Barbarian Ambition: March South to Capture Empress Xiao Mingzhao

The General Defending the North was the supreme commander of all forces in the northern frontier.

In times of war, he commanded an army of two hundred thousand troops in the northern region.

In times of peace, he commanded the seventy thousand men of the Chifeng Army.

This position had always been held by Lin Yi, the commander-in-chief of the Chifeng Army. But now, Lin Yi was dead. His head had been severed and sent to the felt tents of the barbarians for their viewing pleasure.

The seventy thousand soldiers of the Chifeng Army were basically all dead, save for a few remnants.

Naturally, the Mansion of the General Defending the North was left empty.

This place, which the barbarians once revered and trembled at the mere mention of, could now be entered and exited at will. If they were in a bad mood, they could even tear it down and rebuild it.

Like a whore, from now on, this once illustrious Mansion of the General Defending the North would have no dignity left to speak of.

Tuoba Xiangtai strolled freely and leisurely through the Mansion. Although grand, majestic, and awe-inspiring, its interior was quite simple, even shabby.

It was not even as good as their felt tents on the grasslands.

"Truly incorruptible."

"They say the Chifeng Army loved the people like their own children, and their commander Lin Yi was a famous general of his generation. It is indeed true, but even a famous general falls in the end."

"It's just a pity that I didn't get to fight Lin Yi openly and fairly. What a regret!"

A hint of a smile spilled from the corners of his mouth.

Whether it was sincere or hypocritical, the smile remained on his face and never faded.

Just like that, he looked left and right around the General's mansion, not in the least bit anxious, but rather looking quite interested, until night fell.

Outside the Mansion, earth-shattering cries of slaughter rang out.

Flames gradually rose in the distance.

Countless people of Yu were screaming themselves hoarse.

Shanhe City, where people had lived and worked in peace just a few months ago, instantly became a living hell.

But,

Wasn't this how it was supposed to be!

Over the centuries, the barbarians had suffered at least a million casualties at the walls of Shanhe City. How could a blood debt not be paid with blood?

Calculating that the time was about right, he slowly walked into the council hall of the Mansion, where many barbarian commanders had already gathered.

And on the tiger chair of the General Defending the North sat a man with a rough face, burly and powerful, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. It was his eldest brother.

—The Eldest Prince, who had already been established as the Crown Prince of the barbarians.

"Eldest Brother!"

Tuoba Xiangtai bowed in greeting.

The Eldest Prince didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Instead, he laughed heartily and joked with the crowd in the hall.

"Heh, I've always wanted to know what this tiger chair feels like. Today, I finally get to experience it."

"It's nothing special!"

"It's far inferior to my golden tent."

"However, I'm still quite happy to sit here."

The implication of these words was obvious. He was making it clear that the barbarian tribe would be his in the future, and the Great Yu Dynasty conquered by the barbarians would also be his.

Everyone naturally understood.

Since they were all generals under the Eldest Prince, they chimed in with agreement.

Tuoba Xiangtai naturally heard it clearly too, but he didn't contradict him. Instead, he smiled slightly, his face showing friendliness, while in his heart he was utterly dismissive.

Sitting on the tiger chair wasn't much; being able to stay seated was the real skill.

The Eldest Prince would have to get up very soon.

"The King has arrived!"

A guard outside shouted, and an old, weather-beaten man strode in, carrying a long saber still stained with blood.

His face bore an unprecedented look of satisfaction.

It was the current King of the barbarians.

—Tuoba Ashina!

As soon as he entered, everyone stood up.

Even the Eldest Prince, who was sitting on the tiger chair, hurriedly stood up.

Seeing this, Tuoba Xiangtai couldn't help but smile.

Heh, just as he thought!

The Eldest Prince couldn't stay seated!

Hadn't he just gotten up?!

"Exhilarating, exhilarating, this battle was truly exhilarating!" King Tuoba Ashina was full of vigor, seeming years younger. "I've never felt so exhilarated."

"Shanhe City, which has blocked us for hundreds of years, is ours."

"This Mansion of the General Defending the North, which has always been a headache for me, is also ours."

"In the future, the world of Great Yu will also be ours."

As soon as King Tuoba Ashina spoke, he revealed his ambitions.

The barbarians wanted the world of Great Yu!

They had always wanted it!

And now was the best opportunity!

"This time..."

King Tuoba Ashina doled out rewards based on merit: "The third son deserves the most credit."

"However, the eldest son's central coordination also merits significant credit."

"I will reward you all individually for this later."

"But right now, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our tribe has finally taken Shanhe City; we must press on and conquer Great Yu."

"Do you have any plans?"

The Eldest Prince immediately jumped out: "Father, what is there to discuss?"

"Just pour all the cavalry on the grasslands and head straight for the capital tomorrow. After being tormented by the Empress of Great Yu, this northern frontier exists in name only. No one will be able to stop us."

"If we march tomorrow, under normal circumstances, it will only take three to five days for our forces to reach the capital, catching Great Yu off guard. We can take the capital in one fell swoop and capture that Empress Xiao Mingzhao, bringing her back to our tribe."

"When the time comes, with Empress Xiao Mingzhao in our hands, won't the world of Great Yu be at our mercy?"

The Eldest Prince's words clearly struck a chord with the barbarians, and cheers immediately erupted.

"The Eldest Prince is right. If we march now, we can reach the capital in three to five days. That Empress Xiao Mingzhao is still dreaming of tying the knot. We should take this opportunity to drag her to the grasslands."

"This is a great idea. At our speed, we will definitely catch the capital off guard. It's entirely possible to kidnap Empress Xiao Mingzhao before they even have time to react."

"Your Majesty, this plan is excellent. As long as Empress Xiao Mingzhao is in our hands, our hundreds of years of hatred will be avenged. Moreover, those people of Yu will be afraid to act against us, and we can manipulate them as we please."

...

The Barbarian King Tuoba Ashina nodded.

He shared the same thought.

Taking advantage of the emptiness of Great Yu's northern frontier, with hardly any soldiers to stop them, their march south would be smooth sailing, and they could strike directly at the capital!

If they were fast enough, Great Yu definitely wouldn't be able to react.

Capturing Empress Xiao Mingzhao, or even the entire royal family of Great Yu, was not impossible.

He immediately wanted to make the decision.

However, his gaze swept over the Third Prince, Tuoba Xiangtai, and he paused slightly.

This Third Prince was born after he had drunkenly bedded a Wa servant girl. He had never liked him, and over the years, he had been sent to various countries as a hostage.

He had even been a hostage in Great Yu.

Tuoba Xiangtai was usually low-key and silent, so even after he was brought back to the grasslands, he was not valued.

Yet, unexpectedly, he was able to make Empress Xiao Mingzhao so befuddled, giving their barbarian tribe a heaven-sent opportunity.

In that case, he couldn't help but pay him a bit more attention.

So he asked, "Third Son, what do you think?"

Tuoba Xiangtai respectfully replied, "Father, I also think Eldest Brother's idea is very good."

"Marching south to capture Xiao Mingzhao is a brilliant move!"

...