The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

three days later.

A small caravan, under the banner of "Da Yan Commerce Company," slowly drove out of Yumen Pass in a dozen large carts loaded with grain.

Leading the group was Sun Xiang, who had changed into a fur robe and dressed like a merchant. The hundred guards behind him had also changed into the clothes of ordinary caravan guards, but under their fur robes, they all concealed the finest weapons.

The biting wind felt like a knife cutting into my face.

The further north you go, the more desolate the scenery becomes.

Along the way, they saw too many corpses lying dead by the roadside, including the elderly, children, and even more emaciated cattle and sheep.

An atmosphere of despair permeated the air.

Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, they discovered a huge camp in a sheltered valley.

That was one of their targets: the Black Wolf Tribe. A medium-sized tribe known for its bravery on the grasslands, which had migrated en masse due to its dissatisfaction with Ashina Sun's tyranny, and was now in dire straits.

As soon as Sun Xiang's caravan approached, it was surrounded by dozens of grassland sentries riding thin warhorses.

Although the scimitars in their hands were rusty, the ferocity and vigilance in their eyes remained undiminished.

"Halt! Who are you?" the leader of the sentries shouted in broken Chinese.

Sun Xiang showed no panic. He dismounted, put on a friendly smile, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Warriors, please don't misunderstand. We are a caravan from the Great Yan Trade Bureau. We heard that some tribes here are short of food, so we have come here on the orders of our Regent King... to do some business."

"Business?" the sentry leader sneered. "What do we have left besides our worthless lives to do business with you?"

"No, no, no." Sun Xiang shook his finger. "The lives of you warriors are more precious than gold. We don't want anything from you."

He patted the large cart behind him, and a guard immediately stepped forward and cut open a sack.

Golden millet flowed out like a waterfall.

The rich aroma of grain instantly made all the grassland sentries present swallow hard. Their eyes were fixed on the bag of millet, their gazes filled with the most primal longing after being hungry for so long.

"This grain is all for you." Sun Xiang smiled even more broadly as he saw their reaction.

"Give it to us for free?" A hint of suspicion flashed in the sentry leader's eyes. "You Han Chinese are really that kind? Tell me, what exactly are you plotting?"

"A conspiracy? Of course there is." Sun Xiang nodded without any hesitation.

His reaction surprised the other party.

"Our Regent would like to invite your clan leader, the Black Wolf King, for a cup of tea." Sun Xiang's smile slowly faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

"Our prince said, 'When friends come, we have hot tea and food. But if enemies come…'"

His hand, seemingly casually, rested on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

"We also have enough crossbows, enough to fill your stomach."

The wind and snow in northern Xinjiang are brewing a change that will determine the fate of the grasslands.

Meanwhile, in the capital city, thousands of miles away, although the threat of war had been averted, another unseen contest was quietly underway.

The study in the Regent's Palace was brightly lit.

Xiao Jingchen was reviewing memorials submitted from various regions. Since he took over the reins of government, these documents, which should have been sent to the Imperial Study in the palace, were instead delivered here first.

He read quickly, but also very carefully. Military affairs, political affairs, people's livelihood, finance… he would give clear and specific instructions on every memorial. His handwriting, like himself, was strong, powerful, and sharp.

"Your Highness, it's late. Please rest for a while." Zhou Wenyuan walked in carrying a bowl of ginseng soup. He looked at the bloodshot eyes of Xiao Jingchen and said with some heartache.

The old prime minister now held Xiao Jingchen in the highest esteem and supported him from the bottom of his heart. Over this period of time, he had personally witnessed how Xiao Jingchen handled the complex and numerous affairs of state with extraordinary energy. He acted decisively and unconventionally, yet he was meticulous despite his seemingly rough exterior, and every step he took was carefully considered.

In just one or two months, the officialdom of the entire Great Yan Dynasty was thoroughly cleansed. Those officials who had previously held their positions without doing anything and only knew how to flatter were either imprisoned in the imperial prison or kept a low profile, and their efficiency improved like never before.

"Prime Minister, you haven't rested yet?" Xiao Jingchen put down his pen and rubbed his slightly swollen temples.

"This old minister can't sleep," Zhou Wenyuan sighed, placing the ginseng soup beside him. "Your Highness, although you established the Ministry of Commerce, relieving the urgent need of the national treasury, the criticisms in court have never ceased."

"Oh? Who's been gossiping behind my back again?" Xiao Jingchen picked up the ginseng soup, took a sip, and asked nonchalantly.

"Who else could it be? It's those old scholars, led by Imperial Censor Zhang Cheng," Zhou Wenyuan said with a wry smile. "Today they submitted a joint memorial again, saying that Your Highness's actions are 'competing with the people for profit,' 'abandoning the way of the sages and practicing the ways of merchants,' and that if this continues, the country will cease to exist. Their words were quite vehement."

"They also say that you... that you are nominally regent but in reality a usurper, that you value martial prowess over moral cultivation and have led our Great Yan astray..."

Xiao Jingchen listened without showing any expression.

He had anticipated the arguments of these pedantic intellectuals. Changing the deeply ingrained ideas of a group of people is harder than fighting a war. Reasoning with them is futile.

"Let them talk," Xiao Jingchen said indifferently. "They can say whatever they want, and I can't control them. As long as they don't do anything that actually harms the national interest, I won't bother with them."

He knew that now was not the time to take action against these intellectuals. The court had just undergone a major purge and needed stability. Moreover, although these people were old-fashioned, most of them were still relatively honest and had some reputation among the people. Killing them would only earn him the infamy of "blocking the channels of communication."

"Your Highness is kind and benevolent," Zhou Wenyuan nodded, then added with some concern, "But... what about His Majesty..."

The "Your Majesty" he referred to was naturally the eight-year-old emperor, Li Chengqian.

"Although Your Majesty is young, you receive daily instruction from Grand Tutors. Most of these Grand Tutors are from Zhang Cheng's faction. This old minister is worried that they might speak ill of you to Your Majesty, thus affecting the relationship between you and your subject."

This is what Zhou Wenyuan is truly worried about.

Xiao Jingchen's current power stems from his status as "Regent" and the noble cause of "assisting the new emperor." If the young emperor develops suspicion and distrust towards him, the foundation of his power will be shaken.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchen remained silent for a moment.

He knew Zhou Wenyuan's concerns were valid. He could disregard the spittle of the censors, but he couldn't ignore the young emperor's thoughts.

Li Chengqian was someone Xiao Jingchen personally placed on the throne. He was not merely a political symbol; Xiao Jingchen also hoped to cultivate him into a true and qualified monarch, rather than a power-hungry madman like his sister, Li Fengyi.

"The old prime minister is right," Xiao Jingchen stood up. "It seems it's time to teach our young emperor a lesson."