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

Xiao Ce looked at Lin Zhong on the side.

Uncle Zhong asked with a surprised look, "Your Highness, are you asking me to prepare cash to pay the army's wages?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "Go and bring it up!"

He didn't know yesterday that the person who came was a death row inmate.

However, he knew very well that the simplest way to win people's hearts was with money.

So last night, I had Lin Zhong exchange some of the silver notes given to him by King Xiao Dingshan of Zhen.

The reason for this was to prevent the emperor from going back on his word, and the emperor truly did not disappoint him.

Lin Zhongxin was thinking about Xiao Ce's extravagance.

However, the momentum he displayed when he slapped Xiao Yang just now was truly impressive.

Lin Zhong nodded and clapped his hands.

Several servants stepped forward; these servants were trusted subordinates whom Lin Zhong had brought with him.

A short while later, fifteen boxes were brought up.

The boxes were all opened at once.

Under the sunlight, the silver sparkled.

The death row inmates were rubbing their hands together in disbelief!

Xiao Ce continued, "Do you want to do it? Those who do, come and collect your money!"

“Go! Go! Go!”

Xiao Ce was not surprised at all by everyone's reaction!

After all, a thousand words are not as good as a direct approach!

"Alright! Don't rush things!"

Seeing that they would soon receive money, the death row inmates naturally held Xiao Ce, their sugar daddy, in high esteem.

"Since it's a generous reward, there must also be a severe punishment!"

"My father has instructed me to build an elite army that dares to fight, is capable of fighting, and wins battles!"

"So, it doesn't matter whether you were human or ghost before!"

"Listen carefully to these three military discipline rules!"

"First, all actions must be carried out according to orders! Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed!"

"Secondly, do not disturb the people, and do not take even a needle or thread from them! Anyone who violates this rule will be executed!"

"Third, those who are cowardly or retreat in the face of battle shall be executed! If the entire team retreats, the captain shall be executed! If the captain dies in the line of duty, the entire team shall be executed!"

"To sum it up, it's all about obedience! Absolute obedience to me!"

Xiao Ce said, word by word, "Those who can do it, line up on the left and become soldiers to fight against the Turks and guard the frontier."

"Those who cannot do this, stand on the right. I will take you to the northern desert and execute you according to your crimes in the autumn!"

As soon as Xiao Ce said this, everyone rushed to the right side of the line.

Lin Zhong immediately sent people to distribute the silver and sign the document.

And following Xiao Ce's instructions, he wrote down the crimes committed by these people one by one.

Xiao Ce also needs to make specific arrangements based on the crimes committed by these people.

...

Xiao Yang wanted to leave, but Da Lei kept stopping him.

His two personal guards were bound hand and foot like dumplings by the assassins.

Seeing Xiao Ce looking at him, Xiao Yang couldn't help but feel a chill.

"Xiao Ce, what do you want to do! You..."

Seeing the fear on Xiao Yang's face, Xiao Ce couldn't help but sneer.

"Don't be nervous! You just want to go and complain, right? Da Lei, let him go!"

Xiao Yang was afraid that Da Lei would take him back.

After running a distance, he pointed at Xiao Ce's swollen face and said, "Xiao Ce, you wait... you're dead. You're dead! If I let you leave the capital unscathed, I'll take your surname!"

After Xiao Yang finished speaking, he saw that the assassins who were originally queuing up were all looking at him with hostility.

He then hurriedly left.

Xiao Ce saw that Xiao Yang was really confused with anger. Didn't they both have the surname Xiao?

Watching Xiao Yang leave in a panic.

Lin Zhong, who was busy distributing money, came over upon seeing this and said, "Your Highness, why did you let him go? We should have let him go before we left, shouldn't we? Letting him go is just asking for trouble."

Xiao Ce waved his hand and said, "The news of my openly beating him up has definitely spread. It can't be hidden now! Don't worry, Uncle Zhong. Go and distribute the money; I have my own plans!"

Seeing Xiao Ce's confident expression, Lin Zhong went about his own business.

Xiao Ce then had Da Lei bring out a grand chair and sat down at the door.

I thought 3,000 people was too few, but it took more than two hours just to distribute the money.

...

Inside the Imperial Study in the palace.

Xiao Yang knelt before the emperor's desk: "Father, Xiao Ce doesn't respect you. I was rewarding him in your name... and he actually beat me in public."

Xiao Dingbang looked at Xiao Yang with a pained expression: "Yang'er, that beast actually beat you like that. Quick! Call the imperial physician!"

"How dare that good-for-nothing hit you! Is he crazy?"

Seeing this, Xiao Yang became even more agitated and tearfully recounted the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Dingbang's face turned ashen as he asked, "Is the King of Zhen here?"

Xiao Yang, his face swollen like a pig's head, shook his head and said, "Father, Ninth Uncle isn't here... but Ninth Uncle's old steward, Lin Zhong, is working for that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce."

After listening, Xiao Dingbang nodded and said, "That makes sense. It must be the Prince of Zhen who is giving advice to that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce! Yang'er, you've fallen for their trap!"

Xiao Yang still didn't quite understand: "Father, what do you mean?"

Xiao Dingbang slammed his hand on the table and said, "Yang'er, that good-for-nothing beast must have been instructed by the King of Zhen! He's putting you on the spot. You shouldn't have impulsively cursed those death row inmates."

"After all, I gave those death row inmates to that good-for-nothing beast. They were warriors who supported the northern desert. You should know that I promised that beast three thousand elite soldiers in court. I wanted him to suffer this injustice in silence."

"He swallowed this bitter pill! Yet you brazenly insulted those death row inmates, and Xiao Ce deliberately stirred things up. If this matter gets out and spreads, letting the people and soldiers of the Northern Desert know that on the eve of the Turkic invasion, I sent a horde of rotten death row inmates, what will they think? It would have been enough to let him suffer in silence! Even if they were lucky enough to reach the Northern Desert, they would have had a hard time. You, you were too impulsive!"

Xiao Yang said with a face full of indignation, "So, Father, do you mean... I can only take this beating for nothing?"

Xiao Dingbang shook his head, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and said, "Of course not, that beast dared to hit you. It's like he was hitting me! Don't worry! Once he leaves the capital, he'll probably be ambushed by the White Lotus Sect rioters!"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yang revealed a lewd smile on his face, which was swollen like a pig's head. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Thank you, Father Emperor!"

...

Outside the Crown Prince's residence on one side.

A group of death row inmates received their military pay.

They received their military pay, and the expressions on their faces were incredibly smug.

When they heard that they were going to be incorporated into the Northern Army of the Northern King, they thought it would be some kind of cannon fodder unit.

Later, some of them who were well-informed learned that the King of the Northern Desert was the former useless crown prince, which made them even more disappointed.

Because the crown prince was deposed, although he was granted the title of prince, his fiefdom was in the desolate northern desert.

It was called being granted the title of king, but it was actually equivalent to being exiled!

However, judging from Xiao Ce's actions just now, he helped them vent their anger by personally beating up the Second Prince.

Is this still the rumored useless crown prince who could be kicked by a dog?

Looking at the five taels of silver in their hands, the condemned prisoners were certain.

The claim that the crown prince is useless is a rumor! It must be a rumor!

Xiao Ce looked at the death row inmates who had received the money, and their mental state was completely different from before.

Money really is a wonderful thing.

Xiao Ce rose from his armchair: "My warriors, as long as you listen to me, this five taels of silver a month is just the beginning! If you do a good job, I can give you ten, fifty, or even a hundred taels a month!"

"I have nothing else but plenty of money!"

...

Xiao Ce launched into a spittle-flecked pie-in-the-sky speech, something he excelled at!

He had just seen the fearless look in the eyes of the death row inmates when Xiao Yang threatened them.

Xiao Ce felt that these death row inmates were not simple.

While reviewing their criminal records just now, I came across these death row inmates.

A portion of them were soldiers and yamen runners from the surrounding counties who had offended powerful nobles and aristocratic families by defying authority.

Most of them were those who were not successful in suppressing the White Lotus Sect, and were blamed by the generals for the White Lotus Sect's escape. None of them had actually committed any heinous crimes punishable by death!

Xiao Ce was overjoyed; these weren't ordinary death row inmates, but a group of treasures.

The person who did this should be the incorruptible judge Xing Shoulu of the Penal Division.

He probably couldn't openly oppose the emperor.

However, he also disapproved of the emperor's behavior, which is why he specially selected these death row inmates for him.

Seeing the prisoners' eyes gleaming with excitement, Xiao Ce continued, "The Second Prince just said that Father Emperor attaches great importance to the northern desert region and is very concerned about the fight against the Turks! He even bestowed upon me 100,000 taels of gold, 1 million taels of silver, and 500,000 shi of grain! I can't refuse!"

"As the Second Prince just said, Father's imperial decree has been issued! But now, those officials dare to try and fool us with a mere slip of paper! Father's reward is not for me! It is for the soldiers and civilians of the Northern Desert! Those officials in those government offices are utterly disregarding Father's decree!"

"You say the government officials defied the imperial decree and withheld your rations and pay, can you agree to that?"

The death row inmates immediately erupted in excitement! It's worth noting that an ordinary soldier in the Great Xiao Dynasty earned less than eight hundred copper coins per month.

When it came to Xiao Ce, each person received five taels of silver, more than six times the original amount.

Moreover, they all received real money.

The crowd naturally roared with excitement.

"No! No!"

"Then I'll take you all to ask them to get back the reward that Father Emperor promised!" Xiao Ce continued to incite.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Xiao Ce said, "Since that's the case, everyone gets it. Line up! Follow me to demand the military pay and provisions that Father Emperor gave us!"

After Xiao Ce finished speaking, he waved his hand and walked to the front.

The death row inmates, dressed in their prison uniforms, followed Xiao Ce menacingly.

At this moment, Yin Pan'er, who was in a carriage on the side, said with a worried look, "Father, Xiao Ce, has he gone mad? What is he trying to do? Is he going to rebel?"