The carefree sixth prince, my father respectfully invites me to ascend the throne.

Then we can plunder this only prosperous land in the Northwest, and then send our troops south to attack the Great Liang.

"That goes without saying, they're definitely people sent by Liangzhou to their deaths. That General Shenwu is just a bluff. All we need to do is lead our troops over and wipe out their army."

The Right Wise King of the Xiongnu, Ayiman, said with a smug look on his face. He had tens of thousands of iron cavalry under his command, and the soldiers in Liangzhou were nothing but a rabble.

Before their Hunnic cavalry, everything would be utterly vulnerable.

Just as everyone was feeling smug, the Crown Prince's trusted confidant walked in from outside.

"I advise Your Majesty not to underestimate your enemy. The Ninth Prince's methods are far more sophisticated than we imagine. Perhaps he has faked his death this time."

Upon hearing the sound, Ayman's expression clearly darkened.

This Right Wise King of the Xiongnu had been roaming freely in the northern desert for more than a decade. When had he ever been afraid?

"What does the envoy mean by this? Do you not trust us?"

Ayman's eyes held a murderous glint, as if he could drag the messenger away and behead him if he said another word.

Upon seeing this, the envoy's expression changed immediately; the Xiongnu were indeed so fickle.

"Your Majesty misunderstands. We are all in the same boat now. I didn't mean that. However, the Ninth Prince is a cunning man, and we must be wary of him."

The messenger spoke with utmost sincerity, but Ayman's expression darkened slightly, revealing a hint of impatience.

"You need not worry about how to march and fight. I only want to know when the Crown Prince will fulfill the promise he made to us?"

Upon seeing this, the envoy smiled slightly; the effect he desired had finally been achieved.

"Of course we will keep our promise, but Your Majesty must understand your mission."

When the envoy said this, his eyes were fixed on Ayman, and the meaning was very clear: he wanted Ayman to test the strength of Liangzhou.

"I know this."

Ayman waved his hand and then stood up.

"Send out more scouts to investigate the movements of the Liangzhou army. Report back immediately after they find anything."

After Ayman gave his orders, his subordinates couldn't wait and immediately went to carry them out.

……

"Does Your Majesty believe his words?"

After everyone left, Ayman's strategist asked one more question.

Ayman turned his head and glanced at the other person indifferently, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I don't think His Highness the Crown Prince would do something so treacherous. We have a common enemy. He should keep his promise to me. If he doesn't, as long as we take Liangzhou, we'll have enough strength. Why would we be afraid of a mere Crown Prince then?"

Upon hearing Ayman's words, the strategist slowly nodded, looking thoughtful.

Ayman smiled slightly, a hint of smugness on his lips. As long as he could take Liangzhou, he would become a regional overlord, and the entire Daliang would be under his feet. What was a mere crown prince?

……

On the Liangzhou army's side.

After settling the military camp, Yang Ling led Mr. Zhuge to the highest mountain in the vicinity.

"Sir, what do you think of me building a city here?"

As soon as Yang Ling uttered these words, Mr. Zhuge looked completely puzzled. This place was so desolate, how could they build a city here and eat?

Moreover, it wasn't a major trade route; it was a completely desolate place.

"This place lacks favorable timing, location, and popular support; Your Highness should not consider this plan."

Mr. Zhuge was shrewd and calculating, but he was ultimately just a person of this era. How could he compare to someone like Yang Ling, who came from a later era?

Upon hearing Mr. Zhuge's words, Yang Ling smiled faintly.

He has had the terrain of the surrounding area surveyed over the past few days. There is a large river not far from here, which is also a major trade route.

If we build an irrigation canal to bring water from the river here, the terrain and soil here can be used to make it a granary.

Most importantly, this place has a lot of oil fields and coal, and there are also a lot of metal ore veins thirty miles to the north.

In later generations, this place became a treasure trove.

With a little effort, this place could be the perfect center for the entire Liangzhou region.

Moreover, this place is not yet suitable for eastward expansion. Moving one's royal palace here would also be a good opportunity to gain experience by fighting the surrounding barbarians.

"Sir, you may not know this, but although this place looks desolate now, it contains endless wealth buried beneath. Given time, I am confident that I can transform this place into the most prosperous place in the entire Liangzhou."

Yang Ling spoke confidently, but upon seeing this, Mr. Zhuge's eyes showed a hint of doubt.

"Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Could there be something buried underground? But he's lived for over forty years and has never heard of it before.

"The surface of this place may seem barren and desolate, but beneath it lies a wealth of mineral veins and abundant oil and gas resources. If we mine it a little and then turn over and transform the soil, this place can become a fertile field."

Seeing Yang Ling's unwavering stance, Mr. Zhuge looked puzzled. What oil and gas resources? What are these things?

Although he had never heard of it before, Yang Ling, as the King of Liangzhou, would certainly not lie about this.

“This is indeed a treasure land. All we need to do is dig a canal from the other side of the river to divert water and modify the terrain. It can definitely be developed into a major thoroughfare.”

Although Mr. Zhuge knew nothing about the oil and gas resources that Yang Ling mentioned, he was very knowledgeable about the water diversion project.

After all, this old man had done some research on water conservancy with his father when he was young.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ling nodded immediately. This old man was indeed a talented person. If given enough authority and support, he would probably be able to completely transform this place in no time.

"Sir, I'll leave this matter to you. I need to focus my attention on the western expedition."

When Yang Ling said this, her expression turned serious.

“This time, the barbarians are definitely not just bringing a small tribe. We’ve been here for so long, they must already know what we’re up to, and they’ll probably make a move soon.”

Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhuge nodded immediately. Since Yang Ling wanted to focus on cultivating this barren land, he would naturally give his full support.

"Your Highness, please rest assured. Although I am not good at fighting, I am very confident in handling domestic affairs."