Chapter 56: Advancing Victoriously

Chapter 56: Advancing Victoriously

Xiao Ce watched Bao An standing in place, not daring to move recklessly at all.

Night Cat and Fu Niu walked directly up to Mosi Ashina.

Mosi Ashina had seen the abilities of Night Cat and Fu Niu.

Although he blustered with his words, he didn’t dare make any excessive moves, especially since the bodies of his guards were still lying in the hall.

Night Cat and Fu Niu stepped forward.

He didn’t even dare resist as the two of them tied him up tightly.

Not daring to challenge Xiao Ce verbally, Mosi Ashina could only shout at Bao An, “Bao An, what’s going on? I came here on behalf of the Turkic Kingdom to congratulate you. If anything happens to me, you…”

Xiao Ce walked up to Mosi Ashina and said fiercely, “Congratulations? Who the hell gave you the face? It’s someone else’s wedding, and you’re touching and hugging the bride! Is that something a decent person does? Oh, right, you barbarians have never been decent people!”

“Besides, can’t you see he can’t even protect himself?”

Mosi Ashina’s face turned ugly as Xiao Ce insulted them. “You good-for-nothing, how dare you insult our Turkic Empire!”

Xiao Ce backhanded a slap across his face. “A measly tribe from the grasslands dares call itself an empire…”

Mosi Ashina tried to say more.

But Xiao Ce backhanded him three more times in quick succession.

After the slaps, Xiao Ce shook his hand and muttered, “Damn, my hand hurts from hitting you…”

Then, he turned to Da Lei and said, “Watch him! If he tries to spit filth, slap him for me.”

Da Lei nodded.

Xiao Ce didn’t want to waste another word on this Turk.

The only reason he was keeping him alive was to use him to extort something from the Turks later.

Turning his gaze back into the hall, he noted how splendidly ornate it was built.

“Bao An, you really know how to live in luxury, don’t you? You built this hall even more beautiful than the Imperial Palace.”

As he spoke, he walked over and sat down in the main seat.

Everyone in the hall watched Xiao Ce with uncertain expressions.

Clearly, they couldn’t be sure if this man was the Deposed Crown Prince from the rumors.

After all, both Xiao Ce’s words and methods were extremely adept and ruthless.

It was impossible to connect such a person with the word “good-for-nothing.”

Bao An stood to the side with a grim expression. “Xiao Ce, do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

Xiao Ce let out a cold laugh. “Finally, you speak! This Prince naturally knows what he’s doing! This Prince was commanded by my Imperial Father to come to the Four Northern Desert Prefectures to ‘take up the territory.’ You good-for-nothing, look at what you’ve done to these perfectly fine prefectures! This Prince is going to reclaim all the face the Four Northern Desert Prefectures have lost!”

Bao An laughed out loud. “How naive!”

Xiao Ce glanced at Da Lei, who understood and stepped forward to deliver a slap.

Though a General, Bao An glared furiously at Xiao Ce after being slapped, yet he didn’t dare retaliate.

Xiao Ce’s face turned menacing. “Did I ask you to speak? I’ll deal with you later!”

Then, Xiao Ce looked at the people in the hall.

“Everyone, you must have heard some news about This Prince. Today, let me introduce myself to all of you. My name is Xiao Ce. Starting today, I am taking over the Four Northern Desert Prefectures. I am His Majesty’s personally appointed King of Northern Desert! I’m sure we’ll have extensive dealings in the future!”

After Xiao Ce spoke these words,

the hall remained deathly silent.

Seeing this, Bao An couldn’t help but sneer.

Without waiting for Xiao Ce’s signal, Da Lei promptly slapped him across the face again.

Bao An glared angrily at Da Lei.

But Da Lei stood expressionlessly to the side, giving him a highly provocative glance and saying, “Shut up.”

Xiao Ce pointed at Bao An. “Hmph, you traitor! What are you laughing at? Still holding onto some fantasy? You truly don’t understand the situation. This Prince isn’t killing you not because you’re useful. It’s just that I don’t want a traitor like you to die too comfortably!”

Finishing, Xiao Ce addressed the hall again. “It’s understandable that you are all unfamiliar with This Prince! But rest assured. We have plenty of time ahead to get to know each other!”

“Is there anyone who wants to introduce themselves?”

The people in the hall looked at each other.

No one spoke!

Xiao Ce understood perfectly well. None of them trusted him. They all thought he was just a flash in the pan.

No one wanted to be the first to speak.

After all, Xiao Ce had not only thoroughly offended Bao An this time but also killed Turks.

If they sided with Xiao Ce now, it would be suicide.

They weren’t in a hurry to speak.

And Xiao Ce was even less in a hurry.

He noticed the table in front of him was laden with many delicacies.

The food inside the hall was clearly much better than what was served outside.

So, he simply started eating heartily.

The people in the hall watched Xiao Ce eat with such gusto. They truly didn’t know where he got such a good appetite.

Especially with corpses still lying around in the hall.

Not long after, Yan Jia entered with a small squad, walking with an air of urgency.

Seeing the situation in the hall, Yan Jia wasn’t surprised at all.

He strode directly into the hall, cupped his hands, and reported, “Prince, we have taken complete control of the city. The two thousand city-defending soldiers at the gates of Lingxiao City have all surrendered.”

“As for the three thousand guards outside this Temporary Palace, over a thousand were eliminated, and the remaining two thousand have surrendered!”

“The entire Lingxiao City is under our control!”

Hearing Yan Jia’s report, Xiao Ce nodded with satisfaction.

“Excellent. Keep a tight watch on the entire Lingxiao City. Don’t let even a single fly escape!”

Yan Jia nodded, cupped his hands, and said, “Reporting to the Prince, we are already doing so.”

Xiao Ce nodded. “Good! Go to Yanmen Pass and mobilize more troops. Also, if any Disaster Victims arrive, have the first batch come here!”

“Also, thoroughly search the entire Temporary Palace. I want a full accounting of all this traitor’s assets!”

Seeing this, Bao An panicked and shouted at Xiao Ce, “Xiao Ce, who do you think you are! What do you think you’re doing? Confiscating my property? I am His Majesty’s personally appointed Grand General guarding the border!”

This time, even without a glance from Xiao Ce,

Da Lei understood what to do.

He swung his arm back and delivered a resounding slap.

“Were you told to speak? No manners. Bao An, I already have enough evidence for all the things you did. Killing you eight hundred times would be letting you off easy!”

After saying this, Xiao Ce turned to Yan Jia. “Yan Jia, go attend to your duties!”

Yan Jia cupped his hands in acknowledgment and hurried out.

He left the small squad he brought with him behind.

Xiao Ce rose to his feet unhurriedly.

“It seems you all aren’t very welcoming! Well, all of you stay right here then.”

Then, he addressed the small squad brought by Yan Jia. “Go take all the congratulatory gifts from here.”

The squad cupped their hands in acknowledgment and began carrying the treasures away.

Xiao Ce stood up and walked out of the hall.

Xiao Ce had underestimated these family heads of the Noble Clans.

These family heads truly looked down on Xiao Ce from the bottom of their hearts.

They stubbornly remained silent.

After Xiao Ce walked out, he saw the guards at the entrance.

All of them were from the first batch of Death Row Prisoners.

Xiao Ce said to them, “Keep a close watch! Don’t let anyone leave.”

They bowed respectfully to Xiao Ce and said, “Prince, rest assured. Not even a single fly will be allowed out.”

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded with satisfaction.

…

After Xiao Ce left the hall, the inside suddenly became lively.

First, Mosi Ashina stood up and said fiercely to Bao An, “Bao An, what exactly is going on? Isn’t this your territory? How did that good-for-nothing barge in here, bully you like this, and you couldn’t even fight back?”

Only then did the members of the Cai Family dare send their subordinates to check.

After confirming the head was indeed Cai Wu’s, the head of the Cai Family said to Bao An, “General Bao, didn’t you say before that the good-for-nothing would take another month to arrive? How did he manage to attack Yanmen Pass! What is the situation outside now? My poor Wu’er… died just like that!”

Mosi Ashina chimed in, “Right. Didn’t you say your Emperor only gave him three thousand Death Row Prisoners? How did three thousand men take Yanmen Pass without anyone knowing, and even recapture Lingxiao City right under your nose?”

Bao An’s mind was still reeling.

“Everyone, don’t panic! He just caught us off guard. Once I figure out what happened, I’ll make him pay. There must be more to this story…”

Bao An called for Steward Diao.

“Steward Diao, find a way to contact the outside. Have someone lead troops here for rescue.”

Steward Diao said with a pained expression, “General, I just checked. Our Temporary Palace is surrounded by soldiers, at least several thousand of them! It’s an impenetrable blockade. We can’t get out. I sent a servant to climb over the wall earlier. He was cut down the moment he landed outside!”

At this point, the head of the Kan Family spoke up. “Since Xiao Ce dared to leave us here, he must be absolutely confident he can trap us here. From what he said earlier, General Bao, it sounds like your entire army has been wiped out!”

Bao An’s face was grim. “Family Head Kan, do you have any good ideas?”

The Kan Family head shook his head. “There’s no other way now. We must either find a way to escape or find reinforcements!”

The head of the Cai Family said, “Everyone knows that. But didn’t you hear? That good-for-nothing has sealed this place shut.”

The head of the Lin Family said to Bao An, “General Bao, do you have Message Crows here?”

Bao An nodded. “We do have Message Crows, but they’re kept elsewhere. We can’t leave this place right now.”

The head of the Kan Family said, “He’s keeping us here simply to gain our support. How about we pretend to support him first? Once we’re out of here, we can go find reinforcements!”

Bao An listened to the Kan Family’s words and nodded. “Family Head Kan, you’re right. But that good-for-nothing definitely won’t believe me. Family Head Kan, why don’t you talk to him first? See if we can leave!”

The Kan Family head said, “I can go talk to him. But I need the Khan’s Son to know that I have no connection with him… My talking to him would be solely to help everyone escape.”

Mosi Ashina, who had been looking grim, spoke up from the side. “Don’t worry. If you can get us out of this, I will remember your contribution!”

The Kan Family head then cupped his hands and said, “Then I will go and try…”