I really don't want to be a traitor

Chapter 557 Forced Surrender
Zhang Juzheng followed Zhao Tieniu all the way to the inner courtyard.

To his surprise, this government office was built extremely spacious and vast.

The government office in the outer courtyard has so many entrances and rooms that it is extremely complicated.

The inner courtyard seems like another world.

There are pavilions, towers, bridges, flowing water, rockery and mirror lake.

"Deserves to be killed!"

"How dare they expand the government office to this point? It's extravagant and complicated. I don't know how much of the people's money they have exploited. The local officials must be members of Yan's party. They really deserve to be killed!"

"No wonder Fan Li chose the government office as his temporary palace. Even the wealthy families in the capital of the Ming Dynasty rarely have such luxurious residences!"

Zhang Juzheng was daydreaming when he felt the burly man in front of him stop.

"We're here." Zhao Tieniu said in a muffled voice.

really.

In a pavilion not far away, Zhang Juzheng saw Fan Li's figure.

He was not wearing a dragon robe, but only a black Confucian robe, with his hair tied up with a green scarf. In his hand was a wolf-hair brush, writing with great speed, and it was unclear whether he was composing lyrics or painting. He looked like a talented and romantic scholar.

There were four women sitting in the pavilion.

A woman in a green shirt and a silk skirt, with bulging cheeks, who knows how much food she has stuffed into her mouth. In her hand, she is holding a bunch of grapes, which are round and smooth, and look very sweet.

A woman dressed in white as white as snow sat quietly beside Fan Li, as quiet and graceful as a fairy in a painting, pleasing to the eye.

A girl in colorful clothes, as beautiful as a blooming flower, with a childish look in her eyes and eyebrows, chattering non-stop, as if she was arguing with Fan Li. Fan Li did not talk back, but only looked at her lovingly from time to time.

The last lady in yellow was quite elegant and noble, and her words could change the direction of Fan Li's writing.

"Great."

"Fan Li gained power one day, but before he could accomplish his great cause, he fell for beauty. This is truly a blessing for the Ming Dynasty."

"This peace talk is done!"

"As long as you give the Ming Dynasty ten years to recuperate and Your Majesty comprehend the [Pangu Colossal Body], even if we don't have the power to dominate the world, it shouldn't be a problem to maintain our status quo."

"If this is done, Your Majesty will also do his best to help me ascend to the immortal world."

"My life span is limited, and I can no longer stay in the human world..."

Zhang Juzheng was thinking as he walked, and before he knew it he was three meters away from the pavilion.

Only then did he hear clearly what Fan Li was saying.

"Jing Wudi reported."

"The total number of troops from all over the Ming Dynasty is about 300,000, which is three times the number of our Jin army."

"But the local soldiers' equipment is outdated, their training is lax, and their combat effectiveness and loyalty are not worth mentioning."

"In this way, we can divide our forces into three groups."

"The main body goes one way, the clone goes one way, and Hu Zongxian goes one way, speeding up the harvest of Ming territory."

Zhang Juzheng broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this.

what's the situation?
Attack the Ming Dynasty from multiple directions?
Is Fan Li still sincere about the peace talks?

Zhang Juzheng raised his head and glared at Fan Li, but suddenly recognized the identities of the four beauties beside him.

They were not dressed in their usual style, and Zhang Juzheng had only seen their portraits, so it was no wonder that he did not recognize them at first sight!
"The world's number one swordsman, Holy Lord Han Yue?"

"Nine-tailed Fox Fairy, Qingqiu?"

"Empress Lü Fubao of the Great Jin Dynasty?"

"She... isn't she the Emperor of Chu, Xiang Ning?!"

Gudong!

Zhang Juzheng swallowed hard before he realized that Fan Li was not enjoying her beauty at all.

It's obvious that even the strongest fighting force in the harem has been moved to the front line!
What does this mean?
Try your best?

Won't you give the Ming Dynasty a chance to breathe?
"Oh? Master Zhang has finally arrived?"

Fan Li seemed to have just seen Zhang Juzheng. He was stunned at first, and then he immediately packed up his paper and pen in embarrassment.

Saw!
Zhang Juzheng saw it this time!

It turns out that what Fan Li was writing and drawing just now was not writing lyrics or painting, but making marks on the battle map!

"Oh my God!"

"If the late emperor had been as focused on his cause as Fan Li when he was in power, the world would not be in turmoil."

Zhang Juzheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and bowed.

"The Great Ming Envoy, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, the Grand Secretary of the Zhongji Palace, and the Foreign Minister Zhang Juzheng are here to see His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Jin."

When introducing himself, Zhang Juzheng felt a sense of sadness and powerlessness.

No matter how many titles he has, he will never be as good as Fan Li.

Just by the four words "Emperor of the Great Jin", he already dominates the world!
Fan Li smiled slightly.

Of course, he was not really in a mess just now. He just acted like that to create some psychological pressure on Zhang Juzheng.

"Master Zhang, please excuse me."

Fan Li sat down first, then looked around, pretending to be relaxed.

"The scenery here is pleasant. I and several queens... ahem, and His Majesty the Emperor of Chu, all like it very much. We have temporarily chosen it as the place for negotiation. Lord Zhang, do you mind?" The important issues of war and peace between the two countries are being discussed in a pavilion?
Of course Zhang Juzheng minded!
But the strength is clear, and he doesn't even have the qualifications to care.

He even had to pretend that he didn't see the Chu Emperor Xiang Ning, who was curled up in Fan Li's arms, wearing colorful clothes and was extremely beautiful.

"Yes."

"Let's talk about it."

Zhang Juzheng forced a smile.

"Thank you, Emperor Jin, for your hospitality. Today, the Ming Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty will discuss a ceasefire, a ceasefire... and the withdrawal of Jin's troops."

As he said the word "retreat", he kept staring at Fan Li cautiously.

If Fan Li does not object to this proposal, subsequent negotiations will be easy.

"Wait a moment!"

Fan Li suddenly called a halt, and Zhang Juzheng's mood darkened.

"retreat?"

Although a smile appeared on Fan Li's handsome face, it was a cruel sneer.

"Yes, retreat."

Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth and decided to fight again for the Ming Dynasty.

"Since His Majesty the Emperor of Jin is willing to negotiate, please withdraw your troops and return the occupied land of Ming Dynasty to show your sincerity."

He really lacked bargaining chips and could only gamble.

He bet that there would be a fire in Fan Li's backyard, and the three kingdoms of Wei, Han and Wu were ready to make a move, so Fan Li urgently needed to negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty and stop the war.

Unfortunately, Zhang Juzheng lost the bet.

"Master Zhang."

"Ok?"

"My soldiers used the swords and horses of the Jin dynasty to win land for the plows and cattle of the Jin dynasty, and they refused to retreat an inch."

"What!?"

Zhang Juzheng widened his eyes, unable to believe that this was Fan Li's attitude.

He gritted his teeth and decided to make one last harsh statement!
"If this is the case, it will be difficult for foreign ministers to negotiate with Your Majesty!"

Fan Li nodded when he heard this.

"No problem, let's continue fighting. My Dragon Scale Army has rested for many days and is ready for war."

Zhang Juzheng's eyelids twitched wildly when he heard this.

He quickly reminded: "Your Majesty, I heard that the attitudes of the three kingdoms of Wei, Han and Wu towards Jin have changed. Aren't you worried..."

"What do I have to worry about?" Fan Li suddenly said with a sly smile on his face, "Why didn't the Chu garrison invade the Ming territory? Lord Zhang thought that my third brother Fan Chun took the garrison back home to sleep?"

Zhang Juzheng was horrified when he heard this!
what! ?

It turns out that Jin and Chu were plotting against Ming, Wei, Han and Wu at the same time?!
"If that's the case, what's the point of this negotiation?"

"Didn't the Emperor of Jin trick Zhang into coming here?"

Snapped!
clap clap clap!
Fan Li clapped his hands and nodded repeatedly: "Congratulations, Lord Zhang, you finally guessed it right. The only thing I want in today's negotiation is you. If my guess is correct, after the death of Emperor Jiajing, the Ming Dynasty's List of Gods also dissipated and self-destructed, right?"

The whereabouts of the Ming Dynasty's List of Gods is not really a secret.

Emperor Jiajing died, the Vermillion Bird of the Ming Dynasty died, and the List of Gods disappeared without a master.

The civil and military officials who signed the List of Gods also felt that a force that bound their souls disappeared, and they understood what was happening.

"Even if there were no constraints from the List of Conferred Gods, Zhang would still be a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty and there is no reason for me to serve two masters!" Zhang Juzheng said with red ears.

He finally believed that Fan Li really had no intention of negotiating.

It turns out that I was just too optimistic.

The strength of Jin and Chu could not be changed by the three kingdoms of Wei, Han and Wu!
Now, he just wanted to leave immediately and return to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to defend and prepare for war!
"When two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys."

"If the Emperor of Jin is willing to negotiate, I will take my leave now!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Li shook his head.

"Master Zhang, you can't go anywhere."

"While we are talking, General Zhao Tieniu, who led the way, has already informed the Deputy Envoy of the Ming Dynasty that wise birds choose trees to roost in, and Lord Zhang has already joined our Great Jin."

Zhang Juzheng's face changed drastically when he heard this.

Fan Li continued, "Moreover, General Zhao will beat the Ming envoys badly and then expel them from the city."

Pfft!
Zhang Juzheng finally couldn't stand the shock and fell heavily to the ground.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Fan Li walked forward, with a look of concern on his face, and helped Zhang Juzheng up.

"Zhang Aiqing, from now on you will be my man."

"For your own health, let's talk about your ascension to the immortal world, shall we?"

"By the way, I also have a Conferred God List, please sign it..."

(End of this chapter)