vstars Chapter 2321 Is 1 a lie?
Chapter 2321 Is 1 a lie?
The four words "extermination of nine generations" were like a thunderclap, shaking everyone's hearts and shattering their courage!
Those black-armored soldiers could no longer hold back.
They looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.
Some people's knives and guns were already trembling.
Some people have already begun to quietly take steps backward.
Some people have even begun to secretly observe their comrades around them, to see if anyone will take the lead in surrendering.
No one made a move.
No one dared to take a step forward at this moment.
Chu Yun stood in the crowd, looking at the soldiers who had once obeyed him without question, now cowering in fear, and felt an endless surge of anger and despair.
He suddenly drew his sword, pointed it at the soldiers, and roared angrily:
"You! You ungrateful wretches! I have treated you well! How dare you... how dare you..."
His voice grew weaker and weaker, because he knew that his roars were no longer effective.
The fear of death has completely overwhelmed the so-called "gratitude".
In the eyes of these soldiers, he was now just a defeated traitor, a clown about to be crushed.
Just then, a sharp and frantic voice suddenly rang out:
"Don't listen to him! Don't listen to anyone!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lü Xiuwen, the Minister of Personnel who was the first to betray Chu Ning and the first to defect to Chu Yun.
At this moment, his face was contorted with rage, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was howling madly like a trapped beast.
"Do you think you can live by surrendering?! Do you think Chu Ning will spare your families?"
Lü Xiuwen's voice was sharp and piercing, carrying a desperate madness:
"He is the emperor! He is Chu Ning! What he hates most is betrayal! You betrayed him, how could he possibly let your families go?"
"He said he wouldn't punish your entire family, but that's a lie! It's a trick to make you give up your resistance!"
He suddenly rushed to a hesitant soldier, grabbed him by the shoulder, and shook him frantically:
"Don't be fooled by him! Just kill him! Just kill Chu Ning! Then everything will be over!"
"Prince Yun is the emperor! The White Horse Cavalry, seeing that the emperor is dead, can only obey Prince Yun!"
"In that time, not only will you not die, but you will also be promoted and your wives and children will be granted titles and honors! Make your move now! There's still time! There's still time!"
His voice, sharp and frantic, echoed across the plains.
His crazy words made the soldiers, who had already begun to waver, hesitate again.
Yes, is what Chu Ning said true?
Can he really avoid implicating his entire family?
What if he's lying?
What if surrendering means certain death, and your family will die too?
We might as well take a gamble!
Kill Chu Ning! Perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope!
Suddenly, the atmosphere at the scene became tense.
The black-armored soldiers, who had already begun to retreat, slowly stopped.
They gripped their swords and spears tightly, their gazes shifting back and forth between Chu Ning inside the shield wall and the approaching white horse cavalry in the distance.
Fear, hesitation, struggle, madness—countless complex emotions flashed across their faces.
The ministers standing behind Chu Yun held their breath, staring intently at the black-armored soldiers.
Their fate was now entirely in the hands of these soldiers.
If these soldiers choose to surrender, these traitors will surely die.
If these soldiers choose to fight to the death and kill Chu Ning, they can survive and even be promoted!
All eyes, all hopes, all fears were focused on those black-armored soldiers, awaiting their final decision.
Chu Ning remained standing there, motionless.
His gaze was calm as still water, as if everything was under his control.
He simply looked calmly at the black-armored soldiers, waiting for their choice.
In Chu Yun's eyes burned a final madness and hope.
He gripped his sword tightly, staring intently at the soldiers, awaiting their final decision.
In the distance, the sound of the white horse cavalry's hooves grew closer and closer, shaking the ground and making everyone's heart tremble.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The black-armored soldiers remained standing there, motionless.
Their faces were full of struggle and hesitation.
They held knives and guns tightly in their hands, but did not know who to point them at.
Their decision will determine the fate of everyone present.
At this critical moment, when life and death hung by a thread, two aged yet resolute voices rang out almost simultaneously—
"My lords! Heed my words!"
"Put down your weapons! Leave a way out for your families!"
Liu Shouren, Minister of Revenue, and Deng Hongwen, Minister of Rites, were two important cabinet ministers.
At this moment, disregarding their own safety, they all stepped forward and stood at the edge of the shield wall, facing the thousands of hesitant black-armored rebels.
Although Liu Shouren was over sixty years old, he stood up straight and spoke with a booming voice.
He raised his hand, pointing to the soldiers, his voice filled with endless sorrow and earnestness:
"I have served in the Ministry of Revenue for many years and have handled countless military pay and provisions. I know all too well the hardships you soldiers endure!"
"Most of you come from humble backgrounds. You join the army and get paid, just to support your families and ensure that your wives, children, and elderly parents have enough to eat!"
"You are not traitors born to rebel! You are innocent people who have been deceived and coerced by Chu Yun!"
His eyes reddened, and his voice trembled slightly: "I too came from a poor family in Bingzhou!"
"I know that your families are probably at home right now, anxiously waiting for your safe return!"
"Your parents, your wives and children, they don't expect you to get promoted or become rich, they only hope that you can come home alive!"
"If you remain obstinate and continue to resist Chu Yun to the bitter end, what will happen to your families when the White Horse Cavalry arrives and your bodies lie scattered across the wilderness?"
Who will feed them? Who will protect them?
Think of your parents!
Liu Shouren's voice suddenly rose: "How heartbroken they must be, white-haired people sending off their black-haired children?"
"Think of your wives! They are widowed at a young age, how will they spend the rest of their lives?"
"Think about your children! Without a father, who will stand up for them if they are bullied in the future?"
Every word was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the hearts of those soldiers.
Tears welled up in many people's eyes, and their hands, gripping knives and guns, began to tremble violently.
Deng Hongwen followed closely behind, his voice equally mournful, yet even more resounding and powerful:
"I am the Minister of Rites, in charge of all rites and laws in the realm! I know the laws of the Great Chu better than anyone else!"
"His Majesty's words are law; he just personally promised that only the ringleaders will be punished, and the innocent will not be implicated!"
"You may not believe His Majesty, but you should at least believe me!"
"I guarantee with my life that if you lay down your weapons and surrender on the spot, your families will absolutely not be implicated in any way!"