Great Ming, the Forbidden City.
In the Imperial Study, the Emperor of Great Ming was listening to Wei Jinzhong report on dispatches from the front.
"Your Majesty, our two newly added garrisons entered the Song Kingdom and swept through like a blade splitting bamboo. The rebels there surrendered at the mere news of our arrival and readily accepted our amnesty. Those two garrisons have already absorbed four hundred thousand Song troops."
"If not for that old fellow named Zhuge Zhengwo, we could have conquered it long ago."
"Duke Cheng has trapped the Song Kingdom's last two hundred thousand troops in the Southwest. To avoid further casualties, he is offering amnesty to those remaining men."
"We expect news of victory to arrive within ten days."
Wei Jinzhong left one thing unsaid. Cheng Shifei had only surrounded them rather than attacking with his superior numbers because neither he nor Great Ming's other generals were a match for Zhuge Zhengwo.
Several other disciples of the Free and Unfettered Gate had also joined Zhuge Zhengwo. Only by serving as commanders had they kept the last two hundred thousand Song soldiers from collapsing.
Fortunately, Zhuge Zhengwo had not gone to assassinate Great Ming's generals either, or victory would not have been so easy.
It must have been because Zhuge Zhengwo dared not act, afraid of angering the Imperial Preceptor.
If the Imperial Preceptor intervened, not only Zhuge Zhengwo but everyone in the Free and Unfettered Gate would be wiped out.
"This old servant offers his congratulations in advance to Your Majesty and Great Ming. Once the Song Kingdom is destroyed, Great Ming's territory will expand by another third, and its population will increase by a third as well."
"Tubo has now submitted a memorial pledging allegiance too. When the time comes, we need only destroy