The commander sat in his chair, exhausted, and sighed, "Tell me, what should we do? If we obey His Majesty's decree and continue to attack Chengmen Pass, we will all die."
"I truly don't care about dying in battle, but I cannot tolerate dying in such a manner. However, if we disobey His Majesty's decree, it is treason, and we will also die."
The deputy general was also well aware of how unfavorable the current situation was for them. "Commander, why don't we negotiate with Chengmen Pass? If the negotiations go smoothly, perhaps we can protect the remaining soldiers. If not, then it's a dead end."
The commander remained silent for a long while. "I am willing to negotiate, but there is that army in the shadows. You know, that army in the shadows is the real commander; I am just a figurehead."
The deputy general sighed again. "Commander, we must at least try. If we don't try, it's a dead end. If we try, there's a chance of survival."
The commander knew this very well. "Actually, I have long wanted to negotiate with Chengmen Pass, but I was always prevented. Now, it's time to negotiate, but I don't know if Chengmen Pass is willing to negotiate."
The deputy general was also worried about this. "How about I send a message to Chengmen Pass first? Then, we can talk privately, avoiding that army."
The commander pondered. "You send the message first. It doesn't matter if I, at my age, die in battle, but I cannot let so many soldiers die on the battlefield due to His Majesty's wrong decision."
Too many soldiers had died during this period, and he did not want to see any more soldiers die.
...
Chengmen Pass, military camp, commander's tent.
"Commander!" Old General Fu entered with a letter and bowed. "Commander, I just received a letter from the commander of the Southern Jin Dynasty's army, proposing private negotiations."
He handed the letter to Mo Lingxi with both hands.
Mo Lingxi read the letter, his expression unreadable. "What does Old General Fu think of this matter?"
Old General Fu replied, "There is at least a sixty percent chance that it is true. I have inquired, and ever since the Southern Jin Dynasty's army learned about the army in the shadows, not only has their morale been very low, but they are also unwilling to fight again. Moreover, the supervisor of the Southern Jin Dynasty's army was beheaded by their commander."
Mo Lingxi placed the letter on the low table. "The credibility is very high, but we cannot rule out that it is a trick by the Southern Jin Dynasty's army."
Old General Fu nodded. "Commander, I believe we can try. If it is true, we can instigate infighting within the Southern Jin Dynasty's army. Even if it is false, we will not suffer much loss."
Mo Lingxi said, "Old General Fu, do not rush. Let the commander of the Southern Jin Dynasty's army wait. We are not the ones who are anxious now."
Old General Fu laughed heartily. "The commander is right, we cannot be anxious. The one who is anxious now is the commander of the Southern Jin Dynasty's army. I heard that the new emperor of the Southern Jin Dynasty ordered the army to attack Chengmen Pass regardless of the cost."
"If this continues, the Southern Jin Dynasty might change emperors."
Mo Lingxi wished for the internal strife in the Southern Jin Dynasty to worsen. "Old General, have you investigated the other intentions of the new emperor of the Southern Jin Dynasty in ordering the army to attack Chengmen Pass without regard?"
Old General Fu stroked his white beard. "I have not investigated. However, at the beginning of his reign, this new emperor killed countless court officials and civilians, and even the former emperor's concubines in the harem were not spared. He appears to be very bloodthirsty. Could it be that this is the reason he is attacking Chengmen Pass without regard?"
Mo Lingxi had a hunch that it was not that simple. "If the new emperor of the Southern Jin Dynasty is a bloodthirsty person, he would not be so eager to attack Chengmen Pass. Instead, he would first resolve internal conflicts and kill anyone who resists him. However, he has not done so."
Old General Fu was also unable to fathom the intentions of the new emperor of the Southern Jin Dynasty. "Commander, why don't we focus on that army of the Southern Jin Dynasty? Perhaps it will have unexpected results."
Mo Lingxi had considered using such a method. "Let's wait for the infighting within the Southern Jin Dynasty's army. The number of soldiers in that army is not large, and without the assistance of the main army, it will be very difficult for them to do anything."
Old General Fu said, "I am just worried that this army will use the imperial decree to force the main army to attack our Chengmen Pass. If that happens, the situation will be very bad."
Mo Lingxi asked, "What if the entire Southern Jin Dynasty army falls ill?"
Old General Fu's eyes lit up. "Does the commander have a plan?"
Mo Lingxi took out a packet of powder. "This is a powder recently concocted by the physicians. Once scattered by the wind, it can make the Southern Jin Dynasty's army feel weak all over in the shortest possible time, rendering them completely incapable of combat."
Old General Fu received it as a treasure, looking at the powder again and again. "This is truly an excellent item."
Mo Lingxi smiled faintly. "I will entrust this matter to Old General. I believe that once the Southern Jin Dynasty's army completely loses its combat effectiveness, the opposing commander will negotiate with us properly."
Old General Fu straightened his body and bowed. "Please rest assured, Commander. I will definitely complete this task."
Mo Lingxi's gaze turned slightly cold. If the Southern Jin Dynasty still attacked Chengmen Pass after their army lost its combat effectiveness, then he would not be blamed for being ruthless.
...
On the other side.
Sheng Lengshuang, protected by a team of soldiers and secret guards, arrived outside the city. Two days prior, she had rented a merchant caravan to help her transport grain into the city.
Two days ago, she had informed Mo Lingxi and, with her secret guards, went outside the city. She placed the grain in a hidden location and covered it up.
She was waiting for the merchant caravan to arrive and transport the grain today.
This method was very risky; it could be discovered with a little investigation, but she couldn't afford to care about that anymore. She truly did not want to experience any more wars.
She saw the merchant caravan at the agreed-upon location and walked towards them with a smile. "Please deliver this grain to the designated place in the city. Soldiers will accompany you."
Upon seeing the soldiers, the merchant caravan dared not have any second thoughts and readily agreed.
After the merchant caravan had transported all the grain, Sheng Lengshuang checked to ensure there were no omissions before returning to the city to the place where the grain was stored.
Looking at the full courtyard of grain, she felt like she had become a landlord. Unfortunately, this grain would soon be given to Mo Lingxi.
"Is the wife ready?" At this moment, Mo Lingxi walked in and looked at the abundant grain. "My wife is truly amazing, to be able to prepare so much grain. With this grain, the remaining matters will be much easier to handle."
Sheng Lengshuang hummed. "Take this grain and quickly handle the matter we discussed."
Mo Lingxi indicated that there was no problem. With a wave of his hand, soldiers came in to transport the grain.
...
Under Mo Lingxi's operations and Sheng Lengshuang's support with the grain, the prices of other two countries were gradually controlled, and the lives of the people improved. The price of grain became cheaper, and there was no shortage.
Once the other two countries made any moves, the people would cause trouble, and grain shops would close, making it impossible for people to buy grain. This would lead to an uncontrollable situation, preventing the two countries from making any rash moves.
Under these circumstances, the commander of the Southern Jin Dynasty negotiated with Chengmen Pass, resolving the issue of that army for Chengmen Pass.
Afterward, Mo Lingxi directly led his army to attack the Southern Jin Dynasty, sparing those who surrendered.
The Southern Jin Dynasty was already suffering from severe internal strife. One by one, they had no fighting spirit. The army of the Eastern Jin Dynasty reached the capital of the Southern Jin Dynasty almost without any obstacles.
With the army at the city gates, the new emperor of the Southern Jin Dynasty became a sinner and was brought before the army of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
The new emperor of the Southern Jin Dynasty's intention in doing all this was simple: to destroy the Southern Jin Dynasty, similar to Meng Ronghua.
Having lived in such an environment since childhood, his psychology had long been twisted. He did not care about the life or death of the Southern Jin Dynasty; he only wanted to send the Southern Jin Dynasty to its death, so that no one could obtain it, and watch them weep bitterly.
Subsequently, Mo Lingxi led his army to capture the capital, and the Southern Jin Dynasty ceased to exist, becoming a part of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Afterward, he returned to the court and held a grand wedding with Sheng Lengshuang.