Upon hearing Jiang Ming's words, Tuoba Ren's face turned deathly pale!

He hadn't expected that this young man was so clever, able to see through everything!

"Dukang Commandery is separated from the Xianbei by towering mountains... We finished hunting wolves yesterday, and today you've come to collect the pelts. Your information network is incredibly efficient! You must have had a very enjoyable time last night..."

Jiang Ming grinned mischievously and continued, "Your Khan is quite a talent. He knew that Dukang County was mountainous and densely forested, unsuitable for large-scale military campaigns, especially for cavalry, and that Yan's defenses would inevitably be lax. So he did the opposite, hoping to give the Yan people a surprise. And the result... hehe, do you need me to continue?"

Now that things had come to this point, cold sweat was beading on Tuoba Ren's forehead... his face was filled with embarrassment!

In fact, this little trick was nothing to Jiang Ming, who was well-versed in war theory!

After swallowing hard, Tuoba Ren burst into laughter to cover up the awkward atmosphere!

"The prince consort is truly a genius! A genius!"

He bowed deeply to Jiang Ming and said, "Since Your Highness has seen through everything, then I will not hide anything and will speak frankly... The reason I concealed things before was because of matters of great importance to the nation and the heavy responsibility I bore, and I dared not speak lightly of them... I hope Your Highness will forgive me..."

"Alright, alright, let's get straight to the point!"

Jiang Ming waved his hand: "There's no need to beat around the bush when talking to me. I can think of anything you can think of, and even things you can't think of. Being straightforward and direct is good for both of us!"

"happy!"

Tuoba Ren exhaled deeply, straightened his chest, and said, "My lord does intend to take advantage of the battle between the main force of Yan and the Qi army to march south and teach Yan a lesson, and then use some of the cities he has gained to exchange for the princess. He does not really intend to kill the princess!"

"Heh, you don't need to explain this..."

Jiang Ming smiled and said, "Just tell me your real purpose for this trip. What will you do if I don't bring it up?"

"Hahaha!"

Tuoba Ren laughed and said, "My Khan watched the battle from the mountaintop last night and was astonished that the small Chenjia Village could withstand the attack of a thousand wolves. Their tactics were exquisite and unparalleled. They must have been guided by a master. Furthermore... they also found the princess's blanket and footprints in the mountains, knowing that the princess has been rescued, so..."

"Therefore, your Khan dares not act rashly, fearing that the entire Dukang Prefecture employs the same defensive strategy. Hence, he sent you down under the guise of collecting furs, to probe the situation and, incidentally, to inquire about the princess's whereabouts..."

"Exactly!"

Tuoba Ren bowed to Jiang Ming again and said, "Furthermore, Your Highness, the Prince Consort, also left footprints, didn't you? We Xianbei people are nomadic and are most skilled at observing the footprints of people and animals. Through footprints, we can tell whether it is a man or a woman, the male or female of an animal, or whether it is pregnant or not. This is the so-called 'tracking technique'... Judging from Your Highness's footprints, we determined that you are a young man, so... the Khan declared that this young man is courageous and resourceful, capable of killing tigers and bears, truly my son-in-law! Therefore, I dare to address you as the Prince Consort!"

"Oh... I thought you were just improvising."

"No, no! You can't joke like that..."

"Heh," Jiang Ming sneered, "If I'm not mistaken, your Khan is still hiding in these mountains, isn't he? If you've successfully bribed me and figured out the defenses of Dukang County, you'll immediately march south, take Dukang, and even half of Yan, right?"

Instead of answering Jiang Ming's question directly, Tuoba Ren smiled and squatted down, opening his leather package.

"Your Highness, look, what is this?"