Linzi Port.

Ning Que was feeling the sea breeze.

The rising sun in the distance creates a pleasant scenery.

Shen Qinghe snuggled up to him.

Some fishermen have already gone out to sea, setting up nets to catch fish.

Although he only had a small boat, he was quite skilled.

The number of marine fish is now extremely abundant.

You can live a very good life just by fishing.

“The seaside scenery is so beautiful.”

“I can’t get enough of it.”

"Now that spring has arrived..."

"Um."

Shen Qinghe hugged Ning Que tightly. "I know you're going to sail to prepare for the Eastern Expedition. Just go without worrying about anything. I'm doing well in Linzi, and Uncle Chang is helping to take care of me. You've been preparing all this time. This time, you not only have to deal with Goguryeo, but you also have to guard against Emperor Feng. Later, you'll have to fake your own death in public to find a way to escape. You've been thinking about countermeasures until late at night every day. It's really hard work."

"It's not that bad, actually." Ning Que smiled and said calmly, "We are now plotting to take over the whole empire, so we naturally have to be thorough. Besides, you've seen how capable Emperor Feng is. If we want to overthrow his rule, we have to consider every aspect. If you think about it, this is actually a good thing. When our child is born, maybe he can become a prince or princess."

"You... are just forcing a smile..."

Shen Qinghe glanced at Ning Que coquettishly.

Ruthlessly expose his lies.

She knew that Ning Que didn't like fighting for power.

If I hadn't been forced into this path, I wouldn't have done this.

"How is Zuo Ankang now?"

"He's quite stubborn. We've tried every possible punishment, but to no avail. Anyway, I'll lock him up for now, and let Zheng Feng continue to serve as the county magistrate. I've already written a letter to the Emperor to avoid any further rifts. With the Eastern Expedition imminent, I don't think the Emperor will react."

"Um."

Shen Qinghe nodded in agreement.

Ning Que looked at her and said softly, "Although I have thought of a foolproof plan, opportunities are fleeting and often beyond my control. But Qinghe, you must remember that nothing will happen to me. I will reach Lingnan alive and wait for you there."

"OK."

"As for your fake death, that depends on you and Senior Brother Yi." Ning Que smiled. "Senior Brother Yi's swordsmanship is unrivaled in the world. With his help, it won't be a problem. The main problem is that we may encounter some troubles during the subsequent retreat to Lingnan."

"You don't have to worry about what's happening here." Shen Qinghe put away her smile and said seriously, "You should now devote yourself to the Eastern Expedition and not make any mistakes."

"OK."

Ning Que then smiled.

"Let's go back first."

"You are pregnant now, so you can't blow for too long."

"OK."

Shen Qinghe is currently unable to move around easily.

So they travelled by horse-drawn carriage.

However, Ning Que did not accompany him this time.

He brought Bai Yu with him to inspect the port situation.

All the warships are ready.

You can also see many boatmen busy at work.

"Old White, are all the people ready?"

"Everything has been arranged as you instructed." Bai Yu raised his hand and bowed. "During this defense of the city, we deliberately reported a few casualties. After we set sail, General Yue will lead them to Lingnan. We will fly the flag of the Babao Trading Company, so no one will be suspicious."

"Have you investigated everything?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I've verified every single one of them repeatedly. Three generations of our ancestors are clean, and they are all trustworthy veterans who have served Your Highness in the past. Furthermore, we are heading to Lingnan, a place with remote and mountainous terrain. Even if we do have spies there, it would be difficult for them to pass on any information to Chang'an."

"Don't take it lightly." Ning Que's face was cold. "We can have fewer people, but they must be trustworthy, loyal and brave. We are doing something earth-shattering, and there must be no omissions. Also, place some spies there to keep a close watch and not let any news leak out. Our advantage is that we are hiding in the dark, and we are just getting started. If the Emperor finds out about what we are doing, he will definitely send a large force to encircle and suppress us, which will be very disadvantageous to us."

"I understand."

Bai Yu raised his hand and bowed.

What they need most now is time.

You must develop well before Emperor Feng takes action.

Ning Que knew Emperor Feng too well.

Once he decides to do something, he will show no mercy. Just like killing his father and brother, he will wipe out all traces of them. Furthermore, Emperor Feng knows his abilities and won't give him the chance to develop. Any signs of trouble will be met with a thunderous blow.

Emperor Feng would not send tens of thousands of people to die first.

Either don’t fight, or fight with hundreds of thousands of troops!

Fortunately, Lingnan's advantage lies in its complex terrain. The area boasts a hundred thousand mountains, and is dotted with ponds and swamps. Even if Emperor Feng were to send a large force, Ning Que could lead his troops in a guerrilla war against them. Hundreds of thousands of men, even with their horses' fodder, could wear down the Emperor Feng. Furthermore, if he revealed his identity, many would naturally defect.

Ning Que also wanted to be on the safe side.

So I thought about developing quietly.

After accumulating enough capital, we will deal with Dafeng.

By then, firearms can also reduce some casualties.

"Please pay more attention during this period."

"And the situation on the island."

"We can arrange for warships to deliver the batches there."

"Including the Gongshu family, it is even more acceptable."

"If we want to make firearms, we need them."

Ning Que continued to explain.

Although Bai Yu had joined him later, he was far more capable than Tie Niu. In terms of martial prowess, Bai Yu was no less capable than Tie Niu. In terms of strategy, he could easily outmaneuver Tie Niu. In the future, he would have been a military advisor. Delicate tasks like this were more suited to Bai Yu.

"Your Highness, if we withdraw so many people, will there be any problems in the subsequent attack on Goguryeo?"

"Goguryeo is useless." Ning Que smiled. "I've already discussed this with Lao Cui. They'll join forces with us. With my uncle and I attacking from both the north and the south, it won't be difficult to capture the royal city. Besides, we're not going to capture all of Goguryeo this time. We just need to capture the royal city and destroy Goguryeo's main force. As for those minor details, there's no need to worry too much. We can use the excuse of suppressing the rebellion to tie down some of Dafeng's main forces later."

This is why Ning Que still chose to march east.

The national strength of Dafeng lies here.

It is not easy to rebel.

Therefore, Ning Que chose to attack Goguryeo.

We just took it, so we have to send troops to garrison there, right?

It doesn't have to be a lot, tens of thousands of troops are definitely needed.

And it can't be withdrawn in a short time.

In addition, Shuofang County also needs troops to garrison.

We may face a counterattack from the Liao Kingdom at any time.

In addition, there is a large army stationed in the western frontier all year round.

This is also the confidence of Ning Que’s uprising!

"Also, we're going to set sail in three days!"

Ning Que looked at the warships and clenched his fists.

After the Eastern Expedition ended, he and Emperor Feng broke off all ties!