"Please speak your mind." Ling Tian lightly smiled, guessing his intentions.

Xiao FengHan sucked in a deep breath of air, a lonely aura surfacing between his brows as he slowly said, "I hope that Crown Prince can treat the various civilians of my Southeastern area kindly, and as for my troops, Crown Prince may use what can be used. Those that are not needed, please do not harm them. Allow them to have their freedom once again, removing their armors and returning back to the farms. Would that be possible?"

"Xiao Family Head is overthinking things. These two matters, even if you did not speak of them, I was also planning to handle them in this manner." Ling Tian unhesitatingly agreed as he smiled. "A strong army and valiant soldiers are the foundations of any country. How would I be able to let go of them? As for the civilians, they will be citizens of my Divine Prefecture Empire in the future, sharing the same vision. For those soldiers who are tired of the battlefield, they may return at any time!"

"Good!" Xiao FengHan loudly hollered. "Since Crown Prince has this intention, then this Xiao can announce right here that the Xiao Family shall no longer exist in the Southeast! I'll move my entire clan over to Sky Bearing and enjoy my twilight years with that old brother of mine."

The moment he finished speaking, the entire place fell into absolute silence! Only the sounds of sharp breaths were heard. Everyone present clearly understood the severity behind the words that the Xiao Family Head had spoken! This especially rang true for those in the Xiao Family. They were even more clear what it meant for Xiao FengHan to come to this decision.

By moving the entire family over to Sky Bearing, the Xiao Family would cease to exist in the Southeast!

The millennium-long efforts of their ancestors would be given up! A total of 3,000 miles of mountains and rivers would change hands!

The number one financial magnate of the world would disappear and turn into history!

As for the troops, warhorses, and generals of the Xiao Family, they would have a permanent handicap, as all of them would follow the Xiao Family to be stationed within Sky Bearing. Within the Divine Prefecture Empire, their lives would all be held in the hand of the Emperor. Even if they had any plans to be disloyal, how much chaos could they incite? They had lost the support of the behemoth that was the Xiao Family. Even if you had heaven-defying talent, how could a person's strength go against an entire empire?

This move would not only remove the hidden problem that was the Xiao Family for the Ling Family but would also convert them to a force that would support them in their cause!

Ling Tian smiled as he looked at Xiao FengHan meaningfully. He gently replied, "This spirit of Xiao Family head is indeed earth-shaking. Ling Tian admires you!"

Xiao FengHan's face reddened at the praise. He dryly laughed in return. "Crown Prince is joking. I'm just saying this in my capacity as the Family Head of the Xiao Family. This matter will still need to be discussed with my children and grandchildren. I just decided to make my stand clear early, to prevent any potential troubles."

Ling Tian nodded in reply but did not continue the conversation.

Xiao FengHan had already made his words clear. If he spoke further, then it would make him seem petty and would spoil this perfect scenario. Forget it, let him be the evildoer this time!

The Xiao Family was undergoing huge changes at the moment. Although their biggest cancer these few years, the Above Heavens Sect, had been taken out, it was a Pyrrhic victory, with a great amount of their strength being sapped away. But no matter what, their greatest danger was now behind them. From now onward, they could take their time to replenish their forces, and to rise back up again was not an impossibility. Furthermore, without the handicap that was the Above Heavens Sect, the rise of the Xiao Family would be even harder to curb.

The Xiao Family did not lack people with knowledge and wisdom, this part was naturally clearly evident. They even didn't lack people with the ambition to conquer the entire world. While they might choose to temporarily be stationed under the Ling Family as officials, but this was mainly with the intention to endure humiliation as part of an important mission. The moment they were fully fledged and developed, they would not hesitate to rip aside all pretenses. For their goal of hegemony, how would they allow these sort of trivial emotions and grat.i.tude bind them?

But for the Xiao Family head, Xiao FengHan to be able to extrapolate this far, then how could the detailed and meticulous Ling Tian not be able to do so? How would he even overlook this point? Since he could annihilate the Above Heavens, then what more effort would it require to finish off a half-dead Xiao Family? Even if he were to stay his hand based on the respect for Xiao FengHan as the family head and based on his granddaughter Xiao YanXue, what about the future? The moment his clansman displayed any suspicious movements or even harbored suspicious thoughts, it would be enough for the entire family to be sent into the pits of h.e.l.l!

How could Ling Tian, who was farsighted, allow the Xiao Family to have the chance to make a comeback? Even if we were to take ten thousand steps back and say that Ling Tian would not act against the Xiao Family currently, so long as their foundations remained in the Southeast, Ling Tian would one day employ vicious methods to cripple the governing power of the Xiao Family!

For such a scenario, the Xiao Family would just end up pa.s.sively receiving the innumerable schemes that Ling Tian would create. Their days would get worse, and they would still not get the chance to make a comeback and rule over the world. In the end, the Xiao Family would still have to move to Sky Bearing to avoid a disaster! However, if they only chose to move at that time instead of now, then things would be vastly different. To say it bluntly, it was akin to not moving when asked to, but only moving after being beaten up!

In contrast, if they were to pledge allegiance and move over now, they would definitely be able to maintain a small portion of their forces within the army. Ling Tian was not someone unreasonable, and would not purposely make things difficult for them. In addition, Ling Tian would also be willing to use the Xiao Family's strategists and military officers. If it was the alternative method, all of these people's talents would go down the drain!

Thus, Xiao FengHan borrowed the opportunity from Ling Tian's words to immediately state that the Xiao Family would be moving out of the Southeast. By doing things in such a clear-cut manner, not only did he protect the Xiao Family, but he managed to completely secure themselves without any losses!

This was truly what they called far-sighted and deeply scheming! The Xiao Family Head indeed lived up to his name!

To raise up the topic of s.h.i.+fting over to Sky Bearing, there not be any awkwardness as he had a sworn brother over there, and furthermore, there was Xiao YanXue as the newly instated imperial concubine. Could the Xiao Family possibly suffer with these two factors? In addition, releasing a whole 3,000 miles of mountains and rivers, how big a contribution was this? This was akin to pioneering a whole new territory for the empire! Using such a contribution to enter Sky Bearing, it was enough to propel them to the level of a n.o.ble family in the Divine Prefecture Empire, and furthermore a top-tier one!

If we were to put it this way, it seemed that the act of Xiao FengHan taking advantage of the situation for one's own benefit managed to get them quite a bit in return. However, looking at it another way, even though it was the Xiao Family that suggested the merger, the contributions that they offered were definitely not little, which would brand Ling Tian with a black mark in return! For those that were unaware of the situation, they would think that it was Ling Tian that used his domineering strength to force the Xiao Family into submission after helping them with their problems. With the facts placed like that, the rumors in the future would definitely be in this direction.

To someone like Ling Tian who had just ascended the throne after establis.h.i.+ng their country, this sort of criticism was definitely not something good. As such, it was unavoidable for Ling Tian to feel a little uncomfortable.

This little play from Xiao FengHan was not only understood by Ling Tian, but also Li Xue and Ling Chen. As for the Xiao Family's side, Xiao FengYang could not help but exclaim with delight in his heart. A few others standing by the side also let out smiles of schadenfreude after thinking about the nuances involved.

Since it was a hopeless matter to prevent, why not then be more ruthless towards this? Wouldn't it be good to allow everyone to completely ease their worries?

Xiao FengYang laughed as he turned towards Ling Tian and said, "This is a great deed towards us, but it's just that we have to trouble the Crown Prince to pardon the two of us, hahahaha..." He laughed long and hard.

Ling Tian stared daggers at him, forcing out a chuckle between clenched teeth as he replied, "Second Master Xiao, don't rejoice too early. Your Xiao Family put me in such a bad spot, but with grandfather and grandmother present, I definitely can't do anything to the Family Head. So instead, I'll look for some payment through you! The 100,000 odd soldiers from the Xiao Family will all be placed under you. If there are any problems, then don't blame me, the military rod has no feelings to speak of!"

Xiao FengYang's face turned bitter as he helplessly replied, "The command from Crown Prince, how would this official not dare to heed it?" His meaning was that before the military order came down, he still had room to breathe.

"Hmph hmph hmph..." Ling Tian coldly snorted in reply. The two of them exchanged glances, before suddenly laughing out in unison.

After arranging the procedures for those injured, Xiao FengHan prepared a huge banquet to entertain Ling Tian's group of people. The two old fellows were extremely clear on the positions of this group - one was to be the Emperor in the future, and the others the Empress as well as Imperial concubines. None of them were insignificant characters. As for those cold-faced youths of Ling Tian's, none of them would be ordinary people in the future. The roles they would play in the future would definitely be of great importance. Treating them well at this point would allow them to avoid any trouble in the future even if they did not get any benefits.

The sounds of cheering resounded continuously from the outside, making the atmosphere very lively. On the inside, each person was seated on a mat, and while the numbers were not many, it completely filled up the inner hall. Other than Ling Tian, Ling Chen, Li Xue, Ling Jian and the others present, those from the Xiao Family included Xiao FengHan, FengYang, and a couple of other elderlies, as well as Xiao YanXue's parents and Xiao YouHan and her parents.

This was something Ling Tian hinted to Ling Chen to propose.

As the meals were delivered down, everyone happily engaged in merrymaking.

Seeing that almost half the wine was drunk and that everyone was approaching the limits of sobriety, Ling Tian laughed as he took the initiative to speak, "Actually, there's another matter that I would like to discuss with the various seniors of the Xiao Family today. This untalented Prince here is going to stoop down low to help my brother and be a matchmaker. May I know if everyone here has any opinions about that?"

Xiao FengYang was long prepared for this in his heart and immediately replied, "Please speak your mind, Crown Prince. We will naturally consider it thoroughly."

"Good!" Ling Tian laughed out, before leaning forward to continue, "This lady YouHan here is not only pretty but has a virtuous temperament. If Fourth Master Xiao and Madam do not mind, how about letting her be the companion of my Divine Prefecture Empire's Divine Sword Duke?"

Because Xiao YouHan's father was fourth in birth, thus Ling Tian addressed him as the Fourth Master Xiao. Half of it was due to respect for the elders, and another half out of respect of Ling Jian.

As he spoke, Ling Tian jerked his chin in Ling Jian's direction as he winked.

Ling Jian's fingers trembled, and his chopsticks fell to the ground with a clatter as his face immediately turned red. In his heart, he was incomparably depressed as he thought, 'Since when did I become the Divine Sword Duke? Why was I unaware of my own position? When was this done?!'

Xiao YouHan yelped in embarra.s.sment, turning to leap straight into her mother's bosom to hide her burning face.

Fourth Master Xiao and his wife exchanged glances as they grinned. Both of them were already prepared for this, and could not help if this Crown Prince there was trying to mock their daughter. How could her temperament even be described as 'virtuous'? However, if not for this special matter, how could the two of them even have the authority to sit in this place? In their family, those who were more capable than them were far too numerous in number! In fact, was this not similar to 'When the human achieves the Dao, even the poultry and dogs nearby him can ascend to heaven'?! A saying that means when someone achieves success, those who are related to him can ride on the success as well.