...
Inside the main tent of the Zhenbei Army.
"The Five Champions~"
"A perfect pair!"
"Three Peach Gardens~"
"Seven-Piece Seven~"
"Eight horses~"
"Come on, have a drink!"
"Master Ding, what are you doing? Are you raising goldfish?"
Upon their arrival, Shen Zhao and his companion quickly convened a meeting with the military commanders.
The meeting at the dinner table bridged the gap between them.
In no time, the group, their faces flushed from drinking, began to address Ding Bu'er as their brother.
After several rounds of drinks, Shen Zhao finally accepted the wine offered by Lü Yue, handed out a cigar to everyone, and said seriously, "Brothers, we've had our drinks and our meal, now it's time to talk about serious matters."
To be frank with you all, besides my official position as Pacification Commissioner, I, Shen, have another identity here today.
The generals looked at each other, puzzled by Shen Zhao's words.
Ding Bu'er immediately said, "Gentlemen, you don't need to be nervous. Lord Shen is very easy to talk to."
Shen Zhao glanced around and continued, "Brothers, I am Shen Zhao. I used to be in the military, and I know the hardships and suffering we soldiers endure. Those bastards in the court can't understand it."
"Do you know why the imperial court has ordered me to visit the border post this time?"
Lü Yue: "Lord Shen, aren't you the Pacification Commissioner, here to reward my border troops?"
Shen Zhao chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "General Lü, are you really stupid or just pretending? At a time like this, do you think the imperial court would send an envoy to reward the troops for no reason?"
Actually, my other identity is the commander of the imperial shadow guards, specializing in gathering evidence of the Zhenbei Army's alleged plot to rebel!
Upon hearing this, everyone, including Lü Yue, sobered up considerably. They all placed their hands on the swords at their waists and stared at Shen Zhao with cold expressions.
Seeing this, Ding Bu'er hurriedly said, "Gentlemen, what are you doing? We're all brothers, relax. Lord Shen won't harm you. What's there to be nervous about! Quickly sit down..."
Lu Yue cautiously probed, "Lord Shen, our Zhenbei Army is utterly loyal to the court and has no ulterior motives. How could we possibly commit such a treasonous act? I beg Lord Shen to investigate thoroughly."
Shen Zhao tightened his grip on Lü Yue's shoulder slightly, a smile on his face: "Don't you have any idea whether this is treason or not?"
"Lord Shen, you..."
"Hahaha!"
Seeing that Lü Yue's face was deathly pale, Shen Zhao finally released his hand and patted him on the shoulder, then continued, "Brothers have been guarding the border for so many years..."
Far from the hustle and bustle, guarding the frontier for the country, yet failing to gain the court's understanding—Shen understood all this in his heart.
I understand your desire to vent your anger and reclaim what you've lost. If I were you, I would have done the same thing.
As he spoke, he picked up a box of matches, opened it and handed it to Lu Yue.
Lü Yue subconsciously held the cigar to her lips and let Chen Zhao light it.
After extinguishing the match, Shen Zhao continued, "However, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but things haven't come to this yet. You can tell me what your demands are, and as long as they are reasonable, I will meet them."
As soon as he finished speaking, a military officer sitting opposite him immediately stood up, fuming, and said, "Since Lord Shen has told us to speak, then we will speak frankly."
Lord Shen, you said you served in the army, so you should know the hardships of military life. Soldiers' monthly pay is meager and is often deducted from their pay.
My men were already struggling to make ends meet, so I had no choice but to resort to this drastic measure!
Another adjutant said, "Yes, recently the court announced that it would disband the old army and train a new one. I just want to ask, are they planning to abandon us all?"
How many brothers of the Zhenbei Army have guarded the border for over a decade without complaint, never reuniting with their families? And now they won't even be given this last sliver of hope?
The generals, one after another, began to complain to Shen Zhao.
A subtle smile appeared on Shen Zhao's lips. From a psychological perspective, once these guys vent their frustrations, the plan can proceed smoothly.
However, at this time, the old army was being disbanded to make way for the new army... Heh, Yu Xiyan didn't know what she was thinking. Anyone who belonged to the old army would feel resentful.
He gave Ding Bu'er a wink, and Ding Bu'er immediately understood, quickly taking out a small notebook to record the generals' requests.
After they finished speaking, Shen Zhao spoke again: "Yes, those bunch of lazy bums in the court are truly despicable. The brothers of the Zhenbei Army are guarding the country and its people, defending against the barbarians."
They sit comfortably in their high positions, pontificating about the country. They should really be switched places; let them serve a few days in the army at the border and see if they can endure the hardship!
Ding Bu'er wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right. Those guys are all they know how to do is make money. Let them stand on the border for a day and their legs would be weak by now."
Shen Zhao slammed his fist on the table, rolled up his sleeves, and said resolutely, "Damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I'd rather not stay in this court. Today, I swear a blood oath with all my brothers, and we'll all rebel against them!"
When these words were spoken, all the generals were stunned.
Lu Yue hurriedly said, "Lord Shen, you've had too much to drink. Please sit down and let's talk."
The other officers also kindly advised Shen Zhao not to get agitated.
After finally persuading Shen Zhao to comply, Lü Yue sighed and slowly said, "Since Lord Shen is the commander of the Shadow Guard, he must know the intentions of our Zhenbei Army, so there's no need to hide anything."
After saying that, Lü Yue took a deep drag on his cigarette, then picked up his wine glass and drank it down in one gulp.
He continued, "Lord Shen, our brothers were truly driven to the brink of desperation. If there had been any other way to survive, we would not have taken such a risk and committed such a heinous act!"
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