The words of the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire surprised everyone.
They never imagined that their Great Emperor would say such a thing.
Considering he possessed such a vast empire, he was known for his grand ambitions.
Indeed, many of them knew that their Great Emperor intended to expand their empire and make it even more powerful.
The ambition of such a ruler was understandable.
Yet, now, this ambitious Great Emperor had uttered the word "surrender."
No one had anticipated this.
Simultaneously, countless individuals found it unbelievable.
They stared blankly at their Great Emperor, momentarily speechless.
After a long pause, someone among them finally spoke, asking:
"Your Majesty, what did you say??"
Hearing this question, the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire felt an overwhelming sense of shame.
For a fleeting moment, he felt disgraced.
But ultimately, he chose to answer.
"I said, why don't we just surrender!!"
"Surrender? Does Your Majesty truly intend to surrender??"
"Your Majesty, we cannot surrender! If we surrender, our Arab Empire will be lost!!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, how can you surrender? If even you surrender, our Arab Empire will truly vanish from this world!!"
They were all well aware of the implications.
If such a thing truly happened, their Arab Empire would be utterly annihilated.
Therefore, in their hearts, they did not agree with this course of action.
If surrender could be avoided, they were resolute in their refusal to surrender.
Their Great Emperor's words further fueled the opposition from many.
However, despite their opposition, after voicing it, they were forced to confront reality.
"I naturally know that if I surrender, our Arab Empire will be completely lost!!"
"But I also know that if our Arab Empire does not surrender, all of you will die!!"
"Moreover, even if we refuse to surrender, it will be futile; we are no match for those enemies!!"
The current situation was crystal clear.
They were like fish on a chopping block; if Lin Tian wished to strike, he could destroy them at any moment.
They possessed no capacity to resist.
In such a scenario, why resist and needlessly sacrifice their lives?
Therefore, surrendering now was a wise choice.
As for losing face, the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire no longer cared.
After all, he had little face left to lose.
Of course, he still cared about whether he could survive.
In his heart, he naturally wished to live.
However, he had no confidence in whether he truly could, leaving it entirely to fate.
Thus, a forced smile appeared on his face.
"It's alright, the Arab Empire may be lost, but as long as you are alive, that is a good thing!!"
"After all, your families are waiting for you to return home!!"
The generals of the Arab Empire were not deeply moved by these words.
Many of them had already made arrangements for their families during the retreat.
However, the soldiers of the Arab Empire, upon hearing this, were moved to tears.
They were mere common soldiers, seldom returning home even after several years.
Furthermore, they were constantly risking their lives on the battlefield.
Under such circumstances, they yearned intensely for their families.
Because of this, many of them genuinely wished to go home.
When their Great Emperor spoke these words, their desire to return home intensified.
Of course, even though their eyes welled up, no one rushed to declare their wish to go home.
They understood that the current dire situation of the Arab Empire required them more than ever.
If they were to abandon their country now, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow.
Therefore, even if it meant enduring hardship, they would persevere until it was definitively clear that surrender was necessary.
This led many soldiers to gaze intently at their Great Emperor.
Seeing their gazes, their Great Emperor could not help but offer a bitter smile.
The unwillingness of their soldiers to fight was truly not a good sign for the Arab Empire.
But now, in this predicament, he could only accept it.
"Therefore, I have decided to disband all soldiers!"
"The warriors of our Arab Empire, you may all return home! As for the surrender, I alone will handle it!!"
The Great Emperor of the Arab Empire took a deep breath and made this decision.
This decision caused even more uproar among the officers and soldiers of the Arab Empire.
"What? Your Majesty intends to surrender alone??"
"Your Majesty, how can this be? How can you surrender alone??"
"Your Majesty, no! You cannot surrender alone!!"
While the prospect of returning home was a great joy, and meant preserving their lives, they were unwilling to let their Great Emperor surrender alone.
Especially a few fiercely loyal individuals who, at this moment, knelt at their Great Emperor's feet.
"Your Majesty, this humble servant is willing to surrender with you!!"
"Your Majesty, this humble servant is also willing to accompany you in surrendering!!"
"Your Majesty, I will not leave; I will go with you to surrender!!"
These words made the smile on the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire even more bitter.
If possible, he did not wish to die this way, nor did he want to surrender alone.
But as the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire, he had no choice.
He couldn't even find someone to replace him.
Under such circumstances, even if more people accompanied him, it would change nothing.
At this moment, the only thing he could do was perhaps let those people leave first.
"Go, all of you. Live as long as you can. This time, you are not needed!!"
"Your Majesty!!"
"Go!!"
Having said this, the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire paid them no further heed and walked out alone, preparing to surrender.
Many soldiers wished to follow their Great Emperor, but in the end, they suppressed their excitement and did not pursue him.
Relatively speaking, their own lives were more important.
Ultimately, only three or four individuals were truly willing to die alongside the Great Emperor of the Arab Empire.
As for the others, they all dispersed.
...