As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 332 Human Hearts Are Unfathomable, But I Can.

"General Deng, this is the imperial tally personally bestowed by His Majesty. Seeing the tally is like seeing the emperor, like the king himself being on the battlefield."

"His Majesty has appointed me to have full authority over the military affairs of the three passes."

After their attempt to break through the barrier failed, Deng Yingcheng and his party returned to Zhenling Pass in disgrace.

After quickly settling the troops, it was already late at night.

The young general hadn't slept for several nights and was still awake.

With loyal soldiers guarding the area, Ji Yuting took out the talisman given to him by Qin Lou and said in a deep voice.

"His Majesty……"

Deng Yingcheng didn't get to see his elder brother, but the power of the fake imperial axe was still considerable.

He trembled violently, immediately knelt on the ground, and cried out in anguish, "I am incompetent, I am incompetent, I deserve to die a thousand deaths..."

He originally intended to fight to the death, either to reclaim the lost territory or to die on the battlefield.

This also fulfilled the kindness shown to him by the monarch and his elder brother.

Ji Yuting interrupted all of this, and now that he's back safely, he doesn't know how he should continue living.

Such a meritorious general, so full of vigor and talent, yet he bore such immense mental pressure and was driven to this point by Mingchen.

Looking at the sorrowful Deng Yingcheng, Ji Yuting lowered his eyes and remained silent.

While Mingchen was learning about and investigating the top people in other countries, other people with ulterior motives were also paying attention to him, plotting against him, and speculating about him.

Ji Yuting was one of them.

The prodigy who once sparked a rivalry between two kings has now become the Duke of Anguo, a man of great merit, who has brought prestige to the nation.

Ji Yuting had studied all the strange things Mingchen had done along the way.

Unrestrained imagination, flamboyant and unrestrained, intelligent to the point of being almost supernatural, unconventional and elusive.

That's too dangerous.

It is undoubtedly a terrible thing for such a person to be in an opposing position.

But if Bei Lie wants to unify the world, this extraordinary person is an insurmountable obstacle.

"General Deng, please don't be discouraged. It's not your fault. The other side is Mingchen."

Seeing that Deng Yingcheng was on the verge of collapse, Ji Yuting patted him on the shoulder repeatedly, saying something to comfort him.

With a formidable enemy at hand, this is not the time to dwell on the faults of those loyal to our side.

We already lack sufficient strength here; we cannot afford to lose any more.

Deng Yingcheng was unable to face Ling Yu and Ming Chen alone, but he was not an incompetent person.

He is capable of leading troops into battle, meticulous in his work, and tenacious in defending cities.

Such a talented person cannot be allowed to ruin himself.

"General Bai disobeyed orders and launched a rash attack. Liu Xifeng betrayed the country. This is not the general's fault, but rather the enemy's monstrous nature."

A virtuous and talented person will not deny the wisdom and ability of others.

Ji Yuting knew all too well how terrifying it was for Ming Chen to accomplish all of this.

If he were in Mingchen's position, he knew he lacked the wisdom to grasp these almost negligible interpersonal relationships and flaws in the general's personality...

That's absolutely terrifying.

Upon hearing this, Deng Yingcheng swayed slightly, then looked up at Ji Yuting with some gratitude: "Thank you for your understanding, General Ji."

The child was as young as his nephew or niece.

However, he was very righteous and did not act recklessly despite carrying the emperor's insignia. Instead, he was extremely understanding of his situation.

He is truly approachable and trustworthy.

"General Ji, may I ask where General Tian Hong is now?"

"The enemy is cunning, Mingchen has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, and Lingyu's command and dispatch of the army is flawless... We should let him take charge of the overall situation as soon as possible."

"Now that we have lost both passes, the initiative is no longer in our hands."

However... I am grateful as much as I am.

Ji Yuting is too young; Deng Yingcheng doesn't think he's qualified to go up against Mingchen.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuting glanced around and then said in a low voice, "General Deng, the Grand General hasn't come, and the imperial court doesn't have many reinforcements for us to use."

"Next, we will fight against Mingchen and Lingyu together."

"what?!"

Deng Yingcheng breathed a sigh of relief when he thought Tian Hong had arrived.

But to my surprise, it was all a lie.

Ji Yuting lowered his eyes and said in a calm voice, "This is a trick I learned from Mingchen: creating something out of nothing and deceiving the heavens."

"General, tomorrow you must replace the flag with the banner of the Great General that I brought, and spread the news that the Great General has arrived to the army. Well... don't make too much of a fuss. Just imagine me as the Great General and do whatever you need to do."

"If we keep people like Mingchen and Lingyu tied up here, General Tian Hong can launch an attack!"

Ji Yuting's eyes turned cold: "Let Mingchen see that we're not just passively taking a beating."

Deng Yingcheng was shocked: "This..."

This is the difference between Deng Yingcheng and top-notch commanders.

He lacks creativity; he only knows how to play a rigid defense and offense.

For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity with this sharp-witted young man.

It seemed... to be that genius of the Qian Yuan era, Ming Chen.

During their conversation, a ragged man was brought in by the trusted aide.

"General Deng, what is the meaning of this?"

"Just because Liu Xifeng betrayed the country, does that mean he wants to take his anger out on Zheng?"

Zheng Jun was forced to kneel on the ground, and looked up at the two men with some resentment.

Despite all precautions, they still fell into Bei Lie's trap.

These people even took advantage of the time when he was separated from his brothers to arrest him, and hardly anyone knew about it.

Could it be that Lord Ming's side has been exposed?
Upon closer reflection, it seems that he himself has not had any problems.

He outwardly displayed anger as if he had been betrayed, but inwardly his mind was racing, constantly considering various issues.

Taking advantage of Zheng Jun's questioning, Deng Yingcheng simply looked at Ji Yuting beside him with a sullen face.

Everything Zheng Jun did after arriving was without any problems.

His intelligence was accurate; Liu Xifeng had indeed betrayed them.

Deng Yingcheng was unaware of any problems with Zheng Jun; on the contrary, he increasingly trusted this surrendered general.

However, as soon as Ji Yuting arrived, he arrested the man.

However, compared to the surrendered enemy, Deng Yingcheng trusted his own people more, and he believed in the judgment of this extremely intelligent young man.

"General Zheng, is that right?"

Deng Yingcheng's second report mentioned intelligence about Zheng Jun's betrayal and Liu Xifeng's intention to betray the country.

Ji Yuting's first reaction upon learning of this was that he was going to be in trouble.

But reality is frustrating; in the end, it was too late.

Planting spies is a common practice in wars between two countries; intelligence is always an extremely important aspect.

However, they rarely sent high-ranking generals or important figures to communicate with local leaders, because it was very difficult.

Ji Yuting stared blankly at Zheng Jun, his gaze almost tangible, as if he could see right through him.

Zheng Jun's face turned ashen: "It is indeed I, Zheng. So the Bei Lie are nothing but a bunch of faithless and ungrateful people."

Ji Yuting shook his head slightly, not annoyed: "General Zheng, when I went down the mountain, my teacher taught me a technique."

He pointed one hand at Zheng Jun's chest.

Then, under Deng Yingcheng's stunned gaze...

The vines twisted and intertwined, magical power flowed, and emerald light surged back.

Centered on Zheng Jun's chest, countless vines sprouted, binding and encircling his hands and feet. At the very center of his chest, a huge flower bud gradually grew, eventually blooming into a white flower.

Ji Yuting pointed to his eyes and said, "My teacher said I was born with divine talent, possessing the eyes of a spirit tree, which can see through people's hearts, perceive yin and yang, and distinguish between truth and falsehood."

"Human hearts are unfathomable, but I can fathom them!"

"If you are lying, I can tell. If you are guilty, the soul flower blooming on your body will turn red."

This season's general is actually an extraordinary person who knows unorthodox techniques?!
Not to mention Zheng Jun, even Deng Yingcheng, one of their own, was seeing this for the first time.

Seeing this scene, he was somewhat stunned.

This young man... is truly no ordinary person. Perhaps he really can stop Ming Chen?
Ji Yuting's eyes flashed with lightning as he stared intently into Zheng Jun's eyes: "You're a spy sent by Ming Chen, aren't you?"

"I'm not!"

"Chen Er and the others can all testify that I never intended to leave Xingtai Pass!"

"How could he have been sent by Lord Ming?!"

People are knives and servants, and I am fish and meat.

Having been captured here, Zheng Jun knew that his hopes were extremely slim.

He kept looking up at Deng Yingcheng and asked in return, "General Deng, have I done anything out of line since I came here?"

Deng Yingcheng remained silent.

Quietly watching the pure white flower blooming on his chest.

It was as crimson as fresh blood, seeping and spreading from the edges to the center. He was lying!
Ji Yuting pointed to his chest and said calmly, "General Zheng, why don't you take a look down?"

Zheng Jun lowered his head stiffly, then saw the red flower on his chest. He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Ji Yuting: "You used sorcery to spread rumors and slander me!!!"

He had initially breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving news of Liu Xifeng's surrender, thinking he was safe.

Unexpectedly, there was such a monstrous person.

Ji Yuting simply shook his head: "General Zheng, facts speak louder than words."

He stared intently at Zheng Jun and asked, "Tell me, what is the current detailed troop strength of the northern border of Qian Yuan?"

"Are there any hidden military forces?"

"How is the defense of Yueyang City? How many troops remain to guard it?"

Meeting the other man's gaze, Zheng Jun simply shook his head and roared at him, "I don't know!!!"

Seeing that the man was unyielding, Ji Yuting simply waved his hand and said, "Drag him away and torture him severely."

"Humph!"

It was clear that things had been exposed.

This strange ability to possess such extraordinary skills has already revealed his inner thoughts.

Zheng Jun knew his future was over, and that performing anything more would be pointless.

He simply glared wide-eyed at the people present, his eyes bloodshot, and roared repeatedly, "You scoundrels, Bei Lie will surely be defeated!!!"

"Lord Ming and General Ling will avenge me!!!"

Having said that, he bit off his own tongue.

"Forehead……"

He groaned, but his mouth opened wide, and a flower bloomed from it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bite off his tongue.

Ji Yuting just looked at him coldly and repeated, "Drag him away and torture him severely."

"Woooooooo..."

Zheng Jun's mouth was stuffed with flowers, and he could only let out a few whimpers. They waited for him angrily, as if they wanted to devour him.

"General Ji, what excellent methods you have!"

Deng Yingcheng had heard that there were extraordinary cultivators in the world who had the ability to change the world and move mountains and seas. Many cultivators had also helped with the great project of building the canal in Beilie.

But these people are few and far between, and they appear and disappear mysteriously; he had never seen them before.

This was the first time he had ever witnessed such a miraculous method, one that could even read people's minds.

This technique gave even his own people a chilling feeling.

After all, no one wants their thoughts to be read aloud by others.

However, Ji Yuting gently shook his head: "I lied to him. I am not an immortal, how can I fathom the human heart? There may be such strange arts in the world, but I do not know them."

With a casual wave of his hand, Ji Yuting created a white flower in his palm. As he controlled it, the magical power flowed, and the flower gradually turned red.

"They're just tactics."

Ji Yuting explained to Deng Yingcheng, "No matter how skilled a swindler is, if he has a guilty conscience, he will always show nervousness when faced with eyes that can see through people's hearts and when he is driven to a dead end."

He was very perceptive and immediately noticed the unusual thought in Deng Yingcheng's mind; he didn't want to be feared by his own people.

If the news reaches His Majesty... it will be even more troublesome.

Which emperor would willingly allow others to read their minds?
Deng Yingcheng: ...

Even if it was fake, the fact that they caught the spy so accurately right at the start was enough to convince Deng Yingcheng.

The person Your Majesty admires truly has unique qualities.

Don't be fooled by his age.

His talent and wisdom surpassed mine.

Ji Yuting waved his hand lightly, and the red flower in his hand disappeared. He then said to Deng Yingcheng, "General Deng, think about it. How could people like Mingchen and Lingyu have revealed such a flaw? How could they have allowed someone like Zheng Jun to defect smoothly and let go of the stubborn surrendered soldiers?"

"That's absolutely impossible."

This is the biggest flaw in Mingchen's plan.

This is also why Ji Yuting completely distrusts Zheng Jun.

However, few people think about problems from this perspective.

Even if someone has thought of it, they might not believe it in the face of a perfect performance and would attribute it to chance.

Mingchen said that Zheng Jun's trip was extremely dangerous, and that he was just trying his luck to see if he could pass another level, because there were too many loopholes in the process.

Zheng Jun performed so well, and the news he spread was so shocking that it diverted attention and fooled Deng Yingcheng.

Deng Yingcheng suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly, "Yes...yes..."

Ling Yu and Ming Chen are terrifying.

In the short span of half a month that he has been an opponent, he has come to a clear understanding of this.

How could someone like that leave such a loophole for Zheng Jun to exploit?!

He was just too careless!
Could it be that Mingchen could actually mobilize the entire army to put on such a show?

He said with lingering fear, "Thank goodness... we managed to find him in time, preventing our army from suffering further losses. General Ji is truly a brilliant strategist of the Northern Army!"

If Zheng Jun survives, this will be another major crime for him!

Deng Yingcheng dared not imagine the enormity of the mess he had made.

He deserves to die a thousand deaths to atone for his sins.

However, upon hearing his praise, Ji Yuting shook his head and said somewhat helplessly, "It's too late, General Deng."

"As a surrendered general of the Qian Yuan dynasty, he must be under the strict supervision of our dynasty. He cannot be contacted or pass on any messages. I believe... this person must have come to pass on a message to us."

"General Deng, don't you think he's deliberately leaking information about Liu Xifeng's rebellion at Libu Pass to you?"

To be honest, although Ji Yuting comforted Deng Yingcheng.

However, Deng Yingcheng's problems in losing these two checkpoints were extremely serious.

He's only cut out to be a garrison commander; he's not cut out to be a general.

The more comprehensive your perspective, the more information you can gather, and the more information you have, the easier it is to uncover the truth.

When Ji Yuting arrived at the scene, he met Zheng Jun and learned about the entire situation of the loss of Libu Pass from Deng Yingcheng.

He vaguely felt as if he had pulled on a small thread that was sticking out of the net. With a gentle tug, he saw the vast net beneath the deceit.

They probably guessed some of Mingchen's intentions.

He was using Deng Yingcheng to force Liu Xifeng to surrender.

Layer upon layer of calculation, meticulously unraveling the mystery.

The more you feel this person's terror, the more you can sense it.

He took into account Deng Yingcheng's personality as well as Liu Xifeng's personality, demonstrating a deep understanding of the complexities of human nature and the barriers and obstacles that exist in interpersonal relationships, which he skillfully exploited.

With only a tiny bit of chance, they were able to devise such a plan, perfectly exploiting that almost impossible loophole to carry out this insane scam.

This scheme wasn't perfect, but it completely outmaneuvered Liu Xifeng.

If you were to adopt Liu Xifeng's perspective, you would find that your future is already ruined. You either have to remain loyal and entrust your future to Deng Yingcheng and His Majesty's decision, or you have to surrender to Qian Yuan and sell yourself for a good price.

A reputation is well-deserved; this opponent is truly terrifying.

"General Deng, I reckon that Mingchen's first meeting with Liu Xifeng certainly did not result in an agreement to persuade him to surrender."

If Mingchen and Lingyu had succeeded in persuading them to surrender that day, none of these subsequent events would have occurred.

Such intelligence would not be known to a general who might defect.

"However, the general's subsequent actions frightened Liu Xifeng, and he pushed him away."

Liu Xifeng's betrayal was a done deal, and the pass had been lost; there was no way to change that.

What can be changed is Deng Yingcheng.

This man was a loyal general, with some talent, a good character, and was calm and decisive.

They will inevitably have to continue to employ him in the future.

Ji Yuting said these words to him in the hope that the general could grow further.

Shame is the mother of courage. Remember this humiliating mistake so that you will not repeat it in the future.

Strengthening one's own talent pool can also be considered an improvement in national power.

Deng Yingcheng was shocked: "What?!"

"it's me……"

Ji Yuting simply sighed and said to Deng Yingcheng, "General, trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust."

"If it is a matter of great importance, then one must personally handle it and act swiftly and decisively."

“If you don’t want to use Liu Xifeng, then you must personally lead your troops to Libu Pass and use your status and swift and decisive measures to crush Liu Xifeng.”

Even with Mingchen's meticulous planning, the initiative still remained firmly in his own hands.

But Deng Yingcheng lost it.

The Xingtai Pass incident was indeed a long-planned scheme by the enemy; Bai Junxin simply fell into the trap, and Deng Yingcheng had little to do with it.

However, Deng Yingcheng did bear a heavy responsibility for the loss of Libu Pass.

If he had made even the slightest mistake, perhaps Libu Pass would not have been lost.

Deng Yingcheng swayed his body, trying hard to think through Ji Yuting's words.

After a moment, he solemnly looked up at Ji Yuting, completely ignoring his age, and bowed, saying, "General Ji is absolutely right. I have learned a lot."

(End of this chapter)