Helian Jue left He County quietly and headed to the base he had ordered his secret guards to build in the mountains.
The base is far from the county town, located in a valley nestled among mountains.
Helian Jue and his party rode on ponies, crossing one three-headed mountain after another, and finally arrived at the entrance of the canyon.
"Your Highness!"
A watchtower was built at the mountain pass. When the soldiers stationed on the watchtower saw Helian Jue enter, they quickly bowed and greeted him.
If Xie Yuan were there, she would definitely be astonished.
Because the soldiers at the lookout tower, as well as the guards stationed near the mountain pass, were all new recruits personally selected and trained by her.
Once the three-month training period ended, Helian Chen was ordered to take the new recruits away from the palace.
Some went to the salt fields, while others went to the sugar workshops in the fishing villages.
These are all arrangements that are out in the open. Not to mention Xie Yuan, even Cui Boyong has heard about them.
However, more recruits were brought back to the valley by the secret guards.
Moreover, unlike Xie Yuan's open and aboveboard recruitment of soldiers, Helian Jue began to have his secret guards recruit soldiers secretly as soon as he arrived in Yuezhou.
With the addition of the new recruits Xie Yuan has brought, the base now has a total of five thousand soldiers.
Five thousand people, all of them young and middle-aged.
Helian Jue completely replicated many of Xie Yuan's methods for winning over the army and training new recruits—
They eat three meals a day, each with oil and fat, and even meat at lunchtime.
Military pay was paid in full, along with various bonuses.
Horses, clothing, armor, weapons, and other items are also provided by the base.
In just two or three months, they trained five thousand soldiers to be strong, brave, and disciplined.
Of course, maintaining such a large army is very expensive.
If Helian Jue hadn't married a capable princess like Xie Yuan, it would probably have taken him two or three years to build such a base.
Originally, Helian Jue had already made a plan—
After arriving in Yuezhou, he will use the three hundred remaining guards of the Eastern Palace to suppress bandits in Yuezhou. By double-crossing bandits, he can train his troops and also collect enough silver.
With the money, they continued to recruit soldiers and buy horses.
Gather evidence and seize the opportunity to eliminate Cui Boyong, the governor of Yuezhou. Take advantage of Yuezhou's distance from the capital to develop your strength in Yuezhou.
Once they are powerful enough, they will annex the counties and prefectures of Lingnan, such as Luozhou and Yongzhou, until they bring the entire area under their control.
At this point, Helian Jue had a significant advantage.
If they advance, they can fight their way back to the capital from south to north and reclaim their throne;
Even if he retreats, he can still establish a regional power and become a true king of Lingnan!
...The above is the blueprint for Helian Jue's future after he was deposed and exiled to Yuezhou.
The plan is good and sounds simple, but it will probably take several years, or even more than a decade, to actually realize it.
Helian Jue is not afraid!
He was a stubborn person at heart, and everyone abandoned him and wanted to remove him from the position of crown prince.
So he was determined to seize the world and let everyone know that he, Helian Jue, was a born king.
No one can trample him into the mud.
Xie Yuan's appearance was an accident.
What surprised Helian Jue even more was that this woman was clearly just a sacrifice that the Xie family had put forward to marry in place of another.
Unexpectedly, he is so smart and capable.
With her, Helian Jue was not just having wings, he was practically divinely aided.
Money, methods of training troops, and countless surprises to come.
"She is a treasure bestowed upon me by heaven!"
Helian Jue often thought this way.
Unbeknownst to him, Xie Yuan had entered the depths of his heart and become his most trusted and relied-upon partner!
...
"Your Highness, Zhao Jinxiu has sneaked out again!"
Ruyi has finished her special training as part of the Women's Army and has returned to serve Xie Yuan.
On the surface, Ruyi was still that somewhat spoiled servant girl from a noble family.
In reality, she had already undergone a complete transformation.
Now, if she encounters a scoundrel who tries to provoke her again, she will not be afraid at all.
One person can take on two or three big men.
She was no longer just a simple maid, but an all-around protector of Xie Yuan.
"Oh? Where did she go? Probably to the governor's mansion."
Xie Yuan was not surprised at all.
Madam Zheng's expression in front of the Cui family's gate that day was all too obvious.
Xie Yuan could easily guess that Zhao Jinxiu's various actions were instigated and directed by Madam Zheng.
Now, they have moved away from Hexian County and come to the Wangfu in Yueya Village.
Helian Jue was addicted to Five-Stone Powder and went mad in the courtyard of the main house all day long.
The eunuchs and maids all hid outside the courtyard.
Princess Xie Yuan was angry with the prince, but she was also afraid that the news of the prince taking the Five Stones and going mad would spread and make people laugh. So she sent people to guard the courtyard.
Zhao Jinxiu, like a freshly brewed cup of green tea, couldn't possibly sneak in and seduce anyone.
How could Zhao Jinxiu not be anxious?
Her public marriage to the prince had already angered the princess.
Even her half-sister and her grandmother scolded her for being ungrateful and disobedient.
Disliked by the princess and shunned by her family, Zhao Jinxiu found herself isolated and helpless.
Zhao Jinxiu was quite clever. After thinking it over, she finally realized that, looking at the entire Yuezhou, the only person who could help her was Madam Zheng.
Therefore, Xie Yuan was not surprised at all that she would go to the governor's mansion.
"Yes! Bai Zhi saw her enter the Cui residence through the back gate with her own eyes."
Ruyi said angrily, "That wretched maid, she has no conscience! If it weren't for Your Highness and Your Majesty's kindness, the Zhao family would still be starving in the fishing village."
In Yuezhou, anyone with a brain knows that the governor's office and the Yue King's office are at odds.
Zhao Jinxiu was deeply indebted to the Prince of Yue's mansion, yet she went and colluded with the governor's mansion. What else could she be but an ingrate?
"It's alright! Your Highness and I helped the Zhao family not because of her in the first place."
Firstly, Zhao Min was indeed implicated by the Crown Prince, and secondly, Zhao Min was a talented individual.
Zhao Jinse, and the rest of the Zhao family, are also useful people.
After Zhao Jinxiu caused such a scene at the Cui family, the attitude of the Zhao family was very clear—they did not support Zhao Jinxiu's "ambition to rise to prominence".
"The Zhao family members are still quite clear-headed and didn't follow Zhao Jinxiu in her foolishness!"
Xie Yuan was satisfied with this.
Therefore, for the time being, Xie Yuan will not hate the entire Zhao family because of Zhao Jinxiu.
Moreover, even Zhao Jinxiu is not entirely useless.
Zhao Jinxiu had colluded with Madam Zheng, which gave Xie Yuan the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on her.
The Cui family is too idle; that's why they're always keeping an eye on the Prince of Yue's residence.
The best defense is always offense.
Xie Yuan was never one to passively take a beating or wait to be schemed against.
"I refuse to believe that the Cui family has truly been law-abiding and caring for the people like their own children in Yuezhou for only three or four years!"
Come on, let's hurt each other!
Xie Yuan could guarantee that the Yue Prince's Mansion had absolutely no bad records, but the Cui family was not so certain.
If Zhao Jinxiu is used well, she might bring some surprises!
Xie Yuan curled his lips into a smile, a plan forming in his mind...
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