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

A group of lieutenants, their faces grim, cursed and muttered, "Damn it... I told you, those guys are ungrateful wretches. You can't treat people too well! And you can't overfeed dogs!"

"General, give me five thousand soldiers, and I'll slaughter those rioters until they run for their lives!" Huang Shan, a deputy general who was only 1.5 meters tall but had a muscular build, said with a fierce expression.

Seeing everyone's excited state, Han Da remained calm.

"Alright, alright! Use your brains, all of you! I've told you so many times! Seeing isn't always believing!"

As Han Da spoke, he asked the scout, "Did you hear them say they were going to rebel?"

The scout shook his head awkwardly: "No, the Turks just distributed the papers. They came over aggressively. If they're not here to rebel, what else could they be here for?"

Han Da laughed and said, "Don't worry, it won't happen!"

Sun Qiang looked at Han Da with a hint of doubt: "General, why are you so sure?"

Han Da said helplessly, "First of all, these people are the original inhabitants of the northern desert. They have suffered greatly from the persecution of the Turks... They wish they could tear the Turks apart and skin them alive."

"Secondly, these people receive a monthly ration, and according to the prince's distribution, there should be a surplus. How could anyone believe that? Therefore, I suspect that they know the Turks want to incite a rebellion, and they have come to help us defend the city on their own initiative!"

No sooner had Han Da finished speaking than another scout ran over.

"General, General, the people are coming here shouting slogans! They're here to help us defend."

As soon as the scout finished speaking, the lieutenants looked embarrassed: "Are you sure?"

The scout nodded very affirmatively.

Han Da had an "I knew it" look on his face: "Alright, come with me and take a look."

Beneath the city wall, the common people spontaneously lined up like the soldiers, each holding a different kind of weapon.

Calling it a weapon is a bit of a stretch; it's more accurate to describe it as a farm tool.

They all raised their arms and shouted.

"Defend the city gates, eliminate the traitors!"

Seeing this, Han Da couldn't help but smile knowingly and said to the adjutants beside him, "This is what Your Highness meant by the close relationship between the military and the people!"

"I know that the people you served before didn't have a good relationship with the common people. However, you need to change your mindset now! Sooner or later you'll all be leading an army, so use your brains more!"

The lieutenant nodded, seemingly somewhat embarrassed.

Han Da said this and went downstairs.

"Fellow citizens, thank you! It is our honor that you are willing to stand with us through thick and thin."

"However, if all of you stay here, it will be dangerous, and it will also cause chaos in the management of this area."

“I appreciate your kindness. I will stay here with you all and assure you that our Northern Army is the elite force under the Northern King. We are capable of resisting foreign aggression, and even more capable of protecting you.”

"If you really want to do your part for us, then stay home and stay put during this special period. You can form your own patrol teams and then patrol your respective streets. If anyone seems suspicious, arrest them."

"This is definitely better than everyone crowding here..."

...

In a private room of a teahouse not far away

Xiao Ce sat to one side, listening to Han Da's words of reassurance to the people, and nodded in satisfaction.

Yin Pan'er said approvingly to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, you have a very good eye for people. General Han is growing very fast. He has not let you down!"

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded: "It seems my worries were unnecessary."

Xiao Ce was having dinner with Yin Pan'er when Xiao Jiu came to report what was happening outside.

Xiao Ce wasn't afraid of the people here rebelling; he was afraid that the people might misunderstand the defending troops if they became agitated.

If a conflict were to break out over this, and the Turks found out, they would probably laugh their heads off.

However, seeing how Han Da managed to send the people home with just a few words, it was clear that the people were satisfied.

It seems his worries were unnecessary.

Yin Pan'er looked at Xiao Ce in confusion: "Your Highness, I still don't know how you did it? How did you conjure up so much grain out of thin air?"

Xiao Ce said to Yin Pan'er, "Because that Mr. Qianlong, he burned nothing but emptiness, and didn't burn our grain at all."

Yin Pan'er looked at Xiao Ce with even more confusion, because she had personally visited the burned-down granaries.

It was definitely burned.

Yin Pan'er wanted to ask more, but then she saw Xiao Ce get up.

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

Xiao Ce said, "Of course we'll go back for dinner! Han Da is already capable of handling things on his own, so I don't need to take action."

Yin Pan'er asked curiously, "Should we turn the tables on them? Send some more people to feign surrender and then lure them into the city? We can then set up an ambush in the city?"

Xiao Ce was somewhat surprised after hearing Yin Pan'er's words: "You've even started studying military strategy?"

Yin Pan'er smiled awkwardly: "It's not the book you left behind. I just flip through it in my spare time."

Xiao Ce shook his head and said, "If there weren't many people, it would work! However, Lingxiao City is full of people. It's impossible to operate there. Besides, I have a better way to deal with them."

As Yin Pan'er listened, she looked at Xiao Ce with increasing curiosity.

Then Xiao Ce asked Yin Pan'er, "By the way, do you remember those people we brought back from the Turks before?"

Yin Pan'er nodded: "They're all locked up. They just killed Wu Qimu Gesa before."

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Go find Han Da and then secretly release them."

Yin Pan'er looked at Xiao Ce in confusion, and he even wondered if he had misheard.

"Your Highness, you said to release them?"

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "That's right, release them all!"

Yin Pan'er said, "They've been here for quite a while, so they're fairly familiar with our situation..."

"Furthermore, if you release them, they will definitely tell the Turks what's happening behind their lines! When the Turks realize they have no way out, they will attack us relentlessly!"

Seeing this, Xiao Ce smiled slightly and said, "That's right, I want them to attack without regard for anything else. People only lose their reason when they are in a state of rage... Wasn't that why the Khan of Helu died before? Besides, even if we release those women, they might not believe us!"

"My goal is to create divisions among them, and then panic! They want to play mind games with me? I'll show them what real mind games are!"

Yin Pan'er saw Xiao Ce's signature 'tricky' smile appear on his face again, and subconsciously got goosebumps all over her body.

"Your Highness, how were those Turkic women released? Were they released openly or secretly?"

Xiao Ce said to Yin Pan'er, "Let's release them openly. Given the current tense situation in the city, if those Turks rashly appear, they'll be torn to pieces by the people!"

Upon seeing this, Yin Pan'er bowed and said, "Your Highness, I understand! I will make the arrangements immediately!"

...

Mos Ashina, outside the city, returned with his heavily armored cavalry and his trebuchet corps, strutting around arrogantly.

The entire group of Turkic Khans were there to greet them.

"Moss, how is it?" Ashina asked anxiously.

Mos Ashina replied, "Father Khan, you can rest assured... everything is going very smoothly! Your intelligence is accurate; they didn't dare to follow us in our attacks!"

“We shouted and cursed at them for a long time, but they didn’t dare to utter a single word! If they really had the guts, they would have riddled us with bullets long ago.”

"Father Khan, their morale must be wavering right now. Within three days, they will be in chaos! All we need to do now is wait for those two-legged sheep to come and surrender!"

After Morse finished speaking, the Khans beside him nodded in satisfaction.

His previously furrowed brows finally relaxed.

"Good...good...good...finally some good news. Moss, you are a hero of our Turkic people today. Today, I'm going to have a good drink with you."

"Great...great, tonight we must have a good drink together."

With that, a group of people escorted Mos Ashina back home.

Mos Ashina looked like a triumphant general, his face full of arrogance.

...

In Yanbei City, hundreds of miles away.

The heads of the four new major clans rushed to the outskirts of Yanbei City.

At this time, they also received a message from Xiao Ce.

Under Yan Jia's command, the original garrison troops all donned Turkic clothing.

The prisoners, including Bond Ashina, managed to win over Yan Jia with their sincerity.

Now he holds a minor official position here.

This time, they were made to impersonate members of the Urgen tribe.

They were also very adept at it.

After hearing his men's report, Bond Ashina led his men to the city gate.

After the city gates were opened, four powerful family heads were seen, followed by hundreds of guards.

These heads of the four major clans were travel-worn and covered in dust.

They initially arrived by carriage, but the carriage was rather slow.

In order to save time, they all abandoned their carriages and traveled light on horseback.

Bond Ashina said to the patriarch of the powerful clan from a distance, "Have some manners. Tell your guards to keep their distance."

The four heads of powerful families exchanged glances.

Lin Nan nodded to them and whispered, "Don't worry, I've already sent a letter..."

The crowd nodded in agreement, signaling the guards following them to step back.

Bond then led a group of people dressed in Turkic attire forward.

Holding up a lantern, he shone it on the four heads of powerful clans: "Are you the heads of the four powerful clans in the four prefectures of the northern desert?"

Upon seeing the Turks, the four men almost reflexively bowed and fawned, saying, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Who is Lin Nan?" Bond asked, looking at the group of people again.

"Me! Me! Me!" Lin Nan said, raising her hand.

Bond took out a portrait from his person, had his men hand it to him with torches, glanced at it, and then looked Lin Nan up and down a few times.

After confirming everything was correct: "We, the Heavenly Khan, are already waiting for you!"