Seeing this, Cui Qianyi almost burst out laughing. In the end, he could only sit down helplessly and waved for the tables and chairs to be removed. They sat on the floor like that...
"General Cui has rendered meritorious service in defending the border, so this first cup of wine should rightfully be offered to him. Let us all raise our glasses and toast with him to General Cui's unparalleled achievements..."
Hearing Li Zhu's praise, Cui Qianyi's face showed a rare sense of pride, and everyone else, at Li Zhu's call, drank their wine glasses in one gulp!
"This second cup is a toast to the soldiers throughout the city. To defend the New Tang Dynasty, they refused to yield to the enemy's strength or the fear of death. It is because of their desperate resistance that the people of the Central Plains can live in peace. They are true warriors, true heroes. On behalf of the people of the New Tang Dynasty and the royal family, I toast to the soldiers throughout the city. Let us all raise our cups and drink this cup..."
The atmosphere had built up, and everyone noisily drank their second glass of wine. Many were deeply moved because no one had ever said such things to them before. Whether true or not, these words were incredibly heartwarming...
"This third cup of wine is to honor the soldiers who lost their precious lives defending the Central Plains. They shed their blood for victory. Although they are dead, their heroic spirits live on and continue to guard this land with us. Let us raise a toast to those fallen Chinese warriors..."
Everyone drank three cups of wine in succession, mainly because they couldn't refuse the offer. The three toasts, in particular, deeply moved the border generals present, making them feel that all their efforts had not been in vain. The people of Xintang remembered, the Crown Prince of Xintang remembered—it was all worthwhile…
"Your Highness, I heard you've come to seize General Cui's military power. Is that true?"
Just as everyone was still immersed in the atmosphere, a discordant voice suddenly rang out in the hall, instantly freezing the lively atmosphere to a freezing point, and the noisy atmosphere suddenly quieted down...
Li Zhu looked at the officer who had spoken; it was obvious he had been sent to be used as a pawn, though it couldn't be ruled out that he was genuinely brave...
Even though Cui Qianyi was a seasoned veteran, a hint of nervousness appeared on his face. If the two sides were to fight over this, he might end up being accused of treason...
Li Zhu glanced at Cui Qianyi and noticed that the other's expression was somewhat unnatural. This indicated that the officer in front of him might not have been arranged by him. This kind of open confrontation was the most foolish thing to do...
This would put both sides in an awkward position, and if a conflict broke out, it would result in a lose-lose situation, which is something no one wants to see...
"This guy seems to have had too much to drink. That kind of joke isn't funny at all. Maybe we should let him go home and rest..."
At this tense moment, Li Zhu smiled and said something. Upon hearing his words, everyone present immediately laughed, and some even echoed his sentiments.
"Exactly, joking like that can scare people to death..."
"Oh, it was just a joke. I thought it was real..."
With everyone chiming in, the atmosphere gradually calmed down. However, everyone knew this wasn't a joke; it was simply that Li Zhu didn't want to pursue the matter with the officer, using this method to erase his crimes…
However, the school officer clearly didn't appreciate it, and just as he was about to say something more, Cui Qianyi coldly spoke up.
"Guards, take Officer Zhu back to rest. Without orders, he is not permitted to leave the main tent..."
Upon hearing Cui Qianyi's words, two guards immediately entered and dragged Officer Zhu away...
"General, you mustn't... I'm doing this for your own good. This crown prince is nothing but a notorious good-for-nothing in the capital. If someone like him comes here to quell the rebellion, won't that just mean the deaths of all our border troops? He must leave, or there will never be peace in the army..."
Officer Zhu struggled and roared, his emotions running high, but Li Zhu saw through the ruse. Officer Zhu was probably doing this on purpose, trying to sow discord between him and Cui Qianyi. He was like a green tea b*tch, saying nice things to your face while secretly plotting to kill you...
"General Cui, it seems your men aren't very obedient to you..."
Li Zhu looked at Cui Qianyi and said calmly…
"Your Highness, please don't be offended. It was my fault for not disciplining him properly. I will punish him severely later..."
Cui Qianyi hurriedly replied in a panic, but judging from his behavior, Li Zhu knew he was faking it. Although the officer Zhu who was pulled away acted on his own initiative, it was indeed what he truly felt. When he returned, the other party would at most give him a few words of reproach as a formality...
"There's no need for that. I think he's just too excited. I believe he'll understand that I'm not here to fight for military power; I'm just passing through. I might be in Qicheng tomorrow..."
Li Zhu said in a nonchalant manner!
"Qicheng?"
Cui Qianyi looked at Li Zhu with suspicion, thinking to herself, "Isn't that the enemy's city? Aren't you just going to your death if you go there?"
"Your Highness, even if you've lived in the palace for so long, you should know that Zhu Wen has rebelled, right? We're fighting Zhu Wen right here. What are you doing here?"
Cui Qianyi was practically saying, "Are you going there to your death?"
"Of course I know that the other side is Zhu Wen's territory, and I also know that Zhu Wen has rebelled. The death of his daughter, Zhu Fei, is also related to me. I also eliminated their power in Luoyang, and I exposed their conspiracy..."
Hearing Li Zhu's words, Cui Qianyi stared at him in shock, countless thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant, before he said woodenly...
"Doesn't that mean Zhu Wen on the other side hates you to the bone?"
"Yes, he does hate me to the core, but that's not important. I want him to know that if I can expose his plot to rebel, I can also nip it in the bud..."
Li Zhu said with a smile, looking confident!
"You mean you want to take this small force of Xiliang cavalry and Imperial Guards to attack the city?"
Cui Qianyi thought Li Zhu had gone mad. Cavalry was not suitable for attacking cities and could not make full use of its advantages. The Imperial Guard only had five thousand men. Sending them to attack a large city was no different from sending them to their deaths.
"No, you're wrong..."
Hearing Li Zhu's words, Cui Qianyi breathed a sigh of relief and said...
"I knew it! The Crown Prince couldn't be so reckless. There must be reinforcements coming. Did the Emperor know the situation was critical and send 100,000 armored soldiers to help?"
"No, you're wrong again..."
"I was wrong? Could it be 200,000 reinforcement soldiers?"
Cui Qianyi asked in shock, her eyes filled with surprise!
"General Cui is no different from the others, looking down on them so much. What I mean is, the Xiliang cavalry won't help me. I only have five thousand Imperial Guards to attack the city tomorrow..."
Li Zhu said with great certainty!
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