"Your Highness, the Northern King, here is the tiger tally you requested. Shall I summon my generals immediately to give them some instructions?"
Chen Beiding respectfully handed the metal tiger tally to Xiao Beiding with both hands from the brocade box.
Although he felt a bit helpless, as Xiao Yunlong had said, these hundred thousand troops did not originally belong to him; he was merely responsible for leading them. The true ownership still lay with the Northern Frontier Camp.
It was just that Chen Beiding had taken these hundred thousand troops under his command when he saw that King Xiao Bei was in trouble.
Xiao Yunlong took the tiger tally and nodded, "You are sensible and know when to advance and retreat. Continue to be the Banner Lord of Beiding from now on. As long as you don't make mistakes, you can enjoy wealth and honor for a lifetime as a leisurely Banner Lord!"
"Thank you, Your Highness, the Northern King!" Chen Beiding breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had passed this test.
Xiao Yunlong turned and handed the tiger tally to Li Jiuxiao, saying, "Go with Banner Lord Beiding to the military camp and make sure to bring the hundred thousand troops to Pingcheng on the west line of Jiacity Pass to wait for me!"
"Yes!" Li Jiuxiao immediately bowed and took it with both hands.
"The rest of you, follow me, and let's go to Black Xuan City immediately!"
After speaking, Xiao Yunlong left with Liu Ruyan, and the others followed closely.
As for Li Jiuxiao, he was now heading with Chen Beiding to the camp where the hundred thousand troops of Beiding Banner were stationed.
Immediately, cars roared away from the Banner Lord's mansion.
And as Xiao Yunlong and his group were on their way to Black Xuan City, a phone call was suddenly made from the Beiding Banner Lord's mansion to the Northern Frontier Camp.
Soon after, Zhang Qingyun, the personal adjutant of the Northeast Tiger King, answered and rushed into the study, not even bothering to knock.
Zhang Qingyun, who was in the study, frowned and said sternly, "What happened that you are so flustered that you forgot to knock?"
"Tiger King, please forgive my rudeness, but this matter is indeed too urgent, which is why I was so hasty."
The adjutant changed the subject and continued, "Tiger King, I just received intelligence from Beiding Banner stating that King Xiao Bei suddenly went to Beiding Banner and personally met with Chen Beiding!"
"He went to Beiding Banner..." At first, Tiger King Zhang Qingyun was in a casual posture, even browsing the military book in his hand. But suddenly, a flash of lightning struck his mind, and he finally realized something.
"Bad, he went for Chen Beiding's hundred thousand troops!"
Tiger King Zhang Qingyun sprang up from his chair and gritted his teeth, "I was careless. I didn't anticipate this in advance, and he got there first. If nothing unexpected happens, he has already taken control of the hundred thousand troops of Beiding Banner, and then he will definitely head to Black Xuan City!"
The adjutant, standing respectfully before him, said, "The Tiger King's foresight is indeed divine. According to intelligence, General Azure Dragon under King Xiao Bei has already taken the tiger tally to the military camp to take over the hundred thousand troops, while King Xiao Bei is heading directly to Black Xuan City."
"As expected of King Xiao Bei. It seems he had planned this out when we made the bet. Although I reacted a bit late, I will not let you have your way so easily. The hundred thousand troops in Black Xuan City cannot be given to you again!"
Zhang Qingyun snorted inwardly. He knew very well that if Xiao Yunlong successfully took control of two hundred thousand troops, with King Xiao Bei's military talent, it would be very difficult for him to win against him.
"Immediately summon the several commanders, and make it quick!" Zhang Qingyun waved his hand.
The adjutant, knowing the urgency of the situation, did not dare to ask more and immediately turned to notify them.
Soon, including the burly, bearded general, four commanders walked in quickly. When they learned of the situation, they all became restless.
"What a move! This King Xiao Bei is indeed a master strategist. We were all deceived by him just now!" said one of the commanding generals.
"It's meaningless to talk about this now. King Xiao Bei is already on his way to Black Xuan City. Calculating the time, he will arrive at Black Xuan City in at least two and a half hours. Let's discuss what we should do next?"
Tiger King Zhang Qingyun sat back in his chair. He had regained his composure, and of course, he already had a plan in mind.
The reason he called the commanders to discuss was merely out of respect, and it was also a habit Zhang Qingyun had cultivated over the years.
The burly, bearded general said, "Tiger King, I believe we must fight for Black Xuan City with all our might. We cannot let King Xiao Bei have the remaining two hundred thousand troops, otherwise, our chances of winning will be significantly reduced."
"I have the same plan. What about the others? What are your thoughts?" Zhang Qingyun asked.
The other generals were not foolish. Hearing the Tiger King say "I have the same plan," they basically concluded that the Tiger King intended to do just that.
At this, several of them said, "Tiger King, we also mean the same. Black Xuan City must be fought for with all our might. Even if we can't win it, we cannot let it fall into King Xiao Bei's hands. At least let him remain neutral for now, and we can discuss other matters after you and King Xiao Bei have settled the outcome!"
"Good, since everyone agrees, let's proceed as planned. I will personally call the Banner Lord of Black Xuan shortly. We can satisfy all the conditions he proposed earlier. However, with just the Banner Lord of Black Xuan, I'm afraid he cannot withstand King Xiao Bei's pressure."
Zhang Qingyun frowned slightly as he said this, then continued, "Just in case, let's invite two guardian elders to take action. Let them set off for Black Xuan City immediately. I believe with their presence, the situation should be stabilized!"
"The Tiger King's consideration is thorough. The two guardian elders have a private relationship with your Zhang family, and the Tiger King personally inviting them will surely make them act. Moreover, Yang Guangxuan, the Banner Lord of Black Xuan, is greedy for money, and he will not refuse if we offer him significant benefits. However, I am still worried..."
The burly, bearded strongman said this and then stopped, as if hesitant to speak.
"What are you worried about?" Tiger King Zhang Qingyun asked.
"I am worried that if the Tiger King comes forward to win over Black Xuan Banner and make it neutral, it will weaken the western defense line of Jiacity Pass, allowing the three northern nomadic countries to invade in full force. In that case, even if the Tiger King wins the competition, the border area will suffer. I am worried that this is not in line with the principles you uphold, and may violate your moral code!"
As soon as the bearded general finished speaking, Tiger King Zhang Qingyun threw his head back and laughed heartily, saying loudly, "It seems you only know one aspect and not the other. As the old saying goes, all warfare is based on deception. On the battlefield, any scheme or trick is permissible. Otherwise, why would there be the saying 'war is never deceitful'?"
However, he changed his tone and continued, "Of course, I will not let what you just said happen, because it truly does not align with my morals and principles. I am currently stationed at the Northern Frontier Camp, so I will absolutely not allow the three northern nomadic countries to invade and harm even a single citizen of our Dragon Country!"
"I will defeat the twenty thousand allied forces of the three northern nomadic countries on the eastern line of Jiacity Pass at the fastest speed, and then advance westward, joining forces with the hundred thousand troops of Black Xuan City, to annihilate the twenty thousand enemy troops on the border line. This way, I will not only defeat King Xiao Bei but also resolve the predicament on the border!"
"Tiger King, you are truly a master strategist. According to your plan, Xiao Yunlong will surely be convinced of his defeat, and you will then be the undisputed King of the Northern Frontier!"
"Tiger King is wise. This time, you will surely suppress King Xiao Bei, achieve a great victory against the allied forces of the three northern nomadic countries, and thus become famous in one battle, shocking the entire Dragon Country!"
The generals below clasped their hands and flattered him again.
"Alright, I will start contacting the Banner Lord of Black Xuan now. You all go and prepare the eastern defense. This time, we not only need to defend but also to take the initiative and strive to eliminate the twenty thousand enemy troops on the eastern line as quickly as possible!"
Tiger King Zhang Qingyun said, waving his hand. He watched as the generals walked out and closed the door. Only then did he pick up the desk phone.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yunlong was already on his way to Black Xuan City. In fact, he knew that his movements would likely not be hidden from the Northern Frontier Camp, as there would surely be informants and spies of Zhang Qingyun in the Beiding Banner Lord's mansion.
Of course, Xiao Yunlong didn't care. Instead, he was eager to see what methods the Northeast Tiger would use to obstruct him from taking control of the hundred thousand troops of Black Xuan Banner.
In a sense, this was their first confrontation.
Two hours later, Xiao Yunlong and his party finally arrived at Black Xuan City and came to the Black Xuan Banner Lord's mansion.
However, five minutes before their arrival, a car carrying two elderly men with graying hair quietly drove into the Black Xuan Banner Lord's mansion through a side entrance.
These two elderly men with graying hair and beards were none other than the two guardian powerhouses of the Northern Frontier Camp!