The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 683

Inside the prison of the Toungoo Dynasty, Wen Zhengming was torn between whether or not to die there. If he died, both the Ming Dynasty and Zhou Hengqi would have a reason to wipe out the Toungoo Dynasty, and even the surrounding small countries.

Moreover, Wen Zhengming always felt that as an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, being captured by the Toungoo Dynasty, although it provided the Ming Dynasty with an excuse to send troops, was also a disgrace to the country. Only by dying here would it be the most perfect outcome.

"Ruzhen, I have some things to tell you before I die. You must remember them well."

Having made up his mind, Wen Zhengming looked at Hu Zongxian beside him and said.

Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji panicked upon hearing this. Their teacher had sent them to save Lord Wen's life, and they never expected him to be so resolute.

If Master Wen dies here, won't the teacher strip him of his life?

“My lord, you need not worry about disgracing the nation. We will both help you regain the face you have lost.”

Hu Zongxian hurriedly said.

"Get him back? How can I get him back? As an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, I have been captured by such a small country as the Toungoo Dynasty. If I were to live on, wouldn't I be ridiculed by the world?"

Wen Zhengming sighed.

"My lord, there is no need to worry. Before we came, our teacher had already instructed us that if Mang Ruiti really dared to make a move, we would find a way to rescue Lord Wen, then go to Champa to borrow troops, and then go to Annam to transfer some troops. Then Lord Wen would lead us to wipe out the Toungoo Dynasty. In this way, my lord would be a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty."

Hu Zongxian said.

"With the troops in Champa, can they destroy the Toungoo Dynasty? As far as I know, the garrison in Annam is less than five thousand men at most. We can probably only muster one or two thousand men at most?"

Wen Zhengming did not understand.

"My lord, there is no need to worry. The teacher has already considered this. The Dongyu Dynasty is not monolithic. There must be a conflict of ideas between Mang Jisui and Mang Ruiti. Even other members of the Mang family will not stand by and watch Mang Ruiti act recklessly. My lord, just wait. After we escape, we will contact these people and have them cooperate from the inside to catch Mang Ruiti off guard. As the art of war says, speed is of the essence in war, and we should attack what the enemy does not expect."

Hu Zongxian spoke eloquently.

Wen Zhengming's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you. I will certainly ask His Majesty for credit for you afterwards."

Wen Zhengming was also their advisor, so naturally he wouldn't try to take credit for their work.

As the three were talking, the eunuch, led by the jailer, came up to them.

"Are you gentlemen envoys from the Celestial Empire?"

The eunuch looked at Wen Zhengming with an extremely humble attitude.

"What? You dare arrest me but not admit it?"

Wen Zhengming frowned, saying he couldn't understand what the person in front of him was trying to do.

“Your Excellency has misunderstood. I served His Majesty. His Majesty has passed away. That Mang Rui Ti was a wolf in sheep's clothing and imprisoned His Majesty until his death. Everything that Mang Rui Ti did did not represent His Majesty, the Mang family, or the Dongyu Dynasty.”

The eunuch hurriedly explained.

The jailer standing nearby was terrified when he heard this.

"You don't need to think about telling Mang Ruiti that if this official were to suffer any mishap, the Ming army would quickly raze this place to the ground, and you and your family would probably not survive."

The eunuch naturally saw through the jailer's thoughts and sneered.

"I will never let a word of what you said, Father-in-law."

The jailer hurriedly bowed and said.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch nodded in satisfaction, then his expression instantly turned somewhat obsequious as he looked at Wen Zhengming.

"Before His Majesty passed away, he specifically instructed me to come and rescue the envoy. His Majesty also said that he wished the whole country to submit to the Great Ming and hoped that the envoy and the Great Ming could leave a way out for the Mang family."

The eunuch said earnestly.

"Regardless of whether your king captured me or not, the fact that I am here is undeniable. As an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, I have been humiliated by a small country like yours, which is a disgrace to our nation. I was just preparing to die for my country."