Delong

Chapter 578 Crossing the Sea (2)

Cao Ming didn't initially intend to actually cry or kneel... He was willing to come because he knew Zhang Xing was right; there was no need for these loyal ministers of Wei to sacrifice themselves at this point, and he shouldn't refuse if he could save people.

Empress Dowager Xiao also agreed, otherwise she wouldn't have stayed up all night writing so many letters.

However, when he returned to Dongdu, where he had lived from his teenage years to adulthood, and saw Su Wei with his snow-white hair, he thought of Gu Yi, who had died not long ago, and the sins his father had committed. He also thought of the past glory of Dongdu. Overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions, he could no longer hold back and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

My legs went limp without my control.

Including Su Wei, no one thought the two were faking their tears. Even among those who were crying along with them, it's undeniable that many people initially just cried to fit the occasion, but as they cried, they were genuinely overcome with grief and couldn't stop.

This is Dongdu. Su Wei and Cao Ming are not the only remnants of the old regime. Who hasn't felt like they've been dreaming?
This outburst of weeping drew everyone's attention, and it wasn't just these two who were crying, nor was it just one neighborhood. Upon hearing of what had happened, countless people flocked to see "King Qi." King Qi, too, had to complete his mission, so he wept all the way from Niu Hong to Duan Wei, and then all the way to Ziwei Palace and Xiyuan.

He cried until his tears dried up, and Sima was sobbing that he was digging his toes into the ground, but there was nothing he could do.

Therefore, Li Shu specifically sought out Sima Zheng, saying that this was a psychological warfare tactic by the Chulong Gang... Sima Zheng certainly knew it was a psychological warfare tactic, but could he forbid people from crying? Instead, he could only offer kind words of advice.

Just as Cao Ming's cries echoed through the Eastern Capital and drew everyone's attention, a key official, a pillar of the Eastern Capital, suddenly visited another key official, also a pillar of the Eastern Capital.

To be fair, Sima Jinda disliked Wang Daiji.

It wasn't just because of Wang Daiji's occasional flashes of ambition, such as building his own team while inspecting Huainan and running away to seize Nanyang after arriving in Luoyang; the key issue was that he was also incompetent!
First of all, he's not good-looking. His hair and beard are yellow, and his pupils are dull. He clearly has demon blood. Is that acceptable?

Even worse, some people talk incessantly and handle matters in a fragmented manner. Over time, they lose their proper posture and become unrecognizable as human beings!
That's why I find this guy annoying; I get annoyed just seeing him.

However, this was a man whom Zhang Xing considered a significant figure, Li Ding considered a significant figure, and Sima Zheng also valued him. Therefore, Sima Jinda could not help but pay attention to him and had to be wary of him.

Upon hearing of Wang Daiji's visit, Sima Jinda intended to hold a simple banquet in the pavilion in his backyard. However, as soon as he entered, Wang Laojiu, dressed in plain clothes, invited him to a gathering at a restaurant in the West Market. Sima Jinda naturally found this strange and became very wary. After all, that place was a mixed bag of people, and it was not a place for people of their caliber to go, let alone one that was so far away!
It's important to understand that the so-called West Market is actually the true South Market, located in the southwest corner of the entire Eastern Capital, separated from the city wall by a ward. To put it bluntly, if someone poisoned that location and ambushed it with a few skilled fighters, you might not be able to hold out until Sima Zheng arrives to rescue you.

But the next moment, as Wang Daiji inexplicably handed him a note, Sima Jinda remained silent for a moment before agreeing. He changed into plain clothes, took an old horse, and headed south of the city with the other man. Along the way, Wang Laoji chatted idly, talking about Cao Ming, the people's condition, and their time in Jiangdu and Dongdu, while Sima Jinda responded with a few words here and there.

They finally arrived at the bustling West Market and went to a noisy restaurant. After a long wait, they finally found a seat by the window on the second floor and ordered some food. But Wang Laojiu was still nagging, "The West Market is surrounded on three sides, yet it's still so lively. It shows that people's hearts are still at peace."

"Not necessarily?" Sima Jinda frowned impatiently. "The West Market was originally a place for trading specialties with the Wu tribe, the Dongyi, and the Hundred Tribes of Nanling... After the three campaigns, it declined day by day and was almost dispensable. Now that it's bustling again, it might not be a good thing!"

“Indeed.” Wang Daiji nodded, his words seemingly disjointed. “But as far as I know, this place is mostly used for adulteration now, it didn’t just become lively now…”

"What kind of mixing?"

“Everything was mixed up. At first, it was old grain mixed with new grain, then cloth, gold and silver, and later furniture, jewelry, utensils, and calligraphy and paintings,” Wang Daiji said earnestly. “The prices between them kept changing… Just like now, three liters of old grain can be exchanged for one liter of new grain from last autumn, which is about eight coins…”

"How much?" Even though he was already annoyed by the other party's rambling, Sima Jinda still noticed the key point. "Three liters of aged grain for eight coins?"

"Correct."

"One dou (斗) is worth eighty coins?"

"Correct."

"But isn't the old grain sent down from the old granary in Nanluokou worth fifteen coins per dou?"

“That’s the official price,” Wang Daiji quickly explained. “According to household registration and age, able-bodied adults were limited to five dou per ten days, which is the same principle as the city defense soldiers receiving an extra four sheng of rice every day without compensation. It’s not the real price… Similarly, there are cloth, gold, and silver…”

Sima Jinda raised his hand to stop the other party: "I know, I know... To put it bluntly, once the Chulong Gang's army arrived, the market became tense, right? The people started hoarding rice again."

“That’s not what I meant,” Wang Daiji shook his head. “It’s the other way around.”

Sima Jinda was taken aback.

"As far as I know, this strategy of rationing old grain was in place during Cao Lin's time, and the official price has remained unchanged... In good times, like the last two years, old grain simply couldn't be sold because new grain was only worth a couple of coins more. But even so, they dared not arbitrarily adjust the price, much less refuse to sell. This is because in truly bad times, the price of old grain can skyrocket." Wang Daiji continued his rambling explanation. "Right after Cao Lin died, it was 800 coins per dou! During the New Year, when they withdrew from Nanyang, morale was low, and it was 200 coins per dou! After spring planting, it slowly returned to 30 coins per dou, and now..."

"Now that the army is pressing in, the price has only risen to eighty coins per dou?!" Sima Jinda sighed deeply, his heart filled with complex emotions. "Is this what you meant by 'It concerns Erlang's life or death, do not disturb Erlang'? The common people are all hoping to surrender and live in peace as soon as possible! It's been eight or nine years, it should be like this by now. But Erlang, he..."

Wang Daiji stared intently at the other party, and seeing the other party's genuine emotions, he finally decided to take a gamble: "General Sima, I'm not afraid of what you think of me. I'm honest and upright. I originally wanted to be a loyal minister and end it all, but when the Prince of Qi came back and cried, to be honest, my spirit was deflated. But even after that, I still felt something was wrong. I felt I had let Erlang down... But Erlang just kept getting stuck in a rut, and someone has to pull him out of it!"

Sima Jinda frowned as he listened to the first few sentences—why was he suddenly revealing his true feelings to me? What does your loyalty have to do with me?

He listened patiently until the end, then was speechless: "Of course I know he's stuck in a rut. If I could pull him out, I would have done so. Why would I need you to tell me?"

Wang Daiji paused slightly, then hesitated.

"Minister Wang, do you have any ideas at all?" Sima Jinda was speechless and made a move to get up and leave.

"General, please stop." Wang Daiji called out to the other party, looked around at the people, and lowered his voice. "General, I do have some thoughts, but firstly, I dare not speak them, for fear that if I do, it will backfire and I will not only be unable to bear the responsibility, but I will also be labeled as a petty person; secondly, I am afraid that I will talk too much and the general will become impatient."

“You don’t need to worry about my reputation as a villain.” Sima Jinda sat back down and narrowed his eyes at the other man. “Since you’ve chosen this place to talk today, I won’t say anything. Even if a huge mess is made in the future, as long as it was me, I won’t mention you in the slightest. You don’t need to talk about responsibility either. At this point, with the army pressing in, it’s all about life and death, honor and disgrace. Who can’t bear that? Finally, if you really have a plan, I’ll patiently listen to what you have to say today.”

Wang Daiji nodded, and was about to speak when the shopkeeper brought out several fresh early summer dishes. He kept quiet for the moment, and took out a Hebei silver coin minted by the Chulong Gang from his pocket, handed it to the shopkeeper, and asked him not to disturb him.

The shopkeeper understood, quickly finished setting things up, and went downstairs.

Wang Laojiu then spoke up: "General, it's hard to say what's going on in Erlang's nitpicking, but this matter needs a framework, and that framework is the defense of the Eastern Capital... So, if the Eastern Capital cannot be defended, then there's a reason for this."

Sima Jinda nodded, then shook his head: "That's true, but the Eastern Capital is right here. It can't be defended, it's impossible to defend it. Even if he insists on defending it, there's nothing he can do."

“But what if Dongdu is gone?” Wang Daiji interrupted, speaking urgently.

"How could the Eastern Capital be gone?" Sima Jinda sneered. "Such a large Eastern Capital, with over a hundred wards, more than a million people, palaces, treasures..."

“All that is meaningless. Guarding the Eastern Capital is really about guarding people!” Wang Daiji interrupted again. “At least for Erlang, what he needs to guard are people! An Eastern Capital without people, an Eastern Capital that no one wants him to guard, is meaningless…”

Sima Jinda fell silent, scrutinizing the yellow-bearded demon hybrid before him once more. A strange feeling stirred within him; he knew the other man had hit a nerve.

“I only suddenly realized this because of King Qi’s visit,” Wang Daiji sighed. “Before, from the perspective of a loyal Wei minister, Erlang would have certainly died in Dongdu even for our sake… Because if all of us loyal Wei ministers were thinking of dying for our country when the city fell, and there were two others who insisted on defending it, it would inevitably lead to bloodshed. Then he would have a reason to fight the Chulong Gang to the end. The Chulong Gang was eager to unify the world, so how could they tolerate him? If they clashed with him, he would surely die. But when King Qi came and cried to Prime Minister Su, begging him to live, I felt it was pointless. I changed my mind about my inevitable death. Why? Because everyone else was no longer willing to die for their country, and it would be a joke if I were to die alone. So I thought, if someone could deal with all the tough nut to crack in Dongdu, like the loyal Wei ministers, and everyone would be willing to surrender, then Erlang would have a chance to live.”

"Who are the 'lumps'?" Sima Jinda pondered for a moment before asking seriously.

“Not many,” Wang Daiji said earnestly. “I’ve carefully checked the area, and there really aren’t many left. Firstly, the so-called million civilians…”

As he spoke, Wang Laojiu pointed outside: "Eighty coins a bushel of grain is proof enough!"

“Not bad.” Sima Jinda nodded immediately.

“Secondly, there’s the issue of the so-called dignity of the Great Wei… If we can help Prince Qi make proper arrangements this time, it can actually be eliminated.” Wang Lao Jiu said, counting on his fingers. “I can do that. If I find anyone who insists on putting on the airs of a loyal minister, I’ll try to persuade them. If I can’t persuade them, I’ll find someone to send them away… Actually, I’ve already guessed who the most troublesome person in this is.”

"Who?"

"Two bodyguards..."

"Tsk." Sima Jinda clicked his tongue almost instinctively, then immediately shook his head. "I'll go back and issue a decree ordering them to guard Huanyuan Pass..."

“Whether we send them out or try to persuade them, they might agree, or they might not,” Wang Daiji said earnestly. “These two are determined to die for Cao Huangshu. If they are clear-headed, there is no way to stop them. This is a deadlock… Even if we kill them, it will still be a deadlock. Erlang will definitely think that this person was implicated by him.”

“Indeed… this is a dead end.” Sima Jinda’s expression remained unchanged.

“And there’s more than one deadlock,” Wang Daiji continued. “There’s another person…”

"Who?!"

“Li Shu…”

“Indeed, Li Shu is troublesome too, and this fellow is a top-notch shrewd man; he naturally understands the principle that the world is vast yet there is nowhere for him to go… This is also a dead end.” Sima Jinda’s expression remained unchanged as he continued to ask, “Anything else?”

Wang Daiji sighed and did not respond.

"Since you have come to me, you must have some insights. Do you have a way to untie this knot?" Sima Jinda urged impatiently.

“Logically speaking, there are only two paths,” Wang Daiji said carefully, emphasizing each word. “We should first persuade them, reason with them, and appeal to their emotions, to ask them to leave the Eastern Capital together… to go to the Eastern Barbarians, or to live in seclusion in the Southern Mountains, either is fine.”

"That's certainly a good thing, but as you just said, even the two Grand Protectors are determined to die for Cao Huangshu, and Li Shu is even more unwilling. How can it possibly succeed?" Sima Jinda sneered.

“So, I suddenly came up with a wicked plan. Since the two Grand Protectors are destined to die anyway, could we ask Li Shu to deal with them for us and then leave on his own? And if Minister Li could leave a letter like Minister Gu did, advising Erlang to cherish his life, that would be even better.” Wang Daiji continued, emphasizing each word. “Tell the Chulong Gang that Li Shu is dead!”

Sima Jinda remained silent, lost in thought.

But after only a moment, he gave a bitter smile and slowly shook his head: "Minister Wang Jiu, I understand what you mean. It's a solution... Don't think that it's a desperate measure at this time. Even if it really angers Erlang, I will still do it... I won't tell you. These are all my own ideas."

Wang Daiji felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

Sima Jinda stood up, picked up the cup of Tunfeng wine from Yecheng in front of him, and said with unusual seriousness, "I toast Minister Wang, wishing Minister Wang a long and prosperous reign, and that he will assist Emperor Zhang well and bring peace to the world!"

Wang Daiji could only obediently accept.

Leaving aside the events of that day, the following day, accompanied by Su Wei and Niu Hong, Cao Ming formally visited the Marshal's Mansion, where he met the Marshal's wife, who was theoretically supposed to be his younger sister but whom he barely remembered, as well as Sima Zheng, who had actually served as his direct subordinate in the past.

Sima Jinda accompanied him.

This time, King Qi did not cry. He simply followed Zhang Xing's advice in his previous letter, talking about the local customs and traditions of Hebei, the political jokes about the dismissal of the Dragon Gang, and some things that happened when their theoretical father was still alive.

Somewhat unexpectedly, when the marshal's wife recounted a memorable event from her childhood—that summer after a failed campaign, when the emperor fled back and awaited the retreating troops—he suddenly issued an edict to catch countless fireflies and release them into a valley in the Beiman Mountains. Then, when he led all the concubines, children, and eunuchs of the palace to see the fireflies… almost everyone present remembered that incident.

"Back then, there was still hope for Great Wei," Cao Ming said earnestly. "But if you ask me, from that time onward, Great Wei was beyond saving..."

Everyone present understood what he meant. He said there was hope because although the emperor was becoming increasingly arrogant and his campaigns had resulted in heavy losses, these losses were not enough to cripple the foundation of the Great Wei. At this point, if they could pull back from the brink and proceed cautiously, there might be some setbacks and turmoil in the country, but they could still manage to survive.

Zhang Xing might become one of Cao Lin's Fourteen Protectors, eventually inheriting his political legacy and ranking among the Southern Officials; Bai Hengqiu will certainly remain a loyal subject of Wei; Sima Changying won't die so easily, and Sima Jinda and Sima Zheng will allow the Sima clan to flourish; Cao Ming may not become emperor, but he won't be deposed as a Grand Master; Su Wei and Niu Hong will continue to serve as prime ministers; the little princess might marry a meritorious official and live a normal life, at least enjoying a lifetime in the prosperous eastern capital.

But what's frightening is that, looking back, everyone knows that it was around that time that the emperor started to "go mad".

This arrogant man, who considered himself the supreme ruler of the land, lost his mind after that defeat... and became exceptionally harsh, cruel, awkward, suspicious, and weak.

However, his previous victories and experiences have given him complete control over all power.

Therefore, from that point on, the Great Wei was beyond saving.

“The Great Wei is beyond saving, and it should have perished long ago.” Seeing that no one objected, Cao Ming couldn’t hold back any longer. “Sima Erlang, you’ve done enough… Take a break! The people of Luoyang are grateful to you, and we are grateful to you too!”

Sima Zheng remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head under everyone's gaze: "Brother Qi... you don't understand... I am naturally happy to see the Great Wei achieve a result and for you all to be able to let go of your grudges, and it has indeed relieved me of a layer of constraints. But I am wearing a complete set of armor; how can I easily remove it completely? Not to mention anything else, there are still many people in this Eastern Capital who have entrusted their lives to me; how can I betray them? Moreover, Zhang Xing has always aspired to cultivate to the level of a Supreme Being or something. If that's the case, my current cultivation level is the reward that the Three Radiances and Four Emperors have reserved for him. If he doesn't take it, becoming an emperor, a chief, or even ascending to heaven to become a dragon and be listed among the stars is fine, but it's definitely hard to expect to become a Supreme Being."

"Erlang," Cao Ming quickly came to persuade him upon hearing this. "Doesn't Zhang Xing understand your reasoning? Since he sent me here, it means he has agreed. You mustn't get yourself into this mess!"

Now that this was made clear, everyone at the table looked at Sima Zheng.

Unexpectedly, Sima Zheng still shook his head: "It is precisely because I know that Zhang Sanlang means well and that he wants to protect the entire Eastern Capital that I want to help him achieve his goal... Otherwise, when he later wants to achieve his own success, he will be missing my armor, wouldn't that be a regret for all eternity?"

Just as Cao Ming was about to say something more, the youngest daughter of the Cao family couldn't help but burst into tears and said first, "If you've made up your mind, I'll go with you even if it means death!"

Sima Zheng forced a smile and wanted to comfort him, but didn't know what to say.

Cao Ming, Su Wei, and Niu Hong all wanted to persuade him, but Sima Jinda, who had been silent all along, suddenly coughed, which instantly silenced everyone else present... Even the youngest daughter of the Cao family looked at Sima Jinda with a helpless expression.

The luncheon clearly had no effect.

Leaving aside the others, after the banquet ended, in the afternoon, Sima Jinda returned to his residence, made some preparations, and without changing his clothes, rode directly to the south of the city. He rode all the way to the south city wall and entered Jiaqing Ward.

As soon as I entered the gate, a trusted lieutenant general came to greet me, respectfully cupping his hands and saying, "General!"

"Has everyone arrived?" Sima Jinda asked solemnly.

"Everyone on the list has arrived." The lieutenant general nodded immediately. "They're all waiting in the small camp."

It turns out that the Eastern Capital was constantly losing population, and the poorest and most remote areas like Jiaqingfang were naturally converted for military use... Now the entire Jiaqingfang has become a military camp and home to military families.

Sima Jinda nodded and patted the other man on the shoulder: "Old Ding, you don't need to go in. If anything happens today, keep an eye on things for me!"

That man, Ding Quan, a veteran general of the Eastern Capital, bowed respectfully in response, but did not follow the other party inside.

Thus, Sima Jinda moved into a small camp within the ward and entered one of the rooms that had originally been a mansion. Upon entering the main hall, he found a dozen or so civil and military officials there. When they saw Sima Jinda arrive, they rose to greet him, led by Li Shu, the Minister of War.

"Sit down! Why wait for me?" Sima Jinda took his seat, immediately raised his cup, and was as decisive as ever. "Gentlemen, at this time, you are still willing to come and see me. I am extremely grateful. Let us drink three cups together."

Li Shu and more than a dozen other officers, including Luo Fang and Xue Liang, raised their glasses and drank three cups.

At this point, Sima Jinda began to explain: "Gentlemen, the reason I invited you all here is very simple. Zhang Xing not only has a large army pressing in, but he is also adept at manipulating people's hearts. He had the Prince of Qi come and cry, which completely demoralized those loyal ministers of Wei... But I don't blame them. They have their reasons. They are loyal to the Wei court and cannot escape the influence of the Prince of Qi and Empress Dowager Xiao... It's just that the morale of the people in Luoyang has indeed been dampened. And just this afternoon, at noon, he even went to the Marshal's mansion to hold a family banquet, hoping to persuade Erlang to surrender through the princess, but I stopped him."

"Therefore, the original intention of this banquet was to see how many people were willing to fight alongside us, uncle and nephew, in one last battle. We originally thought that with fewer people, we would abandon Dongdu and defend Jinyong City or the inner city of Heyang. But we didn't expect there to be so many loyal and righteous men like you. With Erlang's ability to build the tower, we can probably defend Dongdu! I thank you all in advance! When we return, I will bring some gifts to your lodgings, so please don't refuse!"

At this point, Sima Jinda turned to Li Shu and said, "Minister Li, they are different from us... We can't avoid them. We should be grateful that these people are willing to come... I just had a few drinks over there, so please help me offer them a toast."

Li Shu had nothing to say, so he got up and went to toast each person in turn.

It was both unexpected and reasonable. Among the civil and military officials who were still willing to accept Sima Jinda's invitation to "discuss defense," quite a few were unfriendly to Li Shu, and some even made sarcastic remarks. However, Minister Li was able to deal with them calmly.

On the contrary, Xue Liang and Luo Fang seemed to share the same plight as Li Shu, and they specially got up to drink with him.

After all that commotion, the group drank a few more cups until it got dark and the street-cleaning drums sounded again. Only then did Sima Jinda let them go back, but he specifically called Li Shu, Luo Fang, and Xue Liang back before turning them into the flower hall at the back of the mansion.

It was just a stone table, four stools, a large pot of wine, and a few side dishes.

Sima Jinda calmly sat down and pushed the wine pot to Xue Liang, who was the lowest in rank and the youngest. Xue Liang had lost a hand and used only his other hand to help pour the wine.

And so, the four of them drank two more cups together. Just as they put down their cups, Sima Jinda sighed, but remained frank: "You don't know, Wang Daiji has already wavered, so we didn't invite him this time."

Luo and Xue's expressions changed slightly, while Li Shu stroked his beard and sneered: "He has never been firm. From beginning to end, he pretended to be a loyal minister of the Great Wei just to pave the way for entering the service of the Ming Dynasty. It's just that Zhang Xing doesn't recognize his kind of pavement, so he has to change his behavior in time... He has no shame at all!"

"Perhaps so!" Sima Jinda sighed. "But if that's the case, how many of those people in the hall just now could be trusted?"

“Everyone’s just trying to make a living,” Luo Fang interjected. “Unlike us, who have nowhere else to go, we really can’t blame those people.”

Li Shu gave a wry smile and took the wine pot to pour wine for Luo Fang: "I am not a mean person. Now that things have come to this, I have no face to be mean to anyone... I don't resent those people outside, and I have nothing to say about Su Xianggong and the others. It's just that Minister Wang... It's not that I despise him, but he thinks he's putting on a good show. In fact, he's full of loopholes. Anyone with a little sense can guess what he's thinking."

"That's no lie." Luo Fang glanced at Xue Liang, picked up his wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

“But if that’s the case,” Xue Liang said seriously, his voice still tinged with the smell of alcohol, “there were hardly any people left to defend the city at the end. Could they still hold Luoyang?”

“It will certainly be difficult, but we can’t go to Jinyong City or Heyang City either… The Marshal’s tower is still in Lidefang.” Li Shu explained briefly.

"I see." Xue Liang smiled helplessly. "Let's try anything... Anyway, we'll just stick with the Marshal and do our best."

“That’s precisely the problem, and the reason I’ve kept you here specifically,” Sima Jinda said, bowing his head. “Wang Jiu is fine, but I’m afraid Erlang is also wavering.”

The flower hall fell silent for a moment.

After a moment, Xue Liang pressed on, "What do you mean?"

"Wasn't it said that Zhang Xing would definitely obtain the Marshal's cultivation level to prove his position?" Li Shu asked quietly. "How could the Marshal's position be shaken?"

"At today's banquet, Cao Ming relayed Zhang Xing's message, stating bluntly that Erlang's armor was unnecessary for ascending to heaven. Then the princess... my niece-in-law came to persuade him, saying that she was pregnant and that if Erlang insisted on defying heaven, she would accompany him," Sima Jinda explained. "At that moment, I clearly saw Erlang waver."

Li, Luo, and Xue all fell silent.

"To be honest, I felt extremely uncomfortable at the banquet," Sima Jinda sighed. "Everyone else was urging him to live, and I wanted him to live too, but he was going to die precisely because of people like me..."

“That’s right.” Luo Fang poured himself a cup of wine and said with difficulty. “The Marshal is not guarding the Eastern Capital, nor is he guarding the Great Wei, nor is he carrying on his adoptive father’s will. He owes no one anything. He is only guarding his own pride… his pride for himself, and his pride for us… Now that his own pride has been lost, what face do we have to face each other?”

"Actually, if you think about it carefully, it's just the few of us left," Sima Jinda continued. "I killed so many people in Jiangdu, and so many of the surrendered Jiangdu members of the Chulong Gang probably won't tolerate me; Minister Li is the number one traitor of the Chulong Gang, needless to say; you two brothers are determined to sacrifice yourselves for Cao Huangshu... As for Erlang's temperament, he is solemn, stubborn, and perfectionist. As long as we are willing to fight alongside him, he will definitely think that he cannot let us down, and then he will risk his life."

"Why bother?" Xue Liang said with a bitter smile. "My brother and I should have gone with our adoptive father long ago, there's no need to pick a time... Do you really expect us to kill Zhang Xing?"

“What’s the point of killing Zhang Xing?” Luo Fang shook his head. “Looking back now, my godfather may not have hated Zhang San back then… he was actually somewhat convinced.”

“That’s what I think too… How can I, a man who is certain to die, implicate him?” Sima Jinda replied slowly. “If it can truly save his life, I will die first.”

Li Shu, who had been silent all along, poured a cup of wine for the other party, but Sima Jinda did not touch it.

After a long silence, Li Shu finally spoke, gripping the wine pot: "Is the wine poisoned?"

Luo Fang and Xue Liang were taken aback. They both circulated their inner energy and indeed felt their limbs were heavy and numb, making it difficult for them to do anything. However, after exchanging a glance, they did not make any further movements.

"Yes," Sima Jinda admitted frankly. "The wine outside is made with datura flowers, so it's not a big deal. But the wine inside is made with seeds, which can be deadly. And if you drink one alone, the effects will be much slower, but if you drink both, the effects will be extremely rapid... Could you please not force yourselves to use your inner energy to expel the poison from the wine? If you do that, we'll be in trouble... There's no other way, you three... Erlang doesn't want to let anyone down, so I'll have to take the blame! Anyway, I'm Erlang's biggest burden!"

Indeed, Sima Jinda had always known that he was the toughest obstacle in the Eastern Capital. He understood Wang Daiji's implication from the very beginning.

"That's fine." Unexpectedly, Luo Fang chuckled. "It's good that the Marshal is unaware."

As he spoke, he looked to his side again and said, "Second brother, we brothers are truly dying on the same day, in the same month, in the same year."

“That’s not how it is.” Xue Liang was about to speak when Li Shu interrupted him. “The Marshal’s temperament is what it is. If we deal with these things behind his back today, he will become suspicious and resentful. It might backfire.”

“I know,” Sima Jinda replied calmly. “That’s why I drank a couple less cups, planning to wait for Erlang to come over and explain the whole story to him.”

As he spoke, the man struggled to his feet and pulled out a golden awl from beside his boots.

Li Shu touched his nose, where a little black blood had flowed out unnoticed, but he still smiled bitterly: "Even so, have you thought about whether doing this will really work? What if Zhang Xing still wants to become a supreme being in the future, but he lacks armor and comes to kill the marshal again? Zhang San is already the emperor, can you still trust the emperor's words?"

"That's for later." Sima Jinda walked behind the other man, slowly shook his head, and then touched his shoulder. "We're already doing a great job getting Erlang through this hurdle... I've already told you, Minister Li, don't force the alcohol to detoxify using your inner energy, why are you doing this?"

Li Shu smiled bitterly, "I'm not reconciled! I'm not reconciled! I'm not reconciled!"

In the end, his face contorted in a grimace, and black blood gushed from his seven orifices.

But since Sima Jinda was forced to shoulder the responsibility for the future of the Sima family in Jiangdu, he killed the emperor, the ministers, and his own brother. How could he be soft-hearted now? He inserted a single dagger into the other man's neck and pulled it out, causing blood to splatter on the spot. It was unclear whether it was because Li Shu was constantly mobilizing his inner energy that half of the flower hall was covered in blood. Then he slowly lost his composure, but still tried to use his inner energy to cover the wound.

Helpless, Sima Jinda stabbed the other man again under the armpit, rendering his entire arm powerless. Seeing his face turn pale rapidly and then fall silent, Sima Jinda finally felt relieved.

He struggled to walk back, only to find that it was getting dark in front of him. He saw Luo Fang beckoning across the table, asking for the Golden Cone: "The second brother is gone. My cultivation is higher, so I can't wait."

Sima Jinda pushed the golden cone forward with all his might, then felt another splatter of blood before his eyes, and then his vision went black again.

Of course, he didn't have to wait long—he knew that Ding Quan was more loyal to Sima Zheng and must have reported it beforehand. If he made a move now, it would surely alert Sima Zheng to come over quickly. However, this was the south of the city, and even a Grandmaster couldn't arrive in an instant.

A surge of powerful true energy flowed in from his ribs, attempting to cleanse his blood, limbs, and internal organs. Despite being unable to open his eyes, Sima Jinda still exerted all his strength to circulate his true energy in resistance, causing the poison to spread even further and forcing the opponent to stop moving.

Noticing warm liquid dripping onto his face, Sima Jinda tried twice before opening his eyes. After confirming it was his nephew, he finally spoke: "It's not some conspiracy. I left a letter, but it's better to explain it to you in person... Protect my heart and lungs first, and I won't resist for now."

"Wang Laojiu's idea... I know it. That bastard must have been driven by selfishness and a bit of self-righteousness, so he hid Zhang Xing's intention to let him participate openly... because a smart man like Zhang Xing knows your temperament. But don't blame him. This bastard has done enough for us these past few years. He's worked diligently, and no one can erase his contribution to supporting Dongdu... The fact that we couldn't even sell the old rice a couple of years ago is proof of that. Even today, I'm truly grateful to him!"
“Blame me if you must… But I really wanted to take off that heavy burden for you. It pained me to see you carrying it so heavy. And you have to understand me too… Although our ways of doing things are different, they were both painstakingly cultivated by your grandfather. Your way is purely for peaceful times, and half of mine is for times of peace… And what happened? We ended up running into Cao Che, who releases fireflies? As a result, we struggled and suffered for ten years in this chaotic world. But it doesn’t matter. The world is about to be at peace. Take off this burden, live well, and you’ll be like a fish in water.”

Sima Zheng was already overwhelmed with sorrow upon hearing the preceding lines, but upon hearing this last sentence, he was overcome with grief.

"Don't cry," Sima Jinda said helplessly. "What do I have to cry about? I killed the emperor, your father, so many ministers, and today I killed Li Shu. I murdered the emperor, killed my brother, and slaughtered ministers. By any measure, I deserve to die... I have to thank Zhang Xing and Wang Laojiu for realizing my feelings and letting me do something for you before I die. But Luo Fang and Xue Liang really did commit suicide. They had long since let go of the past and didn't want to hold you back."

"Erlang, listen to me, there is no such thing as destiny! Don't believe in that stuff. Whether you believe them or not, you'll still be their prisoner! And it will really implicate the innocent... If you don't believe me, let Wang Laojiu take you to the West Market to see the grain prices, and you'll know what the hearts of millions in the Eastern Capital are really like!"

"So I beg you, if Zhang Xing doesn't kill you, please don't die yet. Wait two or three years, and see for yourself and your grandfather what peaceful days are really like, before you think about destiny or make any decisions, okay? Don't let your grandfather and I die in vain..."

After saying this, he desperately tried to circulate his inner energy to resist, but as soon as he struggled with the other party for his heart and lungs, he choked and his face was covered with black blood. Sima Zheng dared not resist and could only give up, watching helplessly as the other party gradually calmed down in his arms.

But the other person couldn't speak, yet he stared intently at his nephew from beginning to end, with a smile on his face, forcing Sima Zheng to stop crying.

On April 22, the Chulong Army clearly received some information and launched a major offensive. The various forces in the Eastern Capital along the way dared not hesitate any longer and surrendered with courtesy. On the 25th, the army arrived in the Eastern Capital. Xu Chang'an, the Southern City Commandant, opened the three gates and the vanguard of the Chulong Army entered the city without resistance.

Zhang Xing immediately issued an imperial edict appointing Bai Yousi as the acting governor of the Eastern Capital, Shan Tonghai as the acting governor of the Western Capital, and Wei Xuanding as the acting governor of the Ye Capital. He abolished the Grand Secretariat and other administrative offices, and established the Southern Secretariat in the Eastern Capital to lead various departments and govern the four directions.

All armies and units were temporarily disbanded and sent back to their hometowns. The Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Affairs would assess their military merits and award them additional rewards. Envoys were also sent to persuade Jiangnan to surrender. If they did not comply, Liang would be attacked immediately in the autumn.

After roughly arranging everything, the man led Qin Bao and the others into the Eastern Capital, but they only stayed at the old residence in Chengfu Lane.

P.S.: Actually, I had already written more than 8,000 words by 4 or 5 a.m., but I was so sleepy that I fell asleep... It's been a long time since this has happened.