Chapter 295 Negotiation
Northern Rong
The royal court, somewhere inside a dome.
Wanyan Kang, the emperor of the Northern Rong, cut off a piece of venison with his sword and put it into his mouth to chew.
His fat body was like a brown bear that had just survived the winter, clumsy and flabby.
The leaders of the tribes under him looked arrogant.
He smiled and watched as the two saints of Nanling stood there in silence, not even daring to approach and talk to the people from Nanling who came to pick them up.
However, now they finally understood why the two men had such expressions when they heard that someone was coming to greet them with a ransom.
His eyes swept over the Nanling general who had raised his cup but had not yet drunk it, and was indifferent to the embarrassing situation of several royal queens of Nanling.
"I never thought that General Xie had such a connection with the Emperor. But General, you should know that we, Beirong, have decided that the original one million gold ingots are not enough to redeem your two saints. Now, we want two million gold ingots!"
Interpreters who are familiar with both languages act as a middleman and express their verbal exchanges in a tactful way.
But it also couldn't take away the humiliating atmosphere inside the dome.
"Oh? Chief of the Chang tribe, are you kidding? Our country has exhausted all its resources to raise that one million gold, so how can we talk about two million now?"
General Jiagu, who was holding Princess Nanling in his arms, laughed loudly and rudely threw the princess, who was pregnant with his child, onto the carpet.
"Hmph, General, we are naturally aware of the strength of your Nanling nation. But the value of the Two Saints is far more than that. If you can't produce it, then forget about seeing them again!"
The princess lying on the ground just kept crying, but she kept her voice under control and only trembled her shoulders weakly.
When the retired emperor and the former saint saw this, they just turned their eyes away.
It seems that he has long been accustomed to such situations and no longer resists.
Although the three sons of the Su family were serving as envoys for the first time, they had already put life and death aside and there was no fear on their faces.
Instead, he expressed outrage at Beirong's reneging on his promise, "You didn't set a deadline back then, and now we've delivered everything we promised. Could it be that you're breaking your promise?"
"So what if he broke his promise? The Emperor of Nanling has already paid tribute to our country, yet he's secretly forming alliances with foreign powers. He's even announced to the world that he's joining forces with the Baishang Kingdom to defend against the Northern Rong. Does he think the Northern Rong are easy to fool?"
After several arguments, and with Bei Rong deliberately delaying and making jokes, the conversation made no progress, just like the previous one.
Seeing that the situation at the banquet was tense, the Prince of Beirong added fuel to the fire by clapping his hands and calling over the royal ladies of Nanling who had been abducted as collateral for compensation, and ordered them to dance gracefully in light clothes.
Despite such a gorgeous scene, the renowned commander of the Qilin Army still did not show the slightest sign of being moved.
This made several princes who wanted to provoke him look at him differently.
The situation reached a stalemate several times, and everyone stopped talking, and had no mood to sing or dance.
At this time, Xie Xuan put down the wine bottle in his hand and said slowly, "Prince Tuolu, what you said is wrong. The two saints are indeed important, but for me in Nanling, there is something more important."
Seeing that he was finally willing to speak, Prince Tuolu looked curious and asked, "What's the matter?"
Xie Xuan's narrow, long phoenix eyes shone coldly as he spoke in a deep voice, "Prince Tuolu, you know that the throne of Nanling has always been vacant. Zong Zheng Ruijin usurped the throne without the proper enthronement, without the decree of the Supreme Emperor. If anyone can lend a helping hand to the Northern Rong, the throne will be easily within their grasp."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of several tribal leaders and princes sitting at the table changed.
But Prince Tuolu was still a little skeptical. "Oh? General Xie, are you serious? Do you really want to help my father take over Nanling?"
Xie Xuan's expression remained unchanged, "Of course." After saying that, he casually glanced at the two saints with stern expressions, and spoke in a low voice.
"Zong Zheng Ruijin has wronged my Qilin Army. Why should I continue to be loyal to him? If we can bring these two back to Nanling, Zong Zheng Ruijin's throne will undoubtedly be questioned. Then, with the Qilin Army holding the emperor hostage and commanding the other princes, they can surely help the Northern Rong seize the throne. Why would we need to expend a single soldier to attack Nanling? This way, we can save the Northern Rong from trouble while also bringing substantial benefits to both you and me. Why not?"
"Xie Xuan, you traitor...you..."
Upon hearing this, the two saints became furious and cursed loudly.
It was rare that they had been hunched over since they entered the yurt, but now they were straightened up.
But Xie Xuan is not someone who is easy to get along with.
He smashed the wine bottle in his hand on his head, and blood splattered all over his head.
This unexpected change immediately silenced the tears of the Empress Dowager, the princess and others who had no hope of returning home.
Compared with the wanton humiliation of the Northern Rong, the Qilin Army, which bore a deep blood feud, hated them even more.
The two saints curled up like shrimps. If there was no shelter, they would have hidden themselves long ago.
Afraid that Xie Xuan would kill him.
Seeing that he even dared to attack the two saints, Prince Tuolu couldn't help but believe it a little.
He glanced at his superiors, and waited for a signal before continuing, "How could General Xie help the Northern Rong? How do you know there's no trickery?"
There seemed to be some excitement in his tone, but he still remained rational.
Xie Xuan looked at him dimly, "Prince Tuolu, don't you understand? As long as I bring the two saints back, Nanling will inevitably be plagued by internal and external troubles, and will no longer be able to compete with the Northern Rong. After all, your country has been resident in the north for generations, and my Qilin Army and the Northern Rong have no past grudges. We are here today to welcome the two saints back, simply to vindicate the Qilin Army. Zong Zheng Ruijin's family is full of treacherous people, and they have allied with the Baishang Kingdom behind my back, putting me and my brothers in danger."
Having said that, he paused for a moment, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"We are imprisoned here, and Zong Zheng Ruijin has revealed his true colors by not sending an envoy. He doesn't want to welcome the two saints back to the court, as it would only pose a threat to his throne. And I..."
He let out a cold breath, "I'm sure your country has heard about the rift between Zong Zheng Ruijin and me?"
Prince Tuolu looked at it and asked, "But how can we be sure that you will be used by the Northern Rong after returning to your country? What if you declare yourself king?"
Xie Xuan sneered, "I thought the Northern Rong were all first-rate warriors, but I never thought they would ask such ridiculous questions."
Prince Tuolu's face darkened. "What do you mean, General Xie?"
Xie Xuan glanced around coldly, "I and the other soldiers risked our lives to come here, and I am using these one million gold ingots to redeem them so that we can give an explanation to the Qilin Army. If the two saints die at my hands, Zong Zheng Ruijin will definitely have an excuse to stir up trouble."
The two of us are fighting each other, and if the Northern Rong don't want to take advantage of the situation, then the Baishang Kingdom will benefit."
He changed the subject, "Could it be that your country is waiting for Nanling to become increasingly powerful, and then really join hands with Baishang Country to fight against your country?"
He slowly stood up, picked up the empty wine bottle, and slowly filled it.
"As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Baishang Kingdom is my sworn enemy. Could it be that your country is leaving such a fine sword unused, dreaming that Zong Zheng Ruijin will use money or send a radio to redeem the Two Saints and me?"
He gestured towards Wanyan Kang, who looked thoughtful, by raising the wine jar. "I believe your emperor has the courage to take this risk for a win-win situation. I'm sure you all understand Zong Zheng Ruijin's plans now. He's probably already looking for someone to succeed me. The choice is yours: a million gold ingots, a fleeting glimmer of hope, or the effortless capture of Nanling. One, two, million gold ingots! It's yours."
It has to be said that Xie Xuan's words also ticked off the suspicions of several people.
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