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

Dian Wei knew that the journey to Shili Pavilion was fraught with danger, so he carried his double halberds on guard the whole way, and the Polu squad protected the carriage very well.

After a while, we arrived at the scenic Shili Pavilion.

More than a thousand elite cavalrymen were stationed in the distance, led by a majestic general, while Zhang Shouren, dressed in ordinary clothes, waited alone in the pavilion.

Upon seeing the carriage arrive, he immediately came out to greet it.

Seeing his respectful attitude, Chen Futu smiled and asked, "Is your illness better, my sworn brother?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am feeling much better."

"Now that you're better, why don't we go into town for a chat? Mother and my younger sister are really worried about you."

Chen Futu stepped forward and patted Zhang Shouren on the shoulder, looking like a close brother.

Dian Wei kept a close eye on Zhang Shouren, and if the latter made any move, he would not hesitate to swing his halberd and kill him.

Zhang Shouren coughed twice. "My illness has not yet been cured, and I am afraid of infecting my elders, so I have taken the liberty of inviting the young master out of the city for a chat."

"Brother, please speak frankly."

"look."

Zhang Shouren handed over the imperial edict, and Chen Futu frowned. "What does my sworn brother mean by this?"

“The ambitions of the Great Qian are obvious. As his sworn brother, how could I fall into their trap?”

"So, brother, you're planning to hand over the rest of your military power?"

Chen Futu's words were so sharp that they left Zhang Shouren speechless. He paused for a few seconds and then said awkwardly, "What are you saying, Your Highness? It is my duty to guard the border for Your Highness. How can you talk about military power?"

"I would like to have Cao Zhen and Gao Shun replace my sworn brother in guarding the border, so that my sworn brother can rest and recuperate at home. What do you all think?"

Chen Futu's gaze grew increasingly sharp.

Zhang Shouren did not avoid eye contact. He clenched his fist and smiled nonchalantly, "Does the young master really intend to be so resolute?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a murderous aura began to emanate between the two.

Having said that much, they've practically broken through the barrier between truth and fiction.

Chen Futu sarcastically said, "Brother, our father is the governor of the northern frontier for the imperial court, yet the court shows no kindness whatsoever. If we fight each other, wouldn't that be exactly what they want?"

"As long as the Crown Prince doesn't push his luck, I, as his sworn brother, will protect his safety."

Zhang Shouren stopped pretending and laid his cards on the table.

His feigned compliance vanished, and he raised his head, beaming with joy.

Dian Wei glared with his tiger-like eyes and cursed, "You surnamed Zhang, are you looking for death?!"

"General Dian Wei, do you really think I dared to come here with only a thousand iron cavalry?"

Zhang Shouren waved his hand, and suddenly a dense mass of men emerged from the thick forest on the opposite bank of the river, all drawing their bows and aiming at Chen Futu.

Chen Futu frowned and said to Zhang Shouren, "As expected of my good sworn brother, I really didn't expect you to be so restless now."

"If I don't take action, I'm afraid there will be no place for me in the Northern Frontier. Brother, you are too greedy. I have painstakingly built up Dragon City for so many years, and you have just returned and already kicked me out without any regard for our past relationship. Don't I have any dignity?"

Zhang Shouren patted his chest, his expression turning somewhat sinister.

At this moment, he was no longer the gentle and refined young general, but more like a ferocious and greedy wolf.

Chen Futu picked up his wine cup and took a sip. "Brother, you are not yours to take away. I have never touched you, and even let your family go, because I did not want to see the northern border be torn apart by war."

"Doesn't Your Highness feel ashamed to say such a thing? At that time, you had just taken over the power in the Northern Frontier and your position was not yet secure. Even if I openly took my wife and children away, could you have stopped me?"

"go on."

Chen Futu didn't mind being a listener now, listening to his sworn brother's journey.

"I thought you were a good-for-nothing, but I didn't expect that after such a short time, you would have impressed me so much. You have gathered so many elite soldiers under your command. I have to admit that you now have the strength to contend with me."

"is it?"

“From today onwards, the east of Dragon City belongs to the Crown Prince, and the west of Dragon City belongs to Tianyun. You and I, brothers, will not interfere with each other.”

"Dian Wei, let's go."

Chen Futu put down his wine cup and got up to leave.

Zhang Shouren's expression turned cold. "Your Highness, don't force me. Do you know the consequences if I join forces with the Hu people to open the city gates?"

Chen Futu stopped and turned back to look at him with a deep gaze. "I'll call you sworn brother one last time. If you dare to do that, I'll cut you into a thousand pieces."

The carriage departed without Zhang Shouren stopping it.

Killing Chen Futu would be pointless. Not to mention the arrogant and fierce soldiers under Chen Futu's command, even the few generals left behind by the Prince of Zhenbei would fight him to the death, which would only make the northern frontier more chaotic.

As for his earlier statement about opening the city gates and letting the barbarian horses into the Central Plains, it was not an exaggeration.

He needs time to develop and prepare. Chen Futu's recent series of decrees have put him in the spotlight, cutting off his supplies at the source. If he doesn't stand up and make it clear, he won't be able to resist in the future, and he won't even have weapons.

Inside the carriage, Chen Futu's face was so dark it was almost dripping with gloom.

Zhang Shouren was decisive enough; after all, he was an elite whom his father had personally trained. Sensing danger, he directly clarified the relationship between the two parties.

In that case, it all depends on the attitude of the officials in charge of the major towns.

Chen Futu had always intended to eliminate the hidden dangers in the northern frontier. With Zhang Shouren's hidden henchmen surfacing, he could then arrange for people to take over the defense of important towns.

Upon returning to Longcheng, Chen Futu immediately convened a meeting to explain the situation.

Yu Qian said, "The Crown Prince's decree to bring the government back into control made Zhang Shouren realize the danger. He had to make a choice, so it's not hard to understand why he stepped forward now."

Guan Yu said angrily, "The young master has treated him well and even released his wife and children. He has done everything he could to be kind and righteous. Yet that fellow does not think of repaying the favor. He truly deserves to die."

Li Huaifeng and the others looked at each other speechlessly; they hadn't expected things to come to this.

To be fair, from the day Chen Futu took over the power in Longcheng, the two brothers were destined to stand on opposite sides.

The reason the Crown Prince didn't touch Zhang Shouren back then was ultimately because his power base was unstable. If it were now, and Zhang Shouren dared to come to Longcheng, the Crown Prince would definitely kill him!

"Feng Cheng, add an extra page to tomorrow's newspaper to announce in the northern frontier that Zhang Shouren has rebelled."

"Your Highness, is this really alright?"

"He's just a clown. I have many fierce generals under my command. Why should I be afraid of a mere Zhang Shouren? We need to act decisively and quickly."

Chen Futu issued a series of orders in one go.

The most crucial step was to send someone to deliver the order to replace the commander of an important town, thus alerting the enemy. If anyone disobeyed, or attempted to flee with their family and possessions to join Zhang Shouren, their family would be confiscated and their entire household exterminated.

As for the important town west of Longcheng, Chen Futu planned to personally go to Longguan to invite the old general to visit, in order to avoid fighting as much as possible and weaken Zhang Shouren's influence over the surrounding areas based in Tianyun City.

As government orders were issued and troops departed, a major earthquake struck northern Xinjiang.

News of Chen Futu's break with Zhang Shouren spread throughout the land.

The world's attention is once again focused on northern Xinjiang.

The old emperor was relieved. His plan was complete. All he had to do was wait for Chen Futu and Zhang Shouren to start a war, and the Great Qian Dynasty could retake the northern border!

The chief officials of various towns in the northern frontier began to be replaced, some of them were killed, and many letters secretly communicating with Zhang Shouren were found in their residences.

At the same time, an unprecedented military parade was held in Longcheng.

The elite troops, including the Vanguard Camp, the White-Spear Soldiers, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the Women's Army, the Sword-wielding Warriors, and the Vanguard Guards, left a deep impression on the audience.

Whether it was Guan Yu or Qin Liangyu, the world had witnessed the fighting prowess of these generals.

Under the influence of overwhelming military power, the relocation of key towns in eastern Longcheng proceeded relatively smoothly. With the support of fierce generals such as Li Huaifeng, everything was carried out in an orderly manner.

At Longcheng Pass.

General Xu Mao threw a knife in front of Chen Futu and said, "Take this and fight me. If you win, I'll help you."

Xu Mao valued Zhang Shouren, while Chen Futu, as the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei, had won numerous battles and was renowned throughout the land, his reputation no less than that of the Prince of Zhenbei. This made it difficult for Xu Mao to choose.

Chen Futu gripped his sword firmly; the valiant young general was full of vigor and his sharp spirit was captivating.

Dian Wei, enraged, quickly stepped in front of Chen Futu, shouting, "Old man, you're a Xiantian expert, while my young master is only a fifth-rank! If you've got the guts, fight me!"