mtl008 Chapter 657 It's not you who matters to me
Chapter 657 It's not you who matters to me
"Kill me?"
"Brother, do you know what you're saying?"
"I've been completely devoted to you, even getting the throne for you. And now you're telling me you're going back on your word and betraying all my efforts?"
As soon as Liu Bang finished speaking, Wu Sangui's face was filled with heartache.
"All your painstaking efforts?"
"Are you referring to those bandits outside the pass who are keeping a close eye on my three thousand cavalry, or the spies inside the pass who are constantly sending more to find my troops?"
"Or perhaps, the hundreds of axemen standing by near my residence?"
"Brother, your painstaking efforts are something most people can't appreciate."
"If I had been even slightly careless, the seven-day mourning period would have been over by now, right?"
Because Liu Bang had been too careless these past few days, Wu Sangui had made no attempt to conceal his actions.
He made these arrangements right under his nose, then patted him on the shoulder and said, "We brothers will share this good fortune."
It looks like they're trying to fool an idiot.
So much so that even Liu Bang himself couldn't help but wonder if he actually had such a talent for playing the fool.
"It seems you're not as naive as I thought, but even if you knew, what could you do?"
"You should also understand the principle that two tigers cannot share one mountain."
"Brother, I do indeed wish to share wealth and honor with you, but your troops are like a thorn in my side, keeping me from sleeping or eating in peace."
"How can I share wealth and prosperity with you without finding a way to remove your weapons?"
"You should understand me and trust your brother."
Such a genuine outpouring of emotion left Liu Bang momentarily unable to discern whether he was feigning emotion or truly felt that way.
"I said, at this point, is there still any need to act?"
"You're really a coward; you wouldn't even flinch even with a knife to your throat."
"Perhaps some people might fall for your act, but with me, this kind of behavior won't save your life."
"You want my troops, and I want your strategic stronghold here. Taking your life is fair, isn't it?"
The blade was so sharp that Wu Sangui's neck was covered in blood, but Liu Bang did not hold back at all.
Even though Wu Sangui had experienced countless battles, large and small, he couldn't help but feel guilty at this moment.
He could sense that the person in front of him was truly filled with murderous intent.
"But what good will it do you to kill me now?"
"The Manchu army has already entered the pass, while your troops are still being kept outside by me. If you dare to make a move, believe me, they could come up and hack you to pieces in the next moment."
"Impulsiveness won't solve anything or get you what you want. Let's sit down and talk. I can bring back the troops from outside the pass, or I can let your men enter the pass to garrison."
"Even if Dorgon grants me a title of king in the future, I can take other fiefdoms and give you this important town here."
At that moment, you could tell from his tone that he was truly afraid.
However, Liu Bang simply smiled dismissively.
"Even now, you still don't understand my true purpose. Do you think you are more important to me, or the Qing Dynasty, or this strategically important town?"
"I?"
Wu Sangui thought for a moment, then pointed to himself.
Liu Bang shook his head slightly.
"Could it be the Manchus?"
Still shaking his head.
"So you've been eyeing this strategically important town all along. I've truly misjudged you!"
Wu Sangui was furious.
But he was met with another shake of the head.
"No, none of that is right. None of you are important, including this important border town. Even without this border town, I still have other means to deal with the Manchus. At most, the price I pay will be different."
"Without you, without the Qing Dynasty, what truly matters to me is the Qing Dynasty itself; that is the purpose of my visit."
"It makes me very uncomfortable to see someone who betrayed his country and the countless people behind him still alive."
"So you don't need to sit down and talk nonsense anymore. What I want, you can't give me."
Upon receiving this answer, Wu Sangui was initially relieved, but then fear set in.
What does it mean to say that you only truly matter if he's not around?
Doesn't this mean that he has been sentenced to death?
“I have treated you well all this time. Even if I have made mistakes in some areas, you should not treat me like this!”
That statement almost embodied the concept of moral blackmail.
"Leaving aside the fact that we've been scheming against each other all this time, even if none of these things had happened, and you've truly been sincere with me, what difference would it make?"
"Personal interests should always take a backseat to national interests. If someone like you lives, millions or even tens of millions of people will die because of you."
Moral kidnapping?
Liu Bang didn't care about this at all.
If we just confine you with a stronger moral framework, wouldn't that solve the problem?
Even if we take a step back and assume there's no higher morality, what can you do if I have no morality at all?
Wu Sangui: "..."
"Then I'd like to see how you plan to escape. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have a small force outside the Great Wall. To put it bluntly, if I were to surrender, it wouldn't be so easy for those Manchu Tartars to enter the Great Wall!"
"With you? Don't forget, I still have tens of thousands of troops inside the pass."
"Hehe, I'll just wait and see how desperate you'll get in the end!"
"Then you just wait and see. I'll try my best to make sure you live to see that day. But what you need to do now is get these people out of the way."
"Otherwise, if I get scared by them and my hand slips, you could lose your life."
No matter how ugly Wu Sangui's face was, he could only raise his hand and wave in the face of Liu Bang's threat and the cold blade at his neck.
Hundreds of axemen slowly parted to make way.
"Do you really think you can leave alive after doing something like this?"
"I'm giving you one last chance. Put away your swords now, and I will not only forgive you for what you did, but I will also give you back the inconveniences I promised you before, and even this important border town."
"Do the lives and deaths of those ants really matter that much?"
Even as he was being led forward with swords pressed against his neck, Wu Sangui did not give up trying to persuade him.
He knew perfectly well that if things continued this way, even if Liu Bang ultimately couldn't escape, his own life would be in jeopardy.
The life or death of ants is unimportant, but his own life or death is important.
"hehe."
"Why are you so hypocritical? If you really cared about those ants, why would you have joined forces with me to let the Tartars into the pass?"
"hehe."
"In the end, you also wanted to carve out your own territory, and you betrayed those people for your own power. How are you any different from me?"
"Anyway, we're going to have to negotiate with the Tartars, and we're giving them our things anyway, so why can't you tolerate me?"
"...You're wrong. I once thought this country belonged to the Liu family, but now I understand that this country ultimately belongs to the people."