Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 393 Brothers, it’s time for dinner again! God bless you!
Black-armored cavalry and red turbans, isn't that the standard configuration of the Ming army?
Fight, weren’t you very passionate just now? Why don’t you fight anymore?

Li Shiji drew his sword and looked around in confusion.

Then he realized another possibility.

This possibility made him turn pale instantly, and his sword-holding hand trembled uncontrollably.

He just rode on his horse, holding his sword, and watched in a daze as the enemy, who was his mortal enemy just a moment ago, galloped towards him unhindered under the gazes of the Tang army on both sides.

The leading knight pulled the reins and stopped steadily, then bowed to Li Shiji who was riding a tall horse:

"Are you the commander-in-chief of the Tang army?"

Li Shiji nodded mechanically and asked:
"What is your army doing here?"

As soon as he said this, he realized how dry his voice was.

The knight stepped aside to make way for a Confucian general.

The scholar-general slowly and elegantly saluted with his arms crossed on his horse, and introduced himself:
"I am Cen Changqian, the admiral of the Ming Fleet."

Xiao Cen stroked his goatee and posed thoughtfully.

It’s a pity that the hair on his chin has not grown yet and is still very sparse, making him look a little funny.

Whether to accept the surrender was not something that a small naval admiral like him could decide.

The normal procedure is to first report to His Majesty Li Ming and wait for further instructions.

However, before the battle officially began, His Majesty Li Ming personally explained to several senior generals:

"If my stupid father voted, we wouldn't have to accept it reluctantly" -

Your Majesty is so arrogant... No, I have explained it in advance.

Cen Changqian was authorized to command the entire army to cease fire. He immediately sent a fast horse to report the good news to His Majesty who was in charge of the base camp.

He may pretend to be cool, but he will never make any mistakes on matters of principle.

"..." Li Shiji looked at the young boy speechlessly.

He really didn't want to admit that he was defeated by such a guy.

If it weren't for Li Ming leading the flight...

Lao Li tried to keep a straight face and deliberately lengthened his tone:

"Cen Changqian... is he the nephew of Wei Wangfu's tutor, Cen Wenben?"

This greeting was full of ill intentions. In front of everyone, it secretly pointed out Xiao Cen's humble family background.

Cen Changqian's mouth twitched, and he immediately retorted:
"In terms of recruiting talents regardless of their background, my Ming Dynasty is still slightly inferior to your Tang Dynasty. The Wagang bandits can even sit at the table and eat openly. Don't you agree, Mr. Xu Shiji?"

The corner of Li Shiji's mouth twitched.

Before the two of them could expose each other's secrets and tear apart the fragile peaceful atmosphere, Yiqi took the initiative to step forward and intervene between them.

When Li Shiji saw this person, he was shocked:

"Eunuch Wang! Why are you here... Is it His Majesty the Emperor?"

The Nei Guan Wang he mentioned was the personal eunuch who delivered messages on behalf of Li Shimin. Li Shiji was also a core member of the "cabinet", so he became familiar with this old resident of Taiji Palace.

Eunuchs are animals that depend on imperial power for survival.

In other words, Wang Neiguan's appearance undoubtedly best represents the attitude of the retired emperor...

"General Manager Li, thank you for your hard work in the battle. You and the other soldiers of the Tang army have worked hard and your loyalty is evident. Your Majesty has seen it all."

The eunuch envoy dismounted from his horse tremblingly and bowed deeply to Li Shiji.

"Hey, hey, hey, Eunuch Wang, you are embarrassing me!"

Li Shiji hurriedly dismounted and stretched out his hands in a pretending to support him.

Eunuch Wang took the opportunity to pass Li Shimin's handwritten letter to him, and said with compassion:

"This is the imperial decree of His Majesty. His Majesty is deeply saddened by the killing of the good men of China, especially the loss of the good men of Guanzhong, which makes His Majesty even more distressed.

"For the welfare of the people of the world, Your Majesty has issued this edict. I hope the Grand Steward will follow it immediately without delay and not let the life of a good man be wasted in vain."

There will always be casualties in war. If you don’t want people to die, then why are you two, the Li family, fighting a war... Li Shiji complained silently in his heart and immediately waved the commander’s flag.

"Ming Jin, withdraw your troops!"

…………

Bang bang bang.

The sound of the golden gong resounded throughout the battlefield, forcibly separating the two armies that were fighting fiercely.

The Ming and Tang armies are indeed excellent professional soldiers.

Even if he is bloodthirsty, he can still enforce discipline.

The two armies retreated to their respective positions, staring at each other across a trench of neither deep nor shallow.

The battlefield was filled with a tense atmosphere.

In fact, the soldiers are not stupid either. They have a keen sense of smell on the battlefield. After all, this is the stage they are stepping onto at the risk of their lives.

The battle had reached this point, and they could guess what had happened.

The Tang army surrendered.

Whether the commander-in-chief surrendered voluntarily, or Jinyang City was attacked, the emperor was killed or captured, or surrendered passively, it did not make much difference to the soldiers on both sides.

The Tang Dynasty era is over.

The rulers of the Tang Dynasty, whether they were the emperor, the crown prince, or the emperor emeritus, whether they were dead or alive, their political lives had ended.

No one knew whether the big shot was dead or alive, but the soldiers knew that they had survived.

The war is over.

The Tang army was secretly grateful.

The strategy was completely passive, with only a patch of territory left, no supplies, insufficient equipment, and an overall disadvantage in both quantity and quality, and on the battlefield, we were outflanked by the enemy's land and sea forces.

The battle has gotten so far that they themselves don’t know what has kept them going for so long.

Anyway, being able to save a dog's life is already a happy ending.

But for the Ming army, this was not a happy thing.

In order to make the perfect dumplings, they sold their heads and buttocks as bait and were suppressed by the whole audience.

After finally waiting for the friendly forces to encircle and surround this group of annoying Guanzhong guys, it’s time to show off and get slapped in the face!
So you ended up playing Cunzhi?

One slides on his knees and the other one surrenders. What are you two, the Li family and his son, doing?
Are we just part of your play?
However, no matter how unhappy they were, the soldiers still accepted the outcome calmly.

How do you say that?

It is better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. Existence is everything.

Torches were lit up like stars along the Fen River.

The two armies that had just been fighting to the death and seemed to have a deep hatred for each other were now sitting in harmony on the same land, with only a trench that was barely visible in the darkness separating them.

…………

"So, this is the situation. Since your dynasty has taken the initiative to beg for surrender, and my great Ming Dynasty's most virtuous and holy emperor is the reincarnation of a bodhisattva, out of compassion, I have reluctantly accepted your pleas for mercy.

"Then, let's proceed step by step. Your troops should lay down their weapons and be temporarily detained in the prisoner-of-war camp that we have renovated, and wait for the decision of His Majesty the Most Wise and Holy Emperor."

Beside the campfire in the main camp of the Ming army, Cen Changqian was talking with saliva flying.

After posing for the show and feeling that he had left a mark in history, Xiao Cen felt that he should give his defeated opponents a warning to test their obedience.

The Tang army generals present at the meeting were all flushed with anger, their fists bulged with veins, and they looked as if they were saying:

I'm so angry! Heroes always make heroes famous. If it weren't for Li Ming leading the way, how could this guy show off his power!
As the commander-in-chief, Li Shiji naturally has an extraordinary demeanor.

He didn't blush, but just listened quietly, seemingly without any emotion.

After Xiao Cen finished speaking, he simply replied:
"Humph, begging for surrender? It seems that there is some difference in understanding between your army and ours."

It was said very calmly and decisively.

Much more powerful than a hysterical roar.

Cen Changqian couldn't help but become alert.

What do you mean?
Does the other party feel that they have not surrendered and want to spread out their battle formations and fight again?
The Tang army has not surrendered yet, so they still have the ability to resist...

Gulp...Xiao Cen swallowed nervously.

Then, Li Shiji added confidently:
"Before our troops are detained, your army must provide food first!" Ah, so you are entangled in the issue of food...

Cen Changqian was a little amused and said:
"Our Ming Dynasty is rich, and Your Majesty is generous and kind. It's just three meals a day for 100,000 people, but we can still afford it."

Huh... All the generals breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, and the redness on their faces faded visibly.

Brothers, it’s time for dinner again! God bless you!
The sky is big and the earth is big, and eating is the biggest thing.

The Tang army had been trapped in this small area for so long that the tension in logistical resources could no longer be described as "stretched to the limit".

When mosquitoes come, they wish they could scrape some meat off my legs before leaving.

They were already struggling to make ends meet, and having just experienced an extremely fierce battle, the soldiers were extremely physically exhausted.

If we don't serve meals, even the most disciplined soldiers will be forced to mutiny.

As for Cen Changqian's "obedience test" for them...

A defeated general has no human rights.

If you are not good at fighting, practice more. If you lose, stand at attention.

Dignity is earned through fighting. In terms of logistics and combat, we are inferior to others in everything. How can you demand respect when you are inferior to others in skills?

It just adds to the jokes.

The important thing is to let the brothers have a full meal.

In comparison, what is the insult of a boy?
The wind in my ears
"Then I'll have to trouble Lord Cen to arrange it." Li Shiji bowed without changing his expression.

"Thank you." The others also looked as if they were dead pigs that were not afraid of boiling water.

"Uh...oh."

Faced with such shameless people, Cen Changqian no longer had the desire to continue humiliating them and just nodded woodenly.

…………

"Dinner is ready! Put down your weapons, line up, and take your bowls here!"

The Ming Dynasty's kitchen staff banged on the rice bowls with iron spoons.

Weapons are our brothers! We will never put them down unless we get two more ounces of rice... Tang Jun sniffed the aroma of the rice greedily, and his stomach immediately started to rumble.

In a flash, they had taken off their armor without realizing it. They piled the armored soldiers neatly together, lined up with wooden bowls in their hands, and waited for their meals.

"Next, next, next..."

The Ming army cooks were like ruthless rice-serving machines. Under the expectant gazes of countless people, they would plunge the rice spoon deep into the basin, scoop out a large spoonful of rice, and pour it into each bowl.

In the light of the torch, the contents of the rice bowl shone with a silvery luster and were as crystal clear as pearls.

It's rice!
It’s not even mixed with millet, wheat, or sorghum, it’s pure rice!
Oh my god, is this the Dragon Boat Festival in advance?
Gulp... Tang Jun swallowed his saliva frantically. As soon as he took the bowl of rice, he squatted on the ground impatiently and prepared to eat.

As a result, he was caught by a Ming army patrol.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing squatting here?"

"We are... gulping... eating." The Tang soldiers mumbled incoherently while swallowing rice.

The patrol officer felt a headache and pointed behind him:

"You're blocking other people's way to get food, you know that? Stop chewing and go get food."

What? Besides rice, there are vegetables?
After besieging the city for months, the soldiers wouldn't even dare to dream of doing this!

They held their bowls in a daze, staring blankly at the cook as he poured the food into the bowls, stuffed a large chicken drumstick into each of them, and waved his hands impatiently at them:

"next."

The soldier stood there in a daze, not moving.

The cook was very unhappy. He put the iron spoon into the basin, put his hands on his waist and pointed at them and scolded them:

"You Guanzhong peasants are really weird.

“Before the food was even served, he squatted down and started eating. He was as anxious as a monkey and wanted to scoop it up with his hands.

"Now that the food is ready, why are you not moving?"

Several big-name soldiers hesitated, and finally the leader among them stood up and asked the gang tremblingly:
"My dear, this dinner tonight...isn't it the last meal for execution?"

As he said this, he looked at the chicken leg in the bowl with some fear and desire.

Are we going to give them a good meal and then eat them all together?

“Tsk, hiss…”

The cook felt a headache and rubbed his eyes:
"How can you guys from Guanzhong be so stupid? Can our army really fight back and forth with you idiots?

"If they wanted to kill you, why not just dig a hole and bury you? Why waste food on the dead?

"Get out of the way! Go cool down! Next one!"

The soldiers who were doubting their lives were driven away forcefully.

A few people squeezed aside in confusion, looking at the empty faces of their comrades, and then at the full plates of food in their hands.

Then, without saying anything, they all lowered their heads and ate their meals in tacit understanding.

Damn it, who cares if it’s his last meal! Eating is the most important thing in the world, I’d rather die with a full stomach!

The Tang army's organizational efficiency was still very high. Soon, everyone received their own lunch boxes.

The huge battlefield became silent, with only the sound of "clacking", which was the elite troops of the Tang army launching a fierce attack on the chicken legs.

After eating and drinking, the soldiers' brains, which had been paralyzed by long-term war, slowly began to work.

A question mark slowly rose in their heads——

Since being a prisoner would give you good food and drink, then what was the point of fighting so hard?
Is it because he is deliberately not eating enough in order to lose weight?
They were all crying because of their own stupidity.

I'd better have known it earlier...

However, while realizing that they had low IQs, they also discovered that their fighting power was actually quite high.

They were beaten by the Ming army before, and they thought they were the real losers.

After experiencing the battlefield meals of the Ming Dynasty firsthand, they suddenly realized that they could actually resist for so long on an empty stomach.

The Ming Dynasty soldiers? Oh, they are just a bunch of young soldiers who rely on their equipment and logistics.

I am the Chinese superman with abundant martial virtues!

…………

Jinyang City.

Li Shiji stood on the city wall, overlooking the battlefield during the day, with mixed feelings.

The battle to the death ended just like that...

The two sides, who were fighting to the death, were enjoying themselves so well...

What the soldier saw was hot food.

What he saw was the abnormal logistical support capability behind this.

Today's surrender can almost be said to be a whim of His Majesty the Emperor, and there could be no contingency plan.

The Ming army suddenly had nearly 100,000 prisoners and 100,000 hungry mouths.

But they managed to supply food for these 100,000 people without any effort, including rice, vegetables and even meat.

Only commanders who have truly worked in battlefield logistics know how incredible the material supply and coordination capabilities are!

"Even the bowls for serving rice and vegetables are made of iron. Is their ironware so worthless..."

Li Shiji secretly complained, and then he heard footsteps behind him.

It was the somewhat pretentious young "scholar-general", Cen Changqian.

However, Xiao Cen no longer had the high spirits he pretended to have just now, and did not hide his frustrated expression at all.

Li Shiji raised his eyebrows, probably knowing that this guy was rejected, but he still asked anyway.

"Why is Mr. Cen so worried?"

Cen Changqian sighed:
"His Majesty the Retired Emperor kicked out all the servants, shut himself in and refused to come out, or eat.

"If he gets sick from depression, we can't bear the consequences!"

(End of this chapter)