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

The guards beside him saw the little beggar run away and wanted to chase after him.

Seeing this, Han Da shouted to the guards beside him, "No need to chase after them!"

The guard asked Han Da with concern, "General Han, are you alright?"

After putting the letter away, Han Da shook his head, his expression softening considerably: "It's nothing!"

He then returned to his residence, locked himself in, and instructed his guards not to let anyone near him.

……

The residence of Cai Yong in Chanda County, one of the four prefectures of northern desert.

At this moment, the heads of the four new major clans gathered together.

Cai Yong cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come here."

The heads of the powerful clans standing nearby spoke up one after another: "Head of the Cai family, there's no need for formalities! You know why we've come here."

"Yes, where is the sir? We wouldn't have come if it weren't for him!"

"Mr. Qianlong asked us to come here, but where is he? You didn't use his name to call us here, did you?"

These people were in a hurry and didn't beat around the bush; they got straight to the point.

Cai Yong cupped his hands and said, "Esteemed family heads, please calm down. It was all Mr. Qianlong's idea to bring you here today. Even if I had the guts of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I wouldn't dare to use his name to come to you without authorization!"

"However, Mr. Qianlong went to see an old friend in Zhenda County last night and did not return all night. I do not know when he will be back! But since Mr. Qianlong has invited you all, he will definitely come! Please be patient."

Kan Shanyue, standing to one side, said to Cai Yong, "Patriarch Cai, you say it's easy. You haven't done anything. You can naturally remain calm!"

"However, we seized their grain, military supplies, and medicine. Moreover, to deceive them, we sealed off several cities, pretending there was a plague. If the King of the Northern Desert believes this rumor, that's fine! But if the King of the Northern Desert discovers it's false, then you're in big trouble!"

Liu Qi chimed in, "Yes, if that devil, the King of Mobei, finds out that the plague here is fake, just a ploy to embezzle money, food, and military supplies, he will definitely kill us!"

“That’s right, we’ve placed spies near those sealed-off cities, and quite a few scouts from Yanbei City have come! Although we’ve sent them away, who knows if Han Da will report this to Lingxiao City! The King of Mobei is so ruthless and cunning; if he finds out, he’ll definitely be suspicious!”

"Yes, haven't you noticed something's wrong? Lately, the King of Mobei has been completely silent in Lingxiao City. It's as if he's vanished without a trace!"

“I also have a feeling of unease! I have a feeling that the King of Mobei is quietly plotting something big! And I heard that the Turks and Handa’s armies have already started fighting on the border between Mobei and Turkic. The Turks suffered a crushing defeat in the first battle and have already retreated! If Handa really manages to hold out, I’m afraid we’re in grave danger!”

Because of geographical reasons, the heads of these powerful families intercepted the supply of food and military supplies to Yanbei City!

Besides Cai Yong, the other three families also expressed their concerns.

Seeing this, Cai Yong could only laugh it off. After all, due to his geographical location, he hadn't been very involved in this matter; at most, he had just helped Mr. Qianlong pass on messages.

"What's wrong? You're all heads of prestigious families now, or even prefectural governors. So, you're all starting to value your lives, huh? You're full of complaints because you think I'd harm you?"

A voice, though not loud, sounded extremely authoritative coming from outside the door.

The family heads who had initially been complaining all stood up upon hearing this voice and respectfully looked towards the doorway.

A monk dressed in a white robe, wearing a black veil, and carrying a silver staff as tall as a person walked slowly into the doorway.

After seeing the visitor.

Everyone present respectfully clasped their hands together and bowed in greeting: "Mr. Qianlong!"

Qianlong, holding his monk's staff, nodded to the group of people.

Without saying a word, he went straight to the seat of honor and sat down.

The group, who had been complaining, immediately changed their tune: "Mr. Qianlong, we didn't mean that."

"Yes, without Mr. Qianlong's guidance and help, how could we be where we are today!"

"We're just afraid of Mr. Qianlong. It wasn't easy to get that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce to believe in us and accept us. If something goes wrong and our identities are exposed, wouldn't all of Mr. Qianlong's efforts be in vain!"

Mr. Qianlong smiled faintly and explained, "You're overthinking it. Your role is simply to eliminate that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce! All his main forces are currently in Yanbei City. As long as we surround the people of Yanbei City, Xiao Ce's fate is sealed!"

"Moreover, regardless of whether their message can get through, as long as you block the passage between Lingxiao City and Yanbei City, even if they come to investigate the truth of the plague, by the time they get there and back, the people in Yanbei City will have already starved to death!"

"Don't worry about Xiao Ce making any moves. Once people starve to death in Yanbei City, the Turks will advance unstoppably! Xiao Ce cut off one of Mos Ashina's fingers, and the Ashina tribe hates them to the bone! Also, the war of attack and defense on the border between the Turks and the Mongols is very fierce. No matter what, Xiao Ce's only outcome is death!"

After hearing Mr. Qianlong's words, everyone's expressions immediately softened.

“Those Northern Desert soldiers aren’t stupid, are they? Do you think they’d just starve to death over there? If they do, what if they withdraw from Yanbei City and head towards us? We can’t stop them, can we? We can’t exactly start a war with them! Even the Turks aren’t a match for them, let alone our small garrison!”

Mr. Qianlong said calmly, with a hint of disdain in his voice, "I thought you would be a bit smarter than those people! Now it seems you are just as foolish! Not much smarter than your previous family heads!"

Everyone looked embarrassed after being scolded by Mr. Qianlong, but dared not utter a single word of dissent, and could only look at him awkwardly.

Seeing that they truly didn't understand, Mr. Qianlong explained, "Our goal is to get that army out of Yanbei City! Yanbei City has high walls and thick fortifications, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack! Their current fighting prowess is entirely due to Yanbei City. Once they leave this natural barrier, how could they possibly be a match for the Turks!"

After listening, everyone suddenly realized that Mr. Qianlong's criticism of them was indeed reasonable.

Mr. Qianlong continued, "I called you here this time because I was afraid you might have many doubts in your hearts, which could ruin my important plans! As long as you listen to me, I guarantee that you will stay with me. No matter what happened to your four families before, no matter how the masters of the four prefectures of Mobei change in the future, your four families' treatment will not change!"

"Back then, I sent you to pledge allegiance to Xiao Ce and gain his trust in order to place you among the four commanderies of the northern desert. However, times have changed! The Turks have made up their minds to march south. After much consideration, I have decided to help them and lend them a hand!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Cai Yong, who had been silent until now, asked, "Mr. Qianlong, are we really going to help the Turks take over the Xiao Kingdom? The Turks are wolves in sheep's clothing. What if they turn against us after taking over the Xiao Kingdom?"

Qianlong narrowed his eyes and said to Cai Yong, "That's not something you need to consider. What you need to consider is listening to me! How to make the decision is my business! Whether to help the Turks or not, and to what extent, is my concern, not yours!"

Cai Yong nodded awkwardly.

Qianlong continued, “You are my dogs, and so are the Turks. I will not allow my dogs to fight each other! If any dog ​​disobeys, I can replace it anytime! You know that, right?”

The group of people turned pale and nodded repeatedly as they listened: "Mr. Qianlong, we understand! We understand!"

Qianlong nodded in satisfaction at their reaction: "Alright, I'll tell you what to do next. As long as you listen to me obediently, I can guarantee your safety no matter what happens!"

The crowd respectfully addressed Qianlong, saying, "Please enlighten us, Mr. Qianlong..."

As he spoke, Qianlong waved to them, signaling them to come closer.

After speaking at length for more than half an hour, Qianlong stood up, leaning on his silver monk's staff.

"Next, I'm leaving here. I've told you everything you need to do! Now it's up to you how you proceed."

The group said, "We will definitely follow Mr. Qianlong's instructions strictly."

Qianlong nodded, then, without further ado, got up and left...

The group wanted to see him off, but Qianlong stopped them, and they watched him leave...