Chapter 150 The Daughter of a Guilty Minister vs. the Disabled Prince 64
The emperor was seriously ill and ordered the crown prince to govern the country.
Xiao Yan personally contacted the delegation from the Great Khanate, and the leader of the delegation was still Gulisi.
Gulisi was originally worried that peace talks would be hindered after Xiao Yan became the crown prince, but he did not expect that Xiao Yan would be particularly attentive to him. With Xiao Yan's deliberate flattery, the two had a very pleasant conversation.
The members of the delegation complained that the post station was too small and they could not ride horses or shoot arrows. Some even rode their horses in the street. The officials of the Honglu Temple tried to dissuade them but failed and were beaten by the delegation instead.
When Xiao Yan learned about this, instead of being angry, he cleaned up the Fifth Prince's original residence for the delegation to live in. He also gave the Fifth Prince's villa in the suburbs of Beijing for the delegation to play.
After more than half a month of commotion, Gulisi finally felt relieved. Even though Xiao Yan was once a ferocious tiger, he had his claws and fangs cut off under the power struggle within the Xiao royal family and became a harmless house cat.
The Xiao royal family is so cowardly, it’s just a matter of time before Tian Khan unifies the Xiao Kingdom!
The Imperial Astronomical Observatory quickly selected an auspicious day, and the date for the signing of the contract between the two countries was set on the eighth day of July.
The eighth day of the seventh month is a very auspicious day with bright sunshine, good for sacrifices, banquets, and wars.
The emperor seemed to have a last burst of energy and was in particularly good spirits that day. He forced himself to get up from the bed and ordered people to carry him to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was already filled with civil and military officials, who shouted "Long live the emperor" and welcomed him in.
Liu Xi placed the emperor on the dragon throne. Xiao Yan stood beside the emperor and watched him being moved around with a look of indifference on his face.
The emperor was wearing an empty dragon robe, his cheeks were thin, and his hair was mostly white. The majestic dragon robe could not support his corrupt body.
"My dear ministers, please...please stand up... cough cough cough..."
Liu Xi patted the emperor's back and fed him ginseng soup. The ginseng soup was prepared by Imperial Physician Ye. It was said that it could make people speak the truth, but it was not known whether it was true or not.
After drinking the ginseng soup, the emperor's voice became louder, "Come here, summon the envoys of the Great Khanate to see you!"
Gulisi entered the hall with a dozen strong envoys. He wore a sword openly, and the others also carried weapons without hiding them at all.
There were murmurs of discussion in the hall, and Gulisi said loudly: "Men on the grassland are unrestrained and never leave their swords. Even the crown prince of your country has no objection, so why are you barking here?"
Elder Tian was standing in the front row of officials. He just smiled when he heard the words, and he seemed to be in a particularly good mood. "You don't have to discuss it anymore. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has already ordered us to follow the wishes of the distinguished guest. There is no need to be so particular about the details."
All the officials made way for him, and Gu Lisi walked up to the emperor with a swagger, and perfunctorily bowed and said, "The Emperor of Xiao is well."
Without waiting for the emperor to speak, Gulisi had already taken his men to sit on the left side of the hall. The people around him also sat down one after another, not taking the emperor seriously at all.
The Minister of the Honglu Temple was in charge of receiving foreign guests. He had been holding back his anger for a long time. Seeing Gu Lisi and others acting recklessly, he could not help but shout:
"Since ancient times, the left has been the most honorable, and there is a saying that guests should follow the host's wishes. The Crown Prince should be seated first, on the left. The Crown Prince is of noble status, much higher than an envoy. How can we allow an envoy from another country to do whatever he wants and disrupt the rules and etiquette!"
Xiao Yan glanced at the Minister of the Ministry of Rites calmly and said, "It's just a seat. The distinguished guest can sit wherever he wants. The Minister of the Ministry of Rites is so inflexible, why don't you leave?"
As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, two imperial guards rushed in and dragged out the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was kneeling on the ground with a sad face.
The hall was completely silent, with only Gu Lisi's laughter being particularly loud. "Your Crown Prince is indeed aware of current affairs. This envoy is very satisfied. Emperor Xiao, let's get started quickly."
The emperor sat up straight and said lovingly to Xiao Yan, "Ayan, go ahead. You don't have to stay with me. I'm relieved to have you take care of the peace talks."
Xiao Yan led everyone to sit down. Except for some important old ministers, most people could only stand. There were also a few royal relatives who made up the numbers to show the importance of the delegation.
After Concubine Wu was torn to pieces by a chariot, the most favored concubine in the harem was Concubine An, who has now been promoted to Concubine An.
The eighth prince's speech impediment has been cured. The emperor's fatherly love, which has nowhere to go, has all fallen on the eighth prince. He is particularly fond of the eighth prince. The eighth prince has been made a prince, and after he gets married, he will leave the palace and set up his own house.
Concubine An accompanied the emperor. The eighth prince did not have to negotiate with the delegation and his seat was closest to the emperor.
The Crown Princess and the Crown Princess' concubines were also present, sitting behind the Crown Prince.
This action was not in accordance with etiquette, but the Crown Prince insisted on doing so, and the Crown Princess was also extremely generous and did not care at all about being overshadowed by the concubine, so the Ministry of Rites turned a blind eye.
Everything went smoothly. Today was just a formality. The treaty had already been negotiated. The bright yellow scroll was spread on the table and copied by the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy. It was then sent to the Emperor's dragon desk.
Liu Xi took out the jade seal that had been prepared long ago and placed it respectfully next to the emperor.
The emperor was so excited that his face, which had always been gray and dull, finally turned red. He stroked the bright yellow scroll with trembling hands and sighed:
"I have been in office for many years, working hard and diligently to govern the country, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. It is a pity that I have not achieved unprecedented achievements to pass on to future generations."
"After Emperor Taizu founded the country, he signed a ten-year non-aggression pact with the Chiyou tribe. Today, the Xiao Kingdom and the Great Khanate have signed a hundred-year pact. This century-long friendship is a blessing for the country and the people. My achievements will be remembered for thousands of years."
Lord Tian took the lead in singing praises, and all officials praised him.
Crown Princess Wenlan felt sick after hearing this, and couldn't help but say to Xiaoyun beside her, "When Duke Ji led the Changhong Army to defeat the Chiyou tribe, Emperor Xiao Taizu signed a ten-year alliance. Our Xiao Kingdom didn't contribute a single piece of silk or a single grain of rice."
"What kind of bullshit treaty is this? It's not enough to cede the city. So many good things are sent over every year, but they all come from the people. Aren't the people going to die of exhaustion?"
"Xiao Yan is such a piece of shit. He enjoys being the crown prince and doesn't care about the lives of the people. It really makes me so angry!"
Ji Yunhuan patted Wen Lan's hand, signaling her to stop talking.
She had hinted to Wenlan, this fool, several times, but Wenlan just didn't notice any clues and didn't understand Xiao Yan's plan at all. Maybe Xiao Yan concealed it too well and deceived Wenlan and the delegation.
Wen Lan glared at Xiao Yun in dissatisfaction, "You always side with him. You say yes to everything he does. You will definitely be bullied by him in the future. I just hope that this baby of yours is a son. After I am gone, even if there is a new Crown Princess, your position will be secure."
She was now looking forward to Xiao Yan's ascension to the throne so that she could be released from the palace immediately. She could not stay in this palace for even a day longer.
The emperor's arms were shaking violently. With the help of Liu Xi beside him, he was able to lift the heavy jade seal and dip it in ink.
Just as he was about to put his seal on the throne, there was a sudden commotion at the door. A minor official in a turquoise official uniform rushed in, walked past a crowd of people, and knelt down before the emperor with a plop.
Sun Zhi took off his official hat, banged his head on the ground, and shouted: "Your Majesty, I know that I have committed a serious crime, and I have come to apologize to Your Majesty!"
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