The Tyrant of the Great Qian Dynasty: Not only will I refuse to arrange a marriage alliance, but I w

As night deepened, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was brightly lit.

Su Zhe sat behind his desk, his fingertips holding the letter from the southern frontier, remaining silent for a long time.

100,000 shi of grain and fodder.

For the Great Qian Dynasty, which had just experienced a major war and whose treasury was still not very well-off despite the confiscation of property, this was undoubtedly a huge aid.

However, for the Qin family army, which has 100,000 troops guarding the southern border, this is not a number that can be easily drawn out.

The deeper meaning behind this "generous gift" is far more complex than the grain itself.

Wei An stood to one side, his aged face somewhat blurred in the candlelight.

He spoke in a low voice, analyzing the pros and cons for Su Zhe.

"Your Majesty, General Qin's move can be described as killing two birds with one stone."

"Firstly, it's a gesture of goodwill towards you. With the great victory in the capital, your prestige is at its peak, and your ascension to the throne is legitimate. By presenting such a grand gift at this time, she is demonstrating to you, and also to the world, that the Qin family of Southern Xinjiang harbors no disloyalty and remains a subject of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Secondly," Wei An lowered his voice even further, "it's probably also a test. She wants to see if you truly have the determination and ability to launch a northern expedition. This 100,000 shi of grain is both a timely help and an investment. If you succeed in your northern expedition, she can reap a rich return from this investment; if you fail, the loss of this 100,000 shi of grain will still be within the Qin family army's acceptable range."

Su Zhe listened to Wei An's analysis and nodded slightly.

Although this old eunuch was not knowledgeable in military affairs, he had a unique and keen insight into people's hearts.

"invest?"

Su Zhe chuckled softly and moved the letter over the candlelight.

The orange-red flames quickly devoured the white paper, turning it into a wisp of curled black ash.

"She's right. Following me is indeed the most profitable business in the world."

He stood up and paced around the hall a few times.

"But my empire does not need anyone else's investment."

He stopped and ordered Wei An, "Go and summon that female general from the southern border to me."

"Yes, sir." Wei An bowed and withdrew.

A moment later, a female general dressed in silver soft armor, with a tall and straight figure, followed Wei An into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

She was the same person who delivered the letter last time, and her brows exuded the heroic spirit honed by her military career.

"This humble general greets Your Majesty." The female general knelt on one knee and gave a standard military salute.

"Rise." Su Zhe's tone was calm. "I have already read General Qin's letter."

The female general raised her head, waiting for Su Zhe to continue.

She was also pondering how the young emperor would respond to this "generous gift".

Should they accept it gladly, or pretend to decline?

Su Zhe did not answer directly, but instead picked up the imperial brush and quickly wrote down a list on a blank sheet of Xuan paper.

After finishing writing, he handed the list to Wei An, indicating that he should pass it on to the female general.

"This is my return gift."

The woman took the list with a puzzled look, unfolded it, and was stunned.

She had considered many possibilities, but she never expected it to be like this.

The list does not contain promises of gold, silver, jewelry, or high-ranking positions, but rather a series of products unique to southern Xinjiang.

"Three thousand blood orchids, five hundred dan of seven-star iron ore, one hundred pieces of century-old golden nanmu wood..."

These items are all specialties of southern Xinjiang, and some are even unique resources controlled by the Qin family army.

While the items were indeed precious, their total value was but a drop in the ocean compared to 100,000 shi of military rations.

What puzzled her even more was the second half of the list.

"...In addition, one hundred guides and three hundred scouts familiar with the mountainous and jungle terrain of southern Xinjiang need to be conscripted to accompany me on my northern expedition."

To conscript guides and scouts from the southern border to attack the northern grasslands?

This sounds almost unbelievable.

The female general raised her head, her eyes filled with deep confusion, and looked at Su Zhe.

Su Zhe seemed to see through her thoughts and explained:

"Please convey to General Qin that I appreciate her good intentions. However, the provisions needed for the Northern Expedition are sufficient for the Great Qian Empire's treasury, so there is no need for her to share my burden."

"What I need now are these things on the list."

He paused, then said:

"Furthermore, my Mo Dao (陌刀) troops and Shenji (神机) battalion suffered losses of weapons and armor during the battle of the capital, which need to be replenished. I know that the Qin family army's arsenal is the best in the world. If General Qin has the capacity, he can help me manufacture a batch."

"I will send the required blueprints by myself. The Ministry of Revenue will pay for all the iron materials and labor costs at three times the market price."

This response once again exceeded the female general's expectations.

Instead of offering direct food aid, they proposed a deeper level of cooperation—cooperation in the military industry!

The Mo Dao Team and the Shenji Battalion were the elite troops that shone brightly in the defense of the capital, and were the sharpest blades in Su Zhe's hands.

Their weapons and armor can be considered the most core military secrets of the Great Qian Dynasty.

And now, Su Zhe is actually willing to send the blueprints to the southern border so that Qin Family Army's arsenal can produce them on his behalf?

This is no longer a simple transaction.

This is a trust that is almost completely unconditional, and an extremely powerful confidence!

He was not afraid of Qin Hongying's imitation, nor was he afraid of the technology being leaked.

The female general was shocked, and even her breath caught in her throat for a moment. She understood Su Zhe's true intentions.

This young emperor was not "demanding" assistance from Qin Hongying, but rather "giving" her a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

An opportunity for the Qin family army, a powerful local armed force that operates outside the central system, to truly participate in the empire's core military system!

The 100,000 shi of grain was merely a one-time gesture of goodwill; once it was used up, the relationship would fade.

The deep military alliance bound the Qin family army's chariot to the central court of the Great Qian Dynasty and to the chariot of the emperor himself. From then on, their fates were intertwined, one prospering and the other suffering.

This kind of strategy of turning a passive situation into an active one, transforming a tentative gesture of goodwill into a means of consolidating rule and deepening control, is simply brilliant!

Having figured this out, the female general bowed down, her voice filled with undisguised admiration and submission.

"Your humble servant obeys! I will return to the southern border immediately and convey His Majesty's decree to the Grand General without missing a single word!"

"Go ahead." Su Zhe waved his hand.

The female general respectfully withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Having resolved the issues in the southern border region, Su Zhe devoted all his energy to the final preparations for the Northern Expedition.

In just three days, thanks to the unprecedented efficiency of the entire state apparatus, the preparations that those veteran officials had expected to take at least three months were miraculously completed.

Food supplies, weapons, troop movements... everything was ready.

An expeditionary force comprised of 30,000 Snow Dragon Riders, 5,000 Mo Dao Soldiers, 3,000 Shenji Battalion, and 3,000 Tiger and Leopard Riders, along with 50,000 Imperial Guards who had been reorganized and equipped with superior gear, had assembled on the vast plains outside the capital.

Banners obscured the sun, and armor gleamed in the sky.

The army of 100,000 stood in formation, their chilling aura making the surrounding air feel sharp.

The night before the expedition, the moon was as cool as water.

Su Zhe climbed the tall North Gate Tower of the capital city alone.

He wasn't wearing his heavy armor, but only his everyday clothes, as he leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance.

Outside the city stretched a continuous military camp, its lights twinkling like stars.

Further away lay endless darkness, the north he was about to conquer.

A soft footstep sounded behind him, and Wei An appeared silently behind him, holding a thick black cloak in his hands.

"Your Majesty, it is late at night and the dew is heavy. Please take care of your health."

Su Zhe took the cloak but didn't put it on immediately; he simply draped it over his arm.

He gazed at the distant night sky, muttering to himself, whether to Wei An behind him or not.

"Wei An, what do you think lies at the end of that grassland?"

Wei An was taken aback; he didn't know how to answer this wildly imaginative question.

Su Zhe didn't wait for his reply, but simply said softly, "I really want to go and see."