Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 920 Cao Bin Surrenders
Faced with the questions from generals Cao Bin and Zhang Yongde, Zhao Dezhao sighed inwardly, knowing that he could not avoid it in the end. So he calmly said, "Chenliu City will be handed over to the Wu army for temporary control as a condition of peace. All Song troops will temporarily withdraw from Chenliu. The Wu army will not attack, neither attacking our Song army nor disturbing the people in the city in the slightest."

"Then what, when will the Wu army withdraw?" Cao Bin asked. Now that peace had been agreed upon, they were concerned about when the Wu army would withdraw and retreat south of the Huai River.

After all, this is Kaifeng Prefecture, the core area of ​​the imperial court. The next city to be captured is Bianjing. If the peace talks are successful, will the Wu army have to withdraw?

This is the question on everyone's mind. If the peace talks are successful, there is no reason to hand over Chenliu City, unless the terms of the peace talks are not the Huai River as the boundary, but rather to drive the Song Dynasty court to Luoyang or Chang'an.

Zhao Dezhao slowly said, "The Wu army has not yet accepted our peace terms and is going to add more. So, if Chenliu City is handed over, they will take a large army to the outskirts of Bianjing City to negotiate peace."

"What? Isn't this absurd?" Zhang Yongde and the others were shocked. Is this how negotiations are conducted?
In fact, this was just a delaying tactic by Zhao Dezhao to temporarily appease these Song generals and wait for Pan Mei to arrive with his troops to take control of the situation.

"As long as there is peace, no more war between Wu and Song, the people of the world can live a good life, and soldiers no longer have to die on the battlefield, it is all worth it!"

Zhao Dezhao spoke of lofty principles, but his answers to the questions remained ambiguous.

Cao Bin said to Zhao Dezhao, "Your Highness, have you been deceived by Su Chen? Their peace talks are a pretense; their real aim is to obtain Chenliu City without bloodshed, isn't it?"

Zhao Dezhao looked at Cao Bin, knowing that this matter could not be kept from the wise old general Cao Bin.

"General Cao, do you think the Song Dynasty can still withstand the Wu army's attack? How many days can Chenliu City hold out with all its might?" Zhao Dezhao continued to ask.

Cao Bin seemed to have already seen that Zhao Dezhao's will was not firm and that he was somewhat inclined to surrender to the Wu army. His eyes were cold and his expression was serious. He said, "Generals are bound to die on the battlefield. It is the duty of us Song soldiers to protect our land. Whether we can hold it or not, we must fight to the end. This is the spirit of the Song Dynasty and our backbone."

"That's right, Chenliu City cannot be handed over without a reason. The Wu army must withdraw before peace can be negotiated!"

"We are determined to live and die with the Song Dynasty!"

A group of generals shouted passionately, drew their weapons, and stepped forward to force the Wu army to leave.

But these Wu soldiers also drew their swords, and some held long spears, confronting the Song soldiers in the courtyard.

Zhao Dezhao had been somewhat silent and hesitant after Cao Bin's words, but now that the two sides seemed to be about to clash, he became worried.

"Wait, let's avoid conflict, the negotiations aren't over yet!"

"Your Highness, what's the point of talking? The Wu army's entry into Chenliu City is a clear indication of their treacherous intentions. Driving them out and closing the city gates is the most urgent task."

Before Zhang Yongde could finish speaking, they heard the sound of horses' hooves and orderly footsteps outside, the sound of armor flapping, clearly indicating that a large army was approaching.

The Song general was startled, for he recognized the footsteps and ranks as not belonging to the Song Dynasty. He then saw Pan Mei in full armor leading a group of soldiers into the general's mansion.

"Generals, how have you been?" Pan Mei walked with a strong stride, exuding a powerful aura.

"Pan Mei, you traitor, how dare you show your face in front of us!" Zhang Yongde was shocked to see Pan Mei appear, then roared angrily.

Pan Mei's gaze was sharp as she glanced at Zhang Yongde, but instead of answering directly, she looked at Cao Bin, her former close friend and later her longtime rival.

"Brother Cao, the city gates of Chenliu have already fallen and been occupied, and this general's mansion is also surrounded. The situation is hopeless, so let's accept the peace talks."

The Song generals were shocked upon hearing this, their eyes filled with panic. Once the city gates of Chenliu were captured, the Wu army could pour into the city, control the streets and other gates, and the 100,000 troops stationed at those gates would be captured before they could assemble and deploy their defenses.

"Is this your method of negotiation? It involves coercion and threats!" Cao Bin said in an unfriendly tone.

Pan Mei said, "Rather than talking about peace, it's more accurate to say that Chenliu City has submitted to Wu and joined the Wu army."

Cao Bin glared at him: "What do you mean?"

Pan Mei slowly said, "At this point, there is no point in negotiating peace. General Cao should recognize the reality. At present, the Song Dynasty has no ability to resist the Wu army. The Wu Kingdom's unification of the north and south and the end of this chaotic situation are a foregone conclusion. I hope that all the generals will join the Wu army and become Wu citizens."

"What? You want us to surrender and submit to the Wu Kingdom?"

Zhang Yongde shouted: "Then wouldn't we be traitors who betrayed the Song Dynasty just like you? Do you think our knees are as weak as yours, Pan Mei?"

Pan Mei looked at Zhang Yongde and the others, and said with a faint smile, "You were all generals of the Later Zhou Dynasty, didn't you also become Song people back then? Now, given the circumstances and the overall situation, do you have a better choice?"

Cao Bin looked intently at Pan Mei, then at Zhao Dezhao, his feelings quite complex.

Born into a military family, he became a military officer during the Later Han Dynasty. During the Later Zhou Dynasty, as the nephew of Emperor Taizu, he was highly trusted and promoted to Introducing Envoy and commander of the Imperial Guard. After the fall of the Song Dynasty, he became General Shenwu and concurrently served as Privy Councilor.

It can be said that in just over thirty years, he experienced three dynastic changes. Each time, he did not show any extreme reaction. When the Later Han Dynasty fell, he naturally followed his uncle Guo Wei and became a member of the Later Zhou Dynasty. Later, when Zhao Kuangyin seized power and established the Song Dynasty, although Cao Bin felt resentful, he thought that those who understand the times are wise and did not object. He successfully became a general of the Song Dynasty and was highly valued by Zhao Kuangyin.

A few days ago, Zhao Kuangyin died unexpectedly, and Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne. As Zhao Kuangyin's trusted general, he did not oppose Zhao Guangyi. He compromised time and time again, which made Cao Bin feel conflicted, but he also got used to it and let it go. He was just a military general, not a politician, and could not fight against the general trend of history.

Now, Wu Jun's momentum to destroy the Song Dynasty is a foregone conclusion. As a general of the Song Dynasty, he was appointed to command the resistance in Chenliu City. Unless there are special circumstances, he will definitely lead the troops to the end, fight to the death with Wu Jun, defend the city, and will never surrender easily.

But now the situation is different. Chen Liucheng has been captured, and he and the Song generals are surrounded, with no chance to fight back. Zhao Dezhao in front of him has clearly reached an agreement with Su Chen, so as a pawn in the game, he doesn't have much ability to resist.

Thinking about these things, Cao Bin seemed less resistant. After all, he had already experienced three dynastic changes, so what did one more matter?

"Your Highness Zhao, what exactly do you mean? At this time, you might as well speak plainly, so that all the generals can die knowing why!" Cao Bin said to Zhao Dezhao.

Seeing that Cao Bin was inclined to surrender, Zhao Dezhao decided to no longer conceal the truth and said, "In the Wu army camp, I have already reached a peace agreement with Marshal Su. That is, to help him smoothly take over the Song Dynasty, so that the Wu Kingdom can successfully unify the North and the South, minimize the casualties of the Wu and Song armies, and not affect the safety of the people of the Song Dynasty, so that the people will not suffer the ravages of war. Promoting the unification of the North and the South is also the general trend of history, which is destined to be recorded in history. Personal honor and status are nothing!"

“Your Highness Zhao, you are a prince of the Great Song Dynasty, how could you have such a crazy idea?” A general questioned, not understanding the situation.

Zhao Dezhao sighed and said, “My father died suddenly after drinking the medicinal wine provided by his second brother. The second uncle seized control of the palace overnight and forged the edict of succession. His ascension to the throne was illegitimate. I have always been a person the new emperor is on high alert, and my life is in danger at any time. Rather than die young in the Song Dynasty, it is better to give up the identity of the Zhao family royal family and hand over this country to someone who can truly control him. Marshal Su is outstanding in both civil and military affairs. As long as he can enter Bianjing and annex the Song Dynasty, he can become the true emperor of Wu. At that time, he promised that not only will the titles of the generals not be affected, but they will also receive additional rewards.”

The Song generals were shocked by this news. First, they had to process the fact that Zhao Kuangyin had been poisoned by his younger brother, and second, Su Chen was going to become the true emperor of Wu and had promised to guarantee their titles and other honors. This greatly diminished their desire to resist, especially since they had no chance to do so now.

“We are like fish on a chopping board, and now we, the trapped generals of the Great Song Dynasty, are like defeated generals. We no longer have the ability to defend the Great Song Dynasty. So be it. Born in this chaotic world, what else can we do?” Cao Bin, as the commander-in-chief of the garrison in Chenliu City, was the first to express his opinion because he was the first to understand.

The other Song generals, upon hearing their commander Cao Bin's words, couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Despite their reluctance, they accepted the fact that they had surrendered to the Wu army.

Pan Mei and Zhao Dezhao exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief. They had accomplished a great service by resolving the Chenliu City issue without bloodshed and by clarifying the matter. They could now report back to Su Chen smoothly.