Chapter 1025: The Crown Prince Rewards the Army; The Deadline Arrives

Li Gu had given Li Yu three days to consider the surrender terms. Even for a matter as momentous as surrendering Jinling and the entire state, this was ample time—yet actually making the decision was extraordinarily difficult. Perhaps precisely because of these three days, Li Yu was given the opportunity to delay and hesitate, remaining deep within the palace without uttering a single word, as if determined to exhaust this final grace period to the very last moment.

It was almost laughable—since the Han army had arrived at the gates, Li Yu had never once climbed the walls of Jinling to personally behold the Han forces, to see for himself what sort of army this was that would destroy his state and make him a sovereign of a fallen nation.

He had not even gone to console or reward the troops still defending Jinling, let alone taken any measures to reassure and encourage the populace. Faced with the crisis of national annihilation, Li Yu had in fact already chosen to give up, barricading himself within the palace and waiting for the final moment to arrive.

Of course, during these three days, while Li Yu remained inactive, others were certainly busy. Within Jinling, a handful led by Chen Qiao were still actively rushing about, mobilizing men and supplies, making difficult preparations for defense. These were a very small minority—those who still harbored a measure of fervor, who felt gratitude for the deep kindness shown them, and who still held a sliver of hope and longing for Jiangnan.

In contrast, there was Zhong Mo's faction. They made no major moves, only spreading rumors to intensify the panic within the city, to hasten the dissolution of popular morale, and to tout the benefits of surrender. This group was also small in number, but those they swayed were many, and the repercussions they caused were great. The army's will to resist continued to erode, while the people of Jinling yearned to avoid war and preserve themselves.

This was striking the snake at its vital point. If Chen Qiao and his associates could not even deal with Zhong Mo's faction, who openly clamored for surrender, how could they possibly have the ability to reverse the tide of public sentiment? They could only struggle futilely against the overwhelming current of history.

As for the majority of Jiangnan's officials, they chose silence—silently watching Li Yu, silently waiting for the city to fall. Although the destruction of the Jiangnan state would directly harm their interests, when it came to the question of survival versus destruction, most people still possessed basic sense. Surrendering might yield uncertain results, but stubborn resistance would certainly end in disaster!

While within Jinling all manner of human drama unfolded in endless turmoil, outside the city the Han army's preparations for battle proceeded in an orderly fashion, carried through to the very end. The most significant event during this time was the arrival of Crown Prince Liu Yang and the Emperor's eldest son Liu Xu as envoys of the court, coming before the army at Jinling to reward the troops.

This act of rewarding the army greatly lifted the spirits of the field headquarters and raised morale to a peak. Emperor Liu's intention, beyond continuing to train the Crown Prince and build his prestige and credentials, was also to demonstrate to the scholars and commoners of Jiangnan the court's regard and concern for them, preparing the ground for the subsequent takeover and governance.

At the same time, it also brought some pressure to bear on Li Gu. Perhaps it was the string of victories, the campaign to pacify the south progressing too smoothly, that had accelerated the Emperor's impatience—he wished to erase these independent states of Jiangnan from the map, to paint them in the colors of the Great Han, and to utterly destroy these separatist regimes that had been detached from the central authority for half a century.

The thirteenth was the final day of the deadline Li Gu had given Li Yu. After much agonizing deliberation and having heard many suggestions, even though his heart leaned in a certain direction, Li Yu still could not make up his mind. That afternoon, he summoned Zhong Mo to the palace for consultation. Shortly thereafter, Zhong Mo received his orders and prepared over two hundred carts of wine, food, and vegetables to go out of the city and reward the army. The mission Zhong Mo bore was to request from the Han army a few more days of grace.

In the commander's tent, Zhong Mo's arrival was met with warm hospitality. The seating arrangement was rather interesting: Li Gu and Liu Yang shared the same table, with Liu Xu and Shi Shouxin below them. Originally, Li Gu had wanted Liu Yang to take the seat of honor, but Liu Yang firmly declined, saying that Li Gu was both the Grand Marshal and an elder. Seeing the Crown Prince so modest, Li Gu dared not presume either, saying that since Liu Yang was both Crown Prince and imperial envoy, he ought to sit at the head. The old man and the young man exchanged courtesies for several rounds, until Liu Xu offered a suggestion—that they share the same table.

Also present were senior generals such as Zhao Yanjin and Zhang Yongde. Such a level of reception was certainly showing Zhong Mo great respect—though not merely because of his status as envoy from Jinling.

Having been tempered in the central court these past few years, Liu Yang, though still young in years, had developed considerable bearing and self-possession, and would not be daunted by such an occasion. Before departing, Emperor Liu had instructed him: he was not to interfere in any matters of military operations, not even to offer commentary, but as Crown Prince, he must not lose the dignity of the imperial house or the bearing of the Heavenly family.

The atmosphere within the tent was fairly congenial. Though few present had deep ties with Zhong Mo, with the Crown Prince in attendance, no one wished to make things too stiff. Liu Yang's attitude toward Zhong Mo was very gracious, and he said to him with a smile: "Before I came, His Majesty told me that Duke Zhong is a loyal minister of the Great Han. For the great cause of unification, he has willingly braved extraordinary peril, disregarding his own safety and reputation, dwelling in the enemy camp and serving with utter devotion for ten full years now. Though he has no spectacular feats of glory, he has rendered deep and unremitting service—he deserves great commendation!"

"I have come south by imperial decree. With this cup, I offer my admiration for Duke Zhong's unwavering dedication over these ten years!" Liu Yang raised his cup of his own accord and spoke to Zhong Mo.

Hearing these words from the Crown Prince, whatever Zhong Mo's inner thoughts, his outward reaction was dramatic. He rose to his feet, spilling wine from his cup, and bowed deeply to Liu Yang, his face a picture of deep emotion: "That His Majesty should remember me so—what great honor is this for your servant? I have no other ambition but to devote all my strength and effort to repay His Majesty and serve the state loyally!"

"If we can take all of Jinling without drawing a blade or shedding a drop of blood, Duke Zhong's merit will be truly outstanding!" Liu Yang said.

"The Crown Prince flatters me too much!" Before the assembled generals and marshals of the southern pacification campaign, Zhong Mo dared not presume upon himself, and hurriedly demurred: "With Grand Marshal Duke Li and all the generals present, how dare I claim merit? I have merely followed the tide of circumstances and exercised a little eloquence!"

"Minister Zhong's three-inch tongue is worth tens of thousands of elite soldiers!" Li Gu also smiled, showing goodwill toward Zhong Mo.

Shi Shouxin added: "Without Minister Zhong informing us of the situation within the city, how could our army have gained such complete knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses? This will save us no small trouble in breaching the walls!"

"I dare not accept! I dare not accept!" Though a smile hung at the corners of his mouth, Zhong Mo kept his posture extremely humble. Before these men in the commander's tent, he dared not show the slightest arrogance.

After several cups of wine and some social exchange, Zhong Mo finally took the initiative to speak: "May I ask the Crown Prince and the Grand Marshal—is the attack on Jinling confirmed for tomorrow?"

At the mention of serious matters, the atmosphere in the tent cooled somewhat. Li Gu looked at Liu Yang; Liu Yang said nothing, but made a slight gesture of deference toward Li Gu. Seeing this, Li Gu then turned his gaze to Zhong Mo, and in a voice aged but exceptionally firm and resolute, said: "The attack plans are already fully prepared. If Jinling does not surrender, then tomorrow the army will launch its assault as scheduled—there will be no delay whatsoever!

Minister Zhong may report back to the sovereign of Jiangnan that he still has one night to consider. He should harbor no other illusions—surrendering is his only way out. The Crown Prince is here by imperial decree; if he surrenders of his own accord, his safety is assured. But if the army breaches the walls, all consequences and responsibility will rest upon his own head!"

At these words, Zhong Mo's drunkenness sobered slightly. He rose and said respectfully: "I understand! I will certainly convey this to the sovereign and urge him to surrender!"

By the time Zhong Mo returned to Jinling to report to Li Yu, it was already dark. Before entering the palace, Zhong Mo deliberately washed his face with cold water to keep himself clear-headed for the persuasion ahead. At this moment, his desire to persuade Li Yu to surrender was also mixed with a wish to protect the city and reduce losses for the scholars and commoners.

On the other hand, there was also a measure of personal regard for Li Yu. Though it was difficult to understand the contradictory psychology of a sovereign about to lose his state, there was a vast difference between surrendering before the city fell and surrendering after. This, Zhong Mo saw very clearly—and Li Gu's words had also conveyed this very meaning.

"The Han army won't even grant a few more days?" Inside the Chengxin Hall, Li Yu stood up directly, his tone carrying a note of indignation.

Over this period, this young sovereign had borne tremendous pressure, especially psychological pressure. The stubble above and below his lips had grown considerably thicker.

"If the sovereign has the intention to surrender and submit, what need is there for a few more days?" Zhong Mo countered with a question.

At this, Li Yu fell silent.

Looking at this young sovereign, whose melancholic air grew ever more pronounced, Zhong Mo felt a pang of reluctance in his heart. He opened his mouth, then spoke gravely: "Sovereign, the great army is now at the gates, and the tide cannot be reversed. If you wish to preserve the safety of the Li clan, please make your decision early and hesitate no longer.

Otherwise, if the court is provoked to anger, I fear the outcome will be jade shattered and tiles spared. The sovereign should know: Nanping, the Meng Shu, and Hunan—Nanping surrendered voluntarily and upon returning to the court was still granted a princely title, enjoying wealth and honor, and has now passed on to a second generation; the Meng Shu surrendered at Chengdu and upon returning to the court did not lose the rank of Duke, lacking nothing in wealth and glory; Hunan, however, exhausted its people in war and defied the court—to this day, the Zhou mother and son still wear coarse cloth and hemp garments, laboring in the gardens of the Han palace.

All are surrenders, yet the difference between them is vast. I hope the sovereign will consider this well!"

When Zhong Mo finished speaking, Li Yu's expression finally shifted, a flicker of panic showing in his eyes. After stammering for a moment, Li Yu said: "I must consult the opinions of my brothers of the imperial clan..."

Matters of surrender could not be decided by Li Yu alone—it was a family affair, and the family should decide together.