Chapter 840 Bottom Line
Every word from Madam Cui was like a heavy hammer, shaking Tang Ning's mind. Although she did not agree to her directly, the hesitation and doubt in her eyes clearly showed that she had been persuaded by her.
Madam Cui continued, "Your Majesty, think carefully. Compared to the safety of His Majesty and the entire Wei Dynasty, giving up a mere desolate area in the southwest will not affect the overall situation too much."
"Besides, whether it's the Cui family or the Bai family, even if they are granted titles of nobility or dukedom, they are still officials of the Wei Dynasty and will be loyal to Your Majesty. Why should Your Majesty worry?"
Tang Ning's expression kept changing, as if he was weighing things for a moment before speaking.
"I can grant you the title of king or marquis. As long as the Bai family is willing to send money and food to Munan Pass and help Your Majesty escape from hardship, I can even award them the Red Book and Iron Scroll. However, the fiefs of Yuanzhou, Jingzhou, and Anzhou must wait until Your Majesty escapes from Southern Qi. And the imperial edict of the title of king can only be given to you then."
"Empress..."
Madam Cui frowned when she heard this and wanted to speak, but she was interrupted by Tang Ning.
"This matter is not negotiable."
Tang Ning looked directly at her and said in a deep voice, "Don't even mention that the Cui family is still in the capital. If I suddenly appoint you as kings, even those from aristocratic families won't notice anything fishy. If they intervene or take action when the situation becomes unfavorable, the Bai family will have a hard time succeeding."
"Furthermore, if I suddenly crown him king and grant him the three southwestern states as fiefdoms, my clan members will definitely not agree. Right now, the court is already in chaos due to the aggressive actions of Liang Guangyi and his men. I cannot give them and my clan members an excuse to cause trouble and embarrass me."
"As for the rest..."
Tang Ning's eyes were clear, and his expression was no longer as flustered as before. His pair of black eyes seemed particularly calm.
"You've said so much, but it's all just empty talk. The Bai family is far away in Yuanzhou, and the journey to the South is a thousand miles away. Who knows if you will fulfill your promise? What if you just sense that I'm in a precarious situation and want to take advantage of the situation to get something for nothing? Once the imperial decree of enthronement is issued, it will be difficult to take it back."
"Who can guarantee that you will keep your word? Who can guarantee that the Bai family will really do as you say? If you gain the benefits but suddenly regret it, I will not only fail to save His Majesty and stabilize the court, but may even become a sinner in the Wei Dynasty."
Madam Cui said in a deep voice, "The Queen doesn't believe me?"
Tang Ning replied calmly, "You don't believe me either."
The two looked at each other, obviously weighing the truthfulness of each other's words and their own bottom line.
Madam Cui's face darkened a little: "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that my brother and I won't help you?"
Tang Ning: "I am afraid, but I am more afraid that you will turn against me in the future."
What she said was very blunt and straightforward, leaving people speechless.
"Although I am in a difficult situation now and the people from the aristocratic families seem to have the upper hand, I am not without the ability to fight back."
"I know that aristocratic families like your Cui family and the Liang family secretly maintain private soldiers and even raise a group of death squads. Liang Guangyi and his men may have made some backup plans before they took action, but I am not afraid."
Tang Ning's expression was cold, and there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes.
"Before His Majesty left the capital, he entrusted all of its military power to me. It's not that I don't have the strength to fight. I'm considering the overall situation, His Majesty and the North-South War, so I don't want to fight them to the death. They also know very well that in a fight to the death, I may not be the one to lose."
"The people of the aristocratic families have caused so much trouble, just to be able to return to the court and restore the prosperity of the aristocratic families. They don't want the North-South War to be a major defeat and destroy the Great Wei. Similarly, they will not really force me into a desperate situation."
When the nest is overturned, no eggs can remain intact.
If the Great Wei is defeated by Beiling, or if Beiling seizes power, then all the fame and fortune that the aristocratic families are fighting for in the court will turn to ashes.
The Di Rong people of Beiling are crude and barbaric, eating raw meat and drinking blood. They are not like the Wei Dynasty and the Southern Qi Dynasty who valued scholars as much. They are even very likely to covet the wealth of the aristocratic families. By then, the aristocratic families may not be able to protect themselves under their hands.
Even if the aristocratic families have some trump cards that can barely allow them to escape unscathed, it is almost impossible for them to become as prominent in the court as they are now. Their current clansmen and even the next few generations may only be able to live in peace in a corner, and they may not be able to find another opportunity to enter the court in ten, twenty, or even one hundred or eighty years.
How could this be tolerated by people from aristocratic families who had seen power and were high and mighty?
Tang Ning's voice was calm, but his words were extremely firm.
"The aristocratic families and I are merely playing games. They don't want to see both of us suffer losses. The only weakness I have over them is Your Majesty. But they also know that if pushed to the limit, I would rather destroy this imperial city than let anyone else have a good life."
"So, I hope Madam can understand that I am willing to talk to you because I don't want to go to that extreme and I also want Your Majesty to be able to escape from Southern Qi safely. However, this does not mean that I will let you and your brother control me."
Mrs. Cui originally saw the situation outside and thought that the Queen would definitely agree to the conditions she proposed, and never thought that she would refuse. But now she found that she had underestimated the Queen.
Even when she was in trouble, she remained calm, and the queen did as she said, holding the power of tens of thousands of troops in the capital.
In a desperate fight, apart from the fact that both sides suffered losses, it is still unpredictable who will win or lose between the Queen and the aristocratic family.
Madam Cui lost her earlier assertiveness and backed off a bit. "But Queen, you don't trust us, and we're afraid you'll retreat. My brother and I are risking the lives of our entire family. You must at least give us some protection."
Tang Ning frowned for a moment upon hearing this, then took a half step back. "I can first give the Red Book and Iron Scroll to you and the Bai family, then write a letter and send it to Yuanzhou, instructing the officials of Yuanzhou to obey the Bai family for the time being."
"As for the imperial edict regarding the conferment of the title of king and the granting of the southwestern fiefdom, I can draft it and submit it to you for your review. However, the edict must be affixed with the imperial seal and issued only after Your Majesty has successfully escaped from Southern Qi and the war in the south is over."
Mrs. Cui's expression changed when she heard this.
Tang Ning said seriously, "If Madam is willing, I will draft an order immediately. If not, then you will be treated as if you had never been here today."
Madam Cui knew that this was the Queen's bottom line. If she was still unwilling, today's matter would not be discussed any further. However, what the Queen said had already achieved the result she wanted. She took a half step back and said to Tang Ning respectfully:
"I will inform my brother and have him do his utmost to help His Majesty escape from this predicament."
Tang Ning heaved a sigh of relief when she agreed, a hint of joy on her face: "If Your Majesty can be considerate, I will definitely remember the kindness of Madam and the Bai family."
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