“You brought Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er?” Pang Xiao was delighted beyond measure. His two sons were already over four years old, yet they hadn’t been by his and Qin Yining’s side for long. Thinking of the days when the family was separated with little time together, Pang Xiao felt immense hatred toward Li Qitian.

Fortunately, Qin Huaiyuan was his father-in-law. Entrusting the children to his care for education put Pang Xiao completely at ease.

“Since Cao discovered the battle situation ahead, I left the children with a group of intelligence operatives for protection, following closely behind our forces, about half a day’s journey behind us.” Qin Huaiyuan turned with hands behind his back, looking toward the battlefield that was nearing its end, his eyes lowered in contemplation. “Si Qin has been captured. This battle has dealt the Tatars a devastating blow—they probably won’t have the strength to invade south again for a hundred years.”

“Yes.” Pang Xiao breathed a long sigh of relief in a good mood. “This way, the common people can live in peace.”

“This is all thanks to your and Duke Dingguo’s achievements.” Qin Huaiyuan smiled, looking toward Ji Zeyu who was approaching quickly.

Ji Zeyu’s eyes were full of surprise, but after thinking it over, he guessed the general situation. He wasn’t angry that Pang Xiao had concealed this from him, as the court situation was truly tense. In such a climate of fear and suspicion, now that his family was finally safe, protection was naturally paramount—not half a secret could be leaked.

Ji Zeyu respectfully cupped his hands toward Qin Huaiyuan.

Qin Huaiyuan returned the courtesy, smiling. “Duke Dingguo has pacified the Tatars this time—a great weight can finally be lifted from your heart.”

Ji Zeyu had previously commanded the Dragon Guards for many years defending the northern frontier, making the Tatars old adversaries. Now being able to personally witness Si Qin’s capture and the Tatars’ devastating defeat, his inner satisfaction couldn’t be described in words.

But thinking of Pang Xiao’s predicament, Ji Zeyu couldn’t help saying: “However, the current court situation is truly pessimistic. Having defeated the Tatars, the Emperor will have even fewer reservations about dealing with Pang Zhixi.”

Qin Huaiyuan was somewhat surprised that Ji Zeyu would say such words, but this also let him see clearly that the brotherhood between Ji Zeyu and Pang Xiao was absolutely genuine.

Qin Huaiyuan smiled with relief. Being able to make such a good friend as Ji Zeyu even in these chaotic times was Pang Xiao’s good fortune.

“Don’t worry. We’ll discuss this matter thoroughly when we return—there will definitely be a solution.”

Who was this person before them? This was Qin Huaiyuan, known for his wisdom. If he said there was a solution, then there was a solution.

Both Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu nodded simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Qin Huaiyuan was pleased to see this and patted Pang Xiao’s shoulder.

He had no sons himself. Pang Xiao was his son-in-law and treated Qin Yining extremely well, making him no different from a biological son. Whenever Pang Xiao had doubts, Qin Huaiyuan was naturally happy to help clarify them.

As they spoke, the battlefield already showed overwhelming advantage for one side. Great Zhou forces fought with increasing courage, while the Tatars had no way to retreat—even their retreat route through the uninhabited desert was blocked by the people Qin Huaiyuan had brought.

Surrounded on all sides, many chose to give up resistance, with some even throwing down their weapons and kneeling with hands raised high.

Pang Xiao exchanged a glance with Qin Huaiyuan, then commanded: “Those who surrender to Great Zhou will not be killed.”

The soldiers immediately spread this message. The Tatars had long lost their fighting spirit, and upon hearing this, most threw down their weapons and knelt in surrender without regard for anything else.

Ji Zeyu lowered his eyes for a moment, then asked thoughtfully: “Our supplies are insufficient to feed so many people. Keeping these prisoners of war might be difficult to handle.”

“It’s difficult to handle for now. But keeping them serves a greater purpose than killing them.” Qin Huaiyuan looked toward Pang Xiao with something of a testing intent.

Pang Xiao thought for a moment and understood Qin Huaiyuan’s meaning. “Keep them to negotiate conditions with the Tatars later—we might gain even more benefits.”

“For instance, demanding the Tatars cede territory and pay reparations?” Ji Zeyu also understood.

Pang Xiao nodded. “If they can pay, fine. But I estimate that given the Tatars’ current situation, they can’t.”

“Can’t pay?” Ji Zeyu looked at Pang Xiao in confusion, as if asking: if they can’t pay, what’s the use of keeping them?

Pang Xiao smiled. “Right, they can’t pay. These soldiers all have families and relatives. With the Tatars’ limited territory, these troops naturally come from across the entire nation. If the court abandons these soldiers who fought for their country because they don’t want to spend money, how will their families feel?”

Ji Zeyu completely understood.

If such a situation truly occurred, the Tatar rulers would completely break their people’s hearts. Once people’s hearts turned cold, they couldn’t be won back in a short time. The Tatars’ great defeat and their khan’s capture was already a major blow—the Tatar nation would certainly be shaken. With people’s hearts unsettled, if such an incident occurred on top of this, internal strife would likely erupt in the Tatar nation. A severely weakened Tatar nation might not recover its strength to trouble Great Zhou again for not just a hundred years, but perhaps two hundred.

Ji Zeyu seemed to already see the scene of the Tatars bowing in submission to Great Zhou, his heart surging with excitement and satisfaction.

But Pang Xiao had another layer of reasoning he didn’t voice aloud. These Tatar prisoners would also serve as leverage for establishing his prestige in the future.

Given the current situation, he and Li Qitian were destined for a decisive battle. Who would win or lose was still hard to predict. Keeping these Tatar prisoners would also give him some advantage in future public opinion.

“Your Highness.”

Just then, Cao Yuqing approached quickly. Upon seeing Pang Xiao, she cupped her hands in salute.

Pang Xiao quickly returned the courtesy, smiling. “Aunt Cao.”

Cao Yuqing was very satisfied with Pang Xiao’s form of address and smiled. “I caught some people in the crowd.”

As she spoke, intelligence operatives had already brought over Lu Heng and his wife along with Lu Heng’s attendants.

Lu Heng was in a completely disheveled state, his clothes torn everywhere. Bian Ruohan was even more wretched, nothing like her formerly lofty appearance.

Pang Xiao held his long blade, his expression dark as he looked at the people before him.

Lu Heng was pushed forward by his captors. With a forceful shove, he was pushed to kneel on the ground.

Looking up at Pang Xiao, Lu Heng’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. He quickly lowered his head.

“Your Highness, how should this person be dealt with?”

Pang Xiao looked down at Lu Heng, then glanced at Si Qin in the distance whose eyes were blazing with fury. He sighed. “Take them all back to the capital and let His Majesty decide their fate.”

“If you have the ability, just kill me!” Pang Xiao’s words suddenly excited Lu Heng. The former Lu family head, who had always been as elegant as an orchid with noble bearing, now struggled like a mad leopard as he was pressed down in the trampled mud. “Kill me!”

“Kill you? Though you have the crime of treason, only the Emperor can decide your fate. Since I’ve captured you alive, I have no reason to take your life. Otherwise, do you think I’d want to spare you? If not for you, why would the battlefield have dragged on until now? If not for you allowing the Tatars to enter the pass for your personal gain, how could massacres have occurred in the towns large and small from the northern frontier to the capital?

“I won’t kill you. I’ll just put you in a prisoner’s cage along with your accomplices and escort you safely back to the capital.”

Lu Heng shuddered violently, staring deadly at Pang Xiao. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth. “You’re truly vicious!”

From Tianmen Pass to the capital, which of the towns large and small along the northern route hadn’t been plundered by the Tatars? Massacres occurred frequently. Even now, a large portion of Pang Xiao’s forces consisted of survivors from these ravaged cities.

It could be said that those people hated the Tatars to their bones.

And they hated him even more—the one who had led the Tatars into Great Zhou—wishing they could devour his flesh alive!

Having Pang Xiao place him in a prisoner’s cage for public display would be torture more unbearable than death!

Pang Xiao said in a heavy voice: “This can hardly be called vicious. I’m merely escorting you back to the capital.”

Everyone knew that the truly vicious part would happen at the end.

Li Qitian’s methods for dealing with Lu Heng would definitely not be gentle.

Lu Heng’s group and Si Qin were all imprisoned.

The confrontation came to an end.

As the soldiers cleaned the battlefield and counted casualties, Pang Xiao had already gathered with Ji Zeyu, inviting Qin Huaiyuan and various strategists to discuss how to proceed next.

“The Tatars are now financially depleted and leaderless. It wouldn’t be impossible to destroy this nation in one fell swoop.” Ji Zeyu said.

Hearing this, the others couldn’t help but feel their blood boil. Their accumulated national and personal hatred toward the Tatars ran deep. Finding an opportunity to eliminate this threat was naturally cause for great celebration.

Qin Huaiyuan lowered his eyes, showing considerable contemplation.

Pang Xiao looked questioningly toward Qin Huaiyuan. “Father-in-law? What do you think?”

Qin Huaiyuan smiled. “I’m no longer a court official, so I shouldn’t speak too much at this time. I’ll just offer you a suggestion. The final decision still rests with you.”

Pang Xiao nodded. “Please speak, father-in-law.”

Qin Huaiyuan said: “I actually think that conquering the Tatars would be easy, but have you all considered what comes after? The Tatars are naturally fierce and warlike, the type least likely to submit to control. Even if our Great Zhou forces press at their borders and achieve overwhelming victory, how could the Tatars truly submit?

“If we turn the Tatar capital into a province of Great Zhou, the court would inevitably have to expend great effort to govern this region. Moreover, the Tatars’ geographical location has caused their poverty. The court would not only need to spend energy on control but also large sums of money to support the Tatar people.

“But if we don’t conquer the Tatars and instead use hostages as leverage, we could gain even greater rewards. This would perfectly compensate for the losses caused by this war. The Tatars would then pay annual tribute and acknowledge vassalage year after year—a profitable deal with no losses.

“Anyway, Your Highness has already beaten the Tatars so badly they won’t be able to retaliate for over a hundred years. Whether to destroy the Tatars seems no longer that important.”

Qin Huaiyuan’s words made everyone nod in agreement.

Ji Zeyu also agreed: “Indeed, as you say.”

Pang Xiao thought for a moment, then looked questioningly at Qin Huaiyuan. Qin Huaiyuan merely smiled, his perfect smile revealing no clues.

But Pang Xiao knew that Qin Huaiyuan had understood his look—their thoughts had once again aligned.

While the reasons just mentioned certainly existed, not attacking the Tatars served an even greater purpose for them.

This return to the capital held uncertain dangers, with things always difficult to predict. If he ever proved no match for Li Qitian and had to retreat to live in Xihua, the Tatars—separated from Xihua by only a desert—would become an important factor in expanding Xihua’s territory.

However poor the Tatars might be, their land was still more extensive than Xihua’s.