Chapter 611 Let Them Go
Gu Huaijin sat on the bed. Even though he was injured, his face was serious and his eyes were sharp, like an envoy.
"Your Majesty, there are only more than 20 cities in the Great Zhou. If you want two cities, it will be like cutting off flesh for the Great Zhou." Gu Huaijin said.
Giving the two cities to Qi is like cutting off flesh to feed the eagle.
"Emissary Gu, if we don't negotiate, then war is the only option. By then, the Great Zhou will lose not just two cities, but perhaps five, ten, or even the entire Great Zhou." The young emperor's tone was serious. "I don't want to fight, but I don't want the people to suffer. I'm not afraid."
The little emperor looked at Gu Huaijin, and the two looked at each other, as if they were competing.
After a moment, the young emperor continued, "The armies of Qi and Chu have assembled and are ready to attack Zhou at my command. Envoy Gu, your time is running out. Please inform me of your decision as soon as possible."
The little emperor was young, but he had the majesty of an emperor, and his words were threatening.
If the envoy had a weaker mental quality, he would have surrendered by now.
After all, if Qi and Chu jointly attacked Zhou, Zhou would certainly lose more than two cities. Although ceding two cities would damage national prestige, it was the best option.
Gu Huaijin's mind raced, but he didn't let go. Instead, he smiled and said, "This matter is of great importance. Your Majesty, could you give us half an hour to discuss it?"
Half an hour? He could wait.
The little emperor nodded: "Yes."
The little emperor and Princess Anyang left, leaving only Gu Huaijin and Wei Qing in the room.
As soon as the door closed, a painful expression appeared on Gu Huaijin's face.
It hurts so much!
I had to endure it and concentrate highly when negotiating with the little emperor just now. Now that I relax, it hurts so much.
Seeing this, Wei Qing stuffed a pillow under his lower back to make him sit more comfortably.
"Brother-in-law, what do you think of the young emperor's proposal?" Gu Huaijin asked, "Back when I was sent as an envoy to Da Qi, His Majesty told me that he would give up at most one city..."
"The young emperor proposed two cities. If I had used my eloquence, I think I could have bargained down to one city... Now the question is, will we give this one city or not?"
By exchanging a city for a peace treaty, he completed the task assigned to him by the emperor.
"It's a bit strange." Wei Qing frowned and said expressionlessly.
"What's strange?" Gu Huaijin asked.
"The little emperor had been avoiding us before, but now he takes the initiative to come see us. It's strange. He said that we don't have much time left, but I think he is the one who is anxious." Wei Qing's mind is not full of twists and turns, and he doesn't like intrigue. He just feels that it is strange.
Gu Huaijin also felt that something was wrong, so he was very hesitant about whether to give that city. After his brother-in-law's advice, he suddenly realized it.
The little emperor's attitude has indeed changed a lot.
From avoiding him to coming to see him in person, just because they were almost killed by the Prime Minister of Qi?
If we have to fight, their lives are not that important.
This incident has no direct relationship with the little emperor's change of attitude.
"There is only one possibility for the little emperor's attitude to change - the situation has changed." Gu Huaijin said.
Qi and Chu jointly attacked Zhou, but Zhou was at a disadvantage. Now, the situation may have changed greatly... This is the Great Qi, and the young emperor must be more informed than them, and they are still kept in the dark.
Gu Huaijin chuckled: "What a little fox, I almost got fooled by him."
Half an hour later, the little emperor came in with a smile on his face, as if he was sure that Gu Huaijin would agree to his proposal.
If you don't want two cities, you can give one city plus food, cloth, etc.
"Your Majesty, the two cities are the two cities of the Great Zhou. If we want to cede land, we need the consent of our Great Zhou emperor. Therefore, I want to write a letter to the emperor of our Zhou Dynasty and report this matter." Gu Huaijin said.
The smile on the young emperor's face faded, and he said coldly, "Envoy Gu, don't you understand what I mean? I only gave you half an hour, and now half an hour is up."
"I have no right to cede the two cities of Da Zhou to Da Qi." Gu Huaijin said.
"You're an envoy, don't you have this power?"
"When I set out, I told the Emperor that ceding the city would damage the nation's prestige and must not be done. By submitting this petition, I have already disobeyed the Emperor."
The little emperor's expression changed completely: "You!"
It is obvious that Gu Huaijin is unwilling to cede the city!
The little emperor stared at Gu Huaijin coldly, but Gu Huaijin refused to give in and the atmosphere became tense.
Just then, Princess Anyang spoke.
"Your Majesty, I admire Envoy Gu's integrity. Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for him." Princess Anyang said.
Princess Anyang seemed to be speaking for Gu Huaijin, but in fact she was giving the young emperor a way out.
"Forget it. Envoy Gu is injured. I will not argue with you. You should have a good rest."
The little emperor turned and left, and Princess Anyang hurriedly followed him.
The two men entered the inner courtyard of the princess's mansion, and when the door closed, the little emperor's face suddenly became puffed up.
"I'm so angry!" said the little emperor.
He was so angry that he walked around the room twice, and then a cup of tea was handed to him.
The little emperor raised his head and saw his sister looking at him tenderly.
The little emperor took the tea his sister handed him and drank a cup. His anger dissipated a little. He looked at Princess Anyang and said aggrievedly, "Sister, that Gu Huaijin is too mean!"
Princess Anyang felt that her brother was like a hedgehog. When he was angry, the hair on his forehead would stand up.
She reached out, touched his head, and pressed down his ahoge.
"Gu Huaijin is very cunning, he has already noticed it." Princess Anyang said.
The little emperor was very angry because all his plans had failed!
"Your Majesty, forget it. Da Qi doesn't need those two cities. If Your Majesty works hard to govern, Da Qi will become even more prosperous. In the future, the whole world will belong to Da Qi."
"My sister also thinks the same as the Prime Minister, that Da Qi can unify the world? But this time..."
"Your Majesty, I have a different idea from the Prime Minister. I don't think now is the best time to unify the world. When Da Qi becomes strong, perhaps your Majesty's son or your Majesty's grandson will be able to recover the lost territory one day." Princess Anyang said.
The little emperor nodded, he thought so too.
Since ancient times, who among the emperors did not want to unify the world, become the greatest emperor of all time, and leave his name in history?
However, if the time is not right and we continue to wage war, that would be excessive military spending, destroying our ancestors' foundation and bringing suffering to the people of the world.
All he could do was work hard to make Da Qi strong and wait for the right time...
Princess Anyang's words calmed the little emperor down a lot.
"Your Majesty, please allow the two envoys to return to the Great Zhou." Princess Anyang said.
She said this because she considered the pros and cons, but was also moved by the true feelings between them.
She heard from her servants that when the assassin attacked Wu Yu that day, it was Gu Huaijin who blocked the attack for him. The wound on Gu Huaijin's body was suffered for his lover.
The love between these two people is as deep as the sea. They can die for each other without hesitation. This relationship is so precious. She hopes they are all well.
The little emperor nodded.
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