Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Everyone stared curiously as Ashina continued speaking.

He Lu sneered, "Still saying it wasn't intentional? If you were really 100% sure, why did you lead everyone to their deaths!"

Ashina, seeing Helu's continued sarcasm, said with an unfriendly expression, "Nobody wanted Helu's crushing defeat! Stop with the sarcastic remarks. If you have evidence that I deliberately tried to kill you, then kill me on the spot. I won't say a word!"

"If you have no evidence and still dare to make baseless accusations, and if you continue to confuse the public and undermine morale, don't blame me for taking military law against you!"

After Ashina finished speaking...

Ashina's clansmen stood up one after another, looking at Helu menacingly, as if to show their own attitude and bolster Ashina's morale!

He Lu's side showed no weakness whatsoever. Before He Lu could even speak, his tribesmen all stood up, glaring angrily! Their side was even more hot-tempered, and they immediately drew their knives, ready to fight!

He Lu pointed menacingly at the Ashina tribe: "What, court-martial? Ashina, you weren't this tough when you were fighting those trash in the northern desert. Now that you're with our own people, you're all showing off!"

"I'd like to see what you're going to do to me! Military law? We usually give you some face, but don't think you're some kind of emperor of the Turks! You're a Khan, and so am I! What right do you have to punish me with military law! If a real fight breaks out, we'll beat the shit out of your Ashina clan!"

The Ashina tribe members, without saying a word, drew their knives and cursed without backing down: "You really are ungrateful wretches! It's always our father who, for the sake of Turkic unity and peace, has made our people give way to you in every way. You bunch of dogs, do you really think we're afraid of you!"

It looked like the two sides were about to clash.

Ashide said calmly from the side, "You all should start fighting, hurry up! It would be best to bring out all the people from your Ashina tribe and Helu tribe to have a match. Fight to the death and determine the winner. It will be a good opportunity for those Xiao people in Yanbei City to see this and laugh at them to death."

The two sides were locked in a stalemate.

"I'll say it again: if you can unite and defeat the Xiao people, then we can sit down and have a proper talk."

"If you no longer want the alliance, then let's disband. Otherwise, we'll make a fool of ourselves in front of the Xiao people."

He Lu's face darkened when he heard Ashina say this: "I never said we wouldn't form an alliance. It was Ashina who wanted to court-martial me. What kind of person is he to want to punish me!"

Ashina said coldly, "Have you forgotten all the nonsense you spouted? Alright! I'm not going to waste my breath on you! I'm going to tell you my next plan. If you want to hear it, then listen. If you don't want to hear it, then please leave!"

He Lu snorted and sat down in his seat: "Leave? If you want to leave, then leave. Why should I leave!"

As he spoke, Helu, like a child throwing a tantrum, simply sat down and then cursed at the Helu tribesmen behind him, "Sit down, all of you! What are you standing here for? We're lighting lamps..."

Although Helu was not convinced by Ashina, he was still self-aware, as Ashina maintained good relations with most tribes.

If they really pushed him to the limit, they really kicked him out.

He really couldn't bear to let go of this lucrative prize, the Xiao Kingdom.

After all, despite the temporary setback, He Lu still felt that their conquest of Xiao was a sure thing, and there was absolutely no possibility of them losing.

Ashina glanced at Helu and decided not to provoke him further.

He also had his own plans. The people of the Helu tribe were skilled fighters and were famous throughout the Turkic tribes.

If we were to attack the Xiao Kingdom and lose them, it would be no exaggeration to say that we would be cutting off our own arm.

Under Ashide's mediation, the two of them reached a peaceful conclusion, and for the sake of long-term interests, they both chose to back down.

Ashina continued, "My plan is actually very simple: surround the city without attacking! According to reliable intelligence, Han Da has taken in many refugees. And Yanbei City is already out of food! Han Da is using military rations to help those refugees. As long as we surround the city without attacking, it won't be more than half a month before the city falls on its own!"

After Ashina spoke, Helu couldn't help but want to retort, but Ashide stopped him with a look.

He Lu said to Ashina, "Ashina, is your informant reliable? It was because of faulty intelligence that we misjudged their strength!"

"Moreover, Yanbei City was built against the canyon. One of its city gates is on this side, and the other is on the canyon side, facing the four prefectures and thirty-nine cities of the northern desert! We simply cannot surround them."

Upon hearing this, Ashina laughed and said, "Ashide, I naturally know what you're saying. We'll surround this area! Furthermore, I have ways to prevent the powerful clans of those four prefectures from supplying them with grain, or even to intercept their supplies. You see, Yanbei City can be a strategically important city, or it can be an isolated and helpless city!"

He Lu listened for a while, but still couldn't help but say, "Ashina, don't blame me for saying this... Haven't you heard? The heads of the four major clans in the four prefectures of Yanbei have all been turned by that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce! They're all Xiao Ce's men now, do you think they'll listen to you?"

Ashina revealed a sly smile: "If I weren't absolutely certain, would I say that? You probably don't know about the reforms that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce implemented after taking over the northern desert."

"Xiao Ce wants to elevate those lowly people to become the masters of the four prefectures of Mobei. That would damage the fundamental interests of those powerful clans. They are only restrained by his tyranny! Then, he will use Xiao Ce to eliminate the original four powerful clans."

"Now that they've all returned to their respective territories, how could they possibly allow Xiao Ce to gradually erode their lands and power? I already sent people to contact them. Their attitude is to avoid offending either side!"

"They made it clear that they won't help Xiao Ce attack us, nor will they help them attack Xiao Ce!"

Ashide chimed in, "Ashna, can their words be trusted?"

Ashina nodded: "Of course... I trust that person completely. I'm very confident! Those powerful clan heads aren't stupid either. Once Xiao Ce defeats us, we'll have no more worries and can deal with them with peace of mind."

"If he cooperates with us, at least we can continue living the same way as before! Their rights won't be affected! They've already promised me to stop everything they're doing."

Ashide asked, "So you had already contacted them? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Ashina said, "I was planning to tell you all at the victory banquet after we captured Yanbei City! That would have been double the joy! But who knew this would happen? You all just have to wait half a month to see the outcome!"

"As long as we break through Yanmen City, they will all surrender to our Turks, and we will have conquered the four prefectures of the northern desert."

Ashide said, "If it's really as you say, then waiting for half a month won't hurt. Because even if we launch a full-scale attack, it shouldn't take us more than three to five days."

He Lu chimed in: "That's right, you need to make sure your intelligence is accurate this time!"

Ashina nodded and said, "That's certainly not a problem, I can guarantee it. If even a single grain of grain gets into Yanbei City, I will no longer serve as the commander-in-chief of this attack on Xiao Kingdom!"

Ashina paused for a moment, then said to Helu, "I'll let you be the one!"

He Lu's eyes lit up as he listened.

"Alright! I'll do as you say! If your method doesn't work, then I'll use mine!"

Ashina said, "It's a deal!"

He looked around and asked, "Does anyone have any other opinions?"

The group looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Since neither of the parties involved has said anything, they naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to cause them trouble.

Ashide said, "Then we also need to keep an eye on them during this time, in case they cause any trouble."

Ashina nodded.

With that, he dismissed everyone.

Ashide stayed behind in the end.

Ashina knew that Ashide had something to say to him.

Ashina said, "Brother Ashide, are you trying to ask me who is doing these things for me, and how I could trust them so much, right?"

Ashide nodded: "Indeed, this is of great importance. You see, the events in Yanbei City show that even if Xiao Ce is a good-for-nothing, the King Zhenwang Xiao Dingshan behind him is not! He is adept at using power and strategy. If those powerful clans feign allegiance and you are deceived again, not only Helu, but many people in the Turkic Khaganate will certainly harbor resentment!"

“If you lose your position as chief and let Helu lead us, his reckless temper will kill many of our Turks.”

Mos Ashina chimed in, "Father Khan, Ashide Khan is right! We should still be cautious. Can you really trust that person of yours?"

Ashina smiled at the worried expressions on everyone's faces: "This person is more trustworthy than myself! However, I cannot tell you about this person!"

Seeing this, Ashide stopped asking and said, "Alright, Ashina. Now that you've said so, I'm relieved."

After Ashide left, the Ashina people also left.

In the end, Mos Ashina stayed behind.

Ashina asked Moss, "Have you guessed who it is?"

Moss nodded and said to Ashina, "Father Khan, is it Mr. Qianlong?"

Ashina's eyes lit up slightly after Moss guessed it, and his expression became more interesting: "You lad, not bad! As expected of my son, you do have some brains! You are Qianlong!"

Mos Ashina was even more puzzled and said, "Father Khan, didn't Master Qianlong advise you to withdraw your troops before? Didn't he think our attack on Xiao Kingdom was a good idea? How come he's suddenly helping us?"