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

Gold is easy to come by, but a true friend is hard to find.

During what Zhao Huan considered to be the darkest period of his life, he met Ye Fan, a kindred spirit.

Ye Fan's reasoned and well-founded analysis completely enlightened Zhao Huan, making him feel that the future was bright.

Thus, under such an atmosphere, Zhao Huan made a request to Ye Fan.

Or it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an honor.

"Mr. Ye, I have a request, and I wonder if you would be able to grant it?"

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"I wish to recognize Mr. Ye as my sworn brother. I wonder if Mr. Ye would be willing?"

Ye Fan was stunned upon hearing this. Even Shen Lang hadn't expected Zhao Huan to offer such outrageous treatment.

Zhao Huan gripped Ye Fan's hand tightly: "Mr. Ye, would you be willing to become my sworn brother?"

"Your Majesty, how could I..."

"If you do not agree, I will not be at peace with myself."

As he spoke, Zhao Huan made a gesture as if he were about to kneel down again.

"Your Majesty!"

Ye Fan quickly helped him up, preventing him from kneeling.

"Alas, Your Majesty's favor towards me is so great that I am filled with trepidation. However, I am an official of the Great Chu, and if I were to rashly swear brotherhood with Your Majesty, I fear..."

As he spoke, he glanced in the direction of Shen Lang.

Zhao Huan understood and immediately turned to bow to Shen Lang, saying, "Please don't be offended, Duke Zhenguo. I have no other intentions; it's just that I regret not meeting Mr. Ye sooner."

"I wonder if the Duke of Zhenguo would agree to me becoming sworn brothers with Mr. Ye? If not, I will not make things difficult for him."

"How could that be?" Shen Lang replied with a smile. "This is a private matter between His Majesty and Deputy Commander Ye, and I have no right to interfere."

"That's great."

Zhao Huanle was overjoyed and quickly turned to Ye Fan, saying, "Brother, please accept my bow."

After speaking, he actually bowed deeply to Ye Fan.

"His Majesty!"

Seeing this, Ye Fan no longer declined and immediately returned the greeting by taking two steps back.

Watching this scene of brotherly affection, Shen Lang always had a smug smile on his lips.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together and people divide into groups.

They're doing fine as they are, so why not let them be together? I suggest locking them up completely.

Besides, he was just wondering how to get rid of Ye Fan, this scourge.

Do it directly?

Ye Fan is the third son of the Ye family. Although the Chu Kingdom has changed, it is still dominated by the aristocratic families. Killing Ye Fan rashly would inevitably cause a huge uproar.

I don't care about myself, but my wife has to clean up the mess, which has a wide-ranging impact.

Besides, who knows what Ye Mo is planning? If Ye Fan dies at his hands, it would be tantamount to giving him a handle to use against him.

Therefore, he couldn't kill Ye Fan himself; he had to come up with a way that would satisfy both sides.

But now, there's a solution.

Just as Zhao Huan and Ye Fan were about to perform the sworn brotherhood ceremony, Shen Lang stopped them in time: "Your Majesty, this time I am acting on the orders of the Empress of Great Chu, and wish to conduct military cooperation and exchanges with Great Song."

Zhao Huan frowned, somewhat bewildered, and asked, "Military cooperation and exchange? What kind of cooperation is that?"

Shen Lang smiled and said, "That's right, the Empress has established an academy near Jinling specifically for training generals and commanders."

We cordially invite twenty military officers from your country to attend advanced training. Upon their return,

The knowledge gained can also be applied to warfare, thus compensating for the lack of generals and commanders in the army. What does Your Majesty think?

"That's great!" Zhao Huan agreed without hesitation. "Our army is currently in dire need of capable generals."

If there were generals skilled in military strategy and tactics in the army, how could our Great Song Dynasty have fallen to such a state?

Since our friendly nation is willing to extend a helping hand to the Great Song Dynasty, I naturally agree.

"I wonder what the admission requirements are for that college?"

Shen Lang replied directly: "There are several conditions: you must be literate, able to read military maps, and have experience in actual combat."

The ideal candidate should be of good character with no criminal record, under 25 years old, and hold a low-ranking military position, preferably a junior officer.

Zhao Huan pressed further, "How long will the training last?"

"It will take three to five months at the fastest, or three to two years at the slowest. When you return after completing your studies, you will surely be completely transformed."

Zhao Huan nodded: "It's just that twenty spots are too few. Many of the generals in our Song army are literate and can read maps, and many of them are of noble character."

"I'm having a hard time deciding right now. How about I go back and discuss it with the Ministry of War, and then I'll reinstate the Duke of Zhenguo? What do you think?"

"Of course," Shen Lang replied. "Your Majesty, please carefully select a suitable candidate. By the way, may I ask Your Majesty, is there a captain in the Song army named Yue Pengju?"

"Yue Pengju?" Zhao Huan thought carefully for a moment, then shook his head blankly. "I have just ascended the throne, and there are many people I can't remember clearly right now. I wonder what business the Duke of Zhenguo has with him?"

Shen Lang: "Yue Pengju is a student personally recruited by Her Majesty the Empress. I urge Your Majesty to order him to be summoned and brought to see me."

Zhao Huan originally thought that Yue Pengju was some famous military general who had been targeted by the State of Chu to poach him.

But when he heard that it was just a minor captain, he felt relieved.

"Please rest assured, Duke Zhenguo, I will find Yue Pengju soon."

"In that case, we'll head back to the inn first. Farewell."

After saying this, Shen Lang got up, bid farewell to Zhao Huan, and left.

Ban Dingyuan gave Ye Fan a meaningful look before quickly following Shen Fei and leaving the main hall.

Seeing that Shen Lang had left, Ye Fan then said to Zhao Huan, "Your Majesty, I will also be leaving now."

Zhao Huan said reluctantly, "Brother, if you are willing, why not come to my side? I will surely bestow upon you a high official position and make you the prime minister of the country."

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan was also tempted.

Some time ago, when he saw that the Chu Kingdom's national fortune was so high, he was filled with despair.

In contrast, the Song state is currently in a critical situation, but if he can help Zhao Huan resolve this crisis and force the Jin army to withdraw and return north, he might be able to gain a foothold in the Song state.

Then, step by step, he gained control over Zhao Huan, and when the time was right, he seized the throne and changed the dynasty.

However, his system tasks are not yet completed. He will wait until he gets rid of Ye Mo and see how the political climate in Chu develops before considering whether to take up an official post in Song.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. However, I am still an official of the Great Chu and am unable to serve Your Majesty at this time."

"I was just saying that, my sworn brother, don't feel guilty. The Duke of Zhenguo is almost gone, you should hurry over there."

"Yes, I will retire."

After bidding farewell to Zhao Huan, Ye Fan immediately chased after the direction in which Shen Lang had disappeared.

……

On the way back to the inn, Ban Dingyuan couldn't help but say, "Duke Zhenguo, Ye Fan's face is truly disgusting. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was a favorite minister of the Song Dynasty."

"Haha." Shen Lang laughed a few times. "Dingyuan doesn't need to waste time on this kind of person. If he really wants to stay in Song, then let him go. I, the Duke, will not stop him."

Ban Dingyuan: "It would be a disgrace if word got out that an envoy from the Great Chu was going to serve as an official in the State of Song."

"It's alright, don't worry about it, just let nature take its course."

"Since the Duke of Zhenguo is unwilling to pursue the matter, then this humble servant has nothing more to say."

Ban Dingyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "By the way, Duke Zhenguo, are the points that Ye Fan raised to His Majesty Zhao just now feasible?"

"What do you think?" Shen Lang retorted. "Our country's prince wouldn't spout such useless nonsense. Putting everything else aside, Ye Fan's actions demonstrate that theory has transcended practice."

"What do you mean?" Ban Dingyuan pressed. "Does the Duke of Zhenguo think that it is inappropriate for the Song Dynasty to advocate war and that it should seek peace with the Jin army?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "Whether we advocate peace or war, it's not the main reason, because either way we can have a chance to maneuver until the Jin army retreats."

The key issue, however, lies in whether the opinions of the Song ruler and his ministers can be reconciled; that is the most important question.

"Does Dingyuan know that the Great Chu has fallen to this state? What is the reason for this?"

Ban Dingyuan replied without hesitation: "Naturally, it is His Majesty's foresight and the Duke of Zhenguo's proper management."

Shen Lang shook his head: "No, you're wrong. The great Chu has such a new look today because the ruler and his ministers are of one mind and truly trust each other."

Just as Her Majesty trusts me unconditionally and is willing to let me make all the decisions, she shields me from all the pressure behind the scenes.

This is what brought about the current prosperity of the Chu state. But do you think there is genuine trust between the ruler and his ministers in the Song state?

These words immediately put Ban Dingyuan into deep thought.