The greatest advantage of being the emperor is probably that you don't have to worry about too many things, even if it violates ethical norms.
Xiao Huai said in a low voice, "Xu Wenda, based on your understanding of Jinjin, if I were to let her enter the palace as a concubine, would she agree?"
Xu Wenda had anticipated this outcome, but when it actually happened, it still felt like falling into water, as if the whole world had vanished, and all that remained in his ears was a tremendous buzzing sound.
Others might not understand.
But he took it for granted.
There was no better woman in the world than Jinjin. He had briefly possessed this most dazzling treasure in the world, but he lost it with his own hands.
"I believe Miss Chu will definitely refuse!" The whole world belongs to the Emperor. The Emperor's woman is a capital offense if you even glance at her, let alone have any improper thoughts. Xu Wenda buried his head and knew what he should do at this moment.
Xiao Huai gave a soft "oh": "I am the Emperor, how dare she disobey my decree?"
“I don’t know if she will defy the imperial decree, but I do know that she will absolutely not enter the palace,” Xu Wenda said in a low voice, not daring to look up. “Because that is the kind of woman she is.”
Xu Wenda, of course, had no idea that Chu Jinjin came from a post-apocalyptic world many, many years in the future.
In that era, loyalty to one's partner was the simplest foundation of a relationship.
But he could deeply sense what Chu Jinjin needed.
“Your Majesty, I will be frank.” Xu Wenda gritted his teeth, “Women all over the world want to enter the palace. Your Majesty is the most honorable person in the world, but that is the last thing Miss Chu wants.”
Xu Wenda is gambling; he has nothing, and perhaps this is his last chance in this life.
Xiao Huai's expression didn't change much. After a moment of silence, he said, "What if you were my empress?"
This shocked not only him, but even Eunuch Zhao was so shocked he almost lost his composure.
Your Majesty, have you gone mad?
The bandit leader of the mountain stronghold, a thousand miles away, is also going crazy.
Leaving Chu Jinjin won't work either, and handing her over to the soldiers will also result in death. Wouldn't that mean there's no way out?
"I'm sorry, I've dragged you into this. Now, your only way out is to follow my orders." Chu Jinjin looked at the distant mountains and said softly, "Let's join forces and drive away the government troops."
The officers and soldiers' target was her.
She possessed a gold medal bestowed by the Emperor; killing her would be tantamount to treason, and only the dead cannot speak.
Li Dahua was the first to jump out in support: "Join forces, join forces! Husband, don't be afraid, Dahua might just hit you."
She couldn't remember many things, but some things were particularly vivid in her memory, such as smashing a general's warhorse with a stick, and the way everyone looked at her at that time was full of admiration.
The sound of horns echoed from afar, reverberating along the valley.
That's because the officers and soldiers were getting impatient.
The leader gritted his teeth: "How confident are you?"
He himself was fine; he could have easily escaped, run into the deep mountains, and found a place to hide.
With tens of thousands of people in the entire mountain village, including many elderly, weak, women, children, and family members, such a large commotion could not possibly be left unnoticed.
Chu Jinjin didn't make any empty promises to him; he'd have to wait and see how she responded.
The mountain forest where the stronghold is located is called Black Tiger Mountain. It sounds like Black Eagle Stronghold, but in reality, the two are worlds apart. It's just an ordinary mountain and doesn't have the unique geographical advantages that Black Eagle Stronghold has.
Before even reaching the mountain pass, Chu Jinjin could feel the overwhelming aura of a massive army.
The bandits on guard had never seen such a scene before, and their legs went weak with fear. That's the difference; when they saw the crowd coming, they thought they were going to hand Chu Jinjin over.
In this short time, the detailed information has been collected—no fewer than 30,000 officers and soldiers!
Chu Jinjin sighed softly: "How many people in the mountain stronghold are capable of fighting the enemy head-on?"
The leader answered very quickly: "Around seven thousand."
Chu Jinjin nodded. It was already quite good; seven thousand men were more than enough to easily conquer a county town.
In terms of numbers, 7,000 against 30,000 is equivalent to four men fighting one. In addition, the officers and soldiers have a slight geographical advantage, so they will have to pay a certain price.
However, what about the bandits' fighting ability?
A direct confrontation is absolutely impossible.
Chu Jinjin glanced at Li Dahua, who was following closely behind her.
Their only chance of survival probably lies with the two of them.
Li Dahua was a mobile, massive weapon of war, yet she felt no pain. With her guarding the positions, it wasn't easy for the soldiers to charge forward.
While a direct confrontation might not work, one could wait until nightfall to sneak in and kill the enemy general.
Just as they were pondering this, the officers and soldiers suddenly moved.
They weren't launching an attack; there were about a thousand people, with the two front rows holding shields—this was to warn the bandit archers.
In this era, there were no loudspeakers or similar things; messages were relayed entirely by shouting, so those who delivered messages all had loud voices.
The leader understood that this was a negotiation, and he dared not make a decision on his own.
"You go ahead and see what tricks they're trying to pull. I'll hide behind you." Chu Jinjin casually told one of the henchmen to take off his clothes, put them on herself, and then let her hair down.
Since the other party came for her, they should naturally know her strength.
She should stay hidden in the shadows for now.
The soldiers stopped abruptly at a relatively safe location. The shield bearers raised their shields in formation, and a man in armor stepped out from the middle. But that was nothing compared to what followed three people who were bound hand and foot.
The leader looked as if he had seen something terrifying, his eyes widening in horror: "He, he..."
The three appeared to be a family of three: a husband, wife, and child. The mother was particularly tall and large, even taller than the soldiers around her, making her stand out.
The second-in-command had the same expression, but it was slightly better. He stomped his foot and cursed fiercely, "These bastards actually came up with such a despicable method."
Chu Jinjin roughly understood and asked in a low voice, "Dahua's family?"
The soldiers in charge of making announcements started shouting: "Li Dahua, look who this is!"
Without Li Dahua, the Black Household Mountain Village would just be an ordinary bandit village. Li Dahua's deterrent power alone is equivalent to that of everyone else.
Li Dahua turned her head and glanced at it, then replied confidently, "I can't see clearly. I already have a husband. Don't even think about seducing me."
Everyone: "..."
Similar things have indeed happened before.
No bandit wouldn't want to win over Li Dahua. She's a walking killing machine, and also a fool, so they can control her however they want. Outright robbery won't work, so they resort to using her beauty to seduce her.
Li Dahua couldn't distinguish between government soldiers and bandits.
This response silenced the officers and soldiers for several seconds before they continued shouting, "If you want your parents to live, surrender immediately, or I'll skin them alive!"
No one expected that the officers and soldiers would use this method.
The preparations were truly thorough.
To convince Li Dahua, the man's cries echoed from afar: "Dahua, my Dahua, I am your father. Be good, listen to your master, capture the third young lady of the Chu family and surrender. Your master said that as long as you cooperate obediently, he will make you a high-ranking official."
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