Chapter 74

"Director Commander Commander Jiang, please continue eating."

As expected, after a burst of unrest came from the adjacent cell, it immediately fell silent.

At this moment, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang stared with wide, furious eyes at the several eunuchs before him, grinding his teeth as he whispered low,

"He stewed Us? We would give him the audacity!"

The two young eunuchs on either side held Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang down tightly, saying,

"Your Majesty, calm your anger; Your Majesty, please calm your anger..."

Su Qiao paid no attention whatsoever to the fact that Commander Commander Jiang Hu's expression before him had already changed.

He merely sucked on a chicken bone, clicked his tongue, and said,

"Director Commander Commander Jiang, eat up; why have you stopped?"

Hearing Su Qiao's words, Commander Commander Jiang Hu finally came back to his senses; with difficulty, he looked at Su Qiao and asked,

"But then, would the dragon sons and grandsons of our Great Ming have died in vain?"

Su Qiao looked at Commander Commander Jiang Hu as if he were a fool, clicked his tongue, and said,

"But if they die, the court will have silver; the silver accumulated over two hundred years in the various princely households will all belong to the court to deploy."

Commander Commander Jiang Hu immediately retorted,

"If the army's morale collapses, won't the realm of Great Ming still perish? What use is so much silver?"

"Thirty Princes dying in a single battle—what an immense disgrace this is."

Su Qiao looked at Commander Commander Jiang Hu and said softly,

"Wrong!"

"Director Commander Commander Jiang, do you know how the Khitan people referred to the Jurchens during the transition between the Northern and Southern Song dynasties?"

Commander Commander Jiang Hu froze upon hearing this.

After pondering for a long time, he finally remembered and asked in confusion,

'If the Jurchens number less than ten thousand, they cannot be opposed; if they exceed ten thousand, they are invincible'?"

Su Qiao nodded slightly.

"Indeed."

"'If the Jurchens number less than ten thousand, they cannot be opposed; if they exceed ten thousand, they are invincible,' but does Director Commander Commander Jiang know how we Han people should describe it?"

Commander Commander Jiang Hu froze upon hearing this.

Immediately, he lowered his head and said,

"I beg Master Su to enlighten me."

"The Han do not know shame; once they know shame, they become invincible!"

"Know shame, and then find courage!"

The moment these words left his mouth,

Commander Commander Jiang Hu instantly froze on the spot.

Looking at Su Qiao in confusion, he asked,

"Master Su, what is the meaning of these words?"

Su Qiao snorted coldly and said,

"Since the Three Sovereigns established the state and the Five Emperors opened the frontiers, we Han of the Central Plains have regarded ourselves as the Celestial Empire, the supreme nation."

"National strength may be formidable, but no nation remains eternally strong."

"When everyone under heaven is complacent and self-satisfied, someone will arise to wake the Han people of the world."

"Whenever a nation turns from weakness to strength, the first step is to make the Han people of the world know shame!"

"As long as the Han know shame, there is nothing under heaven that cannot be overcome!"

"First know shame, and then find courage!"

Commander Commander Jiang Hu and Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang in the adjacent cell instantly froze on the spot.

Su Qiao, meanwhile, held a chicken drumstick in one hand, sipped his wine, and clicked his tongue, saying,

"Has Director Commander Commander Jiang ever studied history?"

Commander Commander Jiang Hu froze upon hearing this, then nodded slightly.

"I know a little."

After all, as a native of the Great Ming, there were only so few forms of entertainment; even listening to storytelling provided some understanding of Central Plains history.

Su Qiao looked at Commander Commander Jiang Hu and smiled, saying,

"During the Warring States period, the people of Qin were weak; does Director Commander Commander Jiang know how the Qin people went from weakness to strength, ultimately unifying the Central Plains?"

"Because they knew shame!"

A trace of ruthlessness suddenly flashed in Su Qiao's eyes.

"The people of Qin were weak, forcing Queen Dowager Xuan, Mi Bazi, to submit herself to the King of Yiqu; thus, the Qin people took this as an immense disgrace and thereafter strove to strengthen themselves."

"For three generations, the Qin people never forgot their former lands west of the Yellow River, eventually seizing the Hangu Pass natural barrier from the State of Wei! Finally, they swept away the six states!"

Commander Commander Jiang Hu froze upon hearing this.

Su Qiao then stared at Commander Commander Jiang Hu and continued to ask,

"Does Director Commander Commander Jiang know when the second great disgrace of the Han people under heaven occurred?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Commander Jiang Hu immediately cupped his fists and said,

"I beg Master Su to enlighten me."

Su Qiao waved his hand with bleary, drunken eyes, saying,

"We are just chatting."

"I wouldn't call it offering guidance."

Having said this, Su Qiao took a deep breath and spoke sternly:

"The second time: In his later years, the Grand Ancestor Emperor Gao of Han was trapped at Baideng! History records it as the Siege of Baideng!"

"Afterward, when Han Gaozu Liu Bang passed away, Modu Chanyu of the Xiongnu sent a letter to Empress Lü, actually proposing in it that she remarry and move to the grasslands!"

Hearing this, Commander Commander Jiang Huang's eyes instantly widened until they were perfectly round.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent cell, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's expression grew increasingly calm.

After ascending the throne, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had thoroughly studied the historical records of various dynasties.

Old Zhu knew about this matter.

Su Qiao took a deep breath and said with a sigh:

"It was precisely because of this letter."

"Throughout the Han court, everyone regarded this as a humiliation of the highest order!"

"Consequently, Emperor Wu of Han mobilized the entire nation's strength to fight the Xiongnu for a full forty years, forging the very name 'Han people'! He drove the Xiongnu into far retreat! He struck such fear into the barbarians of all directions that none were unaware: one Han soldier equals five Hu!"

Su Qiao's voice became increasingly ethereal.

"And the next time, it was the Crossing of the Clothing and Caps to the South!"

"During the Eastern Jin, when northerners fled south, Han people across the realm witnessed the blood and stench filling the Central Plains; none failed to beat their chests and stamp their feet, regarding it as the shame of the world."

"Only then did Liu Jinu emerge, and only then did Chen Chen Qingzhi appear!"

"Famous generals, do not trust in your fortifications; ten thousand armies flee before the White Robes—Chen Chen Qingzhi!"

"Chen Chen Qingzhi, who with seven thousand elite troops conquered thirty-two cities in succession and marched straight into Luoyang!"

The moment his words fell,

Commander Commander Jiang Huang was already immersed in Su Qiao's description.

Before his eyes, he seemed to see the scene of ten thousand armies fleeing from Chen Chen Qingzhi.

Su Qiao, however, slowly sat down on the long bench.

Looking at Commander Commander Jiang Huang, he asked with a straight face:

"You're not going to eat this chicken leg, are you?"

The corner of Commander Commander Jiang Huang's mouth twitched slightly.

Immediately, he pushed his roasted chicken over in front of Su Qiao.

Su Qiao casually grabbed it, took a bite, and continued with a sigh:

"And the next time, it was the ninth year of Wude!"

"In the ninth year of Wude, Tang Taizong killed his brother and imprisoned his father; meanwhile, Jiali Khan of the Turks led two hundred thousand troops south, defeating the Tang army at Jingyang!"