Chapter 1384 - 337: Old Bastard (Part 4)

Chapter 1384: Chapter 337: Old Bastard (Part 4)

The old man who should have been standing on the bronze chariot is no longer there.

Everyone knows in their hearts what he has gone to do;

Right now, the Chu people are holding on, waiting for Zhuguai to return after negotiations;

The Yan people are also forcing themselves to endure fatigue, waiting for orders from their lord.

After passing through the Yan Army soldiers, Shi Yuantang, alone, finally boarded Lord Zheng’s command chariot.

Shi Yuantang saw Lord Zheng sitting in the command seat,

His golden armor was covered in bloodstains, his face flushed, showing no signs of fatigue after the battle, but rather an uncontrollable excitement.

A young man,

A young man indeed,

Full of vigor and spirit.

Shi Yuantang sighed, envying the young Lord Yan’s energy, such a general might eventually fail, but before failure, who knows how many opponents will fall to his blade.

He himself might be one of them.

Shi Yuantang did not bow; he was the Chu Zhuguai, maintaining his dignity and would not deliberately bend even in such circumstances.

But he still smiled,

Raised his hand towards Lord Zheng,

And said:

"Greetings... Prince Consort."

The Chu people liked to refer to Lord Zheng as "Prince Consort," especially those defeated by him.

Perhaps, this title could make them seem like "one of their own," reducing the embarrassment of being from opposing nations.

Lord Zheng, under the influence of the drug, was still "in high spirits,"

He slightly bowed his head, supported his chin with one hand, gently stroking the beard he had neglected to trim recently,

And said:

"Zhuguai?"

"I am Chu’s Zhuguai, Shi Yuantang."

Lord Zheng raised his other hand, not wanting too much courtesy or self-introduction, and straightforwardly said:

"Surrender?"

Shi Yuantang nodded and said: "I have lost, please grant a path of survival for these soldiers, Lord Zheng."

Lord Zheng blinked,

Pointed at Shi Yuantang,

And said:

"Since you know you’ve lost, why not kneel? A defeated general should behave like one."

"I am old, hoping..."

"Want to maintain dignity?"

Under the excitement, Lord Zheng was quick to answer.

"Yes."

"Dignity is granted by me, not demanded from me, I will not give you this dignity, you almost killed me earlier;

And many of my soldiers have died in battle prior.

Sorry,

I cannot give you dignity,

Kneel."

"Lord Zheng, warriors can be killed but not humiliated; in fact, I have no intention of living, please, Lord, for one who is dying..."

"Count to three; if you do not kneel, all Chu captives will be killed without exception today!"

"Three."

"Two."

"Greet Lord Pingye."

Shi Yuantang knelt in front of Lord Zheng, without any look of grievance or resentment, but rather, he was smiling, like an elder looking at a mischievous younger generation.

His smile made Lord Zheng feel a fit of agitation.

Shi Yuantang then said; "Lord Zheng, you rushed into this battle too hastily; in my view, withdrawing your troops would’ve been the most prudent choice at the time."

"Are you teaching me how to fight?" Lord Zheng seemed to have heard something absurd, pointing at Shi Yuantang, "A defeated general who just lost to me, now kneeling before me, wants to be my teacher?"

A Ming lowered his head, looking at the medicine bottle in his hand, hmm, the effect was surprisingly strong, my lord is practically floating.

Meanwhile, the Sword Saint, sitting cross-legged to recover his energy, glanced several times at Lord Zheng, knowing that normally, Lord Zheng was quite adept in his dealings, behaving appropriately, striking when needed, yet managing to keep it tactful. In the past, he would not have been so aggressive toward a defeated general.

Seeing Lord Zheng’s bloodshot eyes, the Sword Saint could only shake his head slightly;

Thank goodness this medicine was concocted by Xue Three, unlike the so-called Five-rock powder, with ingredients to mitigate the potency; otherwise, a stronger dose could make Lord Zheng, akin to the exuberant scholars of the Qian State, shed his armor and joyously run naked through the armies, feeling the wind across his body.

As for Lord Zheng himself, he didn’t feel too abnormal, just overly excited and a bit dizzy, dismissing the need for diplomacy in his speech and actions.

Shi Yuantang shook his head and said: "What needs to be said must be said, you are young and successful, you should learn restraint and composure, just like Tian Wujing, invincible on the battlefield, but off the battlefield, does he ever truly ignite unnecessary fires?

The reason I knelt is, firstly for my soldiers, pleading for a chance at life, and secondly for myself, securing an opportunity to speak with you."

Lord Zheng tapped his fingers on the armrest of the command seat,

And said:

"Alright, speak."

"In this battle, I lost for three reasons:

Firstly, my cavalry was limited, used to constrain the cavalry you positioned at the flanks of the city gates, leaving no room for maneuver, essentially a one-off plan;

Secondly, it was evident that your soldiers weren’t skilled in infantry tactics, or at least not accustomed to formation battles, nonetheless incredibly brave, willing to fight and die, especially under your advance, managing to hold, withstand, and even resist when pressured by my Chu army formations.