Chapter 85 The Envoy Arrives
The eldest prince obviously knew something.
He was so angry at Yan Fengxiao's answer that he trembled.
"As far as I know, the person who escaped from the dungeon of the Governor's Mansion last night was Marquis Dingyuan..."
Yan Fengxiao seemed stunned and looked at the eldest prince in surprise.
"Since he was a fugitive, and something went wrong during the capture, leading to his accidental killing, this is legal and compliant. Your Highness, do you have any objections?"
“…”
There was really nothing wrong with what Yan Fengxiao said.
However, the eldest prince knew the truth clearly.
He had heard about the story of Princess Su and Yan Qinghao from the Northern Frontier envoy yesterday. If he followed the normal procedure, Yan Qinghao would have faked his own death and was suspected of deceiving the emperor, which was an unforgivable crime.
But now, the Northern Frontier Kingdom actually took the initiative to seek peace because of a Dingyuan Marquis. In the final analysis, this is an opportunity for him to make achievements.
Once the two countries reach a peace agreement this time, he, the eldest prince, will have made an indelible contribution. In this way, the position of crown prince will not be far away from him!
However, Princess Su, who arrived earlier, disappeared with Yan Qinghao last night. If Yan Fengxiao said he knew nothing about it, he would not believe it even if he was beaten to death!
The eldest prince turned to look at the emperor sitting on the throne.
"Father, this matter is of vital importance to the relationship between our two countries. The Northern Frontier's Grand Marshal is Princess Su's biological brother, and the Northern Frontier Emperor treats his sister very well. Yet, Princess Su disappeared in the imperial city of Southern Yan. No matter what, she deserves an explanation!"
The Second Prince, Yan Liuchen, suddenly laughed out loud, "Hahaha, big brother, look at how nervous you are. I'd like to ask, who are you to the Northern Frontier Kingdom? Why do you, the prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, have to give an explanation to them?
Let’s not talk about the fact that the Princess of Northern Frontier suddenly came to our imperial city without a word and committed a serious crime. Whether she lives or dies, the Northern Frontier Kingdom should bear the responsibility itself. Why should we be asked to give an explanation?
How could...the Northern Frontier Kingdom lose a dog and still blame it on my Southern Yan Kingdom?!"
Although what Yan Liuchen said was not pleasant.
However, this is indeed the truth.
The eldest prince Yan Xuanjing's face suddenly turned ugly, and he glared at Yan Liuchen fiercely.
"Your Majesty, Northern Frontier has initiated peace talks, clearly intending to establish a friendly relationship with Southern Yan. I would like to ask everyone present: how many of you want to continue fighting Northern Frontier? Putting aside the countless casualties, Southern Yan has suffered from numerous disasters over the past two years, plagued by internal and external troubles. If we continue fighting, I'm afraid we won't even have enough money. Taxes will then increase, and the people will undoubtedly complain..."
Yan Liuchen's face was icy cold. "If Southern Yan hadn't previously fought a great battle with Western Desert, how could the Northern Frontier Kingdom dare to act so presumptuously? We would have wiped them out long ago. When would they finally get the chance to ride roughshod over Southern Yan? They're just treacherous people who take advantage of others' misfortunes. If we don't treat them ruthlessly and scare them away, they'll definitely cause trouble!"
"Okay, shut up."
Suddenly, a very majestic voice came from above.
The two princes immediately fell silent. The hall had been noisy before, but it became quiet in an instant.
The Southern Yan Emperor glanced at Yan Fengxiao, but did not ask anything. Instead, he said to the people below: "Let the envoys from the Northern Frontier come in. I will listen to what they have to say first."
"As you wish!"
The eunuch beside him immediately shouted, "The envoy from the Xuanbei State has come to see you!"
In the eyes of the Emperor of Southern Yan, what his two princes said made sense.
However, as an emperor, he must look further ahead and consider more.
The most important thing is the country and the people.
A moment later, a group of formally dressed envoys from the Northern Frontier entered the court.
The leader was not young, an old man in his sixties, and his status and prestige in the Northern Frontier Kingdom were obviously not low.
"A foreign minister greets His Majesty!"
A group of people shouted in unison, showing great respect.
The Southern Yan Emperor nodded slightly and said, "Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The three people headed by the envoys sat on the chairs prepared for them on the side.
The others stood behind them, their positions clearly defined.
The old man in the lead was the old imperial teacher of the Northern Frontier Kingdom. Although he had no real power, he was very prestigious in the Northern Frontier Kingdom. That was why he came to negotiate on behalf of the Northern Frontier Emperor.
What he meant must also be what the Northern Frontier Emperor meant.
"You have come all the way to the Southern Yan capital, so you must have important business to attend to. Tell me directly, why did the Northern Frontier Emperor ask you to come see me?"
The Emperor of Southern Yan obviously intended to get straight to the point and did not want to beat around the bush.
The old Imperial Preceptor of the Northern Frontier quickly stood up and politely said, "Your Majesty, this is a long story. Originally, Your Majesty had no intention of negotiating peace so soon, but Princess Su had just happened to save a general on the battlefield and, wishing to marry him, begged Your Majesty to cease fighting. After careful consideration, Your Majesty could no longer resist the Princess's constant persuasion, so he sent us here to discuss peace."
The Southern Yan Emperor narrowed his eyes. "Is there such a thing? It seems that your Majesty truly dotes on his sister and would rather stop the war for her."
"Princess Su is extremely important to His Majesty. He is indeed overly favored, which gives us, the old ministers, a headache. However, since it is His Majesty's order, we must act according to it and not make any mistakes."
The old national teacher's words were very clever.
What he meant was that it was because His Majesty doted on his sister too much that he had no choice but to arrange for people to come and stop the war, and it was not because he was afraid of the Southern Yan Kingdom that he announced a ceasefire.
Therefore, the right to speak still lies with the Northern Frontier Kingdom.
The Emperor of Southern Yan listened to these words and just smiled casually.
Declaring a ceasefire just because he dotes on his sister is not something an emperor would do.
He didn't believe a single word the other person said.
"Since we want to discuss a ceasefire, then let's be frank. What are the Northern Frontier Nation's demands?"
The old imperial teacher originally wanted to say more about Princess Su.
Then it was suddenly interrupted.
He raised his eyes cautiously and said in a steady voice, "His Majesty has instructed that if a ceasefire is reached, both armies must withdraw a hundred miles from the border and establish defensive lines in the vacant areas. Neither side may trespass into the other's border without authorization. Most importantly, Southern Yan must sell 300,000 dan of grain and fodder to Northern Frontier every year at a low price."
After hearing the armistice conditions of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, all the officials began to whisper to each other.
The eldest prince's eyes lit up, and he felt that this request was not excessive.
"Father, we can agree to whatever the Northern Frontier Nation demands!"
The Southern Yan Kingdom is already rich in grain and grass, while the Northern Frontier Kingdom is located in the far north and its most abundant resource is minerals.
It is precisely because of the lack of food that the Northern Frontier has set its sights on the more prosperous border towns of Southern Yan.
The first condition stated by the envoy from the Northern Frontier Kingdom was naturally very fair. Both sides took a step back to show their sincerity.
As for the second point, saying that it was sold at a low price and not directly asking for it was also giving enough face to the Kingdom of Southern Yan.
But the Emperor of Southern Yan's expression became increasingly cold.
"Low price? How low..."
The old imperial teacher from the Northern Frontier smiled and said, "One penny per load."
The Emperor of Southern Yan said nothing, but just looked at the old imperial teacher of Northern Frontier quietly.
The old Imperial Master's smile froze, but he smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, please calm down. We can still discuss this matter, as long as you are willing. However, before we discuss this matter further, we, the foreign ministers, would like to trouble you with one thing. Princess Su suddenly disappeared in the imperial city last night, and her life or death is now unknown. I beg you to order an investigation and send the princess back. If she returns safely, our Majesty will be pleased and will certainly increase the price."
The Emperor of Southern Yan gently rubbed his eyebrows.
Suddenly he said to Yan Fengxiao, "Commander Yan, I leave this matter to you."
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