Chapter 328 Historical Meeting
At this moment, it is late autumn.
Jing'an Lake, which used to be crowded with people for boating and sightseeing, is now quiet.
The area around the lake had been cleared long ago, and important intersections were heavily guarded. Flags were waving on the hilltops on both sides, and countless soldiers were lurking on the hilltops, looking quite nervous as if they were facing a powerful enemy.
The isolated island is located in the center of the lake. There is a small pavilion on it and there are strange protruding rocks all around. It is a major tourist attraction of Jing'an Lake, but at this moment it is quiet and peaceful.
Early in the morning, soldiers from both sides sent fifty people each to the island by boat to check it one by one. They almost searched the island from top to bottom. Then the fifty people retreated at the same time to ensure the safety of the island.
At this moment, the autumn wind is blowing, and the maple forests on both sides are dyed bright yellow.
Endless fallen leaves rustle down.
There is a solemn and solemn feeling in the air.
Xu Zhenying and his group were waiting on the west side of the lake. Although the Northern Expedition negotiations were so important, Xu Zhenying still left a large number of elite troops in Fengxiang Prefecture to continue the war.
He brought Zhang Wanjun, Chang Zizai, Zhao Qiaonian, Mr. Lin, and the secretaries with him.
Of course, Xinzhou also selected a thousand people to maintain order.
At this moment, more than 3,000 people were hiding in the woods, waiting for Xu Zhenying's order.
However, this negotiation only involves three people.
As for the candidates for the other two people, they had been arguing about it for as long as they had been on their journey from Fengxiang Prefecture, and they still had not reached a conclusion.
It can be imagined that this negotiation can directly promote the unification of the north and the south. If the negotiation goes smoothly, the city of Bianjing will also become its possession.
Then this negotiation will surely leave a significant mark in history books.
Everyone wants to witness this historic moment, everyone wants to be the person whose name will be recorded in history, and everyone wants to protect Xu Zhenying closely.
Everyone has their own selfish motives, but also has a greater purpose.
On the other hand, Elder Lin and Zhou Houfang never mentioned wanting to go along. It wasn't because they were afraid of danger, but because their fighting power was too weak. If anything went wrong during the negotiations, they would become a burden to His Highness.
Xu Zhenying finally chose Zhang Wanjun and Chang Zizai.
Everyone had no objection and was convinced.
Considering that Xu Zhenying is a girl, it would be best if the people accompanying her were a man and a woman.
It seems that there is no other person on the scene who can satisfy the needs of a man and a woman who have superb martial arts skills, sharp reactions, excellent observation skills, and who at the same time must remain absolutely loyal to Xu Zhenying and be willing to sacrifice their lives at critical moments.
There is no doubt that Zhang Wanjun is unmatched in terms of quick wit in battle.
Although Chang Zizai doesn't hide his words, he has been fighting for many years, and his reaction and fighting ability are second to none.
No one can find any fault with this lineup.
Zhang Wanjun and Chang Zizai, who were selected, naturally knew the importance of this mission, and they secretly made up their minds to protect Xu Zhenying at all costs.
Even if it means sacrificing my life.
However, Zhou Houfang was obviously more thoughtful. "Your Highness, the boatman must be one of our own. Please choose another boatman."
Xu Zhenying flashed past everyone's expectant faces, and then his gaze fell on Chang Yuanshan.
"Chang Yuanshan, you are responsible for rowing the boat."
Elder Lin also agreed: "Secretary Chang came from the military and has spent two or three years in the secretariat. He has a rough background but is also very meticulous. He is a good candidate."
Chang Yuanshan looked solemn and instantly felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders.
Soon, a troop of two thousand soldiers arrived at the west side of Jing'an Lake. They were fully prepared, with a clear division of labor. Half an hour later, Chang Yuanshan reported, "Your Highness, there are currently five hundred archers stationed on the mountain, equipped with ten pairs of telescopes. If you feel any danger, signal us immediately. We have already sent people familiar with the water to explore the lake and confirm that Zhao Yi and his men have not set an ambush underwater."
"If I raise my hand, it means danger. If I wave, it means the peace talks are successful, and you must immediately send someone across the bridge to the Northern Frontier camp to wait."
Elder Lin immediately understood: "Your Highness believes that if the peace talks are successful, Zhao Yi will definitely invite you to join the camp."
"That's right."
Xu Zhenying looked at the heads that emerged one after another from the bottom of the water, and looked at everyone busying around for her safety, especially Old Lin. At this moment, the old man had a worried look on his face, as if he couldn't wait to go with her.
Xu Zhenying smiled and consoled him, "Why are you all so sad? I'm going there to have a conversation, not to die."
Mr. Lin seemed to be in a dilemma and hesitated to speak.
Xu Zhenying seemed to have remembered something. He quietly pulled Elder Lin aside and took out a letter from his pocket. "Elder Lin, don't open this letter yet. If something happens to me, you can open it later. This is my secret plan."
Elder Lin was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at her. "Pfft, pfft, pfft, how can you say such an unlucky thing? This mountain is full of our people, Zhao Yi wouldn't dare to act rashly!"
"Everyone makes mistakes. What if my boat capsizes and I fall into the water?"
Elder Lin said in a rather sarcastic tone, "Don't worry, Your Highness. We have prepared the boat and ropes. We have also stationed hundreds of men familiar with water on the shore. We guarantee that even if the boat capsizes, your shoes won't get wet."
However, Elder Lin changed the subject, "Your Highness should have listened to me earlier and married a royal husband and produced an heir. If you are truly doomed, at least this vast family fortune will have someone to inherit, and Jinzhou Prefecture will not be torn apart."
Xu Zhenying held his forehead and said helplessly: "Oh, I forgot, I can swim."
Elder Lin stared at her, and the old man said seriously, "Your Highness, this old minister is serious. Please give the Emperor's husband's matter careful consideration."
Xu Zhenying had no choice but to admit defeat: "I'll think about it, I'll think about it."
"Really?" Elder Lin was delighted, completely forgetting that they were on the eve of the Northern Expedition. "I've already prepared a collection of portraits and family information for nearly a hundred young talents from Jinzhou Prefecture. When Your Highness returns later, I can arrange for them to come and pay their respects to Your Highness."
The smile on Xu Zhenying's lips froze, and then she replied calmly, "Next time for sure."
"Okay." Old Lin naturally thought that "next time for sure" meant he agreed, and he was so happy that he even felt excited about seeing Xu Zhenying off.
The issue of heirs has finally been resolved.
When Mr. Lin reacted, he found that there was a letter in his hand that Xu Zhenying had stuffed into his hand before leaving.
Oh, wait, what did His Highness say just now?
Oh, by the way, if anything happens to her, don’t open this letter again.
These words immediately made Lin Laoru anxious, and he wished he could open it with his own hands right now.
Xu Zhenying, Chang Zizai and Zhang Wanjun paddled a small boat and slowly drifted towards the isolated island in the center of the lake.
The boatman was naturally Chang Yuanshan.
The boat looked small and unremarkable, but Luo Qingzhou and his men had modified it overnight. It was made of iron inside and covered with wood outside, making it practically invulnerable to weapons. A small amount of black powder was hidden in a secret compartment in the cabin, just in case.
All four of them had weapons on them, and Xu Zhenying carried the dagger given to him by Jiang Yongkang.
Zhang Wanjun and Chang Zizai were fully armed, with long swords on their waists and daggers hidden on their calves. Zhang Wanjun even tied her hair up high and tied it with a hairpin, which was a rare occurrence for her.
Xu Zhenying only found out before setting off that the hairpin had an extremely sharp end and the top was tempered with a deadly poison. As long as Zhang Wanjun pulled out the hairpin, it would take her life in an instant.
Chang Zizai also completely restrained his usual nonchalant attitude. The young man was full of vigor and vitality, holding the hilt of the sword with one hand. At this moment, he was like a falcon, looking at the lake with a vigilant look.
Xu Zhenying was still quite satisfied.
Thinking back to when she was in Lan County, her army was like a mob, fighting with only kitchen knives, cooking utensils, machetes, etc., and knew nothing about military tactics.
It has only been more than six years, and they have all become regular troops. Now they are even thinking of assassination and poisoning.
That's right, maybe today, she, Xu Zhenying, can really take over the Great Zhou and become the true master of this land in the other world.
Thinking about it, there's even some excitement.
Xu Zhenying stood at the bow of the boat, the autumn wind rustling across the lake, blowing her dress. She stood with her hands clasped behind her, gazing into the distance, watching the isolated island in the middle of the lake drawing ever closer.
Ten people were left outside the lake island, and Zhao Yi also left ten people on his side, in order to ensure that no one would go to the island to tamper with it after the previous search.
Xu Zhenying took out his pocket watch and estimated that it was about time.
She arrived five minutes early as a courtesy. As soon as the boat docked, Zhang Wanjun and Chang Zizai got off first, followed by Xu Zhenying.
Zhang Wanjun instructed the soldiers guarding the door: "Keep a close eye on it, and blow the whistle if anything happens."
These ten people were naturally the best fighters carefully selected from the army, and they all looked alert at the moment.
One of them offered an oil-paper umbrella and said, "Your Highness, the weather is gloomy today and it might rain. Please take an umbrella with you."
Xu Zhenying was a little curious, wondering if this fan was some kind of hidden weapon.
She took the umbrella and weighed it, but didn't seem to find anything strange. She thought to herself that she was really worrying too much. "Thank you."
So the three of them walked towards the pavilion on the island in the middle of the lake.
Chang Zizai was in front, Zhang Wanjun was at the rear, and Xu Zhenying was guarding in the middle.
Going up the stone steps for a few steps, I passed a field of dead branches and fallen leaves, and then came to tall, dense trees. It was just a bit bleak in autumn, with the leaves all withered and yellow, which was quite an autumn scene.
The island in the middle of the lake is not big. Xu Zhenying estimated that it is only a few thousand square meters and only about a hundred meters away. There is almost no place to hide on the island and the end can be seen at a glance. This also greatly prevents people from hiding on the island and causing trouble.
Xu Zhenying said, "The soldiers who came as vanguards were very dedicated. I see many of the trees have been cut down. I guess they're worried someone might be hiding."
Chang Zizai said, "The soldiers of the second squad came to clean up the area overnight. There are no trees on this island. Our men are stationed on the right bank, and they have telescopes in their hands. If you feel anything is wrong, just raise your hand and signal, and thousands of arrows will be fired from over there."
Xu Zhenying arrived at the island first. He then looked up and saw a small boat floating down the lake in the north. He couldn't help but curl his lips slightly: "Someone is coming."
Zhang Wanjun looked up and saw the three men on the small boat in front of her.
The man in the front was about thirty years old, tall and thin, strong and muscular, with a long sword at his waist. It was obvious at first glance that he was a soldier.
Behind him was an old general, a little short and fat, with strong arms, a steady lower body and sharp eyes.
The last person was a familiar face.
Zhang Wanjun said "Huh", which made Chang Zizai extremely nervous, "Your Highness, an old acquaintance has arrived."
"Bai Ci'en?"
"That's right."
I have never heard of Chang Zizai.
However, seeing Zhang Wanjun's expression, Chang Zizai became even more alert.
Among the three people on the boat, Bai Ci'en saw Xu Zhenying first. Although Xu Zhenying was also in Qianzhou that year, Bai Ci'en had only seen Ming Xiaoshuang, Zhang Wanjun and others.
At that time, Xu Zhenying was already quite famous. Thanks to her, the Bai family spent a lot of money to redeem him, spending 200,000 taels of silver, which made him lose face in front of his family for a while.
Bai Ci'en naturally felt humiliated at the time, but when he thought about it afterwards and was able to review the whole incident from the perspective of an observer, he realized that this woman was smart.
With just a few words, Xu Zhenying saved his life and won the loyalty of the natives for 200,000 taels of silver, which was a two-pronged approach.
But in the final analysis, Xu Zhenying was just taking the Bai family's money as a favor to her.
Bai Ci'en always had to sigh at the woman's methods when he woke up in his dreams at midnight.
Later, when he arrived in the northern border, the name Xu Zhenying followed him like a shadow.
Especially when Jiang Yongkang captured three cities in the eastern border in one fell swoop, the entire northern border was extremely shocked. More and more people in the army were discussing Xu Zhenying. When they learned that Qiu Ju Niang brought her students to the army to receive the cowpox vaccine, Xu Zhenying's reputation in the northern border reached its peak.
Now that I think about it, isn't this one of Xu Zhenying's methods to win over people's hearts?
She was always like this, moistening things silently, and when people were not prepared and noticed, she suddenly opened her bloody mouth and opened her mouth wide -
Now that Bai Ci'en had met Xu Zhenying in person, he couldn't help but feel emotional.
He stared at her intently, as if he wanted to see her clearly, as if he wanted to know what the person he had been chasing all these years looked like.
Looks... quite ordinary...
His facial features were not particularly outstanding, and he looked no different from ordinary people, except that his clothes and hair were even stranger.
But those eyes were as mysterious and deep as the sea.
Calm, cool, composed, and confident, she is like a noble goddess, overlooking everything in the world.
At this moment, she was smiling slightly, leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, as if she was waiting for them.
General Gu, standing beside him, warned, "General, be careful. This woman shouldn't be underestimated. I heard they cut down all the tall branches on the island overnight. Not to mention several waves of people came to inspect the island, and later they even checked the underwater area, not leaving until they were completely sure it was safe. These people in Jinzhou Prefecture...are truly meticulous..."
Zhao Yi said "hmm" and was obviously lost in thought as he stared at the island in the middle of the lake, wondering what he was thinking about.
Bai Ci'en said, "Both sides are holding their own weak points, so they will naturally be cautious."
General Gu looked at the gloomy sky and said, "General, it looks like it's going to rain."
Zhao Yi looked up at the dark clouds in the distance, his brows slightly furrowed, but he said nothing.
The boat docked and the three of them climbed up the stairs. Xu Zhenying was already waiting there. The meeting between the two people was destined to go down in history, but the scene looked so ordinary.
Unlike the leisurely attitude of the parties involved, the two people behind them suddenly tensed up.
Zhang Wanjun and Chang Zizai's five senses were infinitely magnified at this moment!
The two teams looked at each other and saw murderous intent in each other's eyes!
General Gu was horrified. Why did the two young people in front of him have the murderous aura of veterans?
Especially there are women!
Although he had heard that the girls in Jinzhou Prefecture could become ministers, earn a living, study and take examinations just like the boys, General Gu was still shocked when he saw it with his own eyes.
Especially for such an important meeting today, Xu Zhenying actually brought a female general with him. This shows that the little girl opposite must have some extraordinary qualities.
General Gu was immediately aroused and itched to try his luck.
What kind of soldiers can women be?
I really want to test this girl's depth.
On the other hand, Xu Zhenying and Zhao Yi seemed like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time. They just nodded slightly and exchanged glances, and nothing else happened.
Zhao Yi's sharp eyes had just looked at Xu Zhenying.
Too young.
So young that it gives people the illusion that it is not real, like a dream.
Xu Zhenying was not tall, but she was dressed neatly. Zhao Yi didn't know if all the women in Jinzhou Prefecture dressed like her. She looked out of place and very weird, but there was no sign of helplessness on Xu Zhenying's face. She didn't seem to care that she was an alien in the eyes of others. Instead, she looked at him with a smile.
It was Xu Zhenying who broke the silence first. "General Zhao, based on the principle of fairness and voluntariness on both sides, we will now engage in peace talks regarding the lands of the Northern Territory and the ownership of our 200,000 troops. Before that, I apologize."
Zhao Yi was secretly surprised.
He thought that before the peace talks, Xu Zhenying would definitely give him a warning to let him know who has the bigger arms.
This is also the reason why General Gu was very nervous as soon as he set foot on the island in the middle of the lake.
But they never expected that the man in front of them was smiling the whole time, and was in a completely leisurely, relaxed and contented state. The three of them were acting as if they were facing a great enemy, which inexplicably gave off a signal of stage fright.
What's more, Xu Zhenying actually called Zhao Yi "you".
Zhao Yi didn't know whether this was their Jinzhou Prefecture's usual custom.
But the only thing he was sure of was that Xu Zhenying's politeness was not a reason for him to look down on her.
Because nothing Xu Zhenying has done can be underestimated!
The man before him was the only traitor in history who started from scratch and yet was able to own two-thirds of the country's territory!
She's even a woman under twenty years old!
Zhao Yi has never looked down on Xu Zhenying!
"As for me, when you invited me to the Northern Frontier military camp for a private discussion, I published this matter in the newspaper, spreading it widely and threatening to end your livelihood. This was indeed an unkind act on my part."
Xu Zhenying apologized, but a smile remained on his face. "But please understand, before you officially surrender, I will definitely regard you as an enemy. I will never give you any way out, and I will definitely not show mercy to you."
Zhao Yi choked and couldn't find the words to refute.
"But," Xu Zhenying said, his tone suddenly changing, making everyone's heart clench. "Now I can confirm General Zhao's sincerity. I can barely treat you as one of my own. I've always been very kind to my own people. If General Zhao has any conditions, please state them and we can discuss them together."
Zhao Yi said coldly, "Your Highness Prince Zhao, how can you be sure that I intend to surrender?"
"If the general had no intention of surrendering, why would he secretly invite me for a private conversation? My journey north will take at least ten days. The people in Bianjing are already in a state of urgency, so how can they afford to delay General Zhao? I'm afraid that General Zhao is now charged with treason and has no choice but to surrender."
"Perhaps I was thinking of ascending the throne myself, luring you to the northern border, and then using the emperor as a hostage to control the princes of Jinzhou Prefecture?"
Xu Zhenying sighed, "If that's really the case, then General Zhao is truly foolish."
"Reconciliation?" Zhao Yi said coldly, "Could it be that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao looks down on the 1.2 million people of the three prefectures in the northern border?"
"That's not the case." Xu Zhenying made a "please" gesture, indicating that he should talk while walking. Zhao Yi was silent for a moment, then followed.
The two people strolled on the island in the middle of the lake like old friends.
"If you claim to be king, even if you have an army of 200,000 and the support of over a million people in the northern border, you won't achieve anything. In two years at most, I will unify the Great Zhou by force. General Zhao, don't be impatient. Let me tell you some data."
Zhao Yi held his breath and said, "You say."
"Going back five years from this year, the tax revenue of your three border cities has decreased by approximately 10% annually. This data may sound complicated, but let me put it this way: if the tax revenue of the three cities was one million five years ago, then this year it would only be two hundred thousand. That's right, the first reason you can't make it big is because the North is so poor."
Then General Gu's eyelids twitched behind him.
Originally, when Xu Zhenying directly said that Zhao Yi would not be able to succeed in becoming king, he wanted to jump out and refute, but when he thought of Zhao Yi's instructions before leaving, General Gu suppressed his anger.
Now that General Gu heard Xu Zhenying say that the northern border was poor, he really had no way to refute it.
Isn't it poor?
The people in the north are not only poor, but also miserable!
"You know there are two things a person can't hide? One is talent, the other is poverty. Similarly, the poverty of the North is also impossible to conceal. The first reason for the North's poverty is that the Great Zhou Dynasty may be in the Little Ice Age, with temperatures dropping year by year and becoming colder. The land in the north is already barren and lacks fertility, and coupled with weather conditions, crop yields will only decline year by year. And the current level of development is still that of an agricultural society. In other words, as long as the harvest is poor, the North will remain poor."
"The second reason is population decline. I don't know if your Great Zhou Dynasty has conducted a census or statistics, but our people made a rough estimate and concluded that the population loss in the northern border is very serious. This is partly due to climate, but more importantly, it is due to the continuous wars. To escape the war, the people had no choice but to flee with their families."
"General Zhao, you appear to command an army of two hundred thousand men, but that's just wishful thinking. Without population and land, you can't support so many soldiers. I don't even need to attack you. I only need to encircle the northern border like this, and within two or three years, your regime will crumble."
At this moment, the three people from the North fell silent.
Only at this moment did Zhao Yi understand why Xu Zhenying was so unscrupulous in cutting off his retreat.
It was just as she said, for him to make himself king was the most foolish path.
He also never expected that Xu Zhenying had such a keen eye and was fully aware of the plight of the northern border.
Although he had warned himself not to underestimate Xu Zhenying, Xu Zhenying's words really frightened Zhao Yi.
Back then, it took him several years to see the plight of the North.
In this first round, Zhao Yi suffered a complete defeat.
"If it were you, what would you do?"
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