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

Night Cat nodded slightly, not asking further, but instead inquired, "Your Highness, was it just covert surveillance?"

Yin Pan'er nodded and replied, "Mr. Night Owl, please keep whatever you see a secret. Try your best to prevent them from finding out."

Night Cat said confidently, "Your Highness, rest assured. As long as I don't want anyone to find me, no one can! Besides, the only people in this world who can make me speak are you and the Prince."

Yin Pan'er nodded in relief and bowed slightly: "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Night Owl."

Night Owl also bowed slightly: "Your Highness, you are too kind. This is my duty."

After saying that, Night Owl bowed and left.

...

In Lingxiao City, Nie Bing arrived at a somewhat deserted alley in a carriage.

A carriage was already waiting in the alley.

Nie Bing got off her carriage.

After checking around to make sure it was safe, he got out of the carriage and entered the waiting carriage.

The carriage wandered around Lingxiao City several more times before finally entering a village in Lingxiao City, outside a detached house.

After Nie Bing got off the carriage, she looked around.

The house looked like it had been recently renovated, and a middle-aged woman walked out of the house's courtyard.

The woman greeted Nie Bing with a smile: "Miss Bing, you've finally arrived! The gentleman has been waiting for you!"

She saw the middle-aged woman holding her hand very warmly.

Nie Bing instinctively broke free.

The middle-aged woman, unperturbed, explained with a smile, "Miss Bing, you probably don't remember me, do you? I'm Wu Ma from the governor's mansion's kitchen."

Nie Bing frowned slightly as if she was considering something. After a moment, a figure appeared in her mind: Wu Ma from the kitchen, who was an expert at making donkey meat sandwiches.

"Aunt Wu! Is that you?"

When Aunt Wu saw that Nie Bing recognized her, she was equally surprised: "Miss Bing, I didn't expect you to still remember me?"

Seeing that the wary expression on her old friend's face had softened considerably, Nie Bing said, "You are also from the same hometown as my mother. Back then, the people in the governor's mansion all loved to eat your donkey meat sandwiches."

Aunt Wu nodded with a smile: "Miss Bing, I didn't expect you to remember this. Miss, we were all doomed, but thanks to the master's intervention, we were all saved!"

Although Nie Bing already knew this before, hearing it from this old friend made her even more certain.

"Is my mother alright?"

Aunt Wu nodded: "Everything is fine, the master is taking very good care of me."

As she spoke, Wu Ma saw a young pageboy emerge from the house. The pageboy said nothing and simply stood at the door of the house.

Aunt Wu nervously pulled Nie Bing along, saying, "Miss Bing, let's go see the master first."

Nie Bing glanced at Wu Ma, then followed her inside.

Once inside the house, Nie Bing could clearly see the man behind the screen.

The man, dressed in a white monk's robe and wearing a bamboo hat with a black veil on top, sat at a dilapidated four-person table, holding a silver monk's staff.

This person is none other than Mr. Qianlong.

Nie Bing felt a little nervous after looking at Mr. Qianlong.

Previously, Mr. Qianlong had asked her to assassinate Xiao Ce. Later, she told Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce left Lingxiao City directly, which gave her a reason not to take action.

Since Xiao Ce left, this Mr. Qianlong has not appeared.

She only received a message a few days ago.

“Sir, it’s not that I didn’t want to do what you asked me to do before. I just never had the chance. Xiao Ce left this place. I tried to find you, but I couldn’t.”

Nie Bing explained.

Mr. Qianlong nodded: "I know he's hiding. That's why I haven't been looking for you. Now, I have something else for you."

Nie Bing looked at Mr. Qianlong and asked, "What is it?"

"Do you have any news about Xiao Ce?" Mr. Qianlong asked.

Nie Bing nodded and told Mr. Qianlong everything she knew without any concealment.

"Xiao Ce has already conquered the entire Turkic tribes and has also captured Yanbei City."

Nie Bing's words clearly shocked Mr. Qianlong.

He asked, seemingly incredulous, "What did you say?"

Nie Bing replied to Mr. Qianlong, "Xiao Ce has already unified the Turks in the rear and has now captured Yanbei City."

After listening to Nie Bing's words, Mr. Qianlong was stunned for several minutes.

"Didn't he hide?"

Nie Bing shook his head: "When he left here before, he took a thousand soldiers with him, saying he was going to the Turks. However, we haven't heard from him since! Then, one victory after another came in."

After listening, Mr. Qianlong sneered: "You've all been fooled."

After hearing what Mr. Qianlong said, it was now Nie Bing's turn to be stunned.

"what?"

Mr. Qianlong said, “I came all the way from the Turkic Khaganate, Yanmen Pass, and then the four prefectures of the northern desert. None of them have ever seen Xiao Ce’s army. Moreover, you yourself said that he only brought a thousand soldiers.”

"A thousand soldiers to conquer the Turkic rear? Is that a pipe dream?"

"Moreover, the tribal leaders had also heard that they were attacked from the rear, which is obviously a trick by Xiao Ce to make the Turks retreat."

"Did you only receive a one-sided letter without any substantial proof?"

Nie Bing had previously believed it without a doubt, but after Mr. Qianlong's explanation, she changed her mind.

She also suspected that this might be a trick by Xiao Ce.

After all, looking back now, it does seem rather unbelievable.

When Xiao Ce went there, he brought a thousand cavalrymen. Even if they were very capable, they wouldn't have been able to unify the rear of the Turks.

Now, they have easily captured Yanbei City, which was defended by troops.

Nie Bing nodded: "You're right, that's very likely, and it fits his usual pattern. Xiao Ce isn't here either, so even if you asked me to kill him, I couldn't do it right now."

Mr. Qianlong said calmly, "There's no need to kill him now. How much grain do you have left in Lingxiao City, and in the nine surrounding cities?"

When Nie Bing heard Qianlong ask this question, she vaguely guessed what it meant.

"I don't know, that's not my responsibility!"

Qianlong slowly picked up a cup of tea from the four-person table on the side, placed it under the black gauze curtain, and took a sip: "Nie Bing, since I called you here, I'm sure you know something."

After finishing the tea, slowly put the teacup down.

"I'm giving you a chance, a chance to become one of us. You should understand the situation, right? It's only a matter of time before the Turks breach the city!"

Nie Bing's face was as cold as ice: "I will not help the Turks! My father died fighting against the Turks, and I would be a traitor to help them. How am I any different from those people before them? My father would never forgive me even in the afterlife if he knew!"

Mr. Qianlong said, “You are not working for the Turks. You are working for me. Now, the Turks are just working for me. Moreover, I have told you, and you know it yourself, that the people who killed your father and wanted to exterminate your entire family were never Turks! They were people from Xiao! I am giving you a chance, a chance to join us! Don’t you want to see your family? And you don’t naively think that just because you don’t tell me, I won’t know?”

Nie Bing hesitated. With Mr. Qianlong's abilities, obtaining this information wouldn't be difficult. "If I tell you this information, will you let me see my family?"

Mr. Qianlong shook his head and said, "Of course it's not that simple. At the very least, you need to tell me what I want you to do! If you're sure you want to refuse me, let me make it clear that your family members are all on my side. If you want to stand on the same side as Xiao Ce, you're destined to stand on the opposite side of me!"

Nie Bing hesitated for a moment: "There are still three months left!"

Mr. Qianlong nodded in satisfaction: "Very good! I need you to tell me the exact location of each granary."

Nie Bing's face darkened as she asked, "What do you want to do?"

Mr. Qianlong didn't linger at all: "The defenses of your Lingxiao City are now even stronger than those of Yanbei City. I don't think the Turks will be able to break through. I can't wait three months for you to run out of ammunition and food. I need to burn down those granaries. That way, they'll collapse without a fight."

"I really don't know. This is all handled by Yin Pan'er. Food is the lifeblood of the economy, and Yin Pan'er wouldn't just tell me that," Nie Bing said.

Mr. Qianlong: "I know you don't know, so I'll let you find out. Don't worry, just tell me. I absolutely won't let anyone find out! I won't let you do anything either. Just find the locations of all the granaries and tell me! I'll let you join our organization and reunite your family."

Nie Bing was moved.

Mr. Qianlong said, "You don't need to rush to give me an answer. I'll give you three days. If you don't come looking for me by then, I'll go find the person myself."

Nie Bing fell silent.

Mr. Qianlong, not intending to follow Nie Bing's lead, said, "Think about it yourself. Show him out."

The young page walked to Nie Bing's side and gestured for her to enter.

Nie Bing looked at Mr. Qianlong: "Even if I don't tell you, you still have a way, right?"

Mr. Qianlong said, "That's right. I have people in your city, including in your respective official systems. I'm giving you a chance because of your family."

Nie Bing walked to the door and said to Qianlong, "If I find out, how will I find you?"

Qianlong said, "Just come and find Aunt Wu!"

Nie Bing nodded and was then led out by the page.

After going outside, Nie Bing wanted to say a few words to Wu Ma, but she didn't see Wu Ma.

So they had no choice but to leave in a horse-drawn carriage.

She had just left in her carriage when Night Owl emerged from beside a house on one side.

He glanced at Wu Ma's house a few more times.

Then, he quickly caught up with Nie Bing's carriage.

His stamina was astonishing; he followed behind silently without seeming to exert himself.

...

The next day.

The Turks, led by Helu, gathered once again.

Their army assembled outside the city, and a group of nobles and dignitaries saw them off at the city gate.

However, the Turks didn't even glance at them.

At the front of the army, several Turkic tribal leaders were all smiling.

Clearly, everyone's been enjoying themselves these past few days.

Ashina asked Helu, "Helu, I didn't lie to you this time, did I? No matter how skilled you are in battle, some people will die when you take these cities."

He Lu laughed and said, "Consider it redemption. However, what follows is going to be a tough battle. Our scouts have gone to investigate, and that useless Northern Desert King has turned Lingxiao City into a tortoise shell. According to the scouts, it is even more fortified than Yanbei City."

At this moment, Ashina flattered them, saying, "Although their city walls are strong, they will surely flee in terror at the mere mention of your Helu tribe's attack."

He Lu didn't catch Ashina's sarcasm at all; he thought so too.

"Indeed, our warriors of Helu have always been invincible! Now let me show you how to conquer a city!"

After He Lu finished speaking, the other leaders boasted about it.

With a wave of his hand, He Lu announced the departure.

...

Within the city of Yanbei.

Wei Wuji was sorting through the equipment left behind by Han Da and his men.

Xiao Ce toured the city and buried most of the secret passages.

After touring the city a few more times, they returned to the city lord's mansion.

They summoned Yan Jia, based on the information from the scouts he had sent out.

Xiao Ce then had Xiao Jiu call Bond over.

After summoning Bond, the Turk, he treated Xiao Ce with great respect.

"See you, my lord!"

Xiao Ce said to Bond and the others, "I gave you a choice before, and you made your choice. Now it's your turn to do your part! Are you willing to put in the effort?"

Bond nodded: "Your Highness, we are all ready for battle."

Xiao Ce said to Bond, "Are you willing to go and kill the Turks, your own people?"

Bond was taken aback, but then gave Xiao Ce a very satisfactory answer: "Your Highness, you are our compatriot. Those Turks are our enemies."

Xiao Ce laughed heartily: "Good, are all your family members Ashina?"

Bond was bewildered by Xiao Ce's inexplicable question, but he still nodded.

Xiao Ce said, "Then you're lucky. I didn't kill most of Ashina's ordinary people. As long as you do a good job... I can get them to be freed from slavery and let you join our Xiao Kingdom."

Bond listened with gratitude and knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, we will do whatever you ask us to do without hesitation."

Xiao Ce took out a stack of papers: "Go to these places first and kill all the people from these powerful clans and aristocratic families!"

Bond took the piece of paper that Xiao Ce had written.

He then took a closer look and said with some surprise, "Your Highness, these are all people from the Xiao Kingdom, not Turks. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Xiao Ce's gaze shifted, a ruthless glint appearing in his eyes.

"Of course not! These are not people from Xiao Kingdom. I gave them a chance. But these powerful clans and aristocratic families are absolute cancers... Since we can't solve them, I'll follow Huang Chao's example and kill them all! That will end it all!"