Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Inside the small house, the two men's auras clashed, as if swords were being drawn.

Chen Zhi revealed his true intentions, and Fei Yi responded with cold indifference:

"Was Imperial Censor Chen speaking on behalf of His Majesty, or for his own sake?"

Chen Zhi stared directly at Fei Yi. His innate air of authority and unwavering conviction made him appear three points more imposing than Fei Yi.

"My question today is for Your Majesty, for myself as an envoy, and even more so for the Han Dynasty, for the restoration of the Han Dynasty!"

Fei Yi stared intently at Chen Zhi: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Chen Zhi said, "Even Yang Yi wants to launch a northern expedition. What about you, Commander Fei? Do you still want to launch a northern expedition?"

After listening, Fei Yi remained silent for a long time: "Even the Prime Minister's divine martial prowess could not succeed in the Northern Expedition, let alone us? We should protect the country and govern the people, respectfully safeguard the state, and wait for capable people in the future."

"Should we trust the wisdom of future generations?" Chen Zhi sneered. "Minister Fei, let me tell you, the Han Dynasty has only lost the Prime Minister and Wei Yan. Even if we add Yang Yi, it's only three people. The imperial army has suffered no losses. If we postpone the Northern Expedition now, do you believe that the Shu Han Dynasty will have no descendants?"

"Stop your nonsense! What do you know!" Fei Yi suddenly stood up, pointing a finger at Chen Zhi's nose, his voice trembling slightly. "You were young and held a high position, living a life of luxury. How could you know the hardships we faced on our northern expedition?"

"Minister Fei, do not think that just because the Prime Minister's residence is filled with elites, you can look down on everyone in the world." Chen Zhi retorted without backing down. After saying this, he stood up, leaning on his cane: "The Han and the traitors cannot coexist, and the royal cause cannot be confined to a corner of the land. Don't you understand the principles the Prime Minister speaks of? The Prime Minister's coffin is lying in state in the northern residence! The Prime Minister's talent surpasses all others of his time, possessing both literary and military skills. Shouldn't we heed his words?"

"How much has the court paid for the Northern Expedition? The Prime Minister first brought down Liu Yan, then Li Yan, and even sacrificed one of his own sons! When the Prime Minister was in power, he favored you and Jiang Gongyan, and for this he did not hesitate to use political maneuvering to restrain Wei Yan and Yang Yi, and even openly made it possible for you to get rid of Wei Yan and Yang Yi, in order to pave the way for your rise to power!"

"The Prime Minister only ordered you to retreat through the Baoxie Road. Where did he say that the Northern Expedition was forbidden? Now that the Prime Minister is gone, are we going to stop the Northern Expedition? Stopping is easy, but the Han Dynasty will never have another Prime Minister Zhuge to coordinate the Northern Expedition again."

Chen Zhi, slightly out of breath, spoke with increasing fervor: "Minister Fei, I'm speaking frankly with you today. I know the officials of the Prime Minister's office are a complex and self-contained group, but if you truly do not wish to launch the Northern Expedition, and do not wish to continue the Prime Minister's legacy, you might as well continue to have Yang Yi in command of the army in Hanzhong and continue the Northern Expedition. In the past eight years, Yang Yi was the one who assisted the Prime Minister in handling so many administrative matters related to the Northern Expedition!"

Fei Yi was clearly enraged, his face flushed slightly: "For the sake of the Northern Expedition, how can we confuse right and wrong, loyalty and treachery? Didn't you see Yang Yi's condition? How can such a person command a large army?!"

Chen Zhi sneered, "Why not? So what if he becomes a powerful minister? Has the Han Dynasty lacked powerful ministers in its four hundred years of history? Aside from the Northern Expedition, would any other generals follow Yang Yi in rebellion? Fei Sima, don't forget, Yang Yi is already sixty, while Your Majesty is not yet thirty, still young. Jiang Gongyan is in charge of the government and logistics, while Yang Weigong is leading the army in the north on the Northern Expedition. Your Majesty should mediate; isn't that appropriate? What's wrong with waiting ten years for Your Majesty?"

At this point, it's no longer a matter of revealing one's true intentions, but rather a real fight with swords and spears drawn!

Liu Yin stood guard inside the courtyard gate and overheard some of the indistinct arguments between Chen and Fei inside the house. Liu Yin couldn't help but tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword and peer intently out through the door.

The Northern Expedition... The Northern Expedition is certainly the right thing to do, but can it really succeed?

As Liu Yin pondered this outside, Fei Yi inside asked Chen Zhi the same question:

"Imperial Censor Chen, can the Northern Expedition really succeed?" Fei Yi's voice was a little hoarse, and his gaze slightly avoided Chen Zhi, making him appear somewhat dejected: "I don't know how His Majesty and you planned things in Chengdu, nor do I care what you were thinking. But I'll just say one thing."

"Since my youth, I, Fei Yi, have always prided myself on my talents, believing there is nothing in the world I cannot do. But having served by the Prime Minister's side and witnessed his great abilities firsthand, I am truly like a firefly compared to the bright moon. I understand your reasoning, but tell me, how can I win?"

Fei Yi repeated, "Imperial Censor Chen, how can we win?"

Chen Zhi's gaze deepened as he met Fei Yi's eyes again: "How to win is not something I, a mere Imperial Censor of 600 shi, should discuss. I simply want to tell you that establishing a system takes years, but its collapse can happen in an instant. If the Northern Expedition system is halted now, the Han Dynasty will truly have no chance left. With your intelligence, how could you not know this?"

"Fei Sima, you don't understand the Prime Minister."

Fei Yi was amused by Chen Zhi's words, shaking his head repeatedly with a hint of sarcasm: "You say I don't understand the Prime Minister? You do?"

"Today I will explain these principles to you." Chen Zhi straightened his robes and stood at attention, calmly saying, "When Prime Minister Zhuge Liang assisted Emperor Zhaolie in Longzhong, the late emperor's territory was only one county, with fewer than ten thousand soldiers, and he was already nearly fifty years old. At that time, even with Cao Cao's strength, the Prime Minister was still able to assist the late emperor in expanding the foundation, strengthening the army, and establishing the imperial dynasty. With the current foundation of the Shu Han, will Fei Yi and Sima Yi face the same difficulties as the late emperor and the Prime Minister did in Xinye? If they want to be as self-sufficient as Liu Biao, will they then have to coax His Majesty into becoming like Liu Cong?"

"Since the sixth year of Jianxing, there have been five Northern Expeditions in eight years. With each of these five expeditions, the soldiers have become more elite, the generals more capable, the systems clearer, and the unity between the people and the army has grown stronger."

"In the first campaign, Shang was defeated by Zhang He; in the second campaign, he retreated safely and killed Wang Shuang; in the third campaign, he decisively defeated Guo Huai and Fei Yao and began to spy on Qin and Yong; in the fourth campaign, he defeated most of the Wei army at Lucheng; Sima Zhongda feared the Prime Minister as much as he feared a tiger; and he killed the famous Wei general Zhang He!"

Chen Zhi raised his eyebrows: "By the time of the fifth campaign, when the royal army marches out, Cao Rui, the ruler of Wei, will be filled with fear. Wei will gather its various armies in Guanzhong, including the border troops of Yong and Liang, the garrison in Chang'an, and the Wei central army, totaling over 100,000 men. They will not dare to fight the royal army! Yong and Liang will not disarm, and the central army will not let down their saddles. Wei will be powerless!"

"The fact that the Shu Han state is weaker than the Wei state does not mean that its strength in Yong and Liang is weaker than that of the Wei state, nor does it mean that it will be weaker than the Wei state in every battle. The Prime Minister has never sought quick victories, nor has he ever thought of destroying the Wei state in one fell swoop. What the Prime Minister wants to do is simply to establish an advantage over the Wei state in each campaign, thereby gradually eroding Yong and Liang!"

"Those who are most eager for a quick victory will, upon encountering even the slightest setback, feel that the Northern Expedition is hopeless and will retreat to protect themselves!"

"Fei Sima, can't you see that the Han army is growing stronger with each battle? How can you abandon the affairs of the state because of a temporary setback? Don't think about destroying Wei in one fell swoop. Just aim to win one battle at a time, and your mind will be as vast as the sky and the sea!"

Fei Yi sighed deeply: "I have noted what Imperial Censor Chen said. Even if what you say is true, the Prime Minister's eight years in Hanzhong without leaving were the foundation for this. But now that the Prime Minister is gone, who has enough authority to govern the entire situation in Hanzhong and command obedience from top to bottom? I admit I cannot do it, and neither could Jiang Gongyan!"

Upon hearing Fei Yi's words, Chen Zhi tapped his staff downwards with his right hand, producing a resounding clang.

"Minister Fei, the Han Dynasty is not limited to the Prime Minister's residence!"

"You mean...?" Fei Yi suddenly had some doubts in his mind, and his heart was pounding in his chest.

Chen Zhi calmly replied, "I request Your Majesty to assume personal rule, take command of the army, and move the capital to Hanzhong; then all difficulties will naturally be resolved!"

These words struck Fei Yi like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen in place, instantly solemn.