Chapter 210
Trilateral talks
Within a year, two emperors of Daliang died in succession, which was an ominous sign.
The situation in the entire Daliang territory became a foregone conclusion due to the inland immigration policy of the Yichun City Lord's Mansion.
As expected before the new emperor's death, at the beginning of the following spring, the Regent and the Prince of Ruyin respectively received invitations for talks from Yichun.
The meeting place was Yanglan City, the junction of Jizhou, Sili and Yanzhou.
The Regent and the Prince of Ruyin both responded to the invitation and came with armor.
Seeing the bustling crowds of people in Yanglan City and the fields bustling with activity, Prince Ruyin felt a pang of sadness. How many fields lay abandoned in the three states of Xu, Qing, and Yan? From where he stood, he could see only a few people working in the fields. And the prosperity under the Yichun influence was all stolen from them. How despicable, how hateful!
In fact, in the past few months, both the Regent and the Prince of Ruyin have realized that they have no chance of winning against the Yichun side.
In their current situation, without the common people under their rule, they are truly like a tree without roots. In the past, the common people supported them and their army, but now they have to pay for the army themselves, which is very difficult. Especially for the regent, those untouchables were so important.
At this moment, even if Yichun did not invite them for a talk, they could not sit still.
Many of the people in the territories they govern have fled. Currently, only about 20% to 30% remain, and the number is decreasing every day. These people will resort to any means necessary to escape. They are powerless to prevent this, and there is no way they can stop them.
This situation made them clearly realize that they were powerless to change the situation. Especially the Regent, this series of events made him deeply understand the meaning of "water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it."
So, since Yichun has invited us for a meeting, let’s just talk.
Outside the city of Lanyang, the Regent and the King of Ruyin met. They looked at each other, and perhaps they had a tacit understanding that they shared the same suffering and would not give in unless they were given enough benefits.
As Sima Xian and the others had expected, Yao Chunnuan presided over this meeting. Of course, as a sign of respect for the two, Xing Changfeng also showed up, but he was merely a tool.
When they heard it was her, the Regent and the Prince of Ruyin became extremely alert. There was nothing they could do. They had fought with her several times and never gained the upper hand. They were all afraid of her.
Sima Xian couldn't help but scrutinize Yao Chunnuan, a young, beautiful woman brimming with aura. He had no choice; they'd fought each other several times, but this was their first meeting. He hadn't expected the woman before him to possess not only extraordinary beauty but also extraordinary wisdom. Heaven truly blessed her.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with them, Yao Chunnuan got straight to the point.
How could anyone sleep peacefully beside my bed? The only three paths left for the Regent and the Prince of Ruyin were death, imprisonment, and the final escape, leaving the Central Plains and China. She felt that death was something no one would choose, nor was imprisonment. Therefore, she had no choice but to leave. The places she had prepared for them were Fusang and the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
This was her choice based on their respective lifestyles. Of course, if they wanted to move southwest to Shuanggui or Sindhu, that was also possible.
If they agreed, they could take away anyone who was willing to follow them, as well as their own property.
This was beyond the expectations of the Regent and the King of Ruyin. They thought that the other party would ask them to surrender and then confine them to a fiefdom or something.
Yao Chunnuan was worried about keeping them in China, imprisoning them, and raising them? It wasn't worth it!
They are all destabilizing factors, so she might as well just leave them outside China.
Sima Xian didn't expect that Yao Chunnuan would point them in this direction, but it seemed reasonable, as the other party really had no good feelings towards foreigners.
Yao Chunnuan finally said that if they agreed, they should sign and then leave the Central Plains within a month. He even hinted that after they signed, if they needed help during the battle for territory, Yichun could provide some assistance.
Why? This is the question of the Regent and Prince Ruyin.
Yao Chunnuan jokingly replied, "You are so capable, we don't feel comfortable keeping you in China, so go out and conquer the world." In her words, since you are destined to be a disaster, then go and cause trouble to others!
The Regent and Prince Ruyin both understood what was said and were almost furious.
Ultimately, persuaded by their confidants, the two men signed the agreement. The regent chose the Three Han states, and the King of Yeoin chose Fuso. After signing, the two men left in a huff.
Yao Chunnuan was very satisfied with the result of the interview.
However, it was her capable subordinate Feng Xiudong who asked the question that many people were worried about, "Lord Yao, are you really going to let the Regent and the Prince of Ruyin take away those who are willing to follow them and their own property?" Many people in the army regarded the property in the palace and the property of the Prince of Ruyin as their spoils of war.
"Yes." The other party is fighting for territory. How can we fight if we don't let them take these away?
Yao Chunnuan glanced at him and soothed him, "The people want peace, don't worry. Not many will follow them. And let's take a long-term view. Don't keep treating them like enemies. They might even be our partners in the future. Leaving a good impression is like an initial investment." It's a blessing to be able to deal with these two without having to fight a war or spend a single soldier, isn't it? Speaking of which, those who are unhappy are the warmongers in the military. They haven't fought enough. Wait until later. There will be opportunities.
When they left, Yao Chunnuan personally saw them off. He said a warm farewell to the two and gave them some finished medicines developed by the Bayuan Pharmaceutical Factory as a farewell gift. He also said that the Central Plains would always be their home and that if they needed help in a foreign land, they could write to them.
Prince Ruyin quickly retreated, because he found that after hearing her words, he actually felt that losing to them was not bad at all. The resentment in his heart actually dissipated. It was also weird. He reminded himself that he was the one who was robbed of 200,000 taels of gold!
The Prince of Ruyin left, leaving Sima Xian alone to bid him farewell. After all, he was seeing him off and giving him such a priceless gift, so he had to give him some respect.
Yao Chunnuan was certain of Sima Xian's talent, but she never offered to recruit him, because she knew that even if she did, he would refuse. Therefore, it was not bad for him to assist the King of Ruyin in going to Fusang.
Sima Xian understood what she understood. They were both wise men, and everything was self-evident. Therefore, neither of them had ever raised this issue.
"When do you plan to hold the coronation ceremony?"
"It will probably be around May or June." Let's talk about it after the spring plowing is over.
Sima Xian looked at her with admiration. It was still two or three months away from May or June. Most people who conquered the world would definitely ascend the throne as soon as possible, but Xing Changfeng and Yao Chunnuan were not in a hurry. He really admired them for being able to take their time in the face of such a great temptation.
Yao Chunnuan smiled. As the saying goes, "accumulate food and wait until you become king." Now that these two great gods are gone, who else in the Chinese area can threaten them? Compared to ascending the throne, people's livelihood issues are the top priority.
******
The coronation ceremony was scheduled for May, after spring plowing and the rainy season.
At the same time, they also invited several foreign envoys to watch the ceremony.
The Southern Barbarians and Northern Barbarians, in particular, were indignant but afraid to speak out in response to the invitation. Inviting them to attend the ceremony was a bit of a deterrent, but could they really refuse? In the end, they had no choice but to send an envoy to offer their congratulations.
After final deliberation, the country's name was decided to be Ming, and the reign title was Tianqi. From then on, the general became the new Tianqi Emperor.
On this day, Emperor Tianqi wrote in red ink to confer the title of Duke of Zhenguo on Yao Chunnuan and appointed him as the Left Prime Minister.
Seeing this canonization, Huo Wei was speechless for a moment, "My husband, with this canonization, if Ah Nuan makes further contributions in the future, how will we reward him?"
"Reward as it should be." Shouldn't it be right to reward those who have made contributions?
"But if you give out rewards like this, your ministers will be worried. They are worried that you will kill the donkey after the millstone. Because there is no more reward to be given above you." This is how history has played out. When there is no more reward to be given, the only option is to get rid of the other party.
"So, should I not ascend the throne? Once I ascend, I'll be at the top. Even if I make further achievements, I won't be able to ascend any higher."
"You can't say that."
She was genuinely worried about a rift between them. When Yao Chunnuan had disappeared in Jiaozhou, she had acted with decency. Huo Wei didn't want to see any misunderstandings between her and such a capable and loyal minister.
Xing Changfeng just said, "Don't worry, she won't worry."
Never mind. Perhaps she was just worrying too much. Huo Wei stopped trying to persuade her. She thought it was no use trying to persuade her like that; it would seem like she was preventing Yao Chunnuan from getting promoted. But God knew she didn't really mean that. When her husband disappeared, she had already developed a deep respect for him when she expressed her willingness to support the child she was carrying as the heir to her husband's power.
Yao Chunnuan didn't know about this.
The first day of May is a very auspicious day with clear skies and bright air. It is also the day of the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven.
On this day, the emperor officially ascended the throne and held a grand ceremony to worship the sky at the Purple Gold Temple on the Nine-Layered Terrace.
On the day of the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony, Yao Chunnuan wore the female Prime Minister's court dress.
In the early morning, thousands of golden rays broke through the clouds and scattered all over the capital. The most eye-catching thing was that the red bricks and yellow tiles in the imperial palace sparkled under the sunlight, as if they were covered with a layer of golden light.
On this day, the four gates of the capital city, the Azure Dragon in the East, the White Tiger in the West, the Vermillion Bird in the South, and the Black Tortoise in the North, were all opened, and countless elite soldiers in armor lined up in neat and solemn formations to guard various parts of the imperial palace.
The Purple Gold Temple of Heaven is a three-tiered structure constructed entirely of white marble. The road leading to the Temple of Heaven is covered in red carpets, incense tables are set up, elite soldiers line up on both sides, and flags flutter in the wind.
The envoys from various countries who came to offer their congratulations stood on the third and lowest level. They had no objections to this, nor did they dare to object, especially the envoys from the Southern Barbarians and Northern Di tribes. The New Kingdom had always treated them poorly, so having a place to stand was considered a blessing.
Standing on the second floor were the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty.
Yao Chunnuan, as a key official, was placed on the first step. Besides the imperial guards and attendants, only Yao Chunnuan and Chief Steward Wu stood on the first step.
At this moment, a powerful voice sang, "The auspicious time has arrived, welcome Your Majesty!"
As Xing Changfeng, wearing a dragon robe, walked slowly towards the rising sun, tens of thousands of elite soldiers shouted in unison, the sound was deafening, and the momentum soared into the sky.
At that moment, countless people were shocked.
Emperor Tianqi walked with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, advancing ahead of the crowd with an imposing aura and awe-inspiring power without even being angry.
As he moved forward, with every step he took, a row of elite soldiers knelt on one knee facing his back. First, the soldiers on both sides knelt in rows, and finally the foreign envoys, as well as civil and military officials. Yao Chunnuan and Wu Zongguan were the last to kneel.
Xing Changfeng turned around, opened his hands, and gestured, "Stand up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Everyone shouted in unison, bowed again, and then slowly stood up.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Emperor Tianqi accepted the three large incense sticks lit by the waiter, faced the large cauldron for offering sacrifices to heaven, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, Xing Changfeng, now bows to the heavens day and night, and to the spirits of the emperors of all generations. Now that the Liang Dynasty has ended, I, your humble servant, will follow the will of heaven and obey the will of the people. I will drive out the rebellion of foreign races and settle the warlords of the north and south. On May 1st, I will offer sacrifices at the Purple Gold Temple of Heaven, announcing to heaven and earth that I will establish the Ming Dynasty and establish the reign of Tianqi!"
After offering incense, Emperor Tianqi slowly turned around and faced the crowd. "Today is the founding day of our Ming Dynasty, but the way to govern a country is not something I can do alone. I need your concerted efforts."
"Your Majesty is wise, we will do our best!"
"Also, for the sake of the people's safety, I hereby decree that all states will be exempted from conscription and taxation for one year!"
The emperor and his ministers bowed again, "Your Majesty is so kind, long live your Majesty."
After the coronation ceremony, Yao Chunnuan and Qi Yingshan got married.
On the wedding day, the house was packed with distinguished guests and the atmosphere was lively and festive. The emperor came in person in disguise to give his blessings to the couple.
Yao Chunnuan served as prime minister for three years, helping the emperor improve people's livelihoods before resigning. The imperial court subsequently changed the system of three dukes and nine ministers to the system of three provinces and six ministries. Yao Chunnuan became the Minister of Rites and later dedicated himself to enlightening the people and establishing schools, particularly for women. He earned the respectful title of Yao Shanzhang.
Yao Shanchang and Emperor Tianqi have been a harmonious couple for their entire lives. The king and his subject joined forces to usher in the Tianqi era of prosperity that lasted for thirty years.
The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and their quality of life had greatly improved compared to the previous dynasties in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation. The country's comprehensive national strength was unprecedentedly strong, and all nations came to pay tribute.
The Emperor Tianqi continued to trust her, even having the Crown Prince privately address her as Aunt Chun. She enjoyed a lifetime of honor, with a large family and many children and grandchildren, and at the ripe old age of eighty-eight, she passed away with a smile alongside her husband.
The author has something to say: It's finished, so happy to celebrate. As for the forum-style extra chapter you mentioned, I'll work on it for you when I get back tonight, and I'll put it at the end. I won't do more, so I'll write a fairy tale next. The title of the novel is called "I Want to Be the Sect Leader."
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