Chapter 121 If you want me to appreciate your sincerity, you must be able to offer the right price...
At 1:15 AM, in a private room of a restaurant in Tulu City.
"Your Highness, is it really necessary to choose such a crowded and inconvenient place?"
He Zhiju looked towards the door with vigilance. He couldn't help but look out when he heard a sound outside the window. Shen Xun, who was sitting on his other side, was also extremely nervous. When he saw him looking over, he couldn't help but swallow hard. Seeing the two of them like this, Jiang Chen poured them both a cup of tea.
"Calm down, Ziwang. Haven't you heard the saying 'the most dangerous place is the safest place'? That's exactly what we need—chaos."
If it weren't for the fact that it was a restaurant, a place teeming with all sorts of people, his men wouldn't have been able to completely surround the private room. From the side rooms to the rooftop lobby, his men were everywhere. This would have blocked the spread of information, and also meant that if the other side had brought a backup plan, he wouldn't be without his own ambush.
Hulü Guang arrived right on time. The waiter had just finished serving the cold dishes when he followed him in. Upon seeing Jiang Chen, he was still in the mood to joke: "I saw that the door was open, so I just came in. I hope Your Highness won't mind."
“The door was left open precisely to wait for the general to arrive,” Jiang Chen said nonchalantly, gesturing with his hand, “Please sit down.”
Hulü Guang nodded upon hearing this. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table with an air of authority: "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Jiang Chen picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of cucumber, and was slightly annoyed by the saltiness. He then drank some water and said, "The dishes at this restaurant are a bit too salty. The hospitality is not very good. Please make do with this, General."
“It’s alright,” Hulü Guang said with a smile as he saw the person opposite him pick up a piece of food and try it. “The flavors here are more like those of the Northern Di. Every year, the most common thing we exchange for is furs and spices.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen couldn't help but glance up, then leaned back leisurely: "Our Great Xia has always supported cultural exchange in terms of humanities, and the same goes for food. The dishes of Great Xia blend exotic characteristics, which are indeed unique."
Hulü Guang nodded and smiled, "Your Highness, I meant nothing by it. I am aware that Tulu City has been part of the Great Xia territory since ancient times..."
Before they could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door. He Zhiju called out, "Come in!" and then the waiter led a group of waiters in to serve the dishes. With three adults watching them so closely, the waiter served the dishes much faster.
"The dishes are all ready, please enjoy."
"Wait," He Zhiju called to the waiter who had turned around, took out a small silver coin from his pocket and tossed it to him, "If you want more dishes, someone will go to the main hall. Our master doesn't like to be disturbed, so don't come over unless you're called."
"Yes, yes, yes, I will certainly take good care of these waiters."
The waiter, having received the silver, was naturally overjoyed and quickly led the group of waiters out. Once the room was quiet, Huli Guang cleared his throat and spoke again:
"Now that the dishes are ready, I won't waste any more time. I've come to see Your Highness today about the war between the Northern Barbarians and the Great Xia."
"I thought you came because I killed your third prince."
"On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes, and death and injury are normal. We Northern Di men are born with blood and guts. To die on the battlefield is the greatest honor for a Northern Di warrior. I will speak to the King properly. Your Highness need not worry about this."
Jiang Chen chuckled as he ate, “It’s alright. General, speaking the truth won’t cause any trouble. I’m not so indecisive as to not dare to admit my mistake.”
This means refusing to accept this favor.
After being rebuffed twice, Hulü Guang took a deep breath. He remained silent for a while before nodding and saying, "Alright, let's get down to business then."
"Your Highness's leadership style is truly admirable. The war between our two countries has lasted for so long, and I have come to understand the strength of the Great Xia. If we continue westward and northward, it will only be our Northern Di who suffer. It is alright to lose a battle abroad, but so many Northern Di soldiers have come out with me. I cannot disregard their lives when I know that we are about to lose."
Hearing this, Jiang Chen finally became more serious. He put down his chopsticks and sat down properly, looking at the person opposite him.
"If Your Highness is willing, I can rush back to the capital first to discuss peace with the King and the Great Xia. Continuing the war will not benefit us. As for reparations, the Northern Di will certainly give the utmost sincerity."
Jiang Chen tapped his fingers on the table and immediately asked, "For example?"
"At the border between the Northern Di and the Great Xia, there are currently fourteen cities. The Northern Di have ceded all fourteen cities, in addition to countless cattle, sheep, treasures, and beautiful women."
“General Huli, things cannot be calculated like that. With fourteen bordering cities, for our Great Xia, it would take at least another fourteen days to fight, and at most a month... Moreover, our Great Xia is vast and rich in resources, and we have plenty of supplies for this break camp.”
As he spoke, he leaned back. Seeing his posture, Shen Xun took over the conversation: "General Huli, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Shen Xun. I have just heard what you said, and it is clear that you truly love your soldiers like your own children. Our prince has always respected soldiers, so what you said is not impossible to discuss. However, since we are going to negotiate peace, the Northern Di need to consider it carefully before making a decision."
"Lord Shen, what do you mean by that?"
Shen Xun sat there with the demeanor of a gentleman, but his words were extremely unpleasant to Hulü Guang: "To put it nicely, the Northern Di are unwilling to exhaust their people and resources and want to cut their losses in time during wartime. To put it bluntly, their military strength is no match for our Great Xia. In order to avoid losing both their wife and their army, they have chosen to negotiate peace. Although it is called a peace negotiation, everyone knows that the Northern Di are the defeated party."
"Furthermore, our Crown Prince is the heir apparent to the Great Xia Dynasty. In terms of status and power, he can represent His Majesty in making decisions when the country is at war. Forgive my bluntness, but even if it were the Third Prince sitting here tonight, we would have to weigh the weight of these peace talks. Moreover, General Huli, the Northern Di royal court is currently divided into three factions, and your father is only one of them. How can we believe that you can persuade the Eastern and Western factions?"
After hearing this, Hulü Guang had to take this young man from Great Xia seriously. He not only spoke very logically, but also had a clear understanding of the situation in the Northern Di royal court. He was far from being as gentle as he appeared on the surface.
The negotiations were far from as easy as Hulü Guang had imagined, or rather, the Crown Prince of Great Xia didn't value the bargaining chips he could offer.
"Then, in Lord Shen's opinion, what should we Northern Barbarians do?"
"Naturally, it means ceding territory, paying reparations, becoming a vassal state and paying tribute, and settling all old and new scores together."
Seeing that Huli Guang could no longer maintain his smile, Shen Xun's smile became even brighter: "Perhaps the general is unaware, but before our prince went on his expedition, His Majesty just punished a minister for treason. Speaking of which, you know this person. Does the general still remember the name Li Lu?"
Huli Guang's pupils suddenly dilated.
"Back then, Li Lu betrayed the country and colluded with the enemy, causing the entire He family army of our Great Xia to be wiped out during the war between the Northern Barbarians and the Great Xia. Even the brave and capable generals of the Northern Frontier Camp were not spared. While Li Lu was guilty of treason, the Northern Barbarians cannot be entirely absolved of responsibility either. Our Great Xia army suffered a blow for more than a decade as a result, and General He was completely innocent."
"From a public standpoint, both His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince have treated the descendants of the loyal and brave with great kindness. The downfall of the He family was not just a matter for one family, but a matter that the entire military group of the Great Xia could not swallow. Therefore, the Northern Di must give an explanation for the tragedy that happened to the He family back then. From a private standpoint, General He is the Crown Prince's brother-in-law. He is currently fighting on the front lines. How the war should be fought, how it should be fought, and whether or not to cease hostilities are all up to His Highness's decision."
Hulü Guang's face remained calm, but his hands under the table were clenched tightly. The Northern Di general who had been secretly dealing with Li Lu back then was his father! If he wanted the Northern Di to vent their anger for the He family, wouldn't that mean they had to hand over his father?
"Back then, twenty-nine members of the He family and the generals of Great Xia died unjustly. Now, the Northern Barbarians must cede the same number of cities to appease the spirit of General He in heaven. Furthermore, since the Northern Barbarians have been defeated, they should also bear the burden of the troops and supplies for this expedition of Great Xia. Finally, the Northern Region has never been very stable, with continuous wars, and it is only the common people who suffer. If the Northern Barbarians submit to Great Xia and pay tribute, then the Great Xia army will naturally provide protection for the Northern Barbarians when they are attacked."
Having said everything he needed to say, Shen Xun seemed to only then notice Huli Guang's unpleasant expression. He feigned surprise, then asked with concern, "General Huli, are you alright? If you are unwell, I can immediately send someone to fetch the army doctor."
Hulü Guang had no time to play along and said bluntly, "Even if the Northern Barbarians are defeated, they will never bow down to the Great Xia on such a humiliating condition. They are willing to cede territory and pay reparations, but the Northern Barbarians will not become vassals of any other country."
Jiang Chen suddenly leaned forward and took back the floor: "So, General Huli has agreed to the details mentioned by Lord Shen on behalf of the Northern Di? Except for the one about becoming a vassal and paying tribute?"
“Your Highness, we both know what these conditions are. Even if we were to negotiate, it should be with the envoys of the Great Xia and the Northern Di, not just our opinion.”
"The envoy I am leading today is from my Great Xia."
For the first time, Hulü Guang had a concrete understanding of the fact that the Crown Prince of Great Xia had no bottom line. He gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Alright, Your Highness, please allow me to return to the capital. This matter still needs to be discussed with my king before a decision can be made."
“Yes, General Huli, you may go first. Ziwang and I will lead the troops to escort you along the way.”
"Your Highness!" Huli Guang could no longer contain himself: "This is inappropriate."
What's wrong with it?
Jiang Chen leaned his face forward, his expression clearly saying, "Come and hit me."
"The reason why Great Xia has its current military strength is simply because of the hidden weapon in the Crown Prince's possession. But how can Great Xia know that my Northern Di or other tribes cannot develop the same one? Does Great Xia not consider the future at all?"
“General Huli,” Jiang Chen finished his tea in one gulp, then turned the cup upside down on the table and said coldly, “It’s not that I look down on the tribes of the Northern Region, but after a month of fighting, your army hasn’t even come close to this thing. How can you talk about developing an identical one? Moreover, before the Northern Di mention the future, they should first look at the current situation. People should live in the present.”
Having said that, he stood up and looked down at Hulü Guang: "I think today's discussions are about over. It would be a waste not to eat all this fine food and wine. There are matters to attend to in the Xia army camp, so I will not stay any longer. General Hulü, please make yourself at home. My personal guards are outside the door. If you have made a decision after the meal, just let me know. If you haven't made a decision..."
"I, Gu Quan, have never seen the general before."
Jiang Chen left first, but He Zhiju and Shen Xun couldn't leave immediately. The two bowed to Hulü Guang, then drank the tea in their cups and nodded to him.
The door slowly closed, leaving only Hulü Guang in the room. The warm candlelight reflected on his face, revealing all his resentment and embarrassment.
The Northern Barbarians really had no room to refuse.
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