Realistic governance games for both male and female audiences

Chapter 9 The Generals Disperse

At this moment, Xiao Qingkuang's hands were clenched into fists.

He could feel the suppressed anger in his heart, the urge to rush out and argue with those generals... but he knew even more clearly that Gu Youzhi was right!

He mustn't act impulsively!

After a long silence, Xiao Qingkuang, whose emotions had calmed down somewhat, slowly loosened his fist.

"Grand Commandant..." Xiao Qingkuang's voice was low and hoarse at this moment, "You're right! I... was a little impatient!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Youzhi breathed a sigh of relief and then quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

Xiao Qingkuang turned around and walked back to sit down in front of the dragon throne.

"Reveal my imperial edict."

Xiao Qingkuang's voice rang out again, still carrying a hint of suppressed emotion, but now possessing the majesty of an emperor.

"Tell them... to return for now!"

Gu Youzhi raised his head, looking at the emperor's back, waiting for what would happen next.

"At the same time, tell them that I will definitely go to see them, but... not now!"

After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Qingkuang spoke again.

"Let them...go home and wait for now!"

"When I need them, I will summon them naturally!"

"I will give them an explanation when the time comes!"

…………

"Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree."

Gu Youzhi bowed and then turned around, quickly walking towards the entrance of the hall.

……

……

Meanwhile, outside the Golden Palace, the generals' anger had reached its peak.

"Why hasn't His Majesty come out yet? Is he afraid of us?"

"Since Your Majesty dares to negotiate peace, why are you afraid to meet with us?"

"We want to see His Majesty! We want to see His Majesty!"

…………

Zhao Meng and Ma Meng stood at the front, their faces flushed and veins bulging on their foreheads.

The generals behind them were also filled with righteous indignation, showing an attitude of "not resting until the emperor is seen today".

The chief eunuch, along with a group of junior eunuchs, stood pale-faced and sweating profusely, barely managing to block the entrance.

"Generals, generals, please calm down!" the chief eunuch cried in a shrill voice. "His Majesty is discussing important matters with the Grand Commandant and is truly unable to see you generals!"

"Nonsense! His Majesty has already issued a decree, indicating that the important matters have been discussed and resolved. If that's the case, why won't His Majesty see us? Is it you, you traitor, deliberately obstructing His Majesty's hearing?"

"Yes! I clearly see it's you, you scoundrel, trying to obstruct His Majesty's hearing!"

"If you want to prove you haven't obstructed His Majesty's hearing, you'd better step aside immediately! Otherwise... don't blame us for being impolite!"

…………

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, the tightly closed vermilion gate of the Golden Palace was finally slowly opened from the inside with a creaking sound.

Gu Youzhi appeared at the doorway.

All the noise seemed to be instantly silenced by an invisible hand.

All eyes were focused on this highly respected Grand Commandant.

Gu Youzhi did not speak, but stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over every general present.

Those cloudy yet sharp eyes seemed to see through all their scheming and greed.

Zhao Meng and Ma Meng exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of apprehension in each other's eyes.

They knew that Gu Youzhi was someone the emperor trusted, and that his words, to some extent, represented the emperor's will.

"Grand Commandant..." Zhao Meng forced himself to speak, "We only want to see His Majesty, we only want to ask him why he made such a humiliating decision?"

"Yes, Grand Commandant, this concerns the prestige of our Great Liang and the face of our soldiers!" Ma Meng echoed.

Gu Youzhi remained silent, but raised his hand and made a "quiet" gesture.

Once everyone had quieted down, he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of everyone present:

"His Majesty has decreed!"

Upon hearing these four words, everyone present instantly began to breathe rapidly.

"His Majesty said..." Gu Youzhi paused, his gaze lingering on Zhao Meng and Ma Meng's faces for a moment, before continuing, "He wants you to return for now!"

"What?"

Zhao Meng, Ma Meng, and many other generals exclaimed in surprise almost simultaneously.

"Go back for now? Just like that?" Zhao Meng's face turned extremely ugly. "We've waited here for so long, and this is all we get?"

"His Majesty also said..." Gu Youzhi's voice rang out again, interrupting Zhao Meng's questioning, "His Majesty will definitely come to see you, but... not now!"

"Not now?" Ma Meng frowned, his eyes full of doubt. "Then when?"

Gu Youzhi did not answer Ma Meng's question, but simply said, "I have already conveyed His Majesty's words to the generals. If there is nothing else, please return."

After speaking, Grand Commandant Gu Youzhi turned around and walked back into the main hall.

Then, with a loud "bang," the vermilion gate slowly closed again before everyone's eyes.

In an instant, a deathly silence fell over the area beneath the steps.

Dozens of military officers stared blankly at the tightly closed door, as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water, all their anger and impulse extinguished in an instant.

"Not now..." Zhao Meng muttered to himself, his brows furrowed. "Then when is it? What is His Majesty thinking?"

Ma Meng's expression was also somewhat uncertain.

At that moment, he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "I think... this matter was clearly sabotaged by the Grand Commandant! His Majesty clearly wanted to fight before, but now his attitude has completely reversed... It's obvious that the peace negotiation strategy was offered to His Majesty by the Grand Commandant!"

"But... His Majesty has already issued the decree, what can we do?" a military officer asked Ma Meng, clearly unwilling to accept the situation.

"What can we do? Of course, we should go back first! Otherwise, what else do you want?" Ma Meng said irritably. "His Majesty has already issued the decree; we can't disobey it, can we?"

At the same time, Zhao Meng took a deep breath and tried his best to calm himself down.

"Everyone, please calm down." Zhao Meng raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. "Since His Majesty has said he will see us, let's wait for now! However, while we wait, we can't just sit idly by. I suggest that after we return, we should carefully consider how to fight the Northern Xiongnu if we are to do so!"

Upon hearing Zhao Meng's words, the generals could only shake their heads with wry smiles, saying, "For now... that's all we can do!"

Although these military officers were unwilling, they knew that continuing to make trouble at this point was pointless.

Soon, they dispersed in twos and threes.