PDLP Chapter 161 The Envoy
Chapter 161 The Envoy
In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the world and the atmosphere of preparation for war outside the hustle and bustle of the county town of Songshan County, the county hall was silent and solemn, as if it were an ancient palace isolated from the world. Yuan Quan, the new leader, was now sitting on the throne of the former county magistrate. His eyes were deep and firm, as if he could see through all the prosperity and changes in the world.
On both sides of the hall, dozens of soldiers stood upright like pine trees, their armor gleaming in the sunlight, their weapons flashing with a cold light. These were Yuan Quan's personal guards, who might not show off their abilities on ordinary days, but today they were as solid as a rock, exuding an inviolable majesty.
Yuan Quan's eyes slowly swept over these personal soldiers, their faces were full of loyalty and perseverance, as if they had dedicated their lives to the new leader. Their eyes were full of admiration and trust for Yuan Quan, which made Yuan Quan's heart surge with warmth. He knew that with these loyal soldiers around, he would not be afraid of any storm.
Today, they put on such a posture not to show off their military strength, but to show their determination and strength to the messenger sent by Zhou Kai. After entering the city, the deputy general surnamed Chen was closely guarded by the soldiers, and his every move was under the control of Yuan Quan.
Yuan Quan knew that the arrival of this deputy general must represent some intention of Zhou Kai. He might want to take this opportunity to test his strength, or he might want to achieve some purpose through negotiation. But no matter what Zhou Kai's plan was, Yuan Quan was ready to deal with it.
He turned his head slightly and exchanged glances with Tang Hai who was standing beside him. Tang Hai was his think tank and his most trusted partner. They had already discussed countermeasures. If possible, they would try every possible way to delay the government troops and prevent them from launching an attack for the time being.
During this period of time, they will mobilize more troops to besiege the enemy and capture all the reinforcements coming from the Northwest Prefecture. Only in this way can they take the initiative in this war and have a real chance to negotiate with Emperor Chongming.
Yuan Quan's eyes swept over Tang Hai, the uncles and aunts standing beside him, and the armored soldiers one by one. He nodded slightly, indicating that they were ready.
"Bring that man up!" Yuan Quan ordered the soldiers guarding the door in a low and firm voice.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers guarding the door responded in unison, and immediately a soldier came forward to bring Chen Zhong up.
Chen Zhong didn't suffer much, even though he was left out for an hour or two, he still looked energetic. He walked into the lobby with his head held high, looking directly at Yuan Quan, as if he wanted to learn something from the new leader.
"How dare you break into Songshan! Are you tired of living?" Yuan Quan shouted angrily when he saw Chen Zhong. His voice echoed in the lobby, making everyone present feel his anger and majesty.
Chen Zhong sneered and said ruthlessly, "Hmph, don't pretend! I know you will definitely lose this battle today. Don't pretend anymore! I tell you, you can't escape! I came here today to give you a chance! Not only can I forgive your past crimes, but I can also find you a position in the court!"
As soon as Chen Zhong finished speaking, Yuan Quan burst into laughter. He pointed at the soldiers standing in the hall and said, "With just a few thousand men, what can you do? Look at my brothers! They all have a blood feud with you! It's because of you corrupt officials! Their families have been destroyed and their families have starved to death!"
Yuan Quan's voice was full of grief and anger, making everyone present feel his anger and determination. And the soldiers lowered their heads one after another, as if Yuan Quan's words had aroused the pain and hatred in their hearts.
Chen Zhong was not moved at all. He sneered and said, "Humph! Do you think you can resist our army? Let me tell you! We are just the vanguard! The governor has sent more troops here! Do you think that you can win just because you succeeded in the sneak attack? Our General Zhou does not like killing! So this time I was sent to give you a chance! If you surrender now, we can let you go! We can also give you brothers a chance to join the army! This way they can all have enough food to eat!"
Although Chen Zhong's words were arrogant and domineering, Yuan Quan was not moved at all. He smiled faintly and said, "Do you believe what you said? As far as I know, there are a lot of people in your army who are not working! I'm afraid that your army of 1 people is all that your governor can bring out! Not to mention feeding my brothers, I'm afraid your military pay is not enough!"
"I wonder what this person's name is? What's his position?" Tang Hai, who was standing beside him, asked with a smile.
"I am Chen Zhong, the deputy general under General Zhou Kai of Northwest Prefecture! Our prefecture army has 5 troops. Can't we deal with a mere one or two thousand of you?" Chen Zhong sneered and said proudly.
"Humph! I want to see what you are capable of!" Hearing this, Yuan Quan couldn't help but sneer. He turned to the soldier beside him and ordered, "Catch him! I want to see who gave him the courage to break into the county government office and speak so brazenly in front of me!"
"Yes!" The soldiers standing in the hall agreed loudly, and immediately a soldier stepped forward and took Chen Zhong outside the hall. Chen Zhong's physical fitness was not worse than that of ordinary soldiers, but at this moment he had been pinned to the ground by the soldiers. He struggled a few times, but he was unable to escape the restraints, and could only let the soldiers take him away.
"I advise you not to act rashly! Our governor will not let you go!" Chen Zhong was still shouting as he was escorted out of the hall.
Just as Chen Zhong was about to be taken away, someone suddenly spoke up to stop him.
"Wait a minute! Why don't we listen to his conditions first!" Tang Hai stood up and said loudly.
The soldiers stopped what they were doing and looked at Yuan Quan!
"Okay! Tell me the conditions you offer! Stop talking about those empty words! Don't we know how many combat-ready soldiers you have in your army? Look at which county town still has troops and all of them have been eaten up by you guys who are just collecting empty salaries!" Yuan Quan slammed the table and said!
"As long as you surrender, the conditions are fine! We, the Zhou family army, can guarantee your safety and will not pursue all your past crimes!" Chen Zhong replied at this time! He now knew that his mission this time would be difficult to complete. These people did not look like those who had just dropped their hoes because they were hungry. Instead, they looked like people who had experienced war for a long time.
"How about this, I'll put forward some conditions, see if you can agree to them! Or you can go ask your General Zhou!" Tang Hai stood up and said at this time.