The Demon Prince

Thirty miles outside of Kyoto lies the garrison camp of the northern border troops stationed in the capital.

The camp gate stood at the foot of the loess slope, and the old flag fluttered in the wind.

The words "Zhenbei" are still on the flag, but the corners are torn, like an old garment that no one wants to mend.

Xiao Xingyue stood in front of the camp gate, his smile fading.

All four armies of the Great Xia had troops stationed in the capital.

One purpose was to check and balance the Imperial Guards and maintain stability in the capital.

Secondly, it allows for constant training and learning of the court's new strategies and military tactics;

Thirdly, it is ready to be deployed, so that it can provide reinforcements at any time should there be an emergency on the border.

To put it bluntly, they're just a bunch of backup plans. The border doesn't need them for the time being, so they're being kept in Kyoto to support them.

So the troops stationed in the northern border region of Beijing may have a prestigious reputation, but in reality they do all the hard work: patrolling the outer outposts, supervising the defense of the fortresses, transporting supplies, training new recruits, and so on...

Li Shunhua, mounted on her horse with her blood-red cloak billowing, frowned when she saw Xiao Xingyue stop.

"Why have you stopped?"

Xiao Xingyue looked around the camp:

"I've never been here before."

Li Shunhua blurted out:

"You weren't even qualified to go to the battlefield before."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She shouldn't have said them, especially when Xiao Xingyue was the only one left in the Zhenguo Palace.

She looked at Xiao Xingyue, and for the first time ever, she felt a pang of heartache.

This man is quite pitiful; his father and brothers both died on the battlefield, and he has no one to rely on but himself, so he can only work desperately hard...

I wonder if she secretly cried under the covers at night.

Thinking of this, Li Shunhua's eyes showed even more heartache.

Xiao Xingyue didn't respond.

I watched as veterans pushed grain carts through the camp, the wheels getting stuck in the mud, and three of them had to push together, their shoulders and backs bent from the weight.

Their armor was old and gray, with cracks at the edges.

Some people had obvious limps, yet they were still carrying grain; others were missing two fingers on their right hand, yet they were still tying straw targets to the new recruits.

Xiao Xingyue felt as if something was blocking his throat. After the decline of the Zhenguo King's Mansion, not only was he, Xiao Xingyue, looked down upon, but these people also suffered a significant loss.

"Is this the Northern Army?" he asked.

Li Shunhua could tell that the calm words concealed suppressed anger, and she pursed her lips:

"The Qin family can manage the western border and help stabilize the northern border for a while, but my maternal grandfather is overwhelmed with military affairs in the western border, so now... the northern border troops stationed in the capital are being managed by the Ministry of War."

Ministry of War, Cao Bi?

Xiao Xingyue narrowed his eyes:

"So they were treated like this by the assistant manager?"

Li Shunhua remained silent.

A furious shout suddenly came from the training ground:

"Kneel down!"

Snapped!

The whip lashed against the armor plates, making a piercing sound.

Xiao Xingyue shifted his gaze.

In the center of the drill ground, a young military officer clad in new armor held a riding whip, exuding confidence and arrogance.

He was Pan Yungong, a disciple of Cao Bi, the Minister of War.

At this moment, Pan Yungong was standing in front of an old soldier.

The old soldier had half-white hair and beard, an old injury on his left leg, two heavy armors on his back, sweat rolling down his forehead, and his knees sinking into the ground.

Pan Yungong raised his foot and stepped on the veteran's shoulder:

"I ordered you to run three laps, and you were panting like a dog after just one. Is this what a veteran of the North looks like? Useless!"

None of the new recruits dared to speak, and some veterans clenched their fists but dared not move.

Pan Yungong swept his gaze across the crowd, his smile mocking:

"The Xiao family is gone, so why are they still putting on airs like the Zhenbei Army?"

You used to be able to rely on Xiao Junlin for your livelihood, but now that he's dead, you should learn to bow your heads.

The old soldier's shoulders trembled, not from fear, but from anger, but there was nothing he could do but bury his head even lower.

Li Shunhua's face darkened: "Pan Yungong!"

Pan Yungong looked over upon hearing the sound. When he saw Li Shunhua, he was taken aback at first, but when he saw Xiao Xingyue beside her, the mockery on his face deepened.

"Eighth Princess, Crown Prince."

His bow was perfunctory:

"What wind blew you two to the military camp today?"

Xiao Xingyue ignored him and walked directly toward the old soldier.

When the veteran saw Xiao Xingyue's face clearly, he was shocked. His lips moved, and he almost blurted out the word "Young General".

But he held back. He dared not shout, for if he did, Xiao Xingyue would be dragged into this filthy water.

"Your Highness," the veteran whispered.

"This is not a place for you. Get out of here."

Xiao Xingyue squatted down and reached out to remove the heavy armor from the old soldier's back.

The metal buckle rusted.

He broke it a couple of times, and his fingertips got rusty.

The veteran was getting anxious:

"Your Highness, you mustn't, it's dirty."

Xiao Xingyue didn't stop. With a snap, he forcefully pried open the armor buckle, and the heavy armor fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The veteran's shoulders finally relaxed, and his eyes reddened. He lowered his head, not daring to let anyone see.

Pan Yungong's face turned angry:

"Xiao Xingyue, what are you doing?"

Xiao Xingyue removed the second suit of armor as well:

"Remove your armor."

Pan Yungong sneered:

"I am training the troops. How dare you, a prince who seized power through the influence of a princess, interfere in military affairs?"

He took two steps forward, his sarcasm growing even more pronounced:

"You rose to power through the Ninth Princess, but once you're in the army, you're nothing but a figurehead. I may not be talented, but I am a person who actually holds a position in the army."

Li Shunhua's eyes turned cold, and she was about to speak.

Xiao Xingyue then stood up:

"Is he taking his anger out on veterans just because he's on temporary assignment?"

Pan Yun bowed disdainfully at the old soldier:

"He failed in his training duties, so I will deal with him according to military law."

Alright, now for practical training. You, come and spar with me!

The veteran suddenly looked up.

Pan Yungong sneered and continued:

"If you can withstand three of my moves, I will spare his punishment."

A former Northern soldier nearby hurriedly took half a step forward:

"Lord Pan, he has an injury on his leg."

Pan Yungong turned his head:

"Does an injury mean you can stop training? On the battlefield, will the enemy spare him from killing him just because he has a leg injury?"

The veteran pushed himself up from the ground, his left leg trembling violently, but he still grabbed a wooden gun:

"The old soldier is willing to train."

Li Shunhua gripped the reins tightly; she could tell that Pan Yungong was about to kill her.

He wanted to use the opportunity of dealing with a powerless veteran from the North to slap the Xiao family in the face.

What's the point? Pan Yungong should have no grudge against the Xiao family... Li Shunhua suddenly thought of something.

A top choice for military officers!

Could it be that Pan Yungong knew Xiao Xingyue was going to choose me, so he deliberately humiliated Xiao Xingyue and put pressure on him to change his mind?

Li Shunhua was about to stop Pan Yungong.

Xiao Xingyue reached out and pressed down on the old soldier's rifle barrel:

"You rest."

The veteran said urgently, "Young Master."

"Listen to me." Xiao Xingyue picked up the wooden spear and looked at Pan Yungong:

"If you want to fight, I'll fight you!"

The training ground fell silent. A look of joy flashed in Pan Yungong's eyes; this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

"Xiao Xingyue," Li Shunhua immediately spoke, trying to stop him.

She knew that Xiao Xingyue had made great progress recently, but he had said this morning that he hadn't made any breakthroughs and that she had used his yang energy to replenish his yin energy.

Pan Yungong was a genuine fourth-rank official, and he was personally trained by Cao Bi.

Although Cao Bi is not a very good person, he is a genuine seventh-rank master.

"If I die, would the Eighth Princess be willing to remain a widow for me?" Xiao Xingyue asked without turning around, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

Li Shunhua's bright eyes trembled. Was this... was he proposing to me?

"Okay..." Li Shunhua nodded shyly in a low voice.

Pan Yungong drew his longsword, the blade unsheathed, a flash of cold light:

"The Crown Prince uses a wooden spear?"

Xiao Xingyue, holding a wooden gun, said, "I've hit you enough."

The mockery on Pan Yungong's face vanished:

"You asked for it!"

He stomped his foot and charged forward, the wind from his blade slicing through the dust as he aimed straight for Xiao Xingyue's shoulder and neck.

This strike was ruthless and swift; it wasn't a friendly exchange, but aimed at crippling Xiao Xingyue!

The veterans were on tenterhooks, and Li Shunhua gripped his sidearm tightly, almost ready to strike.

The next moment, Xiao Xingyue raised his spear, the wooden spear touching the spine of the knife, and with a thud, a muffled explosion occurred.

Pan Yun felt a sharp pain in his wrist, his thumb and forefinger were instantly torn apart, and he almost dropped the long sword.

Panic and shock surged within him.

How is that possible?

Isn't Xiao Xingyue a useless piece of trash who can't go to the battlefield?

Didn't he only get to where he is today because of women?

How can it be so strong?