It was a failure!
The Crown Prince stood dejectedly in the middle of the hall. The Bloodthirsty assassination attempt had failed; not a single one had returned, and their opponents were unharmed.
It was over. Everything was over. The Bloodthirsty assassination rarely failed, and even when it did, there were usually no losses. The assassination attempt on the Northern King had failed, but the
Crown Prince had escaped unscathed. This was the Crown Prince's trump card, but now they were all dead, and the mission hadn't been completed. He knew very well that he had no chance of winning in the direct confrontation with the Northern King.
Moreover, he knew very well that the Northern King was preparing an attack to take him down in one fell swoop. He knew his younger brother's capabilities very well.
It is said that those who understand each other best are not friends, wives, or children, but rather rivals, especially mortal enemies. Those are the ones who truly understand each other.
Love and hate intertwine!
This is why love and hate can often change. If the rivals are a man and a woman, they often end up together.
If they are of the same sex, they may also appreciate each other. Even deep-seated hatred cannot prevent mutual admiration. At that time, hatred becomes a mission.
However, in the case of the Crown Prince and the Northern King, one was acting for profit, and the other initially for self-preservation. Whether their relationship would change later was anyone's guess.
...
The Northern Prince's Palace is indeed reorganizing and preparing for an attack. However, the Northern Prince has one concern: what will happen if the hundreds of thousands who have just surrendered turn against the Crown Prince's former comrades? Will they suddenly switch sides? If so, the enemy will be 1.5 to 1.6 million against 200,000...
Furthermore, the families of these generals are still in the city where the Crown Prince's Palace is located. Will the Crown Prince use this to blackmail them? That would bring him infamy and reduce the loyalty of his men.
However, for their own immediate interests, they cannot rule out the possibility of the other side doing so. Therefore, this is the matter currently being discussed by the Northern Prince's Palace.
Qin Chuan is also present, and this problem is truly a headache. Even some of the surrendered generals, as well as some lieutenant generals and centurions, have received letters from the Crown Prince.
If they rebel, the Northern Prince's 200,000 soldiers will certainly be wiped out, and even the most capable generals might not survive.
There is a huge difference between trusted confidants and surrendered soldiers, which is the main reason for their predicament—few soldiers and many surrendered soldiers.
Even with a million troops on his side, and two hundred thousand surrendered soldiers, he could disperse them among various units and gradually assimilate them over time.
Taking only his two hundred thousand troops wouldn't work either; if these soldiers betrayed him, he'd be attacked from both sides, and the result would be the same.
Suddenly, he felt he was in a dead end, unable to break free no matter what he did, caught in a bind. Even if the Crown Prince personally led a large army to attack, it would still be a dead end.
A fine layer of sweat appeared on the Northern King's face. Knowing the Crown Prince's methods, he was certain the Crown Prince would do this; he knew his brother's character well, and he wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
Soon, intelligence arrived: the Crown Prince was personally leading an army of eight hundred thousand, along with seven warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men, heading towards the Northern King's residence.
Moreover, the enemy had many prison carts, containing the families of these surrendered generals. If they were dragged out and executed one by one, few would survive.
Not punishing family members was inhumane and unacceptable to anyone, but at least it was effective in the short term.
The Crown Prince felt he was already at his wit's end; otherwise, he would die. This way, perhaps there was a considerable chance. As for the future, he couldn't worry about that now; extraordinary times
call for extraordinary measures. Those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles. Besides, the one who laughs last laughs best; the process and methods are unimportant, only the result matters.
"Perhaps things aren't as bad as they seem. Since they're so cruel, Prince Bei, let them leave," Qin Chuan said with a smile.
"It's useless. Letting them leave will only make them the vanguard attacking us," Prince Bei said.
"Open the city gates. Let everyone enter, see who comes in, see if they have any conscience. Tell them your story; the decision is theirs," Qin Chuan said.
"Open the city gates? Is that alright?" Prince Bei asked.
"If you can't bring yourself to slaughter these 600,000 people, then this is the only option. Do you have a better plan?" Qin Chuan looked at him.
"Alright, I'll go now," Prince Bei said hesitantly.
Qin Chuan said nothing, and Niu Ben accompanied Prince Bei.
With a sigh, Qin Chuan and Yu Qing walked out and stood on the city wall. The Crown Prince's army was only half a day's journey from here, and would arrive soon.
"Is it troublesome?" Yu Qing asked.
"All I can do is capture the leader first, but if you can't find the leader, then there's nothing I can do. Once the fighting starts, I don't know how many people will die," Qin Chuan said, looking at Yu Qing.
"That's just how the world is, the strong prey on the weak, and people will do anything for their own benefit. That's the law of nature," Yu Qing said helplessly.
"What you say is true, what you say is right, you are the most beautiful."
"You, I used to think you were a very serious person, how did you become like this, so glib-tongued, a scoundrel..." Yu Qing looked at Qin Chuan helplessly.
"If I were so well-behaved, how could I have won the heart of such a beauty? We've been talking for so long, shouldn't we have a child?" Qin Chuan smiled at her.
Yu Qing panicked slightly. If Qin Chuan had just been flirting, she could have glared at him and ignored him, but this way of speaking left her speechless.
These words actually touched her deeply. She was a martial artist, and in terms of physical abilities, she was young, but she wasn't young anymore—she was even older than Qin Chuan.
She had lived alone for a very long time, witnessing some families fall apart, some devoid of warmth, but also many harmonious and loving ones.
In truth, everyone has blood ties and emotions, regardless of gender. Women, in particular, have an innate maternal instinct; it's ingrained in their bones. No matter how powerful or high a woman's status, she is the same in this respect.
Even animals know the instinct to love their young, let alone humans.
Qin Chuan hadn't expected Yu Qing's reaction and quickly put his arm around her: "Don't be embarrassed. We're still young anyway; we can think about this later."
Yu Qing smiled. This man was very understanding and considerate. Being with him was relaxing, safe, and never boring.
Yu Qing leaned forward and gently kissed Qin Chuan on the lips, a kiss that lasted a little longer than usual. Blushing, she lowered her head and whispered, "Are you satisfied now? Don't say you're not satisfied."
Qin Chuan smiled, "So fragrant, so sweet."
Nearly 600,000 surrendered soldiers had left the capital, and the city gates remained open, no longer closed, but 200,000 elite troops were already prepared for battle.
Around noon, the large army appeared in the distance, slowly approaching.