Remarrying Chun Yuan

Chapter 339 Persuading Surrender

Everything seemed calm on the surface, but the first blizzard of the harsh winter chilled the hearts of everyone in Daqi.

There has been no news from the west, not even a battle report.

Emperor Qi Xiao had not attended court for more than half a month, spending his days praying for the prosperity of the Great Qi dynasty at the royal altar, until his knees were swollen from kneeling.

Although the court officials did not stop working, they were extremely bored.

Only Yuan Cuo was overjoyed as he and the Ministry of Rites issued an edict to select talent for the Mongol Kingdom. The number of applicants was overwhelming, with long queues forming. It seemed as if everyone felt the Great Qi was about to perish and was rushing to the Mongol Kingdom for a stable life and food.

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner.

But the capital of the Great Qi Dynasty was devoid of any festive atmosphere. Even with red lanterns hanging all over the streets, it felt like a place of death.

The prince was plagued by nightmares every day.

If the states of Yan and Chu were to actually conquer Qi, their first act would be to exterminate the royal bloodline.

As the crown prince of the Great Qi and the future successor, he was certain he couldn't save his life; he truly didn't want to die!

why?

Why is Father so adamant about not surrendering to Chu and Yan? Even if we ceded the western territories to them, wouldn't that have preserved the Qi dynasty's rule and bloodline? Why must we fight to the bitter end?!

Unable to endure any longer, the Crown Prince secretly met with the Right Chancellor's office and many court officials, hoping they would submit a petition forcing Emperor Qi Xiao to surrender and cede territory...

Prince Chun received no news and felt no joy, for there was also no word from Eunuch Fuyue.

“Brother, there has been no news from the west. Should we send reinforcements? Since we have already made up our minds to fight against Chu and Yan, why not fight to the end? The garrison in Huai Prefecture is not far from the southwest…” He chose to enter the palace on the 29th of the lunar year.

Since the Great Qi is destined to perish, it might as well perish more thoroughly.

The fact that the Third Prince remained inactive in Huai Prefecture was not good news for him.

Emperor Qi Xiao slowly turned his head to look at him, then closed his eyes and quietly prayed.

He slowly stood up after reciting all the eulogies.

"The situation is unclear, why send troops rashly? They are all my subjects, how can I treat their lives as worthless?" It wasn't that he didn't issue the order, but that Qin Muyan rejected it.

Qin Muyan listed eighteen reasons why reinforcements should not be sent rashly, and even suggested that His Majesty mobilize the Lu family army to the southwest, vowing to protect the Huaizhou mines to the death.

No matter how compelling the reasons, they cannot explain Qin Muyan's fear of death.

When Emperor Qi Xiao saw the urgent reply, his vision went black, and he fainted from anger!

It was Physician Sun who rushed over and even summoned Yuan Cuo.

After the two men administered a series of sharp acupuncture needles, Emperor Qi Xiao was out of danger. However, Prince Chun then rushed over and rubbed salt into the wound, and he still felt a heavy, stabbing pain in his chest.

"They are all soldiers of the Great Qi, and their duty is to protect the people of the Great Qi. Perhaps they are already eager to try their luck. If they can bring great military achievements to the Great Qi, wouldn't that be a merit?"

Prince Chun betrayed even the Crown Prince. "Your Majesty, I trust your vision and foresight. You will not agree to the Crown Prince and the ministers' private encouragement to surrender!"

"?!!!"

Emperor Qi Xiao felt a lump in his throat and nearly choked to death.

He looked closely at Prince Chun and knew that he wasn't talking nonsense; the Crown Prince was indeed making moves in private.

"Even if you lose your fiefdom, I will not abandon you. Anyway, you are all alone and have no ties. Why not continue to live in the capital and come to play chess with me occasionally? That way you'll have company." Emperor Qi Xiao originally did not want to see Prince Chun, but at this moment, he did not want Prince Chun to go back.

Prince Chun smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am naturally willing to accompany you. I only fear that Your Majesty will be displeased if you see me."

"Brothers born of the same mother, even if they have disagreements, are still brothers," Emperor Qi Xiao constantly reminded himself.

Prince Chun remained silent for a long while before saying, "Your Majesty is the Emperor of Great Qi. You expect others to forgive and tolerate any mistakes you make. Have you ever considered that if the roles were reversed... would Your Majesty be able to forgive your younger brother?"

Emperor Qi Xiao was taken aback and looked at him coldly.

It seemed as if they wanted to find out whether Prince Chun really had any dealings with any of the concubines in the harem.

Prince Chun laughed heartily, cupped his hands in greeting, and left, saying, "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and I will enter the palace to accompany Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, I also have a premonition that news will come from the west tomorrow... I hope it will be good news."

His last harsh sentence made even the heavens tremble and let out a thunderclap.

Thunder and lightning roared, and the blizzard continued.

Liu Yuechu was also at home, looking out at the snow-covered landscape. "I don't know how long this snow will last. I hope it won't be another blizzard season. We don't have that much rice or grain stored up."

The fact that she was able to provide disaster relief was because she had foreseen the natural disaster and had been preparing for it for a long time.

However, in the present day of the previous life, the states of Chu and Yan did not go to war with the state of Qi, and it did not snow in winter.

At that time, Wei Gongming was thriving in the Ministry of Justice and living a very comfortable life. She, on the other hand, was enduring the squeezing and exploitation from Guan Shi and Tian Yayun in the Zhenning Marquis's mansion, constantly replenishing the Liu family's funds.

She hadn't heard anything about Wei Gongming and Li Shu for a long time.

With the recent constant court intrigues and unstable war situation, coupled with Huang Wanwan's affairs, she was extremely concerned and simply had no energy to spare for people she had no connection with.

Just as he was pondering this, Suozi's wife arrived.

She specially brought Huang Yan a car full of trinkets, all of which were sold at street stalls.

Children from poor families cherish these things, and they can only afford to buy one or two to play with during the New Year. But these things are simply not available to the offspring of wealthy and powerful families.

Huang Yan was having a great time, all smiles. Suozi's wife even brought her children along to play with Huang Yan.

Liu Yuechu also had her household prepare many New Year's gifts, "...Although your household has no shortage, please take a cartload back later as a token of your household's goodwill."

"Thank you first, Master. The gifts you bestow are always rare items in the capital. These boys love them and try to snatch them every time they come home." Suozi's wife bowed with a radiant smile and called her children to kowtow to Liu Yuechu.

Liu Yuechu smiled and accepted the favor, then told them to take Huang Yanyuan to play.

She longed to hear the gossip of the capital, but it was inconvenient for the children to listen.

“It’s strange in the capital. There haven’t been any arguments in the family lately. It’s like everyone is facing death.” Suozi’s wife sat on a small stool, closer to Liu Yuechu. “Knowing that our Lord is in charge of the quota for going to Mongolia, people are digging and pulling strings. Even the Ministry of Works’ Assistant Minister has come to us, hoping to put in a good word for us.”

"Nobody thinks that the Great Qi can win this battle."

Liu Yuechu sighed, "No wonder people think that way."

Because throughout history, the Great Qi Dynasty has never been able to recover. Now, even the officials want to leave.

"Is there no action being taken from the palace?"

“Yes,” said Suozi’s wife. “According to what the people from the Left and Right Chancellor’s offices have told me, they want to support the Crown Prince and advise His Majesty to surrender.”