Ren Yaoqi lowered his eyes and thought for a moment: "The Liao Kingdom was defeated this time and is actively seeking peace... Are they planning to give up land or pay compensation?"
Unexpectedly, Xiao Jingxi laughed when he heard this, but the smile did not reach his eyes: "Compensation in silver, but it is not Liao Kingdom paying compensation to Da Zhou, but Da Zhou paying compensation to Liao Kingdom."
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he heard this: "Is there such a good thing?"
"The imperial court has been resting in the southern region for the past few years and is not short of money." Xiao Jingxi said calmly.
After careful consideration, Ren Yaoqi understood that the imperial court was not short of money, but what it lacked was the control over Yanbei.
The Liao people suffered a defeat at the hands of the Yanbei army, but bypassed the Yanbei palace and approached the imperial court to seek peace. Their request for peace was fake, but they harbored evil intentions.
The Liao Kingdom's Southern and Northern Courts were now operating independently, and it would take time for a decisive victory. The new Liao King's prestige had greatly diminished, and he couldn't lead his troops south to attack the city again in the near future. Therefore, the Liao King wanted to take this opportunity to breathe and clean up his mess, so he proposed reopening border trade between the two countries.
No matter how powerful the Yanbei Palace is, it is just a vassal king, and the Great Zhou still belongs to the Li family.
The Liao people knew that compared to the Liao Kingdom across the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the Yanbei Palace was a fishbone stuck in the throat of the Great Zhou court. Unable to spit out or swallow, it would eventually fester and fester. Therefore, even after their defeat, the Liao people dared to demand that the Great Zhou pay them annual tribute and allow the reopening of border trade.
If the Liao people reached a truce with Yanbei, the existence of the Yanbei Palace would become awkward. Without war, if Yanbei still had to support such a large army, the people would resent it, and over time, the Yanbei Palace would be unable to reduce its military. This would make it much easier for the Great Zhou Dynasty to deal with the Yanbei Palace, and it would be more legitimate.
Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder you said that the King of the Southern Courtyard is a man of deep scheming. This plan of killing two birds with one stone is quite clever."
By the time the Yanbei Palace was forced into a state of weakness, the Liao Kingdom had already dealt with its internal affairs, and its national strength had gradually recovered due to the reopening of border trade. By then, if it sent troops south again, how could the Zhou Dynasty have the strength to resist?
Xiao Jingxi smiled at this. Talking to Ren Yaoqi was always his easiest moment. He didn't have to be on guard against her, nor did he have to worry about her not understanding him. As soon as he started talking, she'd understand everything. He hadn't met many women as intelligent as her.
"So the Yanbei Palace wants to stop the peace talks between the imperial court and the Liao Dynasty?" Ren Yaoqi asked.
Xiao Jingxi didn't respond immediately. He thought for a moment, then smiled at Ren Yaoqi. "If that's the case, aren't you afraid we'll become the sinners of the entire Great Zhou? After all, for ordinary people, avoiding war is always a good thing." Xiao Jingxi felt perfectly comfortable categorizing Ren Yaoqi as "us." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations or monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.) This chapter has been read (please click on the next chapter to continue reading!)
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