Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Chen Yue remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:

"What has that good-for-nothing been up to lately?"

The term "waste" naturally refers to the second prince, Chen Shu.

Since arriving in Jingxiang, he has been indulging in debauchery all day long, as if he had never seen a woman in eight lifetimes.

His methods were extremely perverse; he wouldn't accept anyone who wasn't someone's fiancée or wife.

"Still the same old thing, all he does is harass respectable women."

"That's good too; the more desires a person has, the easier they are to control."

"Sir, what should we do now?"

"It all depends on whether the Master dares to do it."

Chen Yue squinted: "Tell me about it."

"Chen Shao's first stop will definitely be Jingxiang. We will lay an ambush in advance and attack him halfway across the river. Since the emperor is likely to be submerged in the water, Dongweng will quickly seize the capital, kill Chen Yuan, and issue a proclamation that the emperor encountered a storm and his ship sank. He will then support the second prince to ascend the throne."

"Prime Minister Han is a member of the Second Prince's faction under the Iron Rod, so the court will not be in turmoil, and everything will proceed smoothly."

"From now on, the Eastern Lord can control the Emperor and command the feudal lords, and even spend the night on the Emperor's bed with the Empress Dowager by his side. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

......

Pinghai Military Governor's Office.

Located in the southeast, this area is surrounded by the most commercially developed cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

Furthermore, being adjacent to the coast, Pinghai is arguably the richest place in the world.

Qian Guiren is over seventy years old, but he is well-preserved and looks like he is in his early fifties.

She has fair skin and a delicate beard.

He was in high spirits today and hosted a family banquet at his residence, personally accompanying the guests.

The person being entertained was none other than Chen Kai, the fourth prince who had just been enfeoffed as the Prince of Pinghai by Chen Shao.

The fourth prince was frail and sickly from childhood, and was even more timid than a sparrow. After arriving in Pinghai, he fell ill several times due to the change in environment.

Today was Chen Kai's first formal banquet since recovering from his illness, and Qian Guiren gave him a great deal of face.

The table was laden with delicacies, a singing girl played the pipa behind a curtain, and several beautifully dressed maids surrounded Chen Kai to serve him.

Qian Guiren picked up his wine glass and asked with a smile:

"Your Highness, how have you been in Pinghai these past few days? How does it compare to the capital?"

Chen Kai is the person whose personality is most similar to Chen Yuan's.

He was well-versed in the art of survival.

He immediately followed his father's example in Northern Mang, grinning broadly:

"This place is joyful, this place is great joy!"

Qian Guiren was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

He said to his left and right advisors:

"Listen to this! Listen to this! This is what a wise person says!"

Everyone present burst into laughter, filling the room with a joyful atmosphere.

Qian Guiren then changed the subject:

"Your Highness, what do you think of your sixth brother, Chen Shao?"

Chen Kai feigned confusion, then scratched his head after a moment.

"My sixth brother, he's truly a killer when it comes to his brothers."

Qian Guiren laughed again.

"Your Highness is truly a man of character. Very well, I enjoy dealing with people like Your Highness the most."

"But Your Highness, rest assured, Pinghai is not the capital. Here, no one can touch you!"

"Let's drink, let's drink."

After a few rounds of drinks, an aide walked quickly through the side door and whispered a few words in Qian Guiren's ear.

He listened, but his face remained completely expressionless.

He simply waved his hand lightly.

"It's alright."

"Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up; there's also Liu Shouyi from Huainan in between."

"What use is Chen Shao's fighting prowess if he tries to go around by sea?"

"If he really dares to travel by land and sea, he'll have to get past the pirates and Japanese pirates first."

"We've spent a lot of money supporting them over the years, and it wasn't for nothing."

The emperor is far away and the country is high up; I have little interest in who sits on the throne or who makes the money.

In Pinghai, he was the emperor.

If Chen Shaofei hadn't forced him to offer his legitimate daughter, he wouldn't have turned against him.

But then again, what can you do if you turn against someone?

......

Hedong is different from Pinghai, a place of song and dance.

The air here is thick with a sense of desolation.

Hedong is located west of the capital, bordering the Northern Barbarians to the north and surrounded by mountains to the south, where bandits roamed everywhere.

Jiedushi Wang Yuanji was a typical military man.

He never lived in a large house in the city; he preferred to live in the barracks and eat and sleep with the soldiers.

The superiors set an example for the subordinates.

As a result, his subordinates were all fierce and brave, and the Hedong Army was the most elite force in the entire Great Yan Dynasty.

At this moment, the central command tent was filled with generals.

Wang Yuanji sat behind his desk, holding a copy of Chen Shao's edict that his advisors had just finished reading.

"Hahaha!"

Wang Yuanji laughed heartily, his laughter full of energy.

"Going south of the Yangtze River?"

"The emperor's throne really has some magic; anyone who sits on it for a few days wants to go to Jiangnan for a visit."

"Don't you know that a man's world should be fought on the battlefield? The yellow sand is a man's purest romance."

"That brat, he's only had two growth spurts and he's already bloated up like this. He's not even as good as Chen Yuan."

"Chen Yue and Qian Guiren have remained in power for so many years; they are not so easy to deal with."

"The Great Yan Dynasty has run its course."

The soldiers exchanged glances, each seeing the elation in the other's eyes.

A true friend is hard to find even once in a lifetime.

Their days of eating sand in the Northwest are probably coming to an end.

"General, let's send out the troops!"

"send troops?"

Wang Yuanji shook his head slightly, "We definitely need to send troops, but not now."

"The time for us to send troops will be when Chen Shao leaves the capital and heads south."

"When he and Chen Yue are locked in a life-or-death struggle, we'll have an excuse to come to the emperor's aid."

Several of Wang Yuanji's closest old buddies exchanged a knowing glance.

Suddenly, several people rushed forward, pinned him down, and took out the yellow robe that had been prepared in advance, draping it over Wang Yuanji's shoulders without saying a word.

The generals in the tent all knelt down in unison, shouting:

"Please, Commander-in-Chief, assume the throne! We are willing to follow you and conquer the world together!"

"No, no, you mustn't!"

Wang Yuanji looked down at the yellow robe on his shoulder, his face full of bitter smiles.

He struggled to his feet and took off the yellow robe.

"Gentlemen, you...you are going to make my life miserable!"

As if they were connected by blood, everyone who was given the yellow robe would say this.

"However, this robe cannot be worn yet. If you wear it now, you will become a living target for the world."

He glanced at the yellow robe one last time with lingering reluctance, then threw it forcefully to the ground and stomped on it.

"Store up grain and delay declaring yourself king; you must all keep these six words in mind."

He sat back down behind the desk and began to call out orders.

"Chen Shao will be heading south in a month, and we can't just wait around in the meantime."

The orders for provisions, horse ranches, troop training, bandit suppression... were given out one by one, cleanly and efficiently.

Finally, his gaze fell on an old general in the tent.

The man had gray hair and beard, and a calm expression. He looked somewhat out of place among a group of burly young generals.

But his eyes revealed a calm composure born of years of experience.

"Hong Qianyi, General Hong!"

"Your task is the most important. Liaocheng is the shield of Hedong, easy to defend and difficult to attack. We will rely entirely on you, General."

Hong Qianyi stepped forward.

The voice was deep and powerful.

"Rest assured, General, my entire family is in Liaocheng. As long as the city stands, I will live; if the city falls, I will die!"

Although he was old, his voice was strong and clear.

It is convincing.

Wang Yuanji was overjoyed: "With the old general here, I can train my troops in the rear with peace of mind!"