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

Xing Daorong said arrogantly, "Your Highness, rest assured. With me, Xing Daorong, here, those Turkic brats will tremble at the mere mention of my name! In less than a month, I will drive them out of the four northern prefectures!"

Xiao Yang smiled and said, "Good! If it is Uncle Xing, and you drive the Turks out of the northern desert, I will definitely go with my father to request the title of Grand Marshal of the Northern Desert for you, so that you can command 100,000 troops!"

Xing Daorong listened with great excitement. He knew that the Grand Marshal was just like the former King of Zhen and the deceased Bao An.

This is the pinnacle that a military general can achieve.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Xiao Yang walked up to Xing Daorong with a smile, holding a glass of wine: "Uncle Xing, you're too kind. We're all family... In the future, I'll become the Crown Prince sooner or later, and I'll need confidants. Helping you is helping myself... We're family, no need for formalities."

Xing Daorong nodded repeatedly, "Your Highness is right! Your Highness, just say the word, and this humble general will go through fire and water for you!"

Xiao Yang laughed heartily: "Great! With Uncle Xing's support, I'm even more powerful."

The two exchanged pleasantries.

The city lord and county magistrate standing to the side were extremely envious. They craned their necks, looking eager, and kept looking for an opportunity to interject.

After all, Xiao Yang will soon become the crown prince. If we could get in touch with him...

In the future, even a minor city lord or county magistrate like him will have the opportunity to rise to great heights.

Thinking of this, the city lord and magistrate said to Xiao Yang, "Your Highness, what should we do if that good-for-nothing doesn't dare to come?"

Xiao Yang said arrogantly, "Don't dare to come? That's defying the imperial decree! I'm here representing my father! If he defies the decree, I can kill him with a legitimate reason! Just tell them that if they don't come, we'll lead our troops over... But when we get there, things won't be so simple!"

The city lord and county magistrate agreed with folded hands.

...

The following day, Xiao Ce got up early for his morning exercise as usual.

While having breakfast with Yin Pan'er, she first received a message from Yang Changlin in Chanda City.

Yang Changlin said that the prefectural guards and the people have now been organized.

A temporary city defense force has been established, with a total of more than 20,000 people.

The Turks are now just surrounding the city, not daring to approach it at all.

The other guards have not yet arrived.

Moreover, following Xiao Ce's method, they secretly brought back the bodies of those who had escaped but were shot.

After administering the medicine, they used a catapult to hurl the corpses that appeared to have died from illness at them.

They landed near them, which terrified the men, who quickly retreated their army camp several miles away.

When Xiao Ce looked at the letter, his face beamed with a smile.

Yin Pan'er asked curiously from the side, "Your Highness, what are you looking at that makes you so happy!"

Xiao Ce handed the letter to Yin Pan'er.

Yin Pan'er curiously took the hand, then glanced at it. After reading it, she couldn't stop smiling.

"Your Highness, those Turks are truly foolish! I really don't understand how those people were bullied like this by the Turks before..."

Xiao Ce said, "It's just servility and fear that dominate... There are advantages and disadvantages... If the people of a country are servile, they are undoubtedly easy to manage. However, they are also easy to kneel down!"

Yin Pan'er nodded in agreement: "Your Highness, your current method of managing the people is to strip them of their servility and awaken them. Aren't you afraid that after they awaken, their servility will be gone, and they will turn into a mob?"

Xiao Ce shook his head and said, "Of course not! I'm trying to make them people with guts! No one is born to rebel. If everyone is well-fed, clothed, and has extra money, why would they rebel? Besides, I've always advocated governing the country by law! Improve living conditions, then increase the cost of breaking the law for ordinary people! Let everyone know the consequences of breaking the law, and they will naturally abide by it!"

"Moreover, in a stable and harmonious country, people will naturally support and cherish it! When faced with foreign aggression, they will fight tooth and nail to protect it... Patriotism is never just talk; it's about people genuinely not wanting this beautiful place to be destroyed..."

Xiao Ce ate his meal while talking animatedly.

Yin Pan'er propped her cheeks up and looked at Xiao Ce with eyes full of admiration and starry-eyed wonder.

She became even more certain of her previous decision. Such a talented and insightful man was someone she might never have again.

"Is it that you're becoming more and more enamored with me and want to have my child?" Xiao Ce joked, looking at Yin Pan'er's eyes, which were practically drooling over him.

When Yin Pan'er heard Xiao Ce say this, she immediately snapped back to reality, her face flushed slightly, and she felt a little helpless.

Xiao Ce would always make a witty remark when she was utterly adoring him.

"Your Highness, please watch your words..."

Xiao Ce laughed heartily when he saw Yin Pan'er's pretty face turn red from being teased.

Just then, Xiao Jiu rushed over.

Since Qian Lai was appointed to manage the Gold Society yesterday, he immediately went to take up his post...

The management of this area has been handed over to Xiao Jiu.

As for personal attendants, Da Lei always stayed by Xiao Ce's side.

Seeing Xiao Jiu's hurried appearance, Xiao Ce asked, "What's wrong? Is there a fire?"

After Xiao Jiu entered, she knelt on the ground and said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, it's not a fire... it's... it's an imperial edict..."

Upon hearing Xiao Jiu's words, Yin Pan'er immediately stood up respectfully, then wiped her lips and tidied her appearance.

They seemed to be waiting for the eunuch to arrive and issue the decree.

Xiao Ce sat down, and it was as if his buttocks were welded to the seat.

He showed no intention of moving, and even had a playful expression on his face: "Oh? An imperial edict? That's a rare thing. I really wanted to praise them for not coming here to cause trouble."

"They couldn't hold it in anymore! Humans are just like that..."

Seeing Xiao Ce's pointed remark, Yin Pan'er quickly interjected, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words... please be careful with your words..."

Xiao Ce scoffed, "Pan'er, sit down. What are you afraid of! Get this straight, where are we? This is my territory. Even if my pig-brained cheap emperor father came, he'd have to behave himself."

Xiao Ce's disrespectful words terrified Yin Pan'er.

"Your Highness...be careful what you say...be careful what you say..."

Even Xiao Jiu, who came to report, was too frightened to say anything more after hearing Xiao Ce's words...

"Imperial edict? Where is the imperial edict?"

Xiao Jiu said, "It's a letter from someone in Maoming City. They say someone from the capital has come and requests that Your Highness go to Maoming City to receive an imperial decree... If Your Highness refuses, that would be disobeying the imperial decree, and you will bear the consequences!"

After hearing this, Xiao Ce looked disdainful and said, "Did they say who would be delivering the decree?"

Xiao Jiu shook her head: "They didn't say..."

Just then, Fei Du rushed over.

Looking at Fei Du's expression, Xiao Ce said with a smile, "I really can't have a peaceful breakfast... Fei Du, you must be in a hurry to do something again."

Fei Du nodded and bowed to Xiao Ce, saying, "Your Highness...yes, there is an encrypted letter..."

Encrypted letters refer to letters from a specific group of people, following the rules set by Xiao Ce for Fei Du's Raven Company.

There were some letters that Fei Du and his companions were not allowed to read without Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er's authorization...

Xiao Ce waved to Fei Du.

Fei Du then said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, it's not your encrypted letter... it's the Princess's encrypted letter."

Yin Pan'er was somewhat surprised and said to Fei Du, "Fei Du, let me take a look at it."

Fei Du then entrusted the superstition to Yin Pan'er.

Yin Pan'er checked the seal on the letter and the encryption mark on the seal. After confirming that there were no problems, she opened it.

Xiao Ce looked over curiously.

Yin Pan'er's expression changed repeatedly.

"Whose letter is it? Is it from your father, Prime Minister Yin?"

After reading it, Yin Pan'er shook her head and said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, it's a letter from Sister Nie Bing."

Xiao Ce was somewhat surprised: "A letter from Nie Bing?"

Yin Pan'er nodded: "That's right, Sister Nie Bing has officially joined the Hidden Dragon Society and is now considered a member."

"Her letter this time tells us that the emperor has sent Xiao Yang here. Their purpose is to eliminate you and then attack the Turks, hoping to drive them out of the four northern prefectures!"