Sensing my firm resolve to kill him and seeing his own men waver, he straightened up and said, "It was wrong of me to insult your mother, but after I die, I ask you to keep your word and let my men go."
I replied, "I always keep my word and have never broken a promise."
Then, putting on a hypocritical front, I added, "If you hadn't insulted my mother, we might have become friends. After all, you were a hero of your time, and I've always respected men like you. Look at the generals beside me—they were all peasants, and some even slaves. Yet here with me, they receive respect, and they even eat better than I do. It's just a pity that we stood on opposite sides. How lamentable, how tragic."
Chapter 29