Соглашение Му Юйчэна

Глава 128

I gently hugged Feifei and whispered, "Feifei, I just hope you can always be this happy." Without the suffering of the past life, without the hatred of the future life, may you live a simple and contented life forever.

I'm sorry, Feifei! I can't let them find you. I can't let you go back to that hellish state of prejudice and hatred. I have to... send you away!

Feifei, exhausted from brewing the medicine, fell into a deep sleep in my arms. I helped him lie down on the bed, took off his coat, shoes, and socks, covered him with a blanket, and then left the room with Yihan.

I looked up at the sky; although it was only midday, the weather was still unusually hot. Gazing from the city wall at the distant, dark purple ramparts, I asked, "Has Qin Gui sent any reply?"

“It was delivered just an hour ago,” Yi Han replied calmly. “He said that Mu Shuangshuang has agreed to cooperate with you, young master. Zidu can be breached at any time.”

I climbed over layers of high walls and gazed upon the distant mountains and peaks. This vast and beautiful continent of Ishu, I stand atop your majestic heights, surveying the boundless天地 (heaven and earth).

"Order all officers of the rank of adjutant and above to convene an emergency military meeting," I said calmly.

"Yes, young master." Yi Han glanced to my left rear before leaving, and only left after I nodded in acknowledgment.

I took a deep breath and said calmly, "Jingyuan, come out."

A man dressed in light purple brocade emerged from around the corner. Sunlight lingered on his fair face as he gracefully approached. Against the backdrop of the war-torn city walls, he was like a painting that was incongruous yet extremely beautiful, dreamlike and ethereal.

I stood in the shade, squinting at him in the sunlight: "Jingyuan, do you still remember what you said back then?"

"Of course I remember," he said readily. "Just say the word, and even if you were to rebel, I would definitely help you."

"Alright." I gently twirled the tassels hanging from my clothes with my fingers. "I need your help now, the help of your status as the richest man in the world."

Han Jue squinted in the sunlight, his eyes gleaming with a deep brown light. He gazed intently at me and said, "No problem. But before you agree, I'd like you to answer one question for me, Lin Yu."

The moment I looked up, he parted his thin lips slightly and asked in a calm tone with an unfathomable expression, "Who is Zi Mo?"

At noon on the 15th day of the seventh month of the 768th year of the Wanli reign, the sun was blazing and the air was scorching. The Jin Yao soldiers of Fangling City were allowed to rest at noon and in the late afternoon, and only a few soldiers on duty were patrolling outside.

The doors to the council chamber in Fangling City were tightly shut. I sat calmly at the head of the table, looking at the hesitant and sweating generals below, and took a sip of tea.

“My lord,” a middle-aged general stepped forward, bowing deeply to the ground with utmost respect before speaking, “we know your bitterness and sympathize with your plight, but though the Emperor is unkind, he is still our sovereign; though Jin Yao is treacherous, he is still our country. Our loved ones are still in the country. If you, my lord, want us to abandon them and rebel, we would never…”

"Qin Wu," I called softly, interrupting him. Qin Wu quickly responded with a "Yes," and distributed the documents in his hand to the generals one by one. After only a moment, their faces turned pale, and indignation appeared on their faces.

"What do you mean by this, sir?!" the general demanded sternly.

I sighed and then said sincerely, "How many years have you generals followed me, Qin Luo?"

Before they could answer, I continued, "Shouldn't it be that for as many years as I've held military power, you've all followed me for just as many years? After so many years of fighting side by side and galloping across the battlefield, don't you all know what kind of person I, Qin Luo, am?"

My voice gradually became stern: "Do you all think that I, Qin Luo, am someone who holds my brothers and family members hostage and threatens them into rebelling against me?"

The generals below slowly lowered their heads, their faces filled with shame. A young general, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, said, "We owe our current positions entirely to your promotion and cultivation, sir. Now, seeing you being feared and persecuted by the Emperor, yet powerless to do anything about it, it is truly..."

I put down my teacup, brushed off my sleeves, stood up, and looked directly at them without any hesitation: "Today I have thoroughly investigated your families and relatives one by one, not to force you to rebel, but to allow you to choose without any worries! Those who are willing to follow me to break away from Jinyao and conquer Fengyin, I will safely rescue your families, and I swear that I will never forget your contributions when I achieve great things. Those who are unwilling to betray their country can choose to return to Jinyao with Yang Yi's 70,000 troops, and I will not make things difficult for them."

With my hands behind my back, I descended the steps step by step: "I know that all the soldiers here are brave warriors willing to shed their blood and give their lives. Whether you choose to follow me or pledge allegiance to Yang Yi, none of you have ever retreated. I respect warriors and hope to fight alongside you forever. But... Yang Yi killed my wife, beheaded my family's generals, and cut off my retreat. How could I possibly follow such a person again?"

“I should have sent you all back to China,” I sighed. “However, you have always been my direct subordinates, my trusted confidants. If you go back to China, not only will you not have the opportunity to make achievements, but you might not even be able to save your lives. Brothers of many years, I really don’t want your future to be ruined because of me!”

He walked slowly, step by step, and just as he was about to reach the door, he suddenly turned around, his sharp yet sincere gaze sweeping over everyone: "I, Qin Luo, have said everything I could. I wonder what your plans are?"

Their eyes met, their hesitation gradually turning into a calculated calculation of gains and losses. Finally, one of them bowed and asked, "May I ask, sir, what are your plans once you leave Jin Yao?"

Here they come! I thought to myself, once the safety of my loved ones is guaranteed, then calculating the gains and losses becomes the most important thing. However, this is understandable; if I were in their shoes, I would also consider these things first in this situation.

I smiled confidently: "Within ten days, Zidu will surely be mine. Is Yunbo trustworthy?"

A long silence filled the council chamber. I silently counted down the agonizing decision-making time, my heartbeat the measure. When I reached one hundred and sixteen… finally, one person knelt down, followed by a second, a third…

They shouted in unison, "We are willing to follow the Divine Child, to be loyal to him with utmost sincerity, and to die without regret!"

Stepping out of the council chamber, I stretched lazily. These formal military meetings are exhausting! I'll definitely train Qin Li into a capable general, but… I need to punish him severely first. How dare he lie to Uncle Li that Yunyan is dead!

As I walked along, pondering silently, the general I called Yunbo suddenly caught up with me and whispered in my ear, "Does Your Excellency really intend to release those 70,000 soldiers back to Jinyao? Wouldn't that be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains?"

I paused, looked up at his young and ambitious face, and asked calmly, "So what does Yiyunbo mean?"

He looked around, slightly turned his body to block all possible views, and made a killing gesture.

I looked down at his calloused, weathered hand for a long time before sighing, "I'm sorry, I... can't do it." Ignoring his bewildered expression, I slowly walked past him.

For these generals who had already decided to pledge their allegiance to me, their concern was my success or failure. They were not wrong to suggest such a radical approach, forgetting that, besides themselves, the soldiers below them also had families and were not to be blamed.

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand," this is a profound truth extracted from thousands of years of heavy history on the Chinese mainland. It tells the cruel and bloody story of the victor taking all.

When I chose to embark on the path of politics and military leadership, I was well aware that getting my hands stained with blood was an inevitable fact.

I've witnessed bloodshed before, I've commanded thousands of troops in bloody battles, and I've sacrificed innocent people for certain interests. But I simply cannot bring myself to engage in such blatant and meaningless slaughter.

As I rounded the corner, I unsurprisingly saw Han Jue leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, staring at me with a deep gaze: "You let those 70,000 soldiers go, but they won't appreciate it. You want me to rescue the soldiers' families, to save as many as I can, but that's just wishful thinking. Lin Yu, one day your womanly compassion will be your downfall!"

I gave him a cold look: "Just help me when I ask you to, stop with all the nonsense!"

Han Jue frowned as he looked at me: "Sometimes I feel you are unfathomable, capable of fighting against heaven and earth. Other times you seem so foolish you're practically idiotic. Is someone like you really suited to be an emperor?"

I gave him a gentle smile, which startled him so much that he shuddered: "Did I ever say I wanted to be emperor?"

Han Jue rolled his eyes at me in exasperation, glared at me, and turned to leave.

I sighed and, without turning back, asked, "Yihan, what do you think?"

Before he could answer, I interjected, "You'll probably say that as long as the young master is happy, that's all that matters."

"Yes." Behind me, Yi Han's voice was cool yet tinged with a hint of doting and indulgence, "As long as Young Master is happy."