Isolated town in northern border region

"This world shouldn't be like this!"

"Yes! That shouldn't be done!"

Zhou Xun caught his breath and excitedly echoed.

But as soon as he spoke, his eyes dimmed.

But that's just how the world is!

"Even if Your Highness is different from those scum, so what?"

"It seems you've defeated the Northern Barbarians so decisively that they can't even raise their heads, but in the end, Your Highness will surely be the one to lose this battle!"

"The grasslands are vast. Even if the northern barbarians lose, they can simply ride north and retreat in a few years, and their army will be strong and well-equipped again!"

"But what about you, Your Highness? Even if you have established a foothold in the five northern prefectures, you still have to be constantly on guard against the northern barbarians invading from the south, and also guard against the court's open and covert attacks."

"The northern frontier is a harsh and cold land, and the people are already suffering. How can they afford to support an army and stockpile grain?"

"If the Northern Barbarian Khan had any sense at all, he would have only needed to cooperate with His Majesty, and Your Highness would have already followed the late Emperor to the afterlife..."

Xiao Lie burst into laughter after hearing this.

"So you couldn't see any hope, which is why you vented your dissatisfaction in the most pessimistic way."

"I thought you actually had some kind of problem!"

Zhou Xun's judgment was indeed accurate. If Xiao Lie was really just an unpopular prince, even if he was a brilliant strategist, he would eventually be dragged to his death in the northern frontier.

But... Xiao Lie is no ordinary prince at all!

Xiao Lie not only possesses groundbreaking knowledge, but also countless examples that can be directly applied!

Especially the latter, if knowledge can give him the ability to change the world, then the deeds of the martyrs are the real driving force that motivates him to take action!

Because Xiao Lie knew clearly in his heart that it was the right path!

Seeing that Xiao Lie seemed completely unconcerned about his current situation and was instead discussing his problems, Zhou Xun couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Your Highness! What are your plans? Could you please tell me? Though I am not very capable, I may still offer some advice!"

"Now that you have recovered Youzhou, both the Northern Barbarians and the Imperial Court dream of your death!"

Xiao Lie raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when he heard Xiao Xiong's raspy voice.

"Hurry! Hurry! The prince is still bleeding!"

Xiao Xiong practically carried the military doctor to Xiao Lie's side, frantically rummaging through the medicine box.

"Which one is the wound medicine?"

"Do you have any pain relievers?"

Is this it?

"Damn it! I don't know any of the characters from the Great Chu either!"

Xiao Xiong, a man eight feet tall, squatted in front of the medicine box and roared, leaving the doctor at a loss. Xiao Lie quickly spoke up.

"Alright! Shut up!"

"It's so noisy it's giving me a headache!"

"Let the doctors do it themselves."

As he spoke, Xiao Lie looked at Zhou Xun.

"Based on what you just said, General Xiao would be lenient if he killed you!"

"After reading so many books, you can't possibly not know how to speak properly, can you?"

Zhou Xun's face flushed red, and his eyes kept glancing at Xiao Xiong, acting as shy as a young wife.

Only after the doctor had finished bandaging Xiao Lie did the young man follow closely to Xiao Xiong and respectfully bow.

"This humble servant has spoken out of turn and offended General Xiao. I beg the General to punish me!"

Xiao Xiong is a very straightforward person with a fiery temper, but he doesn't hold grudges.

He was so angry he was about to kill someone, but now that Zhou Xun has apologized, he's magnanimously waved his hand.

"It's nothing! This general has fought many battles over the years and has seen all kinds of people. Why would I bother with a mere scholar like you?"

"call out!"

An arrow shot up the city wall, and immediately shouts and curses came from below.

"Shameless Xiao Lie! As a prince of the nation, he has broken his promise!"

"Not only did they deliberately sabotage the peace talks, but they also took the opportunity to occupy Youzhou!"

"If you can't give me an explanation today, the men of the grasslands will surely let you experience the power of their curved swords!"

Xiao Lie looked down at the Northern Barbarian envoys below the city with an indifferent expression, and waved to Zhou Xun.

"You're so quick-witted, tell me, what should we do now?"

After a moment's thought, Zhou Xun replied confidently.

"Delay! Play along, and we might even renegotiate and reopen the trade."

"Furthermore, we can manipulate the trade market, implementing different taxes for different tribes, and ideally, supporting a group of weaker tribes to challenge Timur's authority!"

"Then exaggerate the matter of the Northern Barbarians stationing troops on the border, report it directly to the imperial court, and proactively request the court to send troops to support them!"

"In this way, the court will surely sit back and watch the tigers fight, and Your Highness will have more time to prepare."

Zhou Xun's words were all reasonable. Not only was Xiao Lie satisfied, but even Xiao Xiong, who was standing next to him, nodded repeatedly.

Xiao Lie patted Zhou Xun on the shoulder.

"That's true, but it's unnecessary."

Zhou Xun was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, he saw Xiao Lie shouting directly down towards the city.

"An explanation? An explanation for your mother?"

"The five northern prefectures were originally part of the territory of my Great Chu. Do I need to ask your permission to reclaim my lost lands?"

"Go back and ask Timur if he's too old to continue."

"You dare come all this way to demand an explanation from me? Stop being so long-winded!"

"What? Were you so terrified by me last time that now you only dare to talk?"

…………

Xiao Lie launched into a tirade, unleashing his full sarcasm, leaving the eloquent envoy below the city wall speechless.

"Xiao Lie! You wait! When my steppe warriors have trampled Youzhou City, the Khan will tear you to pieces!"

After all the insults, the Northern Barbarian envoy could only utter a weak threat before riding away.

Xiao Lie stood on the city wall and laughed heartily, which made all the soldiers on the city wall laugh along with him, completely dispelling the tense atmosphere before the battle.

Zhou Xun witnessed the whole thing and was completely dumbfounded. It took him a while to calm down before he leaned close to Xiao Lie's ear and asked.

"Your Highness! You're not trying to boost morale, are you?"

"You managed to successfully defend Cangwu City with only a few thousand remaining soldiers, so what chance do you have now?"

"Why is that!"

"Do you know that if war breaks out, the news will surely reach the capital within half a month? At that time, the imperial court will certainly not let such a good opportunity pass by. You are forcing yourself into a dead end!"

Xiao Lie remained relaxed and unconcerned.

"What are you afraid of?"

"The news will take half a month to reach the capital, the court will need another month to prepare the army, and it will take another half month for him to reach the northern frontier!"

"After all this time, I've already dealt with the Northern Barbarians!"

Zhou Xun believed that Xiao Lie's arrogance stemmed from his repeated victories, and he continued to offer his advice, unwilling to give up.

"Your Highness! Even if you drive the Tartars back to the grasslands, what then?"

"You can't possibly uproot them all, can you?"

"Our Great Chu is mostly composed of infantry!"

"And then there's the imperial court. Even if His Majesty can't openly attack you, he only needs to block the trade routes into the northern frontier and cut off their supplies. The northern frontier alone can't support so many soldiers!"

"With no support from the rear, and enemies on both sides, we'll be dragged down and killed!"

Zhou Xun became more and more agitated as he spoke, and Xiao Lie quickly tried to soothe him like a child.

"Okay, okay, I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."

"What you said before was all correct, but what you said after that was wrong."

"I intend to completely crush the Northern Barbarians before the imperial army enters the northern frontier, and then place Tug on the throne of Khan, through whom I will transform the grasslands into my main base in the north!"

"At that time, not only will our Northern Frontier be completely freed from its shackles, but it will also frighten the imperial court into taking the initiative to show goodwill!"

"After all, the grasslands have no shortage of horses, and south of the northern frontier is all plains!"

As Zhou Xun listened to Xiao Lie's description, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Your Highness? Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Such a feat was something the late emperor couldn't accomplish in his entire life, yet you claim it will only take two or three months?"

"This is...this is absolutely appalling!"

Xiao Lie chuckled.

"The reason I left the capital was because I didn't want to play dirty tricks with them."

"I, this king, only play with the wild!"