Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

As night fell and lanterns were lit, the officials who had been busy all day in Xuanzheng Hall began to leave the palace one after another.

The group of three or five chatted and laughed, and some even discussed where to have a meal that night.

As soon as they stepped out of the palace gate, they saw a sergeant in a light blue military uniform kneeling there.

Yue Pengju remained motionless, kneeling before the palace gate for the entire afternoon.

He didn't even blink as officials passed by him.

"Young general, stop kneeling and get up quickly. No matter what important matters you have, you should consider your health. Go back first."

An official passing by saw this scene and, unable to bear it, approached Yue Pengju and offered some kind words of advice.

Yue Pengju shook his head firmly without replying.

"Ugh."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, the person in charge could only sigh and leave.

Just as Yue Pengju was about to kneel overnight, he heard Shen Lang's voice in his ear.

"Don't embarrass yourself, come with me."

By the time Yue Pengju looked up, Shen Lang had already brushed past him.

He clenched his fist before getting up and following.

Upon arriving at the four-wheeled carriage, Shen Lang said, "Get in."

Yue Pengju hesitated for a moment, then climbed into the carriage.

"Hao Ke Ju".

At Shen Lang's command, the carriage immediately changed course and headed towards the East City Luxury Residence.

Inside the carriage, Shen Lang silently observed Yue Pengju.

Yue Pengju, on the other hand, sat ramrod straight, staring at Shen Lang without moving.

After a long silence, Shen Lang snorted softly, "You've got guts, coming up with this way to force me to show myself, huh?"

Yue Pengju: "Principal, I know I'm causing you trouble, but I really have no other choice."

The student's hometown was suffering from the ravages of war, yet the student remained safe and sound under the protection of the State of Chu.

"This is really not what the students want, Principal."

"What are you going to do?"

"Please, Regent, send troops to save the Song Dynasty. I'm begging you."

"You are too naive. Sending troops is a matter of great importance, and it is not something I can decide with just a few words."

"The principal's prestige is unparalleled in both the court and the public. As long as the principal is willing to support sending troops to aid the Song Kingdom, it can definitely be accomplished."

Shen Lang laughed: "You're right. Indeed, with just a word from me, the Ministry of War can issue a military dispatch to aid the Song Kingdom."

But Pengju, can you answer me why the people and soldiers of Great Chu are fighting for your Song state?

Don't give me that nonsense about alliances. Over the years, how many times has the State of Song broken its promises in negotiations between Chu and Song? Do you know?

Why should I sacrifice my own people and soldiers to fight for the Song Dynasty, which has repeatedly broken its promises?

Yue Pengju fell silent. In the past few months, he had seen and learned a lot at the military academy, things he had never known before.

Furthermore, they knew that the reputation of the State of Song had long been ruined within the territory of the State of Chu.

In contrast, the State of Song was like a leech, doing everything possible to extract benefits from the State of Chu, but when Chu needed Song's help, it would find all sorts of excuses to refuse.

With only giving and no receiving, the so-called Chu-Song alliance weakened over time due to the widening gap in national strength between the two countries.

Moreover, after the State of Chu annexed the State of Wu, relations between the two states had almost reached a freezing point, and the State of Song had almost ceased to have any formal official exchanges with the State of Chu.

This so-called alliance has long been dead in name only.

Seeing that Yue Pengju remained silent, Shen Lang continued, "It seems you are also aware that the Song Kingdom has many problems, but it's just inconvenient for you to say them openly."

The State of Chu is not a fool; it won't keep making sacrifices for the State of Song without any compensation. Do you understand this principle?

Yue Pengju nodded: "What the principal said is very true. Pengju has no intention of refuting it. But principal, the one who is wrong is the Song Dynasty. The people of the Song Dynasty are innocent."

"I believe that, but will the people of my Great Chu believe it?" Shen Lang retorted. "Tell the people on the street what the Song Kingdom has done all these years."

Then tell them that all of this has nothing to do with your people, and that you should save the people of the Song Dynasty. Do you think anyone will believe that?

In negotiations between nations, the attitude of the court already represents the will of the people. Even if this will is influenced by external forces, it cannot change the stereotypes people have about your country.

This is reality. Don't be naive, Pengju. Things aren't always as simple as you think, and sometimes right and wrong aren't that important.

After saying this, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

The coachman's voice rang out: "Your Majesty, we have arrived at the Grand Inn."

Shen Lang looked at Yue Pengju, whose face was ashen, and patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, I can tell from your appearance that you haven't eaten all day. The barbecue and grape wine at Haokeju are quite good. Have a meal with me."

After saying that, he opened the door and jumped off the carriage.

Seeing that Yue Pengju remained unmoved, he couldn't help but frown: "What, do I have to ask you to come down?"

"Yes."

Yue Pengju then got off the carriage.

Looking at the two-story building in front of me, it was bustling with activity.

Although Hao Ke Ju is not as upscale as Zhi Ya Yuan, it is definitely one of the top restaurants in Jinling City.

Haokeju can satisfy the tastes of all kinds of guests, which is why this restaurant is so popular.

Inside the private room on the second floor, Shen Lang ordered a bunch of grilled meats and fruits and vegetables, then uncorked a bottle of grape wine and filled it up for Yue Pengju and himself.

Looking at the steaming, fragrant barbecue dishes, Yue Pengju had no appetite at all.

"Come on, have a taste. This grape wine is chilled; it's perfect for cooling off at this time of year."

Shen Lang took a sip and immediately felt refreshed.

Yue Pengju: "Principal, are you really not planning to send troops to rescue the Song Dynasty?"

"Give me a reason to send troops, convince me, and I'll give you a chance."

After Shen Lang finished speaking, he grabbed a skewer of grilled vegetables and took a bite.

Yue Pengju raised his glass, tilted his head back, and drank it down in one gulp.

The cool, sweet and sour taste melts instantly in your mouth, and after the drink goes down, you feel all the summer heat dissipate in that instant.

"Does it taste good?"

Shen Lang looked at Yue Pengju's appearance and asked with a smile.

Yue Pengju nodded: "It is indeed different from the grape wine I used to drink. It is sweeter and refreshing without any cloudiness."

Shen Lang: "This grape wine was originally cloudy and contained residue, but for those who are used to drinking it, it's not a problem."

When I suggested improving the winemaking process using these grapes, both the winemakers and the tasters were dismissive.

After my improvements, the wine became clear.

But those wine connoisseurs stubbornly insist that the original grapes made the best wine, even though they've been buying newer wines ever since.

Until one day, when the wine connoisseurs tasted the original grape wine again, they never visited a traditional wine shop again.

Ultimately, reminiscing is just reminiscing; in the face of reality, we will make the most correct choice.

Over time, the murky liquor in the streets of Nanjing gradually disappeared.

Therefore, we can only know if something is acceptable after it has been improved; without comparison, there is no harm done.

It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Once you've had your fill of good wine, would you still want to drink that murky, sour, bitter wine? What do you say, Pengju?

Yue Pengju closed his eyes in pain; he understood what Shen Lang had said.

The Great Song Dynasty is like this unimproved grape wine. Although it seems sweet, after tasting the fine wine of the Chu Kingdom, it is really hard to appreciate the wine of the Great Song Dynasty.

In fact, after studying here for a few months, Yue Pengju had already felt that the atmosphere in Chu was different from that in Song, which was gloomy and lifeless. Instead, Chu was full of vitality, with everyone busy with life.

This was an atmosphere that the Song state desperately lacked.