After three rounds of drinks, Zhang Qian went back to rest, feeling dazed. He had been at sea for over half a month, so it was time to rest up. After all, he had to set sail tomorrow, continuing his journey to Lingnan. This time, he stopped at Bailing Island simply to meet Ning Que and to replenish his supplies of fresh water.

Ning Que walked slowly in the military camp.

The soldiers were all eating rice.

Everyone devoured the food voraciously, enjoying its sweetness.

"These guys are really ugly when they eat."

"That's normal." Ning Que smiled and waved his hand, saying as a matter of course, "As the saying goes, when the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. If they could have enough rice and meat every day, why would they lose their manners so much over such a small meal? Bai Yu, think about it, when you first entered the palace, your eating manners were even uglier than theirs. I remember you ate so much that you vomited afterwards."

"I admit my mistake..."

Bai Yu's old face turned red and he quickly admitted his mistake.

He actually didn't mean any harm.

I just don’t want to make Ning Que sad.

Ning Que may seem cynical, but he is actually a very responsible person. So whenever Ning Que sees people not having enough to eat, he thinks it is his responsibility and sighs.

Over time, they will all keep it.

"Now, do you understand why I value potatoes so much?" Ning Que, sitting next to him, said softly, "The food in our army is considered good. We have both liquid and dry food for three meals a day. Under normal circumstances, we always have oily food every now and then. Whether it's fish or offal, there's always something to eat. But many poor people can't even afford a bite of bean rice."

"As the saying goes, food is the most important thing for the people. Only when the people are truly well fed can we say that we have ushered in a prosperous era. These potatoes may not taste that good, or they may not be as tasty as rice. But if we grow more crops, people's lives will be more fulfilling. At the very least, they won't starve to death."

Ning Que sat beside him, muttering to himself.

"The situation in Lingnan is actually no better than that in Dafeng."

"Although the climate is suitable, allowing for two or even three crops a year, the local barbarians only know how to slash-and-burn agriculture, leaving yields per mu to chance. Therefore, they rely primarily on fishing and hunting. But think about it, if we go to Lingnan, the subsequent uprising will require a large and stable supply of food. Relying solely on rice and fishing is simply not affordable."

"This is why the king values ​​potatoes."

Ning Que smiled.

In fact, he didn't expect to have potatoes at first.

Thinking of bringing advanced farming techniques to Lingnan.

Increase per-acre yield through deep plowing and careful cultivation.

He then commissioned Wan Sanqian to purchase grain from various countries.

Now that we have potatoes, it’s much simpler.

Large-scale potato cultivation is sufficient to support consumption.

"The potatoes are coming at the perfect time," Bai Yu echoed, whispering, "If it's really as His Majesty says, and we can produce 15 dan per mu, we can store them for two or three years without having to worry about food. If word gets out about the potatoes, many people will surely come to His Majesty's side."

"Even if not, it's the same."

Tie Niu smiled beside him.

Ning Que looked at the two of them singing the same tune, his face showing helplessness. He then sighed and said, "At first, I wanted to give the potatoes to Bi Dafeng. After all, it would benefit the people. But along the way, the incident with Tian Zhongxun happened, and it made me realize the true face of the Feng Emperor. Therefore, I can only take the potatoes to Lingnan temporarily. After dealing with them, I can spread the potatoes around again."

"Your Majesty is wise."

"Your Highness, there's no need to feel guilty." Tie Niu hummed softly, whispering, "We've all seen how you've treated Dafeng. Without you, there wouldn't be Emperor Feng today. You've done countless good things over the years, both overtly and covertly, and you've never asked for anything in return. But who could have imagined that Emperor Feng would do so many absurd things?"

Tie Niu really felt it was not worth it.

At first they all thought the folk rumors were false.

Emperor Feng is an upright man, how could he harm old Prince Ning?

But what is the result?

All of this was pretended by the emperor!

He exploited the conflict between Ning Que and Tian Zhongxun to shift all the blame onto them. From the beginning, it was all a conspiracy by Emperor Feng. As a young boy, he deliberately approached Ning Que in order to gain support from the Ning Palace.

But in the end, it killed the old King Ning!

"That's all..."

"It's meaningless to say this now."

Ning Que waved his hand, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

Having made his decision, he won't regret it.

"How are the preparations for the Eastern Expedition going?"

"Manpower has been arranged. Over a thousand men have been left on each island. Half are personal guards, and the other half are wounded soldiers who were originally stationed on the islands. All food and fodder has been counted and loaded onto the ships. We are ready to set sail at the prince's command."

"Yes, we'll leave in three days."

Ning Que smiled and looked into the distance.

The weather is warming now, so the best time to attack is in the spring. War often depends on favorable weather, terrain, and people, so choosing the right time to attack is crucial. Farming should be busy after the spring, but if an enemy attacks at this time, the able-bodied laborers will be conscripted into the army.

Without anyone to cultivate the land, it would become barren. The subsequent lack of food and fodder would lead to famine. If the war didn't end by then, the people would basically have no choice but to open the city gates to welcome the king's army.

Furthermore, Goguryeo's winters were extremely cold, freezing people to death. Ning Que chose to launch a general offensive in the spring, so he could eliminate them before winter arrived, making subsequent defense easier.

In short, whether it's a protracted war or a quick victory, Ning Que is fully confident. Once Goguryeo is destroyed, Dafeng will undoubtedly send troops to garrison there. This will definitely be a boon for Ning Que's future uprising.

Bu Suanzi had actually mentioned this concept before.

That is, the territory controlled by the dynasty is limited.

It doesn't mean that bigger is better.

Many times it will become a burden.

Ning Que also had a deep understanding of this.

It's like the northern grasslands: besides Shuofang, there are vast grasslands. But controlling Dafeng is practically impossible. Because it's too far from Chang'an, you have to constantly pour men and money into it. Then, the Hu people will come back like locusts, attacking again. You have to constantly send soldiers to garrison, and this cycle repeats like a bottomless pit.

Goguryeo was a trap.

Ning Que wanted to use this opportunity to restrict Dafeng.

After his fake death, Dafeng would undoubtedly be in turmoil. The King of Chu and the King of Jin could easily take action, and Xiliang and Liao would likely move south. If these hidden dangers were to erupt, the entire Dafeng would be in jeopardy. If the Shang Dynasty intervened at this point, it would cause even more trouble.

And this was also Ning Que's plan.

Only when things are chaotic enough can he get time to develop.

Although it would bring disaster to the people, he had no choice.

Now it's a life-and-death situation.

So we must never be soft-hearted!

"Let's go, let's go back first."

"Let's deal with Goguryeo first!"