Novel Full Chapter 354: If This Prince Were to Proclaim Himself Emperor, What Then?
News of Xiahou Nan’s surrender to the Northern Frontier army, under Xiao Mo’s orchestration, spread throughout Zhei Kingdom’s entire territory at an extremely fast pace.
Many generals had originally had thoughts of surrendering but were still hesitating. Now that even General Xiahou had surrendered, they no longer needed to hesitate.
Thus, more and more generals surrendered. The Northern Frontier army’s four battle lines breached cities and accepted surrenders all the way, arriving directly at the Zhei capital!
In the Zhei Kingdom’s palace, after learning that Xiahou Nan had led his army to surrender, the Zhei Kingdom’s ruler cursed furiously in the imperial court. This time, he truly fainted from anger. However, when he awoke, he still had to face reality and still had to think of ways to resist the Northern Frontier army.
But the problem was, aside from the Zhei Kingdom capital’s grand formation that would be breached sooner or later, as well as the two hundred thousand forbidden troops in the capital and the palace’s enshrined cultivators, what other bargaining chips did they have?
When the Northern Frontier army’s four routes converged, their city would inevitably be breached.
The Zhei Kingdom’s ruler already regretted it. He should not have hesitated back then but should have directly surrendered. This current outcome was truly not what he had wished for!
On the fifth day after Xiahou Nan’s surrender, Xiao Mo ordered the siege to begin.
Xiahou Nan personally led the original surrendered troops to attack the south gate of the Zhei capital. Xiao Mo attacked the east gate.
Those surrendered soldiers, under Xiahou Nan’s command, no longer had any other thoughts and simply followed orders, achieving their original combat strength.
Moreover, because Xiahou Nan knew the defensive arrangements of the Zhei Kingdom’s capital, the pressure on the siege was extremely great.
Even because some of the capital’s defending generals had past connections with Xiahou Nan, when Xiahou Nan tried to persuade them to surrender, their originally uncertain thoughts became even more tumultuous.
Those civil officials in the imperial court only wanted to preserve themselves, thinking of ways to escape.
As for national righteousness, what did that have to do with them?
Thirty-three days later, the Zhei Kingdom capital’s formation shattered. Xiao Mo and Xiahou Nan killed their way into the Zhei Kingdom’s capital.
Xiao Mo ordered the entire army not to disturb the civilians, or face severe punishment!
Although Xiahou Nan reached the palace gates a step ahead of Xiao Mo, he did not enter but waited for Xiao Mo to arrive.
After Xiao Mo arrived, he and Xiahou Nan together killed their way into the palace.
The Zhei Kingdom’s ruler did not wish to endure the humiliation from Qin Kingdom and wanted to hang himself, but because of cowardice, he couldn’t make up his mind several times. Finally, when Xiao Mo found him, this Zhei Kingdom ruler was still standing on a stool.
The Zhei Kingdom’s imperial family was captured entirely by Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo also met that princess whom the Zhei Kingdom’s ruler had originally intended to betroth to him.
Xiao Mo had nothing particular to say. After all, a person’s appearance could not be defined by worldly perspectives. However, Xiao Mo still had to say that he did not enjoy driving tanks.
After bringing the Zhei Kingdom’s imperial family completely under control, the second thing Xiao Mo did was to have people thoroughly inventory Zhei Kingdom’s roster of officials, topographical maps of mountains and rivers, household registers, and other documents.
As for Zhei Kingdom’s officials, at Xiahou Nan’s suggestion, Xiao Mo directly executed a large batch of them.
Xiahou Nan also compiled a list of officials.
These officials were devoted to the country and possessed ability. However, these officials had no favorable impression of Xiao Mo and did not want to work for him.
Xiao Mo did not make things difficult for them but instead let them go, even providing them with some money. However, if they wished to enter officialdom, they would still need to see His Majesty’s intentions.
On the tenth day after Xiao Mo breached the Zhei Kingdom’s capital, Xiao Shi and the other three army routes successively arrived at the Zhei Kingdom’s capital.
When Xiao Shi saw that everything in the Zhei Kingdom’s capital was normal with stable order, he knew his son had completed all the necessary tasks.
After his father arrived, Xiao Mo originally wanted to immediately go intercept Chu Kingdom. However, Xiao Shi said that the Qin Kingdom’s ruler had ordered the eldest prince, Qin Jingsu, to lead troops on campaign.
Qin Jingsu also did not disappoint the Qin Kingdom’s ruler, blocking the Chu army’s footsteps and buying precious time for Qin Kingdom to mobilize its forces.
Just five days ago, the rest of Qin Kingdom’s forces had assembled. At this time, the battlefield was entirely advantageous, gradually driving the Chu Kingdom’s army out of Qin Kingdom’s territory.
During these days while the Northern Frontier army rested and reorganized, Xiao Mo also met his eldest brother.
Regarding his eldest brother Xiao Yichuan, Xiao Mo had only heard that he was a cultivation genius who had deeply earned the appreciation of Tao Mountain Sect’s sect master and had gone up the mountain to cultivate since childhood.
However, because of the influence from Xiao Yishe, Xiao Mo felt that Xiao Yichuan as a person might be similar to Xiao Yishe and probably wasn’t much good either but Xiao Mo discovered he seemed to be wrong.
In terms of appearance, his eldest brother had the feeling of an honest, sturdy man with solid muscles throughout his body. His arms were even thicker than a normal man’s thighs.
After meeting Xiao Mo, Xiao Yichuan even gave Xiao Mo some precious medicinal pills from Tao Mountain Sect that were extremely beneficial for replenishing vital energy and blood.
Xiao Yichuan even frequently sought out Xiao Mo to drink wine or to spar in martial arts.
Xiao Mo felt that if he wasn’t acting, his eldest brother seemed to truly treat him like a blood brother, without any wariness.
This day, Xiao Mo was meditating with closed eyes in the courtyard when Xiao Yichuan came over again with two jugs of wine to drink together with Xiao Mo.
The two sat in the courtyard, drinking wine while chatting about cultivation, military affairs, and other miscellaneous matters. However, Xiao Mo still avoided mentioning Xiao Yishe’s name as usual.
But as the two chatted, Xiao Yichuan sighed and said with emotion, “If only Yishe were still here, and we three brothers could drink wine together and campaign on the battlefield, how wonderful that would be.”
Hearing his eldest brother’s words, Xiao Mo silently took a sip of wine.
Xiao Yichuan stood up, looked at Xiao Mo, clasped his fists, and bowed. “Third Brother, although your second brother is no longer here, I am here to apologize to Third Brother on behalf of your second brother.”
“Why does Eldest Brother say such things?” Xiao Mo stood up and returned the bow. “In comparison, that Eldest Brother does not blame me for tying up Second Brother and bringing him back to the main camp already makes Third Brother feel extremely fortunate.”
The slightly intoxicated Xiao Yichuan shook his head. “At first when I entered the army and heard Yishe speak ill of you, I thought you were someone with an extremely scheming mind who played power games. However, after hearing about your deeds and interacting with you, I realized you are not as Second Brother described. In comparison, Second Brother was always trapped by the hereditary succession of the Northern Pacification Prince title. It was precisely for this hereditary succession that Second Brother wanted to gain Father’s recognition.”
“That’s why he did not garrison Huating properly but instead pursued vainglory, nearly causing the battle line to collapse. All of this was Second Brother’s own fault and has nothing to do with Third Brother. In reality, if he had wished, with Third Brother’s talent, you could have established achievements yourself. Why would you need the title of ‘Northern Pacification Prince’? Moreover, is the title of ‘Northern Pacification Prince’ truly so important? But for all of this, there are no what-ifs.”
“…” Xiao Mo lowered his head without speaking.
“Forget it, forget it. Let’s not speak of this. Drink, drink!”
Xiao Yichuan picked up the wine jug and continued drinking. Xiao Mo naturally kept him company.
Late into the night, a soldier came to Xiao Mo’s courtyard, saying the Northern Pacification Prince summoned the two generals to the palace’s great hall.
Xiao Mo and Xiao Yichuan exchanged glances, then dispersed their wine vapors and left the courtyard.
The two arrived at the great hall of the Zhei Kingdom’s palace. The first thing they saw was Xiao Shi sitting high upon the dragon throne, his hands stroking the dragon heads on the armrests.
Both Xiao Mo and his companion frowned simultaneously but still walked forward, clasped their fists, and bowed. “This general pays respects to the Northern Pacification Prince.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Shi nodded, looking at his two most prideful sons.
“There is no one else here, only we three, father and sons. There’s no need for so much formality.”
“Yes.” The two straightened their bodies.
“I wonder why Father has summoned me and Third Brother here. What matter is it?” Xiao Yichuan asked.
“There is one matter. I wish to hear your opinions.”
The corners of Xiao Shi’s mouth curved upward. His lion-like eyes looked toward his two sons.
“Now that our Northern Frontier army has captured the Zhei Kingdom’s capital and possesses the three provinces of the Northern Frontier, if this prince were to proclaim himself emperor, what then?”