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

Xiao Tao was already worried, and hearing the shouts coming from outside the door, he immediately tensed up.

Xiao Tao rushed to the entrance of the military tent and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

The messenger soldier hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, our soldiers are all suffering terribly, as if they've been poisoned..."

Xiao Tao's gaze sharpened as he listened: "Poisoning? How could someone be poisoned when they were perfectly healthy? Were any of the people who came later kept an eye on them?"

The soldier who delivered the message nodded: "Your Majesty, we have been keeping an eye on them... and there is nothing unusual about them."

Xiao Tao continued, "Don't we have military doctors among us? Send one..."

The soldier who brought the news said to Xiao Tao, "They've already examined him, but they can't figure out what the illness is. They're completely helpless."

As Xiao Tao spoke, he instructed the messenger soldier to lead the way.

Not far from where I left, I heard many people complaining of excruciating pain, rolling around in agony on the spot.

Ninety percent of the soldiers are already in this state.

When asked, the remaining soldiers who had not yet fallen ill were told that they were eating and drinking the same things.

It wasn't until Xiao Tao asked them if they had eaten anything special that they finally understood.

Only then did they take out the Xiaoyao Pill.

“Your Majesty, this is what we usually eat. Back over there, there wasn't much good food, except for this…”

Xiao Tao looked at a soldier holding a dark pill, which didn't seem particularly special.

Seeing Xiao Tao examining the pill, a soldier beside him said, "Your Majesty, this pill looks ordinary, but it's actually quite remarkable. After taking it, it can strengthen the body, refresh the mind, and make one feel as if they can fly..."

"This thing was given to us by that old hag to strengthen our bodies, because only when we're healthy can we work for them..."

The soldier then said to Xiao Tao, "Your Majesty, should we give them this 'Carefree Pill' to try and see if it works... just in case..."

Xiao Tao nodded after listening to the soldier's words.

Although he always felt that this thing didn't seem like a good thing.

However, he really had no choice but to listen to these people describe the Xiaoyao Pill as some kind of miraculous elixir.

We had no choice but to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.

They tried feeding one to the person who was having an attack, and it really worked like a magic pill; after taking it, the person immediately looked comfortable.

Although he didn't know what was going on, Xiao Tao was thinking about the siege the next day and didn't have a better solution.

They searched the entire army for these so-called "carefree pills" and actually found quite a few.

And many of them were carried by people who came later.

It seems like they came here specifically to deliver this.

Xiao Tao was no ordinary fool; he quickly realized the problem and got a few for the military doctor to examine.

However, the military doctor examined them for a while but found nothing wrong.

He summoned his trusted confidants again and asked them the same questions once more.

That should give you a general idea of ​​what happened!

A trusted aide asked Xiao Tao, "Your Majesty, do you think we were poisoned by that old witch?"

Xiao Tao nodded: "I've heard before that there's some kind of 'Five-Stone Powder' circulating among the common people. Taking these things will produce the same effects. They're very harmful to the body and addictive..."

After hearing Xiao Tao's words, the confidant's face turned grim. "So, Your Majesty, you mean that their use of the 'Free and Easy Pill' to improve our health was a pretense! Their real intention is to control us..."

Xiao Tao nodded and said, "I mean, that old hag has changed her mind so quickly... Why haven't they come to arrest us yet? They're thinking of using this 'Free and Easy Pill' to control our people..."

At this point, Xiao Tao's expression turned extremely gloomy.

The trusted aide beside him looked grim: "Your Majesty, to be honest... when I have an attack, if I were willing to do anything to relieve those painful feelings, I would be inhuman! So, under such circumstances, if they were to kill you and give you the 'Freedom Pill,' a large number of them would be willing to do it!"

Xiao Tao nodded: "I know!"

A trusted aide asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

Xiao Tao's expression was grim: "How long will the medicine we just collected last..."

The trusted general standing nearby said with a grim expression, "At most three days... After three days, I'm afraid there will be a large number of people falling ill again!"

"While the medicine is still effective, let's go and take down Panlong City!"

A trusted general said to Xiao Tao, "Your Majesty, now is actually the best time to attack. They just used those 'Xiaoyao Pills'... their spirits are at their peak."

Seeing this, Xiao Tao nodded: "Alright...then go and reorganize the army...we'll take the base first, and then we'll discuss things further..."

A trusted general said to Xiao Tao, "Your Majesty, I think we can explain this matter to everyone... They might just stick to it together?"

Xiao Tao gave a wry smile and said to his trusted generals, "You yourself said that once the illness starts, you won't be able to control yourselves... It's clear that prevention is worse than cure... There's always a way!"

As Xiao Tao spoke, he ordered his trusted generals to begin reorganizing the three armies.

That very night, they launched an attack on the city. The people inside offered almost no resistance and surrendered.

The city lord guarding the city also gave Xiao Tao a big gift.

"Your Majesty, if you were our city, you would have simply sent someone to say so! Please...please..."

Xiao Tao looked warily at the city lord guarding the city: "I am no longer His Majesty. Now, that old hag didn't she claim to be the Empress?"

The city lord, who was guarding the city, waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty, we don't approve of that person from the bottom of our hearts. But we are helpless; we really have no way to deal with her!"

As he spoke, the city lord waved his hand, and the city gates were opened. Although it was late at night, many people came to welcome him.

"Your Majesty, we've heard you've arrived! We've heard you oppose those Japanese pirates from Fusang, and we, your people, wholeheartedly support you... We all want to come and welcome you."

Looking at the orderly crowd on both sides, Xiao Tao gave a bitter smile: "I've become emperor but done nothing... I've failed all of you who love and respect me."

The city lord waved his hand, saying, "Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with you. You were forced into this situation. Besides, regardless of what happened before, all we need to do now is fight the Japanese pirates!"

Xiao Tao smiled and nodded, still somewhat surprised, and said, "Aren't there any people among these who want my life? My head is worth a fortune now."

The city lord smiled and said to Xiao Tao, "Your Majesty is joking. Everyone knows that old hag is a fickle and treacherous person. Rest assured, our people here are all honest and kind..."

Surrounded by a group of generals, Xiao Tao entered the city.

Upon entering the city, Xiao Tao went straight to the point with the city lord: "Your Excellency, do you have any renowned doctors here...?"

After listening to Xiao Tao's words, the city lord nodded: "Your Majesty, your arrival is truly timely... We happen to have a wandering Taoist priest here, who is not only skilled in Taoist arts, but also proficient in medicine..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tao immediately asked the city lord to make an introduction.

The city lord looked embarrassed: "Your Majesty, that Taoist priest has a strange temper, and ordinary people find him difficult to approach! So, I'm afraid I can't invite him over. If Your Majesty is interested, you can pay him a visit."

Then the city lord said, "Your Majesty, if I may ask, whose illness is it? If it is a common ailment, we can send a doctor here."

Xiao Tao said, "This is something that not just anyone can do. I would be grateful if the city lord could show me the way."

Seeing Xiao Tao's polite manner, the city lord became even more apprehensive...

"Your Majesty, this is all my duty. You're making me feel too ashamed..."

Xiao Tao said, "I am no longer the emperor. Having been in this position for so long, I am well aware that I am not cut out for it. One must recognize oneself... one must recognize oneself... If one does not recognize oneself, things become very troublesome. It is very likely that one will fall into the abyss."

Xiao Tao's words were truly heartfelt.

It's true that they all wanted to be emperors before, but what they wanted to inherit was the throne of a prosperous era.

Instead of taking over a country that is fragmented and on the verge of collapse.

In particular, his self-proclaimed intelligence was utterly insignificant in the face of all this.

This made him very frustrated.

Because he was a smart man, amidst this chaos, he discovered who was truly capable of saving the collapsing empire...

That was Xiao Ce.

If Xiao Tao wanted to survive, he had to cling tightly to his leg.

Although Xiao Ce has saved him, he now wants to show his usefulness.

He knew very well that Xiao Ce had placed him here to put pressure on Cai Hui, so he had to do it.

He needed to prove his worth; only by proving his worth could he gain some standing in front of Xiao Ce in the future.

Judging from Xiao Yang's situation, Xiao Ce is not the kind of petty person.

In fact, he didn't have much interaction with Xiao Ce, and his thoughts were actually the same as those of another Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Ce was such a useless person back then; he felt it was a waste of their time to bully him.

Because of this, he felt that from now on, he only needed to do his job well for Xiao Ce.

Then, he must have a higher and farther path than Xiao Yang.

Therefore, no matter how much we think about it, the immediate priority is to solve the problem of Xiaoyao Pill.

Xiao Tao insisted that they call him the Fourth Prince.

The city lord was completely helpless at this point, so he had no choice but to follow Xiao Tao's wishes.

After a short rest, Xiao Tao asked the city lord to lead the way.

Both of them changed into civilian clothes, for no other reason than safety first.

Xiao Tao only brought one guard.

The city lord wanted to bring more, but Xiao Tao refused.

The city lord jokingly said to Xiao Tao, "Your Highness, aren't you afraid that I might suddenly turn against you?"

Xiao Tao chuckled and said, "This is your territory. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake... If you want me dead, I probably won't live much longer! Besides, I'm actually quite self-aware..."

“We don’t have much of a relationship. I was an emperor for a short time, but even if I wasn’t universally hated, I wouldn’t be worshipped by you so much.”

"So, there might only be one..."

As he spoke, Xiao Tao took out a copper coin.

The city lord's expression changed slightly after seeing the copper coin.

Although it was only for a fleeting moment.

However, Xiao Tao saw that one moment and that was enough to confirm his thoughts.

"They must have told you that, right?"

The city lord didn't seem particularly surprised when Xiao Tao guessed it...

No longer hiding anything, he simply admitted: "It's one thing that they came to us and told us, and it's also true that we can't beat you. And after spending this time with you, I know that the advice the Gold Society gave me was good."

Xiao Tao gleaned an important phrase from his words: "Golden Gathering".

He asked in confusion, "The Golden Society?"

Seeing Xiao Tao's expression, the city lord was somewhat surprised: "You possess the Golden Society's tokens, but don't you know what the Golden Society is?"

Xiao Tao nodded: "What would gold be?"

The city lord nodded and explained to Xiao Tao, "The Golden Society is a merchant alliance within the Xiao Kingdom. They have a tight organization, and it's no exaggeration to say that they have already grasped the lifeline of the entire Xiao Kingdom's economy!"

Listening to the city lord's words, Xiao Tao felt it was somewhat unbelievable: "Impossible... We're scattered all over Xiao Kingdom... Even the merchants from Fusang Kingdom haven't managed to do this, yet they have."

The city lord did not explain: "I don't know the specifics... but their abilities are truly remarkable... it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they have connections to the highest levels."

Then the city lord said to Xiao Tao, "Fourth Prince, you know absolutely nothing about them, so how did you manage to obtain the Golden Society's ingots?"

Xiao Tao asked, "A friend gave it to me... Do you know who the leader of this Golden Society is?"

The city lord shook his head and said, "Fourth Prince, don't underestimate me just because I'm a city lord... It's only because of the current turmoil that I've managed to gain some status by handling both military and political affairs and the people's livelihood. Normally, as a mere city lord, nobody would take me seriously! How could I possibly know... However, the person who gave you this coin must be someone extraordinary!"

Xiao Tao nodded with a smile. Xiao Yang could now be considered a regional overlord.

Even if the city lord hadn't said anything, Xiao Tao had already guessed that the person behind the Golden Society was probably Xiao Ce...

He truly never expected that Xiao Ce had so quietly established such a vast network of influence throughout the Xiao Kingdom...

It's absolutely terrifying...