140: Chapter 0140 Some are happy, some are sad

"The whole Cang Province?"

Lin Xiao shook his head and smiled, "My lady, we cannot be hasty."

"Our Zhenbei Army, excluding the Militia and counting those who just enlisted, has fewer than thirty thousand troops. We cannot afford losses."

"It is freezing, and soldiers and horses easily freeze to death. Armor, weapons, and supply lines are all issues."

"We must send troops, as the opportunity is rare, but we don't necessarily need to start a full-scale war."

Xiao Qingxuan looked confused. Without force, would anyone just hand over their territory?

She didn't know what kind of scheme her husband was plotting again...

As Prince Qing also signed a trade agreement with the Zhenbei Army, the Northern Trade Alliance entered the four Western provinces.

After the troops in Liang Province were reduced by half, the chain reaction caused many to be happy and others to be sad.

In Yong Province, Prince Bai was furious and cursed in his study:

"That damned seventh brother! He must be mad with poverty! To think he would send troops to intimidate me just to make money with Lin Xiao!?"

"Pass the order down! Have Lu Sanchuan lead the Silver Armor Army and twenty thousand troops to reinforce Gan Province!"

Although deep down, Prince Bai did not think Prince Qing would dare to move against his territory.

But if he didn't send troops, it would make him look guilty and cowardly. More importantly, the local noble clans would start having all sorts of ideas.

He knew full well that they were already secretly in contact with Lin Xiao's Northern Trade Alliance.

He just didn't want to provoke too many enemies, so he turned a blind eye.

If he let Prince Qing push him around, those noble clans would surely become even more arrogant!

On the other side, the Golden Tent Royal Court of the Northern Barbarians.

On the tiger-skin throne, Khan Jilun held a charming woman, drinking wine while listening to the report from the old Marshal Suhe below.

"Your Majesty, the Wolf Cavalry of the Western Qiang has plundered thousands of our herdsmen's livestock!"

"I implore Your Majesty to allow me to send troops for reinforcements!"

Khan Jilun looked suspicious: "Every winter, the grasslands have been peaceful. Why does the Western Qiang dare to harass our pastures this year?"

"Your Majesty, it is because the Zhenbei Army sold a type of charcoal called honeycomb coal to the Western Qiang!"

"That item costs less than half the price of charcoal, yet it is better to use. Two pieces can last all night."

"With this item, the Western Qiang troops do not return to their tribes at all; they are all wandering around the border."

"Spies report that the Western Qiang didn't freeze any lambs to death this year, all because of that honeycomb coal!"

Another official hurriedly added: "Not only that, but Lin Xiao also sold many goods to the Western Qiang."

"On the black market, the Western Qiang sold them to our people at a high price. It is extremely despicable!!"

Khan Jilun's face darkened: "There is such a thing? Baishui Prefecture, where the Zhenbei Army is located, is barren. What good things could they possibly have?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is a novel item called 'soap,' which is said to be highly sought after by women..."

Soap?

Khan Jilun found it sounded familiar.

Suddenly, he noticed that the beauty sitting on his lap, his favorite concubine Alina, was trembling.

Khan Jilun then remembered that a few days ago, he smelled a fresh scent on Alina, and her skin was silky smooth, which he liked very much.

The woman told him she had sent people to purchase a treasure called soap, which produced such an effect.

These days, Khan Jilun felt other women smelled bad and insisted on being served by Alina.

"Your Majesty... Your concubine..."

Khan Jilun glared at the woman, telling her to shut up.

"I understand. Suhe, you take men to drive out the Western Qiang. As for the rest... wait until spring!"

Marshal Suhe frowned: "Your Majesty, should we not regulate the black market? If this continues, the Western Qiang will earn large sums of our money. This trend must not grow!"

"It is just some items used by women. If I, this King, disrupt trade for this, I will be ridiculed by the world!"

Khan Jilun waved his hand: "This matter is settled!"

Marshal Suhe looked at the group of noble officials pretending to be dead nearby and sighed.

In fact, he also knew that soap was rapidly becoming popular among the Northern Barbarian nobles.

Even his daughters were crazy about it and tried every means to buy it from the black market.

Behind this, it was that man playing tricks again...

Cang Province, Lincang Prefecture.

As a place adjacent to Baishui Prefecture, the people here have recently been discussing one thing—

Ten miles outside the city, the Zhenbei Army has actually set up camp?

Although fewer than two thousand troops arrived, there are over a thousand workers!

These people are doing nothing else but repairing the official road, turning the muddy road into a concrete road.

Logically speaking, the garrison inside the city has three thousand troops, more than the Zhenbei Army that arrived.

But Prefect Wu Yonghe had no intention of sending troops. Every day he drank wine and listened to music in his mansion, reciting poetry with scholars.

It wasn't that Prefect Wu Yonghe wanted the Zhenbei Army to come, but in the middle of winter, without ten thousand troops, wanting to break Lincang Prefecture was a bit whimsical.

Moreover, no matter how brave the Zhenbei Army is, they cannot endure fighting in the middle of winter.

Repairing the road? Let them repair it. It is nothing more than wanting faster transportation to come to Lincang Prefecture for business.

Prefect Wu Yonghe's own womenfolk were also using products from Northern Cottage, and he was very satisfied.

Therefore, Prefect Wu Yonghe had a good mindset. As long as the city was not lost and he could remain Prefect, that was all that mattered.

"My Lord, Assistant Minister Cai is here!"

At the poetry banquet in the Prefects Mansion, the Old Butler ran in to report.

"Cai Heng? What does he want now?"

If one were to say what annoyed Prefect Wu the most, it was this supervising Assistant Minister.

Every day it was either asking him to pay military salaries, requesting funds to repair the city walls, or asking Prince Bai for military expenses.

If it weren't for the fact that Cai Heng was diligent and he had personally promoted him, he would have dismissed him long ago!

Before long, a man with an average appearance, wearing old cotton clothes, looking a bit rustic, walked in.

"Your subordinate, Cai Heng, greets the Prefect!"

Cai Heng bowed quite properly.

"Assistant Minister Cai, what is it now?"

Prefect Wu Yonghe held his wine glass and asked with forced patience.

"My Lord, the Zhenbei Army has pushed forward another five miles. Now, they are only five miles away from building the concrete road to the city gate!" Cai Heng said anxiously.

"So what? He is spending his own money to repair the road. What does that have to do with us?"

"My Lord, this is clearly in preparation for attacking our Lincang Prefecture!"

Cai Heng said anxiously: "Once he finishes the road, he will definitely bring a large army to the city gates!"

"My Lord, look at Prefect Lu and Prefect Guo. After losing their cities, they were both killed by Lin Xiao..."

"Shut up!!"

Prefect Wu Yonghe cursed angrily: "Good for you, Cai Heng! I carefully cultivated you and entrusted you with important tasks, yet you curse me to die!?"

Cai Heng shook his head hurriedly, "No, no, that is not what your subordinate meant. You have shown kindness and appreciation to me; how could I curse you?"

"You still know that you were promoted by me?!"

Prefect Wu Yonghe reprimanded: "Do you still have respect for me in your eyes?!"

Cai Heng fell to his knees, "Prefect Wu, your subordinate is not fear-mongering."

"Now that the Northern Barbarians and the White Kings Army cannot attend to Lin Xiao, Lin Xiao will most likely take this opportunity to take Lincang, and even the entire Cang Province!"