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

Chapter 336 The righteous path is one foot high, the evil path is ten feet high

Mingchen insisted that Liu Xifeng's surrender was a ruse, and that he was plotting an assassination.

Liu Xifeng himself insisted that he had only feigned surrender.

The reason for losing the pass and failing was simply the price he had to pay for his own brilliant ideas failing, the enemy being too powerful, and Liu Xifeng's own lack of ability, not because he lacked loyalty.

Whether to believe it or not is up to the outsiders to decide.

After all, no one in this era knew completely complete information. When news from the front lines reached the imperial court, it was only a single line of text. Too many details and psychological states remained unknown to anyone.

Throughout history, there have always been some people with wildly imaginative and foolish ideas that can lead to disastrous consequences.

This is all normal.

Even in this age of information overload, people are still arguing endlessly about all sorts of truths and falsehoods!
Not to mention in this era of limited information.

Mingchen told Liu Xifeng that Qian Yuan's approach had reached a dead end.

Go back to Beilie, and I'll give you a sliver of hope. How you end up is up to you.

With all his options blocked, he had no leverage and could only drift along; this was the only path he could take.

No matter how frustrated, helpless, or desperate you feel, you still have to leave.

His surrender at the pass proves what kind of person he is.

Mingchen wasn't afraid of him going down in flames; if the fish died, it would really die, but the net would never break.

"you!"

Truth and falsehood, right and wrong, how can there be so much clarity?
In this way, the point of contention shifted from Qian Yuan's betrayal of the surrendered generals to whether Liu Xifeng himself had truly surrendered or was feigning surrender.

Liu Xifeng stared intently at Mingchen.

"General Liu, think carefully about what to do next!"

Mingchen felt like a villain, and waved to Liu Xifeng with a smile.

He gestured to the soldiers to take him away.

……

It's noon and the sun is shining brightly.

The snow melted slightly under the bright sun, making it appear somewhat shiny.

Qinglonggang is a hill located between Libu Pass and Zhenling Pass.

Amidst the howling wind, two groups of people gathered here.

The Northern Fierce Cavalry, led by Deng Yingcheng and Ji Yuting, marched with high spirits and fluttering banners, displaying an imposing and majestic presence.

Opposite them, a massive white wolf raised its head, exuding an arrogant and domineering aura that captivated the senses. A handsome young man was carried on its back, watching the people opposite with great interest. Behind him, orderly Qian Yuan warriors, clad in black armor and wielding weapons, stood guard.

This was the first time Deng Yingcheng had seen Ming Chen in person. He hated this man to the core, but he had to admit that this man was exceptionally talented and gifted: "You must be the Duke of Anguo, Lord Ming!"

In the North, the one in charge was the so-called "General Tian Hong". Ji Yuting was a junior general, and his age and prestige were insufficient, so he naturally ranked after Deng Yingcheng.

Mingchen's face was ashen, but he simply bowed to Deng Yingcheng with a stern expression and said, "General Deng, I have long admired you!"

They are not going to war now, but to exchange hostages.

Since we are still in a period of peace, our attitude has naturally improved a lot.

Deng Yingcheng hated Mingchen, but he didn't show it on his face.

However, Mingchen's face turned ugly at this moment, and the soldiers behind him were also filled with anger, their eyes filled with a chilling killing intent.

Somewhat strange.

Ji Yuting, who was standing to the side, also frowned.

According to their understanding, Mingchen is a smiling tiger, always with a smile on his face and a carefree attitude. Even if he is in a bad mood, he will not show it.

Deng Yingcheng asked Mingchen, "Where is General Ling Yu?"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen's expression seemed to darken further, and he coldly said, "Then why don't I see your General Tian Hong?!"

Deng Yingcheng paused, then forced a smile and said, "Lord Ming, our General Tian Hong is busy with his duties at the main camp and is unable to come out of the city for this meeting. Please forgive him."

Mingchen just stared at him coldly, gritting his teeth, and said angrily, "General Deng, General Tian... what impressive methods you have!"

"I've learned my lesson!"

Deng Yingcheng: ?

Ji Yuting: ?

What do you mean?
The plan has failed?
Has it been discovered that Tian Hong was not at Zhenling Pass?

Has a battle report arrived from the south?
Ji Yuting's expression remained calm, but his mind was racing with thoughts that had wandered elsewhere.

Deng Yingcheng didn't know what the other person meant, he just coughed twice and said, "Cough cough."

"Lord Ming, we have come here for an exchange, and we hope that you will keep your promise."

As he finished speaking, the soldiers behind him parted to make way for him.

A middle-aged man with his hands bound by ropes, pale-faced and staggering, stepped out and looked up at Mingchen.

This 'traitor' of Qian Yuan had a glint in his eyes, but they were full of remorse.

Mingchen glanced at Zheng Jun, his face still ashen, and waved his hand lightly.

Liu Xifeng, with disheveled hair, also slowly walked out. He was expressionless and lost, as if he had lost his soul.

Seeing the fierce gazes of the opposing soldiers, who seemed ready to devour him whole, he couldn't help but shudder.

"Let's exchange then!"

“Mr. Ming will certainly keep his promise.”

Mingchen raised his head, seemingly unable to control his emotions, and shouted angrily at the other party: "General Deng, you used a pass to gain my trust, pretended to surrender to me, and then tried to assassinate my wife."

His eyes were filled with rage, and he gritted his teeth: "Such a high-stakes gamble, you even fooled me, Mingchen! Impressive, impressive!"

"I will remember this deep-seated hatred!"

"I will definitely get my wife back someday!"

Deng Yingcheng: ?

Northern Lie Army: ?
Ji Yuting: !

What nonsense is Mingchen spouting?
What is this about gaining trust through a single checkpoint? What is this about feigned surrender? What is this about assassination?
They can understand the individual words, but why can't they understand them when they're put together?
The completely unexpected information arrived, and at that moment they felt a strange sense of beauty in their minds being turned into a complete mess.

Only Ji Yuting was startled, his eyes widening in shock.

He thought to himself, "This is bad."

Deng Yingcheng also had a vague sense of foreboding. He glanced at Ji Yuting behind him and asked repeatedly, "Lord Ming, what do you mean by that?"

Mingchen waved at him and snorted coldly, "Hmph, the deed is done, General Deng, stop pretending."

And at this moment,
Liu Xifeng immediately knelt down on the ground with a thud and burst into tears, wailing, "Waaah... my plan failed!"

"I have failed His Majesty's grace, and I have failed the heroic souls of my Northern Martyrs!!!"

"Woooooooo..."

He turned around, his eyes blazing with fury, though it was clearly feigned. But the hatred was etched into his very being, making Mingchen's teeth itch with rage. He roared, "Mingchen, if there's one more time... I'll kill you!"

He truly hates Mingchen!

But what's the use of hatred?

But he still insisted on following the path that Mingchen had laid out for him.

"Humph!"

"You feigned surrender and attempted to assassinate my wife! General Bei Lie, you have resorted to despicable tactics! I will never forgive you!"

Mingchen raised an eyebrow, then questioned the bewildered Deng Yingcheng, "General Deng, didn't you ask where General Ling is? My wife is currently seriously injured and bedridden! Didn't you know?!"

Deng Yingcheng: ...

I really don't know!!!

He then lowered his eyes and glared coldly at Liu Xifeng: "General Liu, now that you've returned to Beilie, be careful in the future, lest you fall into my hands again!"

As soon as Mingchen finished speaking, the soldiers behind him shouted loudly.

"A feigned surrender followed by an assassination attempt—we are sworn enemies!"

"A feigned surrender followed by an assassination attempt—we are sworn enemies!"

"A feigned surrender followed by an assassination attempt—we are sworn enemies!"

The force of their attack was thunderous, completely bewildering the Northern Lie soldiers opposite them who harbored resentment towards Liu Xifeng.

Who exactly hates Liu Xifeng?

what happened?

We haven't even started cursing this traitor yet! And you Qian Yuan people are already cursing him?

Feigning surrender to assassinate the general?

I'm a little confused!

Mingchen snorted coldly and waved his hand: "Change the person!"

Seeing this, Ji Yuting, who was standing to the side, disregarded the difference in their status and shouted loudly, "Liu Xifeng has betrayed his country and sold out his master for personal gain. He has allowed enemy troops to enter the pass. His crimes are unforgivable."

"Return quickly to receive your punishment!"

If Liu Xifeng's identity isn't defined, his true nature will be obscured.

The two sides exchanged personnel.

Upon reaching the Beilie troops, Liu Xifeng suddenly knelt down on the ground.

He cried out in anguish, "I failed to assassinate Ling Yu and committed a grave mistake. I am willing to die!"

"Your Majesty, I, Liu Xifeng, am ashamed before you, and ashamed before the Northern Lie!!"

He slammed his head against the ground, drawing blood.

Then, his head lolled to the side and he fainted.

He actually wanted to just run himself over, at least to have a chance to earn a reputation for loyalty but incompetence.

But in the end, I couldn't make up my mind.

The blood stained the white snow, a scene that was quite moving.

Ji Yuting's face was ashen as he kept glancing at Ming Chen across from him.

Good tricks, good tricks!
I've learned my lesson!

Zheng Jun then walked steadily towards the army formation belonging to Qian Yuan.

Mingchen maintained the same expression as before, and no one could fathom what he was thinking.

The deal has been reached between the two parties.

It seems to be going very smoothly.

However, the connotation has changed.

It was clearly Zheng Jun who feigned surrender, while Liu Xifeng's surrender was genuine.

However, the situation has now reversed.

"Lord Ming, Liu Xifeng, do not be cunning and deceitful!"

"Hmph!" "General, you're quite adept at turning the tables, aren't you?!"

Playing tricks or deception?

Mingchen doesn't have that!
As previously agreed, he swore by all the gods and immortals that Liu Xifeng would return safely, without resorting to such clumsy tricks as using a body double.

What, now that Liu Xifeng has returned it to you, you're still not happy?
……

"What a bright future!"

"What a brilliant future!"

When everything settles down.

Ji Yuting and Deng Yingcheng then received the message from Libu Pass.

The chaos of the night had just subsided when the exchange began.

Information transmission is subject to delays.

Mingchen arranged this time to leave a gap for this scene.

"Dangdang!"

Ji Yuting looked at the intelligence report, then kicked over the table, his face turning ashen, and he cursed under his breath.

He thought he had overestimated his opponent enough.

Unexpectedly, he remained arrogant and miscalculated.

Mastering the stick, but aiming for the yard.

The assassination attempt on Ling Yu caused a riot, leading to the release of prisoners?

Feigned surrender?

Did they not know whether Liu Xifeng was feigning surrender?

If Liu Xifeng is feigning surrender, then all the brothel women in Beilie are chaste and virtuous.

What was the purpose of bringing Liu Xifeng back?
Isn't it because of his status as the first traitor to surrender?
His goal was to bring Liu Xifeng back and then publicly execute him in a grand manner, making an example of him to warn others.

Let those spineless high-ranking officials of the Northern Lie see what happens when they surrender to Qian Yuan.

Qian Yuan wouldn't care about their lives at all and would send them back to Bei Lie for trial.

That's the kind of message he needs to convey.

But what about now?!
Has Liu Xifeng become a hero?
Did Liu Xifeng feign surrender?
Then his status as the first surrendered general would become untenable, and the effect would be less significant.

This is a scam.

But it really happened!
The surrendered soldiers of Beilie were released, and the soldiers of Qianyuan were filled with hatred and shouted angrily, "Fake surrender and assassination of the general, we are sworn enemies!" Ling Yu did not appear.

These phenomena are all real.

However, the core is fake.

The scam was clumsy and full of loopholes.

They were on the scene, they were firsthand witnesses, they had the most complete information, and they were intelligent enough to know the whole story.

But when the message is passed through countless mouths, it travels thousands of miles.

Is there anyone else with such a clear perspective?

It's unclear why Liu Xifeng suddenly surrendered.

Whether Liu Xifeng's surrender was feigned or not is unclear.

Things that are unclear will be interpreted in various ways.

There will always be people who feel a sense of beauty in being the only one who is sober while everyone else is drunk, and there will always be people with all sorts of opinions.

Various opinions intertwined.

The focus has already shifted.

Intelligent people can naturally grasp the crux of the problem, but they are often not Mingchen's targets. Those who are too clever are not easy to fool and it is difficult to gain an advantage. The only way is to defeat them head-on.

Some people will always be misled.

Liu Xifeng's role was greatly diminished.

You, the general who feigned surrender, stabbed our General Lingyu, causing chaos in Libu Pass. I'm being lenient by not killing you on the spot.

Due to the alliance agreement, you were rescued by the Northern Lie people.

What does this have to do with the subsequent persuasion to surrender?
In any case, Qian Yuan insisted that Liu Xifeng had feigned surrender!

If you truly surrender, then I will naturally treat you with sincerity.

Ji Yuting was certain that once this matter reached the imperial court, there might be people who would speak up for Liu Xifeng.

Perhaps some people will say that Liu Xifeng was the first general to defeat Mingchen and the first to injure General Ling Yu, and should atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service!

After all, there are always people in his faction; they share both glory and loss.

After all, Mingchen really did act out such a real play that was indistinguishable from reality.

Even if Liu Xifeng is indeed convicted and publicly executed...

In the future, there will always be a mix of different opinions.

Mingchen wasn't exactly sentimental, nor was he oblivious to the implications behind the deal.

He chose an unexpected path!

Fish in troubled waters!

He managed to pull off a whole new level of manipulation with just Liu Xifeng.

He could see the purpose of his own calculations, but his side was unaware of his thoughts.

It's really too difficult to make him suffer a loss.

Too passive!

……

"Lord Ming, I..."

And at the same time, on the other side.

At Qinglonggang, Mingchen returned to his territory, but his expression changed instantly, and he smiled warmly.

There was not a trace of the rage he had shown after his wife was stabbed.

The grand drama has come to an end, and the outcome remains to be seen.

That's how it is anyway.

Let's deal with future troubles later.

General Ling Yu, who should be 'seriously injured and bedridden,' was leisurely waiting for him in the main hall.

Despite enduring torture and suffering from numerous injuries, nothing could compare to the guilt Zheng Jun felt at that moment.

In his view, he had failed and had not fulfilled Mingchen's entrustment to him.

He was prepared to die.

Unexpectedly, this great man turned the tide and brought it back.

What did he do in Beilie?
They only spoke a few words to Deng Yingcheng; no intelligence was sent out, and no useful information was obtained.

The time was too short; he was caught after only a short time undercover.

He himself didn't think he had any value.

Now Qian Yuan is going to have to pay such a high price, exchanging the first enemy general who surrendered for him, a mere lieutenant general with only five hundred men.

"thump!"

He knelt on the ground, his voice filled with sorrow: "Lord Ming, General Ling, I am clumsy and have failed your trust."

"Eh~"

Mingchen smiled and waved his hand: "General, look up at Libu Pass!"

"Our army was able to enter this dangerous pass and reclaim our lost territory entirely thanks to your merits, General. What crime have you committed?"

"General, I have reported this matter to His Majesty. Just wait to receive your reward!"

Ling Yu, who had been at odds with Zheng Jun on the execution ground and whose relationship was rumored to be strained, now took out a wine cup and handed it to Zheng Jun: "General Zheng, you went to the enemy camp alone and remained loyal despite temptations and torture. You are a good man."

"Come on, drink!"

Mingchen also smiled and said, "General, have you forgotten what I told you before I left?"

"Stop being so wishy-washy, come on, let's drink!"

At first, Mingchen spoke only a few words to him, praising him and saying that he would drink with him in the future.

Now, it has truly been achieved.

Zheng Jun looked at the wine in front of him, his mind wandering, and he felt his vision becoming somewhat blurry.

For opponents like Liu Xifeng, Deng Yingcheng, and Ji Yuting... Mingchen's nonchalant and mocking smile was infuriating.

He is a cunning, despicable, and wicked villain.

However, for Zheng Jun now, this overly young adult is like a breath of fresh air.

I only regret that I have no choice but to die so that I can get revenge.

"grown ups……"

He raised his head, held up the wine cup with both hands, and drank it down in one gulp: "This humble general...this humble general doesn't want any merit, this humble general only wishes to lead the troops into battle and repay the country with his life!"

"Reward those who have made contributions, and punish those who have committed crimes."

What's meant to be yours will be yours.

Mingchen waved his hand casually: "What do you mean by 'death'?"

"Tomorrow is Chinese New Year."

"General, you've gone home. Get some rest."

Going home... This word may not resonate deeply with many people.

However, for Zheng Jun, he had just been in the enemy's camp, with no one he could trust, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and he was exhausted and trembling with fear.

Hearing the word "go home" at this moment, I couldn't help but feel a lump in my throat.

Going home...it's so good to be home!
He had several sworn brothers in the Northern Fierce Army, and those Northern Fierce people treated him sincerely.

But... is there a perfect solution in this world?

Everything there was a fabricated lie; that was not his home.

This is it.

Ling Yu downed the wine in one gulp, then turned to look at her smiling husband, her eyes filled with tenderness.

He seems to have really changed.

However, she liked Mingchen in the past, and she also likes Mingchen now.

No matter what he becomes, he will always be her husband, the person she loves most.

(End of this chapter)