

If no troops are sent to intimidate Sun Chengzong, he will flee; if troops are sent, the people will be caught between the two armies, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

In other words, the people right under our noses must not be killed; even if they die, they must not die at the hands of the northern frontier.

"No need to think about it, I'll go myself."

Chen Futu made a decision immediately.

Zhuge Liang asked seriously, "Does Your Majesty wish to negotiate with Sun Chengzong?"

“There is no other way. I can make an alliance with him. He will hand over the people to the northern frontier, and I will let him go south.”

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! Those princes and rebels are no match for Sun Chengzong!"

Cao Zhen, Gan Ning, and others all opposed it.

The King has gone to great lengths to instigate the internal strife of the Great Qian Dynasty; how can he give Sun Chengzong the opportunity?

Chen Futu sneered: "Do you really think that Sun Chengzong alone can quell the rebellion?"

The group exchanged glances and fell into deep thought.

“Your Majesty is absolutely right. The tide is irreversible and Sun Chengzong alone cannot change the situation. His presence would only cause more trouble. The new emperor currently has no more suitable commander, which is why he has no choice but to summon him,” Yu Qian said.

Having said that, the military officers had no further objections.

Subsequently, Chen Futu ordered Qin Liangyu to be the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, in charge of all units, and Ma Chao to lead the Xiliang cavalry to accompany the king to the bridgehead.

Half a day later, Chen Futu boarded a carriage and set off with the army, while Qin Liangyu was naturally pulled onto the carriage as well.

"Has Your Majesty considered what if Sun Chengzong disagrees?" Qin Liangyu asked, looking worried.

With so many people, Sun Chengzong wouldn't just hand them over for nothing. He could have simply put the people at the front, made the necessary arrangements, and then left on his own.

"Who knows? Let's see him first."

Chen Futu was also unsure.

Wars are fought over population and resources. So many people are like flesh being cut from the body of the Great Qian Dynasty. If Sun Chengzong wants both, he can only think of other ways.

In just a few days, the Xiliang cavalry arrived at the bridgehead. Ma Chao raised his spear and shouted, and in an instant, the army was deployed.

The soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty south of Xuanshui saw the black mist engraved with the words "Xi Liang" swirling around them and immediately began to discuss it amongst themselves.

"Whose army is that?!"

"It's the Xiliang army! Ma Chao is here!"

"Is that the fierce warrior from the northern frontier who fought on the Tongguan battlefield?"

"It is him. It is said that he is one of the few peerless generals under the Northern Frontier King. He once went deep into the grasslands and killed the Hu people, causing them to lose their armor and weapons."

"Hiss! Is the King of Northern Frontier going to start a war?"

Anxiety spread south of Xuanshui.

Soon after, many civilians were pushed to the front lines on the riverbank.

Chen Futu stood on the riverbank, looking at the disheveled and ashen-faced people, and shouted: "Sun Chengzong, come out and answer me!"

With a whoosh, the army formation parted, and Sun Chengzong reached the bridgehead.

Chen Futu rode forward, the two sides less than ten meters apart.

Sun Chengzong clasped his hands in greeting, "King of the Northern Frontier, how have you been? A year has passed, and you've certainly gained weight."

"General Sun has lost a lot of weight, which shows that the situation is difficult to control. You must be having a headache."

"Your Majesty is too kind. I am a poor man with no time to enjoy a life of leisure."

"If General Sun wants to enjoy a life of luxury, he should come to the northern frontier."

"Your Majesty, let's get back to the point. I do not wish to be the villain, but I have no other choice at the moment. Why don't you wait a while while I quell the rebellion, and then we can settle our score?"

“I know General Sun’s character well and despise such despicable behavior. It must be that dog emperor who forced the general to do evil, isn’t that right?” Chen Futu said sarcastically.

Sun Chengzhong's face twitched, and he said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, there is no point in saying these things now. It would be better to withdraw the troops so that the people can be at ease, and the world will know your virtuous reputation."

"I am giving you a chance. Hand over the people, and I will establish the Xuan Shui Alliance with the Great Qian Dynasty, agreeing not to invade the Northern Mountain Range for three months."

Chen Futu made his stance clear from the start.

Sun Chengzong was slightly moved, then shook his head and said, "I cannot make the decision; I'm afraid I will disappoint Your Majesty."

"It's alright. You can send a fast horse to deliver the message, and I will wait for the new emperor's reply."

"What if His Majesty does not agree?"

"You won't allow it? Then you'd better stay here obediently. If you dare to go south, I'm afraid I'll have to play the villain again. Anyway, I've killed tens of thousands of people in the Western Regions, so I'm not afraid of implicating innocent people again."

Sun Chengzong was speechless.

He knew very well what kind of person Chen Futu was; he was capable of anything.

In fact, Chen Futu was right about one thing: if the new emperor hadn't forced him to hold back the northern frontier troops, why would he have used the people of the Northern Mountains as targets?

Now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to accept the decision.

The two parted ways at the bridgehead. Sun Chengzong immediately dispatched a fast horse back to the capital to deliver the message. The back-and-forth delay actually delayed the Daqian dynasty. The rebel army was constantly expanding, and every extra day meant more danger.

Chen Futu stationed himself in the barbican, and then ordered Qin Liangyu to prepare ships and crossbows, making it appear as if he might launch a surprise attack across the Xuan River at any moment.

The people were terrified and lived in constant fear.

At this stage, starting a war would not benefit the northern frontier. The bridges have all been destroyed, and Sun Chengzong has set up many outposts along the route. Unless we detour through Kaiyang Pass and go north through the mountains, it would undoubtedly be a decisive battle with Sun Chengzong, which would contradict the grand strategy of the northern frontier.

In just a few days, Chen Futu observed from across the riverbank and found that Sun Chengzong still had some conscience, preparing some rice porridge for the people, but they could only eat it once a day, and people were dying from time to time. After all, it was freezing cold, and it was simply treating human life like dirt.

It is estimated that within a few days, as the situation escalates, the people of the Beixing Mountains will completely lose their support.

Chen Futu sent several shadow guards to sneak across the river under the cover of night, hoping to gather some more useful intelligence.

The information returned was largely as expected.

Today, there are quite a few rebel armies in the Beixing Mountain area. They are unable to directly resist Sun Chengzong's army, but they are numerous. They are like a scabies disease that cannot be eradicated no matter what. Sun Chengzong's actions against the people are also a way to cut off the cholera outbreak in the Beixing Mountain area at its source.

"Your Majesty, Sun Chengzong has diverted some grain from the military camp to supply the people, but because there are too many people, I'm afraid the supply will run out in the long run."

The shadow guard reported.

Qin Liangyu frowned and said, "Is Sun Chengzong trying to push things to the extreme, or did he already anticipate that the King would come to take over these people?"

"Never mind him, we'll just keep an eye on things."

Chen Futu had plenty of patience to wear down Sun Chengzong.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and Sun Chengzong finally received news from the capital: the new emperor agreed to hand over the people and sign a treaty, but the treaty had to last for six months.

"Whether it's half a year or a year, the current Great Qian Dynasty is a complete mess. The new emperor is not capable enough to turn the situation around."

Chen Futu hosted a banquet and invited Sun Chengzong to the north bank for a chat.

Sun Chengzong was quite bold, bringing only two personal guards to the appointment. He was truly courageous, which even moved Qin Liangyu. If it were her, she certainly wouldn't have gone to the enemy camp alone.