Chapter 102: Conquer the Xiao Kingdom Within Three Months

Chapter 102: Conquer the Xiao Kingdom Within Three Months

Yin Pan’er did not understand, and even less believed, that Xiao Ce would dare to attack the Turks with only a thousand cavalry.

Looking at Xiao Ce’s expression, it really didn’t seem like a joke.

So she nodded and listened seriously.

Xiao Ce explained in detail all the things that might happen in the future and what he needed her to do.

Xiao Ce looked at Yin Pan’er’s confused face. “Didn’t you understand?”

Yin Pan’er smiled awkwardly and asked Xiao Ce for paper and a brush, wanting to write it down.

Xiao Ce very considerately took out a mind map he had prepared earlier.

Yin Pan’er looked at the so-called mind map and was completely shocked.

After all, the myriad complicated matters Xiao Ce had just described were made very clear by a single mind map.

“These are the things for now. I’ve recorded them all on this mind map! As long as you do what I’ve arranged, there won’t be any problems!”

Only then did Yin Pan’er believe that Xiao Ce was really going to attack the Turks.

“Prince, you really are going to attack the Turks. But, taking only a thousand cavalry, isn’t that too reckless? The Turks have over twenty tribes, big and small! Even the smallest tribe has more than a thousand cavalry, right?”

Xiao Ce said with a smile, “It’s enough! Victory doesn’t depend on numbers, but on quality! Pan’er, don’t worry! I won’t leave you a widow!”

Yin Pan’er had a complicated expression. “You’d better not get hurt! I told you before I came… if anything bad happens to you, I won’t stay a widow for you! So, if you don’t want me to marry someone else, you’d better come back alive!”

Xiao Ce saw that Yin Pan’er’s voice trembled slightly as she said this.

Her expression showed a bit of reluctance and a lot of worry, which was incredibly cute. He couldn’t help but smile and pinch her cheek.

“I promise you! I will definitely come back alive. But, you must also promise to look after our home for me! Don’t let me come back to find our home stolen!”

Yin Pan’er pointed at the very detailed mind map of future tasks on the paper beside her and smiled. “You’ve taught me every step of the way. If I still can’t do this properly, I shouldn’t live anymore. I shouldn’t even be human!”

Seeing Yin Pan’er like this, Xiao Ce felt a stir in his heart. He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Yin Pan’er’s slender waist. “If not human, then be a horse! This Prince is a good rider!”

Yin Pan’er blushed all the way to the back of her ears and broke free.

“Not today! If you come back alive, I… I can… reward you…”

Saying this, Yin Pan’er blushed and hurriedly left. At the door, she suddenly turned her head back.

“Come back alive!”

Without waiting for Xiao Ce’s reply, Yin Pan’er hastily left.

After Yin Pan’er left, Xiao Ce said to Da Lei, “Da Lei, go make arrangements. Just you and Fu Niu will follow me! The other Twelve Fiends will stay here to protect the Princess Consort! They are all to follow the Princess Consort’s orders!”

Da Lei was a bit worried. “Prince, taking only a thousand cavalry to attack the Turks this time is extremely dangerous… Here, we have an army of a hundred thousand protecting us. The Princess Consort will be fine!”

Xiao Ce said, “Things here seem calm on the surface, but undercurrents are swirling. As for me attacking the Turks, it seems perilous! Actually, there won’t be too much danger. Besides, if you and Fu Niu can’t protect me, having more people would be useless! Just go make the arrangements.”

Since Xiao Ce said so, Da Lei nodded and went to do it.

As he spoke, Xiao Ce also had someone summon Zhang Yunqing.

…

Meanwhile, within the Ashina tribe of the Turks.

Mosi Ashina and the four Iron Guards had run several horses to death but finally returned to the Ashina tribe.

Inside the tribal tent.

Mosi Ashina placed his hand on his chest in salute and said excitedly.

“Father Khan, your son has returned alive! Thank you, Father Khan, for sending the Iron Guards to rescue me! If Father Khan hadn’t sent people to save me, I fear I would have died at the hands of those despicable Xiao Kingdom People.”

Ashina rose from his tiger-skin seat and walked forward with a concerned look.

“My child, you suffered… This is what a father should do…”

Before Ashina finished, his gaze fell on Mosi Ashina’s hand.

Although he had learned from the letter that his son had a finger cut off, seeing it in person, his eyes turned cold. “Mosi, was this the finger that useless prince cut off?”

Seeing this, Mosi Ashina nodded with a dark expression.

He recounted the inhumane treatment he suffered there and Xiao Ce’s actions.

After hearing Mosi’s words, Ashina’s face turned extremely cold. “That waste dared to bully this Khan’s prince like that… That is a mockery and trampling of our Turkic people!”

“Mosi, be at ease! The humiliation you suffered, this Khan will avenge for you tenfold! This Khan has gathered all the cavalry from every tribe. He cut off one of your fingers, so I want the heads of ten thousand Xiao Kingdom People to sacrifice for you! This time, we plan to capture the Four Northern Desert Prefectures within a month and occupy the Central Plains within three months! We will make all those Two-Legged Sheep of the Xiao Kingdom slaves to our noble Turkic people!”

Mosi Ashina’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he said excitedly, “Father Khan, you have decided to launch a full-scale attack.”

Ashina nodded and said, “Yes! I have already given the order. All sides are preparing provisions and supplies now!”

Mosi Ashina clasped his hands. “Father Khan, your son wishes to be the vanguard! Your son wants to capture that waste Xiao Ce. I will use the Sheep Leading Ceremony to bring him and his wife with us, make them watch me slaughter their Xiao Kingdom People, and make him see the consequence of offending us Turks is the destruction of his country and family!”

Ashina slammed the table. “Good! This Khan appoints you as the vanguard… Three days from now is the day we agreed to assemble our forces. After all tribes are gathered, we can march on the Northern Desert! The Sheep Leading Ceremony is too polite for him. This Khan will cut off his arms and legs for you and soak him in a barrel of horse manure! We’ll make him watch the fall of the Xiao Kingdom from inside a horse manure barrel!”

As soon as Ashina spoke, all the Turkic princes in the tent laughed.

“Yes, put his Princess Consort in our wooden horse and use the Raging Horse Punishment to reward, reward our warhorses. Let that useless prince watch with his own eyes!” Several Turkic princes laughed wildly.

This Raging Horse Punishment was very inhumane.

The Turks would make a life-sized wooden horse prop, place the person to be punished inside it, lock them into a specific position.

Then, they would feed some medicine to a warhorse, put the warhorse and the wooden horse in the same cage, and then the warhorse, under the influence of the drug, would try to mate with the wooden horse.

But the person actually being violated was the prisoner inside!

A flash of excitement crossed Mosi Ashina’s face. “Yes! How could I forget that! Yes, let that waste also suffer the Raging Horse Punishment, let him feel the might of our Turkic warhorses.”

After that, the entire tent erupted in loud laughter.

Ashina asked, “Nuba, is the news about Xiao Ce leading a hundred-thousand-strong army reliable?”

Nuba replied to Ashina, “Khan, it is a hundred thousand troops! However, it’s not as the rumors said. They are not privately trained troops of Xiao Dingshan!”

Hearing this, Ashina seemed a bit excited. “Oh? Are you sure?”

Nuba answered Ashina very firmly, “Yes, it was your friend, Mr. Hidden Dragon, who told me himself!”

Ashina narrowed his eyes slightly. “You saw Hidden Dragon?”

Nuba shook his head. “That Mr. Hidden Dragon likes to act mysteriously. He was behind a screen! I couldn’t see him… But it was he who said it! Those troops are just the hundred thousand chosen from among the Disaster Victims. Although there are some old soldiers among them, they are no match for us at all!”

“He also said that Xiao Ce is not to be feared at all. Because he doesn’t know how to train troops at all. All along the way, he just made the soldiers practice formations and march in step!”

As Nuba spoke, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Ashina was a bit puzzled. “March in step?”

Mosi Ashina chimed in, “Father Khan, it’s when the whole army walks in perfect unison. But, I must say, it looks quite intimidating. It makes them seem like a well-disciplined army.”

Nuba said with a smile, “Their troops can’t do anything else, just this… An army that only knows superficial skills is like an army built on sand. Our iron hooves will trample them to dust! Your friend personally received us. He said those are definitely not Xiao Dingshan’s troops. All of Xiao Dingshan’s remaining forces are defending at Yangguan.”

Ashina laughed heartily. “Good… good… This Khan was preparing for a major battle for nothing! Who knew they were so incredibly foolish! Their vast Xiao Kingdom only has one Xiao Dingshan who can barely fight this Khan! And their ignorant Emperor imprisoned him in the Capital! Hahaha! Heaven is helping me!”

All the princes said to Ashina, “We congratulate in advance Father Khan on entering and unifying the Xiao Kingdom!”

Ashina laughed heartily. “Hahaha, good! Princes, when this King conquers the Xiao Kingdom, I will enfeoff you all as kings!”

“Thank you, Father Khan!”

Ashina said proudly, “Our Turkic eagles will surely occupy every inch of Xiao Ce’s land! Tell all the tribes to speed up. This Khan is getting impatient. Let those soft Two-Legged Sheep of the Xiao Kingdom taste the power of our Turkic iron hooves!”