Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

A silk scroll, ten feet long, was slowly unfurled on the floor of the Imperial Study.

The border demarcations of the various countries in the Eastern Regions were immediately clear in my mind.

"In the Eastern Region, excluding the sea areas, there are mainly ten land-based kingdoms: Wu Zhao Kingdom, Tian Lang Kingdom, Yan Kingdom, Xia Kingdom, Chu Kingdom, Song Kingdom, Weicang Kingdom, Wu Kingdom, Yue Kingdom, and Luchuan Kingdom."

In addition, there were the Taiji Kingdom in the northeast, and other small foreign kingdoms such as Dali below Jiaozhou.

Among these, the Kingdom of Wuzhao spans a vast territory across both the eastern and western regions, with a population of hundreds of millions.

It extends far beyond the visible area north of the Eastern Regions; it is currently the only transcendent great power in the Eastern Regions and even the entire Western Continent.

Fortunately, Wu Zhao's state does not yet border Chu, so his army will not pose any threat to the border for the time being.

Currently, the greatest threats facing the Great Chu on land are the states of Yan, Xia, and Weizang, with attacks targeting Yan and Xia.

The Chu army was capable of holding its ground, but lacked sufficient elite cavalry to form an effective encirclement and attack.

This meant that even if the Chu army won a defensive victory, it would be difficult to inflict effective damage on the enemy's main force.

After all, the attacking side can simply retreat if they can't win, leaving the defending side helpless, and the cost of war for both sides is vastly different.

Jiang Mengxuan remained calm, but listened with great interest.

This was the first time in her life that someone had analyzed the current situation with her so frankly.

"However, compared to the threats posed by the Yan and Xia kingdoms, the Wei-Zang kingdom, situated on a high plateau, produces spirit horses of superior quality."

The country is a nation of soldiers; in times of war, it can readily mobilize an armored cavalry force of four to five hundred thousand men upon a call to arms.

On the contrary, it is the greatest threat to the southwestern defense line of our Great Chu, and we must take it seriously. Fortunately, the towering mountains in the southwest of Great Chu serve as a natural fortress and barrier.

The Xia state's resistance in the northwest further limited the operational space for the Wei-Zang cavalry.

Otherwise, with the current military strength of our Great Chu, if we were to face a full-scale attack from Weizang, the entire southwestern region of Great Chu would inevitably fall.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan's palms involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat.

Her focus has always been on the northwest and north, but she has neglected the Tibetan kingdom on the plateau.

Now, hearing Shen Lang talk about it, I can't help but start to pay more attention to this country that I hadn't paid much attention to before.

"Furthermore, although the states of Song, Yue, and Wu have always maintained good relations with Chu, these states have incompetent rulers and ministers, and their people are suffering greatly. Once a matter concerning the fate of the nation arises..."

We must not have the idea of ​​over-reliance; the State of Chu can seek support from these other states.

You can profit from this, but don't expect them to sacrifice themselves to help the State of Chu.

In addition, the Luchuan Empire in the Central and Southern regions must also be guarded against, as it is the overlord of the Central and Southern regions of the Eastern Continent.

When necessary, we must be ruthless and show no mercy. We must devour them bit by bit, incorporating them all into the territory of our Great Chu, thereby strengthening our national power.

Jiang Mengxuan was startled.

This young man possessed a strong sense of aggression, unlike those scholars who only talked about useless principles of benevolence, filial piety, and etiquette.

What the State of Chu needed was this kind of talent with courage, vision, and the courage to break with convention!

"As for small countries like Taiji Kingdom, they have always been untrustworthy, a bunch of opportunistic bastards who will follow whoever feeds them, and overflowing with a sense of superiority."

Your Majesty should maintain a nodding acquaintance with them; deeper contact is strictly prohibited. If necessary, a direct and forceful rebuke should be delivered.

"As for the countermeasures of the Xia and Yan states, the current approach of ceasing hostilities and showing weakness is correct. The Chu state needs time to change."

Once the reforms are complete, the death knell will toll for the states of Xia and Yan. Whether they will be destroyed or spared as dogs will be entirely up to Your Majesty's decision.

The real threat comes from the Kingdom of Ü-Tsang. Your Majesty must abandon unrealistic fantasies.

Even a martial artist at the highest level of cultivation would have no chance of survival if they were to encounter a cavalry unit alone in Ü-Tsang.

Their archery and mobility are probably only comparable to the Hachiman cavalry of the Kingdom of Wuzhao.

With the infantry that my Great Chu currently possesses, no, it is even more so the elite infantry of all known nations,

No matter how you change your formation or train, you can never defeat cavalry.

Jiang Mengxuan nodded, agreeing with Shen Lang's words.

Infantry has always been more likely to lose than win against cavalry, especially on plains where the impact and pressure of elite cavalry charging face-to-face with their archery can easily cause infantry groups to collapse completely.

Of course, there are many instances of infantry defeating cavalry, but after reviewing historical records, Jiang Mengxuan found that these were all small-scale conflicts. In large-scale battles involving tens of thousands of troops, cavalry groups could absolutely crush infantry groups.

"Furthermore, the island vassal states in the Southern Dragon Sea, led by the Le and Nguyen kingdoms, have the advantage of having the Shanshui Sect and being familiar with the sea. It is not advisable to launch a major attack at the moment."

Once we transform the Chu navy into a full-fledged ocean-going fleet, their actions will be nothing more than clown antics, utterly insignificant.

Shen Lang explained things in great detail and in a way that was easy to understand, which quickly made Jiang Mengxuan understand the current situation of the Chu Kingdom.

After Shen Lang finished analyzing the national conditions of various countries, Jiang Mengxuan asked impatiently, "Then, what national policies should I formulate to deal with the current situation, and how should I enrich the country and strengthen its military?"

"Centralization of power and reform."

Shen Lang slowly uttered two words.

"If Your Majesty wishes to lead the State of Chu to prosperity, consolidation of power and reform are necessary steps."

Jiang Mengxuan shook her head with a wry smile: "Taking back power is easier said than done. Shen Lang, you should know the purpose of establishing the Jingwei Division."

The goal is to seize power from the Prime Minister's residence, but you should be aware of the difficulties involved.

Shen Lang: "Your Majesty's desire to bring down the Ye family is naturally clear to this humble servant. However, why doesn't Your Majesty try a different approach and cooperate with Prime Minister Ye?"

"cooperate?"

A hint of suspicion flashed in Jiang Mengxuan's eyes.

If one didn't know that Shen Lang was highly recommended by Jiang Shangxian, and hadn't personally witnessed his decisive action in eliminating Ye's henchmen, one might have suspected that he was a spy sent by Ye Mo.

"how to cooperate?"

"Naturally, we should act according to circumstances. Her Majesty is the sovereign, and even if her power is weak, she is still the supreme empress of Great Chu."

No matter how arrogant Ye Mo may be, as long as he doesn't openly rebel, he is still a subject of the Great Chu.

Your Majesty can certainly communicate with him normally as a monarch.

Then, subtly and quietly, they gradually consolidated the Ye family's power.

"Then how should I take that step?"

"Your Majesty could use the assassination attempt on Prince Jing a few days ago as a way to test the waters and make contact."

How to test the waters?

"Ask him to give you some money."

"Want money?"

Jiang Mengxuan was confused. Did the so-called test mean asking Ye Mo for money?

But she calmly pressed on, "Why do you need money?"

Shen Lang: "This concerns the second national policy, which is reform."

"Talk about it."

"Any reform requires money, and who in the Great Chu is the richest? Naturally, it's the powerful families. Without money, the so-called enrichment of the country and strengthening of the military is just empty talk."

The powerful families and imperial relatives controlled 90% of the wealth in the Chu Kingdom. Their accumulated wealth was more than a hundred times greater than that of the national treasury. Without extracting money from them...

Are we going to continue taking money from ordinary people? And if we don't reduce their wealth and land holdings...

It's also an uncertain factor, Your Majesty, do you understand what I mean?

Jiang Mengxuan gently touched her forehead with her jade-like fingers, pondered for a while, and then asked, "I know this principle, but why can't we wait until I regain power before making changes?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "In that case, it's not just a long way off for His Majesty to reclaim his power, even if he does,

This could severely damage the nation's strength. Who can predict what the world situation will be like in ten or twenty years?

Jiang Mengxuan countered, "But how can reform proceed smoothly without taking back power? There will inevitably be many obstacles along the way."

"That's why I said before that we should cooperate with Ye Mo."

Shen Lang replied seriously.

"Your Majesty, a superior state attacks with strategies, an inferior state attacks with tactics, and a weak state attacks with military might. Now, you must consider the state of Chu as one of the weak states."

In fact, truly powerful nations never deign to engage in such conspiracies and tricks, because what powerful nations employ is not strategy, tactics, or even military force, but rather…

Shen Lang's eyes suddenly sharpened, and under Jiang Mengxuan's gaze, he slowly uttered a single word.

"Momentum".

"Position?"

Jiang Mengxuan asked, puzzled, "What is power?"

Shen Lang: "A powerful nation, overwhelming in all aspects, is called momentum. The so-called subduing the enemy without fighting is merely based on one's own strength."

The strong will never decline; this is an eternal truth. But taking this step requires more than just courage.

More importantly, change groups must determine the most accurate direction based on their actual circumstances; otherwise, they will face utter ruin.

Jiang Mengxuan laughed: "It's impossible for any country to be so powerful. Even the mighty Wu Zhao Dynasty has been defeated many times."

Shen Lang said, "Then this humble servant will tell Your Majesty a story."

Long, long ago, there existed a kingdom that rose to prominence through war and eventually became a beacon for humanity.

Ninety-nine percent of the countries on this continent depend on him for survival.

Even knowing he was a complete hypocrite and scoundrel, she could only grit her teeth and let him do as he pleased, giving him free blood transfusions.

Why? Because this country is so powerful that it can almost rival the entire civilized world on its own.

If you displease him, he can send warships and aircraft carriers to your doorstep the next day, or impose an economic blockade, pushing your country to the brink of collapse.

Believe me, most countries wouldn't even dare to muster the slightest courage to resist this rogue state.

Even if they encounter resistance, they are destined for a miserable end under their powerful economic and military suppression.

Moreover, the failure of small-scale military operations cannot shake the foundations of their nation.

This is the influence of a nation's power; it can even affect changes in the domestic political attitudes of other countries.

Shen Lang's words were naturally a veiled reference to that donut-spirited Angsa's wild father on Blue Star.

Bald eagle.

"What is a warship? What is an aircraft carrier?"

What is an economic blockade?

"Furthermore, how could any single country possibly stand against the entire continent and still win?"

"How did they do that?"

Faced with Shen Lang's brand-new concept, Jiang Mengxuan was deeply shocked, and a glimmer of hope instantly appeared in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, all of this is predicated on the enormous changes brought about by the technological explosion."

Whoever masters cutting-edge technology holds the power of discourse and the ability to control the entire continent—that's the power dynamic!

"And what exactly is technology?"

Jiang Mengxuan's interest was completely piqued by Shen Lang, and she was completely unaware that the two of them, a lone man and a woman, had been in the imperial study for a full two hours.

Shen Lang: "To give an example, in the current military of most countries..."

Warriors held a status superior to ordinary soldiers, serving as the main force on the battlefield and equipped with the finest gear.

The second main force was the cavalry, whose task was to break through the enemy's defensive lines.

Finally, there are the infantry groups. Their equipment and treatment are always the worst in the army, yet they are tasked with being the vanguard of the advance. Is that correct?

Jiang Mengxuan nodded: "Isn't this the consensus of the entire continent? A martial artist at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm..."

They are equivalent to twenty ordinary soldiers, making them the elite force on the battlefield.

As you mentioned, cavalry's superior mobility allows them to respond to battlefield crises from all sides at any time.

On the contrary, the most ordinary infantrymen have the lowest value and least presence. What's wrong with that?

"But if military reforms are implemented, a squad of ordinary soldiers could sweep away at least dozens or even hundreds of warriors on the front lines, making cavalry legions disappear from history. What does Your Majesty think?"

"impossible!"

Jiang Mengxuan denied it without even thinking, finding it utterly absurd.

"Such a thing is simply impossible. If a squad of ordinary soldiers were on the battlefield..."

"If you can really kill so many martial artists, then what's the point of their existence? Shen Lang, don't try to deceive me."

Shen Lang shook his head: "What if I said that such a possibility truly exists? As long as one possesses a weapon..."

Is it incredible that a single soldier can keep hundreds or thousands of soldiers at bay?

But Your Majesty, everything I have said is true. Once the military reforms are successful, it will be the twilight of low-level martial artists; those below the Innate Realm will all be ants.

Even those with innate abilities are not immune to the relentless onslaught and will ultimately perish.

Perhaps only those who stand at the pinnacle of martial arts can withstand the power of technology and escape the tragedy of being struck down.

"What kind of weapon is so insane?"

"A Gatling gun or a Maxim gun can deliver any unruly cultivator or martial artist from the afterlife."

Jiang Mengxuan frowned.

"I still can't believe it unless you can bring this Gatling gun or Maxim gun to me so I can see it with my own eyes."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately smiled: "To be honest, Your Majesty, I happen to have some at home..."

Shen Lang quickly shut up halfway through his sentence.

Damn it, why did I have to be so stupid as to say this out loud?

Why not just leave it at home to tinker with? What if this woman takes it? Wouldn't all my hard work of hand-washing it over the past six months have been for nothing?