Isolated town in northern border region

His voice wasn't loud, but his eyes swept over every face as if they were looking at a dead person.

"The ringleader has been executed; the rest will not be questioned."

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket; it was a "military merit land grant order" that he had written in advance, and the paper rustled in the north wind.

"I will give you two choices."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"First rule: Lay down your weapons and follow me to defend the northern border!"

"I swear in the name of the late Emperor that I will lead you to reclaim all five northern provinces!"

He unfolded the paper, showing everyone the large seal on it.

"Killing one Northern Barbarian will earn you one merit!"

"Accumulated merits can be exchanged for land and can lead to discharge from the military!"

"Your children will be able to study, take the imperial examinations, and even become officials!"

He paused for a moment.

"Secondly, continue to do evil."

He glanced at the still convulsing corpse on the ground.

"Behind me are fifty fearless brothers, and three thousand border troops are on their way from outside the city!"

"You can choose for yourselves."

Another deathly silence descended.

Xiao Lie's claim of three thousand border troops was obviously fabricated, but the defeated soldiers believed it to be true.

After all, with the northern frontier fallen, it was perfectly normal for a prince to lead several thousand elite troops to its aid.

Then, one of them threw down his knife and knelt down.

Two, three, four...

Like toppled dominoes, they all collapsed and knelt down.

Hundreds of defeated soldiers lay on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the frozen mud.

Some people were trembling, some were kowtowing desperately, and their previous arrogance had vanished.

"I am willing to obey Your Highness's orders..."

The sounds were scattered, but becoming more and more unified.

Xiao Lie put away the paper and turned around.

Behind him, the fifty members of the honor guard had somehow already lined up in neat rows.

No one was yawning, and no one was leaning to one side.

They knelt on one knee, slamming their right fists into their chests, the clanging of their armor resounding like a muffled thunderclap.

"We, your humble servants, are ready to obey Your Highness's commands!"

This was the first time they had given a formal military salute.

That look in his eyes was completely different from half an hour ago!

It's no longer about being dismissive, negligent, or laughing at someone, but about having reverence, faith, and finding a guiding light.

Bisu stood to the side, covering her mouth, her eyes reddening.

She watched Xiao Lie's retreating figure.

His white robes were stained with blood, and blood droplets still clung to his sword sheath. His back was straight, like a flag planted in the frozen soil of Cangwu City.

She thought of the late emperor. The late emperor was just like this back then!

As long as you stand at the front line, no matter how many people are on the other side, your back will always be straight.

She had only one thought in her mind—this was the late emperor's son!

Just then, a rustling sound came from behind.

Xiao Lie turned around.

The doors along the street were pushed open one by one, and the windows that had been tightly closed before creaked open as well.

The people who had been hiding cautiously peeked out.

They looked at the corpse still lying on the ground in the street, at the more than one hundred defeated soldiers kneeling on the ground, and at the young prince in white robes stained with blood.

An old man walked out of the doorway, leaning on a wooden cane, and knelt down in front of Xiao Lie.

"Your Highness...this humble subject kowtows to Your Highness..."

His voice was hoarse, and tears streamed down his face.

"Those beasts stole our grain. My son tried to stop them and they beat him, injuring his leg... I thought I wasn't going to make it today..."

Xiao Lie bent down to help him.

The old woman refused to get up, clutching his clothes and crying like a child.

"Your Highness, you are our great benefactor..."

This kneeling was like tearing down the last wall.

People came out one after another from both sides of the street and knelt down.

There were elderly people, women, and children...

"Long live the Prince..."

"Your Highness, please save us..."

"The northern barbarians have captured Yunzhou, and the refugees who fled here all say that the imperial court no longer cares about the northern border... We thought no one would care about us anymore..."

The cries, thanks, and pleas mingled together, and even the north wind couldn't suppress them.

Xiao Lie stood there, looking at the people kneeling in the street, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

He reached out to help the old man up, then took the bag of dry food from Bisu and stuffed it into the old man's arms.

"Don't worry, sir!"

"Everything will be alright!"

He raised his head and looked at the people filling the street. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"With my arrival, the Northern Territory will not be lost."

In the crowd, a young man suddenly stood up.

He was dressed in rags, with bruises on his face, and one arm was in a sling, clearly injured by fleeing soldiers.

"Your Highness! My name is Zhou Dazhuang, from Yunzhou! I escaped when the Northern Barbarians breached the city; my parents died in the city!"

His voice trembled, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Your Highness, will you withdraw your troops? I don't want land, I don't want military pay, I just want a sword so I can go back and kill the northern barbarians!"

Xiao Lie looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

"Your injury hasn't healed yet."

"He won't die!"

Zhou Dazhuang gritted his teeth.

"I've suffered far worse injuries! Your Highness, please accept me!"

Behind him, several more young men stood up.

"Your Highness, I'm going too!"

"Me too! Staying here is just waiting to die anyway!"

"I can't fight, but I can cook and bandage the wounded. Your Highness, please take me with you!"

Xiao Lie looked at them, his eyes slightly red, but he didn't let the tears fall.

"it is good."

He nodded.

"Bisu, write down their names."

Bisu wiped away her tears, nodded vigorously, and took out paper and pen from her sleeve.

Just as the crowd was getting excited, a shout came from the other end of the street.

"Welcome, Your Highness Prince Ning!"

Several minor officials pushed through the crowd to greet them.

"Your Highness, officials from the five prefectures of the Northern Frontier are already waiting at the government office."

"What do you think?"

Xiao Lie nodded and turned to look at the defeated soldiers and civilians kneeling on the ground.

"Those who plundered the people, just as they were stealing, they will now return to me exactly what they just did!"

"If I hear of anyone who remains unrepentant, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

After saying that, he ignored the group of defeated soldiers, turned around and said a few words to Bisu, and then walked alone towards the government office.

The main hall of the government office was brightly lit.

The moment Xiao Lie stepped through the door, the buzzing discussions instantly ceased.

A dozen or so officials stood on either side, civil officials on the left and military officers on the right, all looking at him.

Not a single civil official knelt down to pay respects, not a single person cupped their hands in a gesture of respect, and not a single person even stood up.

They looked at them like tenants coming to collect rent, their eyes filled with contempt and disdain.

Only the military officers stood up and bowed respectfully, but their eyes were full of scrutiny as they looked at Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie glanced at it, a slight smile playing on his lips, and walked to the head seat to sit down.

"Gentlemen, I am the Pacification Commissioner of the Northern Frontier, ordered to pacify the soldiers and civilians of the northern border. I have just arrived today..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

"Your Highness."

The official on the left suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but he abruptly cut off Xiao Lie's words.

The man was in his fifties, thin, with three long wisps of beard, and the pheasant patch on his official robe was embroidered with exceptional finery.

A second-rank civil official, serving as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of the Northern Frontier.

He sat motionless in the chair, not even turning his head, but slightly tilting his head and glancing at Xiao Lie out of the corner of his eye, as if looking at a junior who did not know the rules.

"Your Highness has traveled a long way and must be tired. However..."

He picked up his teacup, slowly blew away the foam, took a sip, and then continued:

"The affairs of the Northern Frontier cannot be rushed. Since Your Highness is new here, you might as well rest for a few days and familiarize yourself with the place."

"As for official business... I will handle it myself, Your Highness need not trouble yourself."

The room was completely silent.

The civil officials exchanged glances, and faint smiles appeared on their lips.

On the military side, some frowned, some lowered their heads, and some clenched their fists, but no one uttered a sound.

Xiao Lie looked at the old man and almost burst out laughing.

The Provincial Administration Commissioner was only a second-rank official.

Who am I? The Prince of Ning of Great Chu!

A prince appointed by imperial decree, of royal blood.

How dare a second-rank official put on airs in front of a prince? How dare he interrupt the prince? How dare he make decisions for the prince?

This is not arrogance.

This guy is fearless!

"You're Zhao Mingyuan?"

Xiao Lie asked.

"That's right, Your Excellency."

Zhao Mingyuan put down his teacup and finally turned around, but still did not stand up.

"Has Your Highness heard of me?"

"Never heard of it, but I can guess, it's one of the First Prince's men, right?"

The entire room paled.

Zhao Mingyuan's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal.

"Your Highness is too kind. I am an official of the Great Chu, receiving the emperor's salary and thus obligated to serve him!"

"I know nothing about any princes, whether they are the eldest or the second prince."

He paused, then pulled an account book from his sleeve, opened it, and read aloud:

"In the five prefectures of northern Xinjiang, the total tax revenue for the year was 120,000 taels of silver and 230,000 shi of grain."

"Eighty thousand shi of grain were spent on disaster relief, thirty thousand shi were kept for seed in various places, sixty thousand shi were allocated by the imperial court, and the remaining sixty thousand shi were put into the official granary."

He closed the ledger, looked at Xiao Lie, his eyes showing no respect but rather a scrutinizing gaze.

"If Your Highness wishes to inspect the accounts, I am at your service at any time. However..."

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

"Your Highness, I've been in officialdom for thirty years. What kind of princes haven't I seen? Some princes are just here to gain experience and prestige."

"If you get into trouble in the capital, you'll be kicked out to lay low for a year or two. Once things have calmed down, you can just pack up and leave."

The way he looked at Xiao Lie was like he was looking at an ignorant child.

"Your Highness, which one are you?"

After Zhao Mingyuan finished speaking, he picked up his teacup, slowly blew on the tea foam, and took a sip in front of Xiao Lie with a grating sound.