The second-in-command's face was livid.
That feeling was as if the hidden thoughts in one's heart had been exposed and laid out under the sun, inexplicably shameful.
"Hehe … so what? I can also wait for Liu Xi and the Red Lotus Group to suffer heavy losses …"
Wei Ci sneered.
"My lord controls most of Fengyi County, Shangyang County, and Chengde County. In the vast Wanzhou, there is only Qiuyu County left. With such strength, how could both sides suffer? To put it bluntly, does the general think that he can run amuck and ignore the heroes of the world just by relying on a mere hundred thousand followers of the Red Lotus Parish? Don't you know? Previously, the Red Lotus Group had split its army of 36,000 to attack Jinmen County. There were less than 8,000 guards in Jinmen County. What was the result? They were routed like a mountain and captured more than 30,000 people. In that case, does the general still think that the Red Lotus Group can compete with my master? "
The second-in-command's eyes flickered with hesitation and struggle, as well as lingering fear.
Just as Wei Ci had mocked him, he was like a frog in a well, looking at the sky. He thought that the Red Lotus Group had defeated the Tsing Yi Army and made them flee like rats, so they were already the overlord of the north. However, Wei Ci told him that the Red Lotus Group was actually very weak. They had 36,000 troops, but they were still defeated by 7,000 troops.
This example was true, and he could not refute it.
Thirty-six thousand soldiers were no match for seven thousand!
The thirty thousand soldiers in the city did not give him any sense of security.
Whether he chose to rely on the Red Lotus Group or sit back and watch the fierce battle between the Red Lotus Group and Jiang Pengji, he would not have a good ending.
Wei Ci softened his voice to avoid pressuring her too much.
"My Lord sent me here to sincerely guide the way for the general."
The second-in-command did not make a sound this time. He stared at Wei Ci with his big, round eyes.
"Speak. I want to hear what you have to say." He snorted coldly, gritted his teeth in humiliation, and said fiercely, "I'll die if I surrender to the Red Lotus Church. Do you think I won't die if I surrender to Liu Xi? It sounds nice, but in reality, it's just like that. "
Wei Ci smiled and said, "General, if you pledge your allegiance to my Lord and assist him in destroying the Red Lotus Group, you will be a meritorious minister in destroying the Red Lotus Group. Why poison a meritorious official? If I really did that, from now on, who would be willing to abandon the dark for the light and seek refuge with my master? General, why don't you think about it carefully? Have you ever had any conflict with my master? Was there any old scores? Since there isn't, why are you still worried? "
That's right, there's no enmity between him and Liu Xi.
If he had taken the initiative to pledge allegiance, why would Liu Xi want to harm him?
Even if they did not use him, Liu Xi would not harm him. On the contrary, he would treat him kindly. Otherwise, once word of this got out, Liu Xi's enemies would only stubbornly resist. Surrendering meant death, not surrendering meant death. So, it was better to fight to the end and not surrender.
The balance in his heart slowly tilted towards Jiang Pengji.
Wei Ci knew that the time was ripe, so he did not rush him. Instead, he looked relaxed and indifferent, calm and elegant.
"Can you guarantee that Liu Xi won't turn his back on us?"
"My Lord has set her sights on the world. A mere Qiuyu County is not worth her breaking her promise."
The second-in-command's face turned green and black. He understood that he was being looked down upon, but what made him feel helpless was that others had the right to look down on him.
Thus, he struggled even more intensely in his heart.
At this moment, Wei Ci got up from his seat and flicked his sleeves.
His voice was as clear as a clear spring in the mountains, as if one's whole body was immersed in an icy spring on a hot summer day. It made one shiver uncontrollably.
"General, time is running out," he said with a smile. "My Lord has been ordered to rescue the King. If the attack fails for a long time, he will definitely withdraw his troops to defend the three counties. Without the pressure from my Lord, do you think the Red Lotus Group will let this go and not pursue your crimes of kidnapping the leader and defying the judgment of the sect? "
Even without Wei Ci's reminder, the second-in-command knew what would happen to him just by thinking about that scenario.
Wei Ci added fuel to the fire. "General, you have a strong military force, but most of them are followers of the Red Lotus Group. According to my speculation, except for a few trusted subordinates, no one else should know that you harmed the leader, right? If my Lord withdraws his troops, the Red Lotus Group will find a way to prove your crimes. General, do you think that those followers who worship the leader won't turn against you? "
Not only would they turn against him, but they might even have their heads chopped off if they slacked off for a nap.
The second-in-command knew that his position was unstable, but after listening to Wei Ci's words, he realized that the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.
Now he was afraid, and he restrained his arrogance.
Once he understood, he was more adaptable than anyone else.
He bowed in a nondescript manner and asked for guidance.
"Please guide me, sir."
Wei Ci sat back in his seat, a faint smile on his lips.
"I dare not say that I can guide you, but I do have a few good words to tell you, General."
Wei Ci had arrived at the right time. The envoy sent by the Red Lotus Group for peace talks had arrived during the day. He tried every possible way to persuade the second-in-command, and he made a bunch of promises.
The second-in-command was uneasy and did not immediately agree. He only said that he needed to think about it.
Not long after nightfall, Wei Ci arrived. His sincere talk was far more reassuring to the second-in-command than a bunch of promises.
In the face of a desperate situation, he would naturally choose the most beneficial path for himself.
Relying on Liu Xi might not be a bad idea.
Wei Ci's words gave the second-in-command a glimmer of hope.
He secretly gritted his teeth and said to Wei Ci, "During the day, the Red Lotus Group sent an envoy to persuade me to join forces with them … In order to show my sincerity, I'll get someone to kill those bastards … I only hope that you can put in a few good words for me …"
Wei Ci stopped the second-in-command and said, "You must not."
The second-in-command was surprised. "Why not?"
"We'll alert the enemy." Wei Ci did not even bat an eyelid as he continued, "If the envoy they sent is killed by you, they will surely know that you have defected to my master. When that time comes, they will be on guard, and you will be in danger. It's better to hold back for now, pretend to agree to cooperate, lure their elites into the city, and then lay an ambush, catching them like a turtle in a jar. At that time, they will be leaderless, and the Red Lotus Group outside the city will have no one to command them. My master will then send troops to capture them … In this way, we can definitely eliminate this hidden danger easily … "
Wei Ci said it casually, as if it was a very common idea.
But when the second-in-command heard it, he faintly felt the urge to sweat.
In his opinion, the scholar in front of him was extremely handsome and did not pose a threat at all.
If not for this, he would not have had the courage to stay in the same room with someone for so long, because he felt that Wei Ci was very weak.
Now that he saw it, he felt that scholars were really scary. Their words were like swords, and their brushes were like knives. They were casual and could kill people without leaving a trace.
Wei Ci asked him, "What does the general think?"
The second-in-command stuttered slightly and said, "Very, very good."
Wei Ci continued, "In order to win people's trust, I hope that the general can do one more thing."
The second-in-command asked him, "What is it?"
"Kill me."
The second-in-command was stunned. He felt that there was something wrong with his ears. Otherwise, how could he have heard such a strange request?
"Kill … kill you?"
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