Exiled to the Frontier, He Became the Empire’s Most Powerful Lord - Chapter 13

Originally, Tie Xuan ordered him to leave the Northern Army and join Zhou Lingfeng’s forces, but he was somewhat unwilling!

However, in today’s battle, he discovered that the Barbarian King was no ordinary man and already possessed the qualities of a great ruler.

If the Barbarian King can successfully rise up and ascend to the throne of the supreme ruler, then Lu Zhengtian will be showered with immense wealth and honor.

“General Lu, there’s no need for you to exert yourself! You deserve the greatest credit for today’s battle!”

Zhou Lingfeng smiled slightly; Tie Xuan, his maternal uncle, had indeed sent a reliable general.

Regardless of his abilities, he is at least loyal and pragmatic.

“Your Highness, three thousand soldiers from Jincheng have surrendered. What should be done with them?”

Yang Wufeng came over to report at this time.

“Three thousand people?”

Mo Li, standing beside him, glanced at Zhou Lingfeng with wide eyes, then hesitated to speak.

The little girl’s adorable appearance made Zhou Lingfeng smile, and he casually asked, “Mo Li, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Your Highness, killing so many people is too heinous! Her Majesty was the most compassionate woman in her lifetime!”

Mo Li said in a low voice.

“I’m not a serial killer, how can I just kill three thousand people like that!”

Zhou Lingfeng glared at him. Was he really such a killing god in the little girl’s eyes?

“I only saw the prince just now…”

Mo Li hesitated and fell silent.

She thought this way because Ling Wuyai was about to surrender but was killed by Zhou Lingfeng.

Zhou Lingfeng ordered Lu Zhengtian to lead a group to handle the post-war cleanup work, and then ordered Yang Wufeng to gather the surrendered soldiers together.

The three thousand surrendered soldiers of Jincheng were driven together, each of them having long since thrown away their weapons, like lambs to the slaughter, their eyes filled with fear.

They now know that they attacked His Majesty the Emperor’s own son, the Barbarian King!

This is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one’s family; it’s not just about one’s own death, but also about the consequences for one’s clan.

Then they saw a handsome young man being pushed forward in a wheelchair!

“I didn’t expect the Barbarian King to be so young, and his legs?”

“Looks like a pitiful prince, exiled to a remote border town and now being hunted down!”

Many of the soldiers in Jincheng felt a sense of regret.

“You should all know my identity by now! Assassinating a prince will result in the execution of his entire family!”

Zhou Lingfeng’s voice wasn’t loud, but it struck the hearts of the surrendered soldiers like a heavy hammer.

Some people couldn’t help but start crying, feeling powerless about their own and their family’s fate!

Crying has a magical power; it’s highly contagious!

Soon, the sounds of the surrendered soldiers wailing and crying rose and fell, echoing all around.

Zhou Lingfeng couldn’t help but curl his lips. “I haven’t even unleashed my ultimate move yet, and these guys are already mentally broken.”

“I never expected that the Barbarian King could even defeat five thousand elite troops from Jincheng!”

“If it weren’t for the two thousand Northern cavalrymen left behind by Tie Xuan, the Barbarian King would surely be dead today!”

At this moment, many martial artists who were lurking in the shadows were greatly surprised.

“If you gentlemen don’t wish to leave yet, we can see you off!”

A little eunuch in blue robes suddenly appeared like a ghost, looking at them with a half-smile.

“A third-grade Grandmaster!”

These spies and warriors took a deep breath and scrambled away.

Hong Jiuming smiled disdainfully, turned around and went to another place, scaring away several more spies.

If it weren’t for Zhou Lingfeng’s orders, he really would have liked to leave a few people behind to kill for fun.

However, these people were all informants for important figures in Shengjing, so they were sent back to prevent them from thinking that the prince was an easy target.

“Heaven cherishes life! I am not one to kill! Now I present you with two paths!”

Zhou Lingfeng said calmly.

The guards who were watching over the surrendered soldiers then retreated dozens of meters.

In an instant, the soldiers who had been wailing and crying fell silent!

People will have a strong will to survive as long as there is a way to go, even if it is hard or tiring.

“First, if you follow me south to Python City, you will be considered dead from this day forward, and your names will be removed from the household register! Second, I can let you go home, but what happens next is beyond my control!”

Zhou Lingfeng said calmly.

He suddenly raised one hand and said, “Those who choose to follow me south, kneel down and pledge your allegiance! Those who wish to leave, you may leave now! There is no one guarding you! Within five breaths, when this hand falls, you can make your choice.”

“Or, you can choose to come and kill me!”

A smile appeared on Zhou Lingfeng’s lips, and there were no guards around him.

Such a spirit amazed everyone!

“Bang bang bang!”

Before Zhou Lingfeng could even begin counting, the soldiers knelt down in perfect unison.

Following the barbarian king south would not only save my life but also spare my people. What choice is there?

“First intimidate them with words, then offer them a way out. These surrendered soldiers will probably have no choice but to be loyal to the prince!”

Lu Zhengtian watched from the sidelines, greatly impressed.

If it were someone else, a forced landing would likely have sparked some unrest and resistance!

But Zhou Lingfeng was all alone, and with just a few words, he made the surrendered soldiers not even dare to think of killing him. Could such courage and strategy really be achieved by the former deposed crown prince?

“Very good. From this moment on, you will be my most loyal soldiers! Yang Wufeng, Yue Peng, and Liu Yunfei, these three thousand men will be assigned to your three battalions respectively. You have half an hour to integrate them!”

Zhou Lingfeng said calmly.

When Hong Jiuming returned, the assassins slowly put away their weapons and then began to drive the cart forward.

The Imperial Guard looked at the suicide soldiers with awe!

These people were all martial arts experts, and they were fearless and undaunted. Even a third-grade grandmaster was entangled by them and could not break through.

“Cremate the fallen brothers on the spot. After we reach Mangcheng, I will build a shrine for the fallen heroes, where they will be worshipped for generations to come!”

Zhou Lingfeng sighed and continued.

It seems that these three years of preparation were absolutely necessary.

The dozens of soldiers who died in battle were all refugees with no relatives!

This is the best course of action.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers showed excitement, and their gazes toward Zhou Lingfeng became even more respectful.

In war, there are always casualties; they were prepared for that!

But someone like Zhou Lingfeng, who was willing to build a shrine to honor the fallen soldiers and offer incense to them, was someone I had never heard of before.

In the winter of the thirty-eighth year of Yuanwu, Chang Aofeng, the garrison commander of Jincheng, led five thousand elite troops to intercept and kill the barbarian king, but was completely annihilated by the barbarian king’s forces.

This news was secretly relayed to the desks of the important figures in Shengjing, and then no further news came out.

It was as if Chang Aofeng had never existed in this world; Jincheng’s soldiers still numbered ten thousand.

At the highest point of the Star-Picking Pavilion in the Imperial Palace, Emperor Yuanwu stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp eyes fixed on the south.

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the hem of the dragon robe to rustle softly.

“Although I am reluctant, I have no choice but to do this for the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty!”

Emperor Yuanwu murmured to himself, his face quickly turning cold and indifferent.

“With Tie Xuan as a backup plan, your enfeoffment in Mangcheng will proceed smoothly without any further trouble! I just hope you live a peaceful life, otherwise you’ll only face death!”

Emperor Yuanwu turned around and strode down from the Zhaixing Pavilion with a powerful and majestic gait.

Inside the Left Prime Minister’s residence, Chang Ning’s inner demons resurfaced, his face filled with resentment!

The Left Prime Minister, however, remained calm, his eyes slightly narrowed.

“Father, are we just going to watch that good-for-nothing walk away like that, and there’s nothing we can do?”

Chang Ning said bitterly.

She didn’t want Zhou Lingfeng to die, but at the same time, she also hoped he would die.

“Otherwise what? The Barbarian King is enfeoffed in Mangcheng, and he will never have a chance to fight for that chair in this lifetime! He has the backup plan left by Tie Xuan. Unless a second-grade Grandmaster personally kills him, we can only watch him head south!”

The Left Prime Minister said calmly.

“Those who accomplish great things do not concern themselves with trifles! But the Barbarian King is currently dealing with that trifle! Whether he lives or dies, it will not affect the overall situation! As the eldest daughter of the Chang family and the Holy Maiden of Yunxin Palace, how can you be so short-sighted!”

The Left Prime Minister spoke patiently.

“My daughter knows!”

Chang Ning let out a sigh of relief, but she still thought to herself that she must kill that good-for-nothing when she had the chance.

If the inner demons are not eliminated, the only path left is dual cultivation. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to break through to the second-grade Grandmaster realm in this lifetime.