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In the autumn of the twenty-ninth year of the prosperous era, an imperial edict was issued from the palace, shaking the entire world.

The crown prince has been chosen.

King Guo Wen of Qin officially became the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The news caused an uproar in the capital the day it spread.

The teahouses and taverns were filled with the sounds of discussion.

Some say it was what everyone hoped for, some say it was expected, and some say it was His Majesty's foresight.

But no matter what, everyone agrees...

It is appropriate for the King of Qin to be the crown prince.

On the day the imperial edict was read, the Chongyuan Hall was filled with kneeling civil and military officials.

From inside the hall all the way to outside, everyone was kneeling, a sea of ​​black.

Civil officials were on the left, and military officials on the right, arranged neatly according to rank.

The sunlight shone on those court robes, making them appear red, purple, blue, and green, like a colorful ocean.

Guo Wen stood below the imperial steps, dressed in a brand-new crown prince's robe.

He wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, a golden crown on his head, and a jade belt around his waist.

Guo Wen stood there, his face calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

But those who know him well know that he is not at peace inside.

The eunuch unfurled the imperial edict, and a high-pitched voice rang out:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I, having received the mandate of Heaven to rule over all realms, have been diligent and cautious day and night, never daring to rest. Now that I am advanced in years, the foundation of the nation must be established. Prince Wen of Qin, my eldest son, is of exceptional talent and profound wisdom, with extensive experience both at home and abroad, and has made outstanding contributions. He is hereby established as Crown Prince, to occupy the Eastern Palace, to inherit the ancestral temple, and to secure the state. This decree is hereby proclaimed throughout the land, so that all may know. This is the imperial decree."

Guo Wen knelt down to receive the imperial decree.

Su Ning sat on the throne and personally handed the Crown Prince's golden book and golden seal to him.

Those are two things that symbolize the status of the crown prince.

The Golden Book is a gold plate with the imperial edict of investiture engraved on it.

The gold seal is a jade seal with a dragon-tiger carved on the knob and the words "Crown Prince's Seal" engraved on the seal face. "From today onwards, you are the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou."

Guo Wen knelt down to receive it, and kowtowed heavily, saying, "Your subject will certainly not fail your father's trust."

His forehead hit the ground with a dull thud.

After the court ceremony concluded, the civil and military officials filed out.

The Chongyuan Hall gradually quieted down.

Suning kept Guo Wen behind alone.

……

In the imperial study, the father and son sat facing each other.

Being the crown prince in any dynasty was never easy, because not only did he have to do his job, but he also had to guard against the emperor's jealousy.

However, Su Ning was different. He was not afraid of his son; on the contrary, he wished his son would become more and more outstanding.

After all, only truly powerful individuals can make the Great Zhou Dynasty stronger.

Tea was laid out on the table, its steam rising gently.

Faint voices could be heard outside the window; they were the voices of officials talking as they walked away after court.

"Your Highness, have you received the appointment of the Deputy Privy Councilor?"

"Received," Guo Wendao said. "Your subject will familiarize himself with military affairs as soon as possible."

Su Ning nodded. “I’m appointing you as the Deputy Privy Councilor not to send you into battle. It’s to let you know how this empire is defended. Don’t worry that I will be wary of you. You are the Crown Prince, the future emperor. You can fully demonstrate your abilities. Not only will you intimidate the civil and military officials, but you will also lead the various vassal kings of the Great Zhou.”

"..." Guo Wen listened attentively.

“Military matters are more complicated than you imagine.” Su Ning picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Troop deployment, training, logistics, intelligence—every single one of these matters has its intricacies. Learn from Cao Bin and the others; ask questions if you don’t understand. Cao Bin has served me for over thirty years; he’s a steady and reliable military strategist, a good teacher. Pan Mei is meticulous and good at managing people; ask him about logistics. Gao Huaide is skilled in cavalry warfare; he understands how to charge into battle.”

"Your subject understands."

Suning put down his teacup, stood up, and walked to the map.

Guo Wen then stood up and stood next to Suning.

The map stretched from the wall to the ground, covered with red lines and markings.

That was the map of the Great Zhou Dynasty, stretching from east to west and from south to north, covering almost the entire known world.

Guo Wen looked at the map, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

He's seen this picture since he was a child.

When we were little, my father would point to each place on the map and tell us about the local customs and traditions, as well as the historical stories of those places.

At that time, Guo Wen felt that these places were all very far away, so far that he would never be able to reach them in his lifetime.

But now, those places have all become part of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

From Fusang in the east to Constantinople in the west, from the grasslands in the north to the islands of Southeast Asia in the south.

A sea of ​​red, almost taking up most of the world.

But there are still blank spaces.

To the west, there is another large area.

Su Ning pointed to the blank space, “Europe. The Franks, the Holy Roman Empire, the remnants of Byzantium, and all those messy little countries. Put together, they’re no smaller than the Arab world.”

Guo Wen stared at that piece of land.

He had already learned about those place names in Constantinople and knew that these places were indeed fertile lands no less than the Central Plains.

The Frankish Kingdom, the Holy Roman Empire, Lombardy, Burgundy, Aquitaine...

Each name represents an ancient kingdom. "Father's meaning is..."

"You will be fully responsible for and command the battle," Su Ning said. "Within three years, we will bring the entire European continent into the Great Zhou territory."

Guo Wen was stunned.

three years?

The entire territory?

“Father, Europe is so vast, three years…” Guo Wen carefully chose his words, “Wouldn’t that be too rushed?”

Su Ning turned around and looked at him. "Rush? You think it's rushing?"

Guo Wen nodded. "There are dozens of countries, large and small, in Europe. If we fight them one by one, three years will indeed be a tough time."

Su Ning laughed, "Who told you to fight them one by one?"

Guo Wen was stunned.

Su Ning pointed to several points on the map, "The Franks, the largest country in Europe, occupying a large area in the west. The Holy Rome, the leader of a bunch of small countries in Central Europe. Although Byzantium has been destroyed, there are still remnants of its power hiding in Greece. These three powers are the pillars of Europe. If we defeat them, the remaining small countries will come to submit on their own without any fighting."

Guo Wen stared at those dots. "Your Majesty, I understand. To catch the thief, first catch the king."

“Yes,” Su Ning said. “Wang Yanjun and his team have been operating there for almost ten years. The railway has been built, the telegraph lines have been set up, and the intelligence network has been established. The Frankish and Holy Roman Empires have already been thoroughly ravaged. Your job is to finish things up.”

Guo Wen was silent for a moment, then said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Su Ning looked at him with a hint of relief in her eyes, "There are two more things."

"Please enlighten me, Father."

“Khwarazm and the Khazars Khanate.” Suning pointed to the area around the Caspian Sea. “These two small countries have been causing trouble on the Caspian coast for many years. We couldn’t deal with them before, but now it’s time to take them down.”

Guo Wen looked at the two small dots.

Khwarazm, located east of the Caspian Sea, occupied an oasis in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River.

The Khazars Khanate, located north of the Caspian Sea, controlled the steppes of the lower Volga River.

Neither of these countries is large, but they are strategically located at the crossroads of the East-West trade routes.

"Your subject understands."

“You need to resolve these two issues as soon as possible. Don’t let them hold you back,” Su Ning said. “As for Khwarazm, send Wang Yanjun with a detachment. As for the Khazars Khanate, send Gao Huaide with cavalry. Attack from both sides simultaneously and resolve the situation within a month.”

"Understood." Guo Wen nodded.

Su Ning patted Guo Wen on the shoulder, "Go! Do a good job. You need more military merits to consolidate your position as crown prince. After all, the national defense army is very strong now, and they still have more faith in the real strong."

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty." Guo Wen knelt and kowtowed before leaving the imperial study.

...The next morning at court, Su Ning officially announced the appointment and tasks for the Crown Prince.

In the Chongyuan Hall, civil and military officials stood in two rows.

Su Ning sat on the throne, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Crown Prince Wen, effective immediately, shall be in full charge of the war in Europe. Within three years, you shall conquer the entire territory of Europe."

An uproar erupted in the imperial court.

Some people stared wide-eyed, some opened their mouths wide, some glanced at each other, and then quickly lowered their heads.

The Crown Prince is in full charge of the war in Europe? He'll conquer the entire region in three years?

Some are worried, some are excited, and some are eager to try.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had barely been chosen when Su Ning began to delegate power.

Moreover, it was the most important military power, since the emperor had always controlled the military, and no one could easily touch it.

Cao Bin was the first to step forward.

He walked into the hall, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to accompany the Crown Prince on the expedition."

Su Ning looked at him and said, "Cao Bin, you're not young anymore."

Cao Bin smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am over sixty years old, but I can still ride a horse and fight. Besides, we have started mechanization now, which is much more convenient than before. It is the Crown Prince's first time on a campaign, and I am worried about him, so I would like to go and see what is going on."

Suning nodded.

Pan Mei also stepped forward, saying, "I am also willing to go."

Gao Huaide stepped forward and said, "I am also willing to go."

Murong Yanzhao stepped forward, "I am also willing to go."

Yang Ye stepped forward and said, "I am also willing to go."

One by one, the veterans who had fought alongside Suning for most of their lives stepped forward.

Guo Wen stood below the imperial steps, looking at those people, and a surge of warmth welled up in his heart.

These people were all meritorious officials who helped their father conquer the country.

Some had followed their father since the time of the study camp, some later joined him, and some were defeated on the battlefield and then surrendered.

They fought against the Southern Tang, pacified Jingchu, conquered Shu, destroyed the Khitan, campaigned against the Abbasid Caliphate, and pacified the Byzantine Empire.

They had knife wounds, arrow wounds, and all sorts of old injuries.

But now, they have all stepped forward, willing to follow him as the crown prince.

It is trust, and it is also entrustment.

“Okay.” Su Ning nodded. “Cao Bin will be the commander, Pan Mei the deputy, and Gao Huaide the vanguard. The rest will be deployed as needed.”

"The Crown Prince is the commander-in-chief and supervisor of the army. You must all obey the Crown Prince's orders."

The generals responded in unison.

……

Two weeks later, the army was fully assembled.

Outside the north gate of the capital, banners obscured the sun, and the sound of drums shook the heavens.

Two hundred thousand soldiers stood in formation, their armor gleaming, their morale high.

Looking down from the city tower, the winding procession resembled a giant dragon, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Guo Wen rode on his horse, walking in the middle of the procession.

He was dressed in a bright yellow military uniform, with an imperial sword hanging at his waist, and his expression was calm.

Behind him were rows of soldiers, and in front of him lay an endless road.

Guo Zhi, Guo Wu, Guo Gong, Guo Qian, and Guo Qiu rode alongside him on horseback.

“Your Highness,” Guo Wu said, his voice filled with excitement, “when we get to Europe, let me be the vanguard. I guarantee I’ll be the first to storm their palace.”

Guo Wen smiled and said, "You'll be indispensable. But don't just rush in; use your brain."

Guo Wu grinned. "Don't worry, I'm using my brain."

Guo Zhi said, "Your Highness, keep an eye on the grain supplies to Baghdad. I know exactly how much to transport each month and which route to take. I guarantee there won't be any problems."

Guo Wen nodded, "Second brother, you're meticulous, I trust you with this matter."

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

Guo Gongdao said, "The navy in Cairo is ready to move at any time. We'll encircle them from the Mediterranean and attack from both sides. I've already had the ships ready, and they can set off at any moment."

Guo Wendao said, "Okay. I'll give you the signal, and you can make your move."

Guo Qian said, "The intelligence network in Jerusalem has been set up long ago. Any movement in Europe is reported to us immediately. The Frankish king is currently ill, and the Holy Roman emperor has fallen out with several dukes. These are all opportunities."

Guo Wen's eyes lit up. "Fifth Brother, your intelligence network is amazing."

Guo Qian smiled and said, "It's all thanks to my father's teachings. Intelligence is faster than a knife."

Guo Qiu said, "The trade routes from Damascus connect to Europe. The grain that needs to be transported and the goods that need to be delivered will all arrive without fail. I have had several trading houses set up there to specifically gather information from the locals."

Guo Wen looked at him and said, "Sixth Brother, your businesses shouldn't just focus on collecting information; they should also make money."

Guo Qiu laughed, "I'm making money. I can make money and get information at the same time, without neglecting either."

Guo Wen felt a warm glow in his heart as he looked at his brothers.

This is his brother.

This is the source of his confidence in becoming the crown prince.

“Okay.” Guo Wen nodded. “Let’s work together, brothers, and take down Europe.”

The train roared westward, carrying an army of 200,000, the ambition of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the heavy responsibility of the Crown Prince.

The train tracks sped past under the wheels, and the scenery outside the window flashed by.

Fields, villages, towns, mountains, rivers.

Those familiar places are gradually fading into the distance.

Those unfamiliar places are gradually getting closer.

Guo Wen sat by the window, gazing outside.

Guo Zhi sat opposite him. "Your Highness, what are you thinking about?"

Guo Wen was silent for a moment, then said, "I was thinking about my father."

"Father?"

“Yes,” Guo Wen said. “When my father was fourteen, he climbed out of a well with nothing. Forty years later, he transformed the world into what it is today. Now, when we go out to fight, we have trains, telegraphs, an army of 200,000, and all sorts of advanced weapons. But what did my father have back then? Nothing.”

Guo Zhi fell silent.

Guo Wu said, "Brother, we can't let Father down."

Guo Wen nodded. "No, that won't happen."

In fact, Guo Wen really learned a lot from Suning, including the importance of having a spirit of sacrifice for the greater good.

Now that he has become the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he will unite all forces in the future.

……

Three months later, the army gathered in Constantinople.

The train slowly pulled into the station, its whistle sounding loudly.

Officials were already waiting on the platform.

Seeing the train stop, I quickly went to meet it.

Guo Wen got off the train and stood on the platform, gazing at this familiar yet unfamiliar city.

Three years.

Three years ago, he came here to become a vassal king and governed the city very well.

Three years later, he returned, but as the crown prince, to lead a large army westward.

Guo Wen took a deep breath. "Order all armies to rest for a month. Then, we will launch the western expedition."

...(End of this chapter)