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

In a room in Baiyujing, the old woman and the woman in green gazed at the incomparably noble King of the Northern Frontier in the square, their expressions filled with intense and complex emotions.

The woman in green said, "Your son is truly remarkable. Is there really someone in this world who is born with innate knowledge?"

“My son is different from his father. His father was ultimately a blindly loyal man. If he had been as resolute as my son a day earlier, he would not have met such a tragic end.”

The old lady is now very satisfied with her son, but she feels sorry for her husband who died unjustly and will never see the day when his son spreads his wings and soars to great heights.

The noise in the square subsided again, and Chen Futu slowly recounted the development of an empire. For example, after the establishment of a country, it is easy for so-called benevolent rule to occur, followed by a golden age. After the golden age reaches its peak, the country's strength will decline rapidly because the land in an agrarian society has reached its population saturation point.

In times of peace and prosperity, people indulge in wine and women, leading to rampant land annexation. Even the slightest disturbance can ignite hidden contradictions, causing the nation's strength to plummet. These contradictions will then intensify rapidly. If they can be suppressed, the nation can survive for several more decades. Eventually, when there is no idle land and farmers are starving, someone will raise the banner of righteousness, proclaiming that the old heaven is dead and the new heaven shall rise, and that the year of Jiazi brings great fortune to the world.

After Chen Futu finished speaking, everyone was deeply shocked, even some martial arts practitioners were speechless.

He is not just a reckless brute who only knows how to fight and kill. If the country is in chaos, it will not do them any good. Today, the King of the Northern Frontier has really taught them a lesson!

This was the first time they had heard such a straightforward and simple analysis, yet it explained the process of a dynasty from its founding to its demise in great detail.

Thinking about it carefully, that makes sense; the Great Qian Dynasty is a perfect example.

The nobles in the imperial court and the powerful local magnates controlled the vast majority of the land, and 70% of the people became tenant farmers. The key issue is that these people still had to pay taxes, while those who owned vast amounts of land only had to pay some poll tax. With the national treasury in deficit, going to war with the northern frontier would only lead to increased taxes, which caused widespread public resentment. This was exactly what Chen Futu had said: that even a slight conflict could cause the country's strength to decline rapidly.

"Your Majesty's words have enlightened us like the sun breaking through the clouds, and have cleared our minds."

Qi Yan was convinced. Even though he was a great Confucian scholar who came from Tianyang Academy, this was the first time he had ever seen someone who could see through the essence of the dynastic cycle.

"From the peak to the fall of a dynasty, the lifespan of a nation, revolving around the opening of its territory, is roughly three hundred years. This is why dynasties throughout history have been unable to escape the curse of history." Chen Futu smiled and surveyed the entire audience. "So, do you have any more questions?"

"Your Majesty knows the crux of the problem; do you have a solution?"

Xu Guangshou asked impatiently.

Everyone looked on with anticipation.

"Of course there is, and that is unleashing productivity."

Chen Futu did not hide anything, because these were things that ordinary people could not do, only he, the King of the Northern Frontier, could accomplish.

For a full hour, Chen Futu explained to everyone what commerce was, what the Industrial Revolution was, and how to unleash productivity to provide people with additional income, and so on.

At first, everyone was confused, but by the end, their eyes lit up with excitement. However, some old Confucian scholars held different opinions. They believed that strange skills and tricks were unorthodox and unsuitable for practical use, and did not conform to the way of sages.

"Strange skills and ingenious crafts? Heh, the clothes you wear, the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones you use, the magnificent palaces you live in—aren't they all strange skills and ingenious crafts? If no one invented or created anything, you would still be naked, huddled in the deep mountains and forests like wild monkeys!"

Chen Futu spoke without any politeness, scolding the old, pedantic scholars mercilessly, which made everyone burst into laughter.

The Blood Monk chanted a Buddhist prayer, “Your Majesty, there’s no need to waste your breath on these pedantic scholars. They are also part of the oppression of the people, and it’s common for them to curse while eating. In my humble opinion, they will go to the Hell of Tongue-Pulling.”

"You monk, how vicious your words are! This is a literary gathering, what's wrong with everyone expressing their own opinions!"

Several old scholars, having been scolded by Chen Futu, dared not retaliate, and thus turned their attention to the Blood Monk.

The Blood Monk grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and said in a sinister tone, "Am I wrong? You have wasted your time studying the classics, and you are not as insightful as us monks. Why don't I, with my great compassion, deliver you from suffering?"

"you!"

The old scholars were both shocked and furious. In the end, they snorted and looked away, afraid of truly provoking these ruthless martial arts practitioners.

After the little incident, the square was filled with sighs.

Because Chen Futu only talked about what the Industrial Revolution was, but didn't talk about how to make a steam engine or how to make a business plan.

Actually, looking at the current situation in Northern Xinjiang, everyone has noticed some clues. The King of Northern Xinjiang implemented the policy of merging land tax and poll tax last year, which made all the land the property of the royal court and prohibited its buying and selling. He had been planning this for a long time. In addition, the construction of the development zone has attracted so many merchants to invest in and build workshops in Northern Xinjiang. It turns out that he had been planning all along.

Qi Yan, Xu Guangshou, and others seemed eager to join the Northern Frontier and witness the rise of an empire.

Even Su Yun, Zhou Chuchu, and some martial arts figures were frequently winking. As long as Chen Futu gave the word, they would stay and serve the Northern Frontier. As for that damned Great Qian Dynasty, it was definitely beyond saving and would be swept into the dustbin of history sooner or later. It would be better to stay in the Northern Frontier and get closer to the King, perhaps to secure a future for their families and forces.

Boom!

Spring thunder rumbled, and a light rain began to fall.

Chen Futu smiled and said, "It's almost time. This literary gathering is coming to an end. If anyone wants to come to the Northern Frontier to seek business, they can go to the royal court to find Lord Yu Qian. He will make arrangements for you."

As soon as Chen Futu finished speaking, a figure soared into the sky; it was Yan Wuqing.

While the others were still reeling from Chen Futu's earlier remarks, by the time they realized what had happened, Yan Wuqing had already vanished.

"Damn it, that lecherous thief got away again!"

"Hurry and chase him! We must take him down today!"

A group of martial arts practitioners chased after them in a flurry of activity, making the square appear chaotic.

Chen Futu asked Consort Ge to escort Li Xiuning back to her residence first, and then went to Baiyujing alone. The people in the square were still very enthusiastic and did not disperse. They gathered in twos and threes to discuss whether to join the Northern Frontier. This was a rare opportunity, and they would regret it if they missed it.

"Today has truly broadened the horizons of your mother and me."

As soon as Chen Futu entered the room, he saw the woman in green and the old woman. The woman in green had a particularly bright smile.

"Weren't you in seclusion? Why did you come out?"

"If you hadn't left the pass, how would I have known your lofty ambitions? You truly are worthy of being my disciple, far surpassing those mediocre rulers."

The woman in green became increasingly pleased with herself as she spoke.

The old lady sighed, "What my son said today is truly shocking. Aren't you afraid of getting yourself into trouble? If the Great Qian hears the news, they will probably spare no expense to unite with the various vassal states to launch an attack."