The Emperor surrendered

At this moment on the battlefield, not much had happened, except for Jun Wu Xiao capturing the emperor. In the span of ten minutes, casualties were hardly worth mentioning as Chu Wu's forces focused solely on defense.

Atop the fortress walls, Jun Wu Xiao held the emperor in his grasp. A high official shouted:

"Assassin! Come rescue your majesty."

Soldiers, following the command, swiftly gathered on the fortress wall, their numbers growing by the moment.

Below the wall, several generals led their troops to surround the area, sealing off Jun Wu Xiao's escape route.

Jun Wu Xiao, seeing the encirclement, didn't find it odd. After all, he had charged into enemy lines to capture their leader, it would have been strange if they hadn't surrounded him. However, his purpose this time wasn't to fight, so he spoke loudly:

"I am the Demon God, I didn't come to kill you, we want to talk. Chu Wu wishes to speak with the emperor. The high officials and generals must also be present, and the location for this talk will be between the two armies, so rest assured."

Hearing this, everyone was stunned, they had never heard of a war where someone would directly approach the enemy and propose a talk instead of combat.

But the high officials and generals had no reason to refuse. After all, the chosen location was relatively safe, and more importantly, the emperor was in Jun Wu Xiao's hands. If they didn't comply, the emperor's life would be in grave danger.

"Good, we will follow." a few high officials said, and the others quickly agreed, for if they didn't, what else could they do?

Although some were unaware of Jun Wu Xiao's strength, those observing the battlefield knew. Seeing a man wearing a demon mask move like a demon across the battlefield, how could anyone not feel fear?

Jun Wu Xiao, seeing their cooperative attitude, felt no need to force them. He said:

Jun Wu Xiao, seeing their cooperative attitude, felt no need to force them. He said, "I will descend from the wall first. Once you all have assembled, we will head to the meeting point. Oh, and have your armies cease-fire to leave a space in the middle for our talk."

With that, he immediately jumped down from the gate, startling the emperor nearly to faintness. The emperor was terrified, normally, jumping from such a height would at best leave one crippled, if not dead.

Seeing the emperor land safely, everyone sighed in relief, fearing that his death would worsen the situation. The generals quickly ordered their troops to cease fire. Their commands spread rapidly through the ranks, and although confused, the soldiers gradually retreated as ordered.

Chu Wu, seeing the enemy beginning to withdraw, also commanded, "All troops, pull back a bit and cease fire."

Now, a significant gap had formed between the two armies. Seeing this, Chu Wu laughed and said:

"Ha ha, that guy really acts fast. If this succeeds, it will be my shortest battle ever. Only about more than twenty or so minutes of fighting."

Jun Wu Xiao, dragging the emperor along, was surrounded by dozens of high officials and generals as they slowly made their way to the meeting point.

The armies parted to create a way for them. Soon, everyone had arrived at the meeting point, where Chu Wu had been waiting for a while.

Upon arrival, Jun Wu Xiao released the emperor and stated:

"You are here only to listen, understand? This is a conversation between Chu Wu and the emperor. No one else is permitted to intervene."

Everyone took his words seriously and nodded, especially the high officials who had been considering escape, they were even more relieved. Not having to speak meant not offending either side, increasing their chances of survival.

The emperor, though still frightened, had a decent ability at acting. He stood up straight, looked Chu Wu in the eyes, and asked:

"What did you call me here to discuss?"

Chu Wu smiled and replied:

"Nothing much, just a few simple questions. If you can answer those questions, I will immediately stop this battle and withdraw my troops."

The emperor was shocked upon hearing this, and so were the high officials and generals. They had never considered that answering a few simple questions could end a battle.

Chu Wu, indifferent to their astonished expressions, continued:

"I hope you can answer honestly, because if you lie then..." He trailed off, glancing at Jun Wu Xiao, who nodded in response.

The emperor felt a bit scared, but he realized as long as he didn't lie, they had no reason to kill him, which reassured him somewhat.

"How could I possibly lie?" the emperor said with utmost righteousness.

"Good, good, good. Then let's start with the first question. Was your kingdom established for the well-being and prosperity of your people?" asked Chu Wu.

The emperor and the high officials were momentarily taken aback by the question, but since the objective could not be considered wrong, the emperor confidently answered:

"Yes."

Chu Wu nodded then asked:

"Then comes the second question. During our invasion, did we harm the people?"

The emperor, though reluctant to admit it, knew lying would lead to his death by Jun Wu Xiao. He hesitantly said:

"Yes."

Chu Wu continued nodding and asked:

"Then the third question. Are your subjects still living in poverty, enduring high taxes and levies?"

The emperor wanted to object but couldn't. This was common knowledge, and lying would mean certain death. He had no choice but to admit:

"Yes."

Chu Wu nodded, feeling he had asked enough, and declared:

"As those standing here have witnessed, your emperor has failed. The people suffer from hunger and oppressive taxes. If he cannot serve as emperor, why not merge his kingdom with ours? In our lands, there are no exorbitant taxes, and while not everyone is wealthy, no one starves to death. As an emperor, you now have two choices: one is to refuse and die, which means you acknowledge yourself as a worthless emperor who, for personal gain, has neglected his people and will be condemned by the world for a thousand years. The second is to actively merge, relinquishing the throne. Not only will you live, but you will also be remembered as a great king who sacrificed the throne for his people, revered by all."

The emperor was profoundly shaken upon hearing this, as were the generals and high officials. Those who cared for the people felt Chu Wu was right, they knew Chu Wu did not harm the innocent. Standing with Chu Wu was an honor for them.

However, the corrupt officials and flatterers feared losing their power and comfortable lives. But the power to decide was not in their hands, it was the emperor's.

Truthfully, the emperor was hesitant. Although the second option was far better, he was loath to give up his throne—the pinnacle of authority in a nation. But he had no choice, at least with the second option, there was a chance to live.

Sensing their hesitation, Chu Wu added:

"To show our sincerity, if you choose the second option, both the emperor and the high officials will be allowed to keep a portion of their wealth sufficient for a comfortable life. We will not take everything but will ensure you have enough to live comfortably for the rest of your lives."

This assurance relieved the high officials, having some wealth and being allowed to live was the best outcome they could hope for. With no reason left to refuse, the emperor thought becoming the greatest emperor in his country's history and still living to see his people's reverence wasn't a bad deal.

"I agree to the second option." the emperor said.

Truth be told, this approach couldn't be applied to every kingdom during a conquest. It required two conditions: a culpable emperor and government, and the support of someone as strong as Jun Wu Xiao.

Jun Wu Xiao and Chu Wu smiled, pleased that things were proceeding smoothly. The promise to allow the emperor and the high officials to live comfortably wasn't a lie. A comfortable life might be hard to quantify in terms of money, but for Jun Wu Xiao, it simply meant having enough rice to eat for a lifetime. By that measure, the emperor and the high officials wouldn't be able to keep much wealth. But obviously, Chu Wu wouldn't go so far as to leave them with just enough money to eat rice alone for the rest of their lives.