We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

On the grassland, Zhou Tiancheng's troops had slowed down their march.

After all, coordinating warhorses takes time.

There are certainly not hundreds of thousands of warhorses, but it is still possible to gather three to five thousand warhorses.

These warhorses all belong to the Kaka tribe.

The court officials exerted pressure, and various ethnic groups joined forces to coerce them. However, the Kaka tribe itself was not up to par and lost the emperor. If they did not provide warhorses, who would?

This infuriated the Kaka tribe, who were used to being arrogant.

What they didn't know was that Xiao Shi had already made contact with the 50,000 people trapped on the mountain.

Although Lao Jiu is Xiao Shi's older brother, he is the shortest among the ten ghosts of Fengcheng.

However, no one dared to underestimate him.

His agility and flexibility far surpass those of everyone else.

Upon learning that he was skilled in climbing, Zhou Tiancheng gifted him a set of mountaineering equipment.

This contact was made by Lao Jiu climbing all the way up the cliff from the foot of the mountain!

The 50,000 soldiers brought by the Third Prince were all nervous when they saw him, holding their swords and spears and staring at him intently.

Only then did Lao Jiu take out the token.

"The Crown Prince's vanguard of the National Protection Army is here. Where is your Third Prince? Take me to him immediately."

The token is real.

The generals looked at the token and exchanged bewildered glances.

When did the Hu people start becoming generals in the Great Qian Dynasty?

They spoke the official language of the Great Qian Dynasty even better than the locals.

The leading general dared not act rashly, but he also saw a glimmer of hope for escape and cautiously took a step forward.

"General, the Third Prince has already left."

"What? The Third Prince is gone?"

Old Nine was stunned.

The general looked embarrassed and quickly offered an explanation.

"The Third Prince isn't gone; he's just left this place."

Old Nine finally realized what was happening.

The Third Prince led 50,000 men into Northern Xia, encountered danger, and fled alone?

What is this?

No wonder he and the retired emperor are grandfather and grandson; they're practically identical.

But he also had doubts.

"With so many people from Northern Xia here, the entire hill is completely surrounded. How did the Third Prince manage to get through?"

The generals immediately began to stammer.

They can't exactly say that the Third Prince left this place with the Northern Xia people, can they?

Isn't this accusing the Third Prince of treason?

They were unwilling to answer, and Lao Jiu was getting impatient.

The Third Prince has left. Should we still send Tuoba Lie over?

These 50,000 men are all brothers of the border troops. If he were to kill them, Lao Jiu would feel a little guilty.

He was still hesitating when one of the leading generals suddenly spoke up.

"General, could you perhaps find a way to build a platform on the cliff for passage?"

"We can't leave here right now. If we had a platform like this, we could go down the mountain and return to Daqian without anyone noticing."

Old Nine rolled his eyes.

"Where am I supposed to find a rope this long for you?"

"I advise you to stop dreaming."

The generals' faces turned pale.

Can't get down?

Wouldn't they be doomed then?

A general rolled his eyes and immediately walked over, speaking with a fawning expression.

"Alright then, General, carry me down. I'll go back to Dayue Pass to find the Duke. If the Duke intervenes, we'll be saved."

Old Nine looked completely bewildered.

"Didn't the Duke know about your entry into Northern Xia?"

The man nodded, even more awkwardly.

"We entered Northern Xia on the orders of the Third Prince, and this was kept from the Duke."

Lao Jiu understood instantly!

Ordinary border troops don't give face to people from the capital; they usually do whatever the frontier commander says.

But this group bypassed the Duke of Protectorate and followed the Third Prince directly into Northern Xia. What were they planning to do?

Having lived in the northern border region for so many years, how could Lao Jiu not know?

In stark contrast to Shi Cheng and his group, these people were eager to leave the northern frontier and go to the capital to enjoy a life of luxury.

In the northern border region, such people are considered seasoned soldiers!

He hides at the back of the battle, but rushes to the front to grab credit. He desperately wants to find a safe position, yet he is full of ambition to return to the capital after achieving great merit.

The word "overall" can summarize it.

They're afraid of dying!

Lao Jiu made a decision immediately.

Better to die for your fellow Daoist than for me.

If Tuoba Lie continues to be in the Crown Prince's hands, the Crown Prince might also die. It's better to hand him over to these seasoned soldiers!

He spoke up immediately.

"Going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is difficult. I certainly can't take people down, but I can give you a talisman."

Several generals instantly became excited.

"What kind of amulet?"

Old Nine smiled slightly.

"Emperor Tuoba Lie of Northern Xia".

"His Highness the Crown Prince originally thought that since he was brothers with the Third Prince, he should at least try to save him. He planned to give Tuoba Lie to the Third Prince, so that he could gain merit and leave Beixia safely."

"However, now that the Third Prince is gone, I'm still wondering whether I should send Tuoba Lie over."

Several generals stared wide-eyed for a moment.

What the hell?

The Crown Prince captured the Emperor of Northern Xia?

The shock in their eyes was completely undisguised!

Upon hearing that the Ninth Prince intended to give Tuoba Lie to the Third Prince, they exchanged glances and immediately formed a united front.

"General, please bring over that dog emperor Tuoba Lie."

"We were sent by the Third Prince, so this credit naturally belongs to him. Besides, without Tuoba Lie, we wouldn't have been able to hold out. Please, General, save our lives!"

Old Nine pretended to be hesitant.

"But with the Third Prince not here, the Crown Prince might not agree!"

The generals became anxious.

"How about this, General, go back and tell His Highness the Crown Prince that we are willing to pay for it!"

"Let's chip in some money, and we promise we won't let His Highness down!"

"Following the rules of our Northern Frontier, the head of an ordinary soldier is worth three taels of silver, the head of a commander of a thousand is worth fifty taels of silver, and as for the emperor of Northern Xia... five thousand taels of silver!"

"how?"

Five thousand taels of silver, you want to buy the emperor of Northern Xia?

Old Nine was so angry he laughed.

This group of people are clearly just trying to take advantage.

However, he did not refuse, because this kind of cheap deal is not so easy to make!

Lao Jiu immediately agreed and then went down the mountain to prepare to bring Tuoba Lie up the mountain.

The hardships along the way need not be elaborated upon. In short, Tuoba Lie was carried by Lao Jiu from the cliff to the top of the mountain.

There was no five thousand taels of silver. The generals intended to write IOUs, but Lao Jiu refused. In the end, they left the mountain with their family letters or documents explaining the transfer of their property.

Whether Tuoba Lie is dead or alive is no longer Zhou Tiancheng's concern.

Back at the military camp, Lao Jiu told Zhou Tiancheng about the incident, and Zhou Tiancheng immediately contacted officials from other factions in Northern Xia.

"Your emperor has already been sent up the mountain. You can prepare in advance. I plan to send a notice to your Northern Xia border troops."

The officials' eyes were practically glowing.

Tuoba Lie has been sent away, that's a good thing!

This means they can now act against Tuoba Lie without any restraint!