With wives as numerous as clouds and soldiers as numerous as a million, you say he's a useless

Ye Cheng'an reorganized his troops and set off for Bei'an City.

Having traveled more than halfway, they happened to encounter Wang Chengen, who had come to deliver an imperial edict.

Furthermore, Wang Chengen was captured by his own soldiers and presented before them. "Young Master, this old fellow came from the royal court. It is said that the King of the Northern Border sent him to deliver a decree. Our men have captured him. What do you think we should do with him?"

Ye Cheng'an glanced at it and realized it was Wang Cheng'en, Ye Jinglan's personal attendant.

Ye Cheng'an had a deep impression of this person, though he couldn't say whether he was good or bad.

"What message did Ye Jinglan send you to convey?" Ye Cheng'an remained indifferent to him.

Wang Chengen immediately said, "Young Master, His Highness has sent me to summon you back, saying that the New Year is approaching and he wishes to reunite with his family!"

"But you don't know that Bei'an City is in complete chaos. It's full of the Princess and the Prince's people. If you go back now, you will definitely be killed or placed under house arrest."

"Why are you telling me these things?" Ye Cheng'an asked, puzzled.

Wang Chengen sighed heavily, "Young Master, although this old servant is the Prince's man, I never expected that things would develop to this point after you left Beian City. Now the Prince has been completely bewitched by Su Wanrou, and the court is full of treacherous officials."

"Without the eldest son, the Northern Territory is doomed!"

"This old servant told you all this, young master, in order to stop you from going back."

Ye Cheng'an never expected that Wang Cheng'en would awaken at this point.

However, his purpose in returning this time was not to die, but to seize power and avenge his teacher!

Of course, he also wanted to expose the wolfish ambitions of Ye Jinglan and his wife to the world.

"I must return to Beian City," Ye Cheng'an said, enunciating each word clearly.

Wang Chengen frowned. "Why? The eldest young master clearly knows this journey is dangerous..."

"Take a look at the troops behind me before you speak," Ye Cheng'an reminded him.

Wang Chengen then looked up and saw Ye Chengan behind him. He never expected that Ye Chengan had brought a full 200,000 troops with him.

Among them were 50,000 men under Xiao Heming's command, Jiang Zhanji, troops from the Nine Cities, and 100,000 newly recruited soldiers.

Young Master, this is rebellion!

Wang Chengen had long wondered if the eldest son's purpose in going to Liuzhou was to accumulate strength so that he could one day return to fight back.

The reason why the prince was so wary of the eldest son was because of this.

However, everything is now inevitable, because the prince should never have killed Prefect Pei.

It was a grave mistake to listen to Su Wanrou and her son and dismiss all the loyal officials.

"Since the young master has made up his mind, please return to the city!" Wang Chengen said sternly.

Ye Cheng'an led his troops forward, but as they approached Beian City, he ordered the Tiger Roar Camp and Jiang Zhanji's troops to change into civilian clothes and disguise themselves, and then infiltrate Beian City.

He knew that Ye Jinglan and Su Wanrou would definitely make things difficult for him when the New Year approached.

And he was also preparing to completely hand over control of the Northern Territory at the New Year's Eve banquet!

Therefore, after returning to Beian City, he basically did not bring anyone with him except for Zhuyu.

The first thing he did upon returning was to go to the royal court and pay his respects to the utterly muddle-headed old man.

Seeing that Ye Cheng'an had actually returned, and without leading too many troops, Ye Jinglan finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

"You're back. How are things? Is life in Liuzhou any good?" Ye Jinglan asked.

Ye Cheng'an smiled faintly, "Thanks to Father, I am living a very good life."

"Jinyu has been performing very well lately and is now recognized by everyone in Bei'an City as the heir apparent. He is no less capable than you," Ye Jinglan continued.

He really didn't want to see Ye Cheng'an looking so indifferent.

Ye Cheng'an nodded, still not taking it to heart, "That's good. With someone to share Father's burdens, I can rest assured."

"And all those old ministers and officials left behind by your maternal grandfather in the court have also been dismissed by me and forced to retire." Ye Jinglan gradually increased the stakes, seemingly determined to see Ye Cheng'an break down before he would stop.

"When you were in the Northern Territory, didn't those people all say that if I were to strip you of your title as heir apparent, or if I were to demote you to Liuzhou to guard the border, you would definitely regret it?"

"But now, facts have proven that I have no regrets."

"The North can still function without you."

"Congratulations, Father." No matter what Ye Jinglan said, Ye Cheng'an always maintained the same indifferent expression.

They remained completely unmoved.

This made Ye Jinglan very unhappy. Why was it that this unfilial son didn't care at all about the things he had worked so hard to obtain?

"Pei Heng is dead." This was the last trump card Ye Jinglan could unleash.

He had hated Ye Cheng'an since he was a child because Ye was that woman's son.

Every time he saw Ye Cheng'an, he would think of the woman who was superior to him in terms of background, strength, and martial arts.

At first, he vowed to get his hands on that woman and prove that even the most noble and powerful woman could be won over by him.

Therefore, he orchestrated one "chance encounter" after another, and disguised himself as a gentleman that women all liked, leaving a deep impression on Ye Cheng'an's mother time and time again.

Until he successfully married her, until she became pregnant.

He stopped pretending.

She started by saying a lot of things like "women should stay at home to be good wives and mothers," "shouldn't show their faces in public," "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent," and "what's the point of a woman being so capable? She'd be better off cooking a good meal for her husband."

At this point, Ye Cheng'an's mother began to realize that the man she had loved for so long was actually a villain.

So, the other party started wanting a divorce.

Ye Jinglan was naturally unwilling!

After all, the other party was the daughter of the King of the North, and he was still plotting to seize the throne of the King of the North.

Therefore, not long after Ye Cheng'an was the only one left on the enemy side, he colluded with the Northern Barbarians and planned a surprise attack.

That woman was killed in the surprise attack.

With the death of Ye Cheng'an's mother, the old Northern King was heartbroken, having lost his son. Ye Jinglan then colluded with the Northern Barbarians to kill the old Northern King.

Thus, he became the King of the North.

He became the most supreme being in the North.

Even so, the officials still looked down on him and were not convinced of his worth, instead praising Ye Cheng'an in every way.

His morbid psychology led him to regard his own son as a hypothetical enemy.

This battle has lasted for so many years.

Now, he even deliberately brought up the matter of killing Pei Heng and the other teacher just to see Ye Cheng'an's pained expression.

Sure enough, after hearing Ye Jinglan's words, Ye Chengan clenched his fists for a moment.

Pei Heng was the original owner's teacher, and this was an emotion belonging to the original owner's body.

Ye Cheng'an remembers that he lacked a father figure throughout his childhood, and Pei Heng was always the one who accompanied him as he grew up.

Therefore, the original owner had very deep feelings for Pei Heng.

Now that Pei Heng has died for him, his feelings for him have clearly gone far beyond the ordinary teacher-student relationship.

Damn Ye Jinglan!

Ye Cheng'an gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Father, do you believe in cause and effect?"

Ye Jinglan frowned. "Are you saying that if I kill Pei Heng, I will suffer the same fate as him?"

"No," Ye Cheng'an flatly rejected, "How can Father compare to Teacher?"

"Our teacher is the Chief Secretary of the Northern Border, a veteran of two dynasties. He was already the Chief Secretary when my grandfather was alive, and he had already done many things for the Northern Border through his own efforts, earning the praise of all the people."

"And look at yourself, Father. What have you done? You've been in power for over a decade, have you accomplished anything? Besides indulging in extravagance and debauchery, being unable to distinguish right from wrong, and framing loyal officials, what else can you do?"

"Our teacher is dead, but his spirit lives on, and all the people of the North will remember his deeds!"

"And you, Father, are a sinner in this northern land. Even if you die one day, you will only be condemned by thousands and spurned by all, leaving a stain on your name for eternity!"

"What makes you think you can compare to a teacher?"

Ye Cheng'an's tone was very calm, as if he were saying something very ordinary.

But even these casual words were enough to break Ye Jinglan's defenses.

"You unfilial son!"

"I knew it! You're a traitor, your heart is with Pei Heng!"

"Wrong!" Ye Cheng'an interrupted Ye Jinglan's spellcasting again, correcting him, "Your subject is not a traitor. My teacher is the closest and dearest person to me, while you, Father, are the outsider."

"Your closest and dearest people are Su Wanrou and Ye Jinyu, but it can never be me."

"Then why did you go back to Bei'an City?" Ye Jinglan asked through gritted teeth.

Ye Chengan said, "I want to come back and see how badly Father King has ravaged Beian City during the time I was away."

"As expected, public resentment arose, chaos ensued, and all sorts of monsters and demons came out."

"..." Ye Jinglan's chest heaved with anger, but he couldn't win the argument. He could only think resentfully in his heart, "You unfilial son, just enjoy your moment of triumph!"

Once the New Year's Eve banquet begins, I will show you who truly reigns supreme in the North!

Aren't you so capable? Don't you like to jump around and cause trouble?

I will imprison you in Beian City forever, break your wings, and prevent you from ever flying again!

"Father, I have already paid my respects to you upon returning to Beian City. If there is nothing else, except for the New Year's Eve banquet, you and I will no longer need to pretend to be father and son. I take my leave."

After saying that, Ye Cheng'an strode away.

Ye Jinglan slammed his fist on the table in anger, "Guards! Guards at once!"

At his loud shout, Wang Chengen rushed into the main hall. "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"Quickly send someone to find out how many troops this rebellious son brought back for me. See if he has guessed what Rou'er and I are planning!"

Upon hearing this, a cold sneer flashed in Wang Chengen's eyes.

Your Highness, you didn't see it, but the eldest son brought a full 200,000 troops with him this time.

Moreover, after your reckless actions during this period, the armies in the North have probably long since lost faith in you.

You won't be able to hold this position as King of the North for much longer. Enjoy the last moments of your life.

"Your Highness, rest assured, this servant has already investigated and found that the eldest young master did not bring many entourages with him this time. He only has a hundred men under his command, as well as his personal maid, Zhuyu, for self-defense." Wang Chengen lied through his teeth.

However, Ye Jinglan actually believed it. In his eyes, Ye Cheng'an was his son, and his abilities in all aspects should be far inferior to his.

"That's good. Have someone prepare a New Year's Eve banquet. When the time comes, I will immediately teach that rebellious son a lesson about how arrogant he is!!!"