I am the snake demon!

"Your Highness, it was my mistake, I was out of my mind. I am willing to be Your Highness's lackey and beg Your Highness to spare my Mo Ciwei this time. I, the Mo Ciwei, will definitely find the flying tiger and the exotic beast to present to Your Highness, and will add three hundred warhorses to each tribute. Please have mercy, Your Highness."

Bai Xuan's words struck Wang Shizhong like a thunderbolt. Wang Shizhong broke out in a cold sweat, his arrogance vanished, and he knelt on the ground, wagging his tail and begging for mercy like an old dog. He even went so far as to add three hundred warhorses to his bet.

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

After listening to Wang Shizhong's words, Bai Xuan replied indifferently.

The seemingly ordinary words struck Wang Shizhong like a bolt from the blue. Wasn't that enough?

Those were three hundred warhorses, and each tribute mission involved even more, which could be said to be the limit for the Mo Ciwei.

Moreover, he didn't cause any losses to the Prince of Zhenbei at all, and even gave him a mount.

Wang Shizhong's mind raced, then his eyes flashed with a sharp light as he suddenly looked at Nie Ying. This was exactly what Bai Xuan wanted.

He was just a tool in today's events; it's pointless to hold him accountable alone.

Although doing this might lead to difficulties for him on the border of Bingzhou, he has no future if he doesn't do it!

At worst, he could become the eyes of the Prince of Zhenbei, keeping an eye on Bingzhou.

No, he was originally a dog of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion!

This was his honor. Thinking of this, Wang Shizhong's eyes lit up, and he was eager to act. He said loudly, "Your Highness, this humble servant reports..."

Upon seeing Wang Shizhong's gaze, Nie Ying's heart skipped a beat. Although he knew it wasn't the right time to speak, he was afraid of being dragged into the mess by Wang Shizhong. He immediately stepped forward and interrupted, "Your Highness, please have mercy! Commander Wang's son has spoken rudely and should certainly be severely punished, but this matter has nothing to do with Commander Wang. Commander Wang has guarded the northern border for many years and has worked hard even if he hasn't achieved great merit. Now he has even promised to find the flying tiger and offer treasures. Let's be lenient and let someone treat Commander Wang's son first."

Upon hearing Nie Ying speak, Bai Xuan's lips curled into a slight smile, a cold glint in them. "Finally, you've come out. If you hadn't, this charade wouldn't have been able to continue." He said directly, "Oh? General Nie and Commander Wang are such good friends? Is there some kind of business relationship between you that you're actively pleading for him?"

"Your Highness is wise, there is absolutely no such thing. We are just colleagues of many years and have a deep friendship." Nie Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately retorted.

"Really? Seeing how eager you were to protect him, I thought Commander Wang was your biological father. You've finally found your biological father, congratulations!" Bai Xuan said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Nie Ying's expression changed drastically, turning pale and then flushed. He never expected Bai Xuan to humiliate him like this. He suddenly looked up and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please have some self-respect."

"Snap!"

However, before he could finish speaking, Bai Xuan slapped him across the face without any mercy. Nie Ying's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Bai Xuan to suddenly attack. He didn't dare to fight back and took the slap.

It made a crisp, clear sound.

Nie Ying stood there blankly, unable to come to her senses for a long time.

Bai Xuan hit me! He dared to hit me in public!

This is not just a slap in the face, it's a public trampling of his dignity!

"Xu Shian!"

Enraged, Nie Ying's eyes widened, and terrifying true energy surged around him as he shouted out the name.

No one had ever slapped him in the face in public like this before.

Even disregarding his status as the adopted son of the old Prince of Zhenbei, he was still a Zhenwei General of the third rank!

The third rank is an extremely important threshold for official positions.

Once you reach this level, whether you are a civil or military official, you can be considered a key minister of the state.

Even if the emperor wanted to punish a third-rank official, he had to find a suitable reason, rather than acting arbitrarily.

Not to mention slapping someone in public.

The relationship between ruler and subject is not that of master and servant.

"presumptuous!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan's eyes sharpened, and he delivered a fierce kick. Before Nie Ying could react, a sharp pain shot through her chest, and she was sent flying backward, crashing off the platform and creating a deep crater in the ground.

Everyone's expression changed, especially Xu Wenzheng, whose brows furrowed. Such speed! To have such cultivation at the age of eighteen, words like "dragon among men" are not enough to praise him.

But why can't I feel the primordial energy of heaven and earth?

It seems to be purely physical strength.

Mastery of external martial arts?

"Self-respect? Who do you think you are? You're just an adopted son, not even qualified to have the surname Xu. You dare to tell me to have self-respect? Do you think you're my older brother?" Bai Xuan looked at Nie Ying below the stage with disdain, looking down on him as if he were trash.

There are indeed more fools than idiots in this world.

Everyone in this world must abide by the rules.

Because the rules are made by the strong.

Even the most powerful person must abide by the rules, because he is the biggest beneficiary of these rules. If the social order collapses, he will suffer the greatest loss.

But the essence of the rules is to help the ruling class exploit the ruled class.

Therefore, the so-called rules only exist within the ruling class. The ruler does not need to be responsible to everyone; he only needs to be responsible to the source of his power.

Therefore, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, military generals frequently rebelled and caused chaos because their power did not come from their superiors, but from their personal guards. These guards were arrogant and unruly, and they would not benefit from military generals unless they were promoted.

After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Song Dynasty literati went even further, stating that "the country is governed by the scholar-officials, not by the common people." Therefore, Song Dynasty emperors prioritized the interests of civil officials, as they were the core of the government.

Wang Shizhong and Nie Ying are not part of Bai Xuan's core group.

To be honest, Bai Xuan didn't even consider Bingzhou as his own territory.

Both civil and military leaders have a rebellious streak.

So what if we fight?

Go ahead and rebel if you dare!

Nie Ying was already at the eighth-grade Cave Profound Realm, and her body was much better than Wang Xingmin's. Falling from such a height, she was not seriously injured, except for a mouthful of blood stasis in her chest. Now, hearing Bai Xuan's words, she was so angry that she vomited blood.

"A general of your stature, what a disgrace! Drag him away and give him forty lashes," Bai Xuan said, shaking his head.

Seeing this, Wang Shizhong was stunned and then regretted it. "I didn't seize the opportunity. Now that Nie Ying has been beaten, does he still have a chance?"

"Your Highness, General Nie Ying has a distinguished military record and is extremely loyal. He has made great contributions to the northern border. My adoptive father praised his bravery before his death. Although he misspoke at the time, there is no need to punish him so severely. That would be too humiliating!"

While hesitating, Wang Shizhong heard Wei Feng, another confidant of Xu Wenzheng, speak up for Nie Ying.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shizhong immediately perked up and said coldly, "General Wei's words are utterly wrong. Your Highness is young and promising, with profound foresight. General Nie Ying, relying on his merits, has acted insubordinately and should be severely punished. General Wei, instead of condemning General Nie, is questioning Your Highness. This is simply absurd!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room immediately froze.

Wei Feng's eyes widened, revealing an expression of disbelief. He quickly realized what was happening and cursed inwardly, "You wretched child! You really are a barbarian from beyond the borders, a traitorous slave!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan chuckled and said, "Commander Wang is right. It is General Xuanwei who is making a fool of himself here, which is laughable. If Nie Ying had no merit, how could he have been adopted by my father, let alone be granted the title of Zhenwei General of the Third Rank? His merits have already been rewarded. If you want to give him forty lashes, fine. But strip him of his official position and demote him to a commoner. I will spare him those forty lashes."

Past merits cannot outweigh present faults.

If you insist on resisting, fine, but you'll have to give back the rewards you received earlier.

"Your Highness, are you really going to be so heartless, showing no regard for brotherhood?" Wei Feng said, his brows furrowed.

"Brother? Is your surname Xu?" Bai Xuan sneered. "It's one thing for you two to be stupid, but it's another for you to think everyone is as stupid as you! Do you really think others can't see through your thoughts? You want to share the good fortune, then each of you should be given eighty lashes. If you die, you deserve it; if you don't, it means your crime doesn't warrant death. Drag him away."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards stepped forward and forcibly arrested Wei Feng.

Wei Feng was furious. He had extraordinary martial arts talent, otherwise he would not have been adopted as a son by the old Zhenbei King and later followed Xu Wenzheng in his campaigns, striking fear into the hearts of the barbarians.

Even the Prince of Zhenbei had never publicly punished him so severely, causing him to lose face.

What about Bai Xuan, the new Prince of Zhenbei?

In this situation, they dared not resist and could only focus their attention on Xu Wenzheng.

This is the only person at the scene who can save them!

"slow!"

Under his watchful gaze, Xu Wenzheng finally spoke.

Upon hearing his words, Bai Xuan's personal guards paused in their movements.

"Your Highness, a clear system of rewards and punishments is the way of a commander. Nie Ying and Wei Feng only said a few words to plead for leniency, which is not a serious crime, especially for Wei Feng," Xu Wenzheng said to Bai Xuan.

These two were his confidants, and he would protect them regardless of whether they were right or wrong.

"What are you standing there for? Drag him away and give him 160 lashes." Bai Xuan didn't look at him, but instead looked at the guards of the Prince's Mansion with an unfriendly expression, and then doubled the lashes.

As expected, it wasn't something I practiced myself; I was using the equipment left over from the previous generation, and it still felt a bit awkward. I still need to practice Gao Feng's techniques.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan's personal guards dared not delay and immediately dragged Nie Ying and the other person away in full view of everyone.

"Your Highness!"

Xu Wen's expression darkened slightly. This was the first time in the Northern Territory that someone had disrespected him.

He stood still, making no move, but everyone present felt the atmosphere suddenly become heavy, and some even felt suffocated, as if they were in hell.

"General Zhenbei, we both share the surname Xu, and I still consider you family, so I won't punish you for failing to manage your subordinates properly. But if you continue to protect them like this, don't blame me for not treating you as someone with the surname Xu." Bai Xuan said to Xu Wenzheng with a forced smile.

If it weren't for the fact that there was absolutely no one else besides you who could guard Bingzhou, you wouldn't be able to leave Liangzhou.

If you can't manage your subordinates, I'll manage them for you.

But if you keep nagging, then you can stay here.

"Alright, we can't be two Xus, we're all brothers. Nie Ying and the other two don't know their place, they deserve a hundred and sixty lashes, so they'll learn their lesson." Leng Shih-hu looked at the two of them, laughed, and put his arm around Xu Wen-zheng's shoulder.

Upon hearing Leng Shih-hu speak, Xu Wen-zheng had no choice but to restrain himself.

"Today's spring hunt is supposed to be a joyous occasion, not a time for bloodshed. Third brother, Nie Ying and the others don't understand, so giving them 160 lashes is just what's needed to calm them down. But what they said isn't entirely unreasonable. Since Commander Wang is willing to repent, why not give him a chance?" Xu Yuhua said, seeing that things had gone far enough, and offered Bai Xuan a way out.

She doesn't really support war, since war costs money.

The North's finances have only just recovered, and commercial taxes have not yet been officially implemented. If war breaks out now, it will affect domestic affairs.

However, the dog doesn't know who its owner is and wants to devour him. If we don't kill him and eat him, it's simply not an option.

But since he woke up immediately after being reprimanded, we can give him another chance.

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish.

"Very well, since my elder sister has spoken, I'll spare you this time. This beast is quite good; I like it very much. I'll find more in the future. If we encounter any troublesome ones, we can ask the Northern Border for help, and I will send people to assist us," Bai Xuan said.

A mount is like a luxury car.

Having one, one wants a second.

Those that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and swim in the water—we need to gather them all.

Mo Lin blinked. Hadn't he just arrived? Was he already being looked down upon?

"Yes." Wang Shizhong felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and his eyes looked at Bai Xuan with even more awe. This new Prince of Zhenbei was truly unfathomable.

They say they can help capture the strange beasts, but is it really for the sake of the beasts?

No, this is giving him a reasonable channel for communication.

If Xu Wenzheng targets him after he returns, he can use this channel to get the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion to send troops.

Both involve capturing strange beasts, but the former could trap him in a desperate situation, while the latter can save him from one with a single sentence.

This prince is even more cunning than the old prince.

Wang Shizhong made up his mind and said, "This humble servant has another request, which I hope Your Highness will grant."

"What?" Bai Xuan asked curiously.

"My son Xingye is dull-witted and injured this time, so it is inconvenient for him to return with me. I wonder if Your Highness could be so kind as to allow him to stay in Xuanwu to recuperate and then study at Mingde Academy after he recovers?" Wang Shizhong said.

The others all turned their heads in disbelief. This was not a place for Wang Xingye to study; it was clearly a place for him to be a hostage in Xuanwu.

The leaders of Qiyan Guard and Yulu Guard, in particular, were terribly dark-skinned. Wang Shizhong had sent a hostage, so would the two of them send one as well?

Would those two dare not deliver it?

You bastard, you try to please everyone, and then we have to put up with it? Are you even human?

"Commander Wang has such a loving heart, how could I refuse? Please let him stay," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness." Wang Shizhong felt as if he had been granted a pardon.

Bai Xuan then withdrew his gaze and looked at the demon race. "The barbarians have been dealt with. Are there any troublemakers on your side who are not satisfied?"

Can you show me one? That'll solve it all at once.

The demon kings of Liangzhou exchanged bewildered glances, while the Deer King of the Wild Forest quickly reacted, his expression solemn as he knelt before Bai Xuan: "The Qilin has recognized its master, it is the mandate of heaven, the Heavenly King has descended to earth, and all demons submit. The Deer Clan of the Wild Forest pays homage to the Heavenly King."

The other demon kings reacted immediately, kneeling down and addressing him as Heavenly King.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan couldn't help but smile faintly.

The demon race is different from the barbarians. Although they have submitted to the demons, their chieftains still retain the title of demon king.

The Heavenly King means the King of Kings.

No wonder the Wild Forest Deer Clan, though not considered a top-tier demon clan, has become the largest demon clan in the Northern Territory.

They really know how to talk.

If he weren't just the King of Zhenbei, this Deer King would probably have given himself the title of Heavenly Emperor without hesitation.

Thinking of this, Bai Xuan turned to look at Xu Yuhua. Judging from the current situation, although the spring hunt had only just begun, it had actually come to a successful conclusion.