This scene happened too fast.

So fast that even before the Nanliang envoys had thought of how to refute Marquis Dongxiang’s words, Duke Huguo’s head had already fallen.

All the Nanliang people were stunned, a chill running up and down their spines.

As well as all the Daqi soldiers, even the one who had beheaded Duke Huguo.

Looking at Duke Huguo’s head, he only then realized what he had just done.

He felt it was too reckless!

Beheading was just a matter of raising the blade and bringing it down, but now that it was done, it couldn’t be undone.

Prince NanAn and the others were dumbstruck.

Really.

They all thought Marquis Dongxiang would cut off one of Duke Huguo’s arms, extort a million taels from Nanliang, and the Flying Tiger Army’s destruction sixteen years ago would be written off.

They didn’t expect Marquis Dongxiang still wanted Duke Huguo’s head.

And the words spoken by Marquis Dongxiang—

Only then did they realize the kind of pit Marquis Dongxiang had inadvertently dug for Duke Huguo.

It felt like the combined brains of everyone in the camp weren’t as good as Marquis Dongxiang’s alone.

There probably wasn’t a person in this world he wanted to kill but couldn’t kill, right?

Bringing over the Nanliang prisoners, even binding the Nanliang envoys, just to let them hear with their own ears Duke Huguo admit to being a Daqi person just to get a drink of water.

The border was a very special place during wartime.

The people there could be Nanliang today and turn into Daqi as the city changed hands, and perhaps be Nanliang again after some time.

The city belonged to whoever held it, and the people in that city belonged to them too.

Duke Huguo admitting he was a Daqi person and Marquis Dongxiang providing him water and food meant accepting this Nanliang traitor.

Marquis Dongxiang dealing with a Daqi person was not Nanliang’s business.

Nanliang had no face to confront Daqi over a traitor who would forsake Nanliang for a drink.

Just like Duke Huguo said, no one forced the Flying Tiger Army to drink Nanliang’s water.

Daqi also didn’t force him to betray Nanliang for a drink.

Duke Huguo thought being unreasonable would leave Marquis Dongxiang helpless.

He underestimated a man who could rebuild the Flying Tiger Army by robbing the court.

In terms of strategy, no one has been found to surpass Marquis Dongxiang so far.

Since hearing Duke Huguo say no one forced the Flying Tiger Army to drink Nanliang’s water, Marquis Dongxiang hadn’t intended to let him leave the Daqi Camp alive.

The Flying Tiger Army was Marquis Dongxiang’s inverse scale.

Duke Huguo could humiliate him, but not the Flying Tiger Army!

Just because of a few sips of Nanliang’s water, eight thousand soldiers’ lives were lost.

If he couldn’t avenge his brothers, what meaning would all his years of patience hold?

Although Duke Huguo didn’t leave a written confession, he was hung there, publicly admitting Duke Chong was his accomplice.

With Duke Huguo dead, next up was Duke Chong!

A cold glint flashed in Marquis Dongxiang’s eyes as he glanced at the Nanliang envoys.

The Nanliang envoys shivered.

Marquis Dongxiang said, "Let them go."

The soldiers stepped forward to untie the ropes of the Nanliang envoys.

The Nanliang envoys wanted to take Duke Huguo’s body away.

Prince NanAn watched them, crossed his arms, and said, "You Nanliang people have no standing to take away a Daqi person, do you?"

The Nanliang envoys, "...."

The Nanliang envoys were furious inside.

But they couldn’t quite voice their protest.

Duke Huguo admitted himself to be a Daqi person, although provoked by Daqi people, it was he who bent for a drink.

Daqi refused to let them take Duke Huguo’s body, and they had no solution.

Unless they also admitted themselves to be Daqi people.

Could the Nanliang envoys admit it?

Who knows if admitting would lead them to the same fate as Duke Huguo!

Unable to attend to Duke Huguo’s body, the Nanliang envoys and their captured soldiers quickly left the Daqi Camp.

Duke Huguo’s body lay unattended there.

After dealing with Duke Huguo, it was Xie Jingchuan’s turn.

The Prince wanted to kill Xie Jingchuan, but Marquis Dongxiang didn’t agree.

He instructed Su Chong to escort Xie Jingchuan back to the Capital to be dealt with by the Emperor.

Xie Jingchuan, having helped Nanliang extinguish the Flying Tiger Army with the same tricks, even if Xie Jingchen were truly dead, and the Prince was left with only Xie Jingchuan, no one could save his life.

The purpose of handing him over to the Emperor was Marquis Dongxiang’s way of showcasing Xie Jingchuan’s return to the Capital, telling everyone in Daqi that the fall of the Flying Tiger Army was due to the treachery of men like Duke Chong and Xie Jingchuan.

Without their betrayal, the Flying Tiger Army would never have lost!

This is also why, after learning how the Flying Tiger Army was defeated, Marquis Dongxiang didn’t return to the camp directly, but continued attacking Nanliang.