Chapter 550: The Emperor Begs for Mercy

At the same time.

The army led by Lan Yu also began the final cleanup work!

Tens of thousands of troops from the Great Ming Empire surged grandly into the imperial palace. Although Han Shizhong did not surrender, instead leading his personal guards to fight the Ming army head-on.

However, the tide had already turned; even Han Shizhong's desperate resistance was futile.

A moment later.

Han Shizhong was captured alive by Lan Yu.

Upon seeing Han Shizhong captured, the Song Kingdom's city-defending soldiers naturally lost their will to fight, and in the time that followed, all the Song soldiers surrendered one after another.

A moment later.

This great battle came to a complete end.

The Great Ming Empire had fully occupied the capital of the Song Kingdom.

And at this moment.

Inside the imperial palace, Zhu Ying, a Grandson of the Great Ming Emperor, sat upon the dragon throne of the Song Kingdom's emperor.

Soon, generals such as Lan Yu and Guo Zhen arrived one after another.

"This subordinate greets His Highness the Imperial Grandson. May Your Highness live for ten thousand years!"

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Once Lan Yu, Guo Zhen, and the other generals stood up, Zhu Ying said coldly, "What is the status of the battle?"

Lan Yu was the first to speak: "Reporting to His Highness the Imperial Grandson, the army has completely controlled the capital of the Song Kingdom. Additionally, this subordinate has captured Han Shizhong alive!"

Hearing Lan Yu's report, Zhu Ying nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good!"

"Bring Han Shizhong up."

As soon as Zhu Ying's voice fell, Lan Yu did not dare to hesitate. He immediately shouted to the soldiers outside the hall, "Bring Han Shizhong in!"

Soon, several soldiers of the Great Ming Empire escorted Han Shizhong into the great hall.

However, Han Shizhong possessed considerable backbone. Upon seeing Zhu Ying, he did not kneel, but instead remained standing where he was.

Seeing this scene, Lan Yu immediately cursed, "Han Shizhong, you defeated general! You dare not kneel upon seeing His Highness! Who gave you such courage!"

"Kneel down immediately!"

At this time, Zhu Ying, sitting on the dragon throne, said calmly, "Since Han Shizhong does not wish to kneel, there is no need to force him."

"Understood!" Lan Yu responded immediately.

Then, Zhu Ying swept a glance at Han Shizhong in the hall and inquired in an icy tone, "You are this Han Shizhong? I have heard that you are the greatest loyal official of the Song Kingdom."

Facing Zhu Ying's praise, Han Shizhong responded, "I am a defeated general. Kill me or torture me as you wish; there is no need for more nonsense!"

Clearly, for the Han Shizhong of this moment, he had long since embraced the prospect of death.

Seeing Han Shizhong's reaction, Zhu Ying was not angry, but instead burst into laughter!

Zhu Ying spoke to Han Shizhong in an extremely disdainful tone, "Han Shizhong, your Song Kingdom has already fallen, and the Song Emperor has been captured by the Hu people. Yet you remain so obstinate; it is nothing but foolish loyalty."

To be honest, when Han Shizhong heard Zhu Ying's words, his face flushed red with anger. He said furiously, "If you want to kill, then kill me! Do not kill the Emperor. Our Song Kingdom has no grievance or enmity with your Great Ming Empire; why did you invade the Song Kingdom?"

Zhu Ying said coldly, "Why invade the Song Kingdom? Hmph! Your Song Kingdom occupies the Central Plains, yet you are repeatedly invaded by these Tartars, and you have even signed many unequal treaties with them, disgracing the image of us Han people."

"Furthermore, the Emperor of the Song Kingdom is a man who fears death. He actually slipped out of the palace in secret, sacrificing the lives of 300,000 Song soldiers just to buy a moment of temporary survival. How can such a man be the Emperor of the Han people?"

Facing Zhu Ying's mockery, Han Shizhong was momentarily speechless.

The reason was simple: every word Zhu Ying said was true. Thus, upon hearing it, Han Shizhong felt both helpless and somewhat enraged.

Consequently, Han Shizhong fell into silence.

Seeing that Han Shizhong would no longer speak, Zhu Ying turned to the Imperial Guard Commander, Guo Zhen, and pressed, "Has that dog Emperor of the Song Kingdom been caught?"

Guo Zhen did not dare to hesitate and hurriedly said, "Reporting to His Highness the Imperial Grandson, this subordinate has captured the Song Emperor. The man attempted to disguise himself as a commoner to escape the palace, but unexpectedly was spotted by this subordinate personally."

"The dog Emperor of the Song Kingdom is currently waiting outside the hall."

Zhu Ying nodded slightly and continued, "Bring the dog Emperor of the Song Kingdom in."

"As you command."

As Guo Zhen's voice fell, soon, the Song Emperor Zhao Gou was escorted into the great hall by several Imperial Guards.

To be honest, Zhao Gou did not possess the backbone or character of Han Shizhong.

When Zhao Gou saw Zhu Ying, he knelt before him with lightning speed.

Then, he cried out loudly, "Long live His Highness the Imperial Grandson! Long live His Highness the Imperial Grandson! I beg His Highness to spare my life."

"If His Highness agrees, I am willing to hand over the entire world to Your Highness."

Clearly, for the Zhao Gou of this moment, he knew his cause was lost and only wished to survive. What of imperial power or status? He could abandon it all.

However, after Zhao Gou finished speaking, it was Han Shizhong, standing to the side, who could no longer hold himself back.

With a look of shock, Han Shizhong said to Zhao Gou, "Your Majesty, how can you kneel to this Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming? You are disgracing your sacred body!"

Zhao Gou did not listen to Han Shizhong's words; instead, he directly cursed at him, "Shut up! You defeated general! I gave you 300,000 troops to guard the imperial city, yet you failed to hold it for even an hour before it was breached by the Ming army."

"What right do you have to speak to me? What right do you have to lecture me?"

It could be said that Zhao Gou's ability to shift blame was masterful.

With a single sentence, he placed the entire fall of the Song Kingdom upon Han Shizhong.

Upon hearing Zhao Gou's evaluation of him, Han Shizhong was stunned in place, not knowing what to do.

At this time, Zhu Ying, who had been silent, walked directly up to Zhao Gou.

In the next second, Zhu Ying suddenly raised his right foot and kicked Zhao Gou hard in the face.

"Zhao Gou, as the Emperor of the Song Kingdom, you have kept the Han people living in misery. This kick of mine is on behalf of all people under heaven."

"Do you admit your crime?"

Zhao Gou was completely panicked.

He never expected that this so-called Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming would be so unrefined, and even more so, he never expected the Imperial Grandson to kick him directly.

However, for the sake of survival, Zhao Gou swallowed his pride and said to Zhu Ying, "Your Highness's teaching is correct. My ability to govern the country is indeed mediocre. Now that the Song Kingdom belongs to Your Highness, I beg Your Highness to spare my dog life."

For the Zhao Gou of this moment, he only wanted to live.

And Zhu Ying naturally saw through his mindset.

To be honest, Zhu Ying would rather keep Han Shizhong than allow Zhao Gou to live on.

Zhu Ying said to Zhao Gou in the hall with an icy tone, "Since things have come to this, there is no need for more words. Just die."

Having said that, Zhu Ying spoke to the Imperial Guard Commander, Guo Zhen, beside him, "Drag this dog Emperor out. Behead him and hang his head on the city walls, so that the people of the Song Kingdom may spit upon him."

"As you command," Guo Zhen responded immediately.

At this moment, the Song Emperor Zhao Gou was utterly terrified. He scrambled to the ground, frantically kowtowing to Zhu Ying.

He screamed, "I beg His Highness the Imperial Grandson to spare my life! I still have a secret treasury! I will give all my money to you!"

"And my women, my harem of beauties, they are all yours, Your Highness!"

Unfortunately, no matter how Zhao Gou pleaded, Zhu Ying's attitude was set.

"Drag him out."

Clearly, Zhu Ying no longer wished to waste any more words on Zhao Gou.

Immediately, the Imperial Guard soldiers forcibly dragged Zhao Gou out of the hall. With a *crack*, the head of the Song Emperor fell to the ground.

And so, the Song Kingdom was completely destroyed.

Not long after, an Imperial Guard soldier entered the hall carrying Zhao Gou's head.

"Reporting to Your Highness, Zhao Gou's head has been severed. Please dispose of it."

"Hang it on the city walls, so the people of the Song Kingdom understand this is the consequence of opposing the Great Ming Empire."

"As you command."

After dealing with Zhao Gou, Zhu Ying turned his gaze toward Han Shizhong.

Zhu Ying said in an icy tone, "Han Shizhong, you should know by now what kind of person Zhao Gou was, right?"

"To work yourself to death for such an emperor—that is foolish loyalty."

"And for that, you have caused the lives of 300,000 troops to be wasted."

Facing Zhu Ying's psychological onslaught, Han Shizhong's legs went weak, and he instantly collapsed to the ground.

Clearly, Han Shizhong's heart was filled with despair.

He had thought the Song Emperor would be like him—that even if the nation fell, he would die standing.

But in reality? To save his own life, Zhao Gou had even abandoned his imperial dignity.

This naturally left Han Shizhong profoundly disappointed.

At this time, Zhu Ying spoke to Han Shizhong unhurriedly, "To be honest, you are a fine general and very loyal. I actually quite admire you."

"How about this: from now on, serve the Great Ming Empire. I guarantee that you will absolutely become a famous general of a generation."

To be fair, when Zhu Ying extended the olive branch to Han Shizhong, the heart of this Great General of the Song Kingdom was indeed somewhat moved.

However, constrained by the principles of ruler and subject, Han Shizhong still refused Zhu Ying's invitation.

But this time, Han Shizhong's tone was much softer than before.

The previous sharpness was gone.

"Reporting to His Highness the Imperial Grandson, this subordinate eats the imperial grain of the Song Kingdom, receives the salary of the Song Kingdom, and has earned official honors through the Song Kingdom."

"Most importantly, my clan and kin are all people of the Song Kingdom."

"If this subordinate were to join Your Highness, it would be equivalent to betraying my teacher and ancestors, and violating the way of ruler and subject."

"This subordinate would not dare."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying did not force the matter, but instead said to Lan Yu beside him, "Give Han Shizhong some travel funds."

As soon as Zhu Ying's voice fell, Lan Yu immediately pulled dozens of taels of silver from his robes and handed them to Han Shizhong.

Then, Zhu Ying said to Han Shizhong in an icy tone, "Since you do not wish to serve me, then retire to your hometown."

"These funds are for your journey. Of course, if you change your mind, my Great Ming Empire welcomes you at any time."

To be honest, Han Shizhong never expected that this Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming would spare his life.

He hurriedly knelt before Zhu Ying, took the funds, and said, "This subordinate thanks Your Highness."

Having said that, Han Shizhong walked straight toward the entrance of the hall.

Once Han Shizhong had walked far away, Guo Zhen stepped forward and asked Zhu Ying, "Your Highness, are you truly letting Han Shizhong leave? He is a Great General of the Song Kingdom! If he leaves and joins forces with the Song vassals to raise an army against us, what will Your Highness do then?"

Zhu Ying said with a hint of disdain, "Han Shizhong is a clever man. He knows very well how powerful the Great Ming Empire is. I believe he will never repeat the mistakes of the past."

Afterward.

Zhu Ying spoke to the generals before him, "Although the capital of the Song Kingdom has been breached, there are still many other cities in the Song Kingdom that have not been taken."

"Therefore, you must continue to work hard."

"I will give you ten days. After ten days, the entire territory of the Song Kingdom must be conquered."

As Zhu Ying's voice fell, the generals accepted their orders one after another.

"This subordinate obeys. Please rest assured, Your Highness; we shall surely conquer the entire Song Kingdom within ten days."

Then, Zhu Ying spoke to the Commander of the Royal Guards, Liu Lei, "Immediately send someone to notify my Imperial Grandfather and Father in the Great Capital. Tell them the specific situation in the Song Kingdom."

"Additionally, tell them to immediately ride their Wyverns here to the Song capital to rendezvous."

"I intend to make this Song capital the capital of the Great Ming Empire in this Wuxia World in the future."

As Zhu Ying's voice fell, Liu Lei immediately responded.

"This subordinate obeys."

A few days later.

The various armies of the Great Ming Empire conquered the various cities of the Song Kingdom with lightning speed.

The Song armies collapsed like a mountain falling. When they saw the arrival of the Ming army, they had absolutely no ability to resist; their first reaction was to flee.

Thus, the Great Ming Empire's army conquered their cities almost without effort!

In just five days, the Great Ming Empire occupied the entire territory of the Song Kingdom.

At the same time, within the capital.

As the Commander of the Royal Guards, Liu Lei, also arrived riding a Wyvern.

Following Zhu Ying's instructions, Liu Lei quickly informed Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and the others of the war in the Song Kingdom.

In the great hall, upon hearing of Liu Lei's arrival, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately summoned him to his presence.

"This subordinate, Liu Lei, greets the Emperor and the Crown Prince."

Upon arriving, Liu Lei hurriedly saluted Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly pressed, "Liu Lei, speak quickly. How is the war in the Song Kingdom progressing?"

Liu Lei did not hesitate and immediately said, "Reporting to the Emperor, the capital of the Song Kingdom has now been breached by our Great Ming Empire. Additionally, the Emperor of the Song Kingdom has been ordered to be executed by His Highness the Imperial Grandson."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that the Song capital had been breached, he was naturally overjoyed.

"Very good, very good! My Xiong Ying truly did not disappoint me!"

Afterward, Zhu Biao, as the Crown Prince, also praised, "Of course, this is not only Xiong Ying's merit, but also the merit of all the Great Ming soldiers. Everyone shall be heavily rewarded."

At this time, Liu Lei spoke to both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, "Emperor, Crown Prince, His Highness the Imperial Grandson invites you both to the Song capital. His Highness says that from now on, this Song capital shall be the hub of the Great Ming Empire in this Wuxia World."

"Good, good, good. In that case, we shall set out immediately." Zhu Yuanzhang agreed readily. (End of Chapter)