Isolated town in northern border region

Tuge also noticed Xiao Lie and instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Xiao Lie saw his movement, immediately spurred his horse forward, and pointed his spear at Tug's nose.

"Tugh! Die or surrender!"

Tug's Adam's apple bobbed as he glanced across the entire battlefield.

With the Trapped Camp in front and the Wolf Riders behind, the 70,000-strong army was squeezed in the middle and unable to move.

Most importantly, the heavy armor and steel swords of the Trapped Camp and the Wolf Riders are far beyond what numbers can compensate for!

The arrows from the Northern Barbarian warriors were merely a tickle to them, and their scimitars would chip and cut when they were slashed!

Tug's expression shifted several times, and he gritted his teeth as he sheathed his sword.

"Your Highness, it's all a misunderstanding!"

"I wanted to act more convincingly, but I never expected that Xiao Yu wouldn't even dare to defend the city."

"withdraw troops."

Tug squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

Seventy thousand northern barbarian cavalrymen withdrew from the battlefield like a tide, running north without looking back.

Both the Trapped Camp and the Wolf Riders were heavily armored and could not catch up at all.

Sitting on his horse, Xiao Lie watched the departing Northern Barbarian army and let out a long sigh.

"Xiao Xiong".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Take men to gather the routed soldiers and take stock of the losses."

"Yes, sir!"

Tuge has fled, but the mess in Bianzhou City still needs to be cleaned up.

Xiao Lie led his men on a tour of the city and discovered that not all the Imperial Guards had fled.

There were also about 50,000 people who remained in the city without fully understanding why.

Most of these imperial guards were from respectable families, not from powerful clans.

They squatted in the corner, sat by the roadside, their eyes vacant, their faces ashen.

Xiao Lie walked up to a young imperial guard and squatted down.

"What's your name?"

The young man looked up and saw the Prince of Ning's banner on Xiao Lie's body, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Your Highness... my name is Zhao Hu... I'm not a deserter... I didn't run away... it's my superior who ran away... I don't know what to do..."

Xiao Lie patted him on the shoulder.

"Stop crying. From today onwards, you will follow me."

"I'll pay you military pay and allocate you land. Are you willing?"

Zhao Hu was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then wiped away his tears and nodded vigorously.

"Yes! I'm willing!"

Xiao Lie stood up, looked at the Imperial Guards huddled in the corner, and roared.

"Listen up! I don't care whose soldiers you were before, or what battles you fought in the past."

"From today onwards, as long as you are willing to stay in the northern frontier, I will provide you with military pay and land."

"Those with families may bring their families here, and I will distribute the land according to the number of people."

The Imperial Guards looked at each other, completely bewildered.

Who wants to join the army these days?

It wasn't because his family's land was seized that he had no choice but to join the army and risk his life to make a living.

Land annexation was an inescapable fate for every dynasty.

When they heard that they would not only receive military pay but also land, and that it would be paid per person, how could these people be willing to leave?

"Your Highness, I won't leave!"

"Your Highness, I will follow you!"

Xiao Lie smiled.

In less than half a day, most of the Imperial Guards brought by Xiao Yu returned to the Northern Frontier.

Bianzhou City was stabilized, but Xiao Lie still had one score to settle.

"Where is Xiao Yu? As the commander-in-chief, how dare he abandon the city and flee!"

They ran away.

Xiao Xiong curled his lip.

"He fled south with several hundred guards. Should we give chase?"

Xiao Lie nodded.

"The Wolf Riders have removed their heavy armor and are following me!"

Xiao Lie led the Canglang cavalry southward along the official road.

After chasing for less than two hours, they cornered Xiao Yu and his group of young noblemen in a mountain hollow.

The expression on Xiao Yu's face was incredibly interesting the moment she saw Xiao Lie.

Shock, fear, anger, resentment—all sorts of emotions took turns playing out.

"Xiao Lie! You... how could you..."

Xiao Yu stammered.

Xiao Lie dismounted, picked up his sword, and walked up to Xiao Yu, looking down at him.

"Eldest brother... Hmph!"

"As the commander-in-chief, why did he abandon the city and flee?"

"What audacity!"

Xiao Yu's face turned a deep purplish-red.

"I...I lured the enemy deep into my territory!"

"Lure the enemy deep into our territory?"

Xiao Lie smiled, but there was no warmth in his smile.

"Leading several hundred personal guards, barefoot, without even armor, and you call that luring the enemy deep into your territory?"

He waved his hand.

"Tie him up."

The cavalry swarmed forward, dragged Xiao Yu off his horse, and bound him tightly.

Xiao Yu struggled desperately, screaming.

"Xiao Lie! How dare you! I am the Grand Marshal personally appointed by His Majesty! You have no right to arrest me!"

Xiao Lie watched silently as Xiao Yu made a fool of himself, then slowly pulled out his steel knife and stuck it in front of him.

"If you commit suicide, I'll consider you a true man!"

Xiao Yu's roar abruptly stopped. Looking at the steel knife in front of him, his legs went weak, and he knelt down.

"Hmph! If you weren't surnamed Xiao, I would have skinned you alive right now!"

Xiao Lie sheathed his steel knife and turned to look at the group of young masters from aristocratic families.

Those people were already terrified, their faces pale, and they cried out for mercy.

Xiao Lie walked up to a young man dressed in brocade robes.

"What's your name?"

"King...King...King..."

"Wang what?"

"Wang... Wang Shicong..."

Xiao Lie nodded.

"The son of the Vice Minister of Revenue?"

Wang Shicong nodded vigorously.

"it is good."

Xiao Lie turned to Xiao Xiong and said.

"Lock all these people up, just make sure they don't starve to death."

Xiao Xiong was taken aback.

"Your Highness, what's the point of keeping these useless people around?"

"That Xiao Yu is a prince, so he's not easy to kill, but aren't these useless people a waste of food to keep alive?"

Xiao Lie smiled.

"These people are all hostages! And each one is worth more than the last!"

When the news reached the capital, it caused a stir in the court and among the people.

The eldest prince was escorted back to the capital and paraded through the streets. Xiao Lie's men even "accidentally" spread the shameful story of Xiao Yu's desertion in the face of battle.

The people of Beijing now have a new topic of conversation during their leisure time.

In contrast to Prince Ning, Xiao Lie, who single-handedly rescued the city and turned the tide, Xiao Yu's reputation was instantly branded with shame.

Even if the Chu Emperor insisted on sparing his life, he would never be able to ascend the throne in this lifetime.

Upon hearing the secret report, Emperor Xiao Mu of Chu suddenly snapped the vermilion brush in his hand in two.

"Xiao Lie!"

At this moment, the Chu Emperor only wanted to devour Xiao Lie alive, but he could only think about it and then continue his impotent rage.

After all, Xiao Yu was the commander-in-chief he sent, and his desertion in the face of battle is a fact that cannot be denied.

What's more troublesome is that those young masters from powerful families are still in Xiao Lie's hands, and the heads of various powerful families have taken turns going to the palace to plead for their lives.

"Your Majesty, you must think of a solution! My son has never suffered hardship since he was a child; how will he endure it in the northern frontier!"

"Your Majesty, if Prince Ning really kills my son, how can this old minister live on!"

The Chu Emperor was driven to a headache by the noise, but he managed to find a reason not to let Xiao Lie release the people.

Those who desert in the face of battle are lucky if they aren't beheaded on the spot!

These aristocratic families valued lineage above all else, and those qualified to accompany Xiao Yu to the Northern Frontier for further training were their precious treasures, whom they absolutely could not afford to abandon.

With no other option, the powerful clans, seeing that seeking help from Emperor Xiao Mu of Chu was futile, could only turn their attention to the northern frontier.

Xiao Lie didn't have to wait long.

The first family to come and redeem the person was the Zhao family from the capital.

The Zhao family was not considered a high-ranking noble family among aristocratic clans. They prospered because their ancestors made contributions to the founding emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty.

Within aristocratic circles, the Zhao family held a lower-middle status and could not be considered a major power or clan.

The young master of the Zhao family who was imprisoned by Xiao Lie this time happened to be the only son in four generations.

The person from the Zhao family was a middle-aged man in his forties named Zhao Qian, who was the current head of the Zhao family.

As soon as he entered the prefectural government, he bowed respectfully to Xiao Lie.

"Your Highness, I have failed in my duty to raise my son and have caused you trouble."

"I wonder if Your Highness would be so lenient? The Zhao family of the capital will surely repay you handsomely!"

Xiao Lie didn't make things difficult for him and had someone bring out the Zhao family's youngest grandson.

They even untied him in front of Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian was flattered.

"Your Highness, this...this..."

Xiao Lie smiled.

"Patriarch Zhao, Young Master Zhao is doing well in the Northern Frontier. He has plenty to eat and drink, and I will not make things difficult for him."

Zhao Qian immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"Your Highness's great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten by the Zhao family."

Xiao Lie helped him up.

"No rush, I still have some wealth to bestow upon Patriarch Zhao."

"The border trade in the northern frontier has excellent furs from the grasslands. I can give a share to the Zhao family."

"The annual dividend will not be less than this amount."

He held out his hand.

Zhao Qian's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Fifty thousand taels?"

Xiao Lie smiled.

"It's five hundred thousand taels."

Zhao Qian's breathing suddenly became rapid.

"Your Highness, from this day forward, the entire Zhao family will follow Your Highness's lead!"

Xiao Lie exchanged a few more polite words with a smile, then let Zhao Qian leave with his son.

After Zhao Qian left, Zhou Xun came out from the back room.

"Your Highness, the Zhao family is not a top-tier aristocratic family, why such courtesy?"

Xiao Lie smiled.

"The Zhao family may not be a top-tier family, but what I want is not the Zhao family's power, but its rise!"

"Once the Zhao family has tasted the benefits of following me, will the other powerful families be able to sit still?"

"Would they just stand by and watch the Zhao family, whom they used to mock at will, rise above them?"

Zhou Xun instantly understood, and a cunning smile, just like Xiao Lie's, appeared on his face.

"Your Highness, if we continue to win over these small families, things will get quite lively inside them."

After the Zhao family, other prominent families indeed couldn't sit still any longer.

At first, it was the lower and middle-class aristocratic families that came.

Xiao Lie welcomed them all with a friendly attitude, releasing those who needed to be released and discussing cooperation when appropriate.

Shares from the border trade, furs from the grasslands, and steel from northern Xinjiang were all sent out one by one.

The heads of those powerful families were overjoyed. They had thought they would be lucky to get their people back, but they never expected to make money as well.

After the news spread, even the top aristocratic families couldn't sit still.

The Cui, Lu, and Zheng families each sent people to ransom the person.

But Xiao Lie's attitude towards these top families was completely different.

The Cui family elders arrived, arrogant and demanding that Xiao Lie release the people as soon as they entered.

"Prince Ning, I must leave with my clan's younger generation today. Release them immediately!"

"As for business matters, there's no rush."

Xiao Lie wasn't angry; he just smiled and said...

"Business? What kind of business?"

"Who do you think you are, Cui family? You dare to do business with me?"

"Redemption is possible! One million taels per person."

The elders of the Cui family turned green with rage.

"You...you're taking advantage of our misfortune!"

Xiao Lie picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

"I'm robbing you, so what?"

"If you've got the guts, why don't you redeem him?"

"In a few days, I plan to build a martyrs' monument in the northern frontier, to commemorate those fallen soldiers of the northern frontier!"

"As for your Cui family's children, I will not mistreat them either."

"Beside the Martyrs' Monument, I also plan to erect a Pillar of Treacherous Officials, specifically to hang the heads of those who deserted in the face of battle!"