Chapter 200 Suddenly Admitted Defeat

Xiao Huaijin and Wei Yanli followed Huangfu An back to the central command tent, where a young general was anxiously waiting.

"What happened? Speak!" Huangfu An immediately looked at the young general as soon as he entered the tent.

"Reporting to the commander, there is unusual activity in the Kingdom of Biao. The large army that was originally stationed in Shijie City has suddenly withdrawn, leaving only a force of less than three thousand men."

"In addition, someone from the Kingdom of Biao wants to see you, General, saying they want to negotiate peace!" the young general said immediately.

This news stunned Huangfu An, Xiao Huaijin, and Wei Yanli.

"The army that Shi Jie has withdrawn?" Huangfu An was a little skeptical.

"Yes! The main force of Shijie has withdrawn, leaving only three thousand soldiers for daily garrison duty."

In addition, the emperor of Biao Kingdom also sent his second prince to negotiate.

The Second Prince has already arrived in Shiyan. As long as the General sends the message to the capital, and the capital sends someone to negotiate, they will come immediately.

Furthermore, the Biao Kingdom also sent two boxes of jewelry and jade, along with eight beautiful women, as a gift to the Dayu court.

The subordinates dared not accept the gifts, so they had no choice but to temporarily take the items and the beauties back to Shijie.

"My lord, has the Biao Kingdom backed down?" the young general asked in a low voice.

Huangfu An chuckled and walked to the map of the Biao Kingdom hanging in the main tent.

"Are they backing down? No way! Weren't they so aggressive before, wanting to fight Da Yu to the death?"

They've withdrawn now...

"What did you just say? The Second Prince has come to negotiate?" Huangfu An glanced at the young general.

"Yes! They said they'd send the Second Prince to negotiate!" the young general hurriedly replied.

Huangfu An looked at the map of Biao Kingdom, then at Xiao Huaijin.

"Your Highness, what do you think is going on here?" Huangfu An asked with a smile.

Xiao Huaijin understood what was going on after a moment's thought.

"The Empress of the Biao Kingdom gave birth to three princes."

The eldest prince is fond of martial arts, the second prince is fond of literature, and the third prince... is said to be a wealthy prince who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun.

Wasn't it the eldest prince who previously revealed the enemy's troop deployment and declared he would fight the Dayu to the death?

Now, suddenly the First Prince's men have left, and the Second Prince has taken their place?

"Doesn't that mean the Second Prince has the upper hand in the power struggle within their court?" Xiao Huaijin asked.

Huangfu An nodded.

"Yes, the eldest prince of the Biao Kingdom is fond of martial arts, while the second prince is fond of literature. Although they are both born to the empress, they often fight each other."

The previous small-scale battles between Biao Kingdom and Dayu were all orchestrated behind the scenes by that eldest prince.

Now it's suddenly been the Second Prince?

It seems there are quite a few people in the court who oppose the Second Prince!

Xiao Huaijin and Wei Yanli also stood in front of the map.

After watching for a while, both of them frowned.

"What? Did you notice something was wrong?" Huangfu An looked at the two of them with a smile.

"Kachin State and Shan State are already under our control."

Segamat is connected to both of these places, but the environment in Segamat is much better than in these two places.

It not only produces abundant rice and cotton, but also has the most important river in the country.

Shijie is arguably one of the most important places in Biao Kingdom. If this place is lost, Biao Kingdom will never have a chance to recover!

Would they be so kind as to give up this place?

"I bet they're plotting something bigger behind the scenes!" Xiao Huaijin said, frowning.

"Yes, rice accounts for half of the country's annual rice production."

If the country loses its main asset, it will be like cutting off one of its own legs.

"There must be a conspiracy behind them!" Wei Yanli added.

Huangfu An nodded and tapped the map with his finger.

"Pass down the order: the troops in Kachin and Shan states shall remain in place. As for that so-called messenger..."

Just send him back.

We've already informed you of the situation. As for whether or not to discuss it, and how to discuss it, that's a matter for the capital.

Just let them wait.

I'd like to see what kind of schemes they're up to!

As soon as Huangfu An finished speaking, the young general immediately agreed and withdrew from the central command tent.

Once the three of them were alone in the tent, Xiao Huaijin smiled and looked at Huangfu An.

"Uncle Jiu, why are you adhering to the principle of not killing envoys in war this time?"

Huangfu An rolled his eyes at Xiao Huaijin.

This kid...

"If I kill someone, who will tell me? Let's go outside and see the soldiers training."

"It's no fun staying cooped up in the tent all day." Huangfu An said, then pulled the two of them toward the Southwest Army's training ground.

Xiao Huaijin smiled and followed Huangfu An out.

Just half a month ago, an envoy from the Kingdom of Biao also came, but he was beheaded by Huangfu An as soon as he finished speaking.

The messenger, just before being beheaded, shouted something about how messengers are not killed in battle...

As Huangfu An wiped the domineering sword in his hand, he said...

"Did I invite you? You're so long-winded!"

Do you understand that when you're an envoy, you have to be prepared to have your head chopped off at any time?

Who do you think you are, as an envoy? Not all envoys are like the envoys of Da Yu, whom others dare not touch.

"Cut him off! Throw his head back to the main camp of the Biao Kingdom!"

...

Xiao Huaijin and Wei Yanli walked around the camp and soon arrived at the training ground.

The soldiers were training hard, sweating profusely.

The Southwest Army's training was tough, but everyone took it very seriously. They knew that their hard work now might come in handy in the near future.

Huangfu An led the two around for a while and expressed his approval of the soldiers' condition.

"Everyone is working hard, but if we suffer now, we'll be less injured when we go to the battlefield."

It was all worth it...

"What are the little prince and the twelfth prince doing?" Huangfu An suddenly pointed to two small figures not far from the training ground.

Xiao Jingjue and the twelfth prince, dressed in altered military uniforms, followed the drill sergeants, humming and hawing in unison...

"The two of them... said they wanted to train with the soldiers."

"When the great war begins, they will be the vanguard!" Xiao Huaijin sighed.

Huangfu An...

He made the Crown Prince's only son and His Majesty's youngest son his henchmen...

Haha, if I were to actually do that, it would really mean I find the head on my shoulders too much of a hindrance.

"Fine, let them play if they want!"

"Guards, alter two sets of uniforms for this fifth-rank junior officer. How can a prince and grandson of the emperor be reduced to a mere foot soldier?"

"At least be a deputy general or something!"

Xiao Huaijin, Wei Yanli...

...

In a mansion not far from the Royal Palace in Mandalay, the capital of Bhai, Nguyen Hang Chi, dressed in Bhai attire, was smiling and talking to a man opposite him.

The man had delicate, effeminate features, and his expression was somewhat melancholy.

The mansion they were in was luxurious and grand, with luminous pearls inlaid on the ceiling of the veranda.

"Xingzhi, you've had a hard time these past few days!"

"Your Highness, you're too kind. It's all I should do!" Ruan Xingzhi said with a smile.

The one speaking to Ruan Xingzhi was none other than Wei Wuyong, the third prince of the Biao Kingdom!