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

"Fellow villagers, at that time, I made an alliance with the Great Qian Dynasty, agreeing not to invade each other for six months. However, Liu Bainian, the general guarding Beixing Mountain, allowed his troops to plunder countless amounts of money and grain in the northern border, causing the people to suffer the pain of exile. I had no choice but to send troops."

"Now that the royal court has marched south, it has not harmed the people in the slightest. I am only here to demand an explanation from the Great Qian. As for the Great Qian Dragon Cavalry, you may go to the military camp, take your children home, and serve them in their old age. I will not interfere."

Chen Futu's words made the people cheer with joy, and the previously lifeless street atmosphere suddenly became cheerful.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

"Long live the king!"

"Your Majesty is well aware of our suffering!"

Upon receiving the imperial decree, the people marched out of the city in droves.

Qin Liangyu asked in a low voice, "What does Your Majesty mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Let's go take a look."

Subduing dragon riders cannot be achieved through force; winning their hearts and minds is the best strategy.

When the people arrived at the military camp, the guards had already received Chen Futu's orders. They had the people line up, give their names, and then they could take them home.

The people naturally dared not cause trouble, so they lined up in rows, several rows that stretched as far as the eye could see, and no one knew how many people had come.

Chen Futu and Qin Liangyu entered the camp. They saw the dragon knights whose names were called running out happily, while those whose names were not called had their heads down and looked gloomy.

After about two hours, the number of Dragon Rider soldiers had dwindled by half. The people had all found their offspring, but most of them did not leave. They knew that the king had arrived and wanted to see if the royal court had any other decrees or if they would forcibly conscript their children into the army.

"Your Majesty, the family reunion is over. Of the 50,000 dragon riders, 24,800 remain."

"Summon them to a meeting; I have something to say."

Chen Futu gave the order, and soon the remaining dragon knights were assembled. Chen Futu stood before them amidst countless gazes.

Fear was evident in their eyes. How could a notorious king treat everyone like this?

Chen Futu surveyed the entire room. “I know that the remaining people come from all over the country. Some were forcibly conscripted into the army, while others volunteered to serve their country. I will not force you to do anything, nor will I treat you like I did the Longman.”

After these words were spoken, the dragon riders whispered among themselves, "If the king says he won't kill, then he probably won't kill, right?"

They were unwilling to turn around and surrender to the Northern Frontier; they would rather retire from the army and return to their fields than help the Northern Frontier conquer the territory of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Chen Futu listened to all their words without getting angry. He continued, "There's no need to guess. You are not of any other race. I will not use force in vain. I will have someone bring you wine and meat later. After you have eaten and drunk your fill, take some travel money and go home to reunite with your families."

"what?"

"Does the king intend to release us?"

"real or fake?"

The dragon riders didn't believe it; it was somewhat magical.

Chen Futu frowned and said, "I have only one request: after you return home, take good care of your parents and do not join the army again, otherwise you may not be so lucky next time."

After saying this, Chen Futu turned and left, leaving Qin Liangyu to take charge of the overall situation, and he really made no demands.

Watching the departing figures, the dragon riders were momentarily stunned, feeling as if they were dreaming.

Then food was sent from the prefectural city, including grains and meat donated by the people who had just taken away their offspring, and the whole camp was filled with noise.

One of the dragon riders mustered up his courage and spoke up, asking the king what he intended to do.

Qin Liangyu said, “The wicked are in power, and foreign tribes are invading and harming my fellow countrymen in the Central Plains. The King intends to drive out the barbarians and restore a bright and clear world. You are fortunate to have met the King. Tomorrow, you will all return to your hometowns and must not be enemies with the King again, lest you cause pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies.”

These few words silenced the dragon knights present.

Just then, a soldier with white spears appeared before Qin Liangyu. "Report, General! The Western Regions Allied Forces have entered Shizhou and caused another bloodbath, slaughtering tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians!"

"What did you say!"

Qin Liangyu was furious, her eyebrows furrowing in anger.

The dragon knights' eyes widened in fury upon hearing this. "Those barbarian thieves are utterly despicable!"

"Yes, is this an insult to the Central Plains, that there is no one capable of ruling?"

"The emperor moved the capital south to avoid disaster, and the northern territories fell completely, with no regard for the lives of the people."

"Are we really going to leave like this?"

A question lingered in the minds of the dragon knights: the king had issued an edict, so they would surely be allowed to leave. But with most of the northern territory fallen, would they be able to return home and live a good life?

Obviously not. In times of chaos, with barbarian bandits trampling across the Central Plains, how could a man of courage and integrity choose to live a life of ignominy?

"General Qin, I'm not leaving!"

"I'm not leaving either. We must continue on the battlefield to kill the Tartars!"

"General Qin, count me in!"

"And I!"

……

Inside the government office, Chen Futu listened to the report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and a smile appeared on his lips.

This result was not unexpected. As for the report of the massacre that Qin Liangyu received, it was actually delivered yesterday. It was just right to use it to arouse the anger in the hearts of the dragon riders. Furthermore, the new emperor moved the capital, resulting in the loss of a large area of ​​territory. The soldiers could not settle down and return to their fields. They had to defeat the barbarians first before they could go home to serve their parents.

Zhang Liang gave a thumbs up. "Your Majesty, this is a brilliant move. Next, we can announce the news of the barbarian bandits' massacre of the city to the whole city and openly recruit warriors to fill the gaps in the dragon riders' manpower. I think those dragon riders who left with their parents will return one after another."

"Alright, I'll leave this matter to the strategist. Remember to distribute the military pay in a timely manner, lest the soldiers' morale be dampened."

"Here."

Zhang Liang personally oversaw the matter, and as expected, when news of the massacre of Shizhou Guard spread, the people were outraged, and the entire prefecture was filled with curses.

The dragon riders who were originally going home, upon hearing that most of their comrades had stayed behind to fight the Tartars to the death, also knelt down to bid farewell to their parents, wanting to return to the army and follow the Northern Frontier King south to fight the Tartars to the death.

In just a few days, the dragon cavalry returned to their posts. Only one or two thousand dragon cavalrymen left, and the vacancies were filled by newly recruited local militia. The army was now fully staffed with 50,000 soldiers, exuding a murderous aura.

Standing on the command platform, Chen Futu addressed his 50,000 soldiers, proclaiming, "Soldiers, these barbarian thieves have bullied our Central Plains! I am about to raise an army to punish them. Are you all willing to fight?"

"We are willing to fight! We are willing to fight!"

"Alright, from today onwards, the Great Qian Dragon Cavalry will be renamed the Northern Frontier Dragon Cavalry, directly under my personal command."

"Wind! Wind! Wind—"

Chen Futu appointed Zhang Liang as the temporary commander of the Dragon Cavalry, with two former commanders as his deputies: Chen Nan and Sun Hao. Both of them possessed innate strength and were considered formidable generals.

What followed was normal training; the next time the army set out, it would engage in a major battle with the Tartars.

Zhang Liang stayed in the military camp. He was very good at training troops, and with his abilities, the combat strength of these 50,000 dragon cavalry would reach a new level.