"Your Majesty, it's not Duke An, it's not..."
Gong Yonggu was so excited that he didn't even salute Zhu Yuanzhang when he saw him, so he hurriedly shouted out the words he had been holding back for a long time.
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he nodded calmly and said, "Can you recognize who it is?"
Gong Yonggu shook his head and said: "The appearance of the corpse was destroyed, so it is difficult to identify who it is. I was able to identify it only because of the red birthmark on An Guogong's right armpit."
"However, the figure of that man is indeed very similar to An Guogong. I think he must have been impersonated by someone he knew well, otherwise it would not be so similar. It is a pity that such a loyal man was cut into pieces by me."
When Gong Yonggu talked about the corpse, he couldn't help but show a trace of sadness on his face.
Then he remembered that Zhu Yuanzhang ordered this matter. Although he was lamenting his loyalty, it was very easy for Zhu Yuanzhang to misunderstand.
He originally wanted to explain things in words, but how could he explain this kind of thing clearly? It would only become darker and darker, making the misunderstanding more serious.
Even if Zhu Yuanzhang does not have this intention, he will draw him out, causing a gap between the emperor and his ministers.
But if he didn't say it and Zhu Yuanzhang was aware of it, there would also be a gap between the emperor and his ministers.
Gong Yonggu is also a person who is proficient in history and knows that once there is a gap between the emperor and his ministers, there will never be any good results.
Especially since they are now in a critical period of annihilating the rebels. If they cannot solve the problem properly, it will not only be detrimental to the suppression of the rebellion, but he may also suffer unforeseen disasters.
Thinking of this, he was filled with regret, but he didn't know how to deal with it.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't know what he was thinking at this moment, and he didn't speak.
Seeing this, Gong Yonggu felt even more worried.
Then he thought that he now commanded more than a hundred thousand soldiers and horses, and all the elites of the Beijing army were under his command.
To a certain extent, Zhu Yuanzhang had given his life to him and trusted him extremely. He should not doubt him because of these words.
And even if Zhu Yuanzhang has doubts, as long as he meets with him honestly, he will definitely be forgiven.
After thinking about this, Gong Yonggu knelt down on one knee and apologized: "Your Majesty, I made a mistake for a moment, please punish me!"
When Zhu Yuanzhang saw this, he pretended to be surprised and said: "Ping Xihou, what crime do you have?"
When Gong Yonggu heard this, he knew that Zhu Yuanzhang had already noticed it. His body trembled slightly and he said more respectfully: "Your Majesty, I just sighed because I couldn't bear the suffering of loyal and righteous people and felt guilty in my heart. I didn't mean to offend Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please give me a clear warning!"
After he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak, and there was a dead silence in the hall.
Gong Yonggu seemed to be able to hear his heartbeat and the sound of sweat beads gently sliding on his forehead.
"Tick tock!"
A drop of sweat finally completed its long journey and dropped crisply to the ground.
"Tick tock!"
"Tick tock!"
"Tick tock!"
...
Beads of sweat dripped happily one after another, as if they were about to play a stunning piece of music.
"Marquis Ping Xi, why do everyone say that you are kind but don't control troops?"
Just when Gong Yonggu felt that his heart was about to jump out, Zhu Yuanzhang's deep voice finally sounded.
When Gong Yonggu heard this, he felt relaxed both physically and mentally, as if he had drunk some fine wine.
Because if Zhu Yuanzhang directly helped him up at this moment and told him that he didn't care about it, it would mean that the other party no longer trusted him.
But now Zhu Yuanzhang's tone seems to be dissatisfied, but it just shows that he does not regard him as an outsider, so he can reveal his true temperament.
Moreover, the questions he asked also gave him a chance to argue, which showed that Zhu Yuanzhang was only dissatisfied with what he did, rather than doubting his loyalty.
Of course, this is just the beginning. If he cannot give a reason to convince Zhu Yuanzhang, I am afraid things will not be good.
So Gong Yong calmed down and said respectfully: "Soldiers are a major event for the country. If you use them well, you can prosper the country. If you misuse them, the country will be destroyed. Therefore, the sage is very cautious and does not dare to use his sword lightly."
"The general is the soul of the army and the pillar holding up the sky. If he cannot make orders and prohibitions, and make rewards and punishments clear, the soldiers will harbor hatred and military discipline will be loose."
"Therefore, those who lead the army well will punish the unjust before the war to serve as a warning to others. After the war, they will reward the virtuous and encourage those who come. If the general has the benevolence of a woman, he will not be able to punish the violent and promote the good..."
Zhu Yuanzhang waited for Gong Yonggu to finish speaking, then nodded and said: "Yes, but this is just the mercy of an officer, not the mercy of a general."
When Gong Yonggu heard the words of mercy, he couldn't help but be stunned.
Then he thought that if the general could not intimidate the young men in the army, the combat effectiveness of the army would be weakened. Once the war went unfavorably, at least the troops would be lost and the generals would be destroyed.
From this point of view, it is indeed a kind of mercy, but what is the general's mercy that Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned?
Seeing Gong Yonggu frowning, Zhu Yuanzhang slowly said: "Ping Xihou, Sun Tzu Youyun, the first is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the army, and the second is to attack the city."
"It can be seen that attacking a city and engaging in battle is a last resort, and it is also the main responsibility of generals. As a commander, the best is to win with strategy and to defeat the enemy's troops without fighting. This is also the greatest influence on the soldiers and the people. kindness."
"Now Thief Li is disturbing the morale of our army with the incident involving Duke An, but you only care about your own family ties, and waste no time caring about the life and death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. You have also forgotten the millions of people behind you. Do you think you can be considered kind?"
"Let me tell you, let alone An Guogong today, even if it is us, as long as it is beneficial to the overall situation, you must not look back. Only in this way can you be worthy of the Ming Dynasty and the thousands of people who support you..."
When Gong Yonggu heard Zhu Yuanzhang's words, his body trembled and he kept pleading guilty.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's tone became calmer and he continued: "As a general, being greedy for life and fearing death will certainly lead to the loss of the army and humiliation of the country, but attaching importance to love and reputation will also lead to death."
"So from the moment you put on the shirt, you should put aside all your emotions and have only one goal in your heart, which is to gain the greatest victory at the smallest cost!"
"But when you heard about An Guogong today, you immediately became confused. You couldn't see through the other party's conspiracy at all, let alone counterattack in time."
"If it weren't for our strict order today, even if you deny that the body is not that of An Guo Gong, but do not dispose of the body, the soldiers will definitely be suspicious and their trust in you will weaken. If this happens, the harm will be greater than the impact of An Guo Gong's death in battle. serious."
"It was precisely because Thief Li saw through your weakness that he dared to send the fake corpse in an attempt to destabilize your military morale."
"If Gao Jie and others see your weakness again, and they will not take you seriously, then there will be doubters inside and strong men outside. How are you going to fight this battle?"
It wasn't until this moment that Gong Yonggu truly realized the harm of this matter, and he sincerely apologized.
Zhu Yuanzhang helped him up with his own hands and said gently: "Ping Xihou, I am not saying this to blame you, but just to let you understand the responsibilities on your shoulders."
"At the same time, it is also because only in this way can it be possible to win a glimmer of life for Duke An, whose life or death is uncertain!"
Hearing this, Gong Yonggu looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in surprise.
Because if the rebels knew that Liu Wenbing was still alive, they would intensify their pursuit. This would only be more detrimental to Liu Wenbing. How could they get a chance of survival?
