The passageway in the palace was dark and quiet. The guards on duty stood in inconspicuous corners. The eunuch who led the way held a warm yellow lantern and led Qin Hui through the familiar path in the early hours of the morning. They crossed the long street and turned the corner of the palace. The cool air was accompanied by a gentle breeze, making all of this nostalgic.
In the Hall of Diligent Government in the inner palace, the lights shone through the summer curtains, illuminating the flowers and plants in the flower beds at night. After the eunuch entered the hall to report, Qin Hui was called in. A large map was hung on the wall of the side hall. Zhou Yong was slumped in a chair, looking up at the map in a daze. After Qin Hui paid his respects, Zhou Yong got up from his chair and turned to the Emperor.
The Emperor's face was pale and tired as he held the letter in his hand.
"Qin Qing, the news from Zhenjiang … has arrived."
"I … already know."
"Oh." Zhou Yong nodded. He wasn't surprised at all, but he looked distressed. "Junwu is injured. My Crown Prince … defended Zhenjiang to the death. After the traitors offered the city to him, he ran around for the sake of the people in the city. He did it to save the innocent people. How heroic! This is true benevolence and righteousness! My Crown Prince … will not lose to anyone! "
"The Crown Prince's benevolence and righteousness is a blessing for the people." Qin Hui said.
Zhou Yong waved his hand. "But Zhenjiang was still broken. Qin Qing, you are right. Since Wanyan Xiyin is desperate to attack Zhenjiang, it means that he has a foolproof plan. Haha, foolproof plan! He is colluding with those spies! Open the city gates and let them in! Yesterday evening … the Crown Prince was injured. Look, the people in the city are about to wake up. It's a foolproof plan, Qin Qing … "
Zhou Yong paused. "Tell me, what should we do?"
Qin Hui was silent. Zhou Yong looked at him and slammed the letter in his hand on the table. "Speak. Qin Qing, the Wu dynasty has fallen and Lin 'an has fallen. Can you hide? Outside Lin 'an … The Golden Crow army outside Lin' an has been circling around for four months! Even if he doesn't attack the city, he is still waiting for Zhenjiang's foolproof plan! If you don't say anything, are you going to give in to the Female Daoist and sell me out?! "
Zhou Yong's voice was shrill, and his saliva and tears were mixed together. It was obvious that he had lost control of his emotions. Qin Hui stood with his head bowed. When Zhou Yong finished speaking, he slowly cupped his hands and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for my unpardonable sin."
"Hiding it … is an unpardonable crime!"
"This old subject is slow-witted. Previously, when I planned everything, there would always be some oversight. Thanks to Your Majesty's protection, I was able to survive in the imperial court until now. Which was why even though I felt it before, I didn't dare to say anything. However, at this moment, I have to say some inappropriate words to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, when I received the news today, I … couldn't help but think of Old Man Tang of Jingping. My heart was moved and sorrow came from within … "
Qin Hui prostrated himself on the ground. At this point, the choking sound in his throat gradually became heavier, and he couldn't help but cry. Zhou Yong also felt it. His eyes were slightly red, and he waved his hand. "Speak!"
"What this old subject is going to say next is treason and heresy, but … Your Majesty already understands the ways of the world and the situation in Lin 'an. Wanyan Xiyin risked everything to take Zhenjiang to put pressure on Lin' an. He had a foolproof plan in Zhenjiang because he had secretly instigated all kinds of treacherous people to cooperate with the Female Daoist army. Your Majesty, now that he has taken Zhenjiang in three days, and His Highness the Crown Prince is seriously injured, I'm afraid … no one can say for sure how many people in the capital are conspiring with him … "
At this point, Zhou Yong nodded. "I understand, I can guess …"
Qin Hui paused. "The Golden Dog's fourth attack to the south is to break into Lin 'an, destroy our Wu dynasty, and reestablish Jingping. Your Majesty, it is a great taboo for us to be afraid before the enemy appears. However, based on the situation in Lin 'an, this old subject only feels that when the Female Daoists attack the city, our Wu dynasty … may no longer have the power to reverse the situation. "
At this point, he knocked his head heavily on the ground. Zhou Yong's expression was absent-minded, and he nodded. "Tell me, tell me everything."
"The situation is critical, and we are on the verge of collapse. If we don't want to repeat the mistakes of Jingping, this old subject believes that there is only one strategy that can preserve a glimmer of hope for our Wu dynasty in such a situation. This strategy … Others care about their reputation and dare not speak carelessly, but at this time, this old subject has no choice but to say it … This subject asks for peace talks. "
Qin Hui's words were spoken generously but calmly. In fact, this idea was not surprising, and Zhou Yong was not surprised. In fact, even if Qin Hui came up with an even more bizarre idea, he would not be surprised at this time. He nodded and replied, "In such a situation, how can we negotiate?"
In the early hours of the morning, everywhere in the palace seemed quiet. The wind blew up the curtains. Qin Hui said, "This subject does not want to underestimate the ferocity of the Female Daoists. If there were only our Jin and Wu sides in the world, negotiating peace would be a dead end. However, there are still black flags in the world, and this has become a glimmer of hope for peace talks, but only a glimmer of hope. On the other hand, if we had chosen to negotiate a few months ago, it would be tantamount to surrendering without a fight. Your Majesty's prestige would be damaged, and the Wu dynasty would be seething with resentment. But in the current situation, this subject believes that there are many who can understand the situation and have the same idea as this subject. "
He said, "Zhenjiang has been defeated, the Crown Prince is injured, and Lin 'an is in danger. At this time, accepting the conditions of the Female Daoists' negotiation and ceding the land a thousand miles west of Xiangfan is really a last resort. Your Majesty, now we can only bet on the weight of the Black Flag troops in the eyes of the Female Daoists. No matter what humiliating conditions we accept, as long as the Female Daoists are fighting the Black Flag in the southwest, our Wu dynasty will eventually survive. The Jin and the Black Flag are both ferocious tigers of the world. With one blow, both sides will suffer. Even if one side is defeated, the other side will certainly suffer a great loss of strength. Our court has Your Majesty overseeing it, and the Crown Prince is wise. As long as the Crown Prince can be given more time, the Wu dynasty … will certainly have hope of resurgence. "
Zhou Yong was silent for a moment. "Negotiating peace at this time is indeed a last resort, but … the Jin are tigers and wolves. They have taken down Zhenjiang and gained the upper hand. How can they be willing to give up? At the beginning of the year, he said that he wanted me to cede a thousand miles of land and kill General Han to appease the Jin. Now that I am in a disadvantageous position, how can the Jin be satisfied? This peace … how are we going to negotiate? "
Zhou Yong was afraid. He had already thought of many terrible things. If the Jin could swallow up the entire Wu dynasty, how could they settle for the next best thing? As soon as he asked this question, Qin Hui's answer came immediately.
"Your Majesty's worries are quite reasonable. However, the countermeasure is actually very simple." He said, "The Jin want to destroy our Wu dynasty and restore peace. The real core of this matter lies in Your Majesty. If the Jin really capture Your Majesty, I am afraid that our Wu dynasty will be destroyed. However, as long as Your Majesty is not captured, how much time will the Jin have to stay in our Wu dynasty? As long as we are unyielding, when the time comes, the Jin will have no choice but to choose to compromise. "
When Qin Hui said this, Zhou Yong's eyes lit up slightly. "You mean …"
"Your Majesty, no matter how serious this matter is, it is nothing more than a search of the mountains and the sea. Your Majesty only needs to go out to sea from the Qiantang River and take care of your health. No matter where you go, our Wu dynasty will still exist. In addition, there are many things that we can promise the Jurchen, but even if we exhaust all our resources, as long as we can send the Jurchen troops to the southwest, our Wu dynasty will still have a chance to revive. However, this matter is to bear the burden of humiliation. Your Majesty may have to bear some of the blame. I … am guilty. "
Zhou Yong's eyes lit up and his heart was stirred. He was silent for a long time, then murmured, "I don't mind being blamed for a while, as long as Junwu has a chance to revive the world …"
Qin Hui was still kneeling there. "The Crown Prince's safety is also of utmost importance at this time. In my opinion, although His Highness is benevolent, the son of a noble family should not sit in the shadows. It is a blessing for the people that His Highness is running around for the people, but the Crown Prince's close subordinates are not doing their best … Of course, since His Highness's life is not in danger, this is a small matter. However, His Highness has won the hearts of the people and is staying in the north. I am afraid that he will become a thorn in the side of the Jurchen. If Xiyin wants to kill His Highness first, I am afraid that after the defeat of Zhenjiang, the morale of the soldiers around His Highness will be low, and they will not be able to withstand Xiyin's elite attack … "
"Yes, yes …" Zhou Yong thought for a moment and nodded. "Xiyin attacked Zhenjiang because he bribed the people in the garrison of Zhenjiang. I am afraid that there are more than one or two people around Junwu … We can't let him stay in the front, I have to let him come back."
"I am afraid that the Crown Prince is brave and not willing to come back."
"If I want him to come back, he must come back!" Zhou Yong roared. But after a while, his eyes trembled. "If he really doesn't come back …"
"The only chance of survival still lies with Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty leaves Lin 'an, Xiyin will finally understand that the Jin Kingdom cannot destroy the Wu dynasty. When that time comes, he will need to preserve his strength to attack the southwest and will not start another war. The Wu dynasty's bargaining chip is also in this matter. Moreover, even if the Crown Prince stays in the front, it is not a bad thing. With Your Highness's brave temperament, Xiyin may believe in the Wu dynasty's determination to resist. When that time comes … perhaps we should stop while we are at it. "
"Ah … I have to leave after all …" Zhou Yong nodded in realization.
Qin Hui, who was kneeling on the ground, straightened his upper body. His previous words were calm, but now it could be seen that his righteous and resolute face was covered with tears. He folded his hands and kowtowed again, his voice choked with sobs.
"Your Majesty! All the things I have said before are just words of treason. But if I really do it, the Wu dynasty's prestige will be swept to the ground, the imperial court will be overturned, the country will be in turmoil, and the sorrow and humiliation will be unspeakable … As an official, I really do not want to say these things … "
He cried loudly. "If possible, what I have dreamed of is for the Wu dynasty to advance forward, to be able to break through the borders, to be able to go to the land of the Jin, to invade their land, and to destroy their country. For the Wu dynasty to come to this point, I have sinned. I will die ten thousand times, ten thousand times, ten thousand times, ten thousand times …"
He wailed and kowtowed again and again … Zhou Yong also could not help but cover his mouth and cry. Then he came over to support Qin Hui's shoulder and pulled him up. "It's my fault! It's … it's the fault of the previous treacherous officials! It's Zhou Zhe's fault. The fatuous ruler, the treacherous officials … Cai Jing and Tong Guan are all … my fault. I deeply regret that I could not use Qin Qing's strategy to conquer the southwest … "
Dawn had not yet arrived. In the palace, under the cover of the night, the ruler and the minister supported each other and wept as they decided on a way to deal with the situation. Zhou Yong said to Qin Hui, "At this point, only Qin Qing can say such unpleasant words to me without any hesitation. However, this matter involves too many people. Qin Qing, you must preside over the plan for me and explain to the people how formidable it is …"
This was not a plan that could gain a good reputation. Zhou Yong stared at him, and Qin Hui's eyes did not reveal the slightest hint of evasion. He solemnly cupped his hands and knelt down heavily.
"For the sake of the Wu dynasty, I am willing to bear this infamy. I am willing to be the vanguard of Your Majesty, to devote myself to the task until the day I die …"
Not long after, on a crisp morning, the sky began to brighten. When the people of Lin 'an woke up, the Emperor, who had not put on a good expression for a long time, summoned Zhao Ding and the other ministers to the palace and announced to them his thoughts and decision on the peace negotiations.
The Imperial Study that morning was thrown into chaos. After understanding the Emperor's words and failing to refute them, some of the officials began to loudly curse those who supported the peace negotiations. Zhao Ding pointed at Qin Hui and hysterically said, "Qin Hui, you old fool, I knew that you were all narrow-minded. You have been planning for the southwest until now. You want to destroy the Wu dynasty. Do you know that with this peace negotiation, even if it is just the beginning, my Wu dynasty will be no different from being destroyed? The millions of soldiers of the Yangtze River will die at the hands of these traitors! You rebel and traitor! Tell me, did you secretly communicate with the Zhenren and have long since made preparations … "
Pointing at Zhao Ding, Qin Hui also cursed, "To negotiate peace is to be a traitor, to advocate war is to be a loyal subject! You are nothing more than traitors who bring disaster to the country. For the sake of your loyalty, you disregard the fact that my Wu dynasty is already so weak! Speak of the southwest! Two years ago, when we sent troops to the southwest, if it were not for you who obstructed us and prevented us from going all out, we would not be in this situation today. You only know how to fight in the court, only for the sake of two small reputations behind you. You are narrow-minded and selfish! If I, Qin Hui, were not for the sake of the world, why would I come out to bear this infamy? But among all of you, I do not know how many of you have secretly colluded with the Zhenren. Step forward … "
Both sides were cursing each other. In the end, Zhao Ding rushed forward and began to fight. The Imperial Study was filled with a cacophony of fighting. Zhou Yong sat in his chair and watched all of this with a gloomy expression.
The soldier who had delivered the order had already left the Imperial Palace and was heading toward the Qiantang River pier where the city was inevitably located. Not long after, the Zhenren emissaries who had traveled day and night to persuade the Zhenren to surrender would arrive in Lin 'an with their heads held high.
At seven in the morning, soft white clouds floated in the sky and a cool breeze was blowing. The carriage passed through the streets of Lin 'an in the direction of the Imperial Palace. Zhou Pei lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw that the shops on both sides of the road were still open. The citizens of the city walked on the streets and began their daily lives as usual.
On the morning of the 28th of April, this was Zhou Pei's last memory of Lin 'an.
More than three hundred miles away, Jun Wu was still sleeping soundly in his tent in the army camp. He had already completed his metamorphosis and did not feel any fear in his endless dreams. In two days, he would wake up from his coma and everything would be too late.
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