I'm a villain in the movies and TV series "All Heavens".

Chapter 33 The Song Dynasty is handed over to the general.

When Lu Xiufu arrived at Mofei's camp once again with Zhao Qi's decree.

Perhaps he had already roughly guessed that the Song Dynasty emperor Zhao Qi had given in.

While secretly delighted, Mo Fei was also somewhat curious about Lu Xiufu's mental state.

Compared to the sadness, confusion, and mixed feelings he had when he first came here, he is now completely different.

At this moment, Lu Xiufu's eyes sparkled with vitality, like the rising sun.

The two exchanged a brief glance, and after a moment, Mo Fei asked in confusion:
"Brother Lu, you look so radiant, have you brought me some good news?"

Lu Xiufu scrutinized Mo Fei for a moment before speaking in a long voice:
"Perhaps this is indeed a great joy for you, but for the Song Dynasty, it means the end of the country."

Before Mo Fei could ask a question, Lu Xiufu continued:

"The Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty has agreed that the gates of Jiankang City will be opened at noon tomorrow, and the Imperial Seal and the letter of surrender will be presented to General Dong in a formal surrender."

"Oh!"

Hearing Lu Xiufu's words, Mo Fei became even more puzzled.

"If that's the case, then why don't you seem at all dejected, Brother Lu? On the contrary, you seem to be in a very good mood."

Faced with Mo Fei's question, Lu Xiufu showed no embarrassment whatsoever, but instead replied calmly:

"The birth and death of all things in this world are preordained; as the saying goes, 'Do your best and leave the rest to fate.' Lady Xiu has done her best, but such is the will of Heaven; why should I grieve in vain?"

"Moreover, I also saw the hope I had been pursuing all my life, and the opportunity for the Central Plains to be reborn."

"Oh! What do you mean by that, Brother Lu?"

Lu Xiufu didn't keep them in suspense and directly stated his thoughts.

"The Song Dynasty in the past was indeed too corrupt, just as you said. A tree that has rotted to the roots cannot be saved no matter how much effort or resources you put in."

"But I was thinking, since it's already beyond repair, why not plant a new seed?"

"With careful nurturing, fertilization and watering, one day this seed will sprout and grow into a great tree that can protect the world."

Having heard Lu Xiufu speak to this point, Mo Fei's doubts were completely resolved, and he understood Lu Xiufu's intentions, but he did not interrupt him.

Seeing Mo Fei's expression, Lu Xiufu knew he understood, but he continued speaking:
"Now that General Dong has overthrown the old dynasty, with your strength, this thriving tree will have unlimited potential."

At this point, Lu Xiufu knelt on one knee before Mo Fei, looked him straight in the eye, and solemnly said:
"I, Lu, shamelessly hope that General Dong will allow me to join this great tree-planting cause and become a guardian of this new tree."

"Haha...! Good! What a good protector of the Way."

“Brother Lu is farsighted, learned, and courageous. Your joining us is like King Wen getting Jiang Shang. How could I not accept it?”

Mo Fei stood up and quickly walked to Lu Xiufu, helping him to his feet before happily saying:

"On behalf of the Dong family army, I welcome Brother Lu to join us. I will need Brother Lu to put in more effort to help us in the future."

……

When Lu Xiufu returned to Jiankang with Mo Fei's reply, the generals of Dong Jiajun began to cheer.

"General! Zhao Qi has truly surrendered?"

Cheng Lei was still somewhat dazed and couldn't help but ask Mo Fei again to confirm.

Xue Gang, standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and laughed as he scolded:
"Didn't you hear what the Song Dynasty envoy said just now?"

"Tomorrow at noon, in front of the main gate of Jiankang Prefecture, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty will personally surrender."

"Then wouldn't I, Lao Cheng, become a founding hero?"

"Haha... It's not just you, Lao Cheng, but me, Fan Gui too. I never thought I, Fan Gui, would become a founding hero one day."

The tent was filled with jubilation; it was likely that all the generals under his command were extremely excited.

Looking at these generals who had fought alongside him to conquer the world, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Just then, the system notification sounded in Mo Fei's mind again. "Ding! Congratulations to the host for subduing Lu Xiufu, one of the three heroes of the Southern Song Dynasty. Reward: 5 Counterattack Points."

"what!"

Mo Fei was immediately surprised. Could it be that recruiting talents could also earn him comeback points?
"Of course! The allegiance of a promising historical figure will greatly help the host's great cause of revenge."

"Lu Xiufu! The Prime Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, he was outstanding in military strategy and governance, and he also had the added advantage of historical knowledge."

This will greatly assist the host in their ultimate mission within the Tai Chi world.

"Is that so? Then I understand."

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was almost noon the next day.

At this moment, outside the Health Mansion, nearly 100,000 troops of the Dong family army had gathered in front of the main gate of the Health Mansion.

The nearly 100,000-strong army was uniformly dressed in red and blue battle robes. When they were lined up in neat formation, there was not a sound.

Such a military formation enveloped the area in front of the Health Preservation Mansion with a strong sense of solemnity and impending doom.

Even the birds avoided this area.

Not far from the main gate of Jiankang Prefecture, the surrender platform had already been set up, and the tall city gate of Jiankang Prefecture slowly opened.

Emperor Zhao Qi of the Song Dynasty, holding the imperial seal, led his civil and military officials out slowly from the Jiankang Mansion.

A eunuch beside him carried a tray with the official letter on it, and together they walked to the surrender platform.

Perhaps he had already changed into a set of exquisite, gleaming armor. Shining brightly in the midday sun, he appeared to Zhao Qi like a god descending to earth.

His handsome face was now solemn and dignified, and his cloak fluttered in the wind behind him.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the Song Dynasty officials accepting the surrender, Lu Xiufu stepped out of the ranks and walked to the surrender platform, loudly proclaiming:

"Emperor Zhao Qi of the Great Song Dynasty presents the Imperial Seal and Imperial Edict to General Dong Tianbao, Commander of the Dong Family Army, today."

Looking at Lu Xiufu, whose figure was straight and upright like a pine tree, his transformation into his new identity was extremely natural.

The Southern Song officials who accepted the surrender were shocked and couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Didn't we agree to fall together? You've already escaped and taken over, while we're stuck here surrendering in misery. Where is the most basic trust between people?"

Although Zhao Qi was equally shocked and heartbroken, he was now at the mercy of others and had no choice but to suppress his emotions. Holding the imperial seal, he bowed deeply and knelt on the ground, loudly proclaiming to Mo Fei in shame:
"During the reign of Emperor Zhao Qi of the Great Song Dynasty, the people suffered greatly, with no clothes to cover their bodies and no food to fill their stomachs."

When foreign invaders attacked, our resistance failed, leading to the repeated loss of cities and territories, the loss of our land, and the ruin of our nation. Today, I deeply feel that my virtue is unworthy of my position and my sins are grave. I voluntarily surrender to General Dong, hoping that General Dong will turn the tide and save the people from their suffering.

Having said this, Zhao Qi glanced longingly at the Imperial Seal of the State he held in his hands, then finally steeled himself and continued:

"Today, I, Zhao Qi, hand over this Imperial Seal, which represents the destiny of the Great Song Dynasty, to General Dong. May you, General, in the future, be awe-inspiring overseas, protect all people, and promote the prestige of our Celestial Dynasty."

Perhaps this was also the first time he had experienced something like this. He forced down his panic and stepped forward.

He took the Imperial Seal from Zhao Qi and then picked up the Imperial Letter from the tray held by the eunuch beside him.

Addressing the kneeling Song emperor and his officials, he said:

"Since you have already realized your mistakes, you have now voluntarily surrendered, thus avoiding a bloody war. This has done a good deed for the Han people and preserved a bit of vitality for our Central Plains."

"I, Dong Tianbao, have decided not to hold your past mistakes against you. I will have someone investigate and verify them later."

If any of you possess genuine talent and skills, I will select the best candidates.

But if there are truly heinous criminals, don't blame me for being ruthless in upholding the law.

Mo Fei's words brought a sigh of relief to most of the audience, while also making a few people turn pale.

"As for you, Zhao Qi, I will allocate an area in the palace for you to settle your family and relatives."

As long as you behave yourself from now on, I, Dong Tianbao, will keep my word and guarantee you a life of luxury and prosperity.

(End of this chapter)