The civil officials quickly shouted to the emperor for help!
The court was noisy and chaotic, comparable to a vegetable market.
When Emperor Dezong saw that his ministers were about to fight, he cleared his throat and signaled everyone to be quiet.
He turned his gaze to the Regent and said, "Regent, tell me what you think."
Regent Han Cheng stepped out and said loudly, "Your Majesty, although Mobei is vast, it is nothing more than a barren, cold, and desolate land. Its people are cunning, greedy, and treacherous. Even if we win, we will only be able to maintain peace for two or three years, and it will deplete our national strength. It is simply not worth it."
Huang Yanjing, the chief minister of the cabinet who had remained silent, also stood up.
"The Regent is right, but if our dynasty doesn't fight, we will have to send our prince to Mobei as a hostage. How dare a barbarian nation do this? Are they bullying the people in our dynasty?"
The ministers were in an uproar.
Before, everyone was just arguing about peace or war, unaware that the enemy had offered such conditions. A prince of the Celestial Empire being held hostage in a barbarian land was a grave humiliation.
Huang Yanjing looked at everyone's reactions and knew that no conclusion could be reached at this point, so he turned his gaze to the emperor.
Emperor Dezong stood up and made a downward gesture with both hands. His sharp eyes swept over the ministers.
"My lords, please be patient. Since the founding of my dynasty, Mobei has always been a major threat. When Zhenguo Gong Xie Zhongming died at Blue Moon Pass, I have an irreconcilable hatred for Mobei! However, I am the emperor, and I cannot decide whether to fight or not based on my personal likes and dislikes.
Even with the great talent and strategy of Emperor Wu of Han, even conquering Mobei almost exhausted the country's strength, and the wealth accumulated by generations was wiped out. I admit that I am not as good as Emperor Wu of Han, and it is not worth the trouble to fight against it.
When everyone heard this, they realized that the emperor had made it clear that he didn't want to fight! The military generals were immediately dismayed, while the civil officials looked relieved.
But, is the emperor really willing to send the prince to the wild land of Mobei as a hostage?
Emperor Dezong had few children. The eldest prince, born to the empress and officially crowned crown prince, could not possibly go to Mobei. The second prince died young, and the third prince was frail and sickly. If he went to Mobei, he would surely die.
The fourth and fifth princes were both leading troops outside. The sixth prince was Li Chengshun, who had just been found to be corrupt and had been exiled to the remote Qianzhou. The seventh prince had died of illness two years before last.
The Emperor currently had only the youngest son, the Eighth Prince, Li Chengrui. Also born to the Empress, he was only ten years old, intelligent and capable, and had already demonstrated extraordinary talent at such a young age. Emperor Dezong cherished him like a treasure and placed great hopes on him.
The Mobei people had obviously learned that their target was the emperor's most beloved Li Chengrui. If the emperor couldn't bear to let him go, he could continue to send troops to provoke them. After all, the barefoot are not afraid of the shod.
If the emperor agreed, they would have the emperor's most beloved prince in their hands. Why would they worry that the court would not comply in the future? In the future, they could make any demands, asking for money or things. This was not a prince, but a treasure trove.
The ministers obviously understood this. Sending Li Chengrui away would be like cutting off the emperor's beloved flesh and blood. But the emperor meant that he didn't want to fight. Could he really be willing to do that?
And there's the Regent, Han Cheng. This old fox has always been the best at guessing his superiors' intentions. He doesn't advocate war either. Could it be...
Everyone couldn't figure out what was going on, so they all remained silent.
Dezong naturally understood what his ministers were thinking. He suddenly raised his voice and said, "If I can save the country from war and allow the people to live and work in peace, why should I care about my own son? Rui'er can contribute to the country, it is his honor! As a prince, it is his duty to serve the country. I have decided to send the eighth prince, Li Chengrui, to Mobei as a hostage! The Ministry of Rites will handle the relevant matters as soon as possible."
"Your Majesty! No! The Eighth Prince is so young, how can he go to such a wild place? Please revoke your order!" All the ministers knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor".
Whether the Eighth Prince went to Mobei was one thing, but the ministers' attitude was another. Furthermore, the ministers couldn't bear to send such a delicate, intelligent, and lovely child to the bitter cold of Mobei.
"No need to say more." Emperor Dezong waved his hand. "If Rui'er's life can save the lives of tens of millions of soldiers, it will be a blessing for our dynasty and even more so for Rui'er!"
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