Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 248 Hob Meat

The next day, Chen Puwen was finally summoned by Lu Jin when he entered the central hall of the Marshal's Mansion for the second time.

In the central hall, Lu Jin sat at the top. On the racks on the left and right were two sets of armor, one was a straight iron armor with fish scales and a bright pattern, and the other was a dark armor with yellow satin and python patterns. On the table behind him were an eight-sided Han sword and a carved lacquer bow. On the weapon rack next to him was a Fang Tian Huaji more than ten feet long.

Chen Puwen's eyelids twitched as he looked at the yellow satin armor with python patterns. Seeing that he looked strange, Lu Jin looked back at the armor following his gaze and immediately laughed.

"I heard that four claws are pythons, and five claws are dragons. Now all the soldiers in the army are wearing armor. As the commander of the entire army, it is not presumptuous for me to make a set of python-patterned armor, right?"

Chen Puwen was stunned when he heard this. He immediately thought that Lu Jin was hinting at him. Was he making a hidden offer? Was he testing whether he could wear a dragon robe in the future?
So Chen Puwen said quickly, "It is not presumptuous. With the Marshal's military achievements and military power, this honor is well deserved."

What Chen Puwen said is also very intriguing. Who can judge Lu Jin's military achievements? Who gave him this honor?

This means that if you want to obtain such a status, you must first submit to Xu Song. With the territories you have conquered and the army you have, you deserve to wear a dragon robe, but the prerequisite is that you must submit first.

However, Lu Jin did not respond to his words, but sneered, "Haha, even if it is an act of usurpation, so what? Can the Tartar emperor of Dadu come and chop me up?"

In one sentence, Chen Puwen turned his vassal relationship with Xu Song into a hostile relationship with the Yuan court, and he did not admit that he was a vassal of Xu Song at all.

This rhetoric once again stunned Chen Puwen, who thought to himself that Lu Jin was indeed cunning and clever, and was definitely not an easy person to deal with.

"Come here, please take a seat and serve tea, sir, please take a seat."

"Thank you, Marshal."

After the guards brought the tea, Lu Jin invited Chen Puwen to sit down. He picked up the tea bowl and took a sip before speaking.

"The production of Tuan tea in the early Song Dynasty was time-consuming and laborious. Tea farmers had to work hard, which was quite cruel and harmful to the people. Moreover, Tuan tea was not delicious. The dignitaries also enjoyed competing in tea-making. It looked colorful, but tasted bland and had lost its true taste.

"But this roasted bud tea is different. It is easy to make and has a large output. The tea soup is golden and attractive. It leaves a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth, and the aftertaste is long. It has a sense of simplicity and returning to nature.

"I don't like extravagance, I only like practicality, so I stopped making round tea and now only make stir-fried tea. This is the yellow bud tea produced in Huoshan. Sir, you just came from there. I wonder if this tea soup is tasty?"

Chen Puwen took a sip and said hurriedly, "I've heard that the Marshal is kind and righteous and loves the people. Today I see that what he said is true. This yellow bud tea is indeed more delicious. It is indeed a practical thing, just like the four-wheeled carriage and the cloth armor, which are practical tools that benefit the country and the people."

"Haha, these are just trifles, not worth mentioning." Lu Jin waved his hands modestly.

Chen Puwen said, "I don't agree with what you said, Marshal. How can this be considered as a small thing? I think this is great wisdom. You save money and avoid extravagance, which is frugality; you care about the suffering of the people, which is benevolence; you raise an army to resist the tyranny of the Yuan Dynasty, which is courage; you do not make enemies with other rebel armies, which is righteousness; you have a palace but do not live there, which is wisdom. Frugality, benevolence, righteousness, courage and wisdom, how many people in the world can have these five virtues? You are too modest."

Lu Jin sneered in his heart when he heard this. What Chen Puwen said before was all nonsense. The last sentence that he could not live in the palace was said to be smart. This was a subtle hint at him, meaning that it was the smartest decision for Lu Jin not to declare himself king, suggesting that he should surrender as soon as possible.

But Lu Jin still didn't take the bait and simply said, "Haha, I'm not your lord, so don't say these flattering words to me. I'm not as good as you say. Since you are an envoy from Song State, then tell me, what do you want to see me this time?"

Seeing Lu Jin coming straight to the point, Chen Puwen straightened his posture and said, "Of course I'm here because of the last incident. His Majesty the Emperor wants to recruit you, the Marshal. I wonder what you think about it?"

"Haha." Lu Jin sneered at the words, "Sir, you have the nerve to ask me how I think about it? Shouldn't I be the one asking you this? The Emperor of Song wants me to surrender, but he doesn't show any sincerity. Instead, he deliberately wants to harm me and humiliate me. Is this your sincerity? Now you are turning the tables and asking me about it?"

Chen Puwen immediately frowned and said, "When did we want to harm the Marshal and humiliate him? I don't know where this comes from. Is there any misunderstanding between us?"

With a bang, Lu Jin immediately slammed the table and stood up, angrily saying, "Misunderstanding? I have a territory of thousands of miles, dozens of cities, 100,000 soldiers, 10,000 cavalry, and thousands of naval warships under my command. You, a mere official, want to send me away? Are you sending away a beggar? Or is this the only reward for such military exploits in your Song State? Isn't this a humiliation?

"It's okay to be a Guan Gou, but you also appointed a Bianliang Guan Gou. Doesn't your country have a map? Do you want me to give you one? I'm in Luzhou, and Bianliang is a hundred thousand miles away from me. It's also in Liu Futong's territory. How can I take office?

"You just said that I did not make enemies with other rebels, and that this was righteousness, but your country deliberately sealed me off in the land of other rebels. Isn't this putting me in an unjust position? Isn't this harming me?
"Humph, you actually have the nerve to ask me what I think. Last time, I didn't kill Yang Puxiong with a single blow, because we were both righteous men and I was concerned about the overall situation of the world's anti-Yuan movement."

Lu Jin got angry and then returned to his seat, but Chen Puwen was stunned by these words. He didn't expect Lu Jin to understand it this way. But, well, actually from Lu Jin's perspective, this understanding is not wrong.

Before Chen Puwen set out, Xu Shouhui repeatedly warned him not to offend Lu Jin. Even if the talks failed this time, he had to build a good relationship to leave room for future appeasement, so he hurriedly explained.

"Then you really misunderstood, Marshal. This is absolutely not our country's intention to harm you. Please allow me to explain."

"Oh, then go ahead and tell me what you can come up with."

Chen Puwen immediately stood up and said, "Last time, when we gave the Marshal the title of Guan Gou, it was indeed our country's lack of consideration. In addition, we did not understand the situation on the Marshal's side, so the position was a little low. We acknowledge this, but it was definitely not our intention to humiliate the Marshal. Last time, Yang Puxiong learned about the specific situation on the Marshal's side and reported it to His Majesty the Emperor, and His Majesty immediately gave him a new reward.

"As for the matter of being enfeoffed in Bianliang, that is all a misunderstanding. Our country has absolutely no intention of harming the Marshal, let alone putting you in an unjust position. Now the world is fighting against the Yuan Dynasty and restoring the Song Dynasty, and righteous armies are rising up everywhere. Our country is called Song, and Bianliang is the capital of the former Song Dynasty. The army of our Song Dynasty is now located in Jiangxi and Huguang, and the Marshal is the closest to the north.

"Your Majesty has appointed the Marshal in Bianliang. This has two meanings. First, it is naturally hoped that the Marshal can recover the old capital and return the power to Bianliang in the future. This is an unprecedented achievement and is your Majesty's expectation for the Marshal. Secondly, your Majesty did not force the Marshal to conquer Bianjing now. He just hopes to use the name of Bianliang to boost the morale of the anti-Yuan righteous soldiers and civilians in the world and call on more people to stand up and resist the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty. There is absolutely no intention to instigate the Marshal to fight Liu Futong."

"Humph, you're good at making excuses."

Lu Jin snorted coldly and retorted, "But regardless of your original intention, I don't know whether enfeoffing me in Bianliang will boost the morale of the army and the people, but it will definitely provoke Liu Futong's dissatisfaction. If I annoy him, he will think that I have some intentions towards Bianliang and fight with me.

"At this time, the violent Yuan Dynasty has not yet been destroyed, and the righteous army has taken the lead in internal strife. Isn't this just to make relatives sad and enemies happy?

"I don't know what you are thinking, but I don't mind speculating on you with the most vicious thoughts. If I provoke a fight between Liu Futong and me, what good will it bring to you? I'm afraid the biggest benefit is that Liu Futong and I will fight each other, and you will reap the benefits, right?" Chen Puwen's eyes widened when he heard it, and he waved his hands repeatedly, "General, calm down, our country has no such intention!"

"Hmph, don't talk so nicely. I don't like extravagance, and I don't like sweet words. I only care about the real things. I will guess how you do things. If you didn't seal me in Bianliang, I wouldn't have thought of this place. But you did it anyway, so don't blame others for how they understand it. I can't see the morale of the army and the people you are talking about, but this move will definitely annoy Liu Futong. I'm not stupid."

Chen Puwen was also annoyed. He didn't know about the last mission to Luzhou, otherwise he would definitely not support it. Now, he has to clean up the mess for Yang Puxiong and others and give Lu Jinfeng the power to manage Bianliang. Who came up with this wicked idea?
Seeing Lu Jin getting angry, Chen Puwen could only remedy the situation by saying, "Don't be upset, Marshal. The last time we sealed the Bianliang Guan Gou, it was indeed our country's inconsideration, but that was also due to unfamiliarity. As for the instigation, it was all a misunderstanding.

"To show my sincerity this time, I am sending a message to the Marshal on His Majesty's orders. As long as the Marshal is willing to bring his troops to surrender, His Majesty can appoint the Marshal as the Minister of State of Huaixi Province, and allow the Marshal to open a government office. The civil and military officials under the Marshal can also be appointed as the left and right prime ministers of Huaixi Province, and the rest of the Marshal's officials can also be appointed as provincial councilors. The Marshal can select four generals under his command and appoint them as military marshals. Other generals will also be rewarded, and county magistrates and prefects will also be employed in their original positions. What do you think?"

After Chen Puwen finished speaking, he stared at Lu Jin without blinking, wanting to see his reaction. However, Lu Jin picked up the tea and took a sip without showing any surprise or joy, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.

In fact, Lu Jin was actually using drinking tea to hide his inner surprise.

"Fuck, it seems that Xu Song really came prepared this time. Not only did he investigate his administrative system, he also knew that he had four generals under his command. This time, in order to win over me, or to win over his 100,000 troops, he made full preparations. Even Li Shanchang, Feng Guoyong and others were rewarded, and even the county magistrates, prefects and officials of the general's office were arranged. It can be said that it was very thorough."

It's a pity that Lu Jin never thought of joining Xu Song. He used to call Xu Song a demon cult and mocked them for combining politics and religion to create the Lotus Province. If he joined them now, what would happen?

Moreover, even if he pretended to surrender, it would not work, because this matter must not be told to everyone. Even if he pretended to surrender, only a small group of close confidants would know about it. But if so, how would the people below look at him? If he really surrendered, the team would be dispersed.

It's just that it's hard for him to refuse the conditions offered by the other party, so he has to come up with a better excuse.

"Commander?"

Seeing that Lu Jin didn't respond for a long time, Chen Puwen asked again tentatively.

Lu Jin put down the tea bowl and said indifferently, "What else?"

Chen Puwen was puzzled, "What else?"

"Is this the only sincerity you're talking about?" Lu Jin said with a sarcastic smile.

"Forehead"

Chen Puwen cursed inwardly, this Lu Jin was indeed difficult to deal with. However, this was similar to what he had guessed before he came. After all, they had more than 100,000 soldiers and so many cities. If he wanted them to just hand them over without giving him some real evidence, he would probably not be able to reach an agreement.

After a little hesitation, Chen Puwen said this.

"I wonder what the Marshal is talking about?"

"What do you think?" Lu Jin hadn't actually thought of a solution yet, so he could only evade the question.

Chen Puwen thought for a moment, then looked around and found that there was no one else besides the guards at the door. Then he said, "To be honest, Marshal, the Emperor did write you a personal letter. Everything you've been thinking about is in this letter. Please read it yourself."

As he spoke, Chen Puwen took out the letter from his arms. Lu Jin took it with a puzzled look on his face, opened it and read it quickly.

When Lu Jin saw the letter saying that Xu Shouhui was willing to promise him the title of Duke, he immediately laughed. Chen Puwen had been staring at Lu Jin's expression, wanting to see how Lu Jin would react after seeing the Duke's promise, but now...
Lu Jin did smile, but that smile did not seem to express joy. Instead, it contained a hint of sarcasm and disdain.

Chen Puwen frowned immediately. What does this mean? Could it be that this person doesn't even look down on the Duke, and still wants to be crowned a king? Or, does this person have the ambition to fight for the world? !

Lu Jin did not notice Chen Puwen's little action, he was still reading the content of the letter. There was not much content in Xu Shouhui's letter, except for the previous greetings, there were two main contents. He promised to confer the title of Duke on Lu Jin, which could be inherited by his descendants. He could choose the title of Duke of Qi, Duke of Lu, or Duke of Chu, or he could name one if Lu Jin didn't like it. But there was a condition. The founding team of Xu Song had not been given any title yet. If Lu Jin was given the title now, the others would inevitably be dissatisfied. Therefore, they had to wait until the future when they conferred titles on meritorious officials before they could give Lu Jin the title.

The second thing was to mention the death of Zhao Pusheng and the possibility that Peng Yingyu had a grudge against him. Xu Shouhui said that he believed that Zhao Pusheng's death had absolutely nothing to do with Lu Jin. If Lu Jin was targeted by Peng Yingyu in the future, Xu Shouhui would definitely protect him.

Lu Jin didn't know whether he could protect him, but he thought this was a perfect reason to refuse.

Therefore, when Lu Jin saw the back, he also frowned and shook the letter in his hand pretending to be puzzled, "Sir, do you know the content of this letter?"

Chen Puwen immediately said, "I haven't read the letter, but I do know a little about what is written in it."

Lu Jin immediately said, "Then I'm afraid I can't agree to this surrender."

Chen Puwen suddenly became anxious. Although Lu Jin had been picky before, he had never refused so directly. But why did he suddenly refuse after reading the letter?

"I wonder what else the Marshal is worried about, or is he still not satisfied with what is said in the letter?"

Lu Jin shook his head and asked, "It's not about the conditions, but your country's military advisor. When did I have a grudge against him? How did his apprentice Zhao Pusheng die? What does it have to do with me?"

"I haven't even surrendered yet, but I've already been hated by them. Your military advisor is in a high position with many disciples and followers leading many troops. If he wants to deal with me, how can I still be alive? And there is the promise made by your emperor in the letter. If military advisor Peng insists on stopping me, can your emperor really fulfill what he said in the letter?

"Besides, if you ask me to hand over 100,000 soldiers just based on this letter, then this letter will become a death warrant. If there are treacherous people in your country who make slanderous remarks, I'm afraid that both the letter and the people will be destroyed. I think you can save the title. After all, I've seen people repay kindness with hatred."

"Uh" Chen Puwen suddenly felt numb. He felt that things here might be more troublesome than he thought.

(End of this chapter)