The emperor was seriously ill and ordered the crown prince to govern the country.
Xiao Yan personally contacted the delegation from the Great Khanate, and the leader of the delegation was still Gulisi.
Gulisi was originally worried that the peace talks would be hindered after Xiao Yan became the crown prince, but he did not expect that Xiao Yan would be particularly attentive to him. With Xiao Yan's deliberate flattery, the two had a very pleasant conversation.
The members of the delegation complained that the post station was too small and they could not ride horses or shoot arrows. Some of them even rode their horses in the street. The officials of the Honglu Temple tried to dissuade them but failed and were beaten by the delegation instead.
When Xiao Yan learned about this, he was not angry. Instead, he cleaned up the fifth prince's original residence for the delegation to live in. He also gave the fifth prince's villa in the suburbs of Beijing for the delegation to play.
After more than half a month of commotion, Gulisi finally felt relieved. Even though Xiao Yan was once a ferocious tiger, he had his claws cut off and became a harmless house cat under the power struggle of the Xiao royal family.
The Xiao royal family is so cowardly, it’s just a matter of time before Tian Khan unifies the Xiao Kingdom!
The Imperial Astronomical Observatory quickly selected an auspicious day, and the date for the signing of the contract between the two countries was set on the eighth day of the seventh lunar month.
The eighth day of the seventh month is a very auspicious day with bright sunshine, suitable for sacrifices, banquets, and military campaigns.
The emperor seemed to have a last burst of energy and was in particularly good spirits that day. He forced himself to get up from the bed and ordered people to carry him to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was already filled with civil and military officials, who shouted "Long live the emperor" and welcomed him in.
Liu Xi placed the emperor on the dragon throne. Xiao Yan stood beside the emperor, watching him being moved around with a cold expression on his face.
The emperor was wearing an empty dragon robe, his cheeks were thin, and his hair was mostly white. The majestic dragon robe could not support his decaying body.
"My dear ministers, please...please stand up... cough cough cough..."
Liu Xi patted the emperor's back and fed him ginseng soup. The ginseng soup was prepared by Doctor Ye. It is said that it can make people speak the truth, but no one knows whether it is true or not.
After drinking the ginseng soup, the emperor's voice became louder. "Come here, summon the envoys from the Great Khanate to the audience!"
Gulisi entered the hall with a dozen strong envoys. He wore a sword openly, and the others also carried weapons without hiding them at all.
There was a murmur of discussion in the hall. Gulisi said loudly, "Men on the grassland are unrestrained and never leave their swords. Even your country's crown prince has no objection. What are you barking about?"
Elder Tian, standing at the front of the officials, simply smiled upon hearing this, appearing to be in a particularly good mood. "There's no need to discuss this further, everyone. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has already instructed us to follow the wishes of our distinguished guest. There's no need to get hung up on the details."
All the officials made way for him, and Gu Lisi swaggered to the emperor, bowed perfunctorily and said, "The emperor of Xiao is well."
Without waiting for the emperor to speak, Gulisi had already taken his men to sit on the left side of the hall, and the people around him also sat down one after another, not paying any attention to the emperor at all.
The Minister of the Honglu Temple was in charge of receiving foreign guests and had been holding back his anger for a long time. Seeing Gu Lisi and others acting recklessly, he could not help but shout:
"Since ancient times, the left has been considered the most honorable, and there's a saying that guests should follow the host's wishes. The Crown Prince should be seated first, on the left. The Crown Prince's status is so noble, far superior to an envoy. How can we allow an envoy from another country to act recklessly and disrupt the rules and etiquette?"
Xiao Yan glanced at the Minister of Rites indifferently and said, "It's just a seat. The distinguished guest can sit wherever he wants. The Minister of Rites is so inflexible. Why don't you step down?"
As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, two imperial guards rushed in and dragged out the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was kneeling on the ground with a sad face.
The hall was completely silent, with only Gu Lisi's laughter ringing out. "Your Crown Prince truly understands the current situation. This envoy is extremely pleased. Emperor Xiao, let's get started."
The emperor sat up straight and said lovingly to Xiao Yan, "Ayan, go ahead. You don't have to stay with me anymore. I'm relieved to have you handle the peace talks."
Xiao Yan led everyone to sit down. Except for some important old ministers, most people could only stand. There were also a few royal relatives who made up the numbers to show their importance to the delegation.
After Concubine Wu was torn to pieces by a chariot, the most favored concubine in the harem was Concubine An, who has now been promoted to Concubine An.
The eighth prince's speech impediment has been cured, and the emperor's fatherly love, which has nowhere to go, has all fallen on the eighth prince. He is particularly fond of the eighth prince. The eighth prince has been made a prince, and after getting married he will leave the palace and set up his own house.
Concubine An was accompanying the emperor. The eighth prince did not have to negotiate with the delegation and his seat was closest to the emperor.
The Crown Princess and the Crown Princess' concubines were also present, sitting behind the Crown Prince.
This action was not in accordance with etiquette, but the Crown Prince insisted on doing so, and the Crown Princess was also extremely generous and did not care at all about being overshadowed by the concubine, so the Ministry of Rites turned a blind eye.
Everything went smoothly. Today was just a formality. The treaty had already been negotiated. The bright yellow scroll was spread on the table and copied by the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy. It was then sent to the emperor's dragon desk.
Liu Xi took out the jade seal that had been prepared long ago and placed it respectfully next to the emperor.
The emperor was filled with excitement, and a blush finally appeared on his face, which had once exuded a gloomy aura. He stroked the bright yellow scroll with trembling hands and sighed:
"I have been in office for many years, working tirelessly and diligently to govern the country. The people live and work in peace and contentment. It is a pity that I have not achieved unparalleled achievements to pass on to future generations."
"After founding the country, Emperor Taizu signed a ten-year non-aggression pact with the Chiyou tribe. Today, the Xiao Kingdom and the Great Khanate have signed a hundred-year pact. This century-long friendship is a blessing for the country and the people. My achievements will be remembered for thousands of years."
Lord Tian took the lead in praising the emperor's achievements, and all the officials praised him.
Crown Princess Wenlan felt sick after hearing this and couldn't help but say to Xiaoyun beside her, "When Duke Ji led the Changhong Army to defeat the Chiyou tribe, Emperor Xiao Taizu signed a ten-year alliance. Our Xiao Kingdom didn't contribute a single piece of silk or a single grain of rice."
"What kind of bullshit treaty is this? It's not enough to just cede the city, but they send so many good things over there every year, and they all come from the people. Aren't the people going to be exhausted to death?"
"Xiao Yan is such a piece of shit. He's enjoying his life as the crown prince, but he doesn't care about the lives of the people. It really makes me so angry!"
Ji Yunhuan patted Wen Lan's hand, signaling her to stop talking.
Wenlan was a fool. She had hinted to him several times, but Wenlan didn't notice any clues and didn't understand Xiao Yan's plan at all. Maybe Xiao Yan concealed it too well and deceived Wenlan and the delegation.
Wen Lan glared at Xiao Yun in dissatisfaction. "You always side with him. You say yes to everything he does. You will definitely be bullied by him in the future. I just hope that this time you have a son. After I am gone, even if there is a new Crown Princess, your position will be secure."
She was now looking forward to Xiao Yan ascending the throne and releasing her from the palace as soon as possible. She could not stay in this palace for another day.
The emperor's arms were shaking violently. With the help of Liu Xi beside him, he was able to lift the heavy jade seal and dip it in ink.
Just as he was about to put his seal on the emperor's head, there was a sudden commotion at the door. A minor official in a turquoise official uniform rushed in, walked past a crowd of people, and knelt down in front of the emperor with a thud.
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