"Yes, yes, yes!" the envoy kowtowed repeatedly.
After seeing the envoy off, Tian Qing walked to the top of the city wall and looked at the vast grasslands to the north.
The lieutenant asked, "General, are we really going to accept their surrender?"
"Why not?" Tian Qing sneered. "What the Great General wants is peace throughout the land, not endless war. Since Wuzhu has yielded, we don't need to exterminate him. Once the Great General has established his rule over the Central Plains, we can deal with these barbarians slowly."
He paused for a moment: "However, we must not be too careful. Send orders to all passes: strengthen defenses, and do not let a single barbarian enter the pass without my written order."
......
April 26th, Jingxiang, Xiangyang Prefecture.
Military governor Liu Song hosted a banquet for his staff at his residence.
After several rounds of drinks, Liu Song raised his cup: "Gentlemen, the General has achieved a great victory at the Yi River, and the world is about to be at peace. Our Jingzhou region's submission to the General is truly a wise move. Come, let us congratulate the General and the Great Yin Dynasty!"
Everyone raised their glasses and drank together.
During the banquet, an aide asked in a low voice, "Sir, now that the Grand General is so powerful, and His Majesty has issued an edict appointing him as Regent, in charge of both military and political affairs, whose empire will this be in the future...?"
Liu Song put down his wine glass, glanced at the man, and said, "Don't ask me that question again."
He looked around at everyone and said, “I tell you—this world belongs to the Great Yin, to the Yin family. Your Majesty is the ruler, and the Grand General is the subject. This is the fundamental principle, and it must not be disrupted. As for other things… they are not our concern.”
"But what if the General truly has that intention..."
"Then it's even less of our concern!" Liu Song said sternly. "What we in Jingxiang need to do is be loyal to the Great Yin, loyal to His Majesty, and loyal to the Grand General. As for the rest, we'll leave it to fate."
He softened his tone: "I know what you're worried about. You're worried about choosing the wrong side, worried about being purged in the future. But let me tell you—the General is not Li Jingang; he won't be discarded after the birds are all gone."
"As long as we do our duty, appease the local people, and improve people's livelihoods, whoever sits in that position in the future will not treat us unfairly."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Liu Song looked north, but he had a different plan in mind.
He was not worried that Zhao Muyun would mistreat him—he could clearly see Zhao Muyun's magnanimity.
But he was worried about something else: the subtle rift between the emperor and the general.
The cracks are not visible now, but they will appear someday.
At that time, how should these ministers conduct themselves?
"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore." Liu Song shook his head, raised his cup and drank again. "There's always a way out. As long as you are loyal and righteous, and do the right thing, Heaven will always give you a way out."
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