The King of Jing had never met this man, but he had often heard Wu Ding and Guo Hu speak of him. This man, along with Liang Menglong, had diligently worked under Zhang Juzheng, achieving considerable success in reorganizing military preparedness. Upon seeing him, the King of Jing realized he was less than forty years old, with a refined and handsome appearance, yet possessing a subtle aura of heroism.
"Excellent…"
The King of Jing strode forward, ushering him into the main tent, and greeted him warmly:
"Do not open the gate!"
"Do not open the gate!"
Upon hearing his shout, Wu Dui, considering the current stalemate and the King of Jing's position as Crown Prince, realized that his entry into the city would immediately quell the unrest. He immediately called out:
"Open the city gates!"
Hiss!
The soldiers guarding the city were instantly bewildered.
For the past few days, such contradictory orders had been surfacing intermittently, leaving everyone at a loss. They didn't know whose orders to follow or whose to defy, and they were once again frozen outside the city.
Wu Dui angrily demanded:
"Lord Han, His Highness the King of Jing is the current Regent and Crown Prince. Why do you not open the gates?"
Heh heh,
Han Chong replied with a stern expression:
"There is an imperial decree from the court stating that all military forces in the capital must obey the dispatch of the Privy Council. This humble general dares not disobey."
You!
Wu Dui shouted loudly:
"Open the city gates!"
Han Chong immediately followed suit:
"Do not open the gate!"
Whoosh!
Wu Dui recalled how this man had repeatedly defied his orders in recent days, and he became enraged. With a clang, he drew his half-sheathed saber but managed to restrain himself. Han Chong looked at him with a cold smile, remaining silent. The atmosphere became awkwardly tense with their confrontation.
Just then,
A man on horseback approached the riverbank outside the city and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Minister of War, Lord Wang Guoguang, escorting His Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital! Open the city gates!"
"Minister of War, Lord Wang Guoguang, escorting His Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital! Open the city gates…"
Moreover, Wu Dui had already turned hostile. If the gates were not opened, he would directly accuse them of rebellion and instigate an immediate skirmish. However, Han Chong knew full well that they had no chance of winning such a conflict at this moment.
Alas…
Han Chong mused: Yan Shifan, Yan Shifan, you are known as the foremost genius in the realm, yet how did you manage to mess things up like this?
He was a man accustomed to changing with the wind. He then considered—
With the King of Jing returning with so many troops, even if they tried to stop him, it would be futile. Why not change course now? Otherwise, if the King of Jing proceeded to execute his kill list according to rank, wouldn't he be in grave danger?
He immediately put on a smile and said earnestly:
"Commander Wu, how would this subordinate dare? Since Commander has issued an order, your subordinate will naturally obey…"
He sharply turned around and shouted at the few officers behind him:
"Why are you not opening the gates quickly!"
"As you command."
Three or four officers immediately ran down the city wall. Han Chong quickly pulled Wu Dui aside and whispered:
"Commander Wu, this humble one is also in a difficult position… We are all soldiers. Who can truly understand the affairs of the court? Now that His Highness the King of Jing has returned to the capital, the situation will surely be stabilized. This humble one, alas, is afraid… Commander Wu, we have no prior grievances. You, you must understand your brother's plight…"
Mm-hmm,
Wu Dui patted his shoulder and sighed:
"Old Han, it's good that you understand… What are we fighting each other for? There's no reason for it… Come, let's go and welcome His Highness! As long as His Highness remembers your name, there will be no trouble…"
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, brother Junze, for saving my life…"