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

"Your Majesty, this servant is not knowledgeable in military affairs, but having spent some time in the Grand Council these past few days, I have learned some things. If a million people are to be laid off in one go, it may cause turmoil in the court and among the people."

"Of course I know this, so I plan to eliminate local officials and soldiers one by one in batches. The military funds saved can be used to expand the military camps and the outer vassal states to solve the problem of insufficient troops for external affairs."

Li Hong picked up the jade prayer beads and walked around the imperial study, talking as he went.

"The battle against the Eastern Yi made me realize that no matter how fierce and brave my Wu Zhao army is, it is still no match for overwhelming odds. The Eastern Yi Kingdom, with its fortifications and terrain advantages,..."

They have repeatedly succeeded in ambushing our troops with several times their own strength, so only by expanding the size of our military camp can we cope with the increasingly difficult battles to come.”

He Yong nodded: "Your Majesty is truly farsighted."

But then he looked troubled: "The selection of soldiers for the military camp and the outer vassal tribes is very strict, and they can only be selected from among my Di people and the outer grassland tribes."

Even if all garrison troops stationed in various locations were dismissed, it would be difficult to rapidly expand the size of the two armies.

Li Hong nodded: "Yes, this is also what troubles me. Last month I received intelligence from the outer vassal states."

I have noticed that in recent years, the number of skilled horsemen and archers among the various vassal tribes has been decreasing, and even the number of hunts has been far less than in previous years.

Of the earliest group of soldiers from the outer tribes who followed me, very few can still don armor, ride on horseback, and draw a bow.

The other vassal states are in no better shape. The outer vassal states are the core of our Wu Zhao army's defenses. If their affairs are neglected, then Wu Zhao's cavalry corps will be completely finished.

Of the 100,000 vassal troops, only 50,000 or 60,000 are actually usable. I don't know what to do with them anymore.

In fact, this phenomenon is quite normal. Due to the increase in the number of people in the various vassal states outside the Great Wall, coupled with the transportation of goods from inside the Great Wall, they have gradually formed street markets and trade, which are no less developed than those inside the Great Wall.

Ultimately, these outer tribes gradually became more like urbanized communities, and with a stable livelihood, they began to value their lives, naturally leading to a geometric decline in their fighting strength.

In fact, the Solon tribe, far away in Liaodong of the Chu Kingdom, also experienced this situation, which was all natural.

He Yong said, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. The military strength of Wuzhao is still unparalleled in the world."

"It's too early to say that," Li Hong waved his hand and replied. "I ask you, if the Chu army were to attack my Wu Zhao with those firearms, could we stop them?"

"Yes!" He Yong replied without hesitation. "The soldiers of Wu Zhao will not flinch even if they face mountains of knives and seas of fire. The Chu Kingdom's attempt to invade Wu Zhao's territory with those strange and ingenious tricks is simply a pipe dream."

"Hahaha."

Li Hong smiled after hearing this, then waved his hand.

"You lackey, all you do is sweet-talk me. I know perfectly well what's going on. If the Chu army were fully equipped with the firearms they used on the training ground that day..."

Then my Wu Zhao army will inevitably be overwhelmed and unable to withstand the attack. That's a fact. We can find reasons to save face when dealing with outsiders, but we must be clear about our own internal affairs.

He Yonglian agreed, stepping aside to adopt a receptive posture.

"Fortunately, the two countries are separated by tens of thousands of miles, with the Death Desert separating them by land and the sea blocking their waterways. For the time being, Wu Zhao has no worries about external threats."

However, it's still necessary to plan ahead. Better safe than sorry. The plan to expand the military camps and outlying vassal states absolutely cannot be delayed.

Even if a conflict arises with the State of Chu, I, Wu Zhao, will have sufficient troops to handle it calmly.

In fact, Li Hong knew everything. After watching the performance of the Chu army guards at the military parade that day, he understood the gap between the two countries. Once war broke out, Wu Zhao would inevitably suffer.

Therefore, Li Hong immediately made the decision to prohibit communication with the State of Chu.

He feared that the emergence of the State of Chu would shatter his dream of a superior empire and cause the common people, who revered him like a god, to begin to question him.

Only by severing all ties with the State of Chu can Li Hong sleep peacefully.

A monarch who holds great power fears nothing more than having his authority challenged, and Li Hong was no exception.

Knowing full well that they are at a disadvantage, choosing to bury their heads in the sand instead of fighting back is precisely because they fear that such a change would cause irreversible turmoil to their country and its people.

"Alright, these things are too complicated to explain in a few words. Let me tell you something happy. My birthday banquet will be held in a few months. How are the arrangements?"

Upon hearing this, He Yong immediately replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant dares not delay for a moment, and is handling it steadily."

The beams purchased yesterday from outside the pass for 80,000 taels of silver have arrived. In another half month, Wanfulou will definitely be completed.

"it is good."

Li Hong was overjoyed and praised it highly.

"This time, I will invite all foreign envoys to participate. I want them to witness firsthand what the grandeur of the Celestial Empire truly means!"

He Yong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Once Wanfu Tower is completed, we will definitely let those foreign envoys know the grandeur of our Celestial Empire's imperial lineage!"

"He Yong, continue with the matter. Don't worry about the money. I've always valued my reputation. As long as I have enough face, I'll spend it even if it's a mountain of gold and silver!"

"Your Majesty, please rest assured that on your birthday, I will make sure you gain enough prestige in front of the world."

"Hahaha."

Li Hong couldn't stop smiling, constantly pointing at He Yong with his finger.

"Since I met you, I have never been in a bad mood. Go about your business, and remember to make sure my birthday banquet is a grand and successful one."

"Your servant obeys!"

……

After leaving the Qianqing Hall, the smile on He Yong's face vanished instantly, replaced by a worried expression. He then boarded a carriage and drove out of the palace.

After returning to the He residence, He Yong could no longer contain himself and slammed his hand on the table, causing the tea on the table to spill all over the floor.

Hearing the commotion, the butler Zhang Quan rushed over to clean up the spilled tea on the table and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

"His Majesty instructed me to oversee the birthday banquet. From last year until now, the preparations for the venue, the renovation of the streetscape, the construction of pavilions, and the accommodation of foreign guests have already cost a total of twenty million taels of silver."

The Imperial Household Department only allocated 8.2 million taels of silver. I scraped together the remaining 12 million, even diverting funds from the Ministry of Revenue, but it still wasn't enough!

"And Wanfulou has been renovated again and again, spending money like water—it's a bottomless pit. Now, the construction of Wanfulou has finally been finalized and is about to be completed."

But we still haven't found the money for the courtyard's exterior decorations, and with the birthday banquet fast approaching, how can I not worry?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Quan laughed and said, "Oh, I thought it was something serious. It's just here. How much can the outdoor set-up cost? It'll only be a few hundred thousand taels of silver."

"You know nothing!"

He Yong sneered and said coldly, "That's His Majesty the Emperor. Do you think you can fool him with a few hundred thousand taels of silver? I've done the calculations, and it will take at least four million taels of silver. I don't even know where we're going to find that kind of money."