Chapter 116: Victorious from the Start

“Xiao Lintuo!”

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the large tent was stunned.

They never expected that this Wuliji tribesman would turn traitor right in front of Xiao Sima and bite back.

Actually saying that the person who caused his father’s death was not Li Xiao, but Xiao Lintuo?

“This…”

Wumeng and the other Thousand-Man Commander looked at each other, stunned.

They originally thought this was a conspiracy by Xiao Lintuo against Li Xiao, but now it seemed the situation was wrong.

Xiao Lintuo had fallen into Li Xiao’s trap instead.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

At this moment, Xiao Lintuo completely lost his composure. He stared fiercely at Amo, a killing intent he couldn’t conceal flowing deep in his eyes.

The betrayal of a key witness was the most fatal.

He thought this was his trump card, but unexpectedly, he was deceived by this bastard.

Xiao Lintuo immediately understood; this Wuliji tribesman had been Li Xiao’s man from the beginning.

He had been too clever for his own good.

“My Lord, this subordinate is not talking nonsense,” Amo said in a firm voice.

His fierce gaze met Xiao Lintuo’s without cowardice.

Because he had no way back.

Xiao Lintuo not only caused his father’s death but also colluded with the High Priest and his son, wanting to annex the Wuliji Tribe.

And at that time, would these people keep him, a stumbling block?

Now Amo’s only way out was to follow Li Xiao closely.

Only in this way did he have the possibility of revenge, and more importantly, a chance to take back the Wuliji Tribe and even inherit his father’s Thousand-Man Commander position.

So, now he could only choose to go head-to-head with Xiao Lintuo to the end.

“My Lord, it was Xiao Lintuo who colluded with the High Priest of my Wuliji Tribe and plotted to kill my father,” Amo said firmly.

Then he briefly recounted the course of events, including Etulu sneak-attacking and shooting Wuliji dead on the battlefield.

Subsequently, Xiao Lintuo conspired with the High Priest and his son to take Wuliji’s Thousand-Man Commander position and shift the blame to Li Xiao.

Everything was told.

Hearing this, Xiao Sima’s face became increasingly gloomy, and finally, he glared fiercely at Xiao Lintuo.

He believed that everything Amo said was true.

This matter definitely came from Xiao Lintuo’s hand.

To frame Li Xiao, this bastard actually killed a Thousand-Man Commander.

He really dared to do anything.

After being glared at by Xiao Sima and hearing a faint cold snort, Xiao Lintuo felt bad in his heart, cold sweat streaming down.

His brain worked frantically on how to resolve this farce.

Just at this moment, Xiao Sima shouted loudly, directly stopping Amo’s accusation.

“Enough!”

With an indifferent face, the atmosphere was quite oppressive. Wumeng and the others lowered their heads deeply, reducing their presence.

Amo also closed his mouth immediately, looking at Xiao Sima eagerly, waiting for him to uphold justice for himself.

But unfortunately, Amo was destined to be disappointed.

Because Xiao Sima didn’t put him, or rather the Wuliji Tribe, in his eyes at all.

First, Xiao Lintuo was a trusted veteran general who had followed him for many years; his status was far more important than the Wuliji Tribe.

A mere leader of a nomadic tribe—let alone being plotted against and killed by Xiao Lintuo, even if he were killed openly and aboveboard, Xiao Sima would only punish Xiao Lintuo lightly as a warning, not take Xiao Lintuo’s life as compensation.

Second, as a superior, he had to consider political influence.

Once he punished Xiao Lintuo, it would inevitably break the political ecosystem of Jin Prefecture.

Xiao Lintuo didn’t have the upper hand in Jin Prefecture originally. Once affected by this matter, he would be even less able to check and balance Li Xiao.

It was very likely that a situation where one family dominated would appear in Jin Prefecture.

So, from Xiao Sima’s own standpoint, he definitely had to protect Xiao Lintuo to the death.

And the best way was to stop this matter from developing further and treat it as if it never happened.

He wouldn’t punish anyone, at most give Amo some compensation, and the matter would end there.

As for whether Amo lived or died after a while, he wouldn’t care.

“This matter…”

However, just as Xiao Sima was about to speak, a personal guard reported from outside the tent.

“My Lord, Governor Li Xiao requests an audience.”

Hearing this, Xiao Sima slowly swallowed back all the words he was about to say.

A cold smile appeared on his indifferent and emotionless face.

“Good, very good, the other protagonist has also arrived.”

What was this dog Li Xiao here for?

Definitely to back up this Wuliji tribesman.

Since Li Xiao had already grasped Xiao Lintuo’s handle, he would definitely bite tight and not let go, not easily letting Xiao Sima smooth things over.

Xiao Sima laughed in anger, then said in a heavy voice: “Let him in.”

Xiao Sima himself had uncommon political means and awareness. The moment he heard the news of Wuliji’s death…

He connected everything.

Behind the matter, his two trusted aides whom he was proud of, Xiao Lintuo and Li Xiao, were fighting a magical battle.

He originally thought Xiao Lintuo was a notch better, but unexpectedly, Li Xiao set up this trap instead, making Xiao Lintuo fall into it.

Honestly speaking, at this moment, Xiao Sima suddenly felt that arranging Xiao Lintuo and Li Xiao in Jin Prefecture at the same time might not have been a correct choice.

Xiao Lintuo was a person with a relatively heavy desire for power, and Li Xiao wasn’t a soft persimmon to be manipulated at will, plus he had the support of local forces in Jin Prefecture.

Although Xiao Sima deliberately created a situation where two Military Governors checked and balanced each other, he didn’t want the struggle between the two to cross the line.

Damaging the strength of the Northern Frontier.

Now, while Xiao Sima was still in Jin Prefecture, the two started fighting.

After he left, wouldn’t these two meet with swords and soldiers?

Soon, Li Xiao walked into the large tent, clasping his right fist to his chest: “Greetings, my Lord.”

Then he straightened up, scanned everyone with his eyes, and said to Xiao Sima, “My Lord, this subordinate came today because I heard Thousand-Man Commander Wuliji died.”

“And it seems to be related to Governor Xiao Lintuo…”

Before Li Xiao finished speaking, Xiao Lintuo stood up angrily and roared at Li Xiao.

“Li Xiao, stop talking nonsense.”

“This Governor walks straight and sits upright.”

“As the Military Governor of Jin Prefecture, how could I harm a subordinate Thousand-Man Commander for no reason?”

Then, putting on a look of righteous indignation, he shouted to Xiao Sima: “My Lord!”

“Li Xiao is talking nonsense; he is slandering me, he is slandering me!”

Facing Xiao Lintuo’s loud cry of being wronged, Xiao Sima felt resentful in his heart.

Secretly cursing: “Two disappointing things.”

Undoubtedly, this was a drama directed by the two for power and profit.

Wuliji, this fool, became a tool in their hands without knowing it.

“Hmph.”

Thinking of this, Xiao Sima was even more annoyed.

Facing Xiao Lintuo’s tantrum, Li Xiao showed no weakness either and said in a deep voice, “Governor Xiao, whether I, Li Xiao, am talking nonsense or not, the Garrison Commissioner will naturally decide. It’s not your place to pester unreasonably.”

“Li Xiao, are you going to fight me to the death?”

Li Xiao retorted firmly: “Governor Xiao, no need to threaten me.”

“I, Li Xiao, don’t buy this.”

“Someone’s knife is almost falling on my head; do you expect me, Li Xiao, to remain indifferent?”

“You…” Xiao Lintuo was furious.

For so many years, he rarely had such moments of losing composure.

“In short, one sentence: I, Xiao Lintuo, walk straight and sit upright, with a clear conscience.”

“Wuliji’s death has nothing to do with me; you are slandering me.”

Xiao Lintuo had to resist to the end.

And he believed that there were no loopholes in what he did; Li Xiao couldn’t produce evidence to accuse him at all.

But unexpectedly, Li Xiao took out something in the next second.

Sneering, he said, “Slander?”

“Governor Xiao, open your eyes and look; what is this?”

“It’s the token of a personal guard beside you, Governor Xiao, found on the High Priest of the Wuliji Tribe.”

“At that time, you sent a trusted aide to conspire with the High Priest, carrying your Governor Xiao’s personal guard token to verify identity.”

“But what you didn’t expect is that the High Priest of the Wuliji Tribe was a thief.”

“He secretly swapped your personal guard’s token.”

“You didn’t know?”

“Perhaps your personal guard discovered it afterward but didn’t dare to tell you.”

Listening to Li Xiao’s words, Xiao Lintuo was instantly confused.

He indeed didn’t know about this matter, and his personal guard never told him about losing a token.

So, he shouted subconsciously, “Impossible, absolutely impossible.”

But in the next second, when he saw the token in Li Xiao’s hand clearly, he was even more confused.

Because that was truly the token of a personal guard beside him.

It couldn’t be wrong.

But why was it in Li Xiao’s hand?

Could it be really as Li Xiao said, that the High Priest of the Wuliji Tribe stole the token, and his own personal guard didn’t dare to tell him?

Thinking of this, Xiao Lintuo sweated profusely, his face becoming very ugly.

Anyone could see that his mood was wrong.

Looking lacking in confidence and very guilty.

The Khitan Thousand-Man Commander under Xiao Lintuo closed his eyes in despair.

Wumeng and the other Thousand-Man Commander shook their heads speechlessly.

Xiao Lintuo usually looked insidious, cunning, and calm— how did he suddenly falter at this moment?

Let alone people like them who knew a bit of the inside story, even someone completely ignorant could see that Xiao Lintuo’s situation at this moment was not right.

On the contrary, Xiao Sima, sitting at the head, turned his head and glared fiercely at Xiao Yanyan who was sitting beside him looking triumphant.

“You really want to play Xiao Lintuo to death, don’t you?” Xiao Sima thought helplessly.

As one of the few insiders, he naturally knew what was going on with the token in Li Xiao’s hand.

It was ‘stolen’ by Xiao Yanyan from the central army warehouse not long ago.

Identity tokens like this for personal guards were generally supervised and manufactured by the Garrison Commissioner’s Office, so there would always be a few left over for generals to expand their personal guard teams.

Of course, now that Xiao Lintuo had become the Military Governor of Jin Prefecture, future personal guard tokens would definitely be supervised and manufactured by the Jin Prefecture Military Governor’s Office.

But after all, he had just taken office and hadn’t had time to change them yet.

Using the old ones.

And the person guarding the warehouse didn’t dare to offend Xiao Yanyan, so he hurriedly reported to Xiao Sima.

Originally, he didn’t understand what Xiao Yanyan took the token for.

Now, Xiao Sima understood.

Used to frame Xiao Lintuo!

The key was, Xiao Lintuo seemed to have really fallen for it.

“Really…”

“Utterly hopeless…” Xiao Sima shook his head in his heart.