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

"General Sun, aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word and kill you directly?" Chen Futu mocked.

Son Seongjong answered frankly, "I do not believe Your Majesty would do such a thing."

"Why?"

Chen Futu waved his hand, and Ma Chao, clad in silver armor, led fifty personal guards to stand guard outside the tent. His imposing aura made Sun Chengzong's two personal guards sweat profusely and feel uneasy.

Sun Chengzong, however, was not afraid and said calmly, "What benefit would Your Majesty gain from killing me? The Great Qian court is not truly without men. Although His Majesty may be in some difficulties for the time being without me, Sun Chengzong, there are still people who can take over my military power and defend the borders of Great Qian."

Sun Chengzong spoke the truth: when he was alive, few people could surpass him in military status.

Are there really no capable officials in the court? Probably not. It's just that some people are envious of everything he has, don't want to quell the rebellion, and want to see Sun Chengzong exhausted and make a fool of himself.

Chen Futu sarcastically remarked, "General Sun's situation is truly worrying."

"Doesn't Your Majesty also want to see me make a fool of myself? Your willingness to come shows that you are certain that I cannot quell the rebellion. Back then, I fought alongside the Prince of Zhenbei and was never afraid. Now that the Prince of Zhenbei is gone and the Great Qian has fallen to this state, I have no resentment. It is only my duty as a general."

Sun Chengzong was a man of principle, worthy of being compared to the Prince of Zhenbei, but unfortunately he was somewhat blindly loyal.

Knowing full well that he couldn't quell the rebellion, he still went anyway, making himself a laughingstock for the entire court.

Sun Chengzong said self-deprecatingly, "If Your Majesty were to abandon me and instead decide to employ a group of people, the outcome would still be uncertain."

"Very well, I will wait and see in Dragon City."

Chen Futu waved his hand, and Ma Chao came in and put down the documents from both places.

Sun Chengzong looked Ma Chao up and down a few times and was amazed. "He truly deserves to be called a peerless warrior."

"Hurry up and sign it. Once the document is signed, you can go and quell the rebellion. Let's see what abilities you have to save the Great Qian Dynasty."

Ma Chao glared coldly. If the king hadn't forbidden him from taking action, he would have already weighed Sun Chengzong's strength.

Soon, an alliance was signed between the two regions, known as the "Alliance of Xuanshui," which lasted for six months. Both sides agreed not to invade each other's territory. This news needed to be made public in both regions so that the Great Qian could confidently hand over the people.

Chen Futu immediately summoned his personal guards and ordered them to spread the alliance agreement in Longcheng and outwards, promising that both sides would cease hostilities within six months.

In front of Chen Futu, Sun Chengzong ordered that the proclamation be sent to the capital by fast horse so that the handover could proceed.

After Sun Chengzong left, Ma Chao asked, "Why did Your Majesty kill this fellow to prevent future trouble?"

Chen Futu said, "He has a high reputation in the Great Qian Dynasty and is well-loved. Killing him will be of no use. Let's see how effective his southward journey is. Those princes will probably come up with some methods to deal with him. If nothing unexpected happens, this parting may be the last time we see each other."

"Does Your Majesty mean he will die?" Ma Chao asked, his mouth agape in surprise.

"There are many loyal ministers and brave generals in history, but their fates are never good. If they succeed in suppressing the rebellion, that's fine. If they fail, someone will get rid of them and take their place."

Chen Futu had some understanding of officialdom. To put it bluntly, Sun Chengzong was just like the Prince of Zhenbei, with too high a reputation. The Prince of Zhenbei died under the conspiracy of the Emperor of Daqian. Although Sun Chengzong knew the principle of protecting himself, he had to charge into battle when the country was in crisis. Any mistake would mean death.

Qin Liangyu listened with a touch of emotion, but now was not the time to discuss Sun Chengzong's fate. She began to prepare the army and supplies, ready to guide Baoxing across the river.

Chen Futu instructed Ma Chao to send a message to Longcheng, instructing them to prepare relief for the people and to ensure nothing went wrong.

A few days later, the "Alliance of Xuan Shui" spread throughout the world, causing an uproar among all who heard it.

The princes and rebel leaders, in particular, were filled with unease upon hearing about the alliance.

They knew that without the northern frontier to restrain him, Sun Chengzong would definitely head south to quell the rebellion. They asked the many rebel leaders, "Who can stop the Prince of Kaiping?"

Chen Futu was certain that a powerful force would secretly send money to them. Before leaving, he instructed Qin Liangyu that if anyone came, they should be let go, and the money should still be accepted to make up for the losses incurred in the relief efforts in Longcheng.

Qin Liangyu asked, "Why is Your Majesty so certain?"

"They are no match for Sun Chengzong. I can only hope that when they are in trouble, I will break the alliance and attack Daqian from behind to disrupt Sun Chengzong and relieve the pressure on them."

"I see. It seems everything is within the King's calculations. Dragon City will gain an extra share of unexpected wealth."

Qin Liangyu was very happy, after all, providing relief to so many refugees was not an easy task.

The following morning, as the people crossed the bridge, Chen Futu stepped forward to guide them.

Upon hearing that the King of the Northern Frontier had personally arrived, the people's eyes immediately reddened, and they cried out for the King of the Northern Frontier to show mercy.

Chen Futu said loudly, "You are all welcome to enter the Northern Frontier. I promise that as long as you abide by the laws of the Northern Frontier, not a single person will starve to death."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Long live the king!"

The cheers were deafening and lingered on the south bank for a long time.

Sun Chengzong, who was preparing to head south, heard the people's cries and glanced at the north with mixed feelings.

A guard whispered, "General, why did you come here?"

"The situation is unfavorable; what can I do?"

Sun Chengzong looked up to the sky and sighed. The Northern Frontier King's opponent was the new emperor, while he, Sun Chengzong, was just a pawn in Qipanshan. Once he left the Northern Mountain Range, countless people secretly wanted him dead. Perhaps he would never be able to return to the northern battlefield in his lifetime.

In the following days, a medical team arrived in Longcheng, providing the people with medicinal porridge and treating the weak and sick, and managing them in a centralized manner.

The other residents were sent away in batches.

The Northern Frontier is vigorously developing infrastructure, allowing people to build their own houses. Not only do they have enough to eat, but they also receive a small amount of money every day. Once the houses are built, those who want to work can go to the workshops, while those who don't want to work can reclaim wasteland. The Northern Frontier Royal Court provides subsidies for wasteland reclamation.

Of course, this money all came from businessmen's investments in the development zone.

Upon returning to Longcheng, Chen Futu immediately summoned officials from the Ministry of Commerce to further refine the regulations for commerce.

The rise in the status of merchants in the northern frontier meant that they would bear more tax responsibilities. What Chen Futu wanted to do was to improve agricultural tools, gradually alleviate the pressure on farmers, and achieve the goal of liberating productive forces. He aimed to remove some people from the fields and place them in other positions to generate more value.

Neither Zhuge Liang nor Yu Qian could handle business matters, so Chen Futu rolled up his sleeves and took matters into his own hands, staying at the royal court for more than half a month.

Li Xiuning and the others felt extremely sorry for him. They would fight anyone who said that the King of Northern Frontier was not a wise and virtuous ruler.

"Your Majesty, news has come from the Great Qian Dynasty that the King of the Northern Frontier has swept through several powerful rebel kings with unstoppable momentum."

The Imperial Guards arrived at the royal court to deliver intelligence.

Chen Futu looked at the document and asked, "Anything else?"

“Some rebel kings colluded and gathered an army of more than 300,000 men west of the Huai River, preparing to fight Sun Chengzong to the death.”