Liu Mengyuan, who was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed and thinking, shook his head and sat up straight. The letter on the table was already dry. He folded the letter and stuffed it into the prepared envelope. He raised his head and looked at the study door, opening his mouth to scream.
When someone comes, he will ask someone to come and deliver the letter immediately.
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the study, and at the same time, the voice of a personal servant was heard outside the door.
"Sir, Commander Wu is here to ask for an audience."
"Oh? What happened? Have the bandits attacked the city? Please invite him in quickly." Liu Mengyuan was startled and ordered in a low voice.
Soon after, there was a clang at the study door, and Wu Yongbo, fully armed, appeared in the light with a knife handle in his hand.
"I have met you in this humble position, sir." Wu Yongbo bowed his hands and saluted.
Liu Mengyuan stood up and returned the salute with her hands, saying quickly: "What? Have the bandits attacked the city?"
Wu Yongbo said: "We haven't attacked the city yet. I have ordered Deputy Commander Ye to keep an eye on their movements. They are still camping at the moment. Maybe they won't attack the city tonight. If there is any disturbance, Deputy Commander Ye will report it. Please
Please be patient, sir."
Liu Mengyuan felt relieved and nodded: "That's good, that's good. Sit down and talk. I just want to send someone to invite you to discuss the war. Please sit down."
Wu Yongbo cupped his hands and thanked him, but did not sit down. He said in a deep voice: "Master Magistrate, I have something to say in my humble position. I don't know whether to say it or not."
Liu Mengyuan smiled and said: "What can't we say between you and me? Just say it."
Wu Yongbo walked up to the case and said in a deep voice: "Master Magistrate, you must have seen the posture of the religious bandits outside the city. Rumors are spreading in the city, and all the soldiers and civilians are talking about whether these people have gone crazy. Some say that they have all gone crazy.
They are puppets controlled by a cult. They don't know pain, they only know how to fight. Others say that they are all controlled zombies. It can be seen from their actions in the afternoon that everyone has their minds controlled. The people are very worried.
I'm afraid, I feel like we can't defend the city. I'm also very uneasy right now."
Liu Mengyuan frowned and said: "Asshole, do you believe these words? These are all rumors and nonsense. They are just religious bandits. It may be credible to say that they control the mind. What about zombie dolls? Isn't that nonsense? Commander Wu
Commander, it's not like we haven't fought against them before. When the bandits started the rebellion, weren't we the same people we fought against when we were defending Xingren Mansion? Why are you still saying these things?"
Wu Yongbo said in a deep voice: "Of course I don't believe it. I'm just worried that the panic of the soldiers and civilians will affect the defense of the city."
"Who is spreading the rumors? I have ordered that anyone who dares to spread these rumors and spread rumors to confuse the public and deceive people will be arrested and killed. How can I allow them to spread rumors at this time? There must be religious bandits sneaking into the city to cause trouble.
.You take people to arrest some of them, show them off in public, and the rumors will disappear naturally." Liu Mengyuan shouted.
Wu Yongbo nodded and said: "The humble office will handle it. But... Mr. Magistrate, when you see the number of religious bandits outside the city, don't you have something in mind? Do you really think we can defend Xingren Mansion this time?"
Liu Mengyuan frowned and shouted: "Commander Wu, what happened to you today? You are not a person who is greedy for life and afraid of death. The war is about to come, why are you coming here to say this? As a leading general, if you can teach your soldiers to know what their generals are thinking,
Qiyi, how can we fight this battle? What on earth do you want to tell me?"
Wu Yongbo muttered: "Being humble does not mean being timid. What we are talking about is the truth. In war, we need to look at our strength. We can win with less and win more. After all, there are very few. Judging from the current situation, we may not be able to defend it."
I’m staying in Xingren Mansion.”
"You bastard, you have to defend if you can't hold it. We have nearly 4,000 soldiers and horses, and 7,000 young men and women to help defend the city, and we have a strong city with high walls and deep ditches as support. Why can't we hold it? Even if everyone dies.
You have to defend the city. Don’t forget that you and I have sworn an oath to live and die together with the city. Are you too timid to escape now? If you dare to do that, I will be the first to do so.
Kill you." Liu Mengyuan shouted loudly.
Wu Yongbo breathed a sigh of relief and said: "The prefect knows what kind of person I am, Wu Yongbo. I am a leading general in my humble position. Even if I die fighting to defend the city, it is natural. Because this is the responsibility of my humble position. But the prefect wants to take the lives of the people in the city."
Putting one's life on the line as a bet is something that a lowly position cannot accept. There was a better solution. The Jin King's army was close at hand. Inviting them to defend the city would ensure that everything was safe. However, the prefect refused them and insisted on letting the people defend the city.
City, you have to risk the lives of the people in the city, which is beyond the understanding of your humble position. Magistrate Liu, even if you want to do this for a certain purpose, you cannot take the overall situation of counterinsurgency and the lives of the people as a trifle. You
Do you know that once the city is not protected, the people will be massacred, and the religious bandits will go all the way west and break out of the encirclement, what will happen? Master Lin has made it very clear today, but Magistrate Liu insists not to
Listen, I am really incomprehensible. Originally I did not see the number and momentum of the bandits, but now I understand that Mr. Lin and the others really mean what they say, why don’t you want to listen?"
Liu Mengyuan sneered with an angry look: "Commander Wu, please don't be presumptuous. I am the prefect of Xingren Prefecture. It is my business to make decisions. Do you want to disobey me? What do you mean by coming here to say this now?
?What exactly do you want to do?"
Wu Yongbo said in a deep voice: "I want to ask the magistrate to think twice. It is not too late to ask for help from King Wanting Jin's army at this moment. I can apologize in person and ask them to help defend the city. Don't act out of emotion, magistrate, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."
.”
Liu Mengyuan sneered and said: "What a joke, I have already rejected them, and now I am begging them again? You are scared out of your wits, so you came here to tell me these things. That's all, since you are as timid as a mouse, I have nothing to do with you."
Relying on this, I have ordered that you be relieved of the post of commander and let Deputy Commander Ye take your place to command the operations. Wu Yongbo, you can leave, I don’t want to talk to you anymore."
Wu Yongbo frowned and shouted: "Master Liu, can't you be more sensible? Do you really want to risk the lives of the people in the city? But even so, there is no chance of winning."
Liu Mengyuan shouted: "Step back, the affairs of Xingren Mansion have nothing to do with you anymore. Come and see the guests off."
Wu Yongbo stood up and sighed, but did not move.
Liu Mengyuan shouted again: "Come here, come here, are everyone dead? See you off!"
There was a soft sound of footsteps outside the study, and several figures came in from the door and stood in a row under the candlelight. Liu Mengyuan felt something was wrong. When he saw the face of the person in the middle, he was startled and asked in horror: "Why?"
What's going on? Why are you here? What's going on?"
Wu Yongbo said softly: "Sir, Mr. Lin was brought in by his humble position. Mr. Lin has not left. He wants to persuade you to change your mind. After all, the overall situation is of paramount importance, and Xingren Mansion cannot be lost..."
"Shut up, you bastards. Come on, come on, kick them out." Liu Mengyuan shouted loudly.
Lin Jue stepped forward slowly, clasped his fists and saluted: "Prefect Liu, we meet again. You have to shout, the dozen or so guards outside have been tied up by us, and they can't get in."
Liu Mengyuan said in horror: "What do you want to do? Mr. Lin, you are an official of the imperial court and you should think twice before you act. What do you think you are doing? Breaking in secretly, do you want to do harm to me?"
Lin Jue sat down on the chair and said with a smile: "Prefect Liu, Commander Wu has already told me my purpose of coming, and I am here to persuade you. You are too stubborn. Xingren Mansion will be destroyed soon, but you are still alive."
You won't let us defend the city. I understand that you want to show your loyalty to King Huai, but you can't make fun of the overall situation of suppressing the rebellion and the lives of the people. There are 50,000 to 60,000 crazy bandits outside the city, and you can't defend it. One day
I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold on, can’t you still see it?”
"What does that have to do with you? If I am willing to live and die with the city, what does that have to do with you? I have said that you do not need to come to rescue me. Even if you come to me now, I am still saying the same thing. Don't expect me to change my mind."
Liu Mengyuan shouted.
Lin Jue sighed and said: "Master Liu, you are really stubborn. I am not here to save you. If you want to die with the city, I can't care. But if you insist on dragging the people to death, I can't watch helplessly.
.I can't let your personal selfishness drag down innocent people. Mr. Liu, isn't your purpose of serving as an official to protect the country and the people and be loyal to the court? What is the difference between your behavior at the moment and a selfish villain? And he is a
Stupid villain. I'm here to give you one last chance. You should immediately write a handwritten letter to King Jin asking for help so that King Jin's army can go to defend the city. This is your last chance. If you do
, you are a good official who is loyal to the imperial court and has no conscience, otherwise, you will be a weak official who is worse than a pig or a dog. Make your own decision."
Liu Mengyuan frowned and shouted: "Don't think I can promise you. Aren't you also loyal to the King of Jin and taking credit for suppressing the rebellion for the King of Jin? Why do you have to say so high-sounding? I can't write letters. Without my letter, you can't do it."
I can't enter the city. Hey, what can you do? I, the magistrate, will be forced by you? Don't think that I, Liu Mengyuan, is easy to bully. I will report your actions tonight to the court, and you will pay the price."
Lin Jue looked at Liu Mengyuan blankly and said in a deep voice: "Prefect Liu, I really didn't expect you to be so confused. You are so obsessed. If you don't want to be a good official, you will have to be a stupid official. A stupid official will not do it."
If you think about the people and not the court, your life will be a disaster. Magistrate Liu, I want to ask you one last time whether you should write a letter or not."
Liu Mengyuan's throat rolled and she said sternly: "What? Do you still dare to do harm to me? I don't believe you have the courage. I am determined not to write it, so what can you do to me?"
Lin Jue sighed, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then waved gently. Behind him, Sun Dayong stepped up and approached Liu Mengyuan.
Liu Mengyuan shouted: "What are you doing? What are you going to do?"
Sun Dayong grabbed his collar and lifted him up to Lin Jue like a hawk catching a chicken.
"Master Liu, it was you who forced me to do this. Since you did not care about the overall situation of the imperial court's counterinsurgency, the life and death of the people, and only cared about your own selfishness and refused to listen to advice at all, I have nothing to say. I have done my best to you. I have done my best to you.
Now I declare your crime. I suspect that you colluded with the religious bandits, refused to rescue, deliberately allowed the religious bandits to capture Xingren Mansion, and ruined the good outcome of the counterinsurgency. Collusion with the religious bandits is a capital crime, and today I will put you to death. Don't say anything.
I don't have this right. Anyone who colludes with the religious bandits can be punished. I will kill you on behalf of the King of Jin. The King of Jin has the power to deal with the rebellion easily, so I have no problem killing you." Lin Jue said solemnly.
"What? You dare to commit murder? You are so brave, you... you are simply lawless?" Liu Mengyuan was so frightened that his voice changed. How could he have thought that Lin Jue was so bold that he threatened to kill himself. He
He was scared in his heart, and at the same time he didn't quite believe that Lin Jue dared to do this, so his attitude remained tough.
