Isolated town in northern border region

Jiang Min's sudden visit caused great anxiety among the powerful families of Yongzhou.

Wang Shoucheng, along with the heads of the thirteen families, personally greeted them at the door; some of them didn't even have time to put on their shoes properly.

Jiang Min, dressed in a simple green dress and without any makeup, made the atmosphere in the entire Wang family compound seem to drop a few degrees.

She didn't sit in the main seat, but sat down next to it. Her posture was composed, her tone was calm, and her first words made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

"Please don't be nervous."

"I have come here not because Your Highness wants to settle scores later."

"On the contrary, I advised the prince for a long time yesterday, and only then did I manage to secure a livelihood for you all."

Wang Shoucheng's heart tightened, and he subconsciously cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please speak, Your Highness."

Jiang Min picked up her teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip.

"His Highness said that the ancestors of all the noble families in Yongzhou had rendered meritorious service to the Great Chu."

"The ancestors of the Wang family once reclaimed wasteland and cultivated land; the ancestors of the Li family once promoted education and spread knowledge; the ancestors of the Zhao family once protected the peace of the region..."

"For the sake of our ancestors, His Highness is willing to give you a way out."

She put down her teacup and glanced at each tense face.

"As long as you stop competing with the people for profit from now on, His Highness will grant you an exclusive business."

"I wonder... what kind of business it is?"

Wang Shoucheng's voice was somewhat dry.

Jiang Min smiled.

"Luxury goods".

"Perfume, soap, glassware, fine leather goods, mink fur, rouge... Northern Xinjiang has the best craftsmanship for these; no other place in the world can make them."

"His Highness will deliver the first batch of goods to you in half a month, and you will sell them to those noble families."

"You set your own prices, distribute them yourselves, and make your own money."

"Your Highness has only two principles..."

First, do not touch the ground!

Second, do not harm the people!

The hall was deathly silent.

Some people lowered their heads in thought, some exchanged glances, and some clenched their fists and then relaxed them.

A young head of the family couldn't help but ask a question.

"Your Highness...is it truly for the sake of those...common people?"

Jiang Min glanced at him, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty.

"certainly!"

"His Highness instructed me to convey to everyone that the reason why noble families are noble families is because they have accumulated merits, but in the final analysis, it is because they have monopolized resources that others do not have."

"Your ancestors were compassionate towards all people and bestowed blessings upon the region. Do you truly wish to bring shame upon them?"

Wang Shoucheng remained silent for a long time.

Then he stood up and bowed deeply to Jiang Min.

"Wang Shouchang, the twelfth-generation descendant of the Wang family of Yongzhou, shall from this day forward strictly adhere to the ancestral precepts, cultivate virtue and knowledge, and bring blessings to his hometown!"

"I also want to express my gratitude to the princess for pleading on my behalf!"

"Please, Princess, convey to the Prince... From this day forward, the illustrious families of Yongzhou will follow the Prince's every command!"

Jiang Min shook her head, her tone indifferent.

"His Highness said he doesn't need your loyalty."

"Noble families are not superior to others, and similarly, he, as a prince, is not worthy to step on anyone's head."

After saying that, she got up and left, just as quietly as she had come.

A group of family heads were left behind, looking at each other with blank expressions, none of them understanding what Xiao Lie was thinking.

Despite being of noble birth, the only son of the late emperor, and possessing the immense merit of recovering the northern frontier, he claimed that he was not worthy to step on anyone's head.

This idea was completely beyond the comprehension of the aristocratic families.

Wang Shouchang looked up at the sky, recalling the classics of great Confucian scholars he had studied diligently in the past, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Even if Your Highness is not destined for the throne, you should still be a sage!"

Back at the inn, Jiang Min relayed the aristocratic family's reply to Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie was packing his things and said something without looking up.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"As long as these noble families behave themselves, I won't bother them."

Jiang Min looked at him and finally couldn't help but ask the question that everyone wanted to ask.

"Your Highness, they are already showing you goodwill, why not accept their allegiance?"

Xiao Lie stopped what he was doing, straightened up, and looked at Jiang Min.

"Princess, do you believe those people are loyal to me, or to the King of the Northern Frontier who rules the northern frontier?"

Jiang Min was speechless for a moment.

"Isn't it all the same?"

Xiao Lie stuffed the last piece of clothing into his bundle and dusted off his hands.

"Today they may be loyal to me, but tomorrow someone else will have something better, and they will be loyal to that person."

"Loyalty is the least valuable thing when there is no mutual benefit involved."

"Instead of making them pledge allegiance, we should first establish rules and then give them a belief that they can dedicate their lives to."

"To revive the spirit of our ancestors is a great idea!"

He walked to the window and looked out at the myriad lights of Yongzhou City in the night.

"Moreover, whether or not I accept their allegiance is really not important."

"Once they invest everything into the industrial chain in northern Xinjiang, they won't be able to rebel even if they want to."

"At that time, even if they were unwilling, they had no choice but to follow in my footsteps."

"If you fall behind even a step, you will be crushed by the tide."

Looking into his calm eyes, Jiang Min suddenly felt that the boy in front of her was even more terrifying than she had imagined.

He not only sees through people's hearts, but he also knows how to discipline them.

In just three months, he forced the powerful families of Yongzhou into the way he wanted them to be, and he didn't care whether they wanted to or not!

The next morning, Luo Daniu and Xiao Xiong came to say goodbye to Xiao Lie.

With Yongzhou already pacified, if they follow Xiao Lie south, it would only give the Chu Emperor grounds to accuse them of "a vassal king privately mobilizing troops."

The morning light in the courtyard shone on the two men. Luo Daniu was dressed in black armor, and Xiao Xiong was dressed in silver armor, looking like two iron towers.

Xiao Lie looked at them and couldn't help but laugh.

"Be careful on your way back to northern Xinjiang, and don't cause any trouble."

Luo Daniu scratched his head.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I'll sleep on the way and won't cause any trouble."

Xiao Lie slapped him on the back of the head.

"Your snoring is so loud, it's a nuisance even when you're sleeping!"

Luo Daniu cried out and dodged to the side, while Xiao Xiong laughed and kicked him again.

"Da Niu, don't dismantle the rest stops along the way."

The three of them were making a ruckus, punching and kicking each other, kicking up dust, which made Jiang Min and Bi Su cover their mouths and chuckle.

Luo Daniu leaned back to dodge Xiao Lie's fist, but stumbled and a palm-sized iron plate fell out of his arms with a thud. It rolled twice on the ground and stopped at Xiao Lie's feet, turning over in the morning light.

Xiao Lie bent down to pick up the iron plate, turned it over, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

The front of the iron plaque is engraved with a coiled dragon pattern, with each scale clearly visible, just like the dragon pattern on the late emperor's sword.

The back is engraved with a line of small characters in seal script.

"The Great Chu Panlong Guard - Tieshan".

Xiao Lie's fingers tightened slightly.

He raised his head and his gaze fell on Luo Daniu's face.

For a fleeting moment, his gaze changed, becoming sharp and cold, like a blade slicing through ice.

Luo Daniu was completely unaware and was about to reach for the iron plate back, muttering to himself.

"Ugh, this thing is so annoying!"

He grabbed the metal plate and casually tossed it aside, his movements as careless as throwing away trash.

"Your Highness! Again! Watch my newly learned freestyle fighting technique!"

Xiao Lie watched as he casually discarded the iron plaque that represented the identity of the Panlong Guard, and the ice in his eyes instantly melted away.

If Luo Daniu was truly a spy for the Panlong Guard, how could he so readily abandon the honor that was his life?

Xiao Lie walked over, picked up the token, and dusted it off.

"Big Ox, where did this thing come from?"

Luo Daniu scratched his head.

"My dad's."

"I stole it when I joined the army. I used a strip of cloth to tie it to my chest as a breastplate, and it worked really well!"

"Your Highness, you wouldn't believe it, but when I went home to visit my family before, my father found out and chased me for three miles, but he couldn't catch me!"

Xiao Lie asked again.

"What's your father's name?"

Luo Daniu answered decisively.

"My father's name is Luo Tieshan."

"Everyone in our village calls him Eagle Shooter Luo because of his accurate archery skills."

"He was incredibly skilled when he was young; he could shoot an eagle in the eye without even breaking its skin!"

"After my mother passed away, he took me to hide in the mountains to hunt, and never used a bow again..."

He got more and more excited as he talked.

"Once I angered him, and he shot an arrow that snapped a tree branch off the top of my head, which nearly scared me to death!"

Xiao Xiong chimed in from the side.

"Since your father is such a skilled archer, why didn't he teach you?"

Luo Daniu looked completely indifferent.

"He taught me, but I don't want to learn."

"It takes all day to draw a bow, and you have to talk about calming your mind and practicing your eyesight. It's too much trouble!"

"When I go hunting in the mountains, a javelin is enough. Why bother with all that trouble?"

Xiao Lie couldn't help but purse his lips.

Having someone like this under my command, I really don't know if it's a blessing or a curse!

He put the iron plate into his pocket and patted Luo Daniu on the shoulder.

"This iron plaque is for me."

Luo Daniu waved his hand.

"Here you go! Your Highness can use it as a breastplate; it'll suit you better than I can!"

Xiao Lie nodded, then suddenly said.

"Have you finished counting the number of people?"

"If any of the brothers in the Trapped Camp become enamored with the prosperity of Yongzhou, overindulge in the fun, and fall behind, I, the king, will deal with you, the commander!"

Luo Daniu's eyes widened.

"Those bunch of bastards, let's see who dares to challenge them!"

"Um... I need to use the restroom!"

Luo Daniu ran off in a flash, and Xiao Lie turned to look at Xiao Xiong, lowering his voice.

"After you get back, have Zhou Xun secretly investigate this Luo Tieshan."

"The bodyguards who served the late emperor were excellent archers, especially skilled at shooting eagles."

"I want to know his origins, his whereabouts, and the people connected to him."

Although Xiao Xiong did not recognize the Small Seal script, he could tell from Xiao Lie's expression that things were not simple, so he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Understood, sir!"

A moment later, Luo Daniu ran in again, grinning foolishly, completely unaware that he had been thoroughly arranged for him.

"I told you they wouldn't dare!"

"The military regulations of the Trapped Camp are not just for show!"

Xiao Lie couldn't help but laugh when he saw his simple-minded expression.

"Alright! Commander Luo is a skilled commander!"

"Get out of here!"

After seeing the two off, Xiao Lie stood in the courtyard in silence for a long time.

He held the Panlong Guard's iron plaque in his hand, turning it over and over to examine it. The sunlight shone on the dragon pattern, giving it a cold, eerie glow.

He recalled Luo Daniu's oblivious demeanor just now, and also the utterly depraved acts of Tie Gong in Qingzhou.

The two are completely different worlds.

He put the iron plate back into his pocket and silently memorized it.

Luo Tieshan, Tie Gong, Archer, Tieshan.

These names will eventually be connected.

At this moment, Bisu gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Your Highness, it's time for us to set off."

Xiao Lie snapped out of his daze and nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

"Oh, by the way, don't you like the candied fruit from that shop on East Street?"

"Shall we buy some food for the road?"

Bisu shook her little head with a smug look on her face.

"This servant has already prepared everything!"

"There are plums and dried peaches!"

Xiao Lie affectionately patted Bisu's head and then walked out of the post station.