Chapter 29: The Traitor

Chapter 29: The Traitor

Bao An looked wary: “Go over there to talk?”

Bao Cong hurriedly spoke up to stop him: “Father, you must not go. If they detain you over there and use you to threaten us, that would be terrible.”

The Military Advisors and Deputy Generals by his side all voiced their objections: “Grand General, what the Young General says is right! The Turks are watching with greedy eyes this time. If they want you to go over, they surely have no good intentions!”

Bao An looked at the Military Advisor in the gray robe but did not say a word.

“Counselor Gou, what is your opinion?”

Counselor Gou bowed: “General, my opinion is that it would not hurt for the General to go. Firstly, it can show our sincerity. Moreover, General Bao and Chief Ashina’s relationship is quite good! This time, all the tribes of the Turkic Kingdom were organized by Chief Ashina!”

“The current situation is, if we go, there is still room for maneuver. We can see what they really want and what they are after! If we don’t go… we can only fight. And our current situation is simply no match for the Turkic Kingdom. If the Four Northern Desert Prefectures are lost under our watch, even if we can shift the blame onto that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce, Grand General, your position as a general would probably be unstable.”

“Although Her Majesty and the Second Prince are highly favored by the Emperor, once the Four Northern Desert Prefectures are lost, the Central Plains Hinterland will have no barrier left. This is also a major fault! There are still many Princes in the court who are eyeing your position, Grand General! They will surely seize this chance to impeach you!”

“That good-for-nothing’s death is not even worth regretting, but Grand General, we cannot be dragged down by him.”

“If we talk, there is still a glimmer of hope. If we don’t talk, we are certainly doomed. As long as we can get Khan Ashina to promise us not to seize the Four Northern Desert Prefectures from our hands, anything can be discussed! If not a single city or prefecture is lost while the Four Northern Desert Prefectures are in the Grand General’s hands, but they are lost when that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce arrives, under his watch, I believe His Majesty would not only not blame you but would also send you more troops and entrust you with greater responsibility!”

Bao Cong retorted: “Counselor Gou, we understand these reasons too! But who knows if those Turks intend harm to Father.”

Counselor Gou clasped his hands and said: “Actually, I believe that although Khan Ashina is making a big show this time, they are certainly not completely united either. Otherwise, they would have attacked long ago! They also want to trade the smallest loss for the greatest gain.”

“And General Bao is undoubtedly the most suitable person! In fact, having General Bao guarding the Four Northern Desert Prefectures is most beneficial for Ashina! They probably think the same way. Their delay in attacking now is to threaten us. Their purpose is to flaunt their strength!”

Bao An nodded and said: “What you say is correct. My relationship with Khan Ashina is quite good! Taking the initiative to go and talk might not be a bad idea!”

“Go prepare some treasures! And some beauties. We are going to visit Chief Ashina.”

…

After Bao An finished speaking, he ordered people to make preparations.

Then he led a team and headed towards the Turkic army’s encampment.

Over the years, Bao An had actually maintained good relations with the Turks by selling out his country.

Whatever the Turks wanted, he would intentionally let them plunder freely, and they would put up no defense.

After the Turks had looted almost everything worth taking, Bao An and his men would pretend to lead troops to attack.

The Turks, having gained benefits, would also retreat with perfect understanding.

This led everyone to say that Bao An and the Turks fought back and forth.

Of course, previously, the Northern Desert Provincial Governor Nie Yao had also discovered this problem.

He sent several memorials to the court. At first, indeed following Nie Yao’s suggestion, some generals were replaced.

However, whenever those generals led troops, Bao An would collaborate with the Turks.

They attacked from both inside and outside!

Naturally, they would suffer fierce attacks from the Turks and suffer disastrous defeats!

After several rounds of this, the Emperor still found that although Bao An’s battle record had wins and losses, he always managed to keep the Four Northern Desert Prefectures in the hands of the Great Xiao Kingdom.

And so, he still placed great trust in Bao An.

Nie Yao was also considered by the Emperor to be at odds with Bao An, deliberately impeaching him.

Later, Bao An collaborated with the Turks to have Nie Yao and his entire family killed!

So, it could be said that over these years, the rise of the Turkic Kingdom had a share of Bao An’s contribution.

And Bao An’s ability to sit securely in the position of Grand General of the Four Northern Desert Prefectures also had a share of contribution from the Turks.

Bao An left Yanbei City with over ten carts fully loaded with gold, silver, and treasures, hundreds of carts of grain and fodder, and many stunning beauties.

In Yanbei City, on both sides of the road, there were many emaciated, dying commoners.

He held some yellow mud cakes in his hands. His body was gaunt, his abdomen swollen and round from years of eating yellow mud, making his whole appearance exceptionally strange!

Their eyes were hollow as they watched the grain carts leave. Some people, starving to the extreme, tried to approach and beg for some, but the escorting soldiers simply cut them down with a single slash.

One of the soldiers said viciously: “You maggots! You all have hands and feet, yet you dare to ask for General Bao’s grain and fodder! General Bao is taking this money and grain to save your lives! And you lot? You only know how to sit here waiting to die! Why don’t you go work hard and farm the land? You only know how to idle around waiting to die! Good-for-nothings!”

These commoners watched them swagger off with angry expressions, furious but not daring to speak out!

Was it because they didn’t work hard? Their land had all been divided up by the local nobles who were on good terms with Bao An.

They worked as tenant farmers for those nobles, but the grain they harvested not only had to be handed over to the nobles.

The remaining rations were either taken away by Bao An through various taxes or plundered by the Turks!

They wanted to leave!

But the court had laws: people of the Four Northern Desert Prefectures could not leave the Four Northern Desert Prefectures.

They had nowhere to escape to!

…

At the Turkic army camp over ten miles outside Yanbei City.

Inside a large tent were the khans of over ten tribes.

The Turkic Kingdom was a country formed by over ten tribes.

Ashina sat in the central position. His tribe had also grown the fastest due to cooperation with Bao An.

The powerful Ashina quickly became the tribe with the most say in the Turkic Kingdom.

“Ashina, we know you have a very good relationship with Bao An. This time you gathered us, saying we would go to divide the Four Northern Desert Prefectures. When Bao An comes, don’t you back out of fighting again!” one of the khans spoke up.

Khan Ashina said with a smile: “Gesa! That’s true. But if we can take the Four Northern Desert Prefectures without losing a single soldier, why not? The lives of every Turkic warrior are precious!”

“Why do you think that Bao An would agree to us?”

Ashina continued: “Because we have the strongest Cavalry on the entire continent! Just you wait and see. My main purpose in having everyone gather here is to scare them a bit, to achieve our goal!”

“I certainly won’t let everyone’s efforts be in vain. If you believe in me, just wait and see! So, my negotiation with Bao An will also be in front of everyone! Since you have elected me as the Great Khan, I will not disappoint you!”

As he spoke, a Turkic soldier wearing a fur hat and with a Scimitar at his waist said: “Khan, General Bao An has arrived! He brought a lot of gold, silver, treasures, beauties, and grain!”

Ashina listened and nodded with satisfaction, then said to the khans: “Gentlemen, see! I told you I wouldn’t make you come all this way for nothing! Our Turkic soldiers just need to show up, and the Turks will scare them into pissing their pants! They obediently present beauties, money, and grain!”

After Ashina’s words, the whole tent erupted in laughter.

They clasped their hands and flattered Ashina: “Ashina, haha, that’s why we elected you as the Great Khan! If we can achieve what we want without having to fight, that is naturally the best.”

Ashina nodded and said: “Gentlemen, just follow my lead!”

“Invite him in!”

A short while later, Bao An entered the large tent with Counselor Gou and a few Military Advisors.

Bao An placed one hand on his chest, bowed, and performed a Turkic salute to the khans present.

“Bao An pays his respects to the honorable khans. Bao An has brought a chest of treasures from the Great Xiao Kingdom for the honorable khans present, ten carefully selected beauties, and–”

Ashina looked at Bao An and said: “General Bao, you are too polite! May I ask what brings General Bao here this time?”

Bao An bowed and said: “Reporting to Khan Ashina, I will not beat around the bush. I come for peace!”

Ashina said with a smile: “General Bao, have you perhaps misunderstood? We are merely training our troops here!”

Bao An smiled slightly and said to Ashina: “Khan Ashina, then it seems I misunderstood. I knew it! I and Khan Ashina are old friends! I believe any matter can be resolved through negotiation! I don’t know if our Great Xiao Kingdom has somehow displeased the honorable khans or if there is some misunderstanding!”

Ashina said with a smile: “General Bao, it seems you are aware! The reason we are training troops here is entirely to prevent your Great Xiao Kingdom from attacking us! I heard that your Great Xiao Kingdom even sent your Crown Prince Xiao Ce over, and even gave him the title ‘King of Northern Desert’, all to attack us! It is said your Emperor also had him prepare rewards for the army, funds, grain, and support troops!”

Bao An listened and quickly clasped his hands: “Khan Ashina, that is a misunderstanding! You may not know, that Xiao Ce is a good-for-nothing. They sent him here to get him killed! As for support troops, that is even more nonsense; they’re just a group of three thousand Death Row Prisoners! So, Khan Ashina, you can be completely at ease!”

“For the peace between our two countries, I can guarantee to you. As long as I am in the Four Northern Desert Prefectures for one day, the things of the Four Northern Desert Prefectures are the homes of the honorable khans. Whatever you want, I can give it to you!”

“As for that Deposed Crown Prince, when the time comes, we can kill him with a mere snap of the fingers. There’s no need for the honorable khans to worry at all. Khan Ashina, you should be able to believe me. After all, if our relationship were known by His Majesty, killing my nine clans would be a light punishment!”

After hearing Bao An’s words, Ashina nodded with satisfaction and said: “This is only natural! General Bao, I am very satisfied with our cooperation! Since you have come in person this time, and you said the Four Northern Desert Prefectures are our home. We won’t make things difficult for you. We want two prefectures of the Northern Desert. When the time comes, your troops can withdraw! We will come and take them!”