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

Seeing Xiao Tao's words, Qianlong smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty, I came here to help you!"

Xiao Tao's eyes grew even colder: "Help me? Can a weasel pay New Year's greetings to a chicken? Besides, I'm just a puppet right now... If you help me, this puppet, you just want to use me to become your puppet."

"Since we're all going to be puppets anyway, it doesn't really matter whose puppet I am, so why would I take this risk?"

After Xiao Tao finished speaking, he simply lay half-reclined on a chair to one side, making a gesture of giving up.

Seeing this, Qianlong smiled and said, "Mr. Qianlong, I'm not asking you to be a puppet. I'm seeking your cooperation. Xiao Wenqin's poem was quite right: 'We are of the same root, why should we fight each other so fiercely?' Since neither of us can defeat the other right now, why don't we... first expel these foreign tribes..."

Xiao Tao snorted coldly and said to Qianlong, "Hmph... what else is there to say! You're almost at your breaking point from driving out the alien races, and now you're thinking of coming to me... you don't know, do you? The Japanese soldiers haven't even made a move yet."

As he spoke, Xiao Tao said jokingly, "So, my advice to you is not to resist... just accept it obediently... and stop causing trouble... haven't you seen the situation clearly? Our Xiao Kingdom has fallen far behind those foreign races. I'm being a dog for the people of Fusang, while you're being dogs for the Slavs... we're all dogs, no one is more noble than the other!"

Looking at Xiao Tao's expression, Qianlong understood that Xiao Tao was somewhat desperate.

"Your Majesty, you're being treated like a dog. We're not being treated like dogs by the Slavs; at most, they just want some resources and to make some money off us. It sounds similar, but the reality is vastly different..."

“As you said, we have fallen far behind. Although the Slavs came to make money, they have also provided genuine assistance, building workshops for us and providing jobs for our people... In time, with our own firearms workshops, we can gradually break away from them.”

"The people of Fusang are completely enslaved... Although we are controlled, we can still decide what to do."

After hearing what Mr. Qianlong said, Xiao Tao asked him with a gloomy expression, "After saying so much, what exactly do you want?"

Qianlong said to Xiao Tao, "Let's cooperate, drive out these beasts from Fusang, and then divide the world into three!"

Xiao Tao's eyes flickered slightly: "If our people lose the weapons support from Fusang, won't we become fish on your chopping block?"

Mr. Qianlong said with a smile, "I will introduce you to the Crown Prince of the Slavic Kingdom... You will buy the same weapons we did!"

Xiao Tao looked puzzled: "Oh? What are you trying to achieve by doing this?"

"What I said was very simple: we should join forces to fight against the Japanese pirates. I won't lie to you, but under the threat of the Japanese pirates, your army has indeed put tremendous pressure on us."

“If the people of Fusang came to fight us personally, I would never come looking for you. But in the current situation, no matter how we fight, it will be our own people fighting each other, which will please our enemies and hurt our own people.”

"Most importantly, let's not forget. Xiao Yang and Xiao Wenqin are still recuperating at Yumen Pass, and Xiao Ce is also holed up in the northern desert, sitting comfortably... My fear is that if we wear each other down, their most valuable assets will ultimately be them..."

"I'm seeking cooperation with you solely because you're a smart person..."

Xiao Tao looked at Qianlong and said, "After saying so much, you should know my situation, right? What do you think I can do for you?"

Qianlong said, "No matter what, you are the emperor of Xiao Kingdom. I can help you kill that witch Cai Hui and the governor of Fusang Kingdom beside her! I can also help you contact your military generals. Among those people, there must be your own people."

Xiao Tao nodded sharply: "Then what do I need to do then?"

Qianlong said to Xiao Tao, "After driving out the people of Fusang, we will live in peace!"

Xiao Tao asked with a hint of doubt, "That's it?"

Qianlong nodded: "That's right, this is it!"

A hint of doubt still crept into Xiao Tao's eyes.

"Of course, there's another matter to discuss later. That is, attacking Xiao Ce and his lackeys. I believe you would agree to do that too! At that time, we will still need to join forces," Qianlong said.

Upon seeing the two conditions proposed by Qianlong, Xiao Tao nodded and said, "No problem... If it's just this, then of course it's no problem."

Seeing Xiao Tao stand up again, a glint of light appeared in his eyes...

"Okay! I promise you... So what do I need to do now?"

Qianlong said to Xiao Tao, "What you need to do now is to gather your soldiers and write a letter to your commander! Tell them to go back and wipe out those Japanese pirates..."

Then Qianlong said to Xiao Tao, "Remember, you must have your people write it..."

Xiao Tao looked at Qianlong with some surprise and said, "It seems you know quite a bit? How do you know I have control over my army...?"

Qianlong listened to Xiao Tao's words: "Your Majesty, you are not the kind of person who acts without a plan. Moreover, those armies initially supported you. Even if you cut off contact, they would have just watched you being placed under house arrest without doing anything... Clearly, you gave them some signal... They were probably hiding. However, you found that things were developing in a direction out of your control, so you had no choice but to put them on hold. Fortunately, at a crucial moment, you were able to use them again..."

Xiao Tao was astonished to see Qianlong reveal everything he had been thinking: "How did you know?"

Qianlong smiled and said, "If you were just a puppet imprisoned, why would I bother to come looking for you?"

Upon hearing Qianlong's words, Xiao Tao couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hahaha, alright, it seems you came prepared!"

Qianlong said to Xiao Tao, "Then let's not delay. Three days from now, we'll make our move together. Have your men prepare quickly as well. We'll catch them off guard before they've even realized what's happening!"

Xiao Tao nodded without any hesitation and went to the desk next to him to start writing.

After writing it, Xiao Tao sealed it and stamped it with his official seal.

Xiao Tao then handed it to Qianlong: "Mr. Qianlong, I'm entrusting this to you. You must protect it well... this is extremely important!"

Qianlongguang nodded after listening to Xiao Tao's words.

"Alright, no problem! Don't worry. In three days, you'll be reigning supreme once more. I only have one request..."

Before Qianlong could finish speaking, Xiao Tao said, "Don't worry, I will never forget your kindness this time! When we attack Xiao Ce, I will definitely do as you say."

Qianlong nodded in satisfaction, then put the letter Xiao Tao had written into his pocket.

After making some arrangements, Xiao Tao let Qianlong leave.

Xiao Tao stood there, watching Qianlong's departing figure.

A servant standing nearby asked Xiao Tao, "Your Majesty, are we saved this time..."

Xiao Tao gazed outside the imperial city, his expression becoming very complicated.

After a long silence, he slowly said, "Yes! We're saved..."

...

After Qianlong left the palace in the comprador's car, he immediately changed to another carriage.

Immediately, his carriage headed towards the temporary palace outside Cai Hui Palace.

This palace underwent several renovations by Cai Hui and Tojo Shōki of the Fusang Kingdom.

Their palace has become very grand.

While it can't compare to a real royal palace, it certainly looks just as impressive...

After Qianlong arrived at the entrance of the palace, he had just gotten off.

A man who looked like a eunuch came forward to greet him: "Mr. Qianlong, you've arrived."

Qianlong nodded slightly, then said to the little eunuch, "Little Congzi, you've been waiting here for a long time, haven't you?"

The young eunuch smiled and then said, "The Empress Dowager arranged for me to wait here. She said she figured you should be coming out by now!"

He then bowed to Qianlong and said, "Mr. Qianlong, please come in. The Queen Mother has been waiting for you..."

Qianlong smiled and nodded, then followed him inside.

The style of this palace is entirely based on that of the Fusang Kingdom.

Therefore, once you enter this palace, you are immediately struck by the distinct atmosphere of Japan.

In a room, Cai Hui and Tojo Shōki were already waiting.

At this moment, Cai Hui had changed into a set of Japanese clothes and had her face painted with a Japanese makeup that resembled that of a ghost.

Seeing Qianlong approaching, Cai Hui smiled and stood up to greet him.

"Mr. Qianlong, you've arrived... Welcome... Welcome... I hope everything went smoothly."

Qianlong smiled and said to Cai Hui, "Reporting to the Queen Mother, everything is going very smoothly."

After Qianlong finished answering, he bowed slightly to Tojo Shōki.

"Greetings, Lord Tojo Shōki."

Tojo Shōki sat down with a smile on his face: "Mr. Qianlong, you've worked hard this time. He didn't suspect you, did he?"

Qianlong smiled and nodded: "Reporting to my lord, everything went smoothly. He didn't suspect anything and cooperated very well."

Seeing this, Cai Hui smiled and then asked Qianlong to sit down.

After Qianlong sat down, he said to Cai Hui, "Your Majesty, Lord Tojo Shōki, this time it went very smoothly. That Xiao Tao is now like a drowning man grasping at a straw... without the slightest doubt."

After returning to her seat, Cai Hui said with a smile, "Oh? So you've gotten everything we wanted, right?"

Qianlong smiled and nodded: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, of course! We've received them all..."

Cai Hui looked at Qianlong with curiosity, and Qianlong slowly took out a stack of envelopes.

Just as Cai Hui was about to send someone to retrieve it, Qianlong smiled slightly and said, "Mother, there's no need to rush... I've already done what I promised you... But what you promised me..."

Cai Hui said to Qianlong, "Mr. Qianlong, we have already done it! These past few days, we've allowed the people on the front lines to rest. If you don't believe me, you can go and check it out yourself before giving me this list!"

Just then, Tojo Shōki spoke up, saying to Qianlong, "Mr. Qianlong, rest assured, as long as you are willing to fight against the Slavic country with us, we can grant you the right to autonomy. However, your ports must be open to us."

Qianlong replied without hesitation, "Of course! Didn't we already talk about this? I'll help you capture all of Xiao Tao's trusted confidants hidden in the army as a token of my sincerity! After that, we'll temporarily reside in Jiangnan. Once you help us conquer Mobei, we'll go there, and this place will be entirely yours!"

Tojo Shōki nodded. After so much time had passed, Qianlong had come to see and understand many things clearly.

That means Fusang is definitely unstoppable! Fusang will inevitably occupy those cities in Jiangnan Prefecture.

The Fusang Kingdom wants to move their country here and form a link with their own Fusang Kingdom.

A small port is certainly not enough to guarantee their safety, and Xiao Xiangqing and his men are now without guns or ships.

Occupying this port is useless; on the contrary, he has heard a lot of news about the Northern Desert Prince's Palace.

It is said that Xiao Ce managed that place like a paradise...

Moreover, they were sworn enemies with Xiao Ce, so conquering the Northern Desert Prince's Mansion could be considered revenge.

Moreover, the Northern Desert Royal Palace connects to the Slavic country. If the Fusang country directly occupies it, there will definitely be many frictions between them. If they occupy it, with it as a buffer zone, both sides will feel more at ease.

He felt that since Xiao Ce was able to develop his career secretly over there, they also felt that they could do the same.

So Qianlong made this decision.

Of course, Xiao Xiangqing is currently unaware of this decision.

Cai Hui nodded, then asked Qianlong, "Mr. Qianlong, what's the situation with Xiao Zhan?"

Qianlong remained silent for a moment, then said to Cai Hui, "Mother, I'm not sure yet... I think they may have already joined forces with Xiao Ce."

"Of course, I can wait until I get back and see what their attitude is before making a decision."

Before Cai Hui could respond.

Tojo Shōki said impatiently, "Alright... you can decide this matter. All we need to do is remove all his cronies planted in the army. Then I won't worry about you being just a flock of sheep. My most important task now is to deal with those despicable Slavs!!"