Chapter 3572: To achieve great good, do not care about small evils
Xinping finally understood. She opened her eyes wide and looked behind her at the long-abandoned fields in the distance. Then she said slowly, "No wonder the seedlings were so sparse when we arrived. More than 70% of the seeds are simply not capable of producing crops."
Zhu Feng said, "It was because these seedlings were not growing well that the former King of Yue met with us. After receiving new food, he mercilessly had those seedlings trampled."
Zhu Chengjun said: "Let's completely cut off their food supply here!"
Zhu Feng nodded.
Xinping stood there, silent for a long moment before he said, "I understand. Those people from Nanjing who hijacked the grain carts bound for Yue must have discovered this. Your Majesty wanted to keep it a secret and not let anyone know that he was planning to use military force against Yue, so he tampered with the grain. So—"
She raised her head and looked at Zhu Feng: "Father ordered them all to be killed..."
Zhu Feng's gaze was firm yet gentle as he said, "I just told you that those who achieve great things don't pay attention to trivial matters."
“…”
“There’s also a saying that goes, if you want to achieve great good, don’t be bothered by small evils.”
“…”
"As the emperor, I am concerned about the well-being of the people of the world. If anything goes wrong in this battle, the lives of the people on the border will be affected, and in the future, the safety of the entire Yan Kingdom may be implicated."
“…”
"So, I killed them."
“…”
Xinping didn't say anything, as if he was chewing over these words, or as if he was thinking about whether his persistence these days was meaningful. His small and thin body was trembling slightly.
After a long while, she said softly, "I understand your father's concerns."
“…”
"However, I also hope that such 'little evils' will not happen again in the future, or at least, not so often."
“…”
"Those are, after all, the emperor's subjects."
Zhu Feng didn't say anything, but just looked at her calmly. After a long while, he smiled and gently stroked her face: "After all, she is your mother's daughter."
At the same time, Li Wushang had already whispered the first of the three national policies listed in the letter.
This did not surprise him at all.
When he realized the food crisis in Yue State, he had gradually understood Zhu Feng's strategies and plans over the years. However, whether he was scolding Li Wu Yu for his short-sightedness or sighing at Zhu Feng's scheming and cunning, it was too late now.
When it comes to food, they have almost no bargaining chips left in negotiations with Yan State and can only let it go.
Besides, the trade of raw silk and grain between the two countries continues, but the price of raw silk will be reduced by half, which may not be a bad thing for them. Only when their own country can feed its own people can they avoid being strangled by others like this time.
So, Li Wushang said, "I accept the first one."
Nan Yan was not surprised at all, and nodded with her eyelashes drooped: "Yeah."
She said, "Then I believe Your Majesty will also accept the second one."
“…”
Li Wushang did not speak immediately.
The second clause in the letter requested that five cities along the Vietnamese border open ports for trade.
This requirement is actually an additional condition to the previous one. Since Yan State wants to resume the trade of raw silk and grain with Yue State, and Yue State now has such a large food gap, naturally there will be a large number of merchants to conduct mutual exchanges. Opening Doubei Town alone is naturally not enough to meet the needs of this situation.
If the government does not open up, the merchants below will open a black market, and then taxes will become a big problem.
Therefore, it is better to open up five cities directly.
This is beneficial to both Yan and Yue.
However, Li Wushang remained silent.
Nan Yan kept looking at him calmly. In fact, she had more patience than Li Wushang. However, in such hot weather, everyone was like firewood on a baking tray, almost dried up by the heat.
So, she said calmly, "Why, Your Majesty still has concerns about this?"
When Li Wushang looked up at her, although his eyes were filled with gloom, his tone softened unconsciously. After pondering for a long while, he slowly said, "Is this his handiwork again?"
Nan Yan smiled faintly, with a hint of coldness in her smile.
"This is a letter from the emperor. Since it's a letter from the emperor, it naturally comes from the emperor's instructions. Is there any problem?"
“…”
"Or is it that you cannot accept the second clause?"
“…”
"If that's the case, then I'm afraid I'll also doubt your sincerity in the peace talks."
Li Wushang said solemnly, "You don't have to force me like this. You should know that this second point seems insignificant and is not worthy of being written in the letter of credence. The reason he wrote it down is because of the third point!"
In the awning on the other side, two children were still racking their brains to think about how to write in the letter of credence.
Xinping shook his head: "I really can't think of it."
“…”
"The only thing I can think of is to raise the price of grain so that they can no longer take advantage of us. As for the rest, I really don't know what else I should ask them to do."
Zhu Feng looked at her for a long time, but in the end he just smiled, pinched her gently, and said, "My daughter is kind and benevolent, and a kind person."
Xin Ping, however, was not happy about this compliment. Instead, he looked at Zhu Feng cautiously and said, "Father, I shouldn't be too kind, right?"
Zhu Feng said, "Kindness cannot command an army."
“…”
"You are my daughter, a princess of golden branches and jade leaves. You are not required to go to war, so naturally I hope you are honest and kind."
Although this sentence was meant to comfort her, it was actually said to Han King Zhu Chengjun who was standing beside her.
He had been told from the first day he entered the military camp that a person who is too kind cannot command an army. Not only can a person who is too kind not command an army, but as a prince, he cannot even survive in that turbulent world. Therefore, Princess Xinping could not think of it, nor did she need to think of it, because she could live under the protection of her father all her life, but he could not.
He must shoulder his responsibilities, protect his mother and sister, and even protect the entire Great Yan Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Zhu Chengjin bit his lower lip, his small face full of solemnity.
After a long time, he said, "Father, I have an idea."
Zhu Feng looked up at him: "Oh? Tell me, what else will you write in the letter?"
Zhu Chengjun said cautiously, "I will ask them not to set up military headquarters in border cities, and the permanent garrison force shall not exceed 5,000."
“…”
Zhu Feng didn't say anything, but a light suddenly flashed in his eyes.
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