I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

The night at Qingshidu was quieter than I had imagined.

The wind from the northern wilderness blew in from afar, stirring up fine sand and gravel that struck the wooden stakes outside the tents with a soft sound.

Inside the camp.

The Wuhuan remained kneeling there.

He didn't rush to get up.

Because he knew.

From the moment he knelt down, his life was completely changed.

He used to be the third prince of Northern Mang.

He was someone who struggled to survive between his two older brothers.

He needs to hide his sharpness and make everyone feel that he poses no threat.

So he read books.

Study the military strategy of the Central Plains.

Learn the art of governing a country.

They even deliberately acted as if they didn't resemble a Northern Barbarian.

Because only in this way.

That's how he survived.

But now.

Qin Mu appeared.

This emperor of the Qin Dynasty from the Central Plains directly tore away his disguise that he had concealed for many years.

Then tell him.

The location you want, I can give it to you.

But you must take on the responsibilities that come with that position.

The Wuhuan slowly stood up.

He looked at Qin Mu.

"His Majesty."

"Since I have chosen to submit, I have a few questions to ask."

Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his expression calm.

"ask."

The Wuhuan pondered for a moment.

"First."

Why did you choose me?

this problem.

He had actually been thinking about it for a long time.

Huyan Lie has military merits.

It has the most traditional support from the Northern Barbarians.

Tuoba Jun was ruthless.

Many tribes also support it.

Only him.

There was no powerful army.

He had no distinguished military achievements.

Even in the eyes of the Northern Mang nobles, he was not even a qualified prince.

Qin Mu looked at him.

He said calmly:

"Because both of them only wanted to become Khans."

"And you want the Northern Barbarians to live."

The Wuhuan were taken aback.

Qin Mu continued:

"There is a completely different meaning between wanting to obtain a position and wanting to assume a position."

"The former will stop at nothing to gain power."

"Only the latter will consider what to do after sitting down."

The Wuhuan remained silent.

Much later.

He whispered:

"His Majesty's way of judging people is indeed different from that of ordinary people."

Qin Mu smiled.

"The second question."

The Wuhuan continued to ask:

"Huyan Lie and Tuoba Jun..."

"What will happen to them in the future?"

Speaking of it.

His expression was somewhat complicated.

After all, those two were his older brothers.

Qin Mu did not shy away from the topic.

"Huyan Lie continues to control the military power of Northern Mang."

"Tuoba Jun is imprisoned."

Wu Huan's brow twitched slightly.

"Should we let Huyan Lie continue to command the troops?"

"Is Your Majesty not afraid of him rebelling?"

Qin Mu shook his head.

"I'm not afraid."

Why?

"Because a person is often at their most powerful when they possess the most things."

"But it's when he realizes what he's lost."

The Wuhuan seemed to be deep in thought.

Qin Mu looked out the window.

"Huyan Lie knows that everything he has now is given to him by me."

"So he won't rebel."

"At least not in the short term."

"As for the future..."

Qin Mu smiled.

"We'll see what he chooses to do later."

The Wuhuan nodded.

He finally understood.

What makes Qin Mu truly terrifying.

It's not about strength.

Rather, he simply didn't need to rely on killing to maintain his rule.

He can keep the enemy alive.

He can also turn his enemies into his pawns.

This is more terrifying than simply killing your opponent.

……

the other side.

Outside the camp.

Jiang Zhaoyue leaned against the carriage.

Looking at the starry sky in the distance.

Xu Fenghua stood beside her.

The two had not spoken for a long time.

Until Jiang Zhaoyue spoke softly:

"elder sister."

Xu Fenghua turned around.

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Zhaoyue smiled.

"Don't you find this a bit unbelievable?"

Xu Fenghua knew what she was referring to.

Start from the North.

Arrive at Liyang.

Then to Northern Mang.

Everyone thought Qin Mu was just a ridiculous emperor.

But now.

This man stood in the deepest part of Northern Wilderness.

It made one arrogant person after another bow their head.

This feeling.

It's really too dreamy.

Xu Fenghua looked down at her hands.

"I didn't believe it before either."

"My younger brother, Xu Longxiang, doesn't believe it either."

"Everyone thought he was just a debauched emperor."

"But……"

She paused for a moment.

"If he really was just a tyrannical ruler."

"This world has long been in chaos."

Jiang Zhaoyue remained silent.

She knew that Xu Fenghua was thinking of Xu Longxiang.

That once spirited prince of the North.

now.

We've reached a point where there's no turning back.

"elder sister."

Jiang Zhaoyue asked softly:

"If one day, Qin Mu and Xu Longxiang really stand on opposite sides."

"What would you do?"

Xu Fenghua remained silent.

long after.

She gently touched her abdomen.

"I have no idea."

"But I know."

"I am no longer the Xu Fenghua I used to be."

Jiang Zhaoyue looked at her.

Xu Fenghua's eyes were gentle.

"I used to be the daughter of the Xu family."

"She is Longxiang's older sister."

"But now..."

"I am a mother."

"I want to protect my child."

Jiang Zhaoyue sighed softly.

she knows.

this day.

It may come soon.

……

Inside the camp.

The Wuhuan have asked all their questions.

At last.

He looked at Murong Xuan.

"gentlemen."

Murong Xuan nodded.

"Your Highness."

The Wuhuan remained silent for a moment.

What do you think?

Murong Xuan glanced at Qin Mu.

Then he said:

"I have said this before."

"The greatest enemy of Northern Mang is not the Qin Dynasty."

"It's ourselves."

The Wuhuan frowned.

Murong Xuan continued:

"Three princes vied for the Khan's throne."

"No matter who wins in the end."

"The Northern Barbarian Capital will suffer a severe blow."

"And now, His Majesty has appeared."

"Instead, it gave Northern Mang an opportunity to reorganize."

The Wuhuan people smiled bitterly.

"So I should thank him?"

Murong Xuan shook his head.

"No."

"We should have reverence for it."

Qin Mu smiled when he heard this.

"You're quite the smooth talker."

Murong Xuan lowered his head.

"I am merely stating the facts."

Qin Mu looked at him.

"How many years have you been staying with the Wuhuan?"

Five years.

Why help him?

Murong Xuan remained silent for a moment.

Then he said:

"Because he's the only one who wants to make Northern Mang a better place."

Qin Mu nodded.

"very good."

"You will continue to assist him from now on."

Murong Xuan was taken aback.

"His Majesty?"

Qin Mu looked at the Wuhuan.

"I want a Khan of the Northern Mang."

"Not a puppet."

Wu Huan's body trembled slightly.

Qin Mu continued:

"You are entitled to have your own ideas."

"Different opinions are welcome."

"You can even refute me."

"But there's one thing."

His voice gradually turned cold.

"Never betray."

The Wuhuan bowed their heads.

"Your subject understands."

……

Day two.

Qingshidu Camp.

All the generals of Northern Mang received an order.

The Third Prince Wuhuan convened a meeting.

Nobody knows what happened.

But everyone sensed something was wrong.

Because it started last night.

In the Third Prince's tent.

There were a few more strangers.

Especially the young man in the gray shirt.

No one knows his identity.

But everyone noticed.

The third prince held him in the highest esteem.

He even surpassed his relationship with his teacher, Murong Xuan.

Inside the large tent.

Dozens of generals from the Northern Barbarians gathered.

The Wuhuan stood at the very front.

He looked at his subordinates who had followed him for many years.

He slowly opened his mouth:

"Starting today."

"The third prince of Northern Mang, Wuhuan."

"I am willing to serve the Emperor of Great Qin as my master."

This statement came out.

The entire tent exploded instantly.

"Your Highness!"

"No!"

"How can Northern Mang bow down to Great Qin!"

"This is the legacy of our ancestors!"

Many people stood up in anger.

Some even pulled out knives.

But the next moment.

A figure appeared instantly in the center of the camp.

Yunluan.

She did not speak.

He simply drew his sword.

A flash of sword light.

The sword in the general's hand broke instantly.

The entire camp fell silent.

Yunluan sheathed her sword.

They retreated behind Qin Mu.

From beginning to end.

I didn't look at anyone.

The Wuhuan people watched this scene unfold.

My conviction grew stronger.

My choice was not wrong.

If Qin Mu is willing.

The entire Qingshidu camp.

It might change owners overnight.

But he didn't do that.

Instead, it gave itself an opportunity.

"Gentlemen."

The Wuhuan continued.

"I know you can't accept this."

"but……"

He looked at Qin Mu.

"This is the only future for Northern Mang."

After the Wuhuan finished speaking.

The entire camp fell into a deathly silence.

The Northern Mang generals looked at Qin Mu, who was standing behind the Wuhuan.

There was anger in his eyes.

There was resentment.

There is also fear.

They cannot accept it.

A prince from Northern Mang actually bowed down to the Great Qin.

Even more unacceptable.

The Qin emperor, whom they had always considered absurd and incompetent, had quietly taken up a seat on the land of Northern Mang.

It even made the third prince, Wuhuan, willingly submit.

"Your Highness."

A burly veteran slowly stepped forward.

He was clad in black armor and had a scar on his face that stretched from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth.

This is Tuoba Lie, a veteran general of the Northern Barbarians.

He once followed the old Khan in battle for thirty years.

He enjoyed extremely high prestige within the Northern Mang army.

He looked at the Wuhuan.

His voice was deep.

"This humble general would like to ask a question."

"If the eldest prince or the second prince were standing here today, would they have made the same choice?"

The Wuhuan remained silent.

Tuoba Lie continued:

"Men of the Northern Wilderness are willing to die in battle."

"It's okay to lose."

"But you can't kneel."

As he said this, his gaze turned to Qin Mu.

"We must not bow down to the emperor of the Central Plains."

Inside the camp.

Many generals nodded in agreement.

Obviously.

This is also what they think.

Qin Mu, however, was not angry.

Instead, they watched the veteran with great interest.

"What's your name?"

Tuoba Lie was taken aback.

I didn't expect Qin Mu to ask me directly.

He answered in a deep voice:

"Tuoba Lie."

"Thirty-two years of fighting against the Northern Barbarians."

Qin Mu nodded.

No wonder.

Tuoba Lie frowned.

"No wonder what?"

Qin Mu smiled.

"No wonder you said that."

"Your generation of Northern Barbarians are used to solving problems with knives."

"I believe that winning or losing is a matter of dignity."

"But have you ever thought about this?"

"If Northern Mang continues like this..."

"Ten years later."

"Will your descendants be able to wield a knife?"

Tuoba Lie's expression changed slightly.

Qin Mu stood up.

They walked to the center of the camp.

His gaze swept over everyone.

"You consider submission a disgrace."

"But if it's to reduce the number of deaths among the people, reduce the amount of war, and prevent the Northern Barbarians from watching their own people freeze and starve to death every winter..."

"Wouldn't this be considered another kind of victory?"

No one answered from inside the tent.

Qin Mu continued:

"You admire the strong."

"So you respect force."

"But the true strongmen in this world are not those who destroy a lot of things."

"It's about how much it can protect."

Tuoba Lie clenched his fist.

He wanted to argue.

But when he opened his mouth, he found he couldn't speak.

Because he knew.

What Qin Mu said was true.

these years.

The Northern Barbarians continued their southward advance.

They continued to plunder.

It appears powerful.

In reality, internal tribal conflicts were constant.

The nobility enjoyed the resources.

Ordinary herders are finding it increasingly difficult.

It's just that no one was willing to admit it before.

Or.

No one dared to admit it.

……

Just then.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent.

A scout rushed in, his face filled with panic.

"Your Highness!"

"Something's happened!"

Wu Huan frowned.

"What is it?"

The scout was panting heavily.

"A message has arrived from the royal court."

"The old Khan is critically ill!"

this sentence.

The entire tent fell silent instantly.

Everyone's expression changed.

Old Khan.

The true ruler of Northern Mang now.

Although he has been bedridden for many years.

But as long as he is alive.

The various factions in Northern Mang dared not completely break off relations.

But now.

His life was coming to an end.

What does it mean?

Everyone knows that.

The real chaos in Northern Mang.

It's about to begin.

Tuoba Lie's expression was solemn.

"What about the royal court?"

The scout whispered:

"The forces of the First Prince and the Second Prince have already begun to be mobilized."

"Various tribes are gathering at the royal court."

"Some say that after the Great Khan's death, the Blood Wolf Assembly will be convened immediately to decide on the new Khan."

The Wuhuan's gaze darkened.

He didn't speak.

Instead, he looked at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu remained seated there.

His expression remained unchanged.

It was as if he had expected this news all along.

The Wuhuan were startled.

"Did Your Majesty already know?"

Qin Mu picked up his teacup.

I took a small sip.

"almost."

The Wuhuan people smiled bitterly.

"It seems that in His Majesty's eyes, everything about Northern Mang is already..."

"no."

Qin Mu shook his head.

Not everything needs to be known in advance.

"That's just how things are in this world."

"Everyone knows that the old Khan won't last much longer."

The Wuhuan remained silent.

Then he asked:

"So what do we do now?"

Qin Mu looked at him.

"Go back to the royal court."

The Wuhuan were taken aback.

"Now?"

"good."

Qin Mu stood up.

"Didn't you want to become the Khan of Northern Mang?"

"Then go get it."

Wu Huan took a deep breath.

"But the eldest prince..."

He will help you.

The Wuhuan were stunned.

"Huyan Lie?"

Qin Mu nodded.

He needs you now.

Why?

Qin Mu looked outside the tent.

"Because he has soldiers."

"But without official status."

"And you have bloodlines recognized by the Northern Mang nobility, so you are qualified to become a Khan."

"The two of you should team up."

"Enough to suppress others."

The Wuhuan seemed to be deep in thought.

Then he suddenly understood.

Qin Mu arranged for Huyan Lie to take command of the army from the very beginning.

It was all for today.

To give it to someone who has military power.

Protect a person of high reputation.

The two are combined.

That is the most stable future for Northern Wilderness.

"His Majesty."

Wu Huan said in a low voice:

"If I become the Khan."

Will Northern Mang really be annexed by Qin?

Qin Mu looked at him.

"It's not being merged."

"It's about integration."

The Wuhuan remained silent.

Qin Mu continued:

"Kyushu is too big."

"But the world ultimately needs a master."

"A century of division."

This will only cause the people to continue to suffer.

The Wuhuan bowed their heads.

"Your subject understands."

……

That night.

The Qingshidu camp began to be reorganized.

Everyone knows.

They fought for the highest position in Northern Mang.

Outside the camp.

Qin Mu stood by the river.

Looking at the rushing Ule River.

Jiang Zhaoyue walked to his side.

He asked softly:

"Young master."

"Is the Northern Wilderness coming to an end?"

Qin Mu shook his head.

"This is not the end."

"It's the beginning."

Jiang Zhaoyue was puzzled.

Qin Mu looked into the distance.

"The Northern Wilderness has ended its past."

"A new world is beginning."

The wind blows across the river.

It stirred up a ripple.

Behind.

Yunluan stood quietly.

Xu Fenghua gently placed her hand on her belly, which wasn't showing much yet, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She knew that the child, though not yet born, was already embroiled in this grand game of chess.

Yun Suxin stood at a distance.

Yin Sutang quietly arranged the route.

Everyone knows.

As the old Khan fell critically ill.

The final grand strategy in the entire Kyushu.

It has officially begun.

And in this round...

The last few names remaining on the chessboard.

One is Xu Longxiang from the North.

One is the Northern Mang royal court.

one left.

It was Qin Mu, who sat atop the Qin Imperial Palace.