"Father-in-law, please calm down." Pang Xiao saw that Qin Huaiyuan was enraged. So, he didn't say anything. He knelt down without any hesitation. He didn't care about his status as a Prince. Moreover, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Great Zhou's Tiger Army.
"Father-in-law, if you are angry, you can reprimand me however you want, but please don't say such hurtful words. I know that Sister Yi will definitely suffer greatly in this war. Not only Sister Yi, but the people will also suffer greatly. That is why I forced you to come here today.
"Father-in-law, you have eyes and ears. How can you not know that your son-in-law has no choice? You feel sorry for the people and Sister Yi. You can scold me however you want, but please don't say that I don't cherish her. I feel like my heart is being twisted by a knife. "
Pang Xiao knelt with his head down. The more he spoke, the more depressed he became. In fact, he couldn't blame Qin Huaiyuan for being angry with him.
When he heard Huzi describe the tragic situation in Jingdu, he couldn't help but feel distressed. When he thought about how Qin Yining was in such an environment, with his injuries not yet healed and he had to starve all day, his heart ached. What's more, Qin Huaiyuan was in such a situation all day?
Qin Huaiyuan looked down at Pang Xiao. For a moment, he didn't know what to do with him.
From the perspective of the country, this person was a sinner who wanted to trample on Dayan.
But from a personal point of view, this person was an outstanding young man. He was both literate and martial, and had both talent and appearance. He was sincere to his daughter. Moreover, in terms of planning and conquering, not only did he display his strategy, but he also had a benevolent heart that loved the people. This could be seen from the fact that he had resisted the imperial edict and refused to massacre the city.
Qin Huaiyuan sat down tiredly. He rubbed his forehead and said, "How is Xi Hua City now?"
Pang Xiao was smart. When he heard Qin Huaiyuan ask this, he knew that his father-in-law wasn't so angry that he didn't want to acknowledge him. He wanted to give him a chance.
Pang Xiao immediately said, "Everything is fine in Xi Hua City."
"But I heard that nine out of ten houses in Xi Hua City are empty. Your Tiger Army has killed all the people there and hung their heads on high poles like lanterns." Qin Huaiyuan sneered. "Are you trying to fool me?"
"Father-in-law, please understand. That was just a tactic to disturb the enemy." In fact, it was to save money for a wife, but Pang Xiao would never say that.
Seeing this, Huzi, who was kneeling beside him, also explained, "Master Qin, I'm sorry.
My family's Wang Ye indeed did not indiscriminately kill the innocent. Those people who were beheaded in front of Xi Hua's city gate were originally criminals in the city. After Wang Ye entered the city, he investigated both openly and secretly, and recorded down the names of those rich and heartless people whom the common people called 'Flayed Skin', 'King of Hell', and so on. Once their crimes were verified, they were severely punished. "
"Now you're saying that you're here to uphold justice." Qin Huaiyuan's anger had subsided a lot, but he still felt awkward looking at Pang Xiao. He simply turned his face to the side and refused to look at him.
Pang Xiao heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this. He thought that he would be able to keep his identity as his son-in-law. So, he kowtowed again and said, "Father-in-law, this son-in-law wouldn't dare to do such a heartless thing. But, a war is a war. We are standing on different sides. So, there will always be a time when we can't control ourselves."
Pang Xiao straightened his body as he observed Qin Huaiyuan's expression. When he saw that Qin Huaiyuan was not displeased, he continued, "Just like in Father-in-law's heart, could it be that you have long given up on defending the city for the sake of the common people?"
Qin Huaiyuan's heart shook when he heard this. He closed his eyes and sighed softly.
On the one hand, it was whether the Dayan Royal Family could continue to rule this territory. On the other hand, the common people in the territory sacrificed themselves for the power of the superior. How could he not have such thoughts? However, he was a muddle-headed person in the end, so he could not be the one to stand out.
"Get up. As Wang Ye, the commander-in-chief of the army, how can you kneel when you see this old man?"
Even if I don't kneel, you won't be appeased! If I put on airs when I see you, how can we continue to talk about this?!
Pang Xiao cursed in his heart, but in the end, he breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and brought the noodles over, saying with a smile, "Father-in-law, you've been unconscious for a day and haven't eaten yet. Eat the noodles first, and then we can continue talking."
Qin Huaiyuan did not have much of an appetite. After being hungry for a long time, his stomach seemed to have become smaller, so he did not have much of an appetite.
However, looking at the noodles that Pang Xiao brought over, the broth was clear, the noodles were thin, and the noodles were evenly distributed. There were also green vegetables and green onions scattered on top, and the fragrance was very appetizing.
Qin Huaiyuan could not let Wang Ye, who was from Da Zhou, carry a bowl for him all the time, so he took the bowl and took a sip of the broth with a spoon. It tasted fresh and salty, and it could not help but arouse his appetite. He simply picked up his chopsticks and ate.
When Pang Xiao saw that his father-in-law was willing to eat the noodles he cooked, he felt a little relieved.
When Qin Huaiyuan finished eating, Huzi brought over a cup of tea and said, "Old Master Qin, please enjoy."
Qin Huaiyuan rinsed his mouth and said, "The noodles are cooked well."
"If Father-in-law thinks it's good, then it's the good fortune of these noodles. Sister Yi also likes to eat the noodles I cook." When Pang Xiao thought of Qin Yining, the smile on his face softened a little.
"You cooked it?"
"Yes, my son-in-law's family ran a restaurant before he joined the army. I like to cook, so I learned a few tricks from my grandfather and the chef he hired."
"Mm." Qin Huaiyuan lowered his eyes and pondered. Pang Xiao had already expressed his sincerity very clearly, so he could not continue to pretend to be a guest. Firstly, it would not benefit the two countries, and secondly, he was afraid that his daughter would be wronged. What if Sister Yi still had feelings for this brat? He could not interfere with their good fortune.
Qin Huaiyuan stood up and said solemnly, "Just now, we were speaking in a private capacity. Now, let's talk about official business. Wang Ye, did you invite me here today for something important?"
Pang Xiao secretly praised his father-in-law's quick-wittedness. He treated the situation just now as a personal grudge, and it would not affect the relationship between the two countries at all.
He was also happy to see this. He took out a thick letter from his bosom and said, "Grand Preceptor Qin, I invited you here in private today to find a way to survive for the people here. Please take a look at this letter. "
Qin Huaiyuan took it curiously. At first glance, the handwriting on the letter changed color.
Qin Huaiyuan had a photographic memory. He could distinguish the handwriting of his colleagues. The handwriting on this letter was clearly Duke Anguo's, Li Mian's!
Thinking about Duke Anguo's attitude toward the war, he had already guessed the contents of the letter. He hurriedly opened the letter and read ten lines at a time.
This was a letter of allegiance.
The general content was that as long as Prince Zhongshun said a word and agreed on a time, Duke Anguo would be willing to open the city gates and welcome the Tiger Army into the capital. He was also willing to cut off the head of Grand Preceptor Qin Huaiyuan and offer it to Prince Zhongshun to avenge Prince Zhongshun and express his sincerity.
Most importantly, at the end of the letter of allegiance, there was a long list of names.
Every name on this list was written in blood. The handwriting of each name was different, and there was a handprint behind each name.
It actually included ninety percent of Dayan's military generals and nearly half of the civil officials!
Qin Huaiyuan smiled sadly. How could he fight this war? He couldn't fight at all!
"I understand," Qin Huaiyuan calmly put the letter back into the envelope, "This official still has to present this letter to the Emperor."
Pang Xiao nodded and said, "Don't worry, Grand Preceptor Qin. This King guarantees that he will not kill a single person. "He was guaranteeing that he would not kill the people. He was also guaranteeing that he would not kill Qin Huaiyuan.
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