We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

Zhou Tiancheng sat down.

Because Zheng Rong gave him a comprehensive analysis of the situation in Northern Xia.

Northern Xia was a tribal state with only a few cities. The cities were not used to defend against foreign invasions, but to resist bandits.

Yes.

Bandits are rampant in Northern Xia, and the problem is that they are not easy to kill. These are natural allies.

Since they were going to Northern Xia to rescue people, they didn't need supplies. They could have contacted the bandits, who wanted all sorts of cattle, sheep, horses, and women, so of course they were willing to lend a hand.

Aside from the bandits, there was also the situation within Northern Xia.

Their throne was not hereditary; rather, whoever was the strongest in their tribe was qualified to be emperor.

Therefore, their internal factional struggles were even more complex than those of the Great Qian Dynasty, with at least five or six factions of varying sizes.

"Therefore, as long as we make contact with the factions that are close to our country, and with the help of those bandits, it will be a piece of cake for us to take Xinshi."

"The two biggest problems now are whether you have gathered your 10,000 troops yet. If not, I can still think of a way to help you."

"The other one is that you've truly struck a new stone, and now you're facing the retired emperor. What do you plan to do?"

When Zheng Rong posed these two questions, Zhou Tiancheng was stunned.

No, he was prepared to die, and you're saying it's easy to break through Xinshi?

You've already started thinking about what to do after you save the Emperor Emeritus?

Zhou Tiancheng thought about it and then gave an answer.

"Bring it back."

"I know many people don't want Grandfather to return to Kyoto, but I still want to bring him back."

Zheng Rong narrowed her eyes.

Why?

Zhou Tiancheng chuckled softly.

"For the sake of my soldiers."

"When they found me today, each of them was carrying a suicide note; they came with the conviction that they were going to die. They only knew they had to save people. If I killed the people they saved, what would be the meaning of their sacrifice?"

"I know what you think, that if the Emperor Emeritus returns to the Great Qian Dynasty, it might cause internal strife, but I have more faith in the court officials and my father."

Zheng Rong was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously glanced at Lin Tong.

Lin Tong, as if on the same wavelength, was also looking at the lineup.

At that moment, they seemed to understand.

No wonder the National Protection Army was willing to die for the Crown Prince, because the Crown Prince truly respected them!

"What about the troops? How do you plan to manage ten thousand men?"

Zheng Rong asked again.

Chou Tien-chen smiled with relief.

"I originally planned to go find the condemned prisoners. I wanted to ask my father, the Emperor, for an imperial decree to pardon them if they could save the Emperor Emeritus. But now it seems that you have other plans, my lord?"

Zheng Rong thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"Your idea is very good, let's do it your way."

"I originally wanted to find a ready-made army for you, but the problem is that the soldiers we train are different from the soldiers you train."

"Our biggest problem in training troops is that we can't avoid producing some unruly soldiers. These soldiers have no military spirit and might even corrupt a large number of people. It would be better if you found some death row inmates."

Lin Tong nodded slightly.

"Your Highness's consideration is reasonable. Your Highness, if I may be frank, the troops you have trained are unique in the entire Great Qian Dynasty. Even if we gave you our own troops, we wouldn't achieve the same effect. Why don't you find someone to train the troops yourself?"

"Just remember to take me with you when you set off."

Zhou Tiancheng was somewhat embarrassed.

These two are both bigwigs in the military. Aren't they putting themselves on a pedestal?

"My lord, Instructor Lin, the soldiers I train are just ordinary people. They're not as exaggerated as you're making them out to be."

Lin Tong and Zheng Rong both shook their heads, denying his statement.

"Your Highness, you underestimate yourself."

"Let me put it this way, there's no other army in the world that dares to use infantry to fight against cavalry head-on. Only you can train such an army."

Zhou Tiancheng's smile became even more guilty.

"And what about the chevaux-de-frise formation?"

"Since such gun formations existed in history, there must have been soldiers who were not afraid to die."

Zheng Rong gave him a deep look.

"Your Highness, don't you know what domesticated soldiers are?"

"Some powerful clans would select a portion of the descendants of slaves to serve in the army. If they dared to escape, their entire families would be wiped out. How do you think these fearless soldiers came about?"

"It's not that they aren't afraid to die, it's that they have no choice but to die!"

"The only soldiers you trained are hard to understand. After all, they'll bite even when they're dead. That's not the kind of effect you can get from training domestic soldiers."

Zhou Tiancheng stood there, stunned.

What he never expected was that the soldiers in this world were not yet at the point where they would sacrifice their lives for their country.

And it was he who proposed this concept!

Otherwise, why would people call those soldiers "guba" (literally "soldier")?

Ordinary people only join the army when they have no other choice. Their joining the army proves that they are worse off than ordinary people, which is why they are despised by ordinary people.

Besides these, there were the private soldiers Zheng Rong mentioned, who were like death squads. Their apathy was beyond Zhou Tiancheng's imagination!

"And as for the kind of troops you've trained, let's just say, out of seven or eight hundred thousand people in the northern frontier, you couldn't find two thousand like them!"

"But out of the five hundred men you trained, you actually produced five hundred who turned out well!"

"That's what makes your training of troops unique."

"It is no exaggeration to say that you are unique in the Great Qian Dynasty."

Zhou Tiancheng was stunned.

He thought the Third Prince and the others were too weak, but it turns out he was the one who was too strong.

Lin Tong, who was standing to the side, also began to explain.

"In fact, the Northern Xia also trained its troops through tribal cohesion, similar to a domesticated army."

"These soldiers are indeed fearless, but they have a major problem: they can only fight when the tide is going their way."

"They had killed people and received rewards, so they thought killing was easy and the rewards were easy to get. Therefore, they dared to fight and charge. However, no one had the courage to use their physical body to withstand a galloping warhorse."

After saying this, Lin Tong and Zheng Rong looked at Zhou Tiancheng with eyes that seemed to want to devour him, as if they wished they could just tie him up and take him to their own military camp.

After all, who wouldn't want an army like that?

Zhou Tiancheng felt uncomfortable being stared at and quickly stood up.

"Um, I'm looking for Ye'er. Is Ye'er here?"

Zheng Rong and Lin Tong immediately looked away, especially Zheng Rong, who pretended to be nonchalant and spoke to the maid beside her.

"Bing'er, go and call Miss out. Tell her His Highness the Crown Prince is looking for her."

"Your Highness, why don't you and Bing'er go to the front yard and wait? Ye'er will be here soon."

Zhou Tiancheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly left with the maid.

As soon as he left, Zheng Rong immediately looked at Lin Tong.

"What do you think of me as a son-in-law?"

Lin Tong gritted his teeth.

"It's a pity I didn't have a daughter, otherwise you wouldn't have had a chance."

Zheng Rong burst into laughter, looking smug.