211: The sword of the great river breaks the city gate! The honey trap reappears!

Chapter 210: Great River Sword Intent Smashes City Gates! The Beauty Trap Appears Again!

At the Jinchang city gate.

At Li Cunxiao's command, the head of the local army leader was cut off.

Zhang Yichao's mouth twitched involuntarily. Young people indeed handled things with swift efficiency.

Li Chang'an smiled faintly and said, "In this godforsaken place, so far from the Emperor, there really are some ignorant fools."

Immediately after, Li Cunxiao's command came from not far ahead.

"Kill all these useless people in front of us!"

Hundreds of lightly armed Bai Er Soldiers immediately charged into the local army crowd. The five or six hundred local soldiers blocking the way not only refused to surrender but also resisted.

"Kill! These people are Fan People spies!"

"Capture them, Prefect Huang has a great reward!"

The Bai Er Soldiers were as light as swallows, their blades striking for fatal blows. Although the Sha Province local soldiers appeared to have long spears and large shields, they were completely vulnerable.

Under the blades of the battle-hardened Bai Er Soldiers, these local soldiers were like little chicks.

Zhang Yichao and his son observed carefully, their gazes gradually becoming solemn.

So, the soldiers under His Highness were so powerful, their combat awareness and killing techniques so perfected.

Even more terrifying was that these veteran Bai Er Soldiers were all at the Peak of the Fourth Rank.

No wonder the King of Tang could slaughter the Fan People army!

In just a dozen breaths, heads rolled on the ground, and the Sha Province local army was completely annihilated.

The Prefect Huang mentioned by the local soldiers was Huang Boren, the Prefect of Jinchang Commandery.

This Prefect Huang almost exclusively followed Xu Xiao's lead and was extremely superstitious about the King of Northern Liang.

Standing on the city wall, Huang Boren was now dumbfounded, "Registrar Lu, what is going on?!"

"Didn't you say that high-ranking officials in the court and various feudal lords all treated the King of Northern Liang with respect?"

"If we announced the King of Northern Liang's name, this King of Tang would also be polite?"

"And now, five hundred men were killed in an instant!"

Registrar Lu Tianhe was even more bewildered than Huang Boren, "This... this... it shouldn't be!"

In this world, who would truly dare to challenge Xu Xiao?

Sha Province was on the edge of Liyang, and the news they received was only superficial.

The officials of Sha Province had not connected Li Chang'an's killing of Zhao Yutai, execution of An Siming, and elimination of Wang Linquan with Xu Xiao's hidden agents.

Seeing Li Chang'an's carriage and troops slowly approaching, Huang Boren was greatly alarmed.

"Close the city gate first!"

This was a completely subconscious action: protect the city first, then slowly negotiate with Li Chang'an.

It was possible for the King of Tang to enter the city, but Prefect Huang wanted to assert his presence.

Moreover, his dignity was Xu Xiao's Face.

If he gave Xu Xiao Face, Xu Xiao might use his network to transfer him away from this godforsaken place.

The heavy city gate slowly closed, and the entire Jinchang City was sealed off.

At this moment, Li Cunxiao requested, "Your Highness, your subordinate requests permission to attack the city!"

Li Chang'an said, "Does this broken city still need a large army to attack?"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly extended his right hand, forming a Sword Finger and waving it in the air.

In an instant, Li Chang'an's True Qi surged around him, like crashing waves!

The Great River Sword Intent now was like a bottomless abyss, vast as the sea, its power continuous!

As Li Chang'an lightly pointed with two fingers, two Sword Intents several zhang high shot directly towards the city gate!

Wu Liuding and his servant, who understood the Sword best, watched in shock as the Sword Qi burst forth instantly.

"Sword Intent! Sword Intent like a great river!"

"His Highness practices sword techniques every day, and his Sword Qi has surged to this extent!"

Jiang Si stared intently at the erupting Sword Intent, her heart pounding!

She learned a set of sword techniques in ten days, while Li Chang'an practiced three kinds in one day!

And even then, he was just practicing casually!

How could Jiang Si know that Li Chang'an's comprehension of Sword Intent had the accumulation of his previous life, making it much simpler to pick up again.

Jiang Si touched the Dragon Sparrow Sword in her hand, her heart surging with emotion!

"As expected of Brother Chang'an, he's so amazing at everything he does!"

"One day, I will also reach this level of strength!"

Xu Weibear, Hong Shu, and Pei Nanwei also lifted the curtains of their carriages and saw all of this, their eyes filled with admiration!

Hong Shu, in her happiness, glanced at Qing Niao, then felt a burst of annoyance!

Qing Niao ignored her, puffed out her chest, and a sense of pride naturally arose!

Zhang Yichao and his son, along with the Guiyi Army generals, were all witnessing Li Chang'an's actions for the first time.

Previously, they thought Li Chang'an was only skilled at deploying troops, good at winning over people's hearts, and boosting morale.

Now it seemed that His Highness himself was a Great Grandmaster!

Li Chang'an intentionally showed off his skill, partly to intimidate his enemies.

Letting the newly surrendered Guiyi Army gain some insight was also one of his goals.

Moreover, the Prefect of Jinchang must have deliberately tested Li Chang'an's attitude.

Therefore, Li Chang'an had agreed to Li Cunxiao's slaughter of those five hundred local soldiers.

Any probing by an enemy must be met with a firm counterattack.

And now, demonstrating this skill was even more to reassure the army's morale.

At the same time, this display would also spread throughout Sha Province City.

Everyone would know that the King of Tang was a master.

Boom! Boom!

Two loud explosions erupted!

The Sword Qi heavily struck the city gate, and the Sword Intent's power directly smashed through the city gate!

The wooden gate of Liangshan was instantly shattered into splinters!

The local soldiers behind the city gate were all sent flying by the Sword Intent!

The third move of the Great River Sword Intent!

The Yellow River's Ten Thousand Li Touches the Mountain and Moves!

Irresistible, with peerless might!

With this move, the number of people below the Terrestrial Deity who could block it was already very few!

Li Chang'an couldn't help but sigh; after two years in this world, his martial Dao had finally achieved something.

The common people in the city had been placed under martial law by Huang Boren and were all inside their homes, not venturing out.

At this moment, Li Cunxiao, as per Li Chang'an's request, began to shout into the city.

"The King of Tang is ordered to garrison Sha Province, and all seven commanderies of Sha Province are the King of Tang's fiefdom!"

"Anyone who dares to offend His Highness again will be executed without mercy!"

The local soldiers carrying out the orders were already terrified.

First, five hundred men were instantly cut down, and now even the city gate was shattered with a single blow!

Prefect Huang had really set them up!

These weren't spies; the King of Tang had arrived!

"Welcome, King of Tang, into the city!"

In an instant, a large number of local soldiers in the city knelt down!

These people weren't fools; they knew that if they messed around again, they would truly lose their lives!

At this moment, a sharp shout suddenly came from the city tower.

"You blind dogs!"

"How dare you obstruct the King of Tang's carriage!"

"Move aside quickly!"

At this point, a slick-looking middle-aged official rushed down from the city tower.

This man scurried to Li Chang'an's carriage and knelt down with a thud!

Then came three resounding kowtows, followed by a duck-like shriek.

"Your humble official, Huang Boren, Prefect of Jinchang Commandery, greets His Royal Highness, the King of Tang!"

"Your humble official's army governance is incompetent, allowing these low-ranking soldiers to offend Your Highness. I truly deserve ten thousand deaths!"

At this moment, Li Cunxiao dismounted.

In his hand, he still held a blood-soaked horse lance, which scared Huang Boren into a cold sweat.

Thump, thump, thump... Li Cunxiao's combat boots were still stained with blood.

With every step, he left a bloody footprint, and the horse lance was already pressed against Huang Boren's neck.

"Your Highness, spare my life!"

"Your Highness, if you take charge of Sha Province, your humble official will certainly assist with all my might!"

Li Cunxiao moved his neck, his weapon already raised.

If he moved just slightly, this so-called court official would be completely finished.

"You bastard, who are you trying to intimidate!"

"Go to hell!"

At the crucial moment, Li Chang'an called a halt to Li Cunxiao.

This Huang Boren deserved to die, but it was too early for him to die now.

At the very least, all those who deserved to die should be gathered together and then killed all at once.

If Huang Boren died now, wouldn't that be alerting the enemy?

Sha Province was Li Chang'an's base of operations, and he would absolutely not tolerate any sand in his eyes.

The officials of Sha Province must all be his own people. This dog, Huang Boren, had clearly first tested Li Chang'an's attitude with his troops.

Now he was pretending to be unaware, his acting truly too clumsy.

Li Chang'an's reaction completely exceeded Huang Boren's expectations.

Even if he was a Prefect appointed by the court, Li Chang'an would kill him if he wanted to.

The court's local soldiers were directly executed, without mercy!

Behind Huang Boren, a group of Sha Province officials were still kneeling, all trembling with fear!

Li Chang'an stepped down from the carriage and walked into the city gate, step by step.

He wanted to see what the city where he was to establish himself looked like.

This city was his first territory in this world!

Jinchang City in Jinchang Commandery, Sha Province—this was just the beginning!

To gain a firm foothold and build a foundation here, relying solely on fighting and killing was not enough.

There were several prominent Families here, and the major industries of the entire commandery were in the hands of these Families.

Who would take over after they were killed, and how to expand after taking over—all of this needed careful planning.

There were also some who were ostracized by Xu Xiao, and they all needed to be brought under his command.

Li Chang'an said, "Prefect Huang, rise!"

"Do what you need to do, and manage your subordinates well."

"As you can see, my beloved general, Li Cunxiao, is very fierce!"

Huang Boren dared not look at Li Cunxiao again and immediately nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness has just arrived; your humble official has already prepared a banquet."

"The city's elders and prominent Families are all waiting to pay their respects to Your Highness!"

Li Chang'an raised an eyebrow. This was good news!

Gather the important people first, then carefully screen and investigate them.

Inviting them to a feast, executing some, and taking others as dogs would also be easier to arrange.

"Master Huang, you may return to your residence first. This King will walk around the city."

Huang Boren quickly said, "Your Highness, your royal residence has already been renovated."

"Your humble official will accompany you to inspect the people's conditions, and then send you back to the royal residence!"

Li Chang'an said, "No need!"

"Master Huang is busy with countless affairs; you may attend to your duties."

After speaking, he got back into his carriage without looking back.

The carriage slowly moved through Jinchang City, and the situation within Jinchang City came into Li Chang'an's view.

Xu Weibear massaged Li Chang'an's shoulders, extremely gentle.

"Your Highness, Northern Liang has given instructions regarding Sha Province."

"They cannot be allowed to prosper too much, otherwise it will affect Northern Liang's status."

"This Prefect Huang must have someone from Northern Liang behind him."

"Today's obstruction was just a test; there might be further moves later."

Li Chang'an said, "If it were when I had just left Yong Province, this King would still have to be somewhat cautious."

"But now that the Guiyi Army has surrendered, I can be bolder in dealing with them."

Hong Shu gently massaged Li Chang'an's legs, her tone soft and charming.

"With Your Highness's current cultivation, they wouldn't even know where to begin if they wanted to assassinate you."

"I wonder what other tricks they could possibly have to deal with Your Highness."

"Hong Shu believes that Your Highness is invincible."

...While Li Chang'an was strolling through the city, many people had already gathered at the Prefect's mansion.

Besides Prefect Huang Boren and Registrar Lu Tianhe, there was also a powerfully built man in tight clothing.

Huang Boren said, "Master Han, Li Chang'an is truly audacious and reckless."

"In this world, the only one who dares to show such disrespect to the King of Northern Liang is probably this young man."

The so-called Master Han was Han Laoshan, who was by Xu Xiao's side.

This Late Stage Zhi Xuan Realm guard was now specifically ordered by Xu Xiao to create obstacles for Li Chang'an.

The main objective, of course, was to hinder Li Chang'an from controlling Sha Province.

Registrar Lu Tianhe continued to advise, "Master Han, Prefect Huang, to deal with Li Chang'an, we can exploit his weakness."

"This King, having achieved success at a young age, has taken many concubines, which shows his love for women and lustful nature!"

"We only need to cater to his preferences and set a beauty trap for him!"

Han Laoshan said, "A gentle embrace is a hero's tomb; a young man finds it hard to resist a beautiful woman."

"As long as there is a suitable woman, it is indeed a viable method."

"But with Li Chang'an's discerning eye, where would you find such a person?"

Lu Tianhe smiled and said, "Master Huang is already prepared!"

Huang Boren frowned and said, "Indeed, there is a stunningly beautiful woman in the pleasure house run by my wife."

"She was originally a concubine I had set my sights on, but now I can only bear the pain of giving her up."

After the few of them had finalized their plans, it was already evening.

Huang Boren repeatedly sent people to invite him, and only then did Li Chang'an leisurely set off.

In Li Chang'an's carriage were the two old officials, Zhuge Liang and Zhang Yichao.

Sitting outside was General Li Cunxiao, personally driving the carriage.

Zhang Yichao was an old acquaintance of these prominent Sha Province Families.

Back then, after the Gui Han Army was driven away, these prominent Families settled here.

Managing internal affairs was Zhuge Liang's greatest strength.

"Military Advisor, in your opinion, how should these prominent Families be dealt with?"

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "With our current strength, dealing with them is not difficult."

"If we use normal methods, we could empty the power of all these prominent Families within half a year."

"Thus, without killing or bloodshed, your humble servant will certainly assist His Highness in controlling Sha Province."

The half-year period Zhuge Liang mentioned was half the one or two years Zhang Yichao had previously suggested.

Li Chang'an said, "Scheming and strategizing are methods used when one's strength is insufficient."

"This King believes that we don't need to waste that much time now."

After hearing this, Zhuge Liang slowly said, "Your Highness has grand ambitions, and naturally does not wish to waste time."

Li Chang'an said, "Then let's kill three or four of the prominent Families and leave the smaller Families."

"This King only kills prominent Families, not commoners."

Zhuge Liang nodded after hearing this and said, "Your Highness is benevolent!"

Zhang Yichao said, "It would be best if all these useless people could be killed!"

Li Chang'an said, "General Zhang, calm down; there will be plenty of opportunities later."

"Let's begin the rectification of Jinchang Commandery with Prefect Huang's Hongmen Banquet!"

In this world, being a little lenient towards commoners was already considered benevolent.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of a bustling garden.

This was not the Prefect's yamen that Huang Boren had mentioned, but a wealthy merchant's garden.

On the plaque above the entrance, the three characters "Jingu Garden" were written.

"Greetings, King of Tang!"

Huang Boren, leading a group of wealthy merchants and officials, respectfully waited at the entrance of Jingu Garden.

Judging by their appearance, one might truly think they were sincere.

"Hmph!"

This snort did not come from Li Chang'an.

It was Zhang Yichao; he was furious seeing these people who had helped Xu Xiao ostracize him from Sha Province.

Huang Boren said with a chuckle, "Congratulations, Old General Zhang, for finally finding an enlightened master today!"

"With Old General Zhang's assistance, Your Highness will surely be able to awe the Fan People and barbarians of the Northwest!"

Zhang Yichao's voice was like a booming bell, leaving no Face for these people at all.

"If you had shown even a shred of backbone back then, why would His Highness need to intervene!"