Do you have an older sister or a younger sister

Zhan Shubai, the defending general of Yunji City, colluded with the barbarians!

Could the seven thousand soldiers of Yunji City absolve themselves of involvement?

As long as these letters were dealt with, cutting off the beginning and the end, removing the Empress's instructions to Zhan Shubai, and leaving only the contents of Zhan Shubai's collusion with the barbarians.

Then, making them public!

What would the seven thousand soldiers in Yunji City think?

Regardless of whether they were loyal to the imperial court, they would be branded with the heinous crime of colluding with the barbarians, an offense punishable by death!

Would this not force the seven thousand soldiers of Yunji City to defect to our side!

Sun Xiang grew excited.

Ren Tianye smiled. He took back the letters from Sun Xiang's hands, then drew out a few already doctored letters from a box, letters that only retained the details of Zhan Shubai's collusion with the barbarians, and handed them to Sun Xiang.

He said, These letters have already been burned with fire by Su Jin, and the remaining content is just right.

When you get back, send men to post them all over the military camp. Make sure the soldiers of Yunji City can read them clearly.

Yes, General.

And... Ren Tianye continued his instructions, send some more men to create panic.

Just say that the seventy thousand loyal souls of the Chifeng Army were slaughtered entirely simply for not obeying the ruler's command. Then, what kind of fate awaits these seven thousand soldiers of Yunji City who are suspected of colluding with the barbarians?

Sun Xiang completely understood, his heart growing even more thrilled.

He had long known that these seven thousand soldiers of Yunji City would inevitably become part of their rebel army, but he had not expected it to happen so quickly. With the General's ruthless methods and unparalleled scheming, these seven thousand soldiers truly could not escape their grasp.

General, your subordinate will definitely get this done.

Mm! Ren Tianye nodded in approval, yet a hint of doubt surfaced on his face. He said, However, what you just said does make me somewhat confused.

Setting aside whether the Empress truly wants to disrupt the political landscape of the barbarians.

What kind of person is this Third Prince she is supporting? How can he compete with the deeply rooted First Prince?

This question stumped Sun Xiang as well.

He also voiced his confusion, Indeed, General.

According to what we have always known, the First Prince has profound foundations and the greatest power. No other prince can rival him.

Even if other princes harbored ulterior motives, the ones who might jump out could be the Second Prince, the Eighth Prince, the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, or perhaps the Thirteenth Prince.

After all, they are all somewhat extraordinary in their own right, whether they are brave and skilled in battle, possess unmatched intellect, boast strong family backgrounds, or are favored by the old barbarian emperor.

But...

Who exactly is this Third Prince?

We have never had a clear idea!

In fact, if you hadn't shown me these things today, General, I wouldn't have even known that the barbarians had a Third Prince.

I thought he was just another prince who died young!

Ren Tianye grew even more perplexed.

It turned out that even Sun Xiang did not know who this Third Prince was!

Sun Xiang was a veteran in the Northern Frontier Army and had always maintained good relations with the Chifeng Army, meaning he knew far more intelligence than ordinary people.

And yet...

He didn't know either!

That was truly bizarre!

Where on earth did this Third Prince pop up from?

How could he receive such strong backing from the Empress?

This clearly showed her intent to support the Third Prince's ascension as the emperor of the barbarians!

Gen... General...

At this moment, a soft voice sounded from the side. Su Jin spoke up, rather nervously, I... I know a little about this matter.

Oh?

You know?

Ren Tianye asked, and then it dawned on him.

This Su Jin was no ordinary person either.

She was a young lady of the Su family, and the Su family was a prominent clan in Yunji City. Having lived in the northern frontier for a long time and operating many cross border businesses, it was actually not surprising that they would know such things.

Yes, I have heard a few things.

Su Jin swallowed hard, trying her best to keep her words from sounding too stiff. She said, General, the mother of this Third Prince was a foreign woman with whom the old barbarian emperor had an illicit affair after getting drunk. Therefore, he has been disliked since childhood.

He has always been kept as a hostage in various countries.

Since he is now among the barbarians, I suppose he has returned.

Ren Tianye finally had a basic understanding of the barbarian Third Prince, but he grew even more curious.

Although the barbarians had also established a dynasty and formed a nation, compared to the Great Yu Dynasty of the Central Plains, they were far inferior in every aspect. Thus, they were always referred to as a foreign tribe by the people of Great Yu, and their emperor was mostly called the Great Khan.

However, the foreign tribe Su Jin mentioned was actually considered foreign even by the barbarians?!

What did that mean?

A foreign tribe to a foreign tribe?

He then asked, Which tribe is the Third Prince's birth mother from?

Su Jin quickly replied, I heard she is a Wa woman!

Grind, grind...

Ren Tianye instantly felt his teeth itch.

Good heavens, she was a Wa woman!

So this Third Prince had half barbarian blood and half Wa blood!

The hatred value was truly maxed out!

But this made him even more bewildered.

Why would the Empress support such a Third Prince?

Was there some profound meaning behind it?

No, could this absurd Empress really have any profound meaning?

After pondering for a moment, Ren Tianye could not figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. He sent Sun Xiang off to carry out his tasks and continued flipping through the account books that had been sitting on his desk for days.

Su Jin stood respectfully to the side.

The study was completely silent, without a single sound.

However, just as Ren Tianye's brows knitted tighter and tighter, Su Jin mustered her courage and spoke again, General, I have a few words, but I don't know... I don't know if I should say them to you.

Speak.

I know that you are short on military supplies and provisions, General, which makes it difficult to hold out for long and is detrimental to your grand cause. But I have a way that can help you obtain a large batch of military funds.

Ren Tianye narrowed his eyes, You certainly know quite a lot.

Thud!

Su Jin swayed and quickly fell to her knees, saying in absolute trepidation, General, I did not look intentionally. I just happened to see it when I was helping you record the ledgers.

I absolutely have no other intentions. I beg for your forgiveness, General.

Ren Tianye remained noncommittal.

From the moment he allowed Su Jin to assist him with the documents, he had made foolproof preparations. He was not afraid of Su Jin seeing military secrets; it was just that this woman needed to be put in her place from time to time.

Otherwise, if she started acting up and disrupting military discipline like she did when Zhang Wei was protecting her, it would be troublesome.

He said flatly, Then tell me, what is your method?

Only then did Su Jin raise her head. Enduring the trembling of her body, she said, General, in Yunji City, my Su family is the largest clan. We have been in business for generations and possess countless wealth. The elders in our clan also have experience serving as officials in the imperial court. Even the former defending general Zhan Shubai did not dare to provoke us.

If you are willing to marry a woman from my Su family as your wife, General.

My Su family will naturally assist you with wealth and military supplies, solving your urgent needs.

Ren Tianye frowned.

Was this the rhythm of asking him to marry into a wealthy and powerful family?

However, there was nothing wrong with it!

He already had some understanding of this Su family. Although they were a merchant family on the surface, they actually had deep roots and a massive presence. Their power was not limited to just Yunji City; it spread across the entire northern frontier.

Marrying a daughter of the Su family would not only solve the dilemma of their severe lack of military funds, but it would also greatly benefit his future expansion across the entire Northern Frontier.

As for the notion that doing so meant he had to rely on his father-in-law's power... Ren Tianye felt absolutely no psychological burden about it whatsoever!

Those who achieve great things are not bound by trivialities. Has it not been said that countless emperors throughout history relied on the power of their wives' families to rapidly expand and grow strong? There was absolutely nothing wrong with him taking this path.

As long as the outcome was him controlling the bride's family rather than being controlled by them, it was fine.

On this point, Ren Tianye had immense confidence.

With these thoughts in mind, he said, Alright!

I, the General, shall marry a lady of your Su family.

Su Jin was pleasantly surprised. Her soft, charming, and beautiful face radiated a brilliant glow. For a moment, her stunning beauty was no less than when she was back in Zhang Wei's military camp.

General, truly?

Naturally, it is true! Ren Tianye asked, Do you have any older or younger sisters?

The radiance on Su Jin's face quickly dimmed. The hope she had so meticulously orchestrated was completely dashed by a single sentence from Ren Tianye.

But right now, she had no choice but to brace herself and answer earnestly, This concubine has two younger sisters.

My second sister, Su Xiu, is aloof and exceptionally beautiful, but she is haughty and looks down on all men.

She is not a good match for the General.

However, my third sister, Su Li, has been obedient since childhood. She is just eighteen this year, having blossomed into a graceful, gentle, and innocent young woman.

She would suit the General best.

Ren Tianye asked again, Are you three sisters born of the same mother?

General, we three sisters do not share the same mother. I am the eldest daughter, my second sister Su Xiu is the legitimate daughter of the main wife, and my third sister Su Li was born to an outside mistress.

Ren Tianye nodded, stood up, and said, Then I choose your second sister.

You will handle the arrangements for this matter. I will send General Wang Ming to assist you.

With that, he left the study, heading to the military camp to find Wang Ming.

Su Jin was left alone in the room, standing there in a daze. After a long while, she let out a heavy sigh. This Ren Tianye was truly... different from every other man she had ever known!

She feared she would have to remain this obedient and compliant for the rest of her days.

...