Chapter 1017 Qian, Surrender!

Inside the command tent, incense smoke curled lazily.

Liu Dahu brought in the evening meal: oil-splashed noodles.

The Prince and his heir sat there, each using chopsticks to mix their own noodles.

Si Niang sat beside them, gently stroking the back of her son’s head, looking every bit the image of a loving mother.

Zheng Lin frowned slightly, silently putting down his chopsticks, and reached for the garlic on the table, beginning to peel it.

He had seen it before, when Tian Ge (referring to Zheng Fan) was still studying at the Prince’s manor. Every time the family ate together, Tian Ge would peel shrimp when they ate shrimp, and peel garlic when they ate noodles. After the meal, Tian Ge would also help light a cigarette.

But when it came to him "inheriting" the role,

Zheng Lin felt a little awkward.

It wasn't the pure disdain he used to have for his father being a mortal.

In fact,

After entering Qian this time,

His father's performance had cleared up many of his doubts,

Explaining why so many people were willing to risk their lives to follow this "mortal."

However,

Zheng Lin just instinctively felt that something was wrong.

If his father was truly seventy or eighty years old, unable to carry things, lift things, or bedridden, then fine, perhaps he could do something to show his filial piety.

But the problem was that his father was clearly in his prime, and a newly promoted Third-Rank martial artist with a strong physique.

He was simply enjoying the feeling of being served by his son.

A clove of peeled garlic was taken from in front of the son, bitten into, and paired with a large mouthful of noodles. That taste, hoo...

In fact, his son's thoughts were correct.

The Prince simply liked the feeling of being served by his son.

What was the point of having this child if he couldn't be used as a little servant?

Across the table, slightly to the side, Yao Zizhan also held a bowl of oil-splashed noodles, eating with relish.

This old thing, you could say he was amazing, with beautiful calligraphy, poetry, and prose, and most of the time, he could be content with his surroundings.

But if you said he was lacking, you could also point out a lot of his less-than-presentable aspects.

"Ah, this old man has been craving this for a long time. Back in Shengle City, this old man loved the wine and the food of Shengle City. This little bowl of noodles, I've had people make it in other places, but the flavor just isn't as authentic and satisfying as the one in front of the Prince."

Some oil stains got onto his beard. Liu Dahu noticed and handed Yao Shi a clean, damp cloth.

The Prince smiled slightly and took another clove of garlic from his son, saying:

"People only live once. Sometimes, if you take a step back and think about it, being able to eat and drink well is actually a great blessing."

"The Prince is right, the Prince is right." Yao Zizhan immediately nodded in agreement.

"But the difference between humans and beasts lies in this;

Before you have enough to eat, you only think about one thing... hunger.

But once you've eaten your fill, do you think the problem is gone? No, problems suddenly multiply.

You see the red walls and green tiles of your neighbor's house, the sedan chairs they ride in, the silk and satin they wear, and the glamorous appearance of their wives;

And you feel inferior, you feel distressed."

"The Prince is right, it's a matter of not worrying about scarcity but worrying about inequality."

"I think it's purely because they're full and have nothing better to do."

"The Prince is mistaken, people move in the direction they desire."

"Yao Shi is right, I stand corrected."

Yao Zizhan blinked twice;

"So, I dare not let go of this ambition to conquer Qian for even a moment, because whether you count forward eight hundred years or backward eight hundred years, the ancient Xia land of the Qian Kingdom has the most people... with full bellies."

Yao Zizhan swallowed, suddenly finding the bowl of noodles in front of him less appealing.

In the end, his task could not be accomplished in front of this Prince of Yan.

He wasn't asking you to simply lower your head and admit defeat,

He wanted you to wear plain clothes, lead a sheep, and kneel before his horse's hooves.

"Your Highness, is there really no room for... accommodation?"

The Prince smiled,

And said:

"Negotiating business and making deals require capital. Do you think that your Qian Kingdom has any capital worth making me... yield?

Half of Jiangnan has already fallen and submitted to Zhao Yuannian, the new official, and the Qian River has been cut off by our army. This season's autumn grain hasn't had time to be transported to the capital, right? I'm afraid your Qian capital is already experiencing a famine.

The southwestern Tusi,

The northern Qiang tribes,

Have responded to my Great Yan's uprising against Qian;

In Sanbian, my Emperor is leading a large army to continue the stalemate.

The Qian people’s hands and feet are already tied up,

Alas,

All that's left is a stubborn mouth."

"Your Highness, my Great Qian Jingji still has hundreds of thousands of imperial guards, loyal to the official and the court!"

Yao Zizhan said with righteous indignation,

But the Prince silently took a sip of noodles.

"Add some more chili."

Zheng Lin scraped some more chili into his father's bowl.

Yao Shi felt somewhat awkward;

He knew in his heart that his bluffing was useless in the eyes of this man, but duty compelled him to continue pushing the millstone.

Next, they continued to eat noodles.

When the Prince put down his chopsticks,

Yao Zizhan, who had long lost his appetite, also immediately put down his chopsticks.

Liu Dahu brought a cloth for the Prince to wipe his mouth. After wiping his mouth, the Prince folded the cloth and wiped his hands as he said:

"My request is simple, just one.

Zhao Mugou,

Wearing plain white clothes and leading a sheep, must come out of the city and surrender to me."

"But Your Highness..."

"There is absolutely no room for bargaining. If you can't satisfy this one condition, then I will make Shangjing, cease to exist from this day forth."

Threatening words truly depend on who speaks them.

It wasn't just the Regent's status, position, and military might,

The greatest threat came from the fact that

This Prince had done a lot of slaughtering, just like here in Houshan Town, the blood hadn't even dried yet...

But Yao Zizhan wisely didn't mention this, nor would he foolishly seek justice for the dead residents of Houshan Town and the qi refiners on the mountain at this time.

Yao Zizhan stood up,

Bit his lip,

And said:

"Your Highness, there's one more sentence that someone taught me."

"Speak."

"Your Highness has a part of your army blockading the river, suspended outside Jingji, yet you are not in a hurry to attack;

Your Highness's main force has crossed the river twice, sometimes north of Jingji and sometimes south of Jingji, and now to Houshan.

Isn't it because Your Highness believes that although my Jingji doesn't have hundreds of thousands of troops, the number of imperial guards... is actually quite significant.

In Your Highness’s heart,

You are still unwilling to invest your limited troops into the vortex of Jingji at this time."

These words were undoubtedly of a high level, because they were correct.

The Prince picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea,

And said:

"Li Xundao told you this?"

"Yes."

"Go back and tell Li Xundao."

"Please speak."

"This Great Yan is about to win. Everyone knows that the Qian Kingdom is failing.

It's hard for people to make a desperate gamble on a possibility;

But,

If you are destined to win, then everything is no longer a problem.

Although the troops around me are elite, there are indeed somewhat few. After dividing the troops, it only ignites the flames of war in various places. At present, this main force, plus the one east of Jingji, is indeed not enough to directly enter the Qian people's Jingji.

But...

Let's see,

My emperor,

I don't know how he will perform in a difficult situation;

But if he can't handle this kind of advantageous situation well, then I really have to consider whether I should rebel and let him step down and rest early.

These words,

Not only tell Li Xundao,

But also tell that Zhao Mugou and those few Grand Secretaries, as well as the ministers of your Qian court,

Don't think that by holding onto Jingji, you can wait for some turning point.

What you're waiting for,

Will be the complete southward march of the entire Yan Kingdom’s million-strong army.

Now,

Kneel down,

And I, Zhao Mugou, can give you a dignified end;

All the civil and military officials can also be properly settled;

And this Qian land can also retain more vitality.

But if you miss this opportunity,

I'm sorry,

There will be no room for negotiation."

Yao Zizhan silently bowed to Zheng Fan, turned around, and was about to take his leave when Zheng Fan called out to him again:

"Yao Shi."

"Your Highness, what other instructions do you have?"

"Actually, from the perspective of long-term stability, I don't want you to surrender. I prefer to clean the house completely."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Yao Zizhan staggered out of the command tent.

Zheng Lin asked, puzzled: "If that's the case, why give them a chance to surrender?"

Zheng Fan reached out and stroked his son's head, saying:

"Sometimes, even a general who has won every battle cannot prevent the demise of a country."

"But in this way, there will be future troubles. Many places will only be nominally surrendered, just like when Gou Shu was a wildling king in the Snow Plains."

"I know, but if your Uncle Gou hadn't been blocked in Jin by your father and unable to return, just look at which tribe in the Snow Plains would dare to act presumptuously in front of your Uncle Gou.

Similarly,

As long as I, Zheng Fan, am not dead,

These remnants of the old dynasty that I personally defeated will not dare to stand up and jump around.

They have to kneel, they have to prostrate, they have to lie down,

And when my gaze sweeps over,

They will all put on smiling faces and offer flattering words.

As for the future,

My two sons are not vegetarians, right?"

"Dad, are you tired?" Zheng Lin asked.

"Heh, bullsh*t, your dad is still in his prime.

Alright, son, go patrol the camp for your dad. Your dad wants to rest early tonight."

The heir to the throne got up and left the command tent.

Immediately,

Liu Dahu brought another cup of tea, and the bright red wolfberries floating on top exuded a sense of joy and stubbornness.

Si Niang leaned on her man's shoulder,

Gently stroking his chest with her hand,

And asked the same question as her son earlier:

"Husband, are you tired?"

"I don't know if this counts as being tired."

Zheng Fan reached out and took Si Niang's hand,

"But looking at it, this battle is coming to an end. Whether Shangjing surrenders or not, it doesn't have many days left to jump around.

This breath,

Can finally be released.

Those guys related to the Great Xia prophecy are useless in everything else, but they are very cowardly. I haven't seen their true strength yet.

Besides,

They don't have the qualifications to make me hold my breath or anything.

So,

You could say I was an old man with gray hair, but my age, although no longer young, has nothing to do with being old."

"So, husband, you feel a little empty inside, right?"

"Maybe... hiss..."

"Husband... are you still empty..."

"Full... filled..."

…

Yao Zizhan returned to Shangjing and conveyed the words of the Regent of Yan.

What surprised Yao Shi, but also felt was expected, was that

The emperor and the grand secretaries, after listening to his words in the imperial study,

Did not fly into a rage,

On the contrary,

Everyone seemed very calm.

After speaking, Yao Zizhan silently closed his mouth.

During the reign of the late emperor, he was a facade propped up by his literary reputation. It was the same in this dynasty, and he was well aware of it.

The oppressive atmosphere in the imperial study lasted for a long time, because no one spoke.

Finally,

The official got up and left.

The grand secretaries also silently got up and left the imperial study.

The state of the country, like the atmosphere in the imperial study, seemed so helpless.

Yao Zizhan habitually left the imperial study with Li Xundao and arrived at Li Xundao's exclusive signing room.

After sitting down,

Yao Zizhan directly opened his mouth and said:

"Houshan... is gone."

Li Xundao nodded and said, "I know."

Obviously, this news had traveled faster than Yao Zizhan.

"Has the situation gotten worse again?" Yao Zizhan asked.

He had just returned and definitely didn't know some new information, but looking at the situation in the imperial study earlier, it was clear that the situation had deteriorated again.

"Yes."

"What about Jiangnan?"

"No, Zhao Yuannian in Jiangnan is actually just a puppet. The Yan people know he's a puppet, we know he's a puppet, and he himself, along with the entire Jiangnan, actually knows he's a puppet.

Whoever wins, whoever stabilizes the situation, Zhao Yuannian is not to be feared."

"Then, is it the Southwest or Northwest?"

"If those Tusi really had the ability to break out of the mountains and seize cities, they would have done so long ago. The Northern Qiang are a loose collection of sand and can't cause any trouble.

Although they have indeed tied down the troops of several prefectures, preventing them from coming to support the emperor, the frontal battlefield is still a showdown between my Great Qian and the Yan people.

The problem lies in the North."

"Did something happen to Sanbian...?"

"Liangzhen has been breached, but the Sanbian system is more than just Liangzhen. The problem lies in the edict that the Yan emperor recently issued, which recently entered Shangjing."

"What edict?"

"That emperor,

Issued an edict,

That all Yan-Jin men, over the age of fifteen and under the age of sixty, are to be conscripted as laborers, auxiliary soldiers, and soldiers... with the determination to invade Qian."

In Yao Zizhan's mind, the words of the Prince in the command tent suddenly appeared;

He said that if the emperor of his family didn't know how to grasp this favorable situation, then...

Of course, Yao Zizhan didn't say these words in the imperial study, because there was no need.

Li Xundao looked at the pen holder in front of him, smiled,

And said:

"That Yan emperor's courage this time is much greater than his father's back then."

After all, even if the late Emperor of Yan had emptied the family fortune, he hadn't gone to this degree of madness.

But this one, had done it.

This was truly the family… giving it all up, just to win this battle.

Yao Zizhan sighed a long breath,

And said:

"That's because the Yan people feel they are bound to win, and the Chu people have split again, and the Chu land can no longer restrain the Yan people."

"Yes."

Li Xundao slightly raised his head,

"The situation cannot be reversed.

In two days,

I will lead the way in writing to the official, requesting to surrender."

"You..."

Yao Zizhan didn't explode in anger and scold Li Xundao, but rather looked at him with concern and heartache:

"Xundao, why do you have to do this..."

"Back then, I couldn't dissuade Master from going to Yanjing, and Master died.

Houshan is where I grew up and cultivated, and I couldn't protect it either.

This Great Qian,

Is where I, my father, wholeheartedly maintained, and I couldn't protect it either.

Xundao,

I, Xundao, have sought the Dao all my life, and in the end, what I have found is emptiness.

I don't regret it, Yao Shi, I don't regret it at all, at least I have seen, heard, and thought;

But since I came empty-handed, allow me to go empty-handed."

"But your reputation..."

Yao Zizhan was a literary sage, most sensitive to the word reputation;

"Xundao, you came down the mountain in white and entered the court as Prime Minister. Do you know how the people will view you if you take the lead in writing to surrender, and how will history write about you?

A hundred years from now,

You, Li Xundao, in the history books, in the rumors,

Will be like that unscrupulous Taoist priest, flattering the ruler, ruining the country, and a treacherous villain...

On the stage, there will be a clown playing you, accompanying a person in imperial robes, showing that ridiculous spell of scattering beans to form soldiers when facing the Yan iron cavalry!"

"Yao Shi is indeed Yao Shi, you've even written the script for me, hahahaha."

"You're still laughing!"

"It doesn't matter, the so-called emptiness is emptiness in the heart. As for what is on my back, what is wrapped around my arms, and what is on my head, there's no need to care."

Li Xundao picked up a pen,

And began to write a memorial:

"Zhong Tianlang committed suicide to die for his country in Menhai Town;

Meng Gong died under the commander's banner in the midst of the defeated army;

Le Huan was chased to the brink of despair by that Jin Shuke, and would rather die than surrender;

Han Laowu did come back, but his troops had long been scattered.

At present, this Great Qian,

Is full of war, full of fire;

Every day that is delayed, countless soldiers and civilians will die in vain in this battle without a chance of winning.

Losing,

Is not their responsibility,

It's mine, it's yours, it's ours, it's Your Majesty, it's us meat-eaters, ourselves, whose skills are inferior to others.

Why,

Make them continue to bleed.

Not to mention...

If we wait until that Yan emperor brings the national army and pours it into the Qian territory;

Then the Yan people,

Whatever is missing or damaged in their homes,

Will have to be replenished from the Qian land!

This point,

You, me, everyone, actually knows it in our hearts.

The late emperor was a good emperor;

The current official is also a good official.

It's just that no one is willing to take the lead at this time.

So,

I'll come.

Yao Shi, please, help me grind the ink."

"Ah..."

"Just grind the ink, you don't need to write for me."

Yao Zizhan's old face turned red, got up, and helped grind the ink.

"Xundao, let me sign it with you."

"Hehe." Li Xundao smiled.

Yao Zizhan became anxious and said, "I'm serious."

"It's really not necessary, Yao Shi, please, Yao Shi, write more poems and more articles in your remaining years.

In the future,

If my Qian country wants to be remembered by posterity in the history books,

We might have to rely on Yao Shi for your glory."

…

Two Yan armies entered the Qian Kingdom's Jingji from the east and west directions.

More than a dozen county towns in Jingji directly opened their gates and surrendered;

The Yan army continued to advance, without encountering any resistance, and finally arrived under the city of Shangjing.

The official of the Great Qian had already issued a decree of self-blame to the world a few days ago.

Immediately,

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Li, the official agreed to the request to surrender to the Yan Kingdom.

Under the two edicts,

The guards of the entire Jingji area and the people of the Jingji area all breathed a long sigh of relief in their hearts.

That person,

Even if he doesn't do anything,

As long as he gets close,

He can make the entire Jingji gasp for breath.

…

Li Xundao sat in a carriage, and the carriage drove out of the Prime Minister's residence.

At the door were stones, rotten vegetable leaves, insults, and the clearly audible smell of feces.

The Prime Minister's carriage entered the street,

Many people on both sides began to point at the carriage and scold it, and many people threw things at it.

The Prime Minister in the carriage just closed his eyes and remained unmoved.

When the carriage left the city and went to the west of the city, the surrounding scolding stopped.

Because there, it was very, very close to the location of the Yan army camp.

The people of Shangjing City dared to scold Prime Minister Li, scolding him for harming the country and the people, a treacherous prime minister, and bewitching the official,

But they would never dare to run to the Yan army camp to act wildly.

In front of the camp gate, the carriage stopped;

Li Xundao, dressed in official uniform, walked out of the carriage and saw that the two coachmen who had driven him all the way out of the city had broken heads and bloodied faces, but they didn't say a word.

Li Xundao bowed and saluted, and also saluted the soldiers who had escorted him all the way out of the city:

"Thank you everyone for your hard work."

Everyone returned the salute and said:

"We are sorry for Prime Minister."

Li Xundao shook his head,

Since he had asked His Majesty to surrender, not only had his reputation among the people plummeted, but even students from places like the Imperial Academy had gathered outside his mansion to scold him, and moreover, it was said that His Majesty had received many memorials impeaching him;

But he still didn't feel wronged,

Because although he was a person who came down from the mountain, he was not out of touch with reality;

And precisely because he clearly knew who they were, he was not at all surprised by their performance. He treated everything as normal.

Tomorrow,

Is the date for the official to leave the city and surrender;

And today,

It was he, Li Xundao, as Prime Minister, coming here to seek the final procedure from that Prince of Yan.

What surprised Li Xundao a bit was that after his side sent over the imperial edict and national letter, the Yan army camp could immediately return the Yan national letter and edict.

The journey was long, and it was impossible to pass it on so quickly. All this only explained one thing: the imperial edict was forged by that Prince;

Very perfunctory, and without any concealment, openly and brazenly.

However, no one would doubt its effectiveness, after all, the Regent in Great Yan was also as good as his word.

A powerful minister and general, reaching this point,

Was also unmatched.

After waiting for a long time,

He had not been allowed to pass through;

Li Xundao was preparing to send someone to inquire when he saw a tall figure wearing a black python robe, riding a Pixiu, slowly coming out.

"It is a great honor for the Prince to personally come out to meet Li, and Li is grateful."

The Prince looked at him calmly,

Looking at this,

The man who had "invited" him to Houshan back then.

"I have been waiting for tomorrow, and I am too lazy to go through any more trouble. Go back and tell your official;

It is not the first time he has knelt to me,

Even if it is the first time,

He will be very familiar with it this time."

Li Xundao bowed and made a gesture to return to the carriage.

The Prince was slightly surprised,

And asked:

"Not going to die here?"

Li Xundao stopped and asked in confusion:

"Does the Prince want to kill Li at this time to fulfill the oath of the past?"

"I am not in a hurry for this,

But I originally thought that since your Qian official is going to crawl to my feet tomorrow, your Prime Minister Li should end his life today."

"Your Highness, what would it mean to die here? Wouldn't it be to preserve one's own reputation and trap the ruler in injustice?"

"Li Xundao, if you are willing to sincerely defect to me, I can consider, on the matter of the Lotus Pond in Houshan that day, to show leniency to you."

"Your Highness should know that my father is the Tattooed-Face Prime Minister."

"I know that."

"Xundao is not talented, but I would not dare to disgrace the family."

"Why bother?" The Prince smiled, "Your father's end was not good."

The Qian people have repeatedly lamented,

In the past ten years, if the Tattooed-Face Prime Minister of Great Qian were still around, what would the situation be like?

At least,

In the beginning, he would not have been defeated so embarrassingly, and after that, he would probably not have fallen into passivity step by step, and even to the current... inability to turn the tide.

However,

The Qian people lamented,

Whether it was the people of the Qian Kingdom or the court of the Qian Kingdom,

They had never really rehabilitated the Tattooed-Face Prime Minister.

They didn't think that killing the Tattooed-Face Prime Minister was wrong, the mistake was... killing him too early.

Li Xundao was silent for a long time,

And said:

"Great Qian has nurtured scholars for a hundred years, and has nurtured Houshan for a hundred years.

There should always be someone to give an explanation.

Justice, is in the hearts of the people."

"Look at the marks on your carriage and the wounds on the faces of your coachmen and guards. How can I see the justice in the hearts of the people? Where is it?

Li Xundao,

If you surrender to me today,

I can help you,

Pacify this Shangjing City;

I can also help you, to redress the injustice done to your father."

"Your Highness knows that Xundao will not agree, you just said it casually, and Xundao will just respond casually.

Master,

And the former official,

Have been waiting for Xundao on the mountain to drink tea.

As for this justice and people's hearts..."

Li Xundao put his hand on his chest,

"May I, be at peace."

"Just deceiving yourself." The Prince smiled.

"A person lives a lifetime, and being able to deceive oneself well is already a remarkable skill.

In addition, Xundao has heard that Your Highness said at the foot of Houshan that this world will be personally taught by you in the future."

"Not bad."

"Then Xundao,

Sincerely wishes Your Highness,

To educate this world well!

At that time, no matter where I am,

Xundao,

Will celebrate for the Xia, and congratulate Your Highness!"

After saying that,

Prime Minister Li re-entered the carriage, and the carriage and team turned around and drove back.

The Prince shook his head,

Not knowing why, just sighed and returned to the command tent.

At night,

News came from Shangjing City.

Liu Dahu entered the command tent,

At this time, the Prince was playing chess with his father.

"Your Highness..."

"What's the matter?" The Prince asked after dropping a piece.

"After Li Xundao returned to the city, he went to the palace to report.

After that,

On the way out of the palace and back to his residence,

He dismissed the guards around him, dismissed the servants, got off the carriage, and walked alone into the street."

Hearing this,

The chess piece turned in Zheng Fan's fingers,

"And then?"

"Li Xundao was beaten to death by the angry people of Shangjing. It is said... that like when Duke Huwei was in the capital of Liang, his body was also eaten by the people."

"Oh, I see."

The Prince responded very calmly and continued to drop a piece.

Liu Dahu stood there for a while. Seeing that the Prince had no other instructions, he was about to leave the command tent first so as not to disturb the Prince and his father playing chess, but just as he was about to reach out to lift the curtain, he heard the Prince's voice:

"Dahu."

"Subordinate is here!"

"Send another message to Shangjing City;

Tomorrow,

That official is not allowed to wear plain clothes, he is only allowed to go out bare-chested;

Also,

Tell the people in Shangjing City,

When our army enters the city,

From the princes and nobles,

To the common people,

Any household that does not hang a black flag in front of their door,

Will be regarded as having disloyal rebellious intentions,

And will be executed."