I, Emperor Chongzhen, have extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by five hundred years.

After the meeting, Ma Chongxi and Cheng Youde got up to say goodbye.

Li Yan, holding Hong Niangzi's hand, asked, "Wife, did that scoundrel Chongzhen torture you?"

Hong Niangzi retorted, "What are you saying? I've already said it, he's been trying to persuade me to surrender, and even sent me back to convince you. Don't you believe me at all?"

"My dear wife, don't worry, I'm just concerned!"

Hong Niangzi let out a long breath and said, "To tell you the truth, I don't think Emperor Chongzhen was a foolish ruler."

"I know!"

Li Yan nodded repeatedly and said, "This man is cunning and treacherous; how could he be a fool? However, he has repeatedly set traps, causing heavy losses to our army and subjecting my wife to endless torment. I simply cannot swallow this insult!"

"If you can't swallow this insult, then defeat Chongzhen head-on and help me save face!"

"But……"

Li Yan was filled with concerns. Emperor Chongzhen was personally present in Baoding, so he must be fearless. If he forced an attack, who knew what kind of conspiracy or trickery awaited him!

Hong Niangzi pursed her lips and said, "If you can't do it, just tell the rebel king to send someone else!"

"Who says I can't do it!"

Li Yan immediately panicked. How could a man say he couldn't do it?

With a hint of sarcasm on her face, Hong Niangzi said, "If you're so capable, why haven't I gotten pregnant yet?"

"I, I..."

Li Yan blushed and said, "Today I'll show you what I'm made of!"

…………

Cheng Youde had not walked far when he heard a voice behind him.

"Lieutenant Cheng, please wait!"

It turned out that Ma Chongxi had caught up, pulled Cheng Youde, and led him to his official residence, where he personally brewed a pot of fine tea.

"Mr. Ma, you didn't call me here just for tea, did you?"

Ma Chongxi smiled and said, "Lieutenant Cheng went to the meeting alone today and successfully rescued Hong Niangzi. This is truly a great achievement!"

Cheng Youde said with a half-smile, "Mr. Ma, stop beating around the bush. Just say what you have to say!"

"Great, that's satisfying!"

Ma Chongxi put down his teacup and asked, "Did Lieutenant Cheng find out anything from the enemy camp?"

"I wonder which aspect of the information Mr. Ma is referring to?"

"Matchmaker!"

Ma Chongxi paused for a moment, then said, "Lieutenant Cheng is a straightforward man, so I'll be frank. What exactly does Emperor Chongzhen intend to do by capturing Hong Niangzi twice and releasing her both times?"

"Didn't I already say? This isn't a release; we need to ransom it with money and grain!"

"Lieutenant Cheng, this is no fun!"

"What...do you mean?"

Ma Chongxi chuckled lightly, then said cryptically, "Who is Hong Niangzi that she's worth so little? Unless Emperor Chongzhen has gone mad, there must be another reason!"

Cheng Youde smiled and said, "Ma Chongxi, you even call yourself a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang. You've taken the bait!"

"Ugh!"

He pretended to be troubled and sighed.

"As expected, you can't fool Mr. Ma. Actually, I also think that it's very strange that Hong Niangzi was able to return safely."

Ma Chongxi hurriedly asked, "Didn't Lieutenant Cheng discover anything during the negotiations?"

"Well..."

Cheng Youde hesitated to speak, precisely to whet Ma Chongxi's appetite.

As expected, Ma Chongxi grew anxious and said, "Lieutenant Cheng, you are not only Hong Niangzi's adjutant but also His Majesty's subject. In the face of matters of great importance, you should prioritize the overall situation!"

"Mr. Ma is right, but I, Cheng, have followed Hong Niangzi for many years. How can I betray her? Absolutely not! Absolutely not!"

Cheng Youde deliberately procrastinated, wanting to see Ma Chongxi's reaction.

Ma Chongxi was convinced that there was definitely something wrong with Hong Niangzi and Li Yan, otherwise, why would they have such a weak desire to fight?

The key to this must be related to Emperor Chongzhen, and the only one who knows the inside story is Cheng Youde!

Therefore, he had to win this person over before Cheng Youde made his choice.

"Lieutenant Cheng, to tell you the truth, His Majesty once gave me a secret edict!"

Cheng Youde hurriedly asked, "What secret decree?"

Ma Chongxi feigned seriousness and said, "I will remain in Zhengding to assist Li Yan and his wife. However, if I discover any disloyalty between them, I can immediately report it to the emperor. If the situation becomes urgent, I can replace them!"

Cheng Youde was greatly alarmed and asked, "This is a matter of great importance, Mr. Ma, you must not joke about this!"

"How dare I joke about His Majesty's imperial edict?"

After Ma Chongxi finished speaking, he paused and then said, "Among the Southern Route Army, apart from Li Yan and his wife, Deputy Commander Cheng has the highest prestige. If something really happens, we will have to rely on Deputy Commander Cheng to take charge of the overall situation."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Youde feigned a shocked expression, and after a long pause, said, "Alright, I'll tell you!"

"When I went to Baoding for negotiations, I heard something: right after Hong Niangzi was captured for the first time, Emperor Chongzhen took her to Dingxing!"

Ma Chongxi said, "I know about this; Hong Niangzi didn't hide it from me."

"No, she's hiding it!"

Cheng Youde lowered his voice and said, "Emperor Chongzhen took her to Dingxing because the magistrate of Dingxing was Hong Niangzi's enemy, and he even had him executed by slow slicing to avenge Hong Niangzi."

"This... doesn't prove anything, does it?"

"Doesn't this prove everything? Mr. Ma, why don't you think about it? Was Emperor Chongzhen, by nature cunning, someone who would suffer a loss? Did he go to such lengths, even killing the county magistrate, just to please Hong Niangzi?"

Ma Chongxi nodded and said, "That's true. Hong Niangzi isn't exactly a beauty that could topple kingdoms. What kind of beauties hasn't Chongzhen seen? There's no need for him to go to such great lengths."

Cheng Youde nodded and said, "This shows that the two have reached an agreement, and it's definitely not just a verbal promise as she said. Chongzhen isn't stupid; why would he let her go so easily?"

Ma Chongxi frowned in thought and said, "This matter can only be considered a point of doubt, not concrete evidence."

"You want evidence? I have more here!"

Cheng Youde then said, "Hong Niangzi was ambushed twice, losing thousands of soldiers. Apart from a few who died in battle, have you seen any of the others return?"

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Ma Chongxi asked, "Those are all cavalry, could it be...?"

"That's right, they've all stayed in the Ming army camp! Do you know why I insisted on a decisive battle at the meeting just now? I was worried that they would wipe out our troops wave after wave! Besides, do you think the Ming army is short of money and supplies? Emperor Chongzhen confiscated millions of taels of silver from the magistrate of Dingxing County and the salt merchants. Do you think they care about such a small amount of money and supplies?"

After Cheng Youde finished speaking, he added, "If I'm not mistaken, the troops that went to Zhangde Prefecture most likely won't return either!"

Ma Chongxi gasped in shock and asked, "So this was all a conspiracy!"

Cheng Youde nodded and said, "Mr. Ma, I'm telling you this not for power. I know too much, and sooner or later I'll fall victim to the Li Yan couple's treachery. I only want to fight on the battlefield, even if I die at the hands of the Ming army, I'll accept it. I'm telling you this so you can make plans early and not let the two of them ruin His Majesty's great cause!"

Ma Chongxi stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "Lieutenant Cheng is truly a loyal and righteous man!"

Cheng Youde quickly returned the greeting: "Sir, there's no need for such a grand gesture. As a subject of the Great Shun Dynasty, this is merely my duty!"

"Please rest assured, Lieutenant Cheng, if Li Yan and his wife truly harbor disloyal intentions, His Majesty will certainly not spare them. At that time, I will definitely recommend Lieutenant Cheng to be the commander-in-chief."

"I'm a rough man, good at charging into battle, but really not good at leading troops. I'll have to rely on you, sir, to take charge of the overall situation. I, Cheng, will do my best to assist you!"

Cheng Youde lowered his head, a smug smile playing on his lips.

The smile vanished in an instant; when he looked up, it had replaced it with a worried expression.

"Report!"

At this moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, heading straight for Li Yan's tent.

Hearing the commotion, Ma Chongxi and Cheng Youde hurriedly came out.

The two had just reached the entrance of the central command tent when they heard someone giving a report.

"...Our troops heading to Zhangde Prefecture were ambushed by Ming troops and were completely annihilated!"

Ma Chongxi immediately looked at Cheng Youde with an incredulous expression.

That look seemed to say, "You were right!"