We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Qu Jinshan did not hesitate and followed Tong Wenjun into the cellar.

It was very dark down there, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of you, but you could still feel a faint airflow, which clearly indicated there was a ventilation hole down there.

Qu Jinshan listened carefully and could hear several faint breathing sounds coming and going around him.

"Old thief! What are you doing here again?"

A voice suddenly rang out, startling Qu Jinshan's ears.

Tong Wenjun didn't say anything, but took out a lighter from his pocket and silently lit the oil lamp beside him.

The mottled firelight hit the surrounding walls, and a dozen burly men, tied up behind their backs, leaned against the wall and glared at them fiercely.

"Why did you bring another one today?" A man looked at Qu Jinshan coldly, "I think you are a man of great character. If you don't want to join the border army to defend your country, why did you join the bandits?!"

Qu Jinshan frowned and was about to explain.

Tong Wenjun, who was standing by, was the first to speak: "Everyone, I want to restore order and put down the rebellion, and I ask for your help."

"Hmph!" someone sneered, "What conspiracy are you thinking up to deceive us, old thief? Wasn't this conspiracy of treason your own doing?"

"You even resorted to using a banquet to seduce me and brutally murdered all my personal guards! You are so ruthless and treacherous, betraying your master. You will surely be infamous in history books, leaving behind an infamy that will endure forever!"

Tong Wenjun's expression remained unchanged: "What General Zhu said is indeed what I did, but what I said now also comes from the heart."

The man was about to make a few sarcastic remarks when a general with an elegant face suddenly interrupted him: "Tong Wenjun, has the situation outside changed?"

Tong Wenjun nodded calmly, as if talking about something that had nothing to do with him:

"Prince Yan and Prince Feng went to Ji County and captured the four great families of the North. They also captured all the members of the Tong family."

"The king sent this brother to tell me that if the rebellion in Yan is not quelled, hundreds of people from my Tong family will be buried with me."

The generals of the Yan army were stunned at first, and then they were ecstatic.

"Hahaha! I knew it. When His Highness returns, you, the old traitor, will have no choice but to die!"

"Tong Wenjun, you have failed His Highness's kindness and deserve this fate!"

"It is your own fault and you will not live!"

The elegant-looking general heaved a sigh of relief and then looked at Qu Jinshan standing beside him: "This young man, is he from the Fengtian Army?"

Qu Jinshan was very impressed by these Yan generals who preferred death to surrender, and raised his hand to salute earnestly:

"I am Qu Jinshan, honored to be the deputy commander of the personal guards under the command of the king."

"It's Commander Qu in person. My name is Zhang Neng, and I'm the General of the Yan Army conquering the enemy." The general was startled at first, then said seriously, "It's not that I don't trust you, Commander. May I ask if you have any evidence?"

Zhang Neng should be the chief general of the Yan army. He was quite vigilant, but for some reason he failed to see through Tong Wenjun's trick.

Qu Jinshan nodded slightly and took out a badge from his bosom.

This badge was given to him by Li Che. It was shown during the handover between the Fengtian Army merchant caravan and the Yan Army. Almost all the generals present recognized it.

After seeing the badge, everyone felt completely relieved.

"Tong Wenjun!" a general shouted, "Since you're ready to atone for your sins, why don't you quickly untie us?"

Tong Wenjun said slowly, "Untying them is a small matter, but I'm also afraid that once you're freed, you'll immediately take my life. I deserve death, but the Yan army's rebellion has not yet been quelled, and the lives of my entire family are at stake. I can't take any risks at this time."

"Why don't you all listen to my plan first, and then I'll untie you."

Zhang Neng said, "You say."

Tong Wenjun also knew that he had completely lost the trust of the generals and that it was impossible for them to trust him so easily.

He then explained everything in detail: "I have imprisoned all the generals here. The Yan army has been dispersed to various camps. The people in power are the bandits and rebel leaders sent by the aristocratic families."

"These people are from humble origins and are illiterate, let alone familiar with military affairs. All military affairs are under the control of this old man."

"Now that the rebels are unable to capture Shanhaiguan, they are stuck in a dilemma. These people have long been like ants on the hot pot, urging me every day to come up with a countermeasure."

"When I summon them, I'll tell them I've figured out a plan. They'll be caught off guard. You're all already in this tent. Just wait for me to smash the cup as a signal, and we'll capture them all."

"The rebels are a motley crowd. Without their leaders, they will become a loose sand, with no will to resist. When the time comes, you can gather your old troops and the rebellion will resolve itself."

After hearing Tong Wenjun's words, Zhang Neng frowned.

Although Tong Wenjun seemed sincere, Zhang Neng knew how cunning and skillful he was in disguise.

During all these years in the Yan army, he has always been a highly respected scholar and wise man.

Not only did His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan trust him, but these generals were also completely defenseless against him, which is why he was able to seize power so easily during the rebellion.

Even though His Royal Highness Prince Feng has captured his entire family and threatened them, Zhang Neng still doesn't dare to trust him easily.

At this moment, Qu Jinshan, who was standing by, suddenly said, "Generals, may I have a few words?"

Zhang Neng's expression eased slightly, and he said gently, "Commander Qu, please feel free to speak."

"Qu believes that although this person is cunning, he probably sincerely wants to quell the rebellion."

Qu Jinshan stated his conclusion first, then began to explain, "Think about it, everyone. You're imprisoned here, without seeing the light of day. You're at the mercy of others. If he wanted to harm you, why would he go to such lengths?"

"I came here on the king's orders, and I've already made up my mind to die. We have no way out, so why not trust him this time and give it a try?"

Zhang Neng's frown relaxed when he heard this.

Qu Jinshan was right. From the day they were imprisoned, these Yan army generals had decided to rather die than surrender.

Now they have an opportunity to fight back. Even if it might be another trap set by Tong Wenjun, they have nothing to lose anyway.

"Okay! Tong Wenjun, we'll trust you again!" Zhang Neng said, "Untie them!"

Tong Wenjun stepped forward to untie everyone, and Qu Jinshan also helped.

A group of Yan army generals were freed from their restraints and all glared at Tong Wenjun angrily.

However, Tong Wenjun had no worries on his face, and just said calmly:

"There are swords in the tent, please take your pick. Once you have rested for a while, I will go and call the rebel leaders."

"You'd better not try any tricks!" a general said, "Otherwise, before I die, I will drag you, the traitor, down with me!"

Tong Wenjun smiled slightly: "The lives of my entire family are in the hands of Prince Feng, what other tricks can I use?"

The generals looked at each other and temporarily believed what Tong Wenjun said.

After drinking some water and eating some dry food in this big tent, everyone hid themselves after recovering 30% to 40% of their strength.

Tong Wenjun summoned his confidants and went around the camp to ask all the leaders to come and discuss matters.

As Tong Wenjun said, the rebel leaders had been unable to sit still for a long time. When they heard that Tong Wenjun had a solution, they rushed over impatiently.

Soon, the big tent was full of people.

One of the leaders looked at Tong Wenjun, who was sitting behind the desk, sipping his tea, and said, "Tong Lao, all the leaders are here. Please speak if you have anything to say."

Tong Wenjun then raised his head and looked at everyone in the tent slowly, as if he was silently counting.

After he had looked everyone aside, the leaders had already grown impatient and could not help but ask, "What on earth did Master Tong call us for?"

Tong Wenjun smiled slightly and drank the tea in the cup:

"Please get on your way."

click-

The teacup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces in an instant, making a crisp sound.

The next second, angry roars and terrified screams filled the air.