World's First Traitor System (437)

Chapter 437 - Persuasion to Surrender

Inside the Chao Ge Imperial Palace.

"What is that sound?"

"Who is singing?"

The image of the Nine-Colored Deer being beheaded in the sky deeply shook Bai Rong's mind. Just as she felt frightened and uncertain, she heard singing coming from three directions outside Chao Ge city. The melodies were sorrowful and mournful, evoking deep homesickness.

"What's going on?!" Bai Rong shrieked. "Who is singing in the city? Disrupting military morale! Seize them for this Sage Ruler immediately, behead them, and display their heads!"

A female general came forward to report, "Sage Ruler Bai, it's not our soldiers singing those songs. It's the enemy troops outside the city."

Hearing this, Bai Rong was momentarily stunned. "You're saying the Chu army isn't attacking, but singing instead?"

"Yes!" The female general nodded.

"Hahahahaha!" Bai Rong burst into loud laughter, leaving the general utterly bewildered. "So the Chu army is nothing special after all!" she declared. "They found this Sage Ruler's defenses tight and Chao Ge impregnable, so all they can do is sing to relieve their boredom? Ridiculous! Truly ridiculous!"

Bai Rong laughed for another moment. But she soon noticed the female general looking at her with a strange expression, clearly not agreeing with her assessment. Bai Rong's face flushed slightly with embarrassment. "What? Was I wrong?"

This female general was one who answered any question asked, possessing the straightforward character of a tiger daughter from a military family. She nodded and said, "The Art of War states: The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; next best is to attack their alliances; next is to attack their army; the worst is to attack walled cities. The Art of War also states: Attacking the heart is superior, attacking the city is inferior; psychological warfare is superior, armed warfare is inferior..."

Bai Rong waved her hand impatiently. "What does that mean? Can you say something this Sage Ruler can understand?"

The female general frowned, a flicker of contempt crossed her eyes as she looked at Bai Rong. "This subordinate means that the singing outside the city might be part of the enemy's strategy. After all, our army defends the city isolated and without reinforcements, and our defenses are not entirely impenetrable."

"What strategy?" Bai Rong pressed.

"This..." The female general looked awkward. She wasn't a mind-reader inside Fan Li's head; how could she know his thoughts?

With the city surrounded on four sides and Chu songs heard from three, Fan Li's strategy quickly became apparent.

"This is bad!"

"Hundreds of soldiers secretly escaped the city and surrendered to the Chu army!"

When the news reached the imperial palace, Bai Rong's face turned green. Until now, despite the standoff between the Great Ci and Great Chu armies, not a single real clash had occurred. The war hadn't even truly begun, yet their side was already experiencing desertions?

"Why?!" Bai Rong exclaimed in shock. "There's only someone singing outside the city! Why would they surrender to the enemy?"

"Perhaps... it's intense homesickness?" the female general replied tentatively.

But Bai Rong didn't believe it. "Homesickness? If Chu was better than Great Ci, why would they have left their homes and abandoned their country to join Great Ci in the first place?"

Since Bai Rong had consistently shown this female general no courtesy, the general had learned her lesson. She kept silent, avoiding phrases like 'times have changed,' 'Great Ci's imperial city is surrounded,' 'the guardian beast has been beheaded,' or 'morale is wavering.'

Seeing her silence, Bai Rong added, "Using songs to shake morale? This Sage Ruler doesn't believe it. Look at you, aren't you still standing here perfectly fine, continuing to serve Great Ci loyally?"

The female general couldn't hold back any longer and muttered softly, "Sage Ruler Bai, this subordinate came from Great Ming." This answer once again left Bai Rong extremely embarrassed.

…

Meanwhile, outside Chao Ge city.

Over a hundred Chu women approached Fan Li, asking nervously, "We don't want to fight. Can we go home?"

"Yes!" Fan Li agreed almost without hesitation.

The Chu women sighed in relief. Just as they were about to express their gratitude to Duke Jin, Fan Li had already spurred his horse past them. He showed no interest in even giving these Chu women a second glance.

Back when Great Ci was founded, Yao Guang's prestige had been unparalleled for a time. How many people had been swayed by Yao Guang, abandoning their homes and countries to join Great Ci? These individuals were extreme egoists; forget patriotism, they could cast aside even family ties and love like worn-out shoes.

Accepting them back today was firstly because most came from prominent families; killing them all would make it difficult to answer to the Chu aristocracy. Secondly, it was to minimize casualties among the Garrison Army and avoid wasting elite troops in a meaningless battle.

At this moment, Fan Li keenly felt the difficult compromises required of those in power. He very much wanted to act on impulse, but his position forced him to exercise restraint, even compelling him to feign tolerance and perhaps even eagerness.

Without realizing it, Fan Li had approached within twenty or thirty meters of the city gate. At this distance, cultivators skilled in long-range attacks already had the means to strike him.

"Second Brother, be careful!" Fan Chun couldn't help shouting.

Fan Li didn't look back, merely waving a hand behind him, signaling Fan Chun and the army not to worry and not to follow.

Atop the city walls, the Great Ci soldiers and generals held their breath nervously. They knew the imposing man below was the true commander of the Great Chu Garrison Army, Duke Jin Fan Li.

What did he intend to do? Approaching so close, wasn't he afraid of being killed? Or was he so powerful that he could breach the heavily defended walls of Chao Ge single-handedly?

"Fellow compatriots from Chu upon the walls! I am Fan Li. You should have heard my name!" Fan Li suddenly spoke. His use of the word 'compatriots' immediately lessened the solemn killing intent on the walls somewhat. The gazes of the female soldiers and generals from Chu softened considerably as they looked at Fan Li.

"Compatriots!" he continued. "I came here today to bring you home."

Home? Another familiar, heartfelt word. The eyes of the Chu women instantly reddened. On a normal day, when Great Ci was at its zenith, if Fan Li had dared to appeal to their emotions like this, he likely would have been met with only ridicule and scorn. But now, with a large army besieging the city, it was an entirely different matter. Fan Li extended an olive branch of peace to the Chu women, and they wished they could grasp it immediately!

"Come home!"

"Do you see the image reflected in the Sky Phase Mirror? Great Ci is already tottering in the wind and rain."

"Come home!"

"All these years away from home, your parents and kin have prayed for you day and night."

"Once, you chose Great Ci, but Great Chu never gave up on you."

"The gates of Chu are still open for you; the candles in your homes are still lit for you."

"As long as you lay down your weapons and step outside this city wall, everything can return to how it was."

"I, Duke Jin Fan Li, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of Great Chu, and on behalf of your parents, personally welcome you home!"

As Fan Li's voice fell, the sound of women weeping could be heard from the city walls. Not just one woman. The sobbing rose and fell, and some even threw down their weapons. With the Chu songs laying the groundwork, Fan Li's speech had an excellent effect.

However, he also noticed that many Great Ci soldiers remained expressionless, even watching their weeping comrades with wary eyes. Fan Li understood: they came from places other than Chu – Wei, Han, Wu, or Great Ming. These individuals would not be moved by his speech; instead, they might harbor resentment. The Chu women could surrender, but what about them? Should they stay and defend the city, awaiting annihilation alongside Great Ci?

Unease caused by uneven treatment was a major taboo. Fortunately, Fan Li had prepared for this. He took out a letter and read aloud, "This Duke has been entrusted by the Son of Heaven of Great Han, Great Wei, and Great Wu to persuade the daughters of the noble families from these various states to return..."