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

Amidst the turmoil of the Great Qian Dynasty, Chen Futu was not idle either. Apart from his daily official duties, he spent most of his time inspecting local areas and investigating the people's livelihood. As he had predicted, many people came to the northern mountain range.

Chu Jiang gave them a choice: stay in the army and eat military rations, or go to the northern frontier to make a living. The vast majority of people chose to go to the northern frontier, while some young men chose to join the army. They did not want to be preyed upon anymore and wanted to climb the social ladder. Joining the army was undoubtedly the fastest option. They also learned that this army actually belonged to the king of the northern frontier, so there were more opportunities for those who stayed on the front lines of the war in the northern mountains.

Speaking of which, Chu Jiang's rebel army can now be considered a regular army. Its number has expanded from several thousand at the beginning to more than 30,000. Once the new recruits have been trained and the weapons from the northern frontier have been delivered, he will join forces with Cui Zhengyu to kill Liu Bainian and completely take over the Beixing Mountains.

Time passed quickly, and more than a month went by.

Chen Futu's royal desk was piled high with war reports from the Great Qian Dynasty. The most eye-catching of them was the news of the vassal king's defeat. The report said that the royal palace had been looted and the women of noble families in the city could not be saved. The allied forces told the court that if they wanted to redeem the royal women, they should pay money and grain: 1,000 gold coins for the princess, 500 gold coins for the princess, and 200 gold coins for the daughters of nobles.

It is said that the new emperor was so angry about this that he almost vomited blood. There were even rumors that the allied forces placed noble ladies in brothels and bribed江湖豪客 (jianghu heroes). In one day, there were more than a hundred patrons, and more than a hundred people were raped and killed.

Chen Futu closed the battle report, his head buzzing.

Yue Fei suddenly appeared, his expression extremely serious: "Your Majesty, this humble general requests permission to fight."

"I know what General Yue is thinking, but we are powerless to do anything about this."

Chen Futu sighed. If he could fight, he would have done so long ago. Currently, the grain of the Great Qian Dynasty has been allocated, and with the increase in population, the two million units of grain that have been collected are barely enough to keep the northern border running. Sending troops is completely out of the question, and at the very least, it should be postponed until the summer harvest.

Moreover, with such a sudden surge in population, northern Xinjiang is now experiencing overpopulation.

Furthermore, the commerce of the Great Qian Dynasty suffered a devastating blow, and trade in the northern frontier could no longer be expanded. At most, trade could be conducted with the more distant vassal states of the Western Regions and the wealthy lands in the south of the Great Qian Dynasty. The caravans faced dangers and difficulties along the way.

"Therefore, Your Majesty, we cannot delay any longer. The people of the Central Plains cannot wait for the Northern Frontier to be prosperous and the people at peace. I suggest that we send troops immediately after the summer harvest."

"You go first, I'll think about it some more."

Chen Futu waved his hand, and Yue Fei had no choice but to retreat.

He bumped into Liu Bowen as soon as he stepped outside. Liu Bowen whispered, "The king hasn't agreed to send troops?"

Yue Fei said in a mournful voice, "I know that Your Majesty must consider the overall situation, but we cannot just stand by and watch the people suffer. Please, strategist, teach me."

Liu Bowen looked at Wang Ting with some difficulty and shook his head, saying, "I do have a way to provoke Your Majesty to send troops, but I can't tell you. Otherwise, if Your Majesty finds out, he'll skin me alive."

"Please teach me, strategist." Yue Fei was very stubborn. Liu Bowen scratched his head and said, "Why don't you go see Prime Minister Zhuge? He will definitely have a solution."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

"Wait, I'll come with you."

Originally, Liu Bowen hoped for a peaceful and stable development in the northern frontier. However, he had recently heard too many tragic battle reports from the Great Qian Dynasty. In his heart, he could not tolerate the barbarians wreaking havoc in the Central Plains. However, the royal court's decision had to be based on the overall situation.

As for the strategy he mentioned to provoke the king into sending troops, it was nothing more than spreading rumors that the allied forces coveted the noble ladies of the northern frontier, such as Qin Liangyu, Chen Yuling, and Li Xiuning.

Once the king hears this news, he will be furious and will sell everything he owns to send troops, but no one can bear the consequences of spreading rumors.

The two arrived at Zhuge Liang's residence in Pingkangfang some time later. Huang Yueying was unusually at home today, and Guan Yu and Ma Chao were also visiting. It was clear that the two generals had come to consult on the war of Daqian.

When the group saw Yue Fei's furrowed brows, they understood everything.

Without a word, Yue Fei knelt down on one knee in front of Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was startled and quickly helped him up, asking, "General, what are you doing?"

"Prime Minister, I cannot bear to see the people suffer so much. I hope the strategist can persuade the king to send troops to drive out the barbarian bandits and restore peace and prosperity to the people."

Yue Fei clasped his hands and said earnestly.

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and invited him and Liu Bowen to take their seats. "Now that there is no food or supplies left in the northern frontier for the expedition, do you think His Majesty is not angry? An army cannot move until its supplies are ready. If we can find some food, His Majesty will surely lead the royal army into the Central Plains without us having to ask."

Guan Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I heard that our lord has been searching for the location of the Taiping granary. If we can find it, wouldn't we have enough food for the army?"

“Taiping Granary is extremely important. Liang has been keeping an eye on the three major grain merchants, but unfortunately they are very well hidden and there are no clues. However, they have recently shown some flaws.”

"Prime Minister, do you know where the granary is?" The group was overjoyed.

Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan. "The war in the Great Qian Dynasty is getting more and more intense. The business of the three major grain merchants has been impacted, and a lot of grain has even been looted. They have recently moved their operations to the Beixing Mountains. I think Your Majesty must have noticed this as well. I expect that before long, someone will go to Taiping Granary to take grain."

What are we going to do with the grain?

"Of course, they'll recruit private soldiers. More and more people are fleeing to the northern mountains. In this chaotic world, who wouldn't want to make a name for themselves? The Great Qian has completely lost control over the local areas. Do you think the powerful families wouldn't want this empire?"

Zhuge Liang's words enlightened Guan Yu and the others. Upon careful consideration, they realized that this made perfect sense. If the imperial family could sit on the throne, their aristocratic families could too. It was a case of ever-changing dynasties but enduring aristocratic families. These families were deeply rooted in the world and survived the test of time. This was no mere boast. Among them, the most famous were the representatives of Confucianism. Whenever dynasties changed, they would offer a letter of surrender in order to ensure the continuation of their lineage. Behind the chaos at the end of dynasties, there were also aristocratic families stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

"Therefore, we only need to keep a close eye on them, and soon we will be able to obtain enough food and supplies to support the army's expenses."

Zhuge Liang said all he had to say.

Yue Fei understood that the Taiping granary was the key; once the king received the grain, he would send troops. Otherwise, no matter how much he said now, it would be useless.

In the royal court, Ake finally returned to Chen Futu's side, and Chen Futu asked, "How is it?"

"Your Majesty, the three major grain producers recently held a private meeting to discuss recruiting private soldiers, intending to start an uprising in the Northern Mountains to compete with Chu Jiang for territory. Their target is the refugee civilians, and they expect to go and collect the grain in the next few days."

"The fox's tail has finally been revealed. Take the Shadow Guards there, and once they discover the Taiping Granary, leak the news to Liu Bainian. He will definitely send troops to seize it. Once he has it, I will send troops to crush him, and the grain will naturally become my property. Of course, before that, the three major grain merchants will definitely beg me to send troops to take back the grain. I can take this opportunity to extort the three major grain merchants again. In the end, the responsibility will only fall on Liu Bainian's shoulders. This is his last value."

Ake laughed upon hearing this, "As expected of the King, with this method, the grain reserves are sufficient for launching an attack. The King is indeed the new sage who will save the world."

"Who allowed the Ancient Palace to interfere and disrupt my recuperation strategy? Whether it's military strength or high-end combat power, I'm not afraid of them."

After Chen Futu gave the order, Ake went.