Chapter 0004: To Survive or Perish

A sense of fear spread within Xiao Ming's heart; this is not a game. What he faces will be the reality of life and death, and there is no way out.

Qian Dafu's round face was filled with terror as he immediately sat on the ground, clutching Xiao Ming's thigh and crying out: "Your Highness, think twice! The sword has no eyes; if anything were to happen to Your Highness, how would this old servant explain it to Her Majesty?"

Xiao Ming, despite being a fool, is aware that this Third Prince is unreliable, which indicates that Qian Dafu is now in a state of desperation and is resorting to any means available

Ding ... ... Ding ... ... Ding ... ...

Xiao Ming's impassioned speech today indeed left him with a somewhat deafening feeling

In the past, it was said that the barbarians might come to Qingzhou, yet this prince is already shouting about wanting to flee back to Chang'an

Green radish thought that Xiao Ming and Qian Dafu were going to escape on their own, and was so frightened that her face turned pale. However, Zi Wan remained calm and asked, "Housekeeper Qian, are you really going to leave us sisters behind?"

At the entrance, Lvyue is waiting with a package on her back, and beside her is a girl dressed in a purple dress, who is Ziwang.

"I will not go, I will not go, I want to go to the city tower"

Your Highness. Qian Dafu was taken aback; ever since he followed Prince Qi, he had not heard anything of great enterprise from the prince's lips, only such remarks as who among the families had a beautiful daughter, how prosperous Chang'an was, and how barren the fief was.

That is to say, every year during the time when the autumn is high and the horses are fat, they come to the Central Plains to plunder extensively, and the same goes for these prairie barbarians

Beneath his feet lies his fief, which is his home

Xiao Ming shook off Qian Dafu and walked straight towards the gate of the Wangfu. This show-off was exhilarating, but soon it would lead to a thunderous backlash. Xiao Ming's heart was pounding fiercely; to say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.

During the time of the feudal division, this uncle spared no effort in making him the first line of defense against the barbarian tribes, demonstrating a rather cunning disposition

Xiao Ming's memory clearly reminded him that the current Dayu Kingdom appeared calm on the surface, yet there were undercurrents surging beneath. He did not have much time to waste.

The reality he now faces can only be the latter

Qian Dafu

In front of a large crowd, both Luoluo and Ziwang were blushing with shame and anger. By the time they came to their senses, Xiao Ming had already mounted his horse and departed

At that moment, Qian Dafu rushed over, saw Xiao Ming's figure riding a horse, and skillfully mounted his horse to pursue him.

This bell serves a function similar to that of a beacon tower, acting as a warning signal from the city guards to alert the inhabitants of an enemy invasion. The urgency of the bell now undoubtedly indicates the presence of barbarian cavalry

At this moment, Qian Dafu could not care less about what the two sisters were thinking and spurred his horse to give chase

Xiao Ming has made up his mind; in such a backward production area, people are the productive resources. Once the hearts of the people are lost, there is no point in discussing the construction of the territory. No matter how much is produced, it will ultimately belong to the enemy.

In the Great Yuguo, the tribes on the northern grasslands are collectively referred to as the Grassland Barbarians, similar to the historical Xiongnu, Turks, and Mongols, playing the same role.

After the sound subsided, it took a while for Qian Dafu to hurriedly waddle over, panting. "Your Highness, the horse is ready, and I have brought all the silver that can be taken. The bell tolls from the north gate; we can still escape through the south gate in time."

Even with the possession of technological crystals, it is still fraught with difficulties to bring about change here

Before the green radish and the purple aster could react, Xiao Ming patted each of them on the backside, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the north gate

Leaning against the stone bridge of the royal residence, he was contemplating the issue of fiefdoms when suddenly a series of urgent bell tolls echoed from the direction of the city gate

Recalling the rampant destruction caused by the prairie marauders in the six states under his jurisdiction three years ago, he still feels a chill to this day

What has left you, Your Highness does not even know if he has developed hysteria, and now he must go and defend the city together with the soldiers guarding it

The predicament he is currently facing is akin to using a Xiaomi phone and a rifle to take down aircraft and tanks

"Having died once, will I still fear death?" Xiao Ming asked himself, clenching his fists and shouting: "Qian Dafu! Prepare the horses!"

Qian Dafu squinted his small eyes, his face filled with astonishment. This is not the style of King Qi

Xiao Ming felt a sense of dizziness, as if he was just about to flee moments ago

Upon realizing this, Qian Dafu suddenly understood that Xiao Ming was also afraid of returning, as it would mean facing death.

He had to be afraid, in such an era of cold weapons, as the cavalry of the grasslands moved like the wind, skilled in archery and horsemanship, possessing a natural advantage in mobility

"Barbarians." Xiao Ming felt a tightening in his heart

Moreover, the total number of cavalry from his six states does not even reach one hundred, leaving him with no choice but to passively defend the city

Three years ago, he escaped once, and as a result, he was personally whipped by Xiao Wenxuan in Chang'an, who said that if Xiao Ming escaped again next time, he would personally execute him

The Wei Wang mentioned by Qian Dafu is the third brother of Xiao Wenxuan and the uncle of Xiao Ming, and this uncle's fief is located to the south of his own fief

Your Highness. Upon seeing Xiao Ming, Green Ivy and Purple Aster gracefully bowed, as Butler Pang instructed them to escape with Prince Qi to the residence of King Wei

Since Concubine Zhen sent him to Prince Qi, her only task for him was to ensure Prince Qi's safety. He said, "Your Highness, we may not go to Chang'an, but we can certainly seek refuge in the fief of the Wei King, can't we"

Xiao Ming gazed at the two beautiful maidservants, thinking to himself what a pity it was; he did not know if he would be able to return after he left.

"Damn it, as the King of Qi, how can I abandon the common people and let one person escape unscathed?" Xiao Ming scolded, and then kicked Qian Dafu in the rear, causing him to stumble.

A few days ago, Ziwang had just returned from shopping when she arrived at the gate of the Wang residence, only to be unexpectedly followed by the barbarian tribe.

Luo sighed in relief, her eyes darting around, "Could it be that I guessed correctly?"

This is a contradictory issue; it is difficult to construct yet very necessary

"Qian Dafu, it is surprising that you are still the empress's guard, yet you are so timid and fearful. How can you assist me in achieving great undertakings? Is this how you serve as the steward of the royal residence? If the fief is lost, do you and I still have a place to stand?" Xiao Ming scolded.

Considering the current situation, his fief is utterly impoverished, bearing little difference from a primitive society. Moreover, most of the arable land is in the hands of the aristocracy, and the common people have largely become tools of servitude for the aristocrats

What! Zi Wan covered her mouth in surprise, even more astonished than Qian Dafu

In comparison to the green radish, which resembles the delicate beauty of the Jiangnan water towns, this aster boasts a jade-like complexion and snow-white skin, with willow-like grace, an oval face, phoenix eyes, and a hint of boldness in her features.

"Ideals are abundant, while reality is skeletal." Xiao Ming still remembers that this was the phrase his mentor said the most during his school days

He is not a person who shouts for violence, but he wishes to protect his own small territory of 1.5 acres, unaffected by the situation in the Great Yu Kingdom. If he is to be beheaded by his restless brothers and uncles, he must establish a fiefdom

In Xiao Ming's memory, the grassland barbarians had not ventured deep into his territory for three years, but unexpectedly, they have come again this year

This was something Xiao Ming often did when he lost his temper in the past, and he felt it came naturally to him