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

Chongba's brilliant plan to secure the country resulted in the loss of both gold and silver and the army!
Chen Jie's sarcasm rang blatantly in Zhu Chongba's ears, making Zhu Chongba grit his teeth in anger, wishing he could bite Chen Jiu Si to death.

At this moment, the people around him panicked and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive!"

Zhu Chongba wanted to shout, "Prepare warships for me! I'm going to take down Chen Jiu Si on the water!"

However, the truth is that he did not have enough powerful warships to compete with the high-end warships under Chen Jiu Si's command.

It's important to understand that on water, a difference of just two times in tonnage can result in a geometric increase in combat power. Chen Jie had large ships like the tower ships, while Zhu Chongba mostly had small boats like the Mengchong. It was almost impossible for such small boats to successfully fight against tower ships.

Moreover, Chen Jie's fleet consisted of more than just one large ship; they also had several Mengchong ships there responsible for mobile warfare. It can be said that Chen Jie's naval strength far surpassed that of Zhu Chongba.

Zhu Chongba was furious, but he was helpless and could only watch Chen Jie's warship leave.

And he left behind the saying: "Zhongba's brilliant plan to secure the country resulted in the loss of gold and silver and the loss of troops!"
This battle had a tremendous impact; it was a decisive battle between the three major powers in the south, and it also determined the future trajectory of the Han people.

Chen Jiu Si, Zhu Chong Ba, and Zhang Shi Cheng originally formed a three-way power struggle in the south, but this time the three sides fought an earth-shattering battle at Wushan in Hangzhou, which determined the victor.

The whole world was shaken. It is said that after the war, when people went to the old site of Wu Mountain, they could no longer see the original location of Wu Mountain. It has now become a hilly area. The once lofty Wu Mountain was destroyed by the three men and was in a terrible state.

Afterwards, countless people spread the word that mountain gods were fighting there.

This event essentially determined the fate of the land: it would either belong to Chen Jiu Si or Zhu Chong Ba.

The two now share the country equally. Chen Jie occupies several territories west of Hubei, while Zhu Chongba controls all of Jiangnan. Not long after, Zhu Chongba even moved the administrative capital from Haozhou to Nanjing.

The name of the King of Wu is even more renowned.

Meanwhile, Chen Jie began to expand and occupy territory in Hubei Road. During this period, even the Prince of Ruyang was not idle. When Chen Jie went to Hangzhou, he and Wang Baobao led the remaining 10,000 Bailu Army to conquer the Jiujiang and Shangrao area. They also actively gathered local refugees and bandits, and soon formed an army of about 50,000 people, which stood in the middle of the area.

After Chen Jiu Si returned, he personally visited the Prince of Ruyang and asked for his thoughts. The Prince of Ruyang said, "We are the Mulan people, and we are the ones you need to defeat. It is inconvenient for us to stay in your Huangzhou Prefecture."

Upon seeing this, Chen Jie immediately said, "Father-in-law, I've already married Ya Ya, why would I care about your Mulan identity? Besides, Ya Ya is about to give birth, she needs you as her father, and your grandson also wants you by his side!"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang, seeing Chen Jie's earnest words, agreed to let Chen Jie return to Huangzhou Prefecture with him and also agreed to Chen Jie's request to serve as the Dean of the Huangzhou Prefecture Military Academy.

Throughout his life, Prince Ruyang was not particularly strong in terms of personal martial prowess, only ranking at the bottom of the Heavenly Ranking. However, his military capabilities were recognized by everyone. He was able to hold his own against Bolot Timur, who was at the third or even fourth level of the Melting God Realm, with just his White Deer Army, demonstrating his formidable military strength.

Chen Jie valued the military capabilities of the Prince of Ruyang. Since the military academy did not have a suitable dean, he offered the position to the Prince of Ruyang, who, after some consideration, did not refuse.

However, Wang Baobao refused to return to Huangzhou Prefecture.

Chen Jie asked the Prince of Ruyang to persuade him about this matter.

When the Prince of Ruyang saw Wang Baobao, he said, "Kuokuo, what are you thinking? Are you still trying to stop the Great Qian Dynasty like a mantis trying to stop a chariot?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao said, "Godfather, the Great Qian treats us like enemies. I can't be so foolish as to risk my life for them. But I have to do something myself, because half of the world may belong to Chen Jiu Si in the future."

"Chen Jiu Si has three women. Let's not talk about Huang Wan'er for now, but Su Yun Jin is our Ya Ya's biggest enemy."

“If the world is at peace and Chen Jiu Si ascends the throne, he will definitely establish an empress. So, between Ya Ya and Su Yun Jin, who will be the empress? Back then, you were the Prince of Ruyang, suppressing eighty-one prefectures in five routes in Jiangnan. You held great power, yet Chen Jiu Si still refused to divorce his wife and make Ya Ya his principal wife.”

"Now you only have these 30,000 remaining troops under your command, and your territory is limited to Jiujiang and Shangrao. If we return to Huangzhou Prefecture now, what advantage will Ya Ya have left!"

"Don't forget that Su Yunjin has two powerful supporters, Ni Wenjun and Chen Xiaohu."

“Ni Wenjun is Chen Jiu Si’s sworn brother. His wife, Hua San Niang, is a close friend of Su Yun Jin, as close as sisters. If an empress is to be established in the future, do you think she will support Su Yun Jin or Ya Ya?”

"The other one is Chen Xiaohu, Chen Jiu Si's cousin and a member of the Chen clan. Su Yun Jin knew Chen Xiaohu before Chen Jiu Si rose to power. Later, Chen Xiaohu showed him even more respect. He will definitely give his full support when he becomes empress."

"It's already alarming that these two are leaning towards Su Yunjin. If our Ya Ya doesn't have anyone to support her, how can she possibly become empress?"

"Therefore, I must hold onto these military powers and help Chen Jiu Si take over more territory. Only in this way can we have the leverage to speak and strive for a chance for Ya Ya to be made empress in the future."

Wang Baobao revealed his true intentions: he wanted to build up political capital for Zhao Ya so that she could use it to compete with Su Yunjin for the position of Empress.

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang thought for a moment and looked at Wang Baobao, saying, "What you said makes a lot of sense. The struggles within the palace are like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind."

"If Ya Ya gives birth to a boy, then whether Ya Ya can become the empress depends on whether she is a legitimate or illegitimate child, and who will inherit the throne in the future will also be a matter of debate."

Wang Baobao nodded and said, "Yes, our Ya Ya gave up the position of Empress for Chen Jiu Si back then. If Chen Jiu Si becomes the emperor and then ignores their past feelings, wouldn't he be a beast?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang said, "Alas, power is earned through struggle. Before power, everything in the past is meaningless. This is a fact. Chen Jiu Si is also a man; he cannot change his ways."

"How about I stay and help you? After all, Zhu Chongba is quite formidable."

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao said, "Godfather, you can't stay. If I stay and succeed, it will be a great help. If I fail, then we'll have to rely on you. The position that Chen Jiu Si gave you is extremely important."

"Dean of the Military Academy, you must teach well and diligently, and pass on all your skills."

"People are perceptive. When you put your heart into it, your students will also love and respect you. And these students will be the future generals of Chen Jiu Si's newly established regime. This is a very formidable force."

"If they support Ya Ya, or Ya Ya's son, they might very well be able to contend for the throne in the future!"

"And if your grandson becomes emperor in the future, then these generals who have learned your skills will serve him, which is the same as using your skills on your grandson!"

"So, Godfather, you go, I'll stay!"

Wang Baobao analyzed the pros and cons of the matter in a very logical and insightful manner, making a series of excellent judgments.

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang nodded and said, "Then be careful, and be cautious in your military operations."

Wang Baobao said, "Don't worry."

After saying this, Wang Bao escorted Prince Ruyang and Chen Jiu Si back to Huangzhou Prefecture.

Upon returning to Huangzhou Prefecture, Chen Jie was taken to the mansion. Hearing that Chen Jie was injured immediately stirred the hearts of Chen Jiu and the other two women. Early that morning, Su Yunjin, Huang Wan'er, and Zhao Ya, who was about to give birth, all came to the gate to greet him.

Seeing that Zhao Ya was about to give birth, Su Yunjin said, "Ya Ya, you're about to give birth, what are you doing out here? It's not good for you to catch a chill."

Zhao Ya said, "Sister Su, I was so upset when I heard that my husband was injured, so I had to come and see what was going on!"

Hearing this, Huang Wan'er chimed in, "Hehe, they can't let go of this chance to vie for favor, can they?"

Zhao Ya didn't even glance at Huang Wan'er. These two were truly incompatible, their rivalry never-ending, always exchanging sarcastic remarks.

If Huang Wan'er hadn't given birth to a daughter, but instead had given birth to a son who wanted to compete for the throne, Zhao Ya might have transformed into Empress Lü and turned Huang Wan'er into a human pig.

However, since she only had a daughter, she had no chance of getting the throne, so the conflict between the two was kept to the level of verbal sparring. Therefore, even if Zhao Ya were to gain favor in the future, she wouldn't make things too difficult for Huang Wan'er. Everyone knew this limit.

Therefore, Chen Jie did not interfere too much.

As the three were talking, they heard three gong sounds, followed by a large number of soldiers escorting a carriage as it slowly approached.

When the carriage arrived at the gate of the mansion, the soldiers lifted the curtain and Chen Jie got out of the carriage.

Seeing Chen Jie's pale face, Su Yunjin and Huang Wan'er immediately went to help him up.

Huang Wan'er then said, "Oh dear, what happened? How did it get like this!"

Su Yunjin didn't speak, but her eyes were a little red.

Chen Jie laughed and said, "Haha... It's nothing. I fought with Zhu Chongba. He was in a worse state than me."

As he spoke, Chen Jie slowly got out of the carriage and walked into the mansion, surrounded by several head maids.

A group of people helped Chen Jie into the mansion, and Chen Chun immediately ordered someone to prepare a bed for him.

Chen Jie said, "No need, it's not as tragic as you think."

"Cough cough..."

He coughed twice and then said, "Immediately issue my order to summon Ni Wenjun, Hu Weiyong, Zhou Chu, Wu Hong, and Shen Wansan to see me."

Upon hearing Chen Jie's words, Chen Chun immediately went to inform them.

At this moment, Chen Jie looked at his wives beside him and said, "This time I have finally gotten rid of a major threat. In the future, the world will be a contest between me and Zhu Chongba. Who knows, the world may very well be ours in the future."

Hearing Chen Jie's words, Su Yunjin said, "We women don't understand the ways of the world, but my husband, you must stay safe and sound. Without you, this family will fall apart."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie laughed heartily and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

At this moment, he looked at Zhao Ya beside him and said, "Ya Ya, you're about to give birth, so you shouldn't stay here with me. Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. My father-in-law asked me to bring him back. He's going to the military academy tomorrow. Our military academy is short of a dean, and I think my father-in-law is very suitable."

Zhao Ya frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "The military is the lifeblood of a nation. Should we leave this to my father?"

Zhao Ya didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already very clear: wasn't she trying to avoid suspicion?

If the military academy is handed over to Prince Ruyang, he will have many more followers in the future.

Upon hearing this, Huang Wan'er frowned. Looking at Su Yunjin, who was still only concerned about Chen Jie, she thought to herself, "This silly sister of mine, I must give her a little pointer. How can such an important position in the national military be handed over to Zhao Ya's people?"

If Zhao Ya gives birth to a boy in the future, will Li'er still be able to secure the throne?

Su Yunjin seemed not to have thought of this at all, and then said, "The Prince of Ruyang's military ability is beyond question. I think this arrangement is good. Otherwise, the Prince will always feel like an outsider and unable to integrate, which is not good for our family or Huangzhou Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Hehe, Yun Jin is right."

He was thinking to himself, "This silly girl, if I hadn't had a backup plan, would you have been able to hold onto your position as empress?"

Chen Jie thought to himself, if he dared to let the Prince of Ruyang teach military affairs, how could he not have countermeasures?
Of course there are, and that's the political department of the military academy. They do propaganda every day, and their propaganda is all about getting students to pledge allegiance to them.

Chen Jie believed that with his propaganda troops, he could definitely make the entire military academy listen to him, while the Prince of Ruyang was merely a teacher of knowledge.

As for the issue of vying for the throne, that was also within his control.

After Chen Jie finished doing all that, he looked at the three women and said, "Alright, you don't need to stay with me anymore. I have a military meeting to attend later, so you should get some rest."

Hearing this, Su Yunjin said, "You've just gotten back and you're already working so hard."

Chen Jie said, "There's no other way. If I rest, Zhu Chongba on the other side won't rest, and the world will eventually fall into his hands. You will all have to depend on him to live, which is not what I want."

After saying this, Chen Jie immediately told the three women to rest, and then Ni Wenjun, Hu Weiyong, Zhou Chu, Wu Hong, and Shen Wansan arrived.

These five people are currently the five most important officials in Huangzhou Prefecture. Ni Wenjun is the deputy military marshal of Huangzhou Prefecture, and is of the same rank as Chen Xiaohu.

Hu Weiyong was the Prefectural Chancellor of Huangzhou, in charge of all official matters and people's livelihood affairs.

Zhou Chu was the chief constable of Huangzhou Prefecture. All the constables under Huangzhou Prefecture's jurisdiction were under his management. Previously, the constables of various prefectures were managed by the county magistrates and prefects, which resulted in a dispersal of power. Chen Jie directly integrated the system, and all the constables were managed by Zhou Chu. The local authorities only had the power of supervision, not direct management or appointment. In this way, the constables would not become the private armed forces of the county magistrates and prefects.

Then there's Wu Hong, who is currently the chief inspector of Huangzhou Prefecture. He does the work of an imperial censor and half of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and is responsible for supervising officials at all levels.

Finally, there's Shen Wansan, the living god of wealth in Huangzhou Prefecture. He used to be the Minister of Commerce, but recently he was promoted to Minister of Finance.

He was in charge of all economic affairs within Huangzhou Prefecture.

These people have gathered; Chen Jie needs to prepare for the final battle! (End of Chapter)