Zhu Zan did not get angry anymore. He picked up the letter and beard on the ground, cursing.
"What happened?" the man came over and asked.
"That old fool Huang Cheng persuaded the emperor to accept peace talks." Zhu Zan said with a sneer.
The man looked surprised.
"Is he crazy?" he asked.
Zhu Zan sat down on the stone again.
"Opening trade and ceding six counties, when we have not lost anything, anyone who can say this is crazy," he said. "The funny thing is that there are so many crazy people in the world."
The man patted Zhu Zan on the shoulder.
"These people far away in the court are too afraid of war. The way to solve their fear is to stop the war, but they don't know that what can stop the war is not not fighting, but fighting," he said.
Zhu Zan sneered.
"It's not that they don't know, but it's none of their business," he said. "For some people, it doesn't matter if they give up the land and the people, because they are still rich and powerful anyway."
The affairs of the court are too lofty, and men feel that they cannot evaluate or influence them.
"What do we do now?" he asked, let's do what we can control.
Zhu Zan looked at the letter for a moment.
"Negotiations," he said. "There are certainly many people in the court who disagree. The people of the North disagree. The generals of the North disagree."
As he spoke, he put on his beard and stood up.
“We disagree.”
Having said that, he strode forward.
The man waved to everyone around him, and many people followed him and hurried north.
…
"It's ridiculous and absurd."
The night was dark, but the lights in Ning Yan's study were still bright.
"The army is so few and the people are in trouble and the country is in poverty."
Ning Yan looked more haggard than in the past few days. He had not yet changed out of his official robe and was sitting at his desk with an angry look on his face.
"My Great Zhou's treasury is in short supply, and it is nonsense to say that it is because of the expenditure of Duke Cheng's military resources."
"The national treasury is short of money. We should ask Huang Cheng, who is in charge of the national treasury, where did he put the money?"
The desk was slapped and the teacup was shaken.
Ning Yunzhao, who was sitting opposite him, reached out to support him.
"Uncle, change your clothes first." He said softly, unfolding the casual cotton robe in his hands.
Changing clothes was done by the maids, but Ning Yan walked down the hall angrily and went into the study without saying a word, locking himself in the room and not letting anyone in until so late.
Madam Ning had no choice but to ask Ning Yunzhao to come in and see what the situation was by delivering clothes.
The news that the imperial court and the Jin people were going to negotiate peace had spread.
At first, people thought it was a surrender, and everyone in the capital was happy. After all, not fighting is a good thing.
But soon the conditions put forward by the Jin envoy in the court shocked everyone. It turned out that it was not a surrender but a threat.
The news of the 100,000 Jin soldiers cast a dark cloud over the entire capital and plunged it into chaos.
Ning Yan and other officials were very angry. They reprimanded the Jin envoy on the spot and drove him out. In the subsequent court meeting, they wanted to behead the Jin envoy and send him to the northern front to show that they would never make peace.
But not having a war is always a good thing. In addition to the angry war hawks, there are still some officials who think that this matter is not hopeless.
"We have to negotiate peace," Huang Cheng said slowly. "If you think the terms are not suitable, then we can talk. Why are you in such a hurry?"
What the hell are you talking about? Someone has already shit on your head while riding on him. Instead of giving him a slap, do you still want to discuss whether you want to sit down before going to the bathroom?
The verbal abuse between the two sides became increasingly intense, and finally several veteran officials in the court simply started fighting with Huang Cheng and others, causing chaos in the court and making the emperor faint.
But Huang Cheng actually went to negotiate afterwards, and he actually succeeded in negotiating the deal.
"We don't need to open trade, but only three counties. They have no other choice but to seek a way to survive. Moreover, they can be called vassal states of the Great Zhou and pay annual coins."
Vassal, annual coins.
These two things made the emperor's eyes light up.
Although the annual currency is not much money, it is an attitude, a submission.
Making a former enemy submit is an achievement, one that can comfort all our ancestors.
“How can this be considered an achievement!”
Ning Yan stood up and paced back and forth, just like he was in the court.
"And the cession of three counties. This is still not a peace negotiation. This is still a threat."
"What does it mean to surrender? Making the other side surrender is never achieved by granting grace or ceding benefits."
"Only by beating them into submission."
"I just don't believe that my great Zhou Dynasty can't even defeat a mere 100,000 Jin soldiers."
Looking at the angry Ning Yan, Ning Yunzhao remained calm.
"The Ministry of Personnel said that the people are in poverty and the country is in financial difficulty and cannot afford the spending," he said.
"What we can't afford even more is the Jin people." Ning Yan said with raised eyebrows.
Ning Yunzhao smiled.
"Uncle, why don't you change your clothes and eat something first?" he said.
Ning Yan sat down at the desk again.
"No need," he said, picking up his pen. "I'll go to the palace right after I finish writing this memorial."
This memorial naturally refuted Huang Cheng and others' request for peace talks, and advised the emperor to continue fighting the Jin people.
Ning Yunzhao stroked his cotton robe.
"Uncle," he said, "yet your Majesty does not consider this a threat."
Ning Yan stopped writing and looked up at him.
"I know what you mean," he said.
The reason why Huang Cheng and others were so active and trying their best to promote peace talks was actually because the emperor had some ideas.
The current debate over whether to advocate war or peace, to put it bluntly, is about whether to follow the emperor's will or go against it.
So now, more and more officials are keeping silent.
"However, honest advice is unpleasant to the ears, and this is what a subject should do." Ning Yan continued with a serious expression.
Ning Yunzhao responded yes.
"I am grinding ink for my uncle," he said, putting his robe aside and standing up to wave his sleeves.
Ning Yan didn't say anything else, and the study fell into silence. The light cast the figures of one person grinding ink and another writing quickly with their heads down on the window.
…
On December 18th, editor Jiang Jing was demoted to Zhaozhou because of his arrogance, viciousness, slander and resentment towards the court.
On December 20th, Li Nan, the Imperial Counselor, was dismissed from office for confusing right and wrong and misleading the emperor. He was also imprisoned and tried for his crimes.
On December 25th, Vice-Chancellor Ning Yan was dismissed.
…
"So, there is nothing that can stop the peace talks?"
Miss Jun put down the letter in her hand and said lightly.
This time, instead of getting angry, the shopkeeper put away his caution and sighed.
"Yes," he said, "Grand Scholar Huang Cheng is fully responsible for the peace talks."
Miss Jun laughed, and as she laughed, her lips turned sarcastic again.
"I know," she finally said.
Otherwise, what else can they do? The temple is lofty and it is a national affair. What can they, the common people, do?
The shopkeeper sighed again.
"I'll send you the latest news when I get it." He whispered, bowed and left.
Miss Jun sat in the room for a long time without moving.
"I really shouldn't have..." She murmured, "I really shouldn't have died like that. I really should have killed him. I couldn't even kill such a piece of trash. What a failure."
She tried to think of something, but her mind went blank.
There were footsteps outside the door.
"Miss Jun." Mrs. Yu's voice rang out.
Miss Jun responded, the thick curtain was lifted, and Madam Yu walked in.
She still wore the flowered jacket given to her by the villagers. After a few days of rest, her feet had healed and she could move freely.
She recovered, and Miss Jun watched her come back to her senses.
She was about to forget about it because she thought she would be able to travel after she recovered.
"Madam Yu," she said as she stood up, "I'll get ready. We'll leave for Damingfu tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
Mrs. Yu looked at her and shook her head.
"No, Miss Jun," she said, "I don't plan to go to Damingfu. I want to go somewhere else."