A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Xiao Heng wrapped the reins around a stone pillar under the beacon tower, dismounted, and looked up at the air vent on the tower.

He didn't rush up; he simply pulled his cloak tighter, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and stood in the snow waiting.

This place is not suitable for putting on airs, nor is it suitable for arguing.

If Liu dares to come, it means he's not completely stupid; if he doesn't, then this trip will have been in vain.

Xiao Heng knew very well that the situation in the Northern Territory was no longer just about the grasslands.

Liu Suan's ability to reach into the old ranks of the Northern Rong and stir up the minds of the former officials of Jingzhou shows that he is not just a man of words.

What he wanted was definitely not chaos in one or two border villages.

But the more someone is like that, the less we should let him freeze to death in the snow.

Half an hour later, there was finally movement in the distant snow and mist.

A rider slowly emerged from the white expanse, its hooves firmly planted.

The man on horseback was wrapped in a dark fur coat, with his hat brim pulled low. He only reined in the horse when he got close and looked up at the beacon tower.

Liu did not mount the horse.

He didn't speak immediately, but first looked at the white-haired veteran in the audience, a slight surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness summoned me to kill me on behalf of Wei Zhao?"

Xiao Heng scoffed and stood on the edge of the platform, looking at him.

"You overestimate your own worth."

Liu Suan didn't laugh.

Having come all the way from the snowfields, he already knew this trip wouldn't be easy.

But he didn't expect that the person who came would be Xiao Heng.

To his surprise, Xiao Heng actually dared to stand here alone and wait for him.

If Wei Zhao wanted to use the northern border to set a trap, the current distance was enough for a dozen crossbowmen to pin him to death in the snow.

But there were no ambushes nearby.

This made Liu Suan feel even more uneasy.

The fact that there was no ambush meant that the other side wasn't in a hurry to kill him.

Then there's only one possibility left: the cards in your hand have already been seen through.

Xiao Heng raised his hand, took out a letter from his pocket, and casually tossed it aside.

The letter was carried by the wind, swirling and landing in front of Liu Suanma.

"This is a copy of the secret letter you wrote to Liu Ruhui three days ago."

Xiao Heng looked at him: "Wei Zhao didn't dismantle it; he gave it to me as is. Look for yourself, which step did you truly conceal?"

Liu Suan lowered his head, staring at the letter, and remained motionless for a long time.

He could recognize his own handwriting and those few sentence structures.

The new military examination system is severing the very foundation of your lives.

The newly appointed military elites are taking a cut of your wealth. If they consolidate their power, will you all still have a chance to survive?

He wrote these sentences smoothly and accurately.

He thought that the former officials of Jingzhou would be interested, or at least some of them would want to give it a try.

But now that the letter has fallen into Xiao Heng's hands, it means that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has cut off this line of communication.

What's worse, Wei Zhao not only knew about it, but also transferred the copy to Xiao Heng.

This is not a test.

This brought him from the shadows into the light.

Liu Suan slowly picked up the letter, folded it twice, and stuffed it back into his sleeve, his expression gradually becoming composed.

"Since Your Highness has seen it, you should know that I didn't come to the snowy plains to escape the wind."

"I know."

Xiao Heng looked at him: "You're here to start a fire."

Liu Suan looked up.

Xiao Heng continued, "You're spreading bait among the former Northern Rong troops, stirring up trouble among the old officials of Jingzhou, and sharpening your knives among the newly risen military elites and powerful families in the capital. You want to throw the world into chaos, chaos that Wei Zhao can't handle, chaos that everyone thinks Xinwu can't hold on."

Liu did not deny it.

He even felt a little inexplicably irritated.

The most troublesome thing about veterans like Xiao Heng is not their fighting skills, but their understanding of the game situation.

People who know their place are not easily fooled. Especially someone who has lived through the previous dynasty and still holds sway over the old military lineage in the North.

"Since Your Highness has already seen through everything, why did you come to see me?" Liu Suan asked.

"I'll show you a way out."

Xiao Heng's voice wasn't loud, but it was very firm.

"I don't care who you're scheming for. Whether you're trying to save the old guard or to gain a reputation for yourself, I don't care. But the path you're on now will only bury you in the end. Which of those old kings in the North is truly loyal to you? Which of those old bones in Jingzhou dares to bet their lives entirely on you?"

Liu Suan's lips twitched, but he didn't reply.

Xiao Heng understood what was going on when he saw his expression.

This person is still not giving up.

Then we need to make things clear.

"If you still want to turn the tide, the number of people in the snowfield is not enough."

Xiao Heng said, "The new Khan of the Northern Rong doesn't dare to completely break ties with the new Wu, and the grassland tribes may not really be willing to follow you south. It's easy for you to gather them together, but it's difficult to get them to die for you."

Liu Suan looked up, and his expression finally changed.

Xiao Heng hit the nail on the head regarding the most crucial point.

Those people on the grasslands, everyone wants to rob, everyone wants to live, but when it comes to risking their lives, they're all incredibly cunning.

Liu could use them to burn grain, intercept roads, and harass the border, but it was difficult to expect them to clash head-on with the Xinwu army.

He himself understood this, which is why he wanted to first create chaos in the northern border, then in Jingzhou, and finally force Wei Zhao to divide his troops.

But now, Xiao Heng has directly exposed his thoughts.

"Did Your Highness come to persuade me to surrender?" Liu Suan asked.

"It's not surrendering," Xiao Heng shook his head. "It's returning to the capital."

Liu Suan didn't speak, but his fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the saddle.

Xiao Heng looked at him, his tone softening for the first time.

"Wei Zhao spared your life because he still finds you useful. I spared your life because I don't want to see a scholar die in the snow, feeding the wolves. If you truly have ability, go back and put it on the table. If you want to fight, fight in the capital, fight within the laws, fight in the imperial examinations, fight in the court assembly. Don't use the people of the northern border, the tribes of the grasslands, and the former officials of Jingzhou as firewood in your hands."

Liu Suan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

He suddenly felt like laughing.

These words sound like advice, but they are actually more ruthless than a knife.

Because Xiao Heng said "return to the capital", not "submit".

This means that what Wei Zhao left him was not his life, but a door to exchange his life for something else.

As for what's behind the door, that depends on whether he can walk in himself.

Liu Suan knew very well that Wei Zhao was the best at forcing his opponents into two paths: either die or work for him.

He originally thought he could still maneuver in the shadows for a while.

But now, even Xiao Heng has been pushed forward, which shows that Wei Zhao is too lazy to play along with him.

This left him somewhat at a loss, unsure of what to do next.

"And then what happens after we return to the capital?" Liu Suan asked.

"You must live for there to come."

Xiao Heng said, "If you die here, those old fogies in Jingzhou will still keep trying. The former Northern Rong tribes will still keep burning. Wei Zhao will still keep killing. You will leave nothing behind."

Liu Suan looked down at the snow, his face expressionless, but his mind was racing.

He knew Xiao Heng was telling the truth.

After the defeat at Black Wind Ridge, the Eight Princes' Alliance had already disbanded; Du Heng captured the city in a single day, and Huainan became a laughing stock; Han Dashan's head is still displayed in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The Xinwu court was at its strongest at that time.

If I continue to hide in the snowfield and try to recruit people, I will only be gradually cleared out.

But returning to the capital would mean putting himself under Wei Zhao's watchful eye.

Danger.

But it's not like there's no chance.

What Wei Zhao lacks most right now is not a sword, but someone who can explain the rules of the world.

Thinking of this, Liu Suan finally suppressed the turmoil in his eyes.

He looked up at Xiao Heng and asked one last question.

"If I return, what position will His Majesty grant me?"

Xiao Heng smiled.

"I don't know."

"But I know that if you don't go back, you won't even have the chance to ask this question again."

The snow wind swept between the two of them, causing the snow beneath the beacon tower to churn up layer by layer.

Liu remained silent for a long time.

So long that Xiao Heng thought he was going to drag it out any longer.

But the next moment, Liu Suan suddenly raised his hand, wrapped the reins around the horse's neck, and dismounted.