Suddenly, the six burly men around Meng Gexing burst into laughter, and the tent above their heads seemed to shake.
Lu Shenyun frowned slightly, remained silent, and his face grew even colder.
Meng Gexing looked at them with a smile, "Come on, Lord Lu. Didn't you want to be granted amnesty? Whether the Ming Dynasty can be granted amnesty depends on whether you are willing to crawl over my crotch today."
As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow at Qingchen, his gaze full of playful provocation.
The tent fell silent for a moment.
Lu Shenyun lowered his eyelids slightly, unable to help but think of the current situation of the Ming Dynasty. The Oirat Mongols, Japanese pirates, the White Lotus Rebellion, the Prince of Shu... it was truly beset by internal and external troubles, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and couldn't be worse.
Unfortunately, two senior officials in the imperial court were imprisoned, leaving no one to offer advice to the emperor.
Even if they were unwilling to admit it, they had to admit that only by accepting amnesty could the Ming Dynasty have a chance to survive.
Compared to the humiliation of losing his virginity, the pain of national subjugation, and the suffering of the people, it was truly... nothing. As a military general of the Ming Dynasty, he had a duty to protect the Ming emperor and the people, no matter what method he used.
What's most shameful and regrettable is that Qingchen was watching from the sidelines.
The flame of the red candle on the table flickered gently.
That's all.
Lu Shenyun seemed to have made up his mind. He pursed his lips and took a step forward.
Meng Gexing stood with his hands on his hips, glancing at him with an even wider smile. "Lord Lu, hurry up and stop dawdling. You're not some little wife."
Qingchen looked at the tall, dazed man in front of her and suddenly grabbed his arm from behind.
"Let's not talk about it anymore," she said abruptly.
He looked at her with some surprise, thought for a moment, and shook his head firmly, "I'm fine."
Qingchen pulled him back to her side, gently pinched him to indicate that he had a solution, and then looked at Meng Gexing with an open and honest gaze, "Do you really think you're so clever that the Ming Dynasty is helpless?"
Meng Gexing looked at the person in front of him with interest, but the smile on his lips slowly froze. "Trying to fool me?"
"Don't forget, you couldn't beat me in Yunnan two years ago, and it's the same now."
He stared at her intently, then smiled and said, "Lord Shen is exceptionally intelligent, and I certainly haven't forgotten that."
He was not only intelligent, but also brave, meticulous, and responsible... otherwise, why would he have been so deeply in love with him, unable to forget him? The handsome figure under the peach tree on New Year's Eve has now become a cold and aloof Ming official, wholeheartedly defending the Ming Dynasty's land and people, standing on the opposite side of him.
Qingchen looked directly at him and calmly continued, "Meng Gexing, let me tell you the truth. I've come today to offer you amnesty, but I've also come to persuade you. If you don't want to talk, then so be it. We'll leave now."
Meng Gexing scrutinized her expression, unable to discern the truth or falsehood in her words. The Ming Dynasty's predicament was already resolved, but she was no ordinary person. He was curious to hear what she could say.
After thinking for a moment, Meng Gexing pulled his legs back off the table, moved a chair over and sat down. "Let's talk—why not?"
As per Meng Gexing's instructions, Lu Shenyun was temporarily taken away, and the six burly men guarding him also withdrew, leaving only him and Qingchen in the tent.
After she sat down in front of him, he couldn't help but look at her again. After being apart for more than a year, he really missed her.
"Don't you think this journey up here has been too smooth?" Qingchen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and got straight to the point. "Hmm?"
He raised an eyelid slightly, signaling her to continue.
Qingchen didn't explain, but instead said from a different angle, "Back when I was still in Yunnan, you said that you would have to wait at least two more years before you were confident you could launch an attack. But this time, I've only been gone for less than half a year, and you're already eager to start the war. Now you're not fighting according to your optimal plan at all. Aren't you even a little bit apprehensive while you're fighting?"
Meng Gexing narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"
"From south to north, have you encountered any fierce resistance along the way?" she coaxed gently, and after a moment of silence, she finally said, "You've fallen for my trap, Meng Gexing."
"You attacked the land of Shu just a few months ago. It was the easiest place for the Ming Dynasty to defend, yet you took it so easily. Don't you find that strange?"
She's right.
While recounting his experiences at Qingchen, Meng Gexing was already recalling the scenes of past battles in his mind. He was not a reckless and impulsive man; before raising an army, he had thoroughly investigated the strength of the Ming Dynasty's forces. Especially before attacking Sichuan, he had indeed hesitated regarding this almost undefended and desolate region. However, at that time, with victory songs resounding and eyes bloodshot from the fighting, he believed that the Ming Dynasty was powerless to reverse the situation and its morale was collapsing, so he did not pay much attention to it.
Could there be a trap here?
Impossible. If the Ming Dynasty had troops, it would have done everything in its power to resist him long ago. Why would it let him reach the capital?
Qingchen smiled slightly, "Are you thinking that if the Ming Dynasty had any troops, they would have sent them long ago, since you fought your way from south to north? Why would they have let you fight your way to the capital?"
She paused for a moment before continuing, "That was just the Emperor's scheme to trap you like a turtle in a jar. You've been fighting with the court for so many years, the Emperor is fed up, so he came up with this plan to lure you deep into the territory and then attack you from both sides to completely annihilate you. However... he didn't expect you to be so brave, so the battle line had to be moved all the way north, all the way to the foot of the capital."
The Ming Dynasty was in dire straits, but fortunately, Meng Gexing was unaware that the Prince of Shu had a private army and intended to rebel during the chaos. This allowed her to use this as a pretext.
The smile on Meng Gexing's face had disappeared at some point. Qingchen knew him well; she knew he was extremely arrogant and couldn't stand utter defeat, and she also knew he couldn't bear to hear Zhu Rui's name.
She continued, "Now that you've reached Baoding, you can certainly besiege the capital and hold it for a year or two, and the capital will naturally be yours. But the Shu King's 100,000 reinforcements are already on their way. While you besiege the capital, those 100,000 men will be besieging you as well. We in the city can fight to the death and hold out for at least two months, but you'll be in a different situation, attacked from both sides. If your supplies run out, you'll only face certain death."
“Those 100,000 men have already set off for the capital. In less than a month, they will reach Kaifeng, and then Jinan and Baoding. You can send spies to check,” she said. “Now, you have no way out but to accept the amnesty.”
Meng Gexing was a smart and cautious person. She knew it wouldn't be easy to gain his trust, but she had no choice but to try. This was probably the last resort.
Silence fell over the tent.
Meanwhile, at the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Zhu Rui received a secret letter delivered by Xu Yan's messenger.
After reading the secret letter, Zhu Rui angrily threw it to the ground, exclaiming, "What a treacherous minister! How dare he collude with the Prince of Shu to threaten me!"
The eunuch Huang Heng silently picked up the secret letter and served the emperor a cup of tea.
After a long while, Zhu Rui, still angry, finally spoke up: "Issue my decree that the three judicial departments should begin the trial immediately."
Xu Yan colluded with the King of Shu, forcing him to adjudicate a corruption case according to their wishes. If he refused, they threatened to work together to force him to abdicate and assassinate the king.
He had no choice but to agree, even if he didn't want to.
Xu Yan had been immersed in the court for over twenty years. Although he had now made up his mind to serve another master, the Xu family's honor could not be ruined by Zhu Rui. He knew that Zhu Rui was cowardly and afraid of death, yet still harbored a glimmer of hope, and would eventually agree to his request no matter what. Therefore, he did not hesitate to break ties with Zhu Rui and made it clear that he was being threatened.
The eunuch Huang Heng hesitated for a moment, then reminded him, "His Majesty seemed to have promised Lord Shen that he would wait for him to return before proceeding with the interrogation..."
“I know,” Zhu Rui said, frowning. “I know he is deeply concerned about his teacher. But this time, I am powerless to help him and can only apologize.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
