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

Chen Futu was already feeling a bit resentful after being rejected by Qin Liangyu, so he got angry when he heard the cursing.

Turning around, I saw He Ya in the prison van, looking like a madwoman, yelling and cursing!

She poured her heart and soul into that shout.

Upon hearing such insults, Zhao Xier, inside the carriage, immediately giggled, revealing herself to be a complete vixen.

Dian Wei brandished his twin halberds, banging them loudly on the prison cart, and scolded He Ya, "If you dare to insult the prince again, I'll cut out your tongue."

"Cut it off, or you'll be a coward!"

"I have such a bad temper!"

Dian Wei wanted to beat her up, but without Chen Futu's orders, he could only endure it.

Chen Futu rode back to the prison cart. He Ya clung tightly to the wooden fence, her eyes bloodshot.

You'd better kill me, or I'll fight you to the death!

Chen Futu sneered, "You better behave yourself. Have you forgotten that all the men in your family were exiled to Zhangzhou? I'll send men to Zhangzhou right now to wipe out your entire family, believe it or not?"

"You shameless villain, I wish I could eat your flesh and sleep on your skin!"

"Hehe, how novel. Everyone wants to eat my flesh and drink my blood, but unfortunately you can't do it. However, you don't need to worry too much. When you return to Dragon City, you only need to do one thing for me, and I promise not to touch your little relatives."

“Since the young master has made a promise, he will surely not renege on it. I agree on her behalf.”

Madam He spoke from inside the prison van behind.

She remained calm and composed, maintaining the demeanor of a general's wife even after becoming a prisoner.

Chen Futu sneered, "The reason you and your daughter have been staying in the brothel must be because the imperial court is secretly monitoring you. If I arrest you, the news will soon reach the capital. Do you think the dog emperor will make a big fuss over criminals like you?"

“Your Highness, there’s no need for your sarcastic remarks. I only ask that my daughter’s life be spared. In return, I can tell you a secret. Before my husband died, he transferred his wealth. Part of it was used to build up his power base in town and recruit private soldiers. The other part was left in a hidden place, and there are at least three million taels left.”

"As expected of a great general, that's all the hard-earned money of the people."

The development of the northern frontier cannot be separated from money, and Zhao Xier's purchase of warhorses from the Western Regions is even more inseparable from money.

"No rush. Whether it's a secret or money, I want to see if the young master keeps his promise first."

Mrs. He closed her eyes and remained silent.

Chen Futu pondered for a moment and then stopped pressuring her.

He Ya is just a small woman; it's not a problem to spare her life. But as for Madam He, she probably won't survive.

A few days later, the army returned to Longcheng.

Chen Futu immediately ordered his men to escort Madam He and He Ya to the dungeon of the Prince's Mansion.

After explaining the situation to the old lady, her expression changed. "Back then, your father was impeached by the court, and even I was framed. All of this was thanks to the General. But your father knew that the mastermind was the emperor, so he did not exterminate the General's lineage."

"Mother, I'm in the dungeon, you can do whatever you want with me."

“My son has grown up, and this is indeed a worry for his mother.”

The old lady led her people to the dungeon, but Chen Futu did not go with them.

The older generation can settle their own grudges. As for Madam He's life or death, although he has leverage, Chen Futu doesn't really care.

Back in the council hall, Chen Futu met with Yu Qian.

Yu Qian said that with winter approaching, the northern grasslands may not be peaceful.

"The Hu people are not good at agriculture or commerce, but only at herding. Every year at the end of the year, they will send people to the border to plunder. This year will probably be no exception."

Yu Qian had previously sent documents to all the towns and passes, instructing them to keep a close watch on the movements on the grasslands.

The defense line consisting of Longguan, Yanbeiguan, Fushuiguan, and Kaiyangguan is not a major problem. The key is the section from the west of Longcheng to Tianyunguan. Due to the tense relationship with Zhang Shouren, if the Hu people choose this section as their breakthrough point, it could lead to a three-way battle.

Cao Zhen said, "The important western town is guarded by General Li and others with a large number of troops. If the Hu people come, we can hold back for now and see Zhang Shouren's reaction. If he does not move, we can send troops. This will also enhance the prestige of the Crown Prince."

"Indeed, the eastern defense line is as solid as a mountain, but the west is the only weak point. If Zhang Shouren makes a move, we can sit back and watch the tigers fight."

Yu Qian also agreed with this plan.

Towards the end of a meeting, the issue of warhorses came up.

Currently, apart from the personal cavalry of a few generals, the warhorses of other armies in Longcheng are extremely limited.

Guan Yu suggested, "In my opinion, we don't need to ask the Western Zhao for horses. We can go deep into the grasslands and plunder them."

"No! The Hu people are all cavalry, with armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands. If we go there rashly, we may be blocked on the grasslands."

Liu Bowen disagreed with Guan Yu's suggestion, which made Guan Yu frown.

After some final discussion, Chen Futu decided to go see Zhao Xier first.

Zhao Xier was not at the post station in Pingkangfang; she wandered into the city with her maid.

Chen Futu led Dian Wei to a newspaper office where they found her.

She wore a light veil and chuckled as she held a newspaper, which contained anecdotes about the legendary driver of Gaoliang River.

"I never imagined that the once-renowned adopted son of the Prince of Zhenbei would end up fleeing in a donkey cart."

"Is it funny?"

Chen Futu raised an eyebrow and approached Zhao Xier from behind.

Zhao Xier was not surprised by his arrival. She waved the newspaper and said, "I am very interested in newspapers. If used properly, they can be a powerful tool. Could you give me this business opportunity, Your Highness? I would like to try it out in Western Zhao."

"Sure, just trade me warhorses. Not many, I only need 20,000."

"Why don't you go and grab it!"

Zhao Xier wasn't in a hurry, but the maid was the one who got anxious first.

Twenty thousand warhorses can easily cost a million taels of silver; if you add warhorse equipment, the value will be even higher.

Of course, newspapers may seem simple, but their technical sophistication and value are extremely high, including printing and papermaking techniques. Even 20,000 horses would be considered cheap for them.

Chen Futu led the master and servant to a private room in a teahouse.

Zhao Xier got straight to the point: "Although I am quite interested in printing and papermaking, we are in the Western Regions, and these are not what I want. To put it bluntly, I have warhorses. I dare not say more, but I can still provide 50,000, provided that you give me something that satisfies me."

Fifty thousand horses!

Chen Futu's pupils contracted and his heart raced, while Dian Wei's breathing also became rapid.

This woman is really rich and powerful. No wonder everyone is keeping an eye on her.

"What does Your Majesty desire?"

"Simple."

Zhao Xier took out two glass beads from her sleeve.

Chen Futu curiously took it and played with it, while Dian Wei beside him exclaimed, "It's actually glass! What a treasure!"

"Shut up, you country bumpkin."

Chen Futu rolled his eyes at Dian Wei. In the original world, even a little kid wouldn't bother with a glass bead of this quality when playing marbles.

The two glass beads in my hand are of different quality. One of them is full of air bubbles and impurities, and its texture is grayish. The other one is in better condition, but not by much.

Upon seeing this, Chen Futu conceived the idea of ​​extending his reach to the Western Regions.