Chapter 271: Descend Following the Trend

Jiang Jiang Mingyu listened to his words and fell into deep thought. This man was actually the commander of the city; if his words were true, with the gates of Jingcheng wide open, would it not be as easy as turning over one's hand? But how could he trust the words of an enemy lightly? Perhaps this was Fei Hou's trick, a bait deliberately released to lure him into a trap.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu hesitantly looked at Zhu Ge Yu, wanting him to judge the truth or falsehood. Zhu Ge Yu was his strategist and also his close friend, proficient in military strategy, skilled in planning, who had offered many strategies for him and established great merits. Zhu Ge Yu also seemed to be weighing the pros and cons, his sharp gaze scrutinizing He He Xinzhe without speaking a word.

After a moment, Zhu Ge Yu spoke: "Minister He seems harmless, but we cannot let our guard down. His surrender may not be entirely without deceit; we must question him in detail and understand the internal situation of Jingcheng before deciding whether to trust him."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded in agreement and ordered his men to bring He He Xinzhe into the tent for a detailed discussion. He He Xinzhe recounted the matter of Fei Hou's coercion again, his tone sincere and his expression sorrowful. He said Fei Hou was a tyrant who, to preserve his power, was willing to sacrifice the lives of the common people to resist Jiang Jiang Mingyu's great army. He said he was a scholar who did not understand military affairs, yet Fei Hou had forcibly assigned him to command the defense; if there was any mistake, his entire family would be exterminated. He said he had grown tired of Fei Hou's tyranny, admired Jiang Jiang Mingyu's benevolence and righteousness, and was willing to serve him and contribute his strength.

After listening, Zhu Ge Yu pondered and said: "If this matter is not fabricated, Jingcheng will be powerless to resist our army's fierce attack. But it could also be a trap set by Fei Hou, wanting to use Minister He to confuse us, making us relax our vigilance, or deliberately leaking false intelligence to lure us into a pot. We must carefully verify, anticipate the enemy's moves, and only then can we safely employ our troops."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pressed further: "Minister He, since you have come to surrender, why did you not bring your family with you?"

His voice was cold and sharp, his eyes piercing like a sharp sword, stabbing straight into He He Xinzhe's heart. He did not believe a high minister of the Great Feng court would easily betray his master and defect to him, a rebel.

If no family accompanied him and only He He Xinzhe came alone, it was likely a feigned surrender. He must want to get close to him, find an opportunity to assassinate him, or spy on his military situation to buy time for the remaining armies of Great Feng.

As soon as the words fell, Tu Tu Kesiluo and Li Goudan immediately became alert; the two were Jiang Jiang Mingyu's confidants and also his bodyguards. They saw He He Xinzhe dressed in magnificent robes, wearing jade and gold ornaments at his waist; he was obviously a wealthy person and did not look like someone sincerely surrendering.

Li Goudan had even drawn his waist knife, ready to take He He Xinzhe's head at any moment. He was a rough man with a violent temper, disliking roundabout speech and even more disliking sinister and cunning people. He felt He He Xinzhe was a great treacherous minister, and his hatred would be hard to quell without killing him.

Hearing this, He He Xinzhe was not panicked and stated confidently: "My family is waiting in the mountain hollow ahead. If the General does not believe me, you can send someone to bring them here."

His tone was calm, his expression composed, without a trace of panic. He knew Jiang Jiang Mingyu's doubts and also knew his own situation, but he had long prepared and would not let his plan fail.

"I was able to escape Jingcheng entirely thanks to the official seal and token on my person; without them, escape would have been impossible." He continued, pulling a golden circular token from his chest. On it were carved the two large characters "Ministry of War" and a dragon-shaped pattern.

This was his proof of identity and also his pass. He was a minister of the Great Feng court, holding the great power of court politics, trusted by Fei Hou. He used his status to secretly bring his family and wealth, escaping the Jingcheng besieged by Jiang Jiang Mingyu to surrender to Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

He He Xinzhe knew Great Feng had no hope of survival and absolutely did not wish to die with Fei Hou. So when he was forced to command the defense that day, he had already planned to defect to Jiang Jiang Mingyu. He was not a loyal and righteous person, nor a hero; he was merely a smart person who knew how to follow the trend and preserve himself.

Hearing him speak so confidently, Jiang Jiang Mingyu instructed Tu Tu Kesiluo: "Go bring his family here; be extremely careful!"

He did not fully believe He He Xinzhe's words, but he also did not want to easily kill a useful person. He wanted to see He He Xinzhe's family, to see if he truly had the sincerity to surrender or had some other intention.

Tu Tu Kesiluo's lips curled slightly as he replied: "Anticipate the enemy beforehand and handle it properly." With that, he departed quickly.

He was a smart man and also a loyal man; he understood Jiang Jiang Mingyu's meaning and knew how to execute the mission. He would not easily trust He He Xinzhe, nor would he let him have a chance to escape or counterattack. He would carefully bring his family for Jiang Jiang Mingyu to inspect personally.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Tu Tu Kesiluo escorted He He Xinzhe's family to the camp. Seeing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally said with relief: "Minister He, please rise. Jiang Mou will now take you all in."

He saw He He Xinzhe's family: an old woman, two young girls, and a small boy, all wearing shabby clothes, with pale faces and fearful expressions. He felt they did not look like they had any conspiracy, but were truly brought by He He Xinzhe to surrender.

His attitude toward He He Xinzhe also changed; he felt He He Xinzhe might truly be a person of courage and vision, able to escape with his family in such a crisis and defect to him, a man riding the tide of the times.

He He Xinzhe thanked him repeatedly and stood up. Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression soften, he secretly rejoiced in his heart. He knew his plan had succeeded; he had bet on the right person and the right situation. He believed Jiang Jiang Mingyu would not kill him or mistreat him, but would employ him heavily.

Seeing He He Xinzhe's entire family harmless, Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued speaking:

"Minister He, we both live in this chaotic world; livelihood comes first. You were able to break through the siege to surrender; Jiang Mou admires your courage and vision. From now on, we can strengthen our military forces, jointly exterminate bandits, and benefit the common people. What do you say?"

He extended an olive branch to He He Xinzhe, indicating his willingness to accept him and make him his subject. He felt He He Xinzhe was a person of talent and experience who could help him handle court politics and offer strategies, providing great assistance to him.

He He Xinzhe bowed in thanks again, overjoyed. Hearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's words, he was extremely happy in his heart. He felt his choice was correct; he had found a master he could rely on and a place where he could settle. He expressed loyalty to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, saying:

"I am infinitely grateful and willing to serve as a dog or horse, to share the General's worries and difficulties, and jointly build a peaceful and prosperous age!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu let He He Xinzhe stand up and pressed further: "Tell me the current situation in Jingcheng, and how Fei Hou intended for you to deal with my army that day?"

He He Xinzhe nodded repeatedly and respectfully reported: "Reporting to my lord, upon hearing of the great army's approach, the people of Jingcheng were already in panic. If not for Fei Hou's stubborn defense of the city gates, the common people would have fled long ago. Through his mad conscription, he lost the people's hearts long ago. Now Jingcheng has collapsed; with my lord's great army pressing at the border, the situation will surely be like cranes crying at Huating, and taking over will be as easy as turning over one's hand."

He then flatteringly smiled: "As for Fei Hou leaving me to defend the city, that is even more like a fool talking about dreams. Striking a stone with an egg is merely inviting one's own destruction! My lord's great army is invincible; I predict a great victory."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered, thinking Fei Hou's move was indeed laughable. His eyes rolled once as he pressed further:

"How is the Great Feng River now? Is the dam in good condition?"

He He Xinzhe looked blank: "The Great Feng River is still the same as before?"

Seeing he did not understand, Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked directly: "Did Fei Hou take any measures regarding the river in recent years?"

He He Xinzhe then suddenly realized and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty was busy dealing with various rebel armies; how could he have the leisure to manage the river dikes? The last time the dikes were repaired was during the reign of the late emperor, which was also 56 years ago. Now they are likely in a state of utter ruin."

He deliberately spoke harshly, wanting to please his new master.

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was overjoyed and immediately instructed Tu Tu Kesiluo: "Take Minister He's family to rest."

Tu Tu Kesiluo understood and immediately escorted He He Xinzhe's entire family away.

Having learned the dikes were unrepaired, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was even more convinced that flooding the city could succeed. He immediately summoned Zhu Ge Yu to discuss the details. This battle's life or death hung on this one move; they must plan carefully and stand ready.

He He Xinzhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped one disaster. He resolved to reveal all of Fei Hou's true and false military intelligence to preserve his entire family. Seeing the trend had already passed, he could only comply with the will of heaven and submit to the new master.

Watching He He Xinzhe's family leave, Jiang Jiang Mingyu secretly felt proud in his heart. He felt he had picked up a great bargain, gaining a useful inside agent and understanding the true state of Jingcheng. He believed his great army would soon break through Jingcheng, overthrow Fei Hou's tyranny, and establish his own dynasty.