Chapter 61: Training Xiao Jiu

Chapter 61: Training Xiao Jiu

Bao An said with an awkward expression, “He’s just putting on a show to scare us! Everyone, look, he doesn’t even dare to speak with us anymore. He only dares to act against the Turks! What does that mean? It means he fears us!”

The heads of the Noble Clans present, each having reached such high positions, were no ordinary people.

They did not believe a single word of what Bao An said.

Xiao Ce’s actions just now had completely disregarded them.

It was a kind of disdain and disregard that came from the heart.

None of them responded to Bao An’s words, each already calculating their own little schemes.

“Bao An, come here quickly! Go find a doctor for this prince! Ah… if anything happens to this prince, you’ll be the first to die!”

Curled on the ground nearby, Mosi Ashina, clutching his severed finger, wailed in pain.

Bao An hurriedly stepped forward respectfully, took a look, and couldn’t help but gasp.

Even though only one finger was chopped off, the blood kept flowing and had already spread all over the floor.

Bao An panicked completely and shouted into the hall:

“Hurry! Who among you knows medicine? Quick… come quickly! If anything happens to the Khan’s Son, you will all die!”

Among the attendants of these Noble Clans and Prominent Families in the Rites Hall, most knew some first aid techniques and carried emergency medicines, just in case.

However, no one spoke up this time.

The reason was simple: if they didn’t save this Mosi Ashina, even if he died, when the Turks came looking, they wouldn’t necessarily be the ones to die.

But if they dared to treat Mosi Ashina now and Xiao Ce found out, they would probably die immediately.

Seeing that no one paid him any attention, Bao An went outside the hall.

The people outside the hall were even less willing to help.

Seeing there was no other way, Bao An rolled up his sleeves and prepared to act himself. He said to Bao Cong beside him: “Cong, go! Hurry outside and tell Xiao Ce. If Mosi Ashina dies, the Four Northern Desert Prefectures will definitely be overrun by the Turks! At that time, there might even be a risk of the country falling!”

“Go tell Xiao Ce to send a doctor here!”

Bao Cong nodded, swept his gaze over the people from the Noble Clans and Nobility in the hall, and threatened fiercely:

“Every single one of you, just wait until our Bao family gets through this difficulty. Let’s see what happens to you then!”

…

Outside the hall, those officials and merchants now had a stack of paper, along with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone placed in front of each of them.

Xiao Ce had left his personal servant Xiao Jiu behind, partly to train Xiao Jiu!

After all, Xiao Ce had noticed that although Xiao Jiu was very clever, the slave mentality he developed from childhood was still too strong.

In the future, as his personal attendant, Xiao Jiu would inevitably have to do many things for him.

So, the training had to start now.

…

These officials and merchants had just seen how close Xiao Ce was to Xiao Jiu.

Moreover, many of the merchants recognized Xiao Jiu as the former shop assistant of the Qian Clan Trading House.

These merchants were somewhat acquainted with Xiao Jiu.

They respectfully struck up a conversation with Xiao Jiu: “Mr. Xiao Jiu, what is your relationship with the Prince now?”

Looking at how these merchants now treated him, Xiao Jiu thought to himself how quickly these people could change their faces!

Before, these people wouldn’t have even looked him straight in the eye.

He understood clearly that all of this was given to him by the Prince, and he was determined to serve Xiao Ce well.

Xiao Jiu looked at them and said respectfully as Xiao Ce had instructed: “The Prince has ordered me to be his personal attendant, to help him handle some trivial matters.”

Everyone smiled slightly upon hearing this. Some familiar merchants simply pulled Xiao Jiu aside.

They began trying to get closer to Xiao Jiu.

“Mr. Xiao Jiu, you are the Prince’s Confidant, could you give us some pointers?”

As they spoke, they secretly slipped things to Xiao Jiu.

Xiao Jiu did not refuse and accepted everything.

Because this was all according to Xiao Ce’s instructions. Leaving Xiao Jiu here was precisely to let him leak some information to them.

Although Xiao Jiu was young, his acting skills were quite good.

After taking the money, he said to the merchant who came to ask him for news: “Shopkeeper Zhang, actually the Prince made it very clear earlier. He wants to trust you, but he doesn’t dare to trust you. He needs you to write something that will make him trust you.”

“What can make him trust you? That would be writing down your own flaws, or weaknesses. Or writing about any schemes or secrets between people! All these things can be written. The more you write, the more you can gain the Prince’s trust.”

Then, Xiao Jiu looked around and said to Shopkeeper Zhang: “Shopkeeper Zhang, since we are acquainted, I’ll tell you something. The Prince has just arrived in the Four Northern Desert Prefectures and needs some trustworthy people around him! Look, the Prince trusts me. Even someone as unimportant as me, a mere shop assistant, can become his personal attendant.”

“If you do a good job writing this thing from the start! As long as the Prince trusts you, won’t your good days be coming?”

Someone like Shopkeeper Zhang was definitely not a fool.

Xiao Jiu had already spoken to this extent.

“Mr. Xiao Jiu, there’s one more thing…”

“Shopkeeper Zhang, go ahead!”

Shopkeeper Zhang asked Xiao Jiu: “Xiao Jiu, what do you think of this Prince? Can he stay long in the Four Northern Desert Prefectures?”

Hearing Shopkeeper Zhang’s question, Xiao Jiu’s admiration for Xiao Ce deepened.

Because, beforehand, Xiao Ce had even guessed the questions they might ask.

Xiao Jiu followed Xiao Ce’s teaching and said to Shopkeeper Zhang: “Shopkeeper Zhang, I’ll say what I know. First, the Prince has over forty thousand troops at Yanmen Pass, and they are already being mobilized here. Additionally, over sixty thousand infantry are on the way.”

“There are also hundreds of thousands of Disaster Victims! Moreover, the Prince has gained the support of many trading houses from the Central Plains Region, so he is completely lacking neither money nor provisions!”

“And also, everyone says the Prince is a good-for-nothing, but you have all seen his actions. Are these things something an ordinary prince could do?”

“No one can tell what will happen in the future. I’ve decided to take a gamble with the Prince! Most importantly, the Prince is determined to fight the Turks!”

Listening to Xiao Jiu’s analysis, Shopkeeper Zhang’s eyes lit up.

“Mr. Xiao Jiu, I understand! I get it now! Thank you… thank you!”

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Zhang clasped his hands and retreated to the side, starting to write freely.

Others nearby saw this and wanted to come forward too, but seeing Bao Cong walk out with an aggressive air, they stopped in their tracks.

Upon seeing Xiao Jiu, Bao Cong pointed at him and cursed: “Hey… hey… you’re that dog beside that useless Xiao Ce, aren’t you?”

Xiao Jiu looked at Bao Cong, still reacting with instinctive tension, and forced himself to appear calm as he said: “What do you want?”

Bao Cong’s face turned fierce: “What do I want? Go tell your useless master to quickly send some doctors here. Otherwise, if anything happens to the Khan’s Son, you’ll all be buried with him!”

Xiao Jiu’s fear of Bao Cong came from deep within his bones. For a moment, he couldn’t answer. His earlier behavior with Shopkeeper Zhang and the others was because Xiao Ce had instructed him.

Now, with the aggressively appearing Bao Cong, Xiao Ce hadn’t taught him how to deal with this. He lost his composure for a moment and became flustered.

Seeing that Xiao Jiu did not answer him, Bao Cong slapped Xiao Jiu across the face and cursed:

“Did you hear me or not? Are you deaf? I’m talking to you! Hurry up and tell Xiao Ce to get a doctor here! Otherwise, I’ll beat you to death!”