Chapter 251

Wei Xikang took a deep breath; he felt his heart was in chaos, and Jiang Jinshi's words kept swirling in his ears, leaving him unable to refute.

"Just now, Old Wei, you asked me if starting an uprising and rebellion was also for self-protection?

I tell you, as long as the country is peaceful and the people are secure, even if I, Jiang Jinshi, raised a flag, no one would dare follow!

But if the people are living in misery, even without me, Jiang Jinshi, there would be a Jiang Jinjiu or a Jiang Jinba!

Endless righteous armies would rise up until Da Qian is overthrown!

This... is the will of the people!!!"

After Jiang Jinshi finished these words, he felt that this negotiation should be stable; at the very least, both sides shouldn't break out into war!

These words of his were actually somewhat sophistical; after all, before Wei Xikang came to Beijiang, the Imperial Court had been dragging its feet and not wanting to provide disaster relief, feeling that Beijiang was a burden.

So it was only a matter of time before things turned out like this, and it couldn't all be blamed on Wei Xikang.

Jiang Jinshi had just seen through Wei Xikang's character and used these words to put psychological pressure on him, making the subsequent negotiation easier.

Wei Xikang didn't respond for a long time; there were many loopholes in Jiang Jinshi's words, but one sentence stung his heart.

The fact that the Imperial Court was unable to protect the border, forcing the people to organize themselves, was an undeniable fact, and one he couldn't refute!

An unprecedented exhaustion and clarity surged into his heart at the same time; he had already made a decision before coming, he just wanted to see Jiang Jinshi's thoughts.

He couldn't hold this place anymore, whether it was Beijiang or this Zhenbei Army.

His pride and his status had become a joke in the face of his severed arm and crushing defeat.

Perhaps the one who could truly do something for the people was Jiang Jinshi, not him!

At the very least...

Jiang Jinshi was doing better than him!

Wei Xikang took a deep breath, the gloom in his eyes swept away, and his whole person became much more relaxed; he held up the tea bowl with one hand and stood up, becoming unprecedentedly solemn.

"There is no wine in the army; today, I, Wei Xikang, will use tea in place of wine to thank Chief Jiang for his righteous act of saving the people of Beijiang from fire and water."

Jiang Jinshi didn't decline, picked up his bowl, and drank it in one gulp.

Wei Xikang used his only remaining left hand to laboriously fill two bowls of tea.

"This second bowl is to thank Chief Jiang for retrieving my Uncle's remains, not letting him suffer the humiliation of the Xiongnu!"

Jiang Jinshi didn't speak after hearing this, drank it in one gulp again, and waited for Wei Xikang's next words.

"The third bowl, I want to ask Chief Jiang for one thing!"

"What thing?" Jiang Jinshi was surprised; for Wei Xikang, this Crown Prince, to use the word 'ask', could it be that he wanted him to assist him in ascending the throne?

That shouldn't be possible! Looking at Wei Xikang, he didn't seem to have such thick skin!

Wei Xikang's gaze fell on his empty right sleeve, and he laughed at himself: "Chief Jiang, you have seen it too; I am now a useless person.

This crushing defeat, Uncle dying for the country, and the casualties of the soldiers are immense.

I... have failed Uncle, failed the soldiers, and even more so, failed the people of Beijiang!"

Jiang Jinshi didn't speak, just listened quietly, suspecting that Wei Xikang was going to use a sob story to gain his sympathy.

"Although I am the Crown Prince, you must have heard of the situation in the court." Wei Xikang raised his eyes and looked at Jiang Jinshi, his gaze a bit sharper.

"My second younger brother, who is now sitting on the dragon throne, is probably not concerned with the gains or losses of Beijiang, but with when I will die here.

Reinforcements? There won't be any. Provisions and supplies? I'm afraid it will be difficult to sustain."

He paused, observing Jiang Jinshi's reaction; the other party remained calm, as if he had already known.

"This Zhenbei Army, following me, has only a dead end... either be swallowed by the Xiongnu, or... be consumed by our own people."

Wei Xikang's voice carried a trace of bitterness, "But they are the people of Beijiang; they shouldn't be buried here so worthlessly."

Jiang Jinshi finally heard the meaning in Wei Xikang's words and was somewhat surprised: "You want to hand over the Zhenbei Army to me?"

"Yes!"

Wei Xikang said decisively, staring intently at Jiang Jinshi, "This third bowl, I want to ask Chief Jiang to treat the soldiers well... they... have suffered too much!"

"Why me?"

Jiang Jinshi asked, "You know my background very well; if you hand over the Imperial Court's tiger-and-wolf army to a group of mountain bandits, aren't you afraid that future history books will be as hard as iron, denouncing Your Highness as muddle-headed?"

Jiang Jinshi had thought these words would make Wei Xikang hesitate, but unexpectedly, the other party's eyes became even more intense.

"Beijiang is filled with starving people, treacherous officials rule the court, and the Western Liang King has actively started a war!

The people will suffer from this war; if the people can be well-fed, well-clothed, and live in peace under Chief Jiang!

Then...

I, Da Qian Crown Prince Wei Xikang!

Am willing to let Da Qian die first!!!"

Jiang Jinshi looked at Wei Xikang in silence; he felt as if he had gotten to know the other party all over again, but then he thought, Wei Xikang had always been like this, he had never changed!

Jiang Jinshi raised his tea bowl but didn't drink, his eyes becoming deep, "Old Wei, do you know what this means?"

"I know!" Wei Xikang drank the tea in his bowl in one gulp.

"Repel the Xiongnu, integrate Beijiang, attack the Central Plains, recover Western Liang, return to the capital, purge the scholar-gentry—there are too many things I want to do, but I didn't expect to fall at the very first step!

The throne? I no longer have the heart or the strength! Wealth? It's all just passing smoke!"

Wei Xikang mocked himself: "I don't have this ability! It's better to entrust the world to someone who does!"

"No regrets?"

"A gentleman's word is his bond!"

Having received Wei Xikang's affirmative answer, Jiang Jinshi looked up and drank the tea in one gulp.

"The Zhenbei Army will follow me, and they won't be wronged!"

"I know!" Wei Xikang's tone softened, "I just don't know if you are still lacking a teacher?"

"I am! I'm planning to start an academy; how about I hand it over to you to manage?"

"Really?"

"A promise is a promise!"

Wei Xikang looked at Jiang Jinshi, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

There was the emptiness after handing over the burden, the confusion about the future, but more than that, it was a strange sense of relief.

He might be a failed Crown Prince, but at this final moment, he had made a decision that was perhaps correct.

"Chief Jiang!" Wei Xikang said finally, his tone unusually calm, "This land and its people... I entrust them to you!"

The weight of this sentence far exceeded any previous entrustment!

Jiang Jinshi looked deeply at Wei Xikang; he didn't promise anything, just cupped his hands solemnly in a salute.

Everything was understood without words!

Jiang Jinshi looked at Wei Xikang's empty right sleeve and suddenly said: "I cut off one of Adunla's arms, so that can be considered as having avenged you!"

"That was a bother for you, Chief Jiang!" Wei Xikang smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Since that's the case! Tomorrow you summon all the officers in the army to hand over the military power; you, as the Crown Prince, must personally come forward to settle the soldiers' hearts." Jiang Jinshi's expression was also very relaxed; he hadn't expected this negotiation to end with such a conclusion.

"I can do that!" Wei Xikang agreed.

After Wei Xikang left, Jiang Ze, Luo Feng, and the others returned to the main camp and asked impatiently: "Eldest Brother, what was the result of the discussion?"

Jiang Jinshi smiled mysteriously: "Go and plant the military flag!"