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

Ancheng, Zhenbeihou Mansion.

Inside the study, Xiao Jingchen was still standing in front of the huge map.

Su Mou, Zhao Wu, Cang Jia, and Wang Meng, several core generals of the Northern Frontier Army, were all present.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Zhao Wu scratched his head and finally couldn't help but speak.

"My lord, do you think that Chen Liu is up to the task?"

"That's a camp of millions of people! He went there all alone, with just one horse and a coffin. What if that old bastard Tian Kui denies everything and kills him?"

Zhao Wu simply couldn't understand it.

In his view, the simplest way to deal with Tian Kui's remnants was to send a large army to crush them.

Why go through all this fancy stuff? What if we mess it up?

Although Cang Jia and Wang Meng did not speak, their eyes also showed some doubt.

They also felt that the Marquis's arrangement this time was far too risky.

Sending someone to force the surrender of an army of several million is simply a fantasy.

Su Mou stood to the side, holding a cup of hot tea, sipping it slowly, his face expressionless.

But he knew in his heart that the Marquis had his reasons for doing so.

Every move the Marquis makes, seemingly whimsical, actually contains profound meaning.

Xiao Jingchen didn't turn around, but spoke calmly.

"He won't."

"Who doesn't know how?" Zhao Wu was taken aback.

"Tian Kui won't kill Chen Liu," Xiao Jingchen said calmly. "Because he doesn't dare, and he has no other choice."

He turned around and his gaze swept across the faces of the generals one by one.

"Do you all think that sending Chen Liu is a risky move?"

Zhao Wu nodded frankly: "That's true. If it incites a mutiny, and they fight us to the death, although we'll definitely win, the casualties will certainly be considerable."

"A fight to the death?" Xiao Jingchen laughed. "Zhao Wu, you overestimate them."

"The current punitive expeditionary force is in a state of collapse, its morale is low, its commander-in-chief (Zang Baiyuan) has just passed away, its supply lines have been cut off, and its reinforcements have been wiped out. They are like a pack of hungry wolves with their teeth pulled out and their legs broken, and all they can do is howl."

"What do they need most at this time?"

Xiao Jingchen looked at everyone.

Su Mou put down his teacup and replied, "It is hope."

"That's right, it's hope." Xiao Jingchen nodded. "A hope to survive."

"What would they think if I marched in with my army and surrounded them completely?"

"They'll think we're trying to wipe them out. When people are desperate, they'll unleash their final frenzy. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. If millions fight back, even we'll pay a heavy price."

"This is not the outcome I wanted."

Xiao Jingchen's gaze deepened.

"My goal was never to kill them."

"What good would killing them do for me, or for the Northern Frontier? Would it just create millions more enemies for no reason?"

What I want is to subdue them.

"Let them be transformed from the sword of Emperor Yan into the plowshare of me, Xiao Jingchen. Let their people and their labor serve my northern frontier!"

Zhao Wu, Cang Jia, and Wang Meng were deeply shaken upon hearing this.

They then realized that the Marquis's vision was far greater than they had imagined.

They were thinking about how to win the battle, while the Marquis was already thinking about what would happen after the war.

"But what does this have to do with sending Chen Liu to deliver the coffin?" Zhao Wu still couldn't figure it out.

"It's very important," Xiao Jingchen smiled and explained patiently.

"Tian Kui was a smart man, and also a man who cared about his reputation. After such a defeat, he would definitely think of committing suicide to atone for his sins. But he was unwilling to die so cowardly. He wanted to use his death to save his men and to earn himself a good reputation for 'dying for the sake of the army.'"

"Therefore, he will definitely send someone to negotiate with me."

"And I don't want to talk to him."

Xiao Jingchen's tone turned cold.

"Negotiations have to be back and forth, they have to be drawn out. He wants to protect his son, so I have to take the opportunity to make demands. It might take ten days or half a month to reach an agreement. That's enough time for the capital to react."

"I don't have time to waste with them."

"Therefore, I must end all of this in the most direct and effective way."

"I sent Chen Liu not to negotiate, but to give orders."

"I sent the coffin to him to tell him: I know everything you're thinking. You want to die with dignity, but I won't let you. Your life, and the lives of your men, are all in my hands. You have no right to bargain."

"This kind of complete psychological crushing is more effective than the intimidation of an army of 100,000."

"It will completely shatter Tian Kui's last psychological defenses, making him realize that he has no choice but to obey."

"At the same time, this is also for the benefit of those millions of soldiers."

"When they saw their commander being forced to commit suicide by us, and they didn't dare utter a single word, their backbone was completely broken."

"Is an army without a backbone still an army?"

"No, they are just a flock of lambs to the slaughter."

After hearing Xiao Jingchen's words, the study fell silent.

Zhao Wu, Cang Jia, and Wang Meng felt a chill run down their spines.

They always thought that war was just about swords against swords and guns against guns, and who had the stronger fist.

Only today do they realize that war can be fought in this way.

To kill someone, you must also destroy their spirit.

This is no longer a conspiracy; it's an open and aboveboard scheme.

It's like they're laying out the cards on the table, telling you what I'm going to do, and you can only watch helplessly, powerless to resist.

"My lord... brilliant." Cang Jia stammered out these three words after a long pause.

He was always arrogant, but in front of Xiao Jingchen, he felt like a child who had just learned to walk.

Just then, a guard strode in.

"Report—!"

"My lord! Chen Liu is back!"

The people in the study were all instantly invigorated.

"Let him in!"

Soon, Chen Liu, covered in blood and exuding a murderous aura, strode in carrying a cloth bag.

He threw the cloth bag on the ground with a dull thud.

Then, he knelt on one knee and said in a hoarse voice.

"My lord."

"I've brought back Tian Kui's head."

"The punitive expeditionary force has already raised the surrender flag."