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

When Hu Weiyong said this, everyone was stunned. Then they all looked over and looked at Hu Weiyong. Now that the trend is going, everyone is full of energy and ready to make a big splash. Why do you always say that you are lacking this or that?
Everyone looked at Hu Weiyong, but he remained silent, simply sitting quietly.

Chen Jie understood Hu Weiyong. It was true that Hu liked power, but he was also a man of real talent. Over the years, Chen Jie had managed him well and had not seen any signs of him being greedy for power.

Therefore, Chen Jie still trusted him to a certain extent.

At this moment, Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "Minister Hu, please speak frankly. What exactly is missing?"

Hu Weiyong said, “Shaanxi, Shanxi, Qinghai, and Sichuan, sixty-three prefectures in four routes, what a vast area, how many people! It’s easy for us to conquer the land, but we will have to govern it.”

"With sixty-three more prefectural offices to manage, there will be sixty-three more prefectural offices, requiring sixty-three prefects and assistant prefects, hundreds of county magistrates and assistant county officials, and even more office staff."

Hu Weiyong looked at Chen Jie and said, "We really can't muster that many cadres right now."

Chen Jie looked at Hu Weiyong after hearing this. He was right. It was indeed a huge problem, and solving it would not be a simple matter.

At this point, Chen Jie said, "We have three options. First, we can assess the character of former officials in the government office who are willing to serve in our Huangzhou Prefecture, and then retain them."

"Secondly, select local virtuous and capable individuals, and ensure that outstanding talents are not overlooked."

"Third, all graduates of our college are sent out for internships to learn from officials how to govern and manage local affairs."

"In that case, walking on three legs shouldn't be a big problem."

After Chen Jie finished speaking, Hu Weiyong said, "What you say is absolutely right, but we must correct the bad habits of those old local officials who are still stuck in the old bureaucratic system. Otherwise, our students might also be corrupted."

Chen Jie said, "I know what to do about this."

As Chen explained, he turned to Wu Hong and said, "Brother Hong, send out your spies and establish a supervisory office in every place you capture. Let them supervise the local government, and send people from your supervisory department to regularly inspect these supervisory offices."

"it is good."

Wu Hong nodded slightly to indicate that he had received the message.

At this moment, Chen Jie looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, do you have any questions? If you do, please ask quickly. If not, I will give the order."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room turned to look at Chen Jie.

Chen Jie said, "Alright, now that we've overcome most of the problems, let's arrange the expedition mission."

"Where is the Golden Swallow?"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Jin Yanzi clasped her hands in a fist salute, and Chen Jie said, "You will lead the Azure Dragon Legion and be responsible for attacking Shu. I will give you 200,000 shi of grain, 20 cannons, 3,000 muskets, 100,000 jin of gunpowder, 10,000 doses of penicillin, and 2,000 Tai Sui pills as rewards for your military achievements."

"We'll prepare the troops for three days, then set off to march into Sichuan. Is there any problem?"

"no problem!"

Jin Yanzi immediately agreed, saying that Shu was a tempting prize, and since her lord had given it to her, she had no choice but to seize the opportunity.

Upon hearing this, the other generals also looked at Chen Jie.

Chen Jie asked, "Where is the historical name changed?"

Chen Jie asked a question, and upon hearing this, Shi Gengming immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My lord."

"You will be in charge of attacking Shanxi..."

"Yes!"

The mission was quickly assigned: the Golden Swallow Azure Dragon Army, with 40,000 men, was to attack Shu.

Shi Gengming led 40,000 troops to attack Shanxi.

Buddhist general Ding Pulang led 40,000 troops to attack Shaanxi.

Chen Xiaohu, commander of the White Tiger Army, led 40,000 troops to Henan and seized Nanyang and Sanmenxia.

Currently, a large portion of Henan belongs to Zhu Chongba, but Nanyang Prefecture and Sanmenxia, ​​which are close to Shanxi, have not yet been occupied and are under the control of the Darughachi of the Daqian Dynasty, so they are not yet Zhu Chongba's territory.

At this point, Chen Jie directly ordered Chen Xiaohu to lead troops to seize these two places, which would then ensure the safety of Shi Gengming and Ding Pulang in the east.

Meanwhile, after Shi Gengming and Ding Pulang completed the occupation of Shanxi and Shaanxi, one troop was stationed to defend against a sneak attack by the Zoroastrian sect at Bright Peak, while another troop directly attacked Qinghai.

Qinghai is a vast and sparsely populated region. With a small population, a small force could easily take over the area without much effort.

After making these plans, Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian and said, "As for the safety of Hubei Road, it all depends on Dingbian."

Zhang Dingbian clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Yes."

Chen Jie faced pressure from Zhu Chongba and Zhang Shicheng in Hubei Road, especially from Zhu Chongba, who had the brilliant strategist Xu Da under his command. If Zhu Chongba were to invade, Chen Jie would feel unsafe without Zhang Dingbian in his troop deployment, as Xu Da's military prowess was unmatched by ordinary people.

Therefore, Chen Jie had to keep Zhang Dingbian, the most skilled warrior, by his side. This struggle for the world was no child's play; if one wasn't careful, things could get very difficult.

Having completed this final military plan, Chen Jie asked, "Do any of you still have any questions or uncertainties?"

Everyone shook their heads. Chen Jie said, "Since that's the case, let's proceed according to the arrangements made at this meeting. The world is in turmoil now; it's time to reveal our true intentions."

"Let's all work together and create a new world for us!"

"Yes!"

Everyone clasped their hands in a fist salute, and as the meeting came to an end, everyone left the meeting room one after another.

Just then, a group of people hurriedly left. Inside the Chen residence, Prince Ruyang and Wang Baobao, who were in Chen Jie's courtyard, happened to see this group of people who had just finished their meeting.

Wang Baobao asked, "What are they trying to do by holding this meeting so mysteriously?"

Prince Ruyang guessed, "Is Chen Jiu Si planning to send someone to attack Jiangnan?"

After hearing Wang Baobao's words, the Prince of Ruyang said, "He won't. I've figured out this kid. He's quite good at hiding his abilities. This time, the eighty-one prefectures in Jiangnan are in such a mess. Zhu Chongba and Zhang Shicheng are really fighting tooth and nail over a little bit of land."

“At that time, the area is a mess, and he won’t get involved. He probably has his eye on the land to the west.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, Hubei Road has blocked the east-west passage, and Sichuan is now a no-man's land. Li Siqi also seems to have disappeared. The three routes of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Qinghai are probably also leaderless. At this time, with the elite troops and generals of Huangzhou Prefecture leading their strong forces westward, they are likely to lay the foundation for the five routes!" Wang Baobao said to the Prince of Ruyang, who sighed upon hearing this.

Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Qinghai—five routes have all fallen to Chen, while two powerful forces are vying for supremacy in the south. Now, the imperial court only has Dadu and parts of Hebei Road left. The road ahead is completely destroyed, the road ahead is completely destroyed! It seems that the Great Qian Dynasty cannot hold on for much longer.

Wang Baobao looked at the Prince of Ruyang and asked, "Father, what's wrong with you?"

The Prince of Ruyang shook his head and said, "What else can we do but sigh about the state of the world?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao said, "This time it's not that Father has wronged the court, but that the court has wronged Father. We have done everything we could."

The Prince of Ruyang sighed, "If it weren't for this, I should be leading my troops to quell the rebellion now, even if I die in battle, I would have no regrets."

Both of them couldn't help but sigh. This imperial court...

Wang Baobao said, "Even if the court is incompetent, it should take some action now that the country is out of control. They can't just stand by and watch. Although that old Hama is a treacherous minister, he is not incompetent. He can't just watch the Great Qian Dynasty perish like this."

After listening to Wang Baobao's words, the Prince of Ruyang said, "What you said is very good and correct, but it's useless. Our emperor always makes one bad move after another. Most importantly, these rebels have already gained momentum. It's as difficult as climbing to heaven to get rid of them. The Great Qian Dynasty is beyond saving."

……

The Prince of Ruyang sighed deeply. The frustration of watching his country slowly sink into the abyss, while he himself was powerless to do anything about it, was enough to break anyone.

The Prince of Ruyang was just like that. He loved this country and his Great Qian so much that he wanted to be a loyal minister and was even willing to sacrifice himself for the country, but the country did not want him and the Great Qian did not want him.

Prince Ruyang is now like a rootless duckweed without a sense of belonging, and all that sustains him now is a tiny bit of fatherly love for his children.

He, the Prince of Ruyang who once suppressed eighty-one prefectures in five routes of Jiangnan, can no longer even return to Jiangnan.

Tragic, utterly tragic.

As they spoke, the two shook their heads helplessly. They were now living as guests in Huangzhou Prefecture, and there were many things they could not do about.

And at this time, in Dadu!

The world has collapsed to this point. In the Golden Palace, Emperor Qianshun looked at the civil and military officials below with a gloomy expression.

"My dear ministers, you are all pillars of the Great Qian Dynasty. Now, bandits are rising up all over the world, and our Great Qian's troops are suffering defeat after defeat. Of the three commanders of the State-Stabilizing Army, Bolotemur, the commander of the Baoxiang Army, has been killed. Li Siqi in the Northwest has disappeared without a trace. The three regions are now ownerless. The Prince of Ruyang, who was guarding Jiangnan, has also abandoned the eighty-one prefectures of the five regions in Jiangnan."

"Now, my mighty imperial decrees can only reach the Hebei region at most; the rest of the country has already submitted to the enemy."

"Do any of you gentlemen have anything to teach me now?"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers in the room closed their eyes to rest and remained silent.

Emperor Qianshun looked at the civil and military officials who were pretending to be dead, his face turned cold, and he pointed at one of them and said: "Sumuer, you are the Minister of War of the Great Qian Dynasty, tell me exactly what should be done?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mu'er immediately stepped forward, his face more bitter than a bitter gourd. As the Minister of War, he was truly incompetent. In theory, all the troops of the Great Qian should obey his orders, but in reality, not a single troop obeyed his orders.

Whether it was the former Bolot Timur of the Baoxiang Army, or Prince Li Siqi of Qi, or Prince Ruyang, who did he dare to control?
But as soon as there's a problem, someone immediately pins it on him; he becomes the scapegoat.

When Sumu heard Emperor Qianshun call his name, he thought to himself, "They don't invite me to eat meat, but they always ask me to take the blame. Since that's the case, don't blame me for speaking frankly."

At this moment, Su Mu'er spoke up directly: "I think we should immediately investigate the responsibility of Prince Ruyang. The eighty-one prefectures of the five circuits in Jiangnan are Prince Ruyang's territory and are under his control. Now, bandits are rampant and thieves are everywhere. Therefore, Prince Ruyang is guilty and we should investigate his crimes first."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianshun looked at Sumuer and said, "Pursue the responsibility of the Prince of Ruyang? Now you want him to come back, but he won't. Do you think you still have the right to hold him accountable?"

"Alright, even if we pursue the matter against Prince Ruyang, what should we do next?"

Sumur said, "I don't understand the specific strategic plan, but I do understand that crimes must be punished. Prince Ruyang failed to keep an eye on the eighty-one prefectures in Jiangnan, and he deserves to be punished. Now we should issue an edict to reprimand him and order him to take back these eighty-one prefectures at a later date."

Upon hearing Sumur's words, Emperor Qianshun asked, "Have you been drinking?"

Sumur paused for a moment, then quickly added, "Before going to court, one should have a small drink."

No wonder they could come up with an answer that no one with ten years of blood clots could understand.

Emperor Qianshun thought to himself, "I can't even contact Prince Ruyang now, and he still wants me to command Prince Ruyang? Isn't that ridiculous?"

Emperor Qianshun glanced at him and felt extremely annoyed. He then waved his hand and said, "You may leave now. Is there anyone else who has a useful plan?"

"Chagatai, what are your thoughts?"

At this moment, an old general stepped forward. Chagatai, the commander of the personal guard, was known as the fourth greatest general in the empire.

He ranked after Bolotemur, the commander of the Baoxiang Army, Li Siqi, the Prince of Qi, and the Prince of Ruyang.

At this moment, Emperor Qianshun looked at the old general with some hope that the old general could help the empire come up with a good plan.

At this moment, Chagatai clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the empire's military strength is now concentrated on protecting Dadu. It is already somewhat beyond our power to contend for the world. What is even more distressing is that our empire no longer has top-level combat power."

"Those who are now vying for supremacy are all experts at the fourth level of the Fusion God realm. Our empire no longer has experts at the fourth level of the Fusion God realm, so we can't hold the fort."

"However, if Your Majesty can invite the Living Buddha to appear and quell the most troublesome Chen Jiu Si, Zhu Chong Ba, and the newly emerging Zhang Shi Cheng in Jiangnan, then I am confident that I can lead the army down to Jiangnan to quell the rebellion!"

Chagatai spoke, looking at Emperor Qianshun.

Emperor Qianshun frowned and said, "This, this, the Living Buddha is in seclusion, and if the Living Buddha makes a move, that person from Wudang Mountain will probably also make a move, so it's as if he didn't make a move at all. Pointing at the Living Buddha won't work."

Chagatai, upon hearing this, said, “Your Majesty, without the help of the Living Buddha, this matter would be difficult.”

Emperor Qianshun thought for a moment, then looked at the old minister Hama standing at the head of the assembled officials and asked, "Does the old prime minister have anything to teach me?"

After hearing this, Lao Hama looked at Emperor Qianshun and then said, "Your Majesty, it is an indisputable fact that the great path is in peril. Now, we are powerless to use force or military might. I think we should learn from the Song Dynasty."

What is there to learn from the Song Dynasty?

"Let them surrender!"

"Recruitment?"

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials present were shocked, but after thinking about it, they realized it was indeed a good idea. At this moment, Emperor Qianshun said, "Offering them amnesty is possible, but if we give them a military governorship, I'm afraid they won't agree to it."

Old Hama then knelt on the ground and said, "Your subject requests that Chen Jiu Si, Zhu Chong Ba, and Zhang Shi Cheng be granted the title of king!" (End of this chapter)