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

"Your Highness is mighty!"

"Great Yan will prevail!"

When Xiao Jingchen's powerful announcement resounded throughout the battlefield, after a brief silence, the entire Great Yan army camp erupted in cheers as loud as a tsunami!

All the soldiers of the Great Yan, whether they were infantrymen wielding crossbows or warriors fighting in the wagon formation, raised their weapons high and shouted wildly, expressing their excitement and ecstasy.

They won!

A resounding and unprecedented victory!

Ashina Sun, the king of the grasslands who roamed the grasslands and brought endless humiliation and blood debts to the Great Yan Dynasty, was captured alive by their prince like a dog!

When Lei Lie arrived on horseback, this was exactly the scene he saw.

Xiao Jingchen stood in front of the command tent, his posture upright, holding a sword in one hand and raising the golden scimitar symbolizing the kingship of the grasslands in the other.

At his feet, Ashina Sun lay curled up in a pool of blood like a lump of rotten flesh, emitting weak groans.

All around were the cold corpses of three thousand Kheshig guards and a battlefield strewn with arrows.

"My goodness..."

Even Lei Lie, a fierce general who was used to seeing mountains of corpses and seas of blood, couldn't help but gasp when he saw this scene.

It's too cruel.

The prince's methods are truly ruthless.

Not only do they defeat people, but they also trample on their dignity and crush it to pieces.

But... he likes it!

"Hahahaha! That's satisfying! Absolutely satisfying!" Lei Lie dismounted and strode over to Xiao Jingchen. Looking at the mangled corpse on the ground, he rubbed his hands excitedly. "Your Highness! This old bastard, he's just crippled like that? That's too easy on him! He should have been torn to pieces!"

"No rush." ​​Xiao Jingchen tossed the golden knife to Lei Lie. "He's still useful. Pass down the order to clean up the battlefield and protect his head. I want him to see the end with his own eyes."

He then issued a series of orders.

"Chen Jing, tally the battle results and casualties, and treat the wounded. Also, send men to arrange Ashina Sun's head... no, Ashina Sun himself, along with the corpses of his three thousand Kheshig guards, into a mound of heads and place it at the entrance of 'One Line Sky'!"

Jingguan!

Upon hearing those two words, both Chen Jing and Lei Lie's hearts skipped a beat.

Piling up the enemy's corpses, sealing them with earth, and building a high platform to flaunt military prowess was the cruelest and most intimidating method ever practiced.

Your Highness is trying to completely destroy the last will of resistance of the grassland people!

"Furthermore, cut off the heads of three hundred Kheshig guards and send one copy each to the tribes that have already submitted to us by the fastest messengers. Tell them that Ashina Sun is finished, and the world of the steppe is about to change. Put their minds at ease."

"Send the other copy to Ashina Sun's remaining army of over 100,000. Tell their commanders that Ashina Sun betrayed them, fled alone, and is now my prisoner. Those who surrender will be spared. Those who resist will face 'a narrow strait'—that will be their fate!"

"The last one," Xiao Jingchen paused, a strange glint in his eyes, "is sent back to the capital to inform His Majesty of the great victory in the first battle of the Northern Expedition, and the capture of Ashina Sun. Please ask His Majesty and all the civil and military officials to await good news."

The commands were clear and ruthless.

This is not a general giving an order; this is a monarch deciding the fate of an entire people.

Lei Lie and Chen Jing solemnly accepted the order and immediately went to carry it out separately.

They knew that from this night onward, the situation on the grasslands would be completely reversed.

After dealing with all of this, Xiao Jingchen dragged his slightly tired body back to the command tent.

Inside the tent, the smell of blood and gunpowder had not yet dissipated.

He poured himself a cup of hot tea, but didn't drink it.

Capturing Ashina Sun alive was only the first step in his entire plan.

The real challenge now is how to deal with this vast grassland, how to unite the millions of grassland herders, and how to completely incorporate this untamed land into the territory of the Great Yan.

Slaughter can only bring temporary deterrence.

What he wanted was not a wasteland littered with corpses, but a stable rear that could provide the Great Yan with warhorses, cattle and sheep, and soldiers.

Just as he was pondering this, a guard walked in from outside the tent.

"Your Highness, a man is requesting an audience outside the camp. He claims to be... Director Shen of the Commerce Department."

"Oh?" Xiao Jingchen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.

The "God of Wealth" whom he personally promoted and who single-handedly created the Commerce Department, responsible for using economic means to undermine the grassland tribes from the rear, has finally arrived.

"Let him in."

A moment later, a middle-aged, plump man dressed in a brocade robe, who looked more like a wealthy man than an official, walked in with a big smile on his face.

As soon as he entered, he saw the bloodstains on the floor that hadn't been cleaned up yet, and the "lump of flesh" at his feet that was still twitching slightly.

His face paled for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

He bowed deeply to Xiao Jingchen, his posture extremely respectful.

"This humble subject, Shen Wanqian, pays his respects to Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations on your resounding victory and the capture of the traitor! Your Highness's martial prowess is unparalleled throughout history! This humble subject is utterly in awe!"

He spoke these words fluently and quickly, full of the flattery of a street merchant.

But Xiao Jingchen knew that the seemingly harmless fat man in front of him was no less powerful than his own Yuanrong crossbow when he manipulated the abacus beads.

"Director Shen, no need for formalities." Xiao Jingchen gestured to the seat next to him. "Why aren't you overseeing the overall situation from the rear? What brings you to the front lines? Things aren't peaceful here."

"Hehe," Shen Wanqian smiled ingratiatingly, took out a thick account book from his pocket, and respectfully handed it over, "Your Highness, while you are fighting fiercely on the front lines, we in the rear are managing the daily necessities. Well, the latest accounts are out, and I thought I should send them to Your Highness as soon as possible so that you can have a clear understanding of the situation."

Xiao Jingchen took the account book and flipped through a few pages.

A satisfied look appeared on his face.

It is clearly recorded here:

They successfully won over twelve medium-to-large tribes, including the Black Wolf and Vulture tribes, totaling 180,000 people and 30,000 warriors. The cost was 300,000 shi of grain, 50,000 jin of salt, and 100,000 bolts of cloth…

These tribes controlled one-third of the pastures and water sources in the eastern part of the grasslands.

At the same time, by dumping tea, ironware, and other goods at low prices, they completely destroyed the internal trade system of Ashina Sun's royal court. This caused prices to skyrocket and panic to spread throughout the grasslands.

Ashina Sun hadn't even started a war with himself yet, but his economy had already collapsed.

"Well done." Xiao Jingchen closed the ledger. "This deal was very profitable."

"It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Your Highness!" Shen Wanqian quickly said. "What you taught me was that dealing with these grassland people isn't just about swords and spears. You have to give them food, but not enough to fill their stomachs. You have to let them know that only by following our Great Yan will they have a good life. This tactic is more effective than anything else!"

"Now, those tribes that have come to us are all very obedient. I ordered them to harass Ashina Sun's supply lines, and they are more eager than anyone else. They know that only when Ashina Sun falls can they get more grain and salt from us."

Xiao Jingchen nodded.

This is the second net he prepared for the grasslands.

An invisible net woven from interests and people's livelihood.

"You didn't come here just to deliver the account books, did you?" Xiao Jingchen asked Shen Wanqian directly.

"Your Highness, please understand!" Shen Wanqian's expression turned serious. "This humble subject has come to ask Your Highness, what should be the next step in our business?"

"Now that Ashina Sun has fallen, the grasslands are leaderless. Those tribes that have submitted to us, those that have remained neutral, and even those from Ashina Sun's own tribe, are all in a state of panic. Should we continue fighting, or...?"

Shen Wanqian didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already quite clear.

Xiao Jingchen looked at him and spoke slowly.

"The battle is over."

What follows is not war.

"Yes, received."