Chapter 580

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In the main hall, Xiao Qi stood by the window, looking at the bustling streets of Qingling City.

It had been five days since Xiao Qi returned. Upon his return, he had handed the truce agreement to the Prince of Wei. He still remembered the Prince of Wei’s fury when he tore the truce agreement to shreds.

At that moment, he only felt a pang of sadness. The weak would be bullied; this was an ironclad rule throughout history.

However, more disheartening than this was the Prince of Wei’s order to massacre the common people of Yangzhou City. Upon learning this news, he knew that Wei’s territory was finished.

Now, the Prince of Wei had not only lost land but also the hearts of the people.

In his anger, he stormed into the Prince of Wei’s residence to question the Prince of Wei, but all he received was the Prince of Wei’s cold remark, “You are merely an outsider; you need not question the orders concerning Wei’s territory.”

At this moment, he realized that he was nothing more than a pawn in the Prince of Wei’s heart. The reason he had treated him like his own son was merely to gain sympathy in the name of the Prince of Ning, thereby contending for dominance over the world.

But when his ambition was crushed by Xiao Ming, he gradually realized that he no longer needed this pawn.

Standing by the Qinhuai River, gazing at the pleasure boats shuttling by, and listening to the lighthearted songs sung by the actors, Xiao Qi felt a wave of sadness. All he wanted was a peaceful and prosperous era, to assist a wise monarch.

And this was precisely his father’s wish. It was just that the Prince of Wei was clearly not someone worth assisting now.

“Third Royal Uncle, I have been offering you strategies all these years, even risking my life to form alliances to preserve Wei’s territory. I think what I owe you should be repaid. Now, I will go to assist a truly virtuous king.” Xiao Qi said.

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves. Turning his head, he saw Xiao Han approaching him with guards.

Upon reaching Xiao Qi, Xiao Han sneered, “Xiao Qi, you should understand your position in Wei’s territory now. From now on, behave yourself, and Father King will still give you a bite to eat. But it’s also hard on Father King; he’s been hiding his true intentions for so long. Otherwise, I would have always thought he treated you like a treasure, Hahahaha…”

Xiao Qi’s face held a hint of mockery. Like father, like son. Previously, this Xiao Han, like the Prince of Wei, was always amiable towards him, but now he had finally shed his hypocritical facade.

“No need. I plan to leave Wei’s territory. Since I am an outsider, there is no need for me to stay here.” Xiao Qi said.

Xiao Han said mockingly, “That won’t do. Father King said you still have some ability, so you should honestly stay in Jinling City. Perhaps one day we can even send you to Xiao Ming. After all, his father is the killer of your father. I imagine he would definitely want to cut the weeds and remove the roots.”

With that, Xiao Han laughed loudly and left with his guards. The resentment he had harbored over the years seemed to be released all at once today.

The Prince of Wei’s public humiliation of Xiao Qi in front of all the officials clearly showed the Prince of Wei’s attitude towards Xiao Qi.

Looking at Xiao Han’s receding figure, Xiao Qi’s face showed a trace of weariness. At this moment, his heart was filled only with hatred—hatred for the Prince of Wei’s ruthlessness, cunning, and treachery.

He had been deceived all these years, and every time he thought of his gratitude towards the Prince of Wei, his hatred grew stronger.

“Prince of Wei, oh Prince of Wei, you are seeking your own destruction!”

Xiao Qi’s eyes suddenly became cold. He was well aware of the situation the Prince of Wei was now facing. There was no one left to use in Wei’s territory. The people surrounding Xiao Han were merely sycophantic villains.

This bad idea must have been suggested by these people to Xiao Han, and then Xiao Han suggested it to the Prince of Wei. But they only thought of momentarily delaying Xiao Ming’s advance, and overlooked the devastating impact this matter would have on public sentiment.

Moreover, this incident would inevitably invite Xiao Ming’s retaliation.

Just as he thought, two days later, news of the Dengzhou Army’s massacre of local powerful families arrived. The powerful families of Yangzhou City and its vicinity were all slaughtered, and from these powerful families, the Dengzhou Army obtained a large amount of grain and supplies.

And most importantly, wherever the Dengzhou Army went, the local common people would help the Dengzhou Army transport grain and fodder, and bring water and food. In just a few days, the common people of Yangzhou City gave their allegiance, and food and fodder were no longer an issue.

Prince of Wei’s Residence.

Upon receiving this news, the Prince of Wei was not only not angry but rather thought his scheme had succeeded.

“Father King, this time Xiao Ming only won the hearts of these commoners, but he offended the powerful families! The powerful families of Yangzhou were massacred completely. All the powerful families in the world will know what kind of person Xiao Ming is! Hmph, Great Yu Empire was founded on the basis of powerful families. Now that he has offended all the powerful families in the world, who will support him and uphold him?”

“Well said! The powerful families of Wei’s territory will surely resist King Qi’s army to the death. I will make sure he cannot advance an inch.” The Prince of Wei’s face twisted with madness.

Xiao Han echoed with a laugh, then he said, “But Father Emperor, what about the five million taels in compensation?”

“Give it to him. It’s only five million taels. The Ding family alone has assets worth tens of millions. Kill a few merchants, and the silver will come,” the Prince of Wei said indifferently.

“Good idea! It is said that Ding Wan Quan sent his illegitimate son to Qingzhou. He has disloyal intentions. This time, we’ll make an example of him.” Xiao Han said.

The Prince of Wei nodded, “Xiao Qi has gone too far. Now we can only expand our army and prepare for war. If there’s no silver, we’ll find a way from these merchants. If that fails, we’ll increase taxes on the common people.”

“Yes, Father King. I have already had the craftsmen of Jinling City work day and night to forge weapons. By then, Jinling City will be built into an impregnable fortress,” Xiao Han said.

The father and son exchanged glances, seemingly reaching a tacit understanding.

However, what the two did not know was that after the Yangzhou massacre, the Wei army’s atrocities began to spread in Pengzhou City, Huaizhou City, Tongzhou City, and Yangzhou City.

The people spreading this news included merchants, ordinary common people, and also officials. While publicizing the Prince of Wei’s atrocities, they also promoted the prosperous life of the Qingzhou common people.

Under the deliberate propaganda and incitement, the local common people were all outraged. In the following few days, they became even more furious, because the common people who had personally witnessed the Yangzhou City massacre were sent to the four prefectures.

Under their vivid and emotional speeches, the common people could no longer be ostriches burying their heads in the sand. As the firsthand accounts were told, they began to hate the Prince of Wei, and at the same time, under the propagation of the Qingzhou common people, they yearned for Qingzhou.

And when the government offices were established and began to completely distribute the powerful families’ land to them, the common people completely erupted. Everywhere in the four prefectures, King Qi’s virtues were praised, and for a while, public sentiment gravitated towards him.

Yangzhou City.

Li San returned to the city after finishing his emotional account of grievances in a village.

In the government office, Ye Qingyun was waiting for him. Seeing him return, Ye Qingyun smiled bitterly, “You secret guards are truly formidable! In such a short time, you have made the common people so supportive of His Highness. I truly admire you.”

Li San traveled from Pengzhou City all the way to Yangzhou, which was his last stop.

The work of the secret service was not only to gather intelligence but also to win the hearts of the people for Xiao Ming.