Chapter 361: Treat others in their own way

“That’s enough!”

"Nong Zhixiang" slammed the armrest of the dragon throne, the sound shook the palace and instantly suppressed all sounds.

His eyes were like knives, sweeping across the ministers who advocated peace, his tone cold:

"Negotiation? Retreat? There are no cowards in Nanzhao! The Yan army has captured several of our cities, and you advocate peace talks. Are you trying to hide in your shell and hand over our Nanzhao territory to the Great Yan Emperor?!"

The ministers were so frightened that they dropped to their knees and kowtowed repeatedly: "We dare not! Your Majesty, calm down!"

Nong Zhixiong snorted coldly, and then he was satisfied. He turned around and gave a solemn order:

"I have made up my mind! Today, I will appoint General Yu Tu as Grand Marshal of the expedition, and General Fan Kai as Deputy Marshal. I will mobilize 200,000 elite troops from the Jingji camp and unite with the defenders of all the cities south of the Lancang River to meet the enemy with all my strength! I must stop the Yan army outside the river and wait for an opportunity to counterattack!"

Generals Yu Tu and Fan Kai immediately stepped forward, their voices resounding like a bell: "I obey your orders! We will live up to your majesty's trust!"

Nong Zhixiong showed a hint of approval on his face, and then said:

"As the army sets out on its march, I am deeply gratified! An imperial decree: A banquet will be held in the palace at 3:00 PM today! All officials above the fourth rank must bring their families to attend the feast. I wish to send off Marshal Yu, Vice Marshal Fan, and hundreds of thousands of our Nanzhao men! I wish the army a triumphant victory and a triumphant return!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an experienced and prudent minister immediately stepped forward to dissuade him:

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not! With our nation in crisis and our soldiers bleeding, how can we indulge in pleasure in the palace? It would be a waste of national treasury and would only chill the morale of our soldiers. I beg Your Majesty to revoke your order and wait until the day our army returns victoriously before celebrating."

"Yes, Your Majesty! This banquet is inappropriate and may cause controversy..."

"Nong Zhixiong"'s face darkened and he waved his hand to interrupt.

"This is a farewell banquet to boost morale and inspire the troops! How can it be held after a victory? My words are golden, and once spoken, they cannot be changed. I will hold the victory banquet myself. Today's farewell banquet is also imperative. Anyone who makes irresponsible remarks again will be punished for disturbing the morale of the troops!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall fell silent and no one dared to object.

The ministers who tried to persuade him looked at each other and reluctantly returned to their train, their eyes filled with even more worry.

The old prime minister is dead, and I'm afraid no one will be able to control this monarch who has always acted recklessly.

At the beginning of the afternoon, the lights in the Nanzhao Imperial Palace began to come on.

Although all the civil and military officials were nervous, no one dared to disobey the order. They had to follow the order and enter the palace with their carefully dressed families.

For a moment, Qionglin Garden was filled with the fragrance of women, the sound of stringed instruments, the clinking of glasses, and the lively conversation.

Generals who were about to go to war, such as Yu Tu and Fan Kai, were surrounded by the crowd and toasted. The atmosphere seemed warm and harmonious.

No one noticed that the white smoke rising from the gilded incense burners with strange beasts at the four corners of the hall was a little thicker than usual.

A faint, slightly sweet fragrance quietly permeates the warm air.

Mixed with the smell of wine and cosmetics, it makes people feel slightly tipsy.

The banquet was halfway through and the climax came one after another.

"Nong Zhixiong", who was sitting on the top dragon throne, suddenly shook his head, his eyes were blurred, and he raised his hand to support his forehead, looking like he was drunk.

He was still mumbling, "Hmm...this wine...why is it so...intoxicating today..."

Before he finished speaking, he fell forward limply and lay on the imperial desk.

The golden cup overturned and the wine flowed everywhere.

"emperor?!"

"His Majesty!"

The minister in the front row saw it first, exclaimed and wanted to stand up to check.

However, as soon as they left their seats, they felt a strong wave of dizziness, the world was spinning, and all their strength was drained away.

His body collapsed uncontrollably, knocking over cups and plates, and he lost consciousness amid the clanking noise.

Immediately afterwards, screams, sounds of people falling, and sounds of broken cups and plates rang out one after another.

The ministers, female relatives, eunuchs, and palace maids behind them fell down in groups like harvested wheat.

The scream of terror was cut off by the paralyzed nerves before it could be fully uttered.

In an instant, the entire hall was filled with the sound of melodious yet strange music, and no one was standing awake anymore.

Outside the hall, the palace guards on duty received a special "reward" from "His Majesty the Emperor" for the first time in their lives - comforting tea.

Although they felt something was amiss, they could not disobey the emperor's order, so they drank it with trepidation.

However, soon after drinking it, he felt his hands and feet go weak, his vision went dark, and his companions around him fell to the ground one after another.

Almost at the same time as the guard fell, a secret door quietly slid open in the hidden place hidden by the rockery in the southwest corner of the imperial garden.

Teams of "soldiers" dressed in Nanzhao military uniforms, with sharp eyes and swift movements like the wind, emerged like a tide.

Led by Zhang Sicheng, they attacked with lightning speed at every vital point: the palace gate, the armory, the inner court passages, and every sentry post...

The few who were unable to drink the tea for some reason or whose medicine was too weak were quickly and neatly subdued, tied up and gagged.

The entire Nanzhao Palace had changed hands silently.

On the north bank of the Lancang River, the Yan army camp.

The central military tent was brightly lit.

Yan Shixu unfolded the secret report just delivered by the carrier pigeon and scanned it quickly. A trace of surprise first passed across his face, and then turned into an indescribable subtle expression.

In the letter, Su Muyang described this bloodless action of controlling the Nanzhao central government as "returning the favor in his own way."

Nanzhao poisoned the people of Dayan with a thousand-insect plague, and now they will also taste the feeling of being "killed by medicine".

Yan Shixu tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

He burned the secret letter and looked out at the dark night outside the tent and the Lancang River faintly visible in the distance.

"Pass on my military order, all troops, prepare and cross the river immediately!"

…

The defenders of Nanzhao Kyoto never imagined that the fatal attack did not come from the other side of the Lancang River, but broke out from inside the imperial palace, which they regarded as the safest place.

When Deputy General Lu Xingguan, who was in charge of the defense of Kyoto tonight, was awakened by the deafening shouts and flames, and hurriedly assembled his troops and rushed to the palace gate, the scene before him made him terrified.

Above the towering palace gate, the "Emperor" to whom they were loyal was tied tightly with thick hemp ropes and hung on the high gate tower like a piece of cargo.

Then, one familiar figure after another was roughly dragged onto the palace wall—

Grand Marshal Yu Tu, Deputy Marshal Fan Kai... almost all the pillars and important officials of the Nanzhao court were hung out one by one like animals to be slaughtered, swaying helplessly in the night wind!

"Your Majesty?!" Lu Xingguan's voice changed.

The tens of thousands of defenders behind him were in an uproar, and the morale of the army was shaken to the extreme in an instant.

At this moment, a voice as loud as thunder exploded from the palace wall. It was Zhang Sicheng.

He held a long spear in his hand, pointed at the dark mass of Nanzhao troops below, and said in a voice like a bell:

"Men of Nanzhao, listen up! Your emperor, your civil and military officials, are all prisoners of our Great Yan. The situation is hopeless, what's the point of resisting? Throw down your weapons and surrender immediately! Your Majesty is merciful and will spare the lives of those who surrender! Anyone who dares to resist will be killed! No! Pardon!"

Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of the Nanzhao soldiers.