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

Outside Lingxiao City.

In less than an hour, all the troops had set up their marching tents in perfect unison.

After taking a stroll with Han Da, Xiao Ce was very satisfied with the soldiers' morale.

After they had circled around, more than a dozen young generals were already following behind them.

As Han Da just mentioned, these young generals were all handpicked by him. They are not only literate, but also very courageous and thoughtful.

Most importantly, their gratitude and loyalty to Xiao Ce surpassed that towards the imperial court.

They were once considered middle-class families in various places, but this man-made famine turned them into refugees, driving them east and west along the way.

They harbored considerable resentment towards the imperial court.

Just when they were about to despair, Xiao Ce stepped forward and helped them without hesitation.

They had their doubts at first, after all, the rumors about Xiao Ce were not good.

However, they did not see Xiao Ce along the way.

However, Han Da's methods of leading troops, as well as the military laws he consistently used to train and discipline his soldiers, made them deeply realize that this army was different.

Moreover, they fulfilled all the promises they made when recruiting soldiers.

Not only did they receive their military pay, but they were also given meat at every meal.

Especially after arriving at Yanmen Pass, their family members who came here first found them.

They were told about their situation after arriving in the northern desert.

Xiao Ce really arranged for people to register them, and then began to allocate houses and land, and told them a series of policies.

They were all educated in private schools and knew how difficult it was to offer help in times of need!

They were all determined to follow Xiao Ce and work hard.

Xiao Ce summoned Yan Jia, Shen Bao, Han Da, and had their respective generals bring them over.

Looking into the central command tent, one sees it filled with soldiers.

Xiao Ce sat in the main seat: "Generals, some of you are seeing me for the first time. Some of us were once enemies, but you abandoned your allegiance to join my ranks. And some of you have fought alongside me all the way here."

"It is fate that we are able to sit together today! I thank you for trusting me and following me! I will rely on you in the future!"

As Xiao Ce spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to all the soldiers.

This terrified everyone, and all the soldiers knelt down.

"Your Highness, you are making us feel terrible! All of us here were prisoners before, some were forced to leave the army and are struggling to make a living, and some of us might be starving to death if it weren't for your appearance! You have given us a second life, and from now on our lives belong to Your Highness!"

Han Da knelt on the ground and clasped his hands in greeting.

The crowd echoed, "That's right, General Han is right! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be where we are today! Our lives all belong to the Prince!"

Seeing this, Xiao Ce said, "I am deeply moved by your kind intentions! I have always regarded you as my comrades-in-arms, and you are willing to entrust your lives to me. I will certainly not let you down! I cherish my own life, and I will cherish the lives of you, my comrades-in-arms, even more!"

"With your strong support, I dare to wade into the muddy waters of the Four Northern Counties or the dragon's den of the Turkic Kingdom!"

As he spoke, Xiao Ce felt a surge of pride and continued...

"From a young age, I have aspired to establish a moral compass for Heaven and Earth, to secure a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations! Generals, are you willing to follow me and fulfill my will?"

The educated recruits and officers in the audience listened with shining eyes.

Hearing Xiao Ce's words, he trembled all over.

Xiao Ce's words, "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!" deeply moved everyone who heard them.

"This humble general is willing to go! I am willing to give my life for Your Highness!"

"This humble general is willing to go! I am willing to give my life for Your Highness!"

Xiao Ce stirred the emotions of all the soldiers, and they all knelt on one knee to express their loyalty.

Yin Pan'er's eyes reddened. At first, she thought Xiao Ce was just trying to win over the troops as usual, and he had always been good at doing so.

However, Xiao Ce's words, "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations," completely moved her.

She never expected that Xiao Ce had such lofty ambitions and aspirations.

Looking at the excited crowd, Xiao Ce thought to himself that he had achieved his goal.

The persona she created for herself seems to be quite successful.

In particular, he saw Yin Pan'er looking at him with tears in her eyes, her gaze full of affection and admiration.

Xiao Ce thought to himself, "I didn't expect to have such an unexpected gain."

"Han Da, I hereby appoint you as the Marshal of the Xuanjia Army, in charge of both heavy and light infantry, with a total force of 70,000. You are also granted the power to appoint and dismiss troops."

"Shen Bao, I hereby appoint you as the Marshal of the Tiger and Leopard Army, in charge of both heavy and light cavalry, with a total force of 40,000. I also grant you the power to appoint and dismiss generals."

"Yan Jia, I appoint you as the marshal of the Hundred Victories Army, commanding the elite of the elite. There is no upper or lower limit to the number of your troops; they must be the best of the best! Better to have none than to have the worst!"

"Alright, next, Han Da, Shen Bao, Yan Jia, the three of you go and discuss how to redistribute my army. Make sure you remember, veterans lead the new recruits!"

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, the three generals knelt down in gratitude.

"Discuss the specifics and come to an agreement with me, then report back to me! You must cooperate with the Yan Jia. You must select the elite of the elite from among them! They must be proficient in any weapon and horsemanship. Simply put, you are recruiting the best soldiers! Your troops will be special forces!"

Yan Jia cupped his hands and said yes, regarding the term "special forces".

Xiao Ce had been introduced to him before, so he was not unfamiliar with him.

Everything that needed to be said has been said, and the mobilization meeting is over.

Qian Lai had already arrived.

Xiao Ce asked Qian Lai, "Uncle Lai, is everything settled? Is there enough to go around?"

Qian Lai cupped his hands and said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, the wine and meat have been arranged. With the support of Boss Zhang and the other merchants, it's more than enough!"

Xiao Ce nodded and waved his hand, then said, "Alright! Then everyone, let's go and eat meat and drink wine with the soldiers! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

With that, he went out surrounded by a group of people.

Just as he arrived outside the central command tent, a soldier ran up to him: "General Han!"

Seeing the soldier's hurried manner, Han Da immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

The soldier bowed to Han Da and said, "Your Highness... many people have come looking for you outside!"

Xiao Ce listened and said, "Looking for me?"

Before the soldiers could speak, Xiao Ce said he would go and take a look.

Surrounded by a group of generals, Xiao Ce walked to the outer perimeter of the encampment.

At a glance, one could see a large, dark mass of people standing outside the encampment.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that these people were carrying vegetables, fruits, chickens, and ducks—all delicacies that were considered rare treats by them.

As soon as Xiao Ce stepped out, the crowd of people knelt down in a dense mass.

"Greetings, Your Highness... Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live the Prince!"

Judging from this situation, Xiao Ce probably guessed what was going on.

He quickly stepped forward and helped the elderly people at the head of the group up, saying, "Gentlemen, please get up."

"Fellow countrymen, rise up!"

The leader was an elderly man with white eyebrows and hair.

The old man's linen robe was covered in patches. Although he was dressed very poorly, he was very clean and looked refined.

However, the old man had a striking tattoo on his face, which was quite eye-catching.

"Your Highness, my name is Lin Bu. Today, I represent all the slaves of Lingxiao City to welcome our Northern Desert Army!"

"These are just some small tokens from our family. They may be humble, but they represent our goodwill. Please accept them, Your Highness!"

Before Xiao Ce could speak, Qian Lai spoke from the side.

"Mr. Lin, we appreciate the kindness of the people. However, you are all living in hardship, and we dare not accept your help! Moreover, His Highness has instructed that no one should suffer, but the soldiers will not. Please rest assured, our soldiers will all have food!"

The elderly gentleman at the head of the group, named Lin Bu, waved his hands repeatedly: "Manager Qian, we know! The King of Mobei is benevolent and compassionate towards us common people, so he will certainly not mistreat the soldiers. However, this is just a token of our appreciation for you soldiers."

"Yes, Your Highness! This is the best we can offer, please don't find it lacking..."

"Your Highness, we just want to thank you. We don't know how to do it! We know you are a good man, and your army are all good men... We have never met someone who loves the people as much as you do, nor have we ever seen such a disciplined army."

“We don’t know what we can do, but we know we must do something! Otherwise, our conscience won’t allow it!”

"Yes, Your Highness, and all you soldiers, you are all fighting for the people of the Northern Desert! We beg Your Highness to give us a chance to express our gratitude along with the soldiers..."

These people, one after another, expressed their sincere feelings in a jumbled mess.

Xiao Ce's heart stirred as he looked at them. He knew very well that these people were like drowning people, and Xiao Ce was undoubtedly their lifeline.

A beam of light in the darkness.

They are now focused on holding on tightly.

Xiao Ce whispered something to Han Da beside him.

Han Da nodded.

Xiao Ce stepped forward and said to the old man named Lin Bu, "Sir, in principle, we have just arrived in the four prefectures of the northern desert and have not done anything for everyone! I am unworthy of your hospitality!"

The old man named Lin Bu waved his hands repeatedly: "Your Highness, it's not like that! We have all seen what you have done! You are the one who truly loves the people! Just as ducks know when the river warms in spring, we, the common people, are the first to know whether a local leader is truly serving the people! Your Highness, please accept this sentiment from the people of Lingxiao City!"