Chapter 80

"Commander Jiang, you eat yours."

As expected, after a commotion arose in the adjacent cell, it immediately fell silent.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang, his eyes wide with fury, glared at the several Eunuchs before him and gritted his teeth, speaking in a low voice:

"He stewed us? Does he dare!"

The two small Eunuchs nearby pressed down hard on Zhu Yuanzhang, saying:

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

Su Qiao paid no attention whatsoever to the fact that Jiang Huan's face had long since changed color.

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

"Commander Jiang, eat. Why have you stopped eating?"

Hearing Su Qiao's words, Jiang Huan finally came to his senses and, with difficulty, looked at Su Qiao and asked:

"But then, did the Long Zilongsun of our Great Ming die in vain?"

Su Qiao looked at Jiang Huan as if he were an idiot and clicked his tongue, saying:

"But since they died, the court now has silver. The silver accumulated over two hundred years in the Wang Fu of the various vassal princes now all belongs to the court for allocation."

Jiang Huan immediately said:

"The army's morale will scatter. Won't the Jiangshan of Great Ming still fall? What use is so much silver?"

"Thirty Princes of the Blood died in a single battle. What a disgrace."

Su Qiao looked at Jiang Huan and said softly:

"Wrong!"

"Commander Jiang, do you know how the Liao people referred to the Jurchens during the period between the two Song dynasties?"

Hearing this, Jiang Huan was stunned.

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

"The Jurchens are invincible if they number less than ten thousand, but unstoppable if they reach ten thousand?"

Su Qiao nodded slightly.

"Indeed."

"The Jurchens are invincible if they number less than ten thousand, but unstoppable if they reach ten thousand. But does Commander Jiang know how we Han people should describe it?"

Hearing this, Jiang Huan was stunned.

He immediately lowered his head and said:

"Please, my lord Su, bestow your teaching."

"The Han people know no shame; knowing shame makes them invincible!"

75, knowing shame, and then becoming brave!

The moment the words fell.

Jiang Huan immediately stood frozen in place.

He looked at Su Qiao in confusion and asked:

"My lord Su, what is the meaning of these words?"

Su Qiao snorted coldly and said:

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

"National strength is indeed strong, but a nation cannot remain strong forever."

"When all under heaven are complacent and self-satisfied, someone will wake up the Han people of the world."

"For any nation to turn from weak to strong, the first step is to make the Han people of the world know shame!"

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

"Know shame first, and then become brave!"

In an instant, both Jiang Huan and Zhu Yuanzhang in the adjacent cell stood frozen in place.

Su Qiao, holding a chicken leg in his hand and sipping small wine, clicked his tongue and said:

"Commander Jiang, have you ever studied history?"

Hearing this, Jiang Huan was stunned, then nodded slightly.

"I know a little."

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

Su Qiao looked at Jiang Huan and smiled, saying:

"During the Warring States period, the Qin people were weak and powerless. Does Commander Jiang know how the Qin people went from weak to strong and ultimately unified the Central Plains?"

"Because they knew shame!"

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

"The Qin people were weak, forcing Empress Dowager Xuan, Mi Baz, to submit herself to the King of Yiqu. Therefore, the Qin people regarded this as a great shame and subsequently strove to strengthen themselves."

"For three generations, the Qin people never forgot the old lands west of the river, and thus they reclaimed the natural fortress of Hangu Pass from the State of Wei! Finally, they swept across the six directions!"

Hearing this, Jiang Huan was stunned.

Su Qiao stared at Jiang Huan and continued to ask:

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

Hearing this, Jiang Huan immediately clasped his hands and said:

"Please, my lord Su, bestow your teaching."

Su Qiao, with drunken eyes, waved his hand and said:

"We are just chatting."

"Hardly a lesson."

Having spoken, Su Qiao drew a deep breath and said sternly,

"The second time: in the late years of the Han Taizu Gao Emperor, he was trapped at Baideng! History calls it the Siege of Baideng!"

"Afterwards, when Han Gaozu Liu Bang passed away, the Xiongnu Chanyu Modu sent a letter to Empress Lü, in which he actually asked Empress Lü to remarry on the steppe!"

Hearing this, Jiang Huan's eyes instantly bulged round.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent cell, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression grew even calmer.

After ascending the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang had indeed read extensively from the histories of all dynasties.

Old Zhu knew of this matter.

Su Qiao drew a deep breath and said wistfully,

"It was because of this letter."

"The entire Han court regarded it as an unparalleled humiliation!"

"Thereafter, Han Wudi mobilized the entire nation to fight the Xiongnu for a full forty years, forging the name 'Han people'! Driving the Xiongnu far away! Making all the barbarians of the four directions know that one Han is worth five Hu!"

Su Qiao's voice grew even more ethereal.

"And the next time was the southward crossing of the robes and caps!"

During the Eastern Jin, northerners fled south; all Han people who witnessed the blood and filth of the Central Plains pounded their chests and stamped their feet, regarding it as a disgrace to the world.

"Only then came Liu Jinu, only then came Chen Qingzhi!"

"Chen Qingzhi, whose famous generals dared not stand firm, while ten thousand troops and a thousand horses fled the White Robes!"

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

The words had barely fallen.

Jiang Huan was already immersed in Su Qiao's description.

Before his eyes, he could seemingly see the image of ten thousand troops and a thousand horses fleeing Chen Qingzhi.

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

Looking at Jiang Huan, he asked with a serious face,

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

The corner of Jiang Huan's mouth twitched slightly.

Immediately, he pushed his roasted chicken forward to Su Qiao.

Su Qiao casually grabbed it, took a bite, and continued wistfully,

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

"In the ninth year of Wude, Tang Taizong killed his brother and imprisoned his father; the Turkic Khagan Jiali led two hundred thousand troops, advanced south, and defeated the Tang army at Jingyang!"