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

Qian Lai nodded in agreement and was about to give instructions to his subordinates.

He had just turned around when Xiao Ce called out to him.

"Wait!"

Qian Lai asked with a hint of doubt, "Your Highness, is there anything else you require?"

"Put it another way. If you're too direct, they might realize that I'm the one stirring things up. Just send someone to tell them that if they say something positive, then they've done something good before they die! I will protect their families and won't let those powerful clan leaders harm them."

Qian Lai nodded and summoned his men.

After Qian Lai gave his orders, his servants went up on the stage and whispered a few words in the ears of the officials who were about to be beheaded.

The officials who were about to be beheaded then went all out.

Officials who hadn't originally intended to speak suddenly launched into a tirade against the powerful nobles on the city walls!

They recounted how they had stabbed each other in the back.

The onlookers thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle!

Xiao Ce listened from the side, deeply shocked.

"Your circle is so chaotic!"

He said, "If they had used even half of their cunning on the Turks, they wouldn't be so rampant!"

Because, according to what those officials revealed, these people were all plotting against each other.

However, what Xiao Ce feared was that there was no conflict between them!

Now it seems that their relationship, which is so close yet so distant, allows him a great deal of room to maneuver.

The heads of several powerful families on the city wall all looked extremely grim, because they had all stabbed each other in the back quite a bit.

They exchanged a glance, their eyes blazing with fury.

This is just what some officials have revealed; that's all there is to it, not to mention what we don't know.

Just then, Liu Xuan, who had done relatively fewer unethical things, spoke up: "Gentlemen, they are just biting people when they are cornered... We can't trust them. Maybe someone is deliberately trying to sow discord between us."

Cai Tianming glared at Kan Zongye with resentment and said, "Hmph, we probably know perfectly well whether we did these things or not."

Kan Zongye coldly replied, "What? Could it be that what they're saying about you doing to the Kan family, you did it all?"

Cai Tianming said with a gloomy face, "There's nothing wrong with admitting it... It's just a matter of how well I did it. I dare to admit it, but do you? If we're talking about despicable things, what you did was far more despicable and shameless! Kan Zongye, let me tell you, I'm absolutely not finished with you!"

"Alright, that's all in the past! Don't you even know where you are? If you can get out of here alive, then go back to arguing," Liu Xuan said.

...

Xiao Ce had finished complaining about the people on the execution platform.

They walked out from one side.

Xiao Ce, dressed in a golden python robe, walked out with an imposing air, surrounded by a group of guards.

It actually looks quite impressive!

Qian Lai, ever the smooth talker, shouted, "The King of the Northern Desert has arrived!"

Upon seeing Xiao Ce, the people here had tears in their eyes, and they all knelt down, shouting, "Long live the King of the Northern Desert! Long live the King! Long live the King!"

Logically speaking, only the emperor is entitled to be addressed as "Long Live the Emperor".

However, the people here had long been disillusioned with the court and the emperor! In the past, they had lived in darkness under the exploitation of powerful clans and corrupt officials.

Xiao Ce's arrival seemed to bring them some hope!

After Xiao Ce arrived, many rumors circulated in Lingxiao City, such as the abolition of the slave system, the implementation of land reform, the distribution of land to the people, and the empowerment of the people to become the masters of the northern desert!

At first, they all thought it was a fantasy. Because, in their minds, the only official who had ever treated them well was Nie Yao!

Even Nie Yao couldn't abolish the system of enslavement, let alone distribute land to them!

As a result, just yesterday, led by Yan Jia, they demolished the slave residence and burned all the slave registers of the slaves.

Following Xiao Ce's instructions, all the people were ordered to register, and identity cards for the residents of the northern desert were issued.

This ID card is a wooden plaque with a unique ID number on it, which can distinguish people with the same name.

Furthermore, Yan Jia and his group told the former slaves that they could use this identification card to prove their identity in the four northern prefectures. They could also use this identification card to participate in the subsequent land distribution.

Moreover, looking around Lingxiao City, there are still some people who can't afford to eat.

They opened porridge shops in the city and began distributing porridge.

Xiao Ce's series of actions made them realize that the rumors circulating about him were not just empty talk.

And they were all done in a real and tangible way!

They heard it immediately today: Xiao Ce is going to execute a group of corrupt officials!

They all came over to watch, and what they saw on the execution platform truly surprised them.

Because those people bound hand and foot on the execution platform all knew each other; they were all high-ranking officials from various cities in the four prefectures of the northern desert!

Not only that, they discovered that the heads of the biggest traitors, Bao An and his son, had been chopped off! Now they truly believed that Xiao Ce had come to save them, so in their eyes, Xiao Ce was someone even more important than the emperor!

Xiao Ce stood on the execution platform, looking at the kneeling slaves: "Gentlemen, rise quickly! I am late, and I have caused you to suffer!"

The people at the scene knelt on the ground, and not one of them dared to get up!

"Gentlemen, I cannot accept your kneeling before me! Get up first, and wait until the day you live a good life before you kneel before me! Then I will accept it!"

Qian Lai looked at the crowd, who still dared not stand up: "What's wrong? Don't you all listen to the Prince's orders? The Prince told you to stand up! Do you want to disobey the Prince's command?"

It's true that the saying "money talks" is effective!

After hearing Qian Lai's words, the people who had been kneeling on the ground finally stood up!

Xiao Ce then turned around and sat on the executioner's table: "You all know your crimes now!"

Upon seeing this, the officials kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Your Highness, we were wrong! We are guilty, but it wasn't our intention! It was all the heads of those powerful families... we were all acting under their orders!"

"Yes, Your Highness, please spare my life! I don't want to die, can I atone for my sins with good deeds?"

……

Looking at the people kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy, seeing them trembling with fear, and some even defecating and urinating in the process!

Xiao Ce knew very well that these people were only aware that they were about to die.

They were scared, not that they truly knew they were wrong!

If there were any chance to turn things around, these officials would be the first to point their fingers at Xiao Ce and curse him!

Xiao Ce's face darkened: "I don't care who instructed you! Each of you should list your crimes one by one. Selling out the country! Harming the people! Abducting women! Your crimes are too numerous to count, and you still want to atone for your sins with merits? With your numerous crimes, there is no merit to atone for them."

"If I don't kill you, I will be letting down the title of King of the Northern Desert bestowed upon me by His Majesty! If I don't kill you, I will be letting down the people you have killed!"

"Don't worry, you won't be the first batch! I will continue to kill! I will slaughter all the corrupt officials in the Northern Desert and make them join you, restoring light to the people of the Northern Desert!"

"Firing squad, prepare!"

Xiao Ce said.

Shen Bao, who was prepared in advance, led a group of men who looked like soldiers!

The soldiers' faces all looked rather youthful.

They must all be new recruits!

Looking at the faces of those new recruits, they seemed even more nervous than the officers who were waiting to die!

Xiao Ce deliberately asked Shen Bao, "Shen Bao, why do these firing squad members look so young?!"

Shen Bao cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, they are all new recruits who have never been on the battlefield or killed anyone. I thought it was a rare opportunity to let them practice, and it would be a way for them to do something good before they die!"

Hearing Shen Bao's words, the officials became even more frightened, and their cries and howls echoed throughout the execution platform!

They didn't know that beheading was terrifying enough, but they let some inexperienced people do it. One blow was all it took to kill him.

If one blow doesn't kill, and then a few more blows are needed, that's torture.

Xiao Ce ignored the screams of these people.

After all, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe these people as utterly wicked; killing them with a single blow would be too lenient: "Alright, all of you, come at me! Whoever can chop off their head with one stroke, I'll reward you with ten taels of silver!"

After saying that, Xiao Ce shouted and ordered an immediate execution.

Under Xiao Ce's command, a group of people excitedly brandished their swords!

However, what followed was truly bloody and cruel!

The pleas for mercy at the scene instantly turned into screams of agony!

Even ordinary people who hate these corrupt officials to the core can't bear to watch!

Inspired by Xiao Ce, the new recruits were all very excited and put in their best effort to earn the reward money!

But these new recruits had plenty of strength but nothing to show for it.

With no aim whatsoever, the knife would strike. Some wounds landed on the arms, others on the cheeks.

Several others were slashed in the neck, but the knife was inserted incorrectly, getting stuck halfway through the cut!

There are various situations.

The entire execution platform resembled a scene of carnage!

Those new recruits were much stronger mentally than Xiao Ce had imagined!

If the first strike fails, quickly pull the knife out! Then make a second strike!

Xiao Ce was indeed mentally prepared, but there was a faint mist of blood floating around the scene, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood!

He suppressed his discomfort; he had come to oversee the execution today largely to help himself get used to it.

Although he had witnessed much death along the way, true carnage, because of the Twelve Fiends, had always been far removed from him! As someone who had transmigrated from the modern world, he had never gotten used to it!

Next, we will soon be at war with the Turks. If he is not used to this, he will probably be in big trouble on the battlefield!

Normally, a skilled executioner could have finished in a few dozen seconds! But now it took several minutes!

Moreover, the scene was appalling, resembling a slaughterhouse!

But it's incredibly intimidating!

Xiao Ce suppressed his discomfort and put on a relaxed expression: "Alright, parade these people's heads through the streets!"

As he spoke, Xiao Ce turned his gaze to the people: "Fellow countrymen! From now on, in my territory, anyone who dares to embezzle, break the law, or oppress the people is going against me! Later, I will place a large drum at the entrance of the palace. If you find any officials embezzling or breaking the law, you can beat the drum! I will take charge of the situation!"

"You informants, I will definitely send people to protect your absolute safety, so you don't need to have any worries!"

The people, upon hearing this, once again prostrated themselves on the ground, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Xiao Ce turned his gaze to the city wall, his eyes cold and his voice sharp: "Everyone says that the four prefectures of the northern desert are a barbaric and desolate land, but I have come to see for myself, and that is not the case! The reason why the four prefectures of the northern desert have become such a wretched place is because there are too many vampires. And I have come here to catch those vampires!"

As he spoke, he looked at the kneeling people and said, "As long as you support me, I will definitely give you a prosperous and safe life! Next, my wife will be in charge of allocating land and reforming the laws. I also hope that talented people among the people will recommend themselves or others. I will leave a mailbox here."

"I will personally review what you write! If it is well written, I will promote you to official positions in our Northern Desert, and I promise you that any official serving under me will receive a salary ten times that of an official in the Xiao Kingdom, plus performance bonuses! As long as you do a good job, you won't have to embezzle from the people; I will give it to you!"