Um?
Chen Longxiang's expression froze, and his eyebrows twitched involuntarily—a unique expression he displayed when he was tense.
In contrast, after bowing and greeting Chen Longxiang in the main seat, Chen Qingzhi maintained his calm and composed expression, his mature and wise face showing no emotional fluctuations.
He even had the leisure to joke with Chen Longxiang, saying, "What, after only a month, Your Highness doesn't recognize me anymore?"
Cough cough!
Only then did the astonished Chen Longxiang finally recover from his shock and hurriedly ordered, "Someone, bring a seat for the deputy commander!"
Immediately, rebel soldiers brought a chair for Chen Qingzhi and placed it to the right of Regent Chen Longxiang.
Chen Qingzhi didn't stand on ceremony and sat down with an air of nonchalance. He even asked with a smile, "Your Highness, I have traveled a long and tiring journey here. Would you please offer me a cup of hot tea to soothe my throat?"
Forehead--
Chen Longxiang paused for a moment, then ordered again, "Someone, serve tea to the Duke of Han!"
Before long, soldiers brought hot tea into the tent and respectfully presented it to Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han. They also served hot tea to Regent Chen Longxiang and the other generals in the main tent.
After receiving the hot tea, Chen Qingzhi slowly and deliberately sipped it, showing no intention of speaking at all.
Inside the main tent, the rebel generals, including Regent Chen Longxiang, were also unsure of what Duke Chen Qingzhi of Han was really up to.
After exchanging glances, they both instinctively spread their hands, looking completely bewildered.
So he stopped overthinking and instead, like the Korean official Chen Qingzhi, sipped the hot tea in his cup.
You know what, in this early spring when it's still chilly, having a cup of hot tea in a harbor barracks on the Goguryeo Peninsula is quite a pleasant thing.
It was as if the two distinct groups of people inside the large tent were not government troops and rebels, but rather neighbors on a spring outing to enjoy the scenery.
Even Chen Longxiang, the regent of Daxin and the main general of the rebel army, was somewhat confused;
He thought to himself: How come this is different from the storytelling tales where "when two armies are at war, the messenger is not killed"?
Logically speaking, when a major battle is imminent and the two armies are facing off, the situation should be tense and confrontational. Even if envoys are sent, shouldn't they engage in a war of words before leaving with their respective tactics or letters of surrender?
When encountering a radical enemy general, one must ruthlessly kill the enemy's envoys and shout slogans like "In war, envoys are not to be killed!"
But why is everything different when it comes to me?
When Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, arrived at the enemy camp alone, he did not engage in any heated debates or draw his sword. Instead, he acted like a teacher in an academy, giving a lecture to his students, and even had the leisure to enjoy tea.
That's quite novel and unusual!
Just as Chen Longxiang was secretly pondering Chen Qingzhi's intentions, Chen Qingzhi, who was calmly sipping hot tea, was also using the corner of his eye to observe the actions of the rebel generals, including Chen Longxiang, inside the tent.
When he noticed that the rebel generals' tense nerves and wary eyes were gradually relaxing under his influence, a subtle cunning flashed across Chen Qingzhi's wise eyes.
Little did he know that his purpose in going alone into the enemy camp as an envoy of the imperial army to quell the rebellion was precisely this: to manipulate the emotions of the rebel generals, including Chen Longxiang, according to his own rhythm and mood.
Seeing that the time was right, Chen Qingzhi slowly put down his hot tea and said to Chen Longxiang, who was seated in the main seat of the tent, "Your Highness, may I have a word with you in private?"
"Your Majesty, I have come here to express your concern for Your Highness. Inside this tent..."
Chen Qingzhi hesitated, but his unspoken meaning was clear: the tent was too crowded and noisy to talk in, and he hoped that Chen Longxiang would order the rebel generals under his command to leave.
Of course, this was also one of Chen Qingzhi's schemes.
As expected, when Chen Longxiang heard Chen Qingzhi's words, he subconsciously thought that Chen Qingzhi was trying to undermine his morale and immediately refused.
Without hesitation, Chen Longxiang said, "Duke of Han, the people in this tent are all my trusted generals, the backbone of the Great Xin Righteous Army. Your Majesty, cough cough, if Chen Huai'an has anything to say to me, he can say it here, in front of my generals!"
Eh—
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingzhi pretended to sigh and looked troubled.
Actually, I was overjoyed inside!
This Prince Jin still suffers from his youth and lack of experience. His martial prowess is unmatched in the army, but when it comes to strategy and cunning, he is extremely naive.
Furthermore, without any advisors to assist her, she was simply naive to think that she could be an enemy of the entire Tang Dynasty just by relying on the whispers of a mere former empress dowager of a fallen dynasty.
Having great strength and courage is not enough to make someone an emperor!
Chen Qingzhi replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty's decree summoning me to pay my respects is to inform you of good news: Su Muchen, the Prince of Zhongshan, who secretly instigated and sowed discord between Your Highness and His Majesty, attempting to restore the former Xin Dynasty, was executed on the fifteenth day of the first month of the second year of the Zhaowu era of the Tang Dynasty."
"Uh, their entire family will be exterminated!"
After a pause, Chen Qingzhi continued, "Your Highness, not only has Prince Zhongshan, Su Muchen, confessed his crimes and accepted punishment, but the former Princes of Jiujiang, Changxin, and Chuxiang, along with their nine clans, who secretly colluded with Prince Zhongshan and plotted to wreak havoc on the Tang Dynasty, were also all executed on the fifteenth day of the second month of the second year of Zhaowu."
"Thus, His Majesty has thoroughly purged the remnants of the previous dynasty within the Tang Dynasty, cut off any lawless individuals attempting to overthrow the Tang Dynasty, and cleared up the misunderstanding between himself and His Highness..."
Chen Qingzhi spoke fluently and eloquently.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the faces of the rebel commander, Chen Longxiang, the regent of Daxin, and the rebel generals in the tent were becoming increasingly gloomy and unnatural.
Chen Qingzhi's words were partly true and partly false.
It is true that the four princes of the previous dynasty and their nine clans were executed, but the claim that the misunderstanding between the emperor and Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin was resolved is false.
In fact, Chen Longxiang, the first prince of the Tang Dynasty, raised an army to rebel, and even raised the banner of restoring the previous dynasty. This had already touched the bottom line and sore spot of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an. It was by no means a misunderstanding that could be resolved in a few words.
Unless, Chen Huai'an wanted to leave a precedent for his descendants to emulate the prince's rebellion, thus sowing a hidden danger for the Tang Dynasty for generations to come.
All of this was merely one of the schemes employed by Korean General Chen Qingzhi on this trip.
Then Chen Qingzhi continued, "Your Highness, the Emperor said that between brothers, blood is thicker than water; even broken bones are still connected by tendons."
"As long as Your Highness lays down your weapons now, surrenders to the Emperor, and admits your mistakes, we can still be good brothers!"
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