Wanyan Sheng and his men didn't understand why a victorious nation would be so servile. Not only did Wanyan Sheng not understand, Kang Sui himself didn't understand. However, since Zhao Huan had taken the initiative to seek peace, it was like a timely help to the Jin Dynasty.
"However," Kang Sui changed the subject, "after years of war, let alone your Jin Dynasty, our Song Dynasty is also now unable to make ends meet, and the treasury is now empty. Your Majesty also wants to open up the Silk Road, and we simply cannot afford so much silver. Therefore, Your Majesty wants to hand over the war every three months. We will bring 10,000 taels of silver and arrive in Xiongzhou soon for the handover. But don't worry, we need a large number of horses to open up the Silk Road, and we can buy your war horses at double the price when the time comes."
"Well, Your Excellency, we need to discuss this. Please go back and rest. I will give you an answer tomorrow."
Wanyan Sheng called Kang Sui "Noble Envoy", which showed that he respected him very much. Kang Sui felt flattered.
"Then I'll take my leave and come back tomorrow to listen to your majesty's reply." After saying this, Kang Sui bid farewell to Wanyan Sheng and returned to the post station to rest.
The ministers in the hall were discussing this matter, and they all found it unbelievable.
"Marshal Zong Han, what do you think the Song Dynasty meant by this?"
"Your Majesty, I don't know either. It seems that the Song envoy has no ill intentions, but I don't think things are that simple." Wanyan Zonghan really couldn't understand.
Wanyan Ang said, "I still feel uneasy. The Song Emperor is very cunning. Who knows what tricks he might come up with? They're buying military horses, obviously hoping to raise cavalry."
Prime Minister Zahan objected: "The emperors of the Song Dynasty have always sought comfort and ease. This is nothing surprising. Even Zhao Heng, the Emperor Zhenzong of Song, who they always praise, clearly had the upper hand in the decisive battle against the Liao Dynasty. But he also ignored Kou Zhun's advice and sought peace with the Liao Dynasty. I think this Song emperor probably also sincerely wanted peace."
"Impossible!" Wanyan Ang shouted, "That Zhao Huan brat is very cunning. We can't be fooled!"
Wanyan Zonghan sneered: "We agree."
Wanyan Zonghan held immense power, and Wanyan Sheng had always respected his opinions. Upon hearing that Zonghan had agreed to the peace talks, he couldn't help but wonder, "Did Marshal Zonghan agree to the peace talks?"
Wanyan Zonghan smiled maliciously. "No matter what the Song Dynasty's intentions are, we agree to negotiate peace. Privately, we will gather our strength and wait for an opportunity to attack the Song! If that little Zhao Huan is truly seeking comfort, we will seize his moment of slackness and march south again. If they are scheming, we have already prepared for it."
Wanyan Ang was overjoyed and clapped his hands: "Great! Let's do it. If Zhao Huan is plotting something, we'll use his own trick against him."
Both parties in the negotiations had their own ulterior motives, so they hit it off immediately and the negotiations went unprecedentedly smoothly.
The Jin capital was located in Huining Prefecture. The Song and Jin dynasties signed an alliance known in history as the Huining Alliance.
The treaty stipulated that the Song Dynasty would pay the Jin Dynasty an annual 200,000 taels of silver and 100,000 pieces of cloth and silk to support its military, with payments to be made every three months at Xiongzhou. Both sides would cease hostilities, with the Yellow River as the boundary. Neither side would harbor any thieves or fugitives who crossed the border. Border cities of both dynasties would remain normal, with no new city walls to be built. The two countries would establish trading posts along the border to conduct mutual trade and commerce.
The Huining Alliance gave Zhao Huan some time to gather his army for the Northern Expedition, but it also gave the Jin Dynasty some breathing space, which indirectly led to the continuous fighting between the Song and Jin dynasties.
However, from a strategic point of view, the Huining Alliance was beneficial to the Song Dynasty.
Now let's focus on Shanxi. Yue Fei was appointed Shanxi's pacification envoy and given the title of Grand Marshal of the Western Frontier. He commanded all the troops in Shanxi, and even Guo Zixuan, the Taiyuan pacification envoy, became his subordinate.
At this moment, Wang Bolun, commander of the Yuanshuo Army, was gambling in his tent.
"Big! Big! Big!" Wang Bolun's face flushed, his neck thick and veins taut, one foot on the stool, staring intently at the dice in front of him.
Wang Bolun opened the dice cup carefully, afraid the dice would fly away. Fifteen, the highest among the four.
"Hahaha..." Wang Bolun laughed and put the silver in front of the three people next to him into his arms.
The three men were all counselors of the Yuanshuo Army. They all looked dejected. It seemed that their luck was very bad today.
Wang Bolun was lucky. There was a pile of silver in front of him and he couldn't stop smiling.
"Come again, come again!" Wang Bolun laughed.
"No, no, no. Commander, the new Marshal Zhenxi has ordered that gambling is prohibited in the army. Let's withdraw!" A counselor on his left wanted to leave.
Wang Bolun grabbed him and glared at him: "What? You want to leave now? This is my territory. What does it matter if he is the Grand Marshal of Zhenxi? He is in charge of my battles, but I still have the final say in Yuan Shuo's military affairs! I am in great luck. No one can leave, come on!"
He was the commander of the Yuanshuo Army and had the greatest power. The three counselors had no choice but to continue playing along.
Wang Bolun picked up the dice and shook it vigorously. The dice made a popping sound inside the dice, which was a heavenly sound to Wang Bolun.
With a "bang", Wang Bolun slammed the dice onto the table, staring at it.
"General Yue!" The report of the soldier on guard came from outside the door.
Wang Bolun and the others were stunned. When they turned around, they saw Yue Fei walking in with a few soldiers with a stern face.
"Commander Wang, I have ordered all commanders to come to Taiyuan for a meeting. Why aren't you going?"
Wang Bolun rolled his eyes and said arrogantly, "I was sick and didn't go!"
"You're sick, and you have the time to play dice here? Don't you know that I've already issued an order prohibiting gambling in the barracks?"
Wang Bolun was initially dissatisfied with Yue Fei. He had fought a few minor battles and earned the emperor's favor, and he was actually given the title of Grand Marshal of Zhenxi. He had fought tooth and nail in the northwest to earn the position of Commander of Yuanshuo, so why did Yue Fei have the upper hand over him?
"I want to play, so I will play. What do you want? Yue Fei, let me tell you. Even though the emperor has given you the title of Grand Marshal of Zhenxi, it won't work with me. This is the Yuanshuo Army!" Wang Bolun pointed at himself with his thumb.
"Tie him up!" Yue Fei turned his head away.
Yue Fei's soldiers immediately rushed over with ropes and tied Wang Bolun up like a dumpling.
Wang Bolun struggled and shouted, "Yue Fei! I am the commander of Yuan Shuo. Although I am under your command, I can only be arrested by the emperor's order. You dare to tie me up? I will sue you!"
At this time, many soldiers had gathered outside the tent to watch, and Yue Fei escorted Wang Bolun out.
More than a dozen of Wang Bolun's diehard followers surrounded Yue Fei and others with spears.
Yue Fei said coldly: "Why? I am the Grand Marshal of Zhenxi, appointed by the Emperor himself, and the Governor of Shanxi. Do you want to rebel?"
The Yuan Shuo soldiers looked at each other, unable to make up their minds, and dared not move forward.
Wang Bolun was being held captive by Yue Fei's soldiers, but he still stubbornly said, "Yue Fei, how dare you kidnap me? I'm going to sue you for abuse of power! This is the Yuan Shuo Army, my territory!"
Yue Fei waved his hand and shouted: "Cut it off!"
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