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

Xiao Ce stopped talking nonsense.

"Alright, dismissed! Everyone, eat meat and drink wine to your heart's content!"

The crowd immediately dispersed, and everyone had a very good first impression of Xiao Ce.

As the eldest prince, Xiao Ce was neither arrogant nor did he try to intimidate them.

Moreover, what they said was all based on their own realities.

Actually, their thinking is very simple: whoever can give them enough money, they are willing to risk their lives for them.

...

After the crowd dispersed happily, Shen Hu looked at Xiao Ce with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Your Majesty."

Looking at Shen Hu's expression, Xiao Ce asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Shen Hu said to Xiao Ce, "Are you sure you want to bring out all the meat and wine?"

Xiao Ce misunderstood, thinking that Shen Hu disagreed.

"Shen Hu, don't worry! Just take a complete inventory of everything, and once the rest of the troops arrive, I'll calculate the price for you based on the highest market value! Or perhaps..."

Before Xiao Ce could finish speaking, Shen Hu kept shaking his head.

"Your Highness, that's not what I meant. We have a considerable number of troops here, and securing provisions after we descend the mountain is a problem. I was hoping to exchange the cured meat and fine wine for some money and provisions, which should be enough to sustain us for a while..."

Xiao Ce was somewhat moved by Shen Hu's words: "Haha, Shen Hu, I appreciate your kindness. Don't worry, just bring out all this wine and meat. Everyone, eat as much as you can! I didn't just say I promised you. I didn't just boast about raising so many soldiers! Go!"

Seeing Xiao Ce's confident expression, Shen Hu's face lit up with excitement, and he nodded.

As Shen Hu was speaking, he beckoned over a man who looked about 70-80% like him, but was thinner.

After the man stepped forward, he knelt down in front of Xiao Ce with a thud.

"This humble subject, Shen Bao, greets Your Highness! Greetings to the two Princesses!"

Before Nie Bing and Yin Pan'er could deny it...

Xiao Ce preemptively said to Shen Bao, "Haha, good! Shen Bao, I've heard about you... Are you willing to give up everything here and follow me?"

Shen Bao nodded firmly and said, "Your Highness, you saved my elder brother's life. You are our benefactor. Your Highness, I don't know you. But I know my elder brother. He never makes a mistake in choosing someone. He said you are a good master, and that we have a bright future following you, so I will follow you!"

Xiao Ce was satisfied with Shen Bao's answer, after all, Xiao Ce and Shen Bao were complete strangers.

If Shen Bao had immediately pledged his loyalty to Xiao Ce upon arriving...

Xiao Ce wouldn't believe it either.

Now that he says this, he is much more trustworthy.

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Don't you feel bad?"

Shen Bao's face hardened slightly as he said, "As long as Your Highness truly punishes those Turks, you won't feel any remorse..."

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Alright! Work hard for me, and you'll have good days ahead..."

Xiao Ce said, "Alright, take me around your area."

Shen Hu nodded.

Xiao Ce noticed that Yin Pan'er and Nie Bing had no intention of following.

"You can wander around here. You don't need to follow me."

...

Nie Bing watched Xiao Ce leave.

She said to Yin Pan'er in an annoyed tone, "Pan'er, why did you stop me just now?"

Yin Pan'er said, "Sister, haven't you changed your opinion of him a lot along the way? Besides, look at his abilities! Anyway, you've already consummated your marriage with him. Becoming his woman might not be a bad thing for us."

Nie Bing looked at Yin Pan'er with some disbelief.

Yin Pan'er smiled at Nie Bing and said, "Sister, don't look at me like that. I'm serious. He hasn't done anything excessive along the way. Besides, we've all seen what he's done. This man is truly capable; he's organized, shrewd, and most importantly, ambitious. He's definitely more than 99% of men..."

"We women will eventually get married. I think Xiao Ce is a very good choice..."

Nie Bing glanced helplessly at Yin Pan'er: "Pan'er, I see now. You've been deceived by him... He is indeed a good person... However, there's no way we can be together! Besides, the moment my father died, I decided that I would no longer depend on anyone; I would be my own support..."

Seeing Nie Bing's determined look, Yin Pan'er said nothing more.

"Okay, sister, I won't say anything more! However, I mind if you share a man with me. I don't mind being a mistress..."

Seeing Yin Pan'er's mischievous grin, Nie Bing quickly tickled Yin Pan'er's armpits.

"You little brat... how dare you tease me..."

The two started playfully fighting while talking.

...

What Xiao Ce didn't know was that it wasn't just their side that was having a lively time.

In Lingxiao City, the center of the four prefectures of Mobei, the atmosphere was also bustling with activity.

Because three days later would be the day that Bao An married his twentieth wife.

Ever since the Turks ripped him off, Bao An had been furious.

Then, under the pretext of marrying a wife, he summoned all the powerful and influential people in the area.

They said they wanted them to attend a wedding banquet, but actually they wanted them to give some gifts to recoup some of their losses.

Bao An's general's mansion in Lingxiao City is very large and very luxurious.

It has the feel of a small palace.

Bao An was in one of the rooms, with his eldest son, Bao Cong, standing to one side.

"Cong'er, have you delivered all the invitations I asked you to?"

Bao Cong cupped his hands to Bao An and said, "Reporting to Father, they have all been delivered. Because you personally went to the enemy camp this time and caused the Turks to retreat, these powerful and noble families admire you greatly. They have all expressed that they will definitely come to participate."

"Are there any troublemakers?" Bao An asked.

Bao Cong shook his head and said, "No! The powerful and wealthy families here are all very clever. Father, your arrival is a win-win situation for both of them! No matter who suffers, as long as they don't suffer, they will definitely treat you well! However..."

"But what?"

Bao Cong said, "Father, have you forgotten about that good-for-nothing who's still on his way?"

Bao An scoffed, "How could I forget? Didn't he bring us a lot of disaster victims? I should thank him properly!"

Bao Cong was puzzled: "Thank him? Father, are you joking? Those disaster victims are like locusts. Our lowly people here are already starving! If those people come and we have no food for them, won't they cause trouble?"

Bao An shook his head and said, "You're stupid too. They didn't come all at once, they came one after another. Haven't those noble families been saying that we sent too many lowly people to the Turks as slaves? They don't even have any tenant farmers left."

"After those disaster victims arrived, every noble family gave them some. Those noble families and dignitaries are no good at dealing with the Turks! But aren't they good at dealing with those lowly people?"

"And didn't the Turks say before that many of the slaves they sent over died? And now they're asking us for more... They call these lowly people 'two-legged sheep,' so if we send some more... we can at least do them a favor. Like I said, if we can't deal with the Turks, can't we at least deal with those lowly people?"

Bao Cong smiled and nodded: "What if they resist?"

Bao An's face hardened as he said, "Kill a few hundred, and those people will be terrified. Do I need to teach you that?"

After hearing Bao An's words, Bao Cong's eyes lit up: "Father, you're so thoughtful! By the way, have you heard? That good-for-nothing is still recruiting quite a few young people from those disaster victims into his army..."

Bao An's expression grew even more disdainful upon hearing Bao Cong's words.

"That piece of trash? Raise an army? Is it that easy? Do you think I need to go to all that trouble? Besides, you don't actually think that gathering a bunch of starving good-for-nothings makes an army, do you? One piece of trash leading a bunch of good-for-nothings? I can crush them with a thousand men!"

"That good-for-nothing, if he were truly capable, he wouldn't have been so scared that he resigned from his position as crown prince and came to this place just to save his life!"

Bao Cong nodded and said, "Father is right. Then we don't need to worry about them?"

Bao An nodded and said, "That's right, no need to worry. Besides, I've already made an agreement with the Turks. When that good-for-nothing arrives, we'll hand him over to the Turks. They'll capture him as a prisoner, then lure the town's king to come and rescue him. We'll also wipe out the town's king in one fell swoop!"

Bao Cong asked excitedly, "Father, does His Majesty know about this plan?"

Bao An nodded and said, "I've already told your aunt, and she's been whispering in His Majesty's ear. His Majesty has long been wary of the Prince of Zhen and wants to get rid of him. However, he just hasn't had the opportunity! Now that the opportunity has arrived, where is that good-for-nothing?"

"According to the scouts, they have already reached Lintong City. At their snail's pace, it will take them at least another month!" Bao Cong replied.

Upon hearing this, Bao An's expression grew even more disdainful: "With that piece of trash's body, he might even die on the road. Alright, by the way, I asked you to reinforce the defenses at Yanmen Pass, have you made the arrangements?"

Bao Cong nodded and said, "Father, don't worry. I've already sent an elite force of three thousand men over there! They'll be more than enough to deal with those disaster victims."

Bao An nodded and said, "Alright! My wedding day is almost here, so I still need to be careful and avoid any trouble!"

"Father, your worries are completely unnecessary. You are the emperor here, who would dare to cause you trouble!"

Listening to Bao Cong's boasting, Bao An nodded happily and said, "Haha, that's quite right!"

...

They were in Tiger and Leopard Village, hundreds of miles away.

At this moment, laughter and cheerful conversation filled the air, and the bonfires that had been lit made the mountain valley very bright.

After following Shen Hu on this tour, Xiao Ce was very satisfied with Tiger and Leopard Stronghold.

With a little more planning, this place could be an excellent secret base.

He plans to put his brewing, salt-making, and sugar-refining operations here.

"Your Highness, do you have any plans for this area?"

Xiao Ce did not hide anything: "That's right, there are indeed some arrangements. However, there's no rush. I need to take control of the four prefectures in the northern desert first before making any plans."

Shen Bao said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, are you planning to set off early tomorrow morning? Are you going to take down that traitor Bao An just in time for his wedding?"

Xiao Ce listened to Shen Bao's words and became interested: "Traitor? Marriage?"