Yes indeed. Cui Shaoting was also looking down from his superior position at Second Master Fan kneeling before him, smiling in a very gentle and amiable manner: “You can commit treason by colluding with the enemy, so why can’t I memorialize the court to exterminate your nine generations? That doesn’t seem reasonable.”

Indeed it wasn’t reasonable. He had led these officers and soldiers diligently and conscientiously to defend the borders and protect the territory, yet these people surnamed Fan before him had secretly colluded with Han Zhengqing to illegally trade warhorses and iron implements to the Tartars, and still fantasized about keeping their lives. This was truly laughable.

Second Master Fan was so frightened he nearly wet his pants. When Datong city fell, he had already received Han Zhengqing’s notification and left Datong, preparing to return to the capital. Who knew that halfway there he would be intercepted by the killing god Cui Shaoting? Cui Shaoting and the Fan clan in the northwest had simply become mortal enemies—even back with that matter involving Zhang Tianhe, many people surnamed Fan had been fanning the flames behind the scenes, not to mention all those old grievances about Yang Xuan illegally trading warhorses and trying to instigate him into opening border markets, only to be punished by the court.

Now that he had fallen into Cui Shaoting’s hands, he only felt both his legs trembling. He was different from his eldest brother and also different from the biological second elder brother of Fan Liangdi of the main branch. Although he had the ability to conduct business and the fate to accumulate wealth, when it came to backbone, for him it truly was something he didn’t know what it was. Speaking of it, he was still most compatible with Third Master Fan.

Thinking and thinking, his thoughts wandered far. Second Master Fan was startled by Cui Shaoting’s icy cold words into breaking out in cold sweat. In the dead of winter, when the cold wind blew, his entire person shook like a leaf in the wind, shivering as he hunched his neck.

After hunching his neck, Second Master Fan straightened it again and, still kneeling, shuffled forward two steps on his knees until he was at Cui Shaoting’s feet: “Commander-in-Chief, we have silver…”

But he didn’t need money. He looked at Second Master Fan with deep meaning for quite a while, until Second Master Fan lowered his head with a panicked expression, then asked him: “You want to keep your life? Not only your own, but also that whole group of people’s lives?”

The people he had brought along even when fleeing were naturally all indispensable. Of course he wanted to bring them all with him. Second Master Fan thought it over and still nodded. After all, among them were his own children and the head stewards. Without them, keeping his life would be of no use.

“It’s not that there’s no solution.” Cui Shaoting watched as he suddenly raised his head, excited light bursting from his eyes, and smiled as well, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes at all. He bent down and patted Second Master Fan’s face: “As long as you do as I say and help me with something, I guarantee you can all keep your lives.”

Second Master Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He now had silver piled up in heaps. If his life was gone, how could he enjoy it? As for Han Zhengqing and his eldest brother from the main branch’s plans, he had absolutely no interest. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have fled when the city fell.

What a joke! His eldest brother was the one who had gone mad, actually daydreaming about following Han Zhengqing in rebellion. He was different—he only wanted to live, that was enough. Establishing achievements and building a career—those things were truly far too distant from him.

He agreed frantically, as if afraid Cui Shaoting would go back on his word: “Commander-in-Chief can rest assured, I agree to everything, I agree to everything.”

Cui Shaoting nodded with a smile: “Good.” He thought for a moment and asked him: “You often go beyond the pass, right? This time when Han Zhengqing made contact with the Tartar Grand Preceptor Yeye Cha, was that also through your help making the connection?”

Second Master Fan instinctively wanted to shake his head, but when his eyes met Cui Shaoting’s gaze, he couldn’t help but nod: “Yes, yes, it was me…” While also covering his head, afraid Cui Shaoting would raise his blade and cut him down.

Cui Shaoting had no interest in cutting him down. He clapped his hands: “Then why don’t you make another trip and deliver a message to him for me?”

The smile on Second Master Fan’s face froze. He was very hesitant. Now that the Tartar people had already invaded beyond the pass, who knew whether they would turn on them and refuse to acknowledge them? Those people were barbarians to begin with—they had no concept of integrity at all.

Ma San and Ma Wangkun, who had painstakingly escaped from Jinzhong, waited respectfully on the side, marveling inwardly. Even this fool understood this principle—how could Han Zhengqing and Prince Gong not know it?

Those not of our race must have different hearts.

They wanted to use borrowed force and use others as weapons, yet didn’t consider whether they had the ability to grasp this blade. Truly foolish beyond measure.

Cui Shaoting raised his chin: “Can you do it or not? Give me an answer.”

Second Master Fan hesitated only for an instant. He knew he had no second path to take, so he gritted his teeth and agreed: “Yes, yes, I can!”

Cui Shaoting had someone lead Second Master Fan away, then turned back to speak with Ma Wangkun and Ma San: “You don’t need to return to Jinzhong. As for Jinzhong and here in the northwest, I have my own plans. You return to the capital and deliver a letter for me to the Grand Princess Consort.”

Counting it up, it had already been six years since he’d seen his little niece. Even when his niece married, he hadn’t been able to go congratulate her—truly a regrettable matter.

Ma San was somewhat worried: “When we left, Jinzhong had already been surrounded by Wu Feng’s troops that Prince Gong sent. There are few soldiers in the city. I don’t know if they can hold out until you…”

They were Cui Shaoting’s defeated subordinates, so naturally they knew his capabilities in detail. But the problem was that time waits for no one. Moreover, the current situation was too critical. The Tartars had already conquered Datong and driven their troops straight in. Soon Guyuan would also suffer disaster. Cui Shaoting wasn’t an immortal—he couldn’t be in multiple places at once. If he attended to this side, he couldn’t attend to that side.

This was also where Han Zhengqing and Prince Gong’s shamelessness lay. The two of them kept setting fires everywhere, making everyone exhausted from running around.

Cui Shaoting was unconcerned: “I won’t go rescue them. They’ll rescue themselves. You don’t need to worry about this.”

The Prince of Zhennan and Marquis Dingyuan—these two people could handle things independently wherever they were placed. One had endless strategies, the other was exceptionally brave. With both of them in the same place, plus Lu Ran, that clever and cunning strategist, they could do far more than just protect themselves.

What was urgent now was actually the capital’s side. He thought of the intelligence Lu Ran had sent someone back to report, and looked seriously at Ma San and Ma Wangkun to instruct them: “The immediate priority now is the capital. You must rush to the capital as quickly as possible to notify the Grand Princess Consort and His Highness the Grand Prince to beware of traitors.”

Speaking of this, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat regretful. It was a pity that Han Zhengqing was even guarded against his own sons. Although he had said he had someone by Zhou Weizhao’s side, he wouldn’t reveal exactly who it was. Prince Gong was even more so. These two people were still extremely cautious in their actions, even guarding against each other.

However, knowing their general plans would probably be sufficient for Song Chuyi. She certainly had enough ability to follow the vine to find the melon and ferret the person out.

What was most urgent now was that they absolutely must reach the capital before Prince Gong’s people. Otherwise, even if Ma San and the others returned to the capital and informed Song Chuyi, everything would already be too late.