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

Chapter 334 How is a person's value measured?
"Both checkpoints have been breached?"

"Mingchen, oh Mingchen..."

The struggle between the two great powers has begun.

However, the Jinglan Alliance, living in the cracks, remained quiet and peaceful.

As a troublemaker, Hong Ling Shuang was naturally paying close attention to the situation between the two countries, hoping to find an opportunity.

Amidst the swirling snow and wind, the two formidable passes changed hands in just half a month.

Upon receiving the intelligence, she couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).

It's clear that Qian Yuan is the weaker party right now, but Ming Chen is acting as if Qian Yuan is stronger.

The invasion was fierce and unpredictable, keeping the generals of Beilie constantly on the run.

If Hong Ling Shuang were in Ming Chen's position, she knew she would find it very difficult to achieve the same miracle as Ming Chen.

Although she had acquired all three passes, the defensive strength of the three passes she acquired at that time was completely different from that of the three passes she acquired now.

"Report..."

Just as she was pondering this, a messenger rushed over.

"Leader, our army has spotted a large number of ships to the north from the Jiangkou lookout post."

"what?!"

Hong Ling Shuang shuddered and sprang to her feet.

Hong Ling Shuang was aggressive in her negotiations with Bei Lie, but she always kept a balance, avoiding pushing the negotiations to the brink and preventing them from breaking down.

She was actually worried that Bei Lie would disregard everything, turn his attention to her, the third son, and focus all his efforts on eliminating her first, before seeking to establish Qian Yuan's rule over the world.

Although the archipelago is not small, it is still not as vast, populous, and resource-rich as the Central Plains.

If Bei Lie simply sends a large number of ships out to sea to wipe her out.

Whether it succeeds or not, she will have to pay a huge price.

The Northern Lie people were not skilled in ships and naval warfare.

However, under such circumstances, a large number of ships suddenly appeared. What does this mean?
Should we head south? Or towards her archipelago?

Throughout the conflict between the two countries, Hong Ling Shuang always positioned herself as a spectator.

It's not her time to make an appearance yet; if she shows up now, she'll crush anyone she touches.

She and Bei Lie have been getting along well lately, and they've been fulfilling their contracts properly. There's no reason for Bei Lie to go to such great lengths to provoke her, is there?
Just as the messenger finished reporting, another alliance minister hurried over and called out to Hong Ling Shuang, "Alliance Leader, the Northern Fierce Envoy has arrived."

……

Qian Yuan captured two passes, 'General Tian Hong' arrived, and Deng Yingcheng retreated...

Many things happened in the past two weeks.

After everything settled down, the turbulent three passes of the North seemed to have returned to peace.

Qian Yuan and Bei Lie each defended their respective passes.

There was a tacit understanding between the two sides that they would no longer send troops or use any strategies.

They each went well, built city walls, constructed passes, and strengthened their defenses.

Taking down two levels was already far beyond expectations. The remaining level was built like an impregnable fortress, and cultivators were involved in it, leaving no chance for either the inside or the outside.

The opponent is now invincible, and Mingchen can no longer find an opportunity to advance.

Just stay put and guard your post honestly.

Delaying the process is advantageous to Qian Yuan.

After all, there is still chaos within Qian Yuan territory, and a large number of troops have been deployed to the east and south to recover lost territory and quell rebellions.

The Northern Border needs to hold on for a while until Xiao Xinyue and Qian Yuan recover.

Only then can they be in the best condition to fight and battle against Bei Lie's main force.

Bei Lie seems to be waiting for the harsh winter to pass before making any further decisions.

Time flies, and in just three days it will be the New Year.

Just as Ling Yu and Ming Chen lamented when they arrived, this New Year, they will be guarding this harsh and cold frontier.

However, a special group of guests arrived at the gate today.

The cold wind was biting, and the snow was swirling.

The boots crunched on the snow as the weary group entered the warm house.

"Oh? May I ask what brings the messenger here?"

At the residence of the garrison commander of Libu Pass, Mingchen and Lingyu occupied the main seats.

Mingchen held his teacup, watching the newcomer with great interest.

The general sent by the Beilie side was of medium rank and was responsible for relaying information.

The two countries remained at peace and tacitly refrained from sending troops. Mingchen had no idea what the other side's purpose was in sending this envoy.

"With the New Year approaching, our general has brought gifts for the two gentlemen."

"Although the two countries have declared war, they are still bound by a thousand-year-old kinship. The New Year of Beilie and Qianyuan falls on the same day. Our general hopes that you two gentlemen can put aside your differences and celebrate the New Year together on this day."

In conquering cities and seizing territories, everyone relies on their own abilities. If Bei Lie lost a pass, it would be because they were less skilled than others.

The messenger came simply to convey his blessings to Mingchen in a straightforward manner, without showing any resentment towards Mingchen for using a scheme.

Mingchen raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Is that so?"

Of course, he didn't believe the messenger's nonsense.

Celebrating the New Year is just a starting point.

"Where is the gift?"

"Let me see!"

"Please look..."

The Bei Lie side really didn't play any tricks and generously sent some gifts.

It's not particularly valuable, just looks nice, but there's not much of it actually.

This is a congratulatory gift, so it doesn't count as accepting a bribe, right?

Mingchen has no intention of handing these over to the state.

He rose through the ranks to become a Duke, a position so high that few people tried to curry favor with him, and he had no opportunity to engage in petty corruption.

It was Bei Lie who gave him this opportunity.

That's his only little hobby.

"Since it is the General's kind offer, I cannot refuse. It would be impolite of me to decline."

Please give my regards to the General!

Mingchen's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Thank you, Mingchen!"

messenger:……

Is this really the legendary Duke Anguo?
Why are you acting like a money-grubber? You're really shameless, not even offering a token polite refusal.

"Is there anything else, envoy?"

"If there's nothing else, go back now!"

After packing up his things, Mingchen waved his hand, indicating that the guest should see him out: "It's terribly cold outside."

There was no intention to return the gift.

Despite his dignified status as Duke Anguo, he was not particularly concerned with etiquette.

"Forehead……"

The messenger smirked and said to Mingchen, "My lord, there is one more thing. Our general asked me to pass on a message to you."

Giving gifts was just a pretense; the real purpose was to say these few words.

"Oh?"

"Please speak freely, envoy."

Everyone only visits the temple when they have a reason.

You should have said it earlier~
Mingchen may like to take things in a roundabout way, but he doesn't like others to do the same.

The envoy paused, then asked Mingchen, "Do you two gentlemen know Zheng Jun, General Zheng?"

"kindness?!"

"Zheng Jun!"

Before Mingchen could speak, Lingyu snorted coldly, her face turning ashen: "I am aware that the traitors of Qian Yuan have released surrendered soldiers and fled the country."

"Didn't this person flee to your Zhenling Pass?"

"Why did you mention him?"

After all, her public persona is that she and Zheng Jun are at odds, and a large part of the reason for Zheng Jun's defection was because of their incompatibility.

Time flies, and Sister Dai has become a skilled actress with excellent acting skills. Her rapid growth is a stark contrast to her innocent and naive appearance when she first came down from the mountain.

She needs to make it show.

Faced with Ling Yu's cold expression, the envoy shivered for no apparent reason.

Although Ling Yu was acting, the sense of oppression she exuded was genuine.

He had certainly heard of the reputation of this killer.

She appears to be a beautiful and dashing woman, but when you think about what she did, you can't be captivated by her beauty at all; you can only feel fear.

If he didn't know Zheng Jun's political background, he might have really thought that Zheng Jun was a traitor to Qian Yuan!
He smiled, not exposing Ling Yu's lie, but instead going along with her: "It seems General Ling deeply despises traitors!"

"In a fair and square competition, a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. If a defeat is caused by internal sabotage by a traitor, I doubt anyone would accept it."

The messenger's words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

"General Ling detests traitors, and so do we in Beilie."

“There were traitors in Qian Yuan who fled to Bei Lie, and there were also traitors in Bei Lie who defected to Qian Yuan.”

"In that case, our general has a request that can satisfy General Ling. I wonder if you two gentlemen are willing to agree?"

Mingchen watched him with great interest. After so much buildup, he had basically guessed what the other party wanted to do.

Going a step further, he also guessed the purpose behind the other party's move and the benefits and drawbacks for both sides.

"Please speak freely, envoy."

The envoy didn't mince words and said to the two men, "I wonder if you two gentlemen are willing to make an exchange?" "Our general is willing to hand over Zheng Jun to Qian Yuan, and at the same time, we hope that you can exchange him for Liu Xifeng, the traitor of our dynasty."

"With the New Year approaching, how about letting the two 'traitors' celebrate the holiday in their own country?"

Zheng Jun is still alive.

Ji Yuting did not cut off his head, but sent it as a gift to provoke Mingchen and the others.

Instead, they chose this method in an attempt to get Liu Xifeng back.

Zheng Jun was just a low-ranking general, commanding five hundred men, and even with severe torture, he couldn't get anything out of him.

He really didn't know anything.

Staying in Beilie is really just a matter of having one's life; it's not worth much.

So Ji Yuting put him on the poker table.

"Ha~"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen chuckled and said, "Your general has certainly come up with a clever plan!"

"Zheng Jun is merely a minor general in our army commanding five hundred soldiers, while General Liu is a great general guarding a pass in Beilie, whose rank is only one level lower than General Deng Yingcheng. Does the envoy think this exchange is fair?"

Liu Xifeng is a scoundrel; his loyalty is as thin as a prostitute's underwear.

He has some talent, but Qian Yuan would never give him great power.

As long as the offer is reasonable and the threat is strong enough, he can sell out once and then sell out again.

Such people are of no value except for being sent back to the capital to waste resources.

However, we cannot lose him.

Losing him will create many hidden problems.

The most important of these was the subsequent efforts to persuade the enemy to surrender and to carry out counter-espionage work.

There are far too many people in one country.

There are those who are passionate and righteous, and there are also those who are spineless and timid.

There are loyal and righteous people, and there are despicable villains.

There will always be those who are willing to die for the New Year, and there will always be those who betray their masters for personal gain.

Liu Xifeng, the first general to surrender to Qian Yuan, is an eternal symbol. How he fared will serve as a warning to many who came to power later.

If Mingchen returns him to Beilie, Liu Xifeng will inevitably suffer the most severe punishment under Beilie's laws, as a warning to others.

If Qian Yuan tries to persuade or entice the rulers of Beilie to surrender in the future, they will remember Liu Xifeng.

Surrendering to Qian Yuan will bring no benefits; if we lose the initiative, we might be sold out again someday.

They are the second Liu Xifeng.

Since that's the case, then we might as well remain loyal to the Northern Martyrs and resist to the very end.

Zheng Jun's surrender was feigned, not genuine; he returned to restore his reputation and status.

They will not be executed.

This has no deterrent effect on some of our own weaklings and does not achieve the same effect as Liu Xifeng.

Some people will surrender eventually.

Zheng Jun's presence in Beilie would serve no purpose other than to vent his anger by killing him, but if Liu Xifeng were to be brought back, he would be of great value to Beilie.

If the exchange is successful, it will be very advantageous for Bei Lie.

These details, these seemingly insignificant things, accumulate little by little, and the resulting advantages may, at some point in the future, become enough to turn the tide of battle and secure victory.

"Lord Ming, you can't say that."

Despite Mingchen's sarcastic teasing, the envoy bowed respectfully and said, "How a person's value is measured is different in everyone's eyes."

"In the end, it's just two people."

"You agree, sirs."

The envoy laid out the terms, and Ling Yu fell silent.

Mingchen had already told her that Zheng Jun's scheme had been exposed, and staying in Zhenling Pass would likely mean certain death.

Ling Yu admired this general for daring to bear the infamy and go alone to the enemy camp to carry out a mission that was extremely difficult.

The implicit role played by Zheng Jun in successfully capturing Libu Pass cannot be ignored.

If there is a chance to save him, that would be good.

But if we were to replace Liu Xifeng...

She was well aware of the implications.

From a purely rational perspective, it would be best to consider him as having sacrificed himself for the country; Zheng Jun's value is not worth that much.

only……

Humans are not machines.

Mingchen stared quietly at the envoy before him, his gaze almost tangible, making Mingchen feel uneasy.

Time passes minute by minute.

The room was quiet, and everyone's attention was focused on Mingchen.

They knew that this decision would be made by this person.

Based on various intelligence reports, Ji Yuting deduced that Mingchen was a cold and rational person in a high position and was highly unlikely to make the exchange.

After all, Zheng Jun and Liu Xifeng are indeed not of equal value.

But since he's free anyway, he might as well give it a try and have a go at it. This way, he can gain a deeper understanding and assessment of the person.

However, Mingchen smiled and said, "The envoy is right."

"Indeed... different people see different values."

Mingchen smiled nonchalantly, not bothering to haggle, and simply said, "I agree."

"How about we meet at Qinglonggang at noon the day after tomorrow to exchange personnel?"

As soon as Mingchen finished speaking, everyone present was somewhat surprised.

Not only the envoy, but even Ling Yu stared wide-eyed at Ming Chen.

Mingchen is indeed very rational and indifferent in some ways.

When she first met him after coming down the mountain, he had some unorthodox theories that made Ling Yu somewhat conflicted.

His words when he entered the city for scientific research were even more sinister.

He said that even if he became an official, he wouldn't be able to save his country.

He is a self-interested person who is unwilling to help others.

He only cares about himself and the people he cares about.

In Ling Yu's view, this decision did not seem so rational or wise.

However, Ling Yu was quite supportive. If Ming Chen wasn't here and the decision was up to her, she would have made the change.

She didn't care about the loss of profit; what she cared about were her loyal soldiers.

The envoy was also taken aback for a moment, then said, "Is this really true?"

"really."

He looked at Ling Yu again.

Ling Yu maintained her cold expression and said, "Okay."

The two had a clear division of labor: she was only responsible for fighting and maintaining the army, while Mingchen made the rest of the decisions.

Seeing that the mission was complete, the envoy smiled and said, "Lord Ming, our general swears by the Liehe River that this exchange will not involve any tricks or schemes, nor will it involve ambushes or battles. It will be a peaceful exchange of people, and the general will receive the real Zheng Jun."

"I wonder what the two lords are like..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mingchen waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, I won't use any tricks. I'll return Liu Xifeng to you properly. I swear on... well, I swear on the Zhou Tian Immortal Gods that this time we will make a peaceful exchange, and each of us will get what we want."

He pointed to the top of his head and said with a serious expression.

"it is good!"

"a man of his words."

"Lord Ming is a man of integrity, and our general will certainly keep his promise."

"it is good!"

After the messenger left.

Ling Yu turned to look at Ming Chen and asked repeatedly, "Brother Chen, do we really want to switch?"

Mingchen smiled at her, his eyes crinkling, "Why not change?"

"How do we measure a person's value? There are many angles..."

"Trading a traitor for a loyal and courageous warrior is a sure-fire deal."

Ling Yu paused upon hearing this.

For some reason, looking at her husband's smiling face, she felt that Mingchen's words were somewhat incongruous.

She could figure out the enemy's purpose, and she knew the downsides of the exchange; Mingchen naturally knew as well.

However, he still changed it.

This is very unclear.

"I feel like you're a little different."

"Really? How come it's different?"

"Has it gotten better? Or worse?"

Mingchen looked at her with a smile, his eyes reflecting Ling Yu's face: "Have you become more like your older sister?"

Ling Yu shook her head, but simply held Ming Chen's hand.

The two stepped outside, and a chill hit them.

Outside the door, snow was falling heavily, the snowflakes obscuring the sky.

Winter may be cold, but human kindness is ever-present.

Mingchen looked into the distance and said softly, "The New Year is almost here. We should invite General Zheng back to Qianyuan to celebrate the New Year."

After all, he was too lazy to babysit for others...

(End of this chapter)