Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 170: With the oath of Yingshui, Chu Shizhao can attack the city with just a hundred cavalrymen!

Now the only ones who are completely united with Zhang Zhengjun are the generals of the rebel army.

After all, before the uprising, these so-called generals were nothing more than local thugs, or even cruel and brave men. After the uprising, they gained extremely high positions by virtue of their extraordinary bravery and ferocity.

With this status, they can order the people below them to do things and have power they never had before.

If you ask them to go back to the past, they will definitely be unhappy.

In the final analysis, it was Zhang Zhengjun's first time to rebel. All he could think of was to satisfy the poor people's hunger and then use this as a means of showing favor and making those poor people work for him.

In fact, such an idea is completely unrealistic.

At the beginning of the uprising, Zhang Zhengjun did achieve great success, but Huan Sheng's countermeasures were also not wrong.

He neither gave Zhang Zhengjun the opportunity to achieve further great victories, nor did he allow Zhang Zhengjun the opportunity to continue to unite the rebel army.

Just relying on the strategy of cutting off food supply was enough to cause chaos among the rebels. When a figure with overwhelming authority like the Prince of Jin came, it became very difficult for the rebels to cope with him.

Right now, Zhang Zhengjun’s only chance is to intensify the conflict.

Forcing the rebels to rebel.

Instead of giving the rebels an opportunity for ambiguity, there is also a retreat option of surrender.

In fact, it was precisely because they were able to accept the imperial edict and surrender that the morale of the rebels was weakened and they became increasingly reluctant to fight against the imperial army.

This is not just a matter of being unable to win.

Some people feel that they still have a chance to survive and a way out, so they will not really risk their lives and put in enough effort.

Zhang Zhengjun narrowed his eyes slightly.

The imperial court would never give life to people like them who led the rebels in an uprising.

The only solution now is to drag all the rebels into the war and force them to fight against the imperial court.

"General Zhu." Zhang Zhengjun spoke.

"Tell the people below that there is not enough food and grass." Zhang Zhengjun groaned and said, "If you want to have enough to eat, you have to ask the big families in the city for it."

Zhu Jing stared at Zhang Zhengjun, paused and said, "When we first entered the city, we looted the government warehouses, so we should have more than seven days' supply."

"Marshal, if you spread the word like this, won't it cause chaos in the army?"

Zhang Zhengjun looked at Zhu Jing and said, "This is how we can protect ourselves."

Zhu Jing was surprised, and after a pause he asked, "Why?"

"We started the rebellion with the help of all the righteous men. Now the court has sent elite troops to suppress it, and the army's morale has long been unstable. Once someone from the court sends people to pacify the people, there will be traitors who will have different ideas for survival and will inevitably surrender the city." Zhang Zhengjun said slowly: "When the court punishes rebellions, it always only punishes the main culprit. We leaders have no choice but to die."

Zhu Jing frowned when he heard this, "At this time, if the court sent troops to recruit the rebels with food and fodder, wouldn't it be more effective?"

"So, I want you to spread rumors." Zhang Zhengjun added, "Today, the imperial court has raised a small army to suppress the rebellion, and there is absolutely no surplus food. Now that we are here to suppress the rebellion, since there is no surplus food, we must eliminate all the evil and leave no one alive."

Zhu Jing's eyes froze, and he said coldly: "Then why go to such lengths to allow the rebels to rob the wealthy?"

"How can this be called righteousness?"

Zhang Zhengjun refuted: "The seven-day surplus food will eventually run out. We will order the rebels to plunder the wealthy families, leaving them with no way back. Who will dare to rebel against us then?"

Zhu Jing already understood what Zhang Zhengjun meant.

He was silent for a moment, then clasped his fists to show that he obeyed the order.

He was originally a local sergeant, a low position. When the rebel army attacked, he found it difficult to fight back, so he simply joined the bandits. Because he knew a little bit of writing and had a basic understanding of military affairs, Zhang Zhengjun wanted to win him over.

Zhu Jing conquered several cities, so Zhang Zhengjun valued him more and more. However, Zhu Jing knew that the situation was dangerous. But Zhu Jing knew even more clearly that he had reached this point and it was too late to turn back, and the court would not tolerate him.

Zhang Zhengjun's tricks were insidious enough, but they also fully understood human nature. If the rebels under him could not resist the temptation and robbed the local wealthy families, they would inevitably be punished with serious crimes afterwards.

Combined with these rumors, knowing that the imperial court would not tolerate them, these rebels would have no choice but to die even if they were unwilling to follow Zhang Zhengjun.

When Zhu Jing walked back to the tent, Wang Shouyi found the opportunity and took the initiative to talk to him.

"Who are you?" Zhu Jing was having a headache because of Zhang Zhengjun's order. Although he knew that Zhang Zhengjun's plan would do more good than harm to the rebel generals, it was still detrimental to morality.

Wang Shouyi had been a mercenary for many years and was very cunning. He knew that it would be difficult to gain trust by making up an ordinary identity, so he pretended to be dignified and said, "Like the general, I was once an official of the Great Zhou Dynasty. My surname is Wang and my name is Xu. I had no choice but to follow the bandits."

Wang Xu is Wang Shouyi's real name.

In order to stay close to the rebels and hide his background, he changed his name to Wang Shouyi. But now when he saw these rebels, he found that they were just like what his daughter had said, a mob. In order to escape, he had to seek help from the outside world.

When Zhu Jing saw that he described the righteous army as a bandit army, he immediately became angry and drew his sword, pointing it at Wang Shouyi's neck.

But Wang Shouyi remained motionless and looked straight at Zhu Jing.

"I found a way for the general to survive, but the general treated me like this. Do you really want to die with the thieves?"

Seeing that Wang Shouyi was acting normal, Zhu Jing felt that he was not an ordinary person. He immediately put away his sword and said coldly, "Treason is a capital crime. There is no way to retreat."

"If it were in someone else's hands, it would be a dead end, but now the one coming to the court to quell the rebellion is the King of Jin."

Wang Shouyi honestly said that he had no confidence in the Prince of Jin, but the rebel army's momentum was even weaker. Rather than fighting the court to the end, he thought that finding another way out would be a better way to preserve himself.

"No matter if he is the King of Jin or the King of Han, they are both people of the imperial court. We have already rebelled. Can he still save us?" Zhu Jing knew that this battle would be difficult.

If this battle was easy to win, why would Zhang Zhengjun resort to such a sinister trick to rally the already shaken military morale?

"It's hard to save everyone, but it's easy to save the general." Wang Shouyi said slowly, "I am the personal guard of the thief. After hearing his plan, I know that people are against it. I can't act on my own."

"As long as the general restrains his soldiers and makes sure they do not harm anyone, he can be safe."

Zhu Jing suddenly laughed and said, "All the generals plundered, but I didn't fight. Do you think Zhang Tianshi wouldn't be suspicious?"

Speaking of this, Zhu Jing looked solemn.

Sit down slowly.

"So, this is also a token of surrender."

"As long as I obey the orders of the Heavenly Master, my way of survival will be blocked." When Zhu Jing said this, his tone became cold.

He thought that Zhang Zhengjun talked to him earnestly and analyzed the pros and cons, which showed that he trusted him. In fact, Zhang Zhengjun wanted to tie everyone together completely, no matter whether they were the rebels under his command or their generals.

When persuading people to do something, it is useless to tell them the answer directly. Only guidance can make people think clearly.

"General, there is a way to survive, but only one." Wang Shouyi said in a deep voice: "Reputation is the only chance to buy life."

"If you tarnish your reputation, you will have no chance of saving yourself."

Zhu Jing turned his back and said, "You said you were giving me a chance to save myself. I'm afraid you also want to live."

Wang Shouyi did not hide anything and said, "As a man, it is a pity that you have not achieved anything and died here."

"But it's hard to turn back now." Zhu Jing said, "I'm afraid I won't survive them."

Zhu Jing's mind had long been shaken, but the problem was that, although he was shaken, whether he could move forward was a real issue.

As I said, if everyone else allowed the rebels to plunder but he did nothing, he would become the target of public criticism and would suffer sooner or later.

"It's not difficult." Wang Shouyi pondered, "When the thieves order their men to rob wealthy families, it will be a time of chaos. Taking advantage of this situation, it will be a good opportunity to escape."

"When the time comes, when the King of Jin asks you why you surrendered, you only need to tell him that you just couldn't bear to see the people suffer, so you turned from darkness to light." "And in order to put down the rebellion as soon as possible, the King of Jin will definitely not make things difficult for the general who surrendered first."

Zhu Jing thought it made sense, and after a moment he said, "But those in the city..."

"Why do you care about him?" Wang Shouyi's eyes were fixed on Zhu Jing. "If these chaotic troops did not burn, kill, and plunder, how can we show that the general is loyal, righteous, and virtuous?"

"Since the rebel army dared to commit such atrocities, it is reasonable for the royal army to sweep them away at that time."

Zhu Jing was silent.

"General, you have done your duty by not being an accomplice to the evil." Wang Shouyi sighed again, "It is not easy to even clear yourself of the name of a traitor."

Zhu Jing sighed, "If we act this way, the White Sleeves Army will have a hard time succeeding. I am not someone who does not know the current situation."

Before Zhu Jing could make any plans, he heard hurried shouting outside the tent.

Zhu Jing was extremely frightened and drew the sword at his waist, but he heard someone shouting in surprise.

He immediately stopped someone and asked, "Why is there so much noise outside?"

"It's His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin." The soldier holding up the white sleeve said, "It's His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin who came to the city to persuade us to surrender."

"Ah?" Zhu Jing was shocked. He never expected that the King of Jin, with his precious wealth, would personally come to the rebels' city to persuade them to surrender.

Doesn't this give people a chance?

"Where is the King of Jin?" Zhu Jing said immediately.

"Just outside the city, in a very conspicuous place." The soldier continued, "He came with more than a hundred riders, looking very impressive."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Jing looked at Wang Shouyi, and soon they both rushed towards the top of the city wall.

outside the city.

Chu Shizhao was wearing armor and a phoenix-wing helmet on his head. He was holding the reins at the foot of the city.

Seeing several well-dressed men in armor appearing on the top of the city wall, he asked, "Who are the generals coming?"

The person who arrived at the top of the city wall before Zhu Jing was Lu Hetai, who was guarding the city gate. This guy was a butcher and had no skills, but he had strength. When the uprising started, he worked the hardest, so he was highly respected by Zhang Zhengjun.

I just can't do any detailed work.

So the butcher was sent to guard the city gate. This place was very critical. If Zhu Jing wanted to leave the city and surrender, he had to pass this gate.

Zhang Zhengjun was a cunning man, and Zhu Jing thought that he was not the only one who was called in for a talk and entrusted with something.

In Zhu Jing's opinion, if he really wants to gain Zhang Zhengjun's trust, he has to submit his loyalty tonight. Otherwise, they will just use each other.

If Zhu Jing wanted to get off this pirate ship, it would depend on whether the court would give him the opportunity. This was where Zhu Jing was extremely hesitant.

"I am Lu Hetai, a general under the command of Tianshi, and you must be the King of Jin." Lu Hetai's voice was like a bell and he spoke directly.

"What do you want to do here?" he asked.

"I want to show you a clear way." Chu Shizhao showed no fear on horseback, and he did not use any noble words to highlight his status.

"What clear path?" Lu Hetai asked again.

"The court knows that you were forced to rebel. As long as you are willing to submit to the court, we will forgive your past actions." Chu Shizhao said.

"Hahahahahaha——" Lu Hetai laughed three times, "You said you'd let bygones be bygones, then let bygones be bygones. What if you trick us out of the city and then kill us?"

"The Heavenly Master told us that you have been marching all night and have no food left. We have already run out of food and grass in the city. Once we leave the city and surrender, how can you officials keep us here?"

"You are officials, and we are thieves."

"Even if there is food, we will only give it to your army. We have no food to eat, and we have committed a serious crime. We will waste your military food. The only way left is a dead end. As long as you trick us into surrendering, you can find an opportunity to kill us in one go while we have no weapons, saving the unnecessary food. You, the King of Jin, have made great contributions to the court. You are smart."

Zhu Jing's expression suddenly turned gloomy.

As expected, Zhang Zhengjun also gave instructions to other people and said different things.

As soon as Lu Hetai opened his mouth, the other rebel soldiers who were already thinking about surrendering no longer had any thoughts of surrendering. There were many cases like the government army tricking people out and then killing them.

Chu Shizhao knew that this group of thieves was not easy to deal with, but he did not expect that someone had already made preparations. Just these words were enough to block his way to the peace.

"I swear by the Ying River that as long as you are willing to open the city and surrender today, I will do my best to protect you. If you break this oath, you will be punished by heaven and earth." Chu Shizhao patted his chest and said, "This is the oath between me, King Jin, and the Ying River."

"Go to hell." Lu Hetai was determined to fight Zhang Zhengjun to the end. He could not understand what others said. He immediately said, "Come on, shoot him with arrows."

The cavalrymen around Chu Shizhao saw the movement on the top of the city wall and immediately guarded Chu Shizhao. Yang Fang said, "Your Highness, let's go quickly. These bandits are stubborn and unyielding. How can we easily convince them?"

"Leave?" Chu Shizhao said in a muffled voice: "If I leave now, how can they see my determination to surrender?"

"If he wants to shoot arrows, then let him do it."

"Everyone, spread out. I want to see who dares to shoot me."

Seeing that Chu Shizhao was determined, Yang Fang immediately said, "The whole army disperse."

"Everyone on the city wall, I am right here." Chu Shizhao pointed to his head and said, "If you want to make a contribution, just come on."

Wang Shouyi looked at Zhu Jing who was motionless and thought that he had really entrusted his affairs to a fool who had no foresight to act according to circumstances at this time.

The King of Jin swore an oath on the Ying River. Given his identity and status, if he broke his oath in public, how could he still have the face to live in this world? If the King of Jin was determined to inherit the world, it would be even more impossible for him to abandon his own credibility.

What's more, this is a matter of bringing honor to King Jin. As long as you respond to it, King Jin will be even less likely to touch you and will protect you instead.

Now is the best time to surrender.

Thinking of this, Wang Shouyi drew his sword from Zhu Jing's side and cut off Lu Hetai's head without saying a word. He shouted, "The enemy general has surrendered. Your Highness, Prince of Jin, we are willing to surrender."

Zhu Jing could never have expected that in just a moment, Wang Shouyi would do such a crazy thing and attack on the top of the city wall, while those around him were all Lu Hetai's personal guards.

But at this time, any judgment was only a matter of a second. Zhu Jing, who did not want to be an enemy of the imperial court, saw the King of Jin standing on the top of the city wall with high spirits, no fear, and acted openly. Thinking of Zhang Zhengjun's insidious methods, he gritted his teeth, snatched the weapon from the soldier beside him, and said: "Open the city gate--"

The sudden change caught everyone off guard, and with Lu Hetai's death, the defenders on the city wall lost their backbone. Seeing that their general Zhu Jing, who had made great contributions, suddenly defected, they were also stunned.

However, Wang Shouyi quickly ordered Zhu Jing's personal guards to open the city gate immediately. The confused rebels had no choice but to open the city gate under Wang Shouyi's urging.

Upon seeing this, Chu Shizhao immediately said, "Enter the city - those who lay down their weapons and surrender will not be killed."

Chu Shizhao, who was charging ahead, rushed in with his cavalry. Under the leadership of Wang Shouyi, groups of people dropped their weapons.

There were still some volunteers who wanted to resist and rushed towards Chu Shizhao with their weapons raised, but they were directly dispersed by the cavalry. Under such power, those who wanted to surrender immediately put down their weapons, and those who were still hesitant saw someone take the lead in giving up resistance, and they also put down their weapons.

Zhu Jing looked at Wang Shouyi and said with gritted teeth: "If this fails, our lives will be in jeopardy."

"If you delay and miss the opportunity, your life will be in danger." Wang Shouyi originally hated Zhu Jing's hesitation. Now that he has seized the opportunity and his fate is no longer controlled by the rebels, how could he still give a cold shoulder to an indecisive person like Zhu Jing.

After a moment of commotion, Huan Sheng, who was in the tent outside the city, saw the city gate suddenly open and immediately realized that something had happened in the city. He immediately ordered the soldiers in the tent to march into the city and coordinate with Chu Shizhao to prevent Chu Shizhao from falling into an ambush.

To be honest, Huan Sheng is the person he is most afraid of now.

Anyone can die, except the King of Jin.

If the King of Jin died here, Huan Sheng's ideal in this life would be gone.

This is the person he is determined to protect until his death.

(End of this chapter)