We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 964 Shu Land Surrenders

Looking at Li Lin's confident expression, Luo Yueniang was momentarily at a loss.

She had only ever seen princes tarnish their own reputations to demonstrate their loyalty, but she had never seen a prince dare to boast so much as to represent the emperor.

This Prince of Yan... isn't he a bit too audacious?

In contrast, the Qing army generals around him, such as He Conglong and Xie Ming, all had calm expressions on their faces, and even seemed to take it for granted.

Just kidding, what is Li Lin's status in Daqing?

Standing before you is the commander-in-chief of the expedition against Shu, the deputy commander of the Fengtian Army, the Prince of Yan, the Emperor of Daqing's closest brother and comrade-in-arms, the executive vice emperor of Daqing, and the number two figure in the Fengtian Army...

Those were His Majesty's brothers who had fought alongside him through thick and thin, sharing life and death since the beginning of times of crisis; they were His Majesty's most trusted pillars of support.

To put it bluntly, if something were to happen to His Majesty, and the princes were still young, Li Lin would undoubtedly become the chief regent and regent!

His guarantee, to some extent, represented the emperor's will!

Seeing Li Lin's open and honest gaze, Luo Yueniang was already seven or eight parts convinced.

However, after a moment's hesitation, she shook her head and said, "No! This concerns the future and fate of millions of soldiers and civilians in Shu. I cannot make a decision based solely on Your Highness's words."

But what he said next made everyone pause in surprise.

"I want to see His Majesty in person and speak with him face to face!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Lin's eyes sharpened instantly, as if an invisible pressure emanated from him:

"General Luo, you wouldn't be hoping His Majesty will personally come to Shu to see you, would you?"

This reminded Li Lin of when the Yelü family surrendered; they were just as arrogant and demanding, insisting that Emperor Qing personally go to the Khitan before they would surrender.

Li Lin was extremely dissatisfied with this at the time.

Since it is a surrender after defeat, one should have the awareness of a defeated general. How can one let the victor go to a dangerous place?

Now that Luo Yueniang has once again proposed a face-to-face meeting, Li Lin is prepared to refuse, even at the cost of restarting the war.

However, Luo Yueniang was slightly taken aback and quickly explained, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. How could this humble general dare to have such presumptuous thoughts? It is this humble general who is going to the capital to pay homage to His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lin's expression instantly softened, and the oppressive atmosphere surrounding them dissipated.

If that's the case, then it's fine; that's the attitude a true follower should have.

But just as he was relieved, the Shu army generals behind Luo Yueniang suddenly erupted into chaos!

"General, you mustn't!"

"General, you must not risk your life!"

"The capital is far away and the situation is unclear. If the general does not return, the overall situation in Shu will be in grave danger!"

"This humble general is willing to go to the capital on behalf of the general and meet with Emperor Qing!"

The generals all spoke up to dissuade him, their emotions running high.

Their concerns are not entirely unfounded.

On the one hand, Luo Yueniang had a very high prestige in the Shu army and was deeply loved by the soldiers, and the generals were indeed unwilling to see her go into danger alone.

On the other hand, it concerns their own interests and status.

The generals of the Shu army were willing to cease hostilities and accept some form of surrender, but this by no means meant that they wanted to fully integrate into the military system of Daqing.

Their ideal surrender would be a limited submission, at least preserving the organizational structure of the Shu army.

In this way, they remained capable generals who could command troops independently, wielding absolute power in Shu.

However, if Luo Yueniang were to go to the capital in person, the result would likely be that the Shu army would be completely disbanded, reorganized, and fully incorporated into the Qing army system.

At that time, these generals from Shu would be reduced to ordinary local garrison commanders, and their status and power would plummet.

The wages of avarice is death.

It is only natural for military commanders to speak out for their future and the power they hold.

However, Luo Yueniang had her own considerations.

She glanced at her agitated generals and said in a deep voice, "Enough!"

The generals immediately fell silent, though their faces were still filled with resentment.

Luo Yueniang looked at them, her tone softening slightly, but still firm: "How could I not know your worries? But you must understand one thing: right now, our Shu army is the weaker party!"

She paused, then continued, "The law of the jungle is the ultimate truth of the universe. The weak have no right to bargain!"

Luo Yueniang came from humble beginnings and mingled among bandits, which sometimes led her to prioritize personal feelings over the greater good.

Similarly, growing up in that harsh environment, she deeply believed in the primitive law of the jungle: strength determines everything!

"Ask yourselves honestly, can we continue fighting?" Luo Yueniang scanned the faces of each general. "Since the start of the war, our Shu army has suffered heavy losses. Have we achieved any victories on the main battlefield?"

"Not only that, but we were also taken advantage of by the Qiang and Man tribes, and lost eight cities in a row. The losses were extremely heavy."

The Shu generals fell silent, speechless.

"Now that we want to end this war, how can we do so without paying a price? If we don't want His Majesty to be biased towards Shu in the future, we should take the initiative to show the utmost sincerity!"

These words left the Shu generals speechless, exchanging bewildered glances.

In the end, they could only helplessly lower their heads and accept the default.

Li Lin, who was standing to the side, saw all of this and his opinion of Luo Yueniang rose even higher.

Although this woman sometimes acts impulsively, she is able to make sufficiently clear-headed decisions when faced with matters of principle.

Seeing that her subordinates no longer objected, Luo Yueniang turned to face Li Lin and bowed solemnly:

"Your Highness, on behalf of the entire Shu army, I sincerely submit to the imperial court and rejoin the territory of Daqing."

"We humbly beg Your Majesty to forgive us, the defeated generals, and we further pray that Your Majesty will consider the innocence of the people of Shu and treat them kindly."

"Excellent!" Li Lin smiled and gently helped Luo Yueniang up. "General Luo's ability to understand the greater good is a blessing for Shu and a boon for the court."

"General, rest assured, I will personally escort you to the capital to meet His Majesty and explain the reasons. I will ensure that loyal and righteous men are not discouraged!"

Upon hearing that Li Lin was willing to personally vouch for her, Luo Yueniang breathed a long sigh of relief and bowed again:

"In that case... Thank you very much, Your Highness Prince Yan."

. . . . . .

A few days later, a small group left Chengdu.

Luo Yueniang only brought a small number of personal guards; the main escort was five hundred elite cavalrymen led by Jie Ming.

Thirty miles from the city, they passed a village that had just experienced a small-scale battle, and the group stopped.

The ruins are still there, but Qing soldiers are already helping villagers clear the rubble and build temporary shelters.

Some soldiers even shared their rations with the emaciated children in the village.

Luo Yueniang reined in her horse and watched silently, while the Shu army guards behind her also wore complex expressions.

Li Lin rode closer and said in a calm tone, "His Majesty has ordered that the primary task in recovering the territory is to pacify the people. The army must not disturb the people, but should instead help them rebuild."

A lieutenant standing next to Luo Yueniang said, "The Qing army is adept at winning people's hearts."

Li Lin smiled and didn't argue: "Whether it's winning people's hearts or not, we'll know in a few days."