kvmb Chapter 177 The Tal Tribe
Chapter 177 The Tal Tribe
Li Mao walked up to the man expressionlessly: "Did you confess to Afu's death?"
The man sneered, "So what if you confessed? Didn't the Wolf Lord surrender to your Tang army? Let's not laugh at each other! Your Tang Dynasty is indeed powerful, but that doesn't mean you can control everything forever. One day, we will rise again and drive you out of Yinshan."
"Why drag my Tang soldiers into your tribal conflict?" Li Mao, unconcerned by the man's offensive words, relentlessly pressed on.
"Naturally, it's because you Tang people are nosy and deserve to be killed." The man gritted his teeth and said, "You can start a war whenever you want and negotiate peace whenever you want. Only spineless idiots like Wolf Lord would fawn over you like that."
Li Mao said calmly, "But you've killed the wrong person. Whether it's fighting or negotiating peace, it's all decided by me and the Tang Dynasty royal family. It has nothing to do with a nobody like Afu. You keep talking about fighting for the greater good, but aren't you just making things difficult for small fry?"
With that, Li Mao turned around.
He glanced at Aya and said, "Let's leave this matter for now. Once these people are dealt with, I will no longer make things difficult for you. But as for the neighboring Ta'er tribe, since they want to fight, then I, Li Mao, will fight them to the end. Is your Wolf Lord tribe willing to help?"
“Of course!” Princess Aya agreed without hesitation.
First, this was the first time she had seen Li Mao angry, and she knew that angering him would bring misfortune upon herself and her entire tribe. Naturally, she had to flatter and appease such a person. Second, attacking the Tar tribe was an excellent opportunity for their Wolf Lord tribe; perhaps they could annex the Tar tribe in one fell swoop and eliminate future troubles.
Therefore, she agreed to Li Mao's suggestion without hesitation.
Li Mao looked at Princess Aya, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
She was not only intelligent and quick-witted, but also quite courageous and determined. Although she was a woman, her mind and courage far surpassed those of her father, the Wolf Lord. Working with someone like her was exactly what Li Mao wanted.
“In that case, let’s join forces to deal with the Tar tribe.” Li Mao nodded. “Start planning today. I don’t like to drag out the battle lines too long, you should know that.”
Princess Aya nodded repeatedly, knowing that Li Mao preferred quick and decisive battles.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, we will make all the necessary preparations. If we can wipe out the Taer tribe in one fell swoop, it will be a good thing for us as well. Thank you for your trust and support, Your Highness. We will certainly live up to your expectations."
Meanwhile, the Tar tribe.
"Father, what... what should we do?" The tribe's prince paced anxiously, looking to his father for help: "We poached a few people from the Wolf Lord's tribe and used them to fight against the Tang army. Now the Wolf Lord's tribe has tracked us down and has come to arrest them today."
“If these people betray us, our Tar tribe will be in grave danger. A single wolf lord may not be a threat, but they are backed by the Tang army. If we kill Tang soldiers, they will certainly not let us off!”
The chieftain of the Tar tribe had a good relationship with his son.
Seeing his son's anxiety, he pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, I will go to see the Tang army leader and admit my guilt. I will say that I was confused for a moment and made a mistake. If you want to kill or torture someone, come at me and don't let it affect the other people in the tribe."
“How can this be!” the son disagreed. “It was clearly my youthful impetuosity that led me to insist on doing things my own way. How can you blame Father Khan? Who knows what kind of people those Tang soldiers are, and how they might treat you? I won’t do it, I absolutely disagree!”
Seeing his son's resolute expression, the old lord sighed.
At the same time, he also made a decision.
That night, the Yinshan military camp was brightly lit.
Li Jingqing has recently increased security at the camp, patrolling it every night.
Hearing strange noises coming from nearby, he immediately became alert and gathered several elite soldiers to search the area. Under the cover of night, a figure was seen sneaking into the tent and was quickly subdued by the group.
Li Jingqing rushed over and, by the light of the torch, could see the figure being pressed to the ground.
—It turned out to be an old man from another race, whose sheepskin robe was adorned with various gems and silver ornaments, making him seem to be of unusual status.
"Who are you?" Li Jingqing narrowed his eyes, his expression cold. "You dare to break into a military camp at night? Aren't you afraid of never returning?"
The old man struggled to raise his head, his voice filled with weariness and pleading: "General, I am the lord of the Tar tribe. I have come here specifically to see His Highness Prince Shou. Please make an exception and allow me to speak with His Highness Prince Shou."
Li Jingqing frowned: "How dare you! The Tal tribe harmed my soldiers. You are the old lord of the Tal tribe, and you still dare to come here without permission? Do you intend to assassinate His Highness?!"
"No! No..."
The old lord looked terrified and shook his head repeatedly: "I have come to apologize to His Highness Prince Shou. You may search me, but I am old and have no weapons on me. How could I possibly harm His Highness Prince Shou?"
What he said makes sense.
Upon hearing this, Li Jingqing thought for a moment and then said, "Men, search him thoroughly. Make sure he has nothing on him that could threaten His Highness's safety."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier acknowledged the order and immediately began searching the old lord's body.
Li Jingqing then went to Li Mao's tent and reported, "Your Highness, the old lord of the Tal tribe requests an audience."
Li Mao had just lain down to rest when he heard these words and immediately felt wide awake.
He immediately sat up, his expression a mix of coldness and amusement: "Let him in."
The old lord, thoroughly searched, entered the tent under the guard of two soldiers. He knelt on the ground and cried, "Your Highness Prince Shou, I come to repent on behalf of the Tar tribe. We were blinded by greed and foolishly tried to incite conflict between the Wolf Lord and the Tang army by framing them. Now, I am willing to bear all the blame and have come to beg forgiveness from Your Highness Prince Shou."
Li Mao narrowed his eyes, a half-smile on his face, and said, "If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? Why didn't you think carefully before committing such a heinous act? You only admit your mistake now. How do you know you didn't have wicked intentions and other schemes?"
"Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. I have come here with the utmost sincerity, to confess my crimes and accept my fate. I only ask that you not implicate other innocent clansmen..." The old lord's words were filled with anguish, and he seemed to be truly sincere.
Li Mao stared at the old lord with a cold expression for a long time.
“You certainly know how to sacrifice yourself,” he said slowly, “but I, Li Mao, have always acted fairly and justly. Since the Tar tribe killed my Tang soldiers, they must be punished.”