He could either become the Chief of Naval Staff of the Empire after Li Mingbo retired,
or he could retire early to compete for the position of Imperial Chief Minister.
The former was a sure bet.
As for the latter, Zhou Yongtao had to fight with all his might for it.
It was on that day that Zhou Yongtao made a life-altering decision.
The result of this decision made him the first Navy Marshal in the history of the Empire to move into the Prime Minister Mansion.
Of course, following the precedent set by Lian Xusheng, Zhou Yongtao received the rank of Marshal, not Grand Marshal, upon retirement.
This decision was not merely for himself, though.
More than a decade earlier, Bai Zhizhan, to bring him back to the Navy Commander's office and promote Navy reform, voluntarily gave up the chance to become the Imperial Chief Minister, retired early as the Grand Navy Marshal, and let the evidently less talented Li Mingbo take over as the Navy Commander.
