“Your Majesty is absolutely right, the Ming Dynasty cannot go a single day without an emperor. For Your Majesty to make such a decision is truly a blessing for our Ming Dynasty and for all the people under heaven. I am willing to stay and continue to serve Your Majesty.” The head of the guards was also moved to tears as he spoke.

“But Your Majesty, those Oirat bandits don’t know you. What if…” The middle-aged eunuch’s lips began to tremble, his face turning ashen blue, as if it had been painted with Libang paint.

“Oh right, does anyone here understand the Oirat language?” George Washington slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing a serious problem. This was five or six hundred years ago, before the nationwide promotion of Mandarin, so even if he spoke perfect Beijing dialect, it would be useless. It seemed that promoting Mandarin education was truly necessary; otherwise, even begging for mercy might be misunderstood as a threat. That would be truly unlucky...

“I know a little.” The head of the guards quickly replied.

Very good, all problems had been resolved. The grave situation allowed no more hesitation, and Stephen Grant also knew that at this moment, George Washington was using himself as bait out of necessity, making a difficult sacrifice for the sake of the Ming Dynasty’s present, future, and even further beyond.

Stephen Grant, this battlefield general who understood the greater good, now had tears in his tiger-like eyes. He knelt and knocked his head three times forcefully toward George Washington: “Your Majesty, take care. Even if I die, I will die beneath the walls of the capital. Today, I can no longer protect Your Majesty; I hope Your Majesty will take good care of yourself. If anything should happen to Your Majesty in the future, I will follow Your Majesty to the underworld.” After saying this, Stephen Grant angrily threw away the mace in his hand, took the battle blade handed over by the head of the guards, and without looking back, turned and ran toward the bushes. Soon, under the cover of the low shrubs and the twilight, the once robust and formidable general could no longer be seen.

George Washington gave a somewhat regretful, bitter smile: “It’s a pity there are so few places to hide here. Otherwise, I’d really hope you could all hide. That way, with one more person returning, this imperial edict would be that much safer.”

“Your Majesty, are you sure they won’t harm you?” The head of the guards tightened his grip on his weapon and couldn’t help but ask again.

“As long as they know my identity, taking me alive as the former Ming emperor to claim a reward is much more valuable than just bringing a head.” George Washington sighed. The figures of those Oirat men were becoming clearer and clearer. “It’s just hard on you all.” Looking at these seven or eight loyal guards, George Washington felt a warmth in his heart. If not for them, and for those guards who had already died protecting him, George Washington believed he would have been hacked to pieces by those frenzied Oirat soldiers as soon as he left the main camp. And now, he had to take the initiative to appear before those Oirat men.

“Your Majesty is doing this for the everlasting prosperity of the Ming. Even if we die, we have no regrets.” The head of the guards smiled, his expression so sincere, with a sense of relief. The other armed guards behind him also smiled. Seeing these men who faced death unflinchingly, George Washington felt an indescribable sense of awe. It was men like these who supported the Ming Dynasty, who managed to drive the Mongols—who had controlled most of Eurasia—out of the Central Plains, and who continued to struggle for centuries thereafter.

Who says the backbone of the Chinese people died out in the Song Dynasty? Watching those Oirat men scrambling up the hillside, waving their arms and shouting noisily, George Washington took a deep breath of the salty, fishy air, lifted his head, and let the howling wind dry the moisture in his eyes. At this moment, the dignity of being an emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the dignity of being a Han emperor, made him forget all fear. He stood there, overlooking the Oirat cavalry below the hill, as if they were nothing more than loathsome crawling insects.

“……” The head of the guards had already thrown away his weapon and stood in front of George Washington, loudly shouting in his stammering Mongolian. George Washington could only continue to stand there, dumbly posing among the unarmed guards who had obeyed his order to throw down their weapons.

The shouts of the head of the guards first made the Oirat cavalry, now less than twenty paces away, look at each other in confusion. Then, it seemed they were arguing about something, and a few of the Oirat cavalry raised their scimitars, looking eager to try something. Seeing this, George Washington’s heart leapt into his throat.

Just then, a voice speaking awkward Chinese rang out from among the Oirat cavalry. A burly man in fine armor pushed aside the soldiers in front of him and stepped forward, standing before George Washington and the others, his narrow eyes glaring fiercely at the unarmed guards.

Finally, his gaze fell on George Washington, who stood surrounded by the guards, and he shouted in clumsy Chinese, “Who is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty? Step forward.”