"Hmph, he's quite a clever one!"
Not far away, Lin Yi heard his words and couldn't help but sneer. This guy made the right choice.
He glanced at Xu You beside him and smiled, "Minister Xu, let them deliver the official letter directly. From now on, these small countries in the southwest will cease to exist. They can enter the court to serve as officials or enjoy certain privileges."
You can decide the specifics yourselves; don't bother me anymore!
If it weren't for seeing Huo Guang and how he single-handedly dealt with the southwestern barbarians, I wouldn't have come today. After all, these small countries are basically powerless to resist, and there's no need to waste more energy on them.
If they remain obstinate, Sima Yi could simply issue an order and wipe them out.
Moreover, the key reason for coming here today is certainly not them.
"I obey your decree!"
Xu You couldn't help but smile. These guys had finally realized the difference in skill level, which saved him some trouble.
Upon hearing Lin Yi's order, he happily ran over with Xu Chu beside him, finally able to have some peace and quiet.
Watching his retreating figure, Lin Yi smiled slightly and said softly, "Those who understand the times are wise. Why didn't you realize this back then, Brother Nan?"
Standing in the direction Xu You just left were Nan Ke and his son, along with their mortal enemy Zan Rihong!
At this moment, the father and son had complicated expressions as they looked at the southwestern tribesmen being fought one by one. They felt a sense of shared suffering, realizing that they were all lambs to the slaughter.
Hearing Lin Yi's words, a bitter smile flashed in Nan Ke's eyes. He sighed and said, "Your Majesty, I am already a prisoner, my life and death are in Your Majesty's hands! Nan Ke does not seek to live, but only asks Your Majesty to treat the people of Zhennan kindly. This is Nan Ke's last request!"
Since entering Yong'an City, Lin Yi had not summoned him for several days, which made him very uneasy, as he was certain that disaster was imminent.
Now that the emperor had suddenly arrived, his heart felt even heavier.
His opponent was younger than he had imagined, and his eyes were filled with domineering arrogance. His confidence in conquering the All Under Heaven made him dare not look directly at the emperor of Great Liang.
He was now a prisoner, while the other party remained high and mighty!
Now that Lin Yi had made him watch this challenge, his spirits sank even lower; this was clearly a warning to others.
Whether he and his son would survive probably depended on this one thought.
"He certainly doesn't lack the aura of a king!"
Seeing Nan Ke's reaction, Lin Yi nodded slightly, acknowledging Nan Ke as a fellow traveler.
Whether he was faking it or not, the fact that he could say those words at the end means he didn't disgrace his former status as the Zhennan Nation.
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your life or death is of little consequence. As long as you know what's good for you, I'll grant you a peaceful old age, no problem at all!"
Now the Zhennan Dynasty has become the Southern Liang. With Zhang Juzheng's land reforms, it is enough to break the original pattern of Zhennan. In addition, all the major families have entered the Southern Liang and are laying out their plans. The Zhennan Dynasty is destined to disappear into the long river of history.
At this point, whether or not to keep Nan Ke alive is not a big issue, so there is no need to kill him.
Forehead!
Upon hearing this, Nan Ke couldn't help but smile bitterly. Although he felt good to be alive, being looked down upon filled him with mixed emotions.
He couldn't help but mutter, "Sigh, am I not a threat at all?"
At this moment, he felt like a complete failure, utterly ignored by Lin Yi, which was why he was alive—it was truly a tragedy.
Nan Yiming's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything, and finally chose to remain silent.
He knew in his heart that this was no longer something he and his son could control; their lives or deaths depended on the other party's word.
"What a pity!"
Zan Rihong's eyes flickered, a hint of disappointment in his heart. He really wanted Nan Ke to be executed!
After all, he had caused the death of Nan Ke's son and betrayed him, which was an irreconcilable feud. Keeping this father and son alive would only pose a threat sooner or later.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He cautiously looked up and saw Lin Yi looking at him with a half-smile, which made Zan Rihong's heart skip a beat.
"Your Majesty, I, the guilty subject Zan Rihong, pay my respects!" he said, forcing himself to speak.
Lin Yi nodded slightly. This guy was quite interesting; at least he had a lot of guts. No wonder he dared to hold the emperor hostage and control the government of the Zhennan Dynasty.
Zan Rihong was clearly emotionally affected when he didn't kill Nan Ke earlier.
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Looks like you're disappointed that I didn't kill Nan Ke?"
ah?
Zan Rihong's face stiffened, and she immediately tensed up.
He knew in his heart that his situation was undoubtedly the most dangerous, after all, he was essentially the villain. First he betrayed Nan Ke, and then he chose to surrender. Such a person was undoubtedly disliked.
If the Emperor of Great Liang displeases me, I will be doomed.
He gritted his teeth and said, "This humble subject dares not! Nan Ke is the Emperor's prisoner; his life and death are entirely in the Emperor's hands!"
"Haha, you're so nonchalant!"
Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh. This guy didn't deny his desire for Nan Ke to die, but instead started flattering him.
However, such people are somewhat lacking in loyalty, and if they don't offer enough value, they shouldn't be kept around. After all, they might betray Nan Ke today, but they could betray me tomorrow.
"So here's the question, Zan Rihong, how do you think I will deal with you?"
Forehead!
Upon hearing this, Zan Rihong broke out in a cold sweat.
Although he later surrendered the city and brought many people under his control, greatly reducing the workload of Great Liang, the problem was that he didn't know what the emperor was thinking.
If the emperor were to decide to kill me at any moment, that would be a real problem.
With gritted teeth, he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has important information to tell you, enough to demonstrate my loyalty!"
Important intelligence?
Upon hearing this, Lin Yi was taken aback. This guy had already brought up quite a few wealthy people from Zhennan; did he possibly have such a list as well?
He asked curiously, "What intelligence? Tell me about it."
"His Majesty!"
"As a minister of Zhennan, I once obtained a sea chart that clearly recorded this continent, as well as information about other continents," Zan Rihong said in a deep voice.
"Other continents!"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up. This guy actually knew about other continents; this was an unexpected surprise.
This makes sense, though, since the Zhennan Dynasty used to be the dominant power in the South Sea, so it's normal for them to have some information. It's just that they don't know what the specific information is.
Although he was defeated by himself, he still managed to maintain his composure and did not kneel down to beg for mercy.