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

Xiao Ce shook his head: "Young Master Gu Yi, those who can show their faces are just small fry... I think we should turn the tables and lure out the big fish behind them! That way we can catch them all in one fell swoop..."

Koichi Tojo nodded as he listened: "Your Highness, do you know what to do?"

Xiao Ce looked around and waved to Tojo Koichi.

Koichi Tojo followed Xiao Ce obediently, like a dog.

Xiao Ce whispered to Tojo Koichi.

Koichi Tojo nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Moreover, his eyes would occasionally reveal a look of surprise.

After listening to Xiao Ce finish speaking, Tojo Koichi laughed and said, "Hahaha, Your Highness, the King of the Northern Desert, it's true that cooperating with smart people has its advantages..."

Xiao Ce said to Koichi Tojo, "Young Master Koichi, as the saying goes, a fine horse like me is common, but a discerning eye like you is rare..."

Koichi Tojo was very pleased. The reason he didn't think Xiao Ce's words were flattery was because he agreed with them...

Although he fully agreed, he still offered a few perfunctory words.

"Your Highness, the King of the Northern Desert, you're too kind... Our meeting is truly a powerful alliance..."

Xiao Ce remained polite, saying, "Young Master Gu Yi, I'm just a junior member helping you... I'm aware of my limitations; I'm merely a small boat on a river, while you are the river itself... Only when your river rises higher can our small boat rise with it..."

When Tojo Koichi heard Xiao Ce say this, he was very satisfied. He was worried that Xiao Ce might not realize his place.

However, Xiao Ce's current statement, "As the tide rises, so does the boat," is very apt...

The metaphor is also very vivid...

His ability to recognize himself is a good thing for Koichi Tojo.

"Your Highness, the King of the Northern Desert, you have this awareness. Rest assured, if you make us better, I will definitely make you even better."

Xiao Ce nodded with a smile, then changed the subject: "Young Master Gu Yi, we just received news that the soldiers of Fusang have been assembled and are ready to come over at any time."

Seeing that Xiao Ce brought up the matter of the prisoner directly, Tojo Koichi waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, there's no need for that... You've shown your sincerity. How about this, I'll send one of my advisors over there, and then he'll be stationed there."

"If those Slavs really attack and you can't hold them off, we can provide timely support..."

As Tojo Koichi spoke, fearing Xiao Ce might misunderstand, he said, "Your Highness, King of the Northern Desert, I meant no other... If you..."

Before he could finish his explanation, Xiao Ce said to Koichi Tojo, "Young Master Koichi, what are you thinking? I'm overjoyed... This is great news... great news indeed... Sure! Do whatever is convenient for you, just..."

Koichi Tojo was almost completely fooled by Xiao Ce, and he had no doubts at all. His attitude towards Xiao Ce was extremely good.

"If you have any concerns, just say so. Don't feel burdened..."

Xiao Ce said awkwardly, "It's just...it's just...their food...Although we received support from the Slavic countries, those Slavic people are cunning, cunning...they also gave it to us in segments!"

Koichi Tojo was somewhat surprised upon hearing this and said to Xiao Ce, "Oh? They're giving it to you in stages? Didn't they give you a hundred million koku of grain all at once?"

Xiao Ce gave a wry smile and waved his hand, saying, "No way! What I said to the public back then was to appease the people..."

“Before, I didn’t dare to follow what you said, but now that I see you’re not an outsider… there’s nothing I can’t tell you… actually, they just brought five million shi of grain… they will gradually transport it over later.”

"What I'm worried about now is that even though I've kept Rhys and Eva's whereabouts a secret... could there be some kind of code between them?"

"If so, and there's a coded signal, then they've cut off my supplies..."

Before Xiao Ce could get to this point, Tojo Koichi said, "I thought it was something serious, but it's just this? No problem! We'll provide our soldiers with rations. And if that Slavic country cuts off your food supply, we'll provide support as well."

Xiao Ce was deeply moved upon hearing this: "Really? Young Master Gu Yi, then we're just lending it to you, and we won't let you suffer any losses..."

Koichi Tojo waved his hand and said with a smile, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. I'll arrange for someone to escort you there."

Xiao Ce nodded, then asked Koichi Tojo, "By the way, Mr. Koichi, after you told your family about the cooperation, what was their reaction? Did they support it?"

Koichi Tojo shook his head: "There's no reply yet, but don't worry. You think I'm a smart man, right?"

Koichi Tojo started boasting.

Xiao Ce naturally nodded in agreement, praising him to the point of self-destruction.

"That's natural..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Tojo Koichi raised his head slightly.

“My father is smarter than me, so you can rest assured that they will make the right choice.”

"If all goes well, the food and weapons they brought with them this time...we can provide them to you!"

Xiao Ce listened with excitement and said, "Really? That's great! Young Master Gu Yi, as long as you provide enough weapons and ammunition, I guarantee you, within one year! No more than two years, we will definitely take over the Slavic country."

Koichi Tojo also became interested: "If you take over the Slavic country, you'll have plenty of ammunition and food! I can also guarantee that any subsequent food and weapons we provide will be free!"

Xiao Ce also showed an expectant expression.

"Really? That's wonderful! Gu Yi, then you'd better keep a close eye on me..."

After exchanging pleasantries, Tojo Koichi went to find one of their staff members to handle military affairs.

Xiao Jiu, standing to the side, asked Xiao Ce in confusion, "Your Highness, wouldn't it expose our scheme if you sent them to send people?"

Xiao Ce smiled and said to Xiao Jiu, "Money makes the world go round, and we have the Carefree Pill. It will take at least half a month to get them hooked on it. Once they're addicted, they'll lose their personality... When that happens, whatever we ask them to say, they'll just be saying whatever Tojo Koichi says!"

Xiao Jiu suddenly realized: "Your Highness, it seems you've already figured out a way to deal with them?"

A sly smile flashed across Xiao Ce's lips.

Upon seeing that smile, Xiao Jiu knew that the people of Fusang were in for trouble.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the country of Fusang.

Tojo Taikawa received another message from Tojo Koichi.

Originally, Tojo Okawa had planned to send Tojo Koichi back, and then send others to wear down Xiao Ce.

However, this letter from Koichi Tojo.

This made him feel that a turning point had arrived. After discussing it, they both felt that the cooperation reached between Tojo Koichi and Xiao Ce was feasible.

Originally, they still intended to continue sending their merchants over.

However, Tojo Taikawa thought that they should first use Xiao Ce's Fusang Kingdom to attack the Slavic Kingdom.

If they were to take over the Slavic country first, taking over the Xiao country would be a piece of cake.

After all, according to information provided by Koichi Tojo, their talks are going very well.

Xiao Ce wants to unify the Xiao Kingdom. If they send too many forces there now, Xiao Ce will become wary.

So, after some discussion and weighing the pros and cons, they decided to...

They would absolutely support Xiao Ce as their new puppet, with Tojo Koichi watching from the sidelines.

They are completely at ease.

So he approached the Emperor again, expressed Tojo Koichi's plan, and said that, in a certain sense...

They have already conquered the Xiao Kingdom, and now they are going to conquer the Slavic Kingdom.

The Emperor thought it sounded good and naturally agreed.

Thus, after reaching a consensus.

More than a hundred ships, fully loaded with cargo, sailed towards the Kingdom of Xiao.

Although they had been defeated once before, they still looked down on the people of Xiao Kingdom.

Therefore, they simply regarded Xiao Ce as a relatively capable person.

Although they had the ability, it was still not above theirs, so they naturally felt that the Xiao Kingdom was a people who could be controlled by others.

...

Meanwhile, in the Xiao Kingdom, Tojo Koichi was still being constantly misled by Xiao Ce.

First, he sent an advisor to supervise the army, and then reported the situation at the front to him.

Xiao Ce quickly arranged for someone to corrupt that advisor.

Those advisors were just ordinary people, and the women specially arranged by Xiao Ce fell for them within two days.

Then he started taking "Xiaoyao Pills" and became infatuated with those women.

There's also the "Immortal Wine," and I've become obsessed with all sorts of things, with everything arranged perfectly.

Xiao Ce received the news that, three days after the fall of the city, this advisor had already betrayed Tojo Koichi completely.

Koichi Tojo sent them to investigate the extent of the famine and whether it was as Xiao Ce had described.

Did the people of the Slavic countries actually pay for a portion of the food?

The advisor named Yamahara Iguchi, based on that woman's words, said that people in Xiao Kingdom were already starving to death...

In any case, it fits exactly as Xiao Ce said.

Koichi Tojo was even more convinced of this.

Ten days after his advisor Yamahara Iguchi left, Tojo Koichi received good news.

That means more than a hundred ships have arrived at the port.

Koichi Tojo excitedly went to find Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce already knew about this news.

He still feigned surprise when he saw Koichi Tojo approaching.

"Young Master Gu Yi, why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"

When Tojo Koichi entered, he clearly put on an anxious look and didn't show any joy at all.

It was clearly meant to tease him.

Xiao Ce was naturally just playing along with him.

Koichi Tojo said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, King of the Northern Desert, take a guess."

After spending these days together, Tojo Koichi had completely trusted Xiao Ce and even considered him one of his own.

Xiao Ce feigned a puzzled look, then asked with a guessing expression, "Young Master Gu Yi, are you people from Fusang rejecting us?"

Seeing Xiao Ce's astonished expression, Tojo Koichi laughed and said, "Of course not... how could that be? It's good news..."

“Our father has already sent a hundred ships, all loaded with guns, ammunition, and provisions!”

Xiao Ce could only continue to feign a happy expression.

Of course, this happy expression was somewhat genuine.

These things can all get into his hands.

“Really? That’s wonderful, Gu Yi. Once these things arrive, I’ll have our army set off and then attack the Slavic country.”

"That's right, could some of the grain be allocated to the people...?"

Koichi Tojo looked at Xiao Ce with an expression that suggested he was consulting with him, and he seemed quite pleased with himself.

He then generously addressed Xiao Ce, saying, "Your Highness, these things are our aid to you... Since they are aid, the right to dispose of them is naturally in your hands... You can distribute them however you wish..."

Xiao Ce looked at Tojo Koichi with gratitude and said, "Young Master Koichi, thank you so much... Next, we will start to stockpile troops at the border, and then send troops to them before they make a move!"

Koichi Tojo nodded: "That's right, the Slavic countries have been urging you several times... They've definitely expressed doubts about Ries and Eva's situation..."

Xiao Ce then said to Tojo Koichi, "That's right, this time we'll just attack directly... However, a hundred ships seem like a lot, but once the war starts... once the fighting begins, if we don't have enough weapons and ammunition, there will be big problems. Don't you guys trust us enough?!"

Tojo Koichi nodded: "I understand, this is just the beginning. Besides, how could I not trust you? Yamahara Iguchi has already written to me, saying that you are taking very good care of our Japanese soldiers. Your army is even starving, yet you are ensuring that our soldiers have meat every few days..."

"As long as you're sincere, then, as I said... I won't treat you unfairly..."

Xiao Ce found it somewhat amusing, thinking to himself that the letter from Yamahara Ioguchi was written with the help of his people.

He initially thought that something so simple might not be enough to fool them, but to his surprise, Tojo Koichi believed it wholeheartedly...