Ren Jialin smiled and said, "Actually, as long as we raise an army, those fourteen states, and even other major states, will cooperate. It will be easy for us to organize an army of 500,000."

"Why need an army of 500,000? Everyone knows that Chu Zhongtian is a genius in military equipment, but his sons Chu Keqin and Chu Kejian are even better!"

The two brothers had already led their men to manufacture a large number of new weapons in Da Mo Prefecture!

Yin Jin'an said smugly, "We don't need that many people to beat Wei Anyuan!"

"That's great! Let's keep a low profile and launch a surprise attack."

Xie Zhaozhao was overjoyed. If she weren't a woman, if she weren't the wife of the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies...

I really want to be with them and watch the Wei clan perish!

After discussing the plan, Xie Zhaozhao said, "In this battle against the Wei family, we can only win, we cannot lose."

She was prepared to confess to Gu Shaoyu her plans in the north.

“He will definitely welcome our inside-outside cooperation,” Xie Zhaozhao said. “The Wei clan will surely be destroyed.”

Ren Jialin could tell from the coldness in Xie Zhaozhao's tone that she had a grudge against the Wei family.

But what grudge do they have against each other?

Is it merely a feud between Wei Jingzhong and Lord Xie?

After the others left, Xie Zhaozhao sat and pondered for a long time.

It was completely dark when Gu Shaoyu returned. Recently, he had been going to war, and he had been coming home very late every day.

Upon returning, as usual, the first step was to visit the lady.

In the imperial court, he was a shrewd, capable, and all-around powerful minister; at home, he was simply a gentle and kind husband.

"Is your appetite better today?"

Gu Shaoyu asked Nanxing to give her a basket of crabs. "These are fat crabs that someone brought over. It's said that eating them is good for your skin. You can't eat too many, but eating some will definitely be good."

Xie Zhaozhao was also a little hungry, so she told Manman to hurry up and cook it.

He gently squeezed the crab's legs and said happily, "They're all very strong, ma'am. Shall we make crab with scallion oil?"

Aunt Chai heard this and said, "There are many ways to cook crabs. You can make them with scallion oil, or you can stir-fry two with rice cakes."

Aunt Cui said, "It's getting late, so let's make less and keep it warm for tomorrow."

Since Uncle Chai and Aunt Chai came to the mansion, the meals have included many southern dishes, and the two of them pound rice cakes in their spare time.

They had already eaten dinner, but Xie Zhaozhao was craving crab, so she ate some more crab with scallion oil. Luckily, she didn't throw it up.

"Zhaozhao, I'm worried about you being alone in the capital after I leave," Gu Shaoyu said to her. "Do you remember the mountain school I used to study at? How about I send you there?"

Xie Zhaozhao washed her hands and said, "No need. My father, the princess, Zhang Yanyan, and Liu Yiyi are all in the capital. We support each other, so don't worry, there will be no danger."

"With the army fighting against the Wei clan, the capital is in the most danger." Gu Shaoyu was still somewhat uneasy; even the imperial palace was not safe.

"I'm afraid even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't." Xie Zhaozhao smiled and said, "You are the commander-in-chief of the three armies, leading a large army to quell the rebellion. I am your family member, and I can't go anywhere."

Gu Shaoyu is the Commander-in-Chief of the three armies; she is a hostage.

“No, you can leave if you want,” Gu Shaoyu said, confident that he could get Xie Zhaozhao out of there.

Xie Zhaozhao said that if someone were determined to kill her, the mountains would not necessarily be safe, and it would be difficult to organize a rescue team.

"The mountains are high and the roads are long, and I'm feeling heavy now. It's better to stay put than to move around." She saw things clearly and was determined not to leave.

Gu Shaoyu did not insist any further and could only make more arrangements for the personnel.

Xie Zhaozhao said, "Now that you've finished explaining your arrangements, I have something to tell you."

Xie Zhaozhao looked at Gu Shaoyu, wondering where to begin.

“Gu Shaoyu, since Yin Jin’an and I opened the overseas shipping route, we have made a lot of money.”

She laughed and said, "Are you curious about how much I've earned?"

Gu Shaoyu shook his head: "You've opened up overseas shipping routes and done things that even many men can't do. You're amazing. I don't want to know how much money you make. I only know that my wife is second to none!"

“I have earned a lot of silver, and I have helped many people, including the thirty-six northern states!”

"You've expanded your business to all thirty-six northern states?"

"Yes, our large ships sailed along the open sea all the way to the thirty-six northern states. In addition to earning their money, we also forged deep friendships with them."

Xie Zhaozhao did not say that she and Yin Jin'an had occupied many states in the north, but only that they had cooperation with them.

Some cards need not be revealed prematurely, as the timing is not right.

Just like her rebirth, she will never tell anyone.

Just like her attack on the Wei family army this time, it wasn't out of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, but to avenge the extermination of her clan in her previous life... an unspeakable secret!

She told Gu Shaoyu that because the thirty-six northern states lacked various supplies, she had been trading with them.

After the Crown Prince's attempt to force the emperor to abdicate failed, she used resources to forge an alliance with the thirty-six prefectures. If Wei Anyuan rebelled, they would pass through the thirty-six prefectures to cooperate with the imperial court in suppressing Wei Anyuan.

"The soldiers I trained are all cultivating the land in the wilderness. Now that you are in charge of attacking Wei Anyuan, I will send them all to the north to help you."

They sailed north, passing through various prefectures, to join forces with the imperial army, launching a pincer attack from both inside and outside to eliminate the Wei clan.

Xie Zhaozhao finished speaking in one breath, her brows furrowed and her eyes serious as she looked at Gu Shaoyu, waiting for his opinion.

Gu Shaoyu knew that she had been training the guards and that she had been traveling to the outer seas and must have made a lot of money, but he did not expect her to be playing such a big game.

It's not that he couldn't find out, but that he didn't investigate her; he chose to respect her and give her freedom.

He had previously told Dongyue, Xiluo, Nanxing, Beichen, and others, "You are not allowed to investigate Madam."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!