My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 71 Begging for mercy from the King is exactly what I've been waiting for!

However, what the four did not know was that...

Their secret letter had barely left the gates of Ye City when it fell into the trap set by Duan Shao's scouts. The messenger and the letter were arrested together and taken directly to the governor's office of the Prince of Bohai.

In the study of the Governor's Mansion, Gao Cheng was bent over his desk, proofreading the roster of the scions of prominent families.

While reading, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. A moment later, Duan Shao pushed the door open and entered, holding the severed secret letter in his hand.

As soon as he entered, he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, just as I expected, those four barbarians still don't believe in evil and still want to go to Jinyang to stir up trouble. Their secret letter and messenger have been intercepted by me!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng remained calm and showed no surprise whatsoever.

He calmly put down his vermilion pen, took the secret letter, and casually opened it. After carefully reading it by lamplight, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

Duan Shao stood to one side, and seeing that he had finished reading, he leaned forward and asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, how should this matter be handled? Should we arrest them immediately and strike first?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng shook his head and laughed, "No need. Since they want to wag their tails and beg for mercy, then let them have their way. Send this letter to Jinyang as is for Father to read."

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao was immediately taken aback.

Upon regaining his senses, he looked utterly astonished and frowned, asking, "Why is this? If His Majesty reads the letter and believes it, and punishes us, or if he remembers the old kindness shown to him by Xindu and pardons them, then wouldn't all our efforts over the past few months have been in vain?"

"All for naught?"

Unexpectedly, Gao Cheng scoffed upon hearing this, then casually tossed the letter onto the table, looked up at Duan Shao, and asked with a smile, "Tiefa, what kind of talent do you think the King possesses?"

Duan Shao pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty's strategic brilliance is unparalleled in this world. You have a keen understanding of all things. You rose from humble beginnings in Xindu and pacified all the rebellious and vile people in the four directions. No one in the world is unaware of this."

Indeed.

Gao Cheng nodded and slowly said, "My father's strategic brilliance is unparalleled; how could he be swayed by their tearful words and blame me?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao fell silent, knowing that there was truth to it.

Having spent half his life in battle and seen countless people, King Gao considered the petty tricks of Sun Teng and others as childish.

He was still puzzled and asked again, "But... if Your Majesty were to spare them out of consideration for past relations, what would be the outcome?"

Upon hearing this, a sly glint flashed in Gao Cheng's eyes, followed by a meaningful smile as he shook his head and said:

"Nostalgia is certainly understandable. But what I seek is precisely this. Without this sentiment, why should I spare their remaining breaths?"

Duan Shao was even more puzzled: "Why keep them here? They've been humiliated for days and hate us to the bone. If we let them return to Jinyang, wouldn't that be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng smiled calmly and shook his head, saying, "Now that the four nobles have had their wings clipped and claws pulled out, they are like trapped beasts and crippled tigers. What is there to fear? Keeping them will be of great use to them."

Duan Shao was taken aback, and was about to speak again.

Gao Cheng suddenly changed the subject: "Think about it, how many of my subordinates are still from the original Xindu army? Among them, how many are arrogant and domineering, hiding their land and households, and disregarding the law, relying on their past merits in founding the country?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao, though not understanding its meaning, still truthfully reported: "In Xindu, there are probably no fewer than a hundred people who have made meritorious contributions and are on the official register. However, there are at least several dozen who have abused their power, illegally seized land, and concealed registered households."

Indeed.

Gao Cheng nodded, walked with his hands behind his back, and said in a deep and steady voice: "Now that I have implemented the new system in Ye City, cleared up the land, and included hidden households, I will surely extend it to the elders of Jinyang in the future."

"However, they have been entrenched for a long time, their roots are deep, and their followers are scattered everywhere. If I were to directly attack them, they would surely rise up and attack me en masse, joining forces to resist me. At that time, even if I had a hundred arms, I would be no match for their combined strength."

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao suddenly fell into deep thought, as if he had grasped something.

Seeing this, Gao Cheng no longer concealed his wit and directly revealed his plan: "Therefore, my plan is to use Your Majesty's hand to spare their lives, so that they will be grateful and indebted. Then we will drive them to all directions to clear the fields, investigate hidden households, and make them attack each other with their former comrades, like dogs fighting over a bone."

"They and the elders of Jinyang are all old friends from Xindu, and they know each other's secrets. They know exactly how much land someone has hidden and how many households someone has concealed. Wouldn't it be much easier to have them redeem themselves through meritorious service than for us to do it ourselves?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao was enlightened, his mind clearing up instantly. He repeatedly clasped his hands in admiration, saying, "So that's how it is! This is exactly what is meant by 'using your own spear to attack your own shield.' How brilliant! How brilliant! Your Highness's foresight is beyond my reach."

Gao Cheng waved his hand and laughed, "Go on, send this letter out exactly as it is, without delay. If you miss the deadline, it will only arouse their suspicion. Also, send someone to secretly spy on Jinyang. As soon as the King's reply arrives, report back immediately."

"only!"

Duan Shao had no further objections and immediately accepted the order and left.

Gao Cheng watched him leave, then stopped thinking about it and continued to busy himself with his head down.

......

And so, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Gao Cheng had just finished breakfast and was about to refine the new policy strategy.

Before he could make a move, Duan Shao strode over, his face beaming with excitement, and said, "Your Highness, great news! He Xi Shele has sent someone to report that he and Huli Guang have been supervising the transport of 30,000 shi of military provisions to ten li outside the city, and they are about to go to the capital camp to distribute them."

"I hereby request that the Crown Prince personally go to inspect the situation and win over the hearts of the troops!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng was momentarily stunned.

But in just a moment, he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, exclaiming, "Hulü Mingyue, you are truly my thoroughbred! He Xishe Le, you have not failed me in entrusting you with this important task!"

Seeing his delight, Duan Shao couldn't help but smile and say, "In that case, I'll immediately prepare the carriages. The capital's main camp is the foundation of Yedu. The Crown Prince's personal distribution of provisions will surely win the hearts of the soldiers. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we must not miss it!"

Having said that, he turned to prepare the carriages and horses.

"Wait a moment!"

Unexpectedly, Gao Cheng suddenly called out to him, and then calmly instructed: "You can tell Hulü Guang and Hexi Shele that they can handle the matter of distributing the grain themselves. Just let the soldiers know that I am in charge of arranging the grain, that's enough, I will not go."

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao turned around in astonishment, his face full of confusion, and asked, "Why isn't the young master going?"

"Thirty thousand shi of military rations would relieve the Imperial Guards from their three-month hunger crisis. If Your Highness were to personally distribute them, the soldiers would be eternally grateful, and everyone in the army would be ready to fight to the death. This is a golden opportunity to win over the hearts of the troops. Why would Your Highness abandon it?"

Gao Cheng remained expressionless and replied, "I will not go; there are others more important to handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao frowned further and asked, "What matter is so important as winning over the hearts and minds of the troops?"

Gao Cheng's lips slowly curved into a smile, and he said in a deep voice, "It is simply to enter the palace to pay homage to the Emperor and reel in the fish."

Upon hearing this, Duan Shao was first taken aback, but after a moment he understood the meaning, his blood boiled and his eyes gleamed.

They had waited too long for this day!

Since entering Ye City, he has walked on thin ice, dealing with the four powerful figures with utmost caution and forbearance, and has been plotting for a long time, finally waiting for the day to close the net.

The hardships involved are beyond what outsiders can understand.

Thinking of this, he immediately took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said in a deep voice, "In that case, Your Highness, please enter the palace with peace of mind. Military affairs in the capital region are prohibited, and I will personally go! I will ensure that every soldier knows that the supplies come from Your Highness, so that Your Highness can firmly grasp military power without any mistakes!"

Gao Cheng nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, cousin. However, there is no need to try to curry favor. Just tell the truth, and the soldiers will have their own judgment."

"Understood, sir!"

Duan Shao bowed in response, then turned and strode away.