Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Chapter 194 Such killing is a sin against God!

"What do you want to do?"

"Hahaha, I've done what I need to do. Bashan is under the control of the Dingyuan Army. What else is General Han afraid of me doing?"

Han Chaosheng hated Qi Xiao so much that he wanted to eat him alive. Even gritting his teeth was a struggle for him. Chi Yue had prepared tea specifically for him, and the medicine in it was quite strong.

"Bashan has 30,000 troops stationed there. All those you sent out to search the city have died for their country. There are still over 20,000 surviving defenders in the entire city, and another 20,000 residents, including General Han's wife and children..." Qi Xiao crossed his legs and asked Han Chaosheng slowly, "For these 40,000 lives, will General Han surrender?"

Han Chaosheng stared intently at the young man before him. He looked no more than twenty, yet how could he so nonchalantly utter such vicious words?! Han Chaosheng had joined the army at seventeen, and every death at his hands still haunted him. Even though he had spent half his life defending his country and lived with a clear conscience, he could not escape the sin of bloodshed. And was the Ninth Prince of Chen going to slaughter over forty thousand men from Bashan right before his eyes?!

"you dare!"

Qi Xiao chuckled, "General Han, I wouldn't dare? You know the population of Jialin Pass and Xingtian Pass, right?"

Xingtian Pass is the largest city in the northern border of Qi State. There are 100,000 soldiers and civilians stationed in the city. Did Qi Xiao massacre the entire city?!

Han Chaosheng wasn't sure how many men Qi Xiao had brought south, but it was only the beginning of spring, and it would be nearly impossible for a Chen army of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, to cross Fenglin Mountain. Regardless of the number of Chen troops, it would be difficult to deal with the captives if they crossed Fenglin Mountain and moved south. Killing them would eliminate the problem permanently, the most worry-free and labor-saving method. Otherwise, when the Qi army arrived to reinforce, the captives in the city would riot, and the Chen army would be unable to suppress their sheer numbers.

"You...you!" Han Chaosheng was shaking all over, and in his rage, he spat out a mouthful of blood. If Zong Sheng hadn't held him down, he would have rushed towards Qi Xiao. "Such murder is a sin against heaven! You will not die a good death! You will not die a good death!"

"General Han, you don't need to worry about how I die. You might as well consider the innocent lives in Bashan. General Han, you've worked hard all night. Rest well. I'll come back at noon. I hope you can do me a favor and have a drink with me then."

Qi Xiao gave an order to keep a good look out for it and walked out of the hall. Outside the house, a ray of morning light had slowly spread out, painting the dark sky with a golden light, rolling up the night and revealing the dead silence.

It was dawn, and it was time for him to pick up Tang Ling.

After Bashan's massive search of the city last night, the people more or less understood that something had happened, but they didn't know what exactly had happened. After daybreak, those who needed to go out had to go out. People on the street were asking around for information, and from time to time they saw soldiers in armor walking through the streets and alleys.

Qi Xiao rode his horse through the long street, and the sound of his horse's hooves frightened the people and made them scatter and retreat.

The red gate of a large mansion on East Gate Street was wide open. The Xia family, surnamed Xia, was a wealthy family in the city, engaged in the rice business. Old Master Xia was a benevolent and charitable man, and the Xia family was a well-known family throughout Bashan. But now, standing at the gate of the Xia Mansion was a handsome young man whom no one recognized.

This young man was wearing an extremely thick black cloak, and his figure should have been invisible. However, he stood upright like a pine tree. A closer look revealed that he was tall and thin, and his face was extremely handsome, his skin looking porcelain white against the cloak, and he seemed a bit sick and tired. He was looking at the end of the long street as if waiting for something.

The Xia family members followed the young master with their heads lowered, shivering in the cold wind.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard faintly, and Qi Xiao appeared at the end of the street, running towards the Xia family residence. In a short while, he was in front of Tang Ling.

Tang Ling suddenly recalled the first time she met Qi Xiao. The boy, riding his horse, was full of rebelliousness, looking down at him condescendingly, as if he wanted to trample him into the mud...

"Come." Qi Xiao smiled and extended his hand to Tang Ling.

Tang Ling couldn't help but laugh. She took two steps forward and handed her hand to Qi Xiao. Then Qi Xiao pulled her onto the horse's back and held her in his arms.

"Didn't you get some sleep? Are you tired?"

Tang Ling shook her head and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Highness, on taking Bashan. This battle was a resounding victory."

"With Zi Yi advising me, there's no reason why I can't win."

Qinglan couldn't help coughing when he saw the two of them being affectionate in the street in broad daylight.

Qi Xiao raised his hand and lifted the hood of Tang Ling's cloak and put it on him, covering half of Tang Ling's face, as if he was afraid of being seen.

"Ye Huai, Qing Lan, you two get on your horses and follow us. The rest of you will escort Old Master Xia's carriage."

In full view of the public, Qi Xiao took Tang Ling and went back to the city wall first, followed by Ye Huai Qinglan and Xingluo Wei. The team he brought was escorting the Xia family's carriage behind them. The people in the city were confused and puzzled. Many people followed and watched for a while, and then they saw several horse teams on the street, each followed by several carriages. These carriages were also very familiar. They belonged to other merchants and wealthy families in the city. They were all going in the same direction and gathered together on the main street.

"What's going on? Who are those people?"

The city's anomalies didn't stop there. The government offices were closed, martial law was in effect, and even major businesses were closed. Soon, word spread of the massacre of the Bashan defenders the previous night.

"Chen Jun is here! It's Chen Jun!"

"Chen Jun?! How is it possible..."

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Impossible! The mountain is snowed in. How did they get across Fenglin Mountain?"

"That's right, it's New Year's Eve, are you dreaming?"

"The city is under martial law, and all the wealthy and famous have been arrested! Shops are closed! Are you blind?!"

"The Xia family left in their own carriage, so how could they have been captured? Even if they were, it wasn't Chen Jun, right? If a war really broke out, would you and I still be alive?"

"Run for your lives! I saw them kill someone yesterday!"

The streets became noisy, and the people in armor disappeared from the streets. Instead, many soldiers with swords appeared to guard the important roads in the city, and all the people were driven back home.

The dark blue uniforms on these soldiers were clearly not of Qi standard, and their swords were narrower and longer than those of the Qi army. When the swords were unsheathed, they shone coldly and had dark blades. Only those with some knowledge would know that the swords were made of black iron and were extremely sharp. These were the weapons that only the Chen State could forge.