Deng Feng ignored Zhu You, turned around, turned his back to Zhu You, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Tie him up!"
Zhu You held the rope and walked up to Deng Feng. He stopped joking and asked seriously: "Then...am I really tied?"
"bring it on!"
"Have you really decided to surrender?" With Deng Feng's arrogant temper, Zhu You really thought that he would fight to the end and fight to the death.
Deng Feng took a deep breath and said quietly: "I can't let all my family members die because of me, and I can't let not one of the Nanyang veterans die."
Zhu You took a deep look at Deng Feng, nodded, and tied the rope around Deng Feng's body without asking any more questions.
He was still merciful and did not strangle Deng Feng to death. He just wrapped the rope around Deng Feng's body. The so-called apology was just a formality.
After tying up Deng Feng, Zhu You said on the ground: "During this period, you have been quite good to me. When I see His Majesty, if there is a chance, I will speak for you."
Deng Feng turned around and looked at Zhu You with some surprise. Zhu You smiled bitterly, shrugged, and said: "A defeated general is already a shameful thing. A captured general..."
Having said this, Zhu You couldn't help but shook his head and said, "After I go back, I won't be able to protect myself!"
Deng Feng could completely understand what he said.
At that time, being defeated and captured was a serious crime. For example, in the Xinmang court, some defeated generals were beheaded directly. As for the soldiers who were defeated, captured, and then ran back, they could not escape death.
Deng Feng said: "Given the relationship between you and Liu Xiu, Liu Xiu will not kill you."
Zhu You scoffed and asked, "Do you think I'm afraid of death?"
"..." Deng Feng was silent. Zhu You is indeed not afraid of death. Since he was captured, he has been seeking death on his own side. What Zhu You is afraid of is that his relationship with Liu Xiu will be affected by his capture. Things have dropped to freezing point.
Under the persuasion of Yan Guang and Deng Zijun, Deng Feng finally made up his mind to surrender to Liu Xiu.
He took off his clothes and asked the captured Zhu You to tie him up and escort him to the Han army camp to plead guilty to Liu Xiu.
When Zhu You, Yan Guang, and Deng Feng arrived at the Han army camp, the generals headed by Wu Han were asking Liu Xiu for a battle in the Chinese army tent.
Deng Feng's army only has 8,000 men left, and the camp is full of wounded soldiers, with no morale. Under such circumstances, our side does not need to delay Deng Feng at all. It only needs one round of forceful attack to break into Xiaochang'anju and capture Deng Feng. kill.
Liu Xiu was in the Chinese army's tent, drinking tea slowly, while the generals asked Liu Xiu for help, expressing their willingness to take the lead.
Just as people were talking to each other, a Yulin guard came in from outside, stepped in to salute Liu Xiu, and said: "Your Majesty, General Zhu, Mr. Yan is escorting Deng Feng to see your Majesty!"
For a moment, the noisy Chinese military tent fell into silence. General Zhu? Zhu You? Wasn't he captured by Deng Feng? Why is it that Zhu You is escorting Deng Feng back now?
People are all confused.
Liu Xiuze's eyes lit up, he beamed with joy, and asked excitedly: "Where are they now?"
"Just outside the camp!"
"Take them to the Chinese military tent quickly!"
The Yulin Guards stepped in and saluted, responded, turned around and walked out of the Central Military Tent quickly. After the Yulin Guards left for a while, there was a buzz of discussion in the Central Military Tent, with people whispering to each other.
Wu Han frowned, raised his hands to Liu Xiu and said, "Your Majesty, Zhongxian will escort Deng Feng back to the camp. This..."
Liu Xiu could not suppress the excitement in his heart and said in a brisk tone: "Deng Feng was trapped in Xiao Chang'an and had no choice but to surrender. He asked Zhong Xian to escort him and came to our camp to show his sincerity in surrender. .”
Having said this, Liu Xiu could no longer sit still in the Chinese army tent, got up and walked out.
All the generals present also stood up one after another and followed Liu Xiu out of the Chinese military tent. Liu Xiu wandered back and forth at the door of the Chinese military tent. For him, every minute and every second that passed now was so long.
Liu Xiu didn't care at all whether Deng Feng surrendered or not. His willingness to surrender showed that he was still aware of current affairs. If he refused to surrender, he would be seeking death.
What Liu Xiu really cares about is Zhu You, his playmate, brother, classmate and best friend since childhood.
From a distance, he finally saw the figures of Zhu You, Yan Guang, and Deng Feng, and Liu Xiu became more and more excited. When Zhu You and others were still some distance away from him, Liu Xiu couldn't help but be happy. Stepped forward to greet him.
Seeing Liu Xiu striding straight towards him, Zhu You's heart surged and he was filled with emotions. He jogged a few steps forward, knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowed forward, and choked out: "The sinner Zhu You ,Kowtow to Your Majesty!"
Liu Xiu took three steps into two steps, rushed to Zhu You, stretched out his hands to help him up, and then looked at him carefully from one glance to the next.
Compared with before, Zhu You had almost no change. He was still fat and fat, and his figure had gained weight. Liu Xiu felt that Zhu You had not lost any weight during his capture.
Seeing Zhu You's appearance, Liu Xiu was relieved a lot. He held Zhu You's hand and said, "Mr. Zhong, during this period, you have been worried about me to death!"
His words made Zhu You burst into tears, and the latter couldn't help but burst into tears.
Liu Xiu's eyes turned red, and she took the initiative to stretch out her arms and hug Zhu You. Zhu You had always been an optimist and rarely cried.
His life experience is very similar to that of Liu Xiu. Both lost their fathers when they were young. The difference is that Liu Xiu was adopted by his uncle Liu Liang, while Zhu You followed his mother and returned to Liu's natal family.
Zhu You's mother and Liu Xiu were from the same clan, and they often moved around. Zhu You often followed his mother to visit relatives in Chung Ling. He and Liu Xiu were similar in age, and they were both children at the time. They hit it off and soon became the best friends. playmate.
The two lived a carefree childhood in Chongling. When they grew up, they went to Chang'an to study together and became classmates. Later, Zhu You followed Liu Xiu and rose up together to start Wang Mang's rebellion. Over the years, The two never abandon each other and support each other. Their deep relationship is far beyond comparison with others.
At this time, seeing the always cheerful and heartless Zhu You crying loudly, Liu Xiu's eyes were red. She put her arm around Zhu You's neck, patted his back with the other, and whispered in his ear: "It's me who made Ayou feel wronged!"
When Zhu You heard this, he burst into tears. He thought that His Majesty would scold him for being so embarrassed this time, but after meeting, His Majesty not only did not complain, but instead took the blame for his capture on himself.
After a while, Liu Xiu's mood gradually calmed down. He let go of Zhu You, first rubbed his red eyes, then patted Zhu You on the shoulder, and said cheerfully: "Okay, okay, Don't cry, isn't Ayou back safe and sound? How old are you, he still looks like a child!"
Zhu You's face turned red, he raised his head to look at Liu Xiu, and then lowered his head in shame. Liu Xiu smiled and said: "Victory and defeat are common things for military strategists. I have been defeated before, and Ayou was also defeated this time. In my heart, I feel... It feels a lot more comfortable!”
Hearing this, Zhu You wiped away his tears and couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Liu Xiu's feelings for Zhu You will not change in any way just because he was defeated or captured. Sharing adversity, hardship, and wealth is even more difficult. Liu Xiu's fact that he never forgets his roots is indeed commendable.
Everyone present looked at the monarch and his ministers who first hugged each other and cried, and then broke down in tears and laughed. They also sighed in their hearts. The relationship between His Majesty and Zhu You is really deep!
Even Deng Feng, who didn't like Liu Xiu and Zhu You, looked on with envy.
It wasn't until this moment that Liu Xiu turned and looked at Deng Feng. At this time, Deng Feng was shirtless and tied up with five-flowered buns. Looking at his appearance, Liu Xiu raised his chin and said with a half-smile: "Yuan Zhi is here recently. Is it good?"
His words were both condescending as a victor, and also ridiculed at Deng Feng's overestimation of his abilities. Deng Feng swallowed his saliva, knelt down, kowtowed forward, and said: "I am ashamed to have shown such kindness to Your Majesty. I have come here to express my gratitude to you." Your Majesty... I bear my thorns and apologize!"
Liu Xiu's feelings for Deng Feng were very complicated. Logically speaking, with Deng Chen's relationship, the relationship between the two of them should be very close. However, because of Yin Lihua's relationship, the friendship between the two never existed. To reach the point of heart-to-heart communication, there will always be a knot in the heart.
Even though he had a grudge against him, Liu Xiu was still able to live up to his reputation. He named Deng Feng the general of Polu and entrusted him with important tasks. But Deng Feng's reward for him was to slap him hard in the face and raise troops in Nanyang. rebel.
Again, no matter what the reason was for Deng Feng's rebellion, in short, he rebelled against Liu Xiu, and Liu Xiu had not treated Deng Feng badly. From Liu Xiu's perspective, Deng Feng's move It means repaying kindness with hatred.
There were too many connections to kill Deng Feng. Liu Xiu could not bear to be so cruel and let Deng Feng go. Liu Xiu was not tolerant and generous enough. Everyone had rebelled against him, so he could still ignore it, as if nothing happened. It's like nothing ever happened.
Liu Xiu stared at Deng Feng kneeling on the ground without saying a word for a long time.
At this time, Wu Han suddenly stepped out of the queue, raised his hands to Liu Xiu and said: "Your Majesty, Deng Feng rebelled in Nanyang, which caused constant wars and devastation in Nanyang. The humble minister thought that your Majesty should execute the rebels as a warning to others!"
Deng Feng's body trembled, and he slowly raised his head, looking at Wu Han with eyes that seemed to have been tempered with poison.
Meeting Deng Feng's eyes, the murderous intent in Wu Han's eyes became even stronger. This thief must not be allowed to stay!
Before Liu Xiu could speak, Yan Guang raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, Deng Feng has taken the initiative to surrender, which shows that he has repented. I hope that your Majesty will spare Deng Feng this time out of past kindness."
Geng Yan came out of the queue, raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty, if the rebels cannot be killed, won't everyone follow this precedent once it is set?"
Wu Han and Geng Yan, one was an official from Yuyang County and the other was an official from Shanggu County. They had a good relationship in the past, but after joining Liu Xiu, these two barely had one leg of trousers on.
Zhu You looked at Wu Han and Geng Yan, then looked at Deng Feng, bowed to Liu Xiu and said: "Your Majesty, Deng Feng is the elder of the Zhu Tiandu tribe. He followed his elder brother in the south and fought in the north and made countless achievements. Your Majesty does not look at others. Your face must also depend on your elder brother’s face!”
Zhu You and Liu Xiu have always been called brother Liu Yan. Although they have different surnames, their relationship is not much different from that of real brothers.
Deng Feng didn't expect that Zhu You would actually speak for him. The look in his eyes when he looked at Zhu You softened a lot, and there was also a hint of gratitude in it.
Wu Han and Geng Yan both advocated killing Deng Feng, while Yan Guang and Zhu You advocated letting Deng Feng go. Liu Xiu couldn't make up his mind for a while, so he waved his hand and said: "Take Deng Feng into custody first!"
Fu An agreed, waved his hand and called two Yulin guards over, pulled up Deng Feng who was kneeling on the ground, and took him away.
When Wu Han saw this, he looked anxious and said, "Your Majesty, Deng Feng must not be let go!"
Many generals also came out, knelt down and admonished Liu Xiujin: "Your Majesty, how many brothers in our army died at the hands of Deng Feng? If Deng Feng had not died, the grievances in the hearts of the brothers in the army would be difficult to quell!"
Jiantan also knelt down and admonished: "Your Majesty, you must not keep these sycophants and traitors, otherwise there will be endless troubles!"