Chapter 280: A Warning

"Everyone has worked hard today, come and drink this cup to the fullest!"

At night, Zhang Jie held a banquet in the imperial palace to treat the meritorious officials, and the other soldiers were also rewarded with wine and meat.

"Drink to the fullest, drink to the fullest!"

The group of generals was also exceptionally excited, and their excitement was beyond words.

You say they were a group of mountain bandits, fugitives, and small commoners who made a living by fishing,

how did they become meritorious officials who destroyed the Great Song and created a new dynasty?

This time, this time it is to be enfeoffed as marquises and counts, hereditary and perpetual, and it is not impossible to share the country!

"We toast Your Highness!"

The generals all stood up to toast Zhang Jie, and their eyes were full of reverence when they looked at him.

It was precisely because of the leadership of Zhang Jie, this leader,

that this group of people at the bottom and on the margins of society could turn over and sing.

"My dear ministers, no need for such courtesy, drink to the fullest."

Zhang Jie smiled lightly and drank the fine wine in his cup in one gulp.

Then, delicacies that were once exclusively for the royal family, and jars of fine wine from all over the country,

which had been cellared for decades, were sent in like flowing water.

In front of the tables, there were also songs and dances that only princes, nobles, and royal family members could appreciate...

For a time, the generals were satisfied, feeling that the greatest joy in life was nothing more than this.

Monarch and subjects enjoyed themselves together, guests and hosts were happy, and the scene was harmonious.

Clang!

Suddenly, a harsh sound rang out in the peaceful atmosphere.

Everyone couldn't help but be startled, and when they looked closely,

they saw that it was Song Wan, who was dead drunk, throwing the fine wine bestowed by the Emperor on the ground, shattering it to pieces.

"This, this..."

At this moment, the wine cups in the hands of the others could hardly be held.

Although they were also somewhat satisfied in their hearts, how could they be so disrespectful in front of the monarch?

This is completely not putting the Great King in their eyes!

"Subject, subject was carried away by success for a moment, and was so disrespectful, please Your Highness punish me."

After such a change, Song Wan's wine immediately woke up by three points, and he hurriedly knelt on the ground and pleaded guilty.

Zhang Jie, sitting at the head, did not speak directly, but looked expressionlessly at the person sitting beside him,

who was absolutely under one person and above ten thousand people in status, Wang Lun, and asked:

"Zhengdao, how should General Song's actions be dealt with?"

'The Great King's monarchical power is becoming more and more unfathomable.'

Wu Yong looked at Zhang Jie, who was usually gentle but now expressionless,

his heart trembled, and he hurriedly said: "Reporting to the Great King, being disrespectful in front of the monarch,

is a crime of great disrespect, and should be, should be punished by death!"

"Punished by death?"

Hearing this crime, the hearts of the generals jumped.

Could it be that on this joyous day, they in Liang Shan were going to see blood?

The generals hurriedly reflected in their hearts, recalling whether they had committed any acts that violated the law,

so as not to be pulled out by the Great King to sacrifice the flag and become a negative example.

"Your Highness, General Song did not do this on purpose, it was an unintentional mistake.

I hope Your Highness will look at the fact that he has worked hard even if he has no merit in the past, and show mercy."

At this time, Chen Wenyun stood up to plead for Song Wan.

"I also hope Your Highness will show mercy!"

Other generals also followed suit and pleaded for Song Wan.

Even Chao Gai and others from the outsider faction, who were very incompatible with him, the Liang Shan local faction,

also spoke up to plead for him.

"Forget it. Since there are ministers pleading for him, I will spare his life today.

But the death penalty can be avoided, the living crime is hard to escape, Song Wan is fined one year's salary and demoted three ranks."

Zhang Jie looked around at the ministers and made a expressionless decision on Song Wan.

Facing Zhang Jie's gaze, which seemed to have the weight of Mount Tai, the waists of the ministers couldn't help but bend another three points.

"Thank Your Highness for the grace of not killing, thank Your Highness for the grace of not killing!"

Song Wan kowtowed like a garlic masher, his face full of relief at having escaped with his life.

Looking at Song Wan's miserable state, the hearts of the generals all tightened, and they dared not have any complacency.

A celebration banquet that should have been joyous became devoid of a happy atmosphere,

and the delicious food and wine that were originally delicious now tasted like wax.

After the banquet, Zhang Jie summoned Song Wan alone and asked bluntly:

"General Song, you won't resent this King, will you?"

Song Wan had no drunkenness at this time, and he replied respectfully:

"Everything the subject has is the promotion of the Great King, whatever the Great King wants the subject to do,

the subject will do it, without any hesitation.

Even if the Great King wants the subject's life, the subject is willing."

"General Song's loyalty is commendable."

Feeling that Song Wan was indeed not dissatisfied,

and as loyal as he said in his words, Zhang Jie nodded with satisfaction.

The farce at the celebration banquet today was actually a double act between him and Song Wan,

specifically used to beat those generals who were carried away by success and began to be arrogant about their merits.

Generals like Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen who had followed him since they first went to Liang Shan were fine,

but other generals who surrendered or saw that Liang Shan was powerful and came to speculate would not do.

These guys who had already been corrupted under the Great Song system and were used to damaging the public to enrich themselves,

and colluding between officials and businessmen, had already started to use their power for personal gain to get benefits for themselves and their families before Liang Shan had breached Bianliang.

It just so happened that the attack on the Great Song was too smooth, and the Liang Shan main force was seriously insufficient,

so they had to rely on these local snakes to rule everywhere.

Even Zhang Jie was unable to separate himself, so he could only beat them first,

and wait until other forces such as the Great Liao and Western Xia were solved, and then solve them.

At that time, he would let these moths know that his Zhang Jie's sword was not necessarily blunt!

"General Song, when Bianliang stabilizes, you will lead the army to attack Xiangyang."

Zhang Jie thought for a while and said to Song Wan.

"The subject obeys the decree!"

Song Wan was full of surprise.

Is attacking Xiangyang just attacking Xiangyang?

Xiangyang is the gateway to Jiangnan, as long as Xiangyang is taken, you can march into Jiangnan.

At that time, Jiangnan will be in the bag.

What is this?

This is the monstrous merit of conquering half the country!

And with their Liang Shan's ability to attack fortified positions, even if a dog was sent up, it could easily take Xiangyang!

How could he not know that this was Zhang Jie's compensation for him?

"Go down."

Zhang Jie waved his hand to send away the surprised Song Wan.

For Song Wan, attacking Xiangyang is a monstrous merit, but for him, it is nothing.

Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, had a good saying: The monarch does not compete with the subject for merit.

Even if Song Wan really took Jiangnan, so what, could he still be so meritorious that he shakes the monarch?

Without the money and food provided by the rear, he might still be able to fight and raise war in the prosperous Jiangnan,

and eat on the spot, but without the ammunition he provided,

the army under Song Wan is a paper tiger that can be broken with one poke.

Holding the lifeline of all the armies, Zhang Jie can naturally sit firmly on the Diaoyu Terrace. ===== CHAPTER 281 =====

Holding the lifeblood of the entire army in his hands, Zhang Jie could naturally sit securely on the fishing platform.