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

Xiao Ce laughed and said, "What, how long have you been with me? Can't you tell if I'm joking or not?"

Hu Yidao gave a wry smile and said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, of course I know. I just thought you weren't joking... that's why I asked you!"

Xiao Ce said to Hu Yidao, "That's right! Are you willing?"

Hu Yidao looked at Xiao Ce: "Your Highness, from the bottom of my heart, I still want to follow you. However, I know that since you've spoken, you must have already thought it through. I will naturally obey your orders! It's just... your safety..."

Xiao Ce gave a bitter smile and said to Hu Yidao, "Hu Yidao, what? In the current situation, do you still think my personal safety is important? Even if you protect me very well and I live well... what if our country is invaded by other countries?"

"At that time, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. You should understand this principle better than I do!"

Hu Yidao nodded.

"Your Highness, I will follow your arrangements. However, do you really think I am capable?"

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, then said to Hu Yidao, "Of course, is there any doubt about that?"

Hu Yidao seemed to have made up his mind at this moment.

"Then do it!"

This immediately excited Sanjay, who was standing nearby.

"Then... Your Highness... is it really possible? Are you willing to help us?"

Xiao Ce smiled at Sang Jie: "If I didn't want to, what do you think I'd be doing following you? Are you kidding me?"

Sanjay was smarter and more rational than Xiao Ce had imagined.

He looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Xiao Ce bluntly said, "If you have anything to say, please feel free to speak."

Sangjie then said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, please don't be angry..."

Looking at Sang Jie's expression, Xiao Ce guessed what he was thinking.

Before he could speak, Xiao Ce said to Sang Jie, "Are you trying to ask me why I'm helping you? Am I going to colonize you like those foreigners?"

Sanjay's eyes widened in disbelief.

It seems that Xiao Ce was able to express his thoughts.

Before Sangjie could speak, Xiao Ce continued, "It seems I was right! Although I advocate for national unification!"

"However, I am also a peace lover! That's why I made Zhang Yunqing Yunqing Urgen! The things the Turks did to the Xiao Kingdom before are too numerous to count, so I had them purged. However, I still left some kind-hearted people behind! I let them stay."

"All I need to do is guarantee them a good relationship with me! After all, peace is essential for coexistence. I also know very well that I, a citizen of Xiao, am capable of leading you people of different faiths and bloodlines..."

"I firmly believe that where there is oppression, there will be resistance. Therefore, I am also quite certain that the more oppressive I am... the stronger the resistance will be! Rather than that, wouldn't it be better for us to help you and maintain good diplomatic relations?"

Sangjie said to Xiao Ce, "Aren't you afraid that after you help us, we will rebel against you?"

Xiao Ce smiled: "Just as you said, I have many policies to make you dependent on our Xiao Kingdom! War is just a means!"

Xiao Ce did not make this point very clear.

Although Sanjie didn't understand the implied meaning in Xiao Ce's words, he could sense Xiao Ce's confidence.

"I think I understand! Your Highness, thank you for your help. If I am able to make a name for myself here, I will definitely be your most steadfast ally!"

Seeing this, Xiao Ce said to Sang Jie, "That's fine then... Hu Yidao, you can go with Sang Jie."

Hu Yidao and Sang Jie looked surprised: "Your Highness...now?"

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "What I need to do now has a better solution. I believe Boudica's identity is definitely better than yours..."

"Moreover, we are in a time of chaos, and time is of the essence."

The two men nodded.

Suddenly, Hu Yidao remembered something and asked Sangjie, "Sangjie, do you have money?"

Sanjay nodded at first, then suddenly understood what Hu Yidao meant.

"I have money, but if I'm going to do something big, it definitely won't be enough!"

Hu Yidao then looked at Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce only needed to glance at Hu Yidao to know what the kid was up to.

"You were unwilling just now? Now you're thinking of asking me for money?"

Hu Yidao chuckled: "Your Highness, is this what you call an investment...? Have him sign an IOU for you..."

Seeing this, Sanjie looked at Xiao Ce expectantly.

Xiao Ce was already prepared; he was now essentially a venture capitalist.

Since it's venture capital, then naturally it involves investment.

"You can ask Yunqing Urgen for whatever amount of money, weapons, or supplies you need!"

Hu Yidao nodded: "Your Highness, the Turkic Khaganate itself is barely surviving right now. If I ask them for something, will they give it to me?"

Seeing Hu Yidao's words, Xiao Ce said with a wry smile, "Don't worry, you'll get your share."

Hu Yidao scratched his head and added with a smile, "Your Highness, it's not that I'm siding with outsiders... it's just that you assigned me this job... since you assigned it to me, I have to do it well, right?"

Xiao Ce smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, I didn't say anything, so don't get so worked up! You should go and get back to what you're doing!"

Hu Yidao said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, don't worry, it's just that you must take care of your health!"

Xiao Ce found it somewhat amusing to see Hu Yidao giving him instructions like an elder.

At the same time, I couldn't help but feel a little warm inside.

After Hu Yidao left, he saw Gulimiza looking at him with an expression of adoration.

Xiao Ce then realized that Gulimiza must have taken it seriously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Your Highness, I truly underestimated you. I never expected you to have such a magnanimous heart..."

really...

Xiao Ce gave a wry smile, then said to Gulimiza, "You didn't actually take it seriously, did you?"

Gulimiza was stunned: "Are you saying something that isn't true?"

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Of course, I'm just making empty promises to Sangjie... I've always believed that those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts... What I want is unification! And then assimilation! I'm not that noble."

Gulimiza's expression immediately turned slightly awkward, and she then said to Xiao Ce, "So you treat us in the Western Regions the same way?"

Xiao Ce stated bluntly: "Of course, I will have your people control the Western Regions, and then I will use the economy to control the Western Regions. After that, I will use cultural invasion to gradually assimilate them... The ultimate goal is to make Xiao Kingdom a part of the world!"

Gulimiza listened to Xiao Ce's words without showing the slightest displeasure.

Xiao Ce was somewhat surprised: "Gulimiza, you don't seem to care at all?"

Gulimiza looked at Xiao Ce with deep emotion: "Your Highness, as I said... after I married you, I belonged to you. And actually, there's a concept you mentioned that I agree with... the global village. As long as the people live well, that's enough. They don't really care who their masters are..."

"What ordinary people care about more is who can make their lives better."

Xiao Ce pulled Gulimiza into his arms: "She truly is the woman I've chosen."

Gulimiza didn't struggle, but nestled in Xiao Ce's arms: "Your Highness, I used to think you were a bit too kind, but it turns out you've never let me down!"

...

Boudica didn't arrive until the next day.

She arrived early, and her eyes were red, clearly indicating that she had spent a lot of time catching up with her uncle yesterday.

"Your Highness, my uncle said he will come with the lords from other countries and will take the lead in cooperating with you!"

Xiao Ce nodded: "Boudica, you've worked hard... It must have been difficult to persuade your uncle."

Boudica shook her head: "It wasn't difficult at all. After learning about my experience, he was very willing to help. There was just one request."

Before Boudica could even speak, Xiao Ce said to her, "No problem!"

Boudica asked in surprise, "I haven't even said anything, so what requests could I have made?"

"Whatever the requirements!" Xiao Ce said confidently.

Boudica replied with a mocking expression, "Whatever your request, even if I want your Northern Desert Royal Palace?"

Xiao Ce said with a smile, "As long as you dare to ask, I dare to give it to you!"

Boudica saw that Xiao Ce's expression was not a joke, and she was somewhat moved.

Before he could reply, Xiao Ce said, "It's nothing more than helping you get revenge later or something?"

Boudica was quite familiar with Xiao Ce's abilities, so she wasn't surprised.

"What if you need to send troops to Britain? My family is one of the largest families in Britain, the Targaryen family. And my family has been taken over by the sister who framed me. Not only that, she has also married into another powerful family... If we were to wage war against them, we would be making an enemy of Britain!"

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "No problem... As long as I have the ability, I will do it without hesitation!"

Boudica said with emotion, "Your Highness, I was right about you."

As they were talking, Sanjay's younger brother, Sanka, came over.

"Your Highness, the lords of the Gallo-Hungarian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Roman Empire have arrived. Shall I invite them in first, or would you like to go and greet them?"

Xiao Ce raised an eyebrow and said, "No need to go pick them up. Go and invite them in. They're just some lords! Don't spoil them too much."

Sanka nodded respectfully.

Boudica and Gulimiza, who were standing to the side, did not say anything, but simply waited obediently behind Xiao Ce.

They knew very well that Xiao Ce was a man with his own ideas.

A short while later, Sanka added that Brian Carter had also arrived.

Xiao Ce still did not go to greet him.

After all, we have to treat everyone fairly.

...

At this point, the lords of the various territories were clearly getting impatient.

Furthermore, even though they personally visited the place, the so-called mysterious merchant did not come out to greet them.

You should know that, given their status, even the king of India would have to personally receive them.

However, since they were already there, they suppressed their resentment and waited.

As soon as they saw Brian Carter approaching, they all stood up.

"Lord Brian, you've finally arrived! Who is this guy over here? He's far too arrogant, not even coming to greet us!"

"Indeed, Lord Brian, not even you came to fetch you?"

"This person is rather ungrateful; no matter how capable he is, he's just a businessman..."

These people were speaking in broken British.

At first, they were all talking over each other, but it was still not very convenient for everyone to talk.

Because Britain was more powerful, these people began to learn to speak the British language for convenience.

Brian Carter looked at the lords and smiled slightly: "Since you've come, it means you're after his interests. Besides, does his coming out to greet us count as respect? Let's see what he wants to talk to us about later. As long as there are enough benefits... I don't think that's a problem."

Brian Carter's words drew nods of agreement from everyone.

"Lord Brian, do you know anything about this person?"

Soon, a lord from the Gallic Empire asked Brian Carter a question.

Brian Carter pretended not to know, because they had all been disguised when they came to him yesterday.

So, outsiders really don't know.

Brian Carter said, "I've heard about it. They seem to be quite powerful... They're from the Northern Desert Royal Palace!"

Upon hearing Brian Carter's words, everyone's expressions immediately became excited: "What? People from the Northern Desert Royal Palace? Aren't they from the Xiao Kingdom?"

Brian Carter nodded: "That's right. Rumor has it that this man is a prince of the Northern Desert Royal Palace and a sworn brother of the Khan of the Turkic Kingdom! Our divine wine was brought from his side."

Brian Carter didn't waste any words and started speaking as Boudica had instructed.

These people were all shrewd enough that when they heard Brian Carter say that, their expressions became complicated.

"Lord Brian, in that case, do you really think he'll come to talk business with us?"

“Indeed, I’ve heard that the Xiao Kingdom has been quite turbulent lately. The Fusang Kingdom and the Slavic Empire are both making moves... Bringing so many things here at this critical juncture, it’s clear they’re not here for business.”

"Even if it's business, it's not exactly legitimate business. Lord Brian, what do you think?"

Seeing that Brian didn't respond, these people asked.

Brian Carter smiled slightly and then said, "We're all here now, aren't we? Since we're already here, instead of speculating, why don't we just wait here for that person to arrive and everything will be clear, right?"