Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

Chapter 616 Prince Ruyang: What a good son-in-law, what a good son-in-law!
After two days of ordeal in Anqing Prefecture, Chen Jie finally recovered from the excruciating pain of the Immortal Blood, though he was still extremely weak. This was much better than the first time he used the Immortal Blood, as his body's resistance had clearly improved significantly.

At least it's not like last time, when it didn't move at all for almost a month.

This time, Chen Jie estimated that he should be able to move normally in about seven days, recover some combat power in half a month, and recover to the second stage of the Fusion God in about a month.

Chen Jie also learned about the rumors circulating in the outside world in the past few days. Over the years, Huangzhou Prefecture's caravans have spread all over the country, and many of these caravans also serve the purpose of intelligence gathering.

For this reason, the rumors from the outside world were delivered to Anqing Prefecture early on by means of hawks carrying messages.

For example, when Phagpa rode his eagle down to the south of the Yangtze River, the Prince of Ruyang and his men wanted to send Chen Jie out of Anqing Prefecture to hide him. However, just as they were about to set off, they heard a second piece of news: in Fuyang Prefecture, Phagpa, who was in a great mood and ready to take Chen Jie's head, was stopped by Zhang Sanfeng!
Zhang Sanfeng?
Upon hearing this news, everyone in Anqing Prefecture was surprised. Why would Master Zhang suddenly make a move? Could it be that Chen Jiu Si's connections had reached Master Zhang?

The news came quickly, of course. Zhang Zhenren did not come to Anqing Prefecture to see Chen Jie, but went straight back to Wudang, as if to stop Phagpa. Seeing Zhang Zhenren's behavior, Chen Jie understood that he was not important to Zhang Zhenren, nor was Phagpa, but the fact that Phagpa had not killed Chen Jiu Si was very important to Zhang Zhenren.

Yes, this is order; Master Zhang is maintaining a basic order.

Only when order is guaranteed can the others who are carrying out the task have the motivation to resist.

"My lord, is there anything you'd like to eat today? Father has transferred all the best chefs in the manor to Anqing. Whatever you want to eat, we'll make it for you."

Zhao Ya helped Chen Jie to a recliner. Chen Jie lay down on the recliner, and Zhao Ya gave Chen Jie a bunch of grapes, peeled the skins, and put them into Chen Jie's mouth.

Chen Jie took a bite of grape and looked at Zhao Ya, asking, "Ya Ya, how's it going in Lu'an? Have Dingbian and the others subdued the rest of the Baoxiang Army?"

Zhao Ya said, "Yes, news has already come back. After learning of Boluo's death, the morale of the Baoxiang Army collapsed, and most of them fled to Dadu, without even taking the elephants with them."

"This time, Zhang Dingbian and his men went and captured a total of two thousand Baoxiang soldiers, as well as twenty giant elephants, which were the most powerful elephants in the Baoxiang army."

Chen Jie nodded slightly upon hearing this and said, "Very good. With these giant elephants, we can organize our own elephant corps. It would be even better if we had female elephants so that we could breed them and maintain the fighting strength of our elephant corps."

Hearing this, Zhao Ya said, "Well, let's talk about these things after you've recovered."

"Cough cough..."

Chen Jie coughed twice and said, "It's nothing, I'll be fully recovered in another month."

Zhao Ya said, "What method did you use that day to get yourself into that state? It was really scary."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "That day? I used a secret technique from Southeast Asia, which I obtained from Siam. It is very powerful, but it also has significant side effects."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya said, "Then don't use it anymore, it's too dangerous."

Chen Jie looked at Zhao Ya and said, "Well, I don't want to use it either, but since I've embarked on this path, some things are beyond my control. I don't want to do it, but I can't refuse."

After hearing this, Zhao Ya fell silent, understanding the meaning behind Chen's explanation.

After Chen finished speaking, he looked at Zhao Ya and said, "Alright, Ya Ya, go and see your father. He is also seriously injured."

Upon hearing this, a voice came from outside: "No need to come to see me, I've come to see you all."

"Father!"

Zhao Ya then stood up, and Chen Jie also stood up, cupping his hands and saying, "Father-in-law."

Prince Ruyang stepped forward and helped Chen Jie up, saying, "Jiu Si is injured, so don't get up."

As they were talking, the Prince of Ruyang looked at Chen Jie and asked, "Jiu Si, how are your injuries?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at the Prince of Ruyang and said, "Oh, Father-in-law, it's alright. He should be able to walk normally in another five or six days."

Looking at Chen Jie's appearance, the Prince of Ruyang sighed and said, "This time, you've really suffered, Jiu Si."

"No, no, it was my father-in-law who led the people to suffer on my behalf. If it weren't for me, my father-in-law would still be enjoying a life of luxury in Longxing Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang shook his head and said, "Enjoy life? How can I enjoy life? The Boluo army has invaded Huangzhou Prefecture, and my daughter is suffering there. How can I sit still in Longxing Prefecture?"

Chen Jie clasped his hands and said, "That's still my problem. If I hadn't married Ya Ya, why would my father-in-law have to suffer like this?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang glanced at Chen Jie and said, "Heh, I used to think that you were not good enough for our Ya Ya. Our Ya Ya must have been blinded by greed to marry you."

"But this time, I have noticed something different. Although you have the secret technique to protect yourself, the world has become fraught with danger. After you use up this secret technique, you will be unable to fight for such a long time, like a cripple. In a way, you are gambling with your life."

"But even so, you still came to die with Ya Ya, which touched me deeply. It shows that you truly care about Ya Ya. Just for this reason, my impression of you has completely changed. I was wrong before; I was too narrow-minded."

The Prince of Ruyang said to Chen Jie, who immediately clasped his hands and said, "No, no, I absolutely understand my father-in-law's love for his daughter. Please rest assured, my father-in-law, I will definitely not let Ya Ya suffer or shed tears in my care."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I trust you!"

As she spoke, Ya Ya chimed in, "Well, now you two are living in harmony as father-in-law and son-in-law, and you're even ignoring me now, huh?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang glanced at Zhao Ya and said, "Haha, yes, how could we forget our Princess Ya Ya? It's my fault."

Chen Jie said, "It is my husband's fault."

Zhao Ya then laughed and said, "You know it's your fault, that's good." As they were talking, the Prince of Ruyang suddenly spoke up, "Alright, the reason I came here this time is actually to say goodbye to you."

Chen Jie and Zhao Ya were taken aback and looked at the Prince of Ruyang. The Prince of Ruyang said, "In the past few days, people have been reporting that Zhang Shicheng, who fled to Suzhou and Hangzhou, has begun to attack Jiangxi and other places. I have to go and see."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya said, "Father, the court has treated you this way, already regarding you as a traitor. Do you still intend to defend the border for the court?"

After a long silence, the Prince of Ruyang said, "Alas... this may be the fate of my Borjigin clan. Although the court does not recognize me, I must acknowledge the court!"

Zhao Ya said, "Father, why bother? Why don't you come with me to Huangzhou Prefecture? That way, our family can stay together."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang glanced at Chen Jiu Si, who then spoke up, "Father-in-law, why don't you come back to Huangzhou Prefecture with us? Ya Ya really wants to reunite with your family."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang looked at Chen Jie and said, "Hehe, Jiu Si, although I don't want it to be this way, I am still the Prince of Ruyang of the Great Qian Dynasty. Although His Majesty is not friendly to me, he has not issued an edict to strip me of my title. As long as I am the Prince of Ruyang of the Great Qian Dynasty, I will suppress Jiangnan and will never allow the rebels to wreak havoc in Jiangnan."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie sighed and said, "Father-in-law, rebels? Am I a rebel?"

The Prince of Ruyang was taken aback. He glanced at Chen Jie and said, "If you invade Jiangnan, a war is inevitable. In fact, if you can defeat me, I can peacefully go with you to Huangzhou Prefecture to retire."

Seeing the Prince of Ruyang like this, Chen Jie sighed and said, "Indeed, a soldier's duty is on the battlefield. Since my father-in-law has said so, then I promise you that as long as my father-in-law suppresses Jiangnan, my Huangzhou Prefecture will not expand its territory into the five routes of Jiangnan by even an inch."

"Husband!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya looked at Chen Jie with some anxiety. After all, the five routes of Jiangnan were a huge prize in terms of economy, population, and territory. It could be said that if Chen Jiu Si could obtain these five routes of Jiangnan, he would have the ability to divide the world into three with the Great Qian Dynasty.

Of course, they will also face attacks from all sides, which is inevitable.

However, that was still a huge piece of meat. But now her husband had actually given up on the five routes of Jiangnan. Although the other side was her own father, she still couldn't help but feel guilty. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup. If Chen Jie missed the opportunity to attack Jiangnan because of her, she would blame herself.

She was not just a pretty face; she understood military affairs and was a military strategist. Therefore, she knew even better what kind of military losses Chen Jie's promise would bring.

She looked at Chen Jie, who smiled and took her hand, saying, "By the way, haven't you shared the good news with your father yet?"

"Father-in-law, Ya Ya is pregnant with your little grandson."

"what!"

Prince Ruyang was taken aback, then looked at Zhao Ya and said, "Ya Ya, am I going to be a grandfather?"

Zhao Ya blushed slightly at Chen Jie's interruption, and glared at him. Chen Jie grinned and said, "Father-in-law, we'll need your help to name the baby after it's born."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang immediately showed an expression of "You're such a sensible kid," and said excitedly, "Of course, of course. I must name this little guy myself. Fortunately, he's still several months away from being born, so I need to think it over carefully."

As he said this, Prince Ruyang slapped his thigh excitedly. This kind of grandparental affection is not just talk; it's a preference etched into their genes.

Chen Jie skillfully defused this rather sensitive topic. In fact, Chen Jie had his own considerations. The Prince of Ruyang was indeed a very powerful force, but the eighty-one prefectures of the five circuits in Jiangnan were too large for him to handle.

Moreover, if Chen Jie were to take over the five routes and eighty-one prefectures of Jiangnan now, he would immediately become the target of everyone's criticism. It is estimated that many newly emerging forces would want to eliminate him as their first priority.

Then I will have to face challenges from all sides across the country, and the pressure will be immense.

However, if it were the Prince of Ruyang, it wouldn't be like that, because this place originally belonged to the Prince of Ruyang. Now that he is here to guard it, all the surrounding areas would definitely cooperate actively, and the surrounding forces that want to seize it can only nibble away at it step by step without arousing the vigilance of other forces.

Furthermore, the Prince of Ruyang still possesses considerable power. Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. Although the Prince of Ruyang suffered a major defeat, leaving only 30,000 of his 70,000 White Deer Army, these 30,000 White Deer Army soldiers are still elite troops.

If Chen Jie were to forcibly incorporate such an elite force into Huangzhou Prefecture, it would easily cause indigestion. In other words, he would not be able to fully control this army. They might even continue to regard Prince Ruyang as their leader, considering themselves Prince Ruyang's son-in-law, and then turn the tables, feeling that they should actually respect Prince Ruyang.

This is not impossible, but very likely. If an army cannot even clearly identify who its supreme commander is, then that army is better off not existing.

It would be better to let the Prince of Ruyang lead his army to guard the Jiangnan region. Firstly, this would help to divert pressure from the southeast, allowing Chen Jie to focus on developing in the northwest and southwest. Secondly, it would allow Chen Jie to rely on other armies to help him weaken the powerful Bailu Army.

Yes, it sounds cruel, but some things are just that cruel. Chen Jie wanted to use other southeastern forces to wear down the White Deer Army. Only by defeating and crippling the White Deer Army could they truly put down their arrogance and then be absorbed into the Huangzhou Prefecture army system in smaller units.

Finally, there was also a little bit of personal motive, which was that Chen Jie really didn't want to hurt Zhao Ya. After all, for Zhao Ya, her husband fighting with her father was definitely not something to be happy about.

Because of these things, Chen Jie decided to stay away from the lucrative Jiangnan region and make himself appear harmless!
This would satisfy his strategic goal of building high walls, stockpiling grain, and delaying the declaration of kingship, thus gaining more strategic buffer by remaining inconspicuous.

Chen Jiezheng spoke to the Prince of Ruyang in this way because of many considerations. The Prince of Ruyang sat for a while, digesting the good news that he was about to become a grandfather, and then got up again. This time, he was really leaving.

Seeing that the Prince of Ruyang was about to leave, Chen Jie spoke up again: "Father-in-law, please wait."

Upon hearing this, Prince Ruyang turned to look at Chen Jie. Chen Jie reached into his storage ring and took out two items, which he then handed to Prince Ruyang, saying, "I came in a hurry and haven't prepared a gift for my father-in-law. These two gifts are my way of presenting them to you."

Prince Ruyang was taken aback when he looked at what Chen Jie had handed him—two Dao Fruits!

Prince Ruyang said, "This item is so precious. If you give it to me, don't you need to advance to the third level of the Fusion God realm?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at the Prince of Ruyang and said, "Father-in-law, rest assured. Since I am willing to give it to you, I will naturally keep some for backup. Please accept it. The world is in turmoil, and with your limited strength, I am afraid it will be difficult to protect Jiangnan. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang looked at Chen Jie and said, "Fine, I'll accept your gift."

(End of this chapter)