The Yun Kingdom's actions are tantamount to a de facto opening of its borders, with such favorable conditions.

Instead, Cui Yixiang ordered Lieutenant General Ma Lei to withdraw troops from the border area.

It also raised the bar for entering Xuancheng.

Ma Lei was puzzled.

Cui Yixiang explained, "Those with ability, connections, and money have already left."

"The rest of us either defend Yun Kingdom to the death."

"How about we go to Yue? I think that would be a good idea."

That's the logic.

"Then, Lord Cui, what do we do next?"

"Don't worry, I've already sent a message to the imperial court and General Huo Cheng."

Cui Yixiang smiled like an old fox.

All right.

Ma Lei and other Xuancheng officials could only wait.

The prefect of Wuzhou was worried that he was under a lot of pressure, so he specially sent someone to deliver a letter.

They said that holding Xuancheng was a great achievement, and nothing else mattered.

When Murong Yue was in Huaizhou, she received a memorial from Cui Yixiang forwarded by the imperial court.

Although we are now far from the capital.

However, important matters could be reported to Murong Yue without fail, rain or shine.

After seeing Cui Yixiang's solution, Murong Yue...

They clapped and praised.

He directly replied to the capital with two words: "Approved, reward."

At this moment, her heart had already flown to Xuancheng.

The group stayed here for a day to rest and regroup before continuing their journey south.

Cui Yixiang received a reply from the imperial court.

Of course, it wasn't His Majesty's approval.

It was a joint reply from both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice.

Why the Ministry of Justice?

Because Cui Yixiang and the Ministry of Justice requested a batch of prisoners.

These prisoners committed crimes and harmed others; they are imprisoned and await execution in the autumn.

Now that they've been brought up, they've all been sent to General Huo Cheng in the capital of Yun Kingdom.

Huo Cheng sat inside the tent.

Before them was a sand table of the capital of the Yun Kingdom, and behind them hung a map of the entire Yun Kingdom.

Huo Cheng was tall, making the entire tent seem a bit small.

A servant came to report, "My lord, all the people Lord Cui mentioned have arrived, exactly one thousand."

"And there are the things these people have done."

The attendant handed over a thick notebook.

Huo Cheng stood up, took the notebook, and flipped through it as he walked out.

"A land dispute led to the murder of three people from the same village."

"Two girls who committed adultery."

"Robbed a security escort agency and killed five people."

"Inciting the villagers to rebel..."

"Using snake dung as medicine resulted in the deaths of eleven people..."

There were a thousand people, and they committed all sorts of crimes.

Cui Yixiang once said that any murderer who committed a crime with a valid reason or excusable circumstances, or who committed manslaughter, should be punished.

Don't send any of them over.

What he wants are villains who have no regard for national order.

Human life is nothing more than ants in their eyes; they are lazy, greedy, and a threat to stability.

Even suicide squads in the military wouldn't dare use someone like that.

Tsk tsk.

Cui Yixiang really knows how to choose.

They probably emptied the prisons of the Ministry of Justice in every state.

"Let's go take a look."

When Cui Yixiang arrived at the drill ground, there were only a few groups of people standing there.

Everyone was wearing heavy shackles and handcuffs, and they were all filthy.

It was almost all men, though there were some women as well.

But now, men and women are the same.

They traveled through mountains and rivers, without sleep or rest, to be brought here.

Some prisoners believed they were meant to be used on the battlefield.

Some prisoners believed they were there to test drugs.

They still don't know where they are.

Cui Yixiang sat on the martial arts stage, his voice filled with authority.

"You all know you're on death row, right?"

"They all know that in two or three months, they will be executed."

No one wants to die.

Hearing him say that, they all shrank back.

"Now, there is a chance for you to live."

Survive?

really?

The prisoners' eyes gleamed like those of rats in the field.

Who are you? Do you keep your word?

The prisoner standing at the front spoke.

Huo Cheng glanced at him with a smile, then at the soldier beside him.

The soldier immediately drew his sword.

He slashed the man's neck with a knife.

Hot blood gushed out.

It startled all the prisoners.

Huo Cheng continued, "You were all destined to die."

"No need to thank me, I let you set off ahead of time."

“Here, if you speak without my permission, you will die.”

Knowing you're going to be beheaded is a completely different experience from witnessing it firsthand.

Some desperate criminals didn't care about life or death.

"A scar the size of a bowl after the head was cut off."

"Eighteen years later, he will be a hero again."

These words, once spoken, have become sharp arrows, piercing their knees.

It made them want to kneel down.

"Now I'm giving you a chance. I'll give you new identities and send you to a new place."

"You only need to abide by one condition."

"Never return to Qing Kingdom, and never contact your family. Otherwise, if discovered, you will be killed without mercy."

"If you can do it, take a step forward."

ah?

Is it really that simple?

A chance to never return to Qing Kingdom? That's an incredible stroke of luck!

Those who reacted quickly immediately stepped forward.

No one dared to speak again.

Even those who were slow to react rushed forward, afraid of falling behind and missing the opportunity.

Huo Cheng nodded.

"very good!"

Huo Cheng waved his hand, and immediately a group of soldiers came up carrying several braziers.

Inside were burning charcoal and a branding iron.

The prisoners were all taken aback.

But no one dared to resist, much less speak.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!