To everyone's surprise, Wei Shao did not order Meng Kuan to be killed.
He laughed heartily, stood up, walked around the table, and helped Meng Kuan up with both hands: "General Meng was deceived by treacherous people for a time, which led to this situation. Now that you have abandoned darkness and turned to the light, what crime have you committed! Men, burn the coffin."
After saying this, he personally used his knife to cut the ropes binding Meng Kuan's hands, and then tore off the white silk ribbon wrapped around his neck and threw it into the fire.
Meng Kuan had a white sash around his neck and ordered men to carry a coffin, implying that he could be hanged or beheaded and buried directly in the coffin. Doing so would make him appear too cruel. He wanted to use this opportunity to demonstrate magnanimity to his generals and win their hearts.
Sure enough, his performance caused the generals in the tent to quickly change their tune and begin to flatter him, saying, "Prince Shao is truly a benevolent and righteous ruler."
With a smile, Wei Shao took another cotton coat and draped it over Meng Kuan, then ordered someone to serve wine.
Meng Kuan was in tears, whether from the cold or from being moved, he just cried his heart out, repeatedly kowtowing and thanking her, sobbing uncontrollably.
Wei Shao was pleased with himself and looked around, feeling quite pleased with himself.
Look how magnanimous Wei Shao is towards the surrendered enemy generals. With such a good commander, why listen to that Qiu Jie? He must never have anything to do with that woman again.
Meng Kuan drank a glass of strong liquor, and his face finally regained some color. Going shirtless in this freezing weather was practically suicidal; he felt that if he stood outside the tent any longer, he would freeze solid.
Wei Shao said, "General Meng, I am leading an army to punish the traitor Wei Jingzhuo. Although my father has passed away, this matter cannot be left undone."
Meng Kuan said, "Your Highness, I was also deceived by that Wei Jingzhuo. He deceived me so badly. He used an umbrella... no, I mean a sword, to reason with me. Tell me, is there such a thing in the world? This is coercion!"
Those inside the tent nodded in agreement, all feeling that Meng Kuan was actually quite pitiful.
“Originally, I would rather die than submit, but who knew that he… he actually sent people to the capital to kidnap my whole family,” Meng Kuan said, becoming more and more agitated. “He used my family to blackmail me. I was afraid that my family would be killed, so I had no choice but to obey his orders.”
The strategist said, "That's right, General Meng's family was indeed taken away by Wei Jingzhuo's men. That fellow is indeed extremely treacherous."
Meng Kuan spoke with righteous indignation, and even Wei Shao felt some sympathy for him.
"So he used his family to coerce the general. Alas, I knew it... The general is highly valued by the emperor and guards Xiping Pass. How could he be so easily deceived by Wei Jingzhuo?"
Meng Kuan wept and said, “My family was coerced by him and had no choice but to obey him temporarily. Until yesterday, when he led his army away, I intended to surrender the pass immediately. Who knew that this scoundrel would leave people to monitor me? If I make the slightest move, they will kill my family…”
Everyone listened intently, some even shedding tears, and they began whispering among themselves.
"That Wei Jingzhuo is a complete scoundrel. He actually used General Meng's family to coerce him!"
"Of course, Wei Jingzhuo is a great villain. Otherwise, why would he poison His Majesty to murder him? That's his father."
"If I were His Majesty, I shouldn't have exiled him in the first place; I should have just beheaded him..."
"Hey, don't talk nonsense."
Wei Shao raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and said to Meng Kuan, "Now that the general has abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, you can immediately hand over the city gate to me, so that I can go after Wei Jingzhuo."
Meng Kuan said, "Your Highness, Xiping Pass is already yours. However, the city gate is blocked by rubble, preventing the army from passing through. I have ordered people to clear it overnight, and the army will be able to enter the pass by tomorrow morning at the latest."
Wei Shao was overjoyed and said, "Good, General Meng is loyal to the country. When I ascend the throne... cough, when the army returns in triumph, the general can accompany me back to the capital to receive his title."
Meng Kuan immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "This sinful subject only begs to be spared death, how dare I hope to receive any reward. However, this sinful subject cannot stay here any longer. There are still many remnants of Wei Jingzhuo in the city, and this sinful subject is afraid that they will cause trouble, so I will have to lead troops to suppress them."
Wei Shao said, "That makes sense. General, you must take control of Xiping Pass. The army will enter the pass early tomorrow morning. Come, I'll escort you back."
Meng Kuan humbly declined, saying, "I dare not, I dare not trouble Prince Shao."
"Don't mention it, haha."
When the generals saw that Wei Shao was personally seeing Meng Kuan off from the camp, they all followed him out. They all saw Meng Kuan off at the camp gate in a lively manner, watching him head towards Xiping Pass.
Back in the camp, the strategist whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, Meng Kuan came alone this time, without any family members. It feels a bit fake. Shouldn't we keep him here?"
“You suspect him of cheating again? No wonder you can only be a strategist,” Wei Shao downed his wine in one gulp. “He has to go back and deal with Wei Jingzhuo’s men, so what’s there to doubt? Besides, the Xiping Pass wall has collapsed. Only a god could repair that breach, so what are you afraid of?”
The strategist was speechless and had no choice but to retreat.
"Come, gentlemen, let's drink!" Wei Shao raised his wine cup. "Tonight, let's drink until we're completely drunk!"
...
Meng Kuan, accompanied by two attendants, jogged back to Xiping Pass. Upon reaching the city wall, Meng Ruliu and several soldiers were already waiting for them. They wrapped themselves in two cotton-padded coats and entered the city through the gap.
Upon entering the house, Su Wan had already set out several charcoal braziers and called out, "Quickly, quickly bring General Meng over here."
Meng Kuan's lips were purple from the cold. He was wrapped in several layers of cotton clothes and fed a bowl of hot soup, which helped him recover a little. Once he could open his mouth, he said to Meng Ruliu, "I almost froze to death."
Su Wan pried open Meng Kuan's eyelids to take a look, then felt his pulse, and said to Meng Ruliu, "Don't worry, sworn sister. Although General Meng is quite cold, he ate chili peppers and drank strong liquor before he left."
Meng Kuan said, "It worked somewhat at first, but it stopped working halfway through."
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