Chapter 326 Negotiations Suspended
For some reason, the prince suddenly had a strong premonition that if his answer could not satisfy Chu Ci, he, his father and even the entire Great Zhou would regret it.
The prince frowned slightly, his expression solemn. After a moment of silence, he said, "Let's end the negotiations for now."
Then he said to the Tatar prince, "Prince, please leave first. Once we have sorted out our internal affairs, we can choose another day to continue the peace talks."
When Minister of Rites Nie Zuming saw that the prince was about to interrupt the negotiations because of Chu Ci's words, he immediately became anxious and wanted to speak out to stop him.
But before he could open his mouth, he was stopped by the prince's sharp eyes.
Nie Zuming's heart tightened and he dared not move at all.
When the Tatar prince saw this, he immediately had a bad feeling in his heart.
However, the situation is now stronger than people.
So, he could only do his best to suppress the anger in his heart, swallowing his resentment. He slowly stood up and said in a stiff tone, "Since that's the case, then this prince will take his leave and wait for your good news."
Having said this, the Tatar prince looked around and said, "I hope you won't keep me waiting too long!"
After saying that, he snorted coldly and walked away with a flick of his sleeves.
This action made the Minister of Rites Nie Zuming anxious like an ant on a hot pan.
He didn't dare to get angry at the prince, nor could he get angry at General Ye and his son who were smiling secretly.
Even after weighing the pros and cons, I found that Chuci was a tough nut to crack.
Then, all his rage rushed towards Fan Jingrui, "Fan Jingrui, Master Fan, why didn't you stop Princess Yixin?"
"You have been well-versed in the books of sages since childhood. You should be well aware of the great trouble Princess Yixin's willful and reckless actions will cause to the court."
"How many more people will be plunged into dire straits?"
Chu Ci thought to himself, "This old man is so cunning. He's actually trying to sow discord between us. He has ulterior motives!"
So, Chu Ci didn't hesitate and directly reached out to block Fan Jingrui behind him. "Minister Nie, don't change the subject!"
"This princess is asking you, why did you so easily surrender the victory that was won with such great effort and sacrifice?"
Having said this, Chu Ci deliberately looked Nie Zuming up and down, then slowly said, "Could it be that you are also a spy planted by the Tatars in my Great Zhou?"
When it comes to turning the tables, not only Nie Zuming is good at it, but Chu Ci is also good at it, and she is no less capable than him.
Upon hearing this, Nie Zuming's face instantly turned livid, his entire body trembling. He pointed his finger at Chu Ci, his voice changing tone: "You, you little brat, stop slandering me! I'm loyal to the Great Zhou, how can I allow you to slander me like this!"
Then, he bowed respectfully to the Crown Prince and said with tears in his eyes, "Your Highness, please make the decision for me!"
"I have devoted my entire life to the court, and now I have suffered this undeserved disaster, being wantonly framed by this ignorant little girl. I feel truly wronged!"
The prince only coughed when he heard this, "Let's not talk about this for now."
Nie Zuming was about to argue, but the Crown Prince had already turned his attention to Chu Ci: "Princess Yixin, we have already won the victory. Giving food to the Tatars is to demonstrate the great power of our Great Zhou."
"Princess Yixin, could you please tell me why you are so angry? Why are you even planning to disrupt this negotiation?"
Seeing this, Nie Zuming could only open his mouth and swallow his words. He stood aside with an angry look on his face, waiting to see how Chu Ci would respond.
Chu Ci did not respond to the Crown Prince's question. Instead, he said with a firm gaze, "Agreements between nations are, in some cases, nothing more than a piece of waste paper. Do you all here agree or not?"
When Chu Ci said this, even Wu Chenghou, who had been silent the whole time, sat up straight and said solemnly, "Princess Yixin, will you continue?"
Chu Ci did not disappoint Marquis Wu Cheng's expectations: "I believe that war, from ancient times to the present, has always been an extreme means of resolving disputes, competing for resources, and safeguarding national interests."
"And the so-called demeanor of a great power is definitely not demonstrated by providing food and fodder to the enemy."
"On the contrary, this is a great insult to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives and shed their blood. The demeanor of a great power is by no means unprincipled tolerance and concession."
"The true demeanor of a great power lies in upholding justice and principles and resolving problems through equal dialogue and win-win cooperation."
"The demeanor of a great power lies in respecting the sovereignty and dignity of other countries while safeguarding its own interests, not in giving money and food to invaders. This is not the demeanor of a great power, but rather a sign of weakness to the forces surrounding the Great Zhou."
"This is to inform them that the Great Zhou will allow them to attack if they want. If they win, they can seize the Great Zhou's land, money, and even civilians. Even if they lose, they will not suffer any loss, as the Great Zhou will provide them with money and food!"
"Good, well said." Ye Zhen was so excited that he wanted to applaud Chu Ci. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Ye Lin held him back.
The words that Ye Zhen was about to blurt out were blocked in his throat at the right time.
Even so, the civil servants sent by the court suddenly felt that the situation was not good.
But Nie Zuming had just been labeled a Tatar spy by Chu Ci, so no matter how others hinted at him, he just pretended to be dead.
In desperation, the Minister of Rites had to personally step forward and say: "As a great power, we should be tolerant and show kindness and magnanimity. Only in this way can we demonstrate the style of our dynasty, promote harmonious diplomatic relations, and maintain world peace."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ci rolled his eyes without disguising himself and sneered, "So is the Great Zhou at peace now?"
When Chu Ci said this, Ye Zhen was completely excited.
He ignored Ye Lin's efforts to stop him and shouted, "No! The Tatars come to our Great Zhou border and plunder as soon as there's any trouble. They're almost treating our Great Zhou's northern border as their granary."
Chu Ci's words alone might be considered alarmist.
But what about the testimony of General Ye Zhen of Zhenbei?
Many officials, including the crown prince, were immediately frightened and broke out in cold sweats.
Marquis Wu Cheng looked directly at the Crown Prince with a burning gaze, "Your Highness, how should the negotiations proceed from now on?"
The prince did not answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to Chu Ci again and asked sincerely, "Princess Yixin, do you have any suggestions?"
Chu Ci raised his head slightly, his eyes determined, and raised his voice, saying, "Do you still need my advice? Isn't it already recorded in history books?"
"In short, in a word, we must make the Tatars feel fear and pain! Only then will they learn their lesson and not dare to attack us easily."
The Crown Prince's eyes flickered upon hearing this. He looked sternly at the officials present and said firmly, "You all heard this, right? Based on this, we must carefully redraw the peace negotiation plan! There must be no mistakes!"
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