Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

When Chu Ge awoke again, he found himself lying in bed.

"Mr. Zheng, you're awake!"

The maid at the bedside said excitedly, bringing warm water for Chu Ge.

Chu Ge checked his condition and then realized that things were worse than he had anticipated.

Because he found he seemed to have lost his ability to speak!

Moreover, his body was also somewhat uncooperative. He could barely stand up, walk, and even scrawl some writing. But beyond these actions, he was completely helpless.

"Ah...ahh..."

Chu Ge opened his mouth but found he could only produce such meaningless noises.

The maid turned pale with fright. "Mr. Zheng, what's wrong with you? Quick, go call the doctor!"

It wasn't long before the doctor arrived.

The diagnosis was paralysis caused by excessive anger and anxiety.

"Mr. Zheng, your concern for the country and its people is understood by all the generals. But... the general trend of the world sometimes cannot be resisted by human force," said a soft and gentle voice near Chu Ge's ear. Although the tone was earnest, the words spoken only infuriated him more.

Perhaps, this sort of "knowledge of the times" was precisely what incensed people like Zheng Tian.

The speaker was a eunuch, clad in magnificent clothes and seemingly of high status.

This was the supervisor eunuch of Fengxiang, Peng Jingrou.

In the early days of the Liang Dynasty, the role of Lord Governor was mainly held by Imperial Censors, while in the later period it was held by eunuchs.

Given that there were numerous controlled territories at that time, each prone to disloyalty, the emperor naturally chose those he trusted most for the role of Lord Governor.

At this point, the status of Imperial Censors in the emperor's eyes had fallen far behind that of the eunuchs.

Thus, the eunuchs of the Liang Dynasty were far more powerful than those in a flourishing dynasty. While there were eunuchs in charge of military supervision in other dynasties, they did not have the power to command or transfer troops.

Many of the eunuchs of the Liang Dynasty, however, did have the power to command and move troops.

Zheng Tian, whom Chu Ge was impersonating, was the Military Governor of Fengxiang, and naturally, he was the highest leader there. But beneath him, the supervisor eunuch Peng Jingrou also wielded extensive power.

It could even be said that due to Zheng Tian's incapacitation from paralysis, Peng Jingrou, the supervisor eunuch, would handle much of Fengxiang's military affairs.

"Anyway, Mr. Zheng, you should focus on healing for now.

"The rebels are strong, and they cannot be fought hastily. Since the emperor has already left the capital to tour Xingyuan, there is no immediate danger. You need not be hasty in dealing with Huang Xianzhi," reassured Peng Jingrou before turning to leave.

However, Chu Ge found it hard to remain calm.

Because he knew what was going to happen next.

The envoy of Huang Xianzhi was about to arrive, and this supervisor eunuch, Peng Jingrou, would draft a gratitude letter in his name, urging the generals to sign it. In lay terms, it meant surrendering to Huang Xianzhi.

This was an actual event from history.

And the present Zheng Tian was powerless to stop it because of his paralysis; he could not speak and could barely write a few words, having difficulty even gripping a pen firmly.

Under these circumstances, how could he continue persuading the generals?

Even the talents he prided himself on seemed meaningless now.

Chu Ge lay in bed, sighing silently to himself.

It seemed all he could do was wait.

According to historical records, after Zheng Tian was bedridden with paralysis, the supervisor eunuch Peng Jingrou did draft a gratitude letter in his name and had the generals sign it, indicating their willingness to surrender to Huang Xianzhi.

However, while the supervisor eunuch Peng Jingrou was entertaining the envoy at a banquet, the generals present wept.

The envoy was puzzled and asked the reason.

A staffer, Sun Chu, replied, "Because Mr. Zheng cannot be present due to his paralysis, we are all saddened."

But in reality, the generals were mourning the imminent fall of the Liang Dynasty.

It was precisely this that made Zheng Tian realize that not all hope was lost, and the Liang Dynasty could still be saved.

So, a few days later, when he had fully recovered, he gathered the generals and enlightened them with reason, eventually gaining their support.

Afterward, he made a blood pact with the generals, cutting their arms and swearing an oath, fortifying the city, and preparing the weaponry. They executed Huang Xianzhi's envoy as a show of strength. Consequently, Huang Xianzhi, enraged, sent troops to attack Fengxiang but was soundly defeated by Zheng Tian.

Thus, Huang Xianzhi's reign came to an end, eventually leading to his downfall.

And as a result, Zheng Tian prolonged the life of the Liang Dynasty by more than two decades.

Realizing this, Chu Ge decided to lie in bed and rest calmly for now.

It appeared that convincing the generals would be the real challenge in the days ahead.

...

During the time Chu Ge was bedridden, his perspective once again shifted to a god's-eye view, witnessing the arrival of Huang Xianzhi's envoy in Fengxiang.

On the seat of honor was Huang Xianzhi's envoy, Wang Hui.

The supervisor eunuch, Peng Jingrou, waited for the generals to take their seats before introducing, "Generals, this is Wang Hui, the envoy sent by the Yellow King. We are hosting a banquet for the generals today in the hope of discussing the future of the Fengxiang army with you all."

Wang Hui stood up proudly, "Generals, the Yellow King sends his greetings, promising wealth and reward should you agree to submit. Now, with a million valiant soldiers under his command, conquering lands north and south of the Jiangnan without any fierce opposition, the Yellow King has even taken Chang'an without shedding blood, sending the emperor of the Liang Dynasty fleeing like a dog who's lost his home. This is the overwhelming trend of the world, one that cannot be opposed."