For Chen An, taking over was impossible.
Staying put would only bring endless trouble, no matter what choice he made.
Launching a sudden attack might bring risks and even failure.
Not launching an attack would only lead to suspicion and he would eventually be seen as defiant.
If it came to this point, even the group of people who had been observing before might think that Chen An was going to rebel.
But the key issue was Cheng Zheng's attitude.
Cheng Zheng's friendship with Chen An was unquestionable.
That was a given.
Based on what Chen An had done before, if Cheng Zheng didn't fully trust him, he would have taken him down long ago.
But the past was in the past, and the present was now.
Facing such a situation, no matter how much trust there had been before, it should be shaken now.
People's hearts could not withstand a test.
So it was best not to test them.
It was better to step back and avoid all the trouble.
So Chen An decisively ran away.
He ran away alone, leaving the entire camp to Liu Chu, who was secretly cursing his fate.
But there was no other way.
Faced with such an irresponsible commander, the only thing he could do right now was to continue to guard in Chen An's name, as Chen An had said before.
What else could he do?
Launch an attack on his own?
Without the commander, how could there be an attack?
Without Chen An as the commander, the various armies could not be mobilized accurately.
Even Liu Chu didn't have that ability, he could only try to maintain the status quo.
Liu Chu was also feeling bitter.
And how would things be in Shengjing?
Inside the Shengjing palace.
"Your Majesty, Song Gong and others have come to petition again."
In the spacious hall, Cheng Zheng sat on one side handling memorials.
A eunuch next to him looked helpless as he came to report.
"Didn't I tell you not to bring me news from those people? Why are they disturbing me again?"
Cheng Zheng looked up, his face showing displeasure.
"I am sorry, Your Majesty."
The eunuch quickly knelt down. "But Song Gong and the others are causing quite a stir this time. Even the ministers have come with them. I'm afraid it will delay Your Majesty's important affairs, so..."
"If there's similar news next time, don't bother bringing it to me."
Cheng Zheng coldly said, "I'm tired of listening to it."
"If there's another time, you might as well not continue in your position as chief steward."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The eunuch nodded nervously, "I dare not anymore."
"Get lost."
Cheng Zheng's cold voice echoed in the hall.
The eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.
He had been in the hall for a long time, until he had finished dealing with the current affairs, Cheng Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his residence.
"Your Majesty, you look thinner again."
Seeing Cheng Zheng, a woman quickly approached.
The woman was in her early thirties, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, exuding an air of nobility.
She was Empress Hua, Cheng Zheng's legal wife and the current Empress of Dahua.
"It's all because of those ministers."
Cheng Zheng sighed, unable to help but speak, "They have been pushing me harder and harder these days, so much so that I can't even sleep peacefully."
In front of his empress, he seemed to let down his guard and expressed his helplessness.
"Is it because of Lord Chen Guo?"
Empress Hua asked.
Cheng Zheng did not speak, but nodded silently.
"If it's just for Lord Chen Guo, Your Majesty, you could have seen the ministers, explained the situation to them, why go to such extremes?"
Empress Hua was puzzled, "Blocking the palace gates and not allowing the ministers to see you, is not a solution."
"You don't understand."
Cheng Zheng showed a bitter smile, "It's not that I don't want to see them, or listen to their opinions. I'm afraid I won't be able to resist the pressure."
Seeing the puzzled look on Empress Hua's face, Cheng Zheng continued to explain, "You must understand the saying, 'Three people make a tiger'. The ministers have been talking day and night, from all angles, everyone around me is talking."
"It's just been half a month, and my heart has begun to waver a little."
He pointed to his chest, his face showing a deep pain from his heart, "I started to think, if Lord Chen were to rebel, what would the situation be like, what would the state of affairs be like."
"Then I realized, I couldn't resist the pressure, I couldn't help myself from being influenced by those words."
As he spoke, he stood up and took a deep sigh, "Once these doubts start, they can't be stopped. Today I only think about the consequences, tomorrow I will doubt, the day after I will give orders."
"Continuing like this, I'm afraid I will eventually change my mind and start suspecting Lord Chen."
Cheng Zheng believed more than anyone that Chen An would never rebel.
He was also quite confident that his trust in Chen An would not be shaken by anyone's words.
But the fact was that even the most steadfast person could be influenced by their environment.
When people around you constantly talk about the possibility of Chen An's treachery and rebellion, Cheng Zheng could not help but waver.
For most people, the outcome was already set at this point.
Once suspicion arose, it was hard to erase.
But Cheng Zheng was not an ordinary person.
When he realized that he might not be able to resist the pressure of words, he decisively closed the palace gates, isolating himself, and even gave explicit orders not to allow anyone to talk about matters related to Chen An.
But even so, people outside were relentless in trying to persuade Cheng Zheng and instill their thoughts in him.
"But Your Majesty, this is not a solution in the end."
Empress Hua was somewhat helpless, "I don't know about the situation on the front lines for now, but considering Lord Chen's movements, it is likely that the situation will continue for another three to five years."
"You can hold out against the people outside for six months, but can you really continue like this for three to five years?"
"Why not?"
Cheng Zheng smiled, "In ancient times, many emperors indulged in pleasure, even if they didn't attend court for ten years, there were still many who managed the court affairs smoothly."
Empress Hua opened her mouth, hesitated to speak.
She wanted to say that those who did things like that were mostly infamous emperors.
You shouldn't learn bad things, those who want to learn from bad examples.
But seeing Cheng Zheng's strong will, she didn't say anything more.
There was a moment of silence in the room, neither of them spoke.
It wasn't until a moment later that Empress Hua finally couldn't help but speak, "But Your Majesty, what if Lord Chen really... Then what?"
"That's forty thousand troops."
Yes, a full forty thousand troops.
This basically accounted for most of Dahua's military strength, and once there was a rebellion, the entire Dahua would be in jeopardy.
"It's impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Cheng Zheng shook his head unconsciously, then suddenly became sharp, "Why are you saying this? Who is spreading rumors in your ear?"
His gaze became sharp, a murderous intent between his eyebrows as if he were ready to kill someone.
Faced with Cheng Zheng's stare, Empress Hua became nervous, "It's the palace maids and servants around you."
"Some of the servants in charge of procurement said that there are rumors everywhere that Lord Chen is about to rebel, and that the reason Lord Chen has been stationed on the frontline for so long is to control the military power."
"Lord Chen would never rebel!"
Cheng Zheng's expression changed drastically, he was furious, "Immediately execute those gossipy servants in the palace! Let me see who else dares to spread rumors!"
He had been trying to isolate the rumors from the outside world, trying to maintain a quiet and independent environment, but when he looked back, even his own palace had been infiltrated.
This was a big deal.
Even his own empress had been affected to this extent, showing how fearful the environment in the palace had become.
As Cheng Zheng was furious, he also felt a bit frightened.
Rumors were unstoppable.
Even though he was the emperor, theoretically able to control everything within Dahua, he couldn't control the anxious hearts of the people.
If he continued like this, could he really continue to remain clear-headed and maintain his trust in Lord Chen?
Cheng Zheng himself didn't know.
But he persisted.
If it continued like this, the outcome was still uncertain.
Fortunately, this severe test did not continue.
Because Chen An came back.
Chen An came back secretly, after returning to Shengjing, he did not reveal his identity, but came to the palace as soon as possible, ready to make a petition.
When Chen An's name appeared in front of Cheng Zheng, Cheng Zheng could hardly believe his eyes.
And when he was certain, what followed was joy and other emotions.
Without hesitation, he rushed out.
Outside the main hall, courtiers were walking around.
Chen An's figure was standing there, looking around as if he was enjoying the scenery.
When Cheng Zheng rushed out of the palace, looking at Cheng Zheng's ecstatic face, Chen An's face couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
What's going on? We haven't seen each other for over two years, why is he suddenly so excited?
Cheng Zheng's excitement lasted for a while, and Chen An finally reacted, understanding what was happening.
This made him a little speechless.
He never expected that in order to stabilize the situation in his own area, Cheng Zheng had been under such huge pressure.
Cheng Zheng went to such lengths for him, which was something Chen An had never expected.
Originally, on his way back to Shengjing, Chen An thought that the messenger who called him back had already been sent out.
His previous experiences in history told him that most rulers would make such a choice in this situation.
But Cheng Zheng had managed to withstand the pressure, even opting to close the palace gates and isolate himself to ensure he was not influenced.
This was truly surprising.
At one point, even Chen An, who was known for slacking off, couldn't help but feel ashamed.
I was wrong.
It turned out that there were still good bosses who were willing to trust their subordinates.
But as he felt ashamed, Cheng Zheng and his wife seemed equally ashamed.
As Chen An downplayed the situation, Cheng Zheng and Empress Hua felt even more ashamed.
At the end of his speech, Chen An couldn't help but wave his hand, sighing, "All things leave traces, but the heart has no perfect person."
"The world is flooded with rumors like this, it's normal for Your Majesty and the Empress to be affected."
"But for me, I only see how devoted Your Majesty is to Lord Chen, willing to even break ties with the courtiers and close the palace gates to keep him safe. This level of trust between a ruler and his subjects is rare."
"If Lord Chen is treated like this by Your Majesty, what more can he ask for?"
He smiled and said, putting the matter behind.
After that, they began to discuss the events of the past two years.
During this time, they had some correspondence, but the contents of the letters were limited and not all things were explained. There were many gaps.
Now, they had the opportunity to fill in those gaps through this conversation.
"So, there are still many people on the frontline who support the Thai King?"
Cheng Zheng frowned and couldn't help but ask.
"Yes."
Chen An nodded, "When I first arrived at the frontline, I studied many records and asked many surviving officers and soldiers, and found that many of them were defeated not because of their combat strength, but because of internal betrayal."
"Moreover, many prominent families and local landlords in the region were supporting the Thai King, which led to many restrictions and prevented them from engaging in battle."
"So, Lord Chen, did you really eliminate all the prominent families in Meizhou?"
Cheng Zheng couldn't help but smile, "When you did that, there were many courtiers accusing you."
"I must admit, it was a bit underhanded, but it was very effective."
Chen An also couldn't help but laugh, "The wealth of those families was just too much. After dealing with them, many problems in Meizhou were solved, and there were plenty of land to cultivate, making things much easier."
"Think about it, I'm not Your Majesty, so if I do something like that, I'll just do it."
This was something only Chen An could do.
As for Cheng Zheng, as the emperor, if he did the same thing, he would definitely face a backlash from many people.
His position was too high for him to personally engage in such actions of killing and offending others.
"Haha."
Cheng Zheng's stern face showed a smile, "So, now, Meizhou is like a blank canvas, ready to be painted on. Have you cleared all the hidden dangers there?"
"Although there are still some issues, we can put it this way."
After thinking for a moment, Chen An nodded.
After two years of cleaning up, the situation on the front line had improved significantly. The internal dissidents who supported the Thai King had been mostly eliminated, and the soldiers had become more elite after two years of training.
Most of the trouble-causing local landlords had also been dealt with by Chen An.
There might still be some troublemakers hiding, but they were no longer able to cause any significant impact.
It could be said that the internal situation had been almost repaired.
Chen An had almost finished dealing with all the offending matters.
On the other hand, on the Thai King's side, as time went on, many problems and hidden dangers had emerged internally.
"If you were to mobilize your troops, Lord Chen, and attempt to take down the Thai King, how much time would you need?"
After pondering for a moment, Cheng Zheng continued to ask.
Without hesitation, Chen An directly stated a number.
"Ten years!"
Cheng Zheng was stunned, somewhat incredulous, "Lord Chen, didn't you say that the hidden dangers had been mostly cleared? Why would it take so long, ten years!"
Yes, the hidden dangers had been mostly eliminated, so wouldn't the next step be to lead the army and quickly defeat the Thai King?
Why would it take so long, ten years?
Chen An remained silent, looking at Cheng Zheng with an inexplicable gaze.
After a long time, he sighed and said, "Your Majesty, do you really think I'm a genius in leading troops and fighting battles?"
Isn't it so?
This thought flashed through Cheng Zheng's mind.
Listening to what Chen An had just said, he was articulate and clear in every aspect. Did Empress Hua, who stood beside them with admiration, already recognize Chen An's abilities?
Seeing the expressions of Cheng Zheng and the Empress, Chen An couldn't help but sigh and explain, "Your Majesty, leading troops and fighting battles are different from overall planning."
"With my abilities, if you want me to oversee the entire situation, whether it's training troops, clearing internal troubles, or managing internal affairs, I can do it."
"But if you want me to mobilize troops and command a forty thousand strong army, that's a different story."
In other words, it's a matter of specialization.
Chen An had spent two years on the front lines, but for the most part, he had been training troops. Even when there were skirmishes, they were just minor disturbances.
As for commanding a forty thousand strong army to advance together, he had never done such a thing.
In other words, it was his first time doing so.
So if he were to command a large army, it would most likely be a step-by-step approach, chipping away little by little until finding the right opportunity.
For Chen An, taking over was impossible.
Staying put would only bring endless trouble, no matter what choice he made.
Launching a sudden attack might bring risks and even failure.
Not launching an attack would only lead to suspicion and he would eventually be seen as defiant.
If it came to this point, even the group of people who had been observing before might think that Chen An was going to rebel.
But the key issue was Cheng Zheng's attitude.
Cheng Zheng's friendship with Chen An was unquestionable.
That was a given.
Based on what Chen An had done before, if Cheng Zheng didn't fully trust him, he would have taken him down long ago.
But the past was in the past, and the present was now.
Facing such a situation, no matter how much trust there had been before, it should be shaken now.
People's hearts could not withstand a test.
So it was best not to test them.
It was better to step back and avoid all the trouble.
So Chen An decisively ran away.
He ran away alone, leaving the entire camp to Liu Chu, who was secretly cursing his fate.
But there was no other way.
Faced with such an irresponsible commander, the only thing he could do right now was to continue to guard in Chen An's name, as Chen An had said before.
What else could he do?
Launch an attack on his own?
Without the commander, how could there be an attack?
Without Chen An as the commander, the various armies could not be mobilized accurately.
Even Liu Chu didn't have that ability, he could only try to maintain the status quo.
Liu Chu was also feeling bitter.
And how would things be in Shengjing?
Inside the Shengjing palace.
"Your Majesty, Song Gong and others have come to petition again."
In the spacious hall, Cheng Zheng sat on one side handling memorials.
A eunuch next to him looked helpless as he came to report.
"Didn't I tell you not to bring me news from those people? Why are they disturbing me again?"
Cheng Zheng looked up, his face showing displeasure.
"I am sorry, Your Majesty."
The eunuch quickly knelt down. "But Song Gong and the others are causing quite a stir this time. Even the ministers have come with them. I'm afraid it will delay Your Majesty's important affairs, so..."
"If there's similar news next time, don't bother bringing it to me."
Cheng Zheng coldly said, "I'm tired of listening to it."
"If there's another time, you might as well not continue in your position as chief steward."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The eunuch nodded nervously, "I dare not anymore."
"Get lost."
Cheng Zheng's cold voice echoed in the hall.
The eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.
He had been in the hall for a long time, until he had finished dealing with the current affairs, Cheng Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his residence.
"Your Majesty, you look thinner again."
Seeing Cheng Zheng, a woman quickly approached.
The woman was in her early thirties, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, exuding an air of nobility.
She was Empress Hua, Cheng Zheng's legal wife and the current Empress of Dahua.
"It's all because of those ministers."
Cheng Zheng sighed, unable to help but speak, "They have been pushing me harder and harder these days, so much so that I can't even sleep peacefully."
In front of his empress, he seemed to let down his guard and expressed his helplessness.
"Is it because of Lord Chen Guo?"
Empress Hua asked.
Cheng Zheng did not speak, but nodded silently.
"If it's just for Lord Chen Guo, Your Majesty, you could have seen the ministers, explained the situation to them, why go to such extremes?"
Empress Hua was puzzled, "Blocking the palace gates and not allowing the ministers to see you, is not a solution."
"You don't understand."
Cheng Zheng showed a bitter smile, "It's not that I don't want to see them, or listen to their opinions. I'm afraid I won't be able to resist the pressure."
Seeing the puzzled look on Empress Hua's face, Cheng Zheng continued to explain, "You must understand the saying, 'Three people make a tiger'. The ministers have been talking day and night, from all angles, everyone around me is talking."
"It's just been half a month, and my heart has begun to waver a little."
He pointed to his chest, his face showing a deep pain from his heart, "I started to think, if Lord Chen were to rebel, what would the situation be like, what would the state of affairs be like."
"Then I realized, I couldn't resist the pressure, I couldn't help myself from being influenced by those words."
As he spoke, he stood up and took a deep sigh, "Once these doubts start, they can't be stopped. Today I only think about the consequences, tomorrow I will doubt, the day after I will give orders."
"Continuing like this, I'm afraid I will eventually change my mind and start suspecting Lord Chen."
Cheng Zheng believed more than anyone that Chen An would never rebel.
He was also quite confident that his trust in Chen An would not be shaken by anyone's words.
But the fact was that even the most steadfast person could be influenced by their environment.
When people around you constantly talk about the possibility of Chen An's treachery and rebellion, Cheng Zheng could not help but waver.
For most people, the outcome was already set at this point.
Once suspicion arose, it was hard to erase.
But Cheng Zheng was not an ordinary person.
When he realized that he might not be able to resist the pressure of words, he decisively closed the palace gates, isolating himself, and even gave explicit orders not to allow anyone to talk about matters related to Chen An.
But even so, people outside were relentless in trying to persuade Cheng Zheng and instill their thoughts in him.
"But Your Majesty, this is not a solution in the end."
Empress Hua was somewhat helpless, "I don't know about the situation on the front lines for now, but considering Lord Chen's movements, it is likely that the situation will continue for another three to five years."
"You can hold out against the people outside for six months, but can you really continue like this for three to five years?"
"Why not?"
Cheng Zheng smiled, "In ancient times, many emperors indulged in pleasure, even if they didn't attend court for ten years, there were still many who managed the court affairs smoothly."
Empress Hua opened her mouth, hesitated to speak.
She wanted to say that those who did things like that were mostly infamous emperors.
You shouldn't learn bad things, those who want to learn from bad examples.
But seeing Cheng Zheng's strong will, she didn't say anything more.
There was a moment of silence in the room, neither of them spoke.
It wasn't until a moment later that Empress Hua finally couldn't help but speak, "But Your Majesty, what if Lord Chen really... Then what?"
"That's forty thousand troops."
Yes, a full forty thousand troops.
This basically accounted for most of Dahua's military strength, and once there was a rebellion, the entire Dahua would be in jeopardy.
"It's impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Cheng Zheng shook his head unconsciously, then suddenly became sharp, "Why are you saying this? Who is spreading rumors in your ear?"
His gaze became sharp, a murderous intent between his eyebrows as if he were ready to kill someone.
Faced with Cheng Zheng's stare, Empress Hua became nervous, "It's the palace maids and servants around you."
"Some of the servants in charge of procurement said that there are rumors everywhere that Lord Chen is about to rebel, and that the reason Lord Chen has been stationed on the frontline for so long is to control the military power."
"Lord Chen would never rebel!"
Cheng Zheng's expression changed drastically, he was furious, "Immediately execute those gossipy servants in the palace! Let me see who else dares to spread rumors!"
He had been trying to isolate the rumors from the outside world, trying to maintain a quiet and independent environment, but when he looked back, even his own palace had been infiltrated.
This was a big deal.
Even his own empress had been affected to this extent, showing how fearful the environment in the palace had become.
As Cheng Zheng was furious, he also felt a bit frightened.
Rumors were unstoppable.
Even though he was the emperor, theoretically able to control everything within Dahua, he couldn't control the anxious hearts of the people.
If he continued like this, could he really continue to remain clear-headed and maintain his trust in Lord Chen?
Cheng Zheng himself didn't know.
But he persisted.
If it continued like this, the outcome was still uncertain.
Fortunately, this severe test did not continue.
Because Chen An came back.
Chen An came back secretly, after returning to Shengjing, he did not reveal his identity, but came to the palace as soon as possible, ready to make a petition.
When Chen An's name appeared in front of Cheng Zheng, Cheng Zheng could hardly believe his eyes.
And when he was certain, what followed was joy and other emotions.
Without hesitation, he rushed out.
Outside the main hall, courtiers were walking around.
Chen An's figure was standing there, looking around as if he was enjoying the scenery.
When Cheng Zheng rushed out of the palace, looking at Cheng Zheng's ecstatic face, Chen An's face couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
What's going on? We haven't seen each other for over two years, why is he suddenly so excited?
Cheng Zheng's excitement lasted for a while, and Chen An finally reacted, understanding what was happening.
This made him a little speechless.
He never expected that in order to stabilize the situation in his own area, Cheng Zheng had been under such huge pressure.
Cheng Zheng went to such lengths for him, which was something Chen An had never expected.
Originally, on his way back to Shengjing, Chen An thought that the messenger who called him back had already been sent out.
His previous experiences in history told him that most rulers would make such a choice in this situation.
But Cheng Zheng had managed to withstand the pressure, even opting to close the palace gates and isolate himself to ensure he was not influenced.
This was truly surprising.
At one point, even Chen An, who was known for slacking off, couldn't help but feel ashamed.
I was wrong.
It turned out that there were still good bosses who were willing to trust their subordinates.
But as he felt ashamed, Cheng Zheng and his wife seemed equally ashamed.
As Chen An downplayed the situation, Cheng Zheng and Empress Hua felt even more ashamed.
At the end of his speech, Chen An couldn't help but wave his hand, sighing, "All things leave traces, but the heart has no perfect person."
"The world is flooded with rumors like this, it's normal for Your Majesty and the Empress to be affected."
"But for me, I only see how devoted Your Majesty is to Lord Chen, willing to even break ties with the courtiers and close the palace gates to keep him safe. This level of trust between a ruler and his subjects is rare."
"If Lord Chen is treated like this by Your Majesty, what more can he ask for?"
He smiled and said, putting the matter behind.
After that, they began to discuss the events of the past two years.
During this time, they had some correspondence, but the contents of the letters were limited and not all things were explained. There were many gaps.
Now, they had the opportunity to fill in those gaps through this conversation.
"So, there are still many people on the frontline who support the Thai King?"
Cheng Zheng frowned and couldn't help but ask.
"Yes."
Chen An nodded, "When I first arrived at the frontline, I studied many records and asked many surviving officers and soldiers, and found that many of them were defeated not because of their combat strength, but because of internal betrayal."
"Moreover, many prominent families and local landlords in the region were supporting the Thai King, which led to many restrictions and prevented them from engaging in battle."
"So, Lord Chen, did you really eliminate all the prominent families in Meizhou?"
Cheng Zheng couldn't help but smile, "When you did that, there were many courtiers accusing you."
"I must admit, it was a bit underhanded, but it was very effective."
Chen An also couldn't help but laugh, "The wealth of those families was just too much. After dealing with them, many problems in Meizhou were solved, and there were plenty of land to cultivate, making things much easier."
"Think about it, I'm not Your Majesty, so if I do something like that, I'll just do it."
This was something only Chen An could do.
As for Cheng Zheng, as the emperor, if he did the same thing, he would definitely face a backlash from many people.
His position was too high for him to personally engage in such actions of killing and offending others.
"Haha."
Cheng Zheng's stern face showed a smile, "So, now, Meizhou is like a blank canvas, ready to be painted on. Have you cleared all the hidden dangers there?"
"Although there are still some issues, we can put it this way."
After thinking for a moment, Chen An nodded.
After two years of cleaning up, the situation on the front line had improved significantly. The internal dissidents who supported the Thai King had been mostly eliminated, and the soldiers had become more elite after two years of training.
Most of the trouble-causing local landlords had also been dealt with by Chen An.
There might still be some troublemakers hiding, but they were no longer able to cause any significant impact.
It could be said that the internal situation had been almost repaired.
Chen An had almost finished dealing with all the offending matters.
On the other hand, on the Thai King's side, as time went on, many problems and hidden dangers had emerged internally.
"If you were to mobilize your troops, Lord Chen, and attempt to take down the Thai King, how much time would you need?"
After pondering for a moment, Cheng Zheng continued to ask.
Without hesitation, Chen An directly stated a number.
"Ten years!"
Cheng Zheng was stunned, somewhat incredulous, "Lord Chen, didn't you say that the hidden dangers had been mostly cleared? Why would it take so long, ten years!"
Yes, the hidden dangers had been mostly eliminated, so wouldn't the next step be to lead the army and quickly defeat the Thai King?
Why would it take so long, ten years?
Chen An remained silent, looking at Cheng Zheng with an inexplicable gaze.
After a long time, he sighed and said, "Your Majesty, do you really think I'm a genius in leading troops and fighting battles?"
Isn't it so?
This thought flashed through Cheng Zheng's mind.
Listening to what Chen An had just said, he was articulate and clear in every aspect. Did Empress Hua, who stood beside them with admiration, already recognize Chen An's abilities?
Seeing the expressions of Cheng Zheng and the Empress, Chen An couldn't help but sigh and explain, "Your Majesty, leading troops and fighting battles are different from overall planning."
"With my abilities, if you want me to oversee the entire situation, whether it's training troops, clearing internal troubles, or managing internal affairs, I can do it."
"But if you want me to mobilize troops and command a forty thousand strong army, that's a different story."
In other words, it's a matter of specialization.
Chen An had spent two years on the front lines, but for the most part, he had been training troops. Even when there were skirmishes, they were just minor disturbances.
As for commanding a forty thousand strong army to advance together, he had never done such a thing.
In other words, it was his first time doing so.
So if he were to command a large army, it would most likely be a step-by-step approach, chipping away little by little until finding the right opportunity.
