Chapter 596: Sword in Hand (Part 2) Double the monthly ticket
Early morning, the palace.
The court meeting to discuss peace was held under the attention of the public.
According to the rules, Xu Wenyan and Xu Xuelian left most of their followers at the entrance of the imperial city.
He led the entourage of civil officials on foot through the tall and deep archway and arrived at the Meridian Gate Square, which had been stained with blood twice in just three years.
At this moment, dawn had broken in the east and the snow on the square had been cleared, but a thin layer of white frost still remained.
The civil and military officials of the imperial court had already passed through the east and west side doors, crossed the Jinshui Bridge, and were waiting in the square next to the white jade steps. Their eyes followed the steps upwards and they saw the majestic and solemn Golden Throne Hall.
When they saw the delegation coming, all the ministers looked over.
I saw about twenty peace envoys wearing formal attire and holding their heads high.
The clearly distinct gazes of both parties met and collided in the air, almost as if sparks were flying.
However, strangely, no one spoke until the eunuch's sharp shout came from the stairs.
Everyone in the square was in awe and walked in an orderly manner up the steps into the Golden Throne Hall.
Civil officials were on the left, military officers were on the right, and the other members of the envoys were left in the center.
Then, when the Queen of Dayu, wearing a dragon robe, a crown on her head, and a pearl curtain hanging down, walked in step by step from the side door, she turned around and sat on the dragon throne with dignity.
All the ministers, including the envoys, saluted in unison: "Your Majesty..."
Well, basic face is still given.
"No need to be polite, just stand up." Xu Zhenguan's voice was cold, showing no emotion.
After the ministers stood up, Xu Zhenguan looked down at the delegation below and said calmly:
"It has been quite some time since the peace delegation arrived in Beijing, but the end of the year is approaching, and the peace talks should have a set schedule. Minister Sun, please report on the progress of the peace talks during this period."
The empress did not talk to the delegation immediately, but asked her ministers to report first, one reason being to let those officials present who were not aware of the latest developments know.
Secondly, there are also some who snub the delegation to express the home advantage.
The chief official in charge of the negotiations this time was the Minister of Rites. Upon hearing this, he stepped out and bowed:
"Your Majesty, since the peace talks were held, we have been ordered by the Honglu Temple to handle the battles in Xiping and Tieguan..."
The Minister of Rites first recounted the general background before announcing the specific progress of the peace talks.
Chunchijian recounted in detail the important nodes of the negotiations over the past one or two months, including how the rebel king initially put forward many excessive demands, and how the court then "forced" the other party to give up one by one.
When mentioning the war on the front line, he only briefly mentioned it, using a predominantly Spring and Autumn style of writing.
If we skip the repeated struggles in the process, there are two basic consensuses that have been reached:
First, the King of Hejian and the King of Yanshan were willing to recognize the legitimacy of the empress's rule, pledge allegiance to her, and stop the war.
This is the basis for negotiation.
The second is the price the imperial court is willing to pay for this.
The court agreed to continue to retain the titles of the two vassal kings of Hejian and Yanshan, and to return the previous rebellion to the position of those who were deceived by the Kuang Fu Society.
But they demanded the disarmament of the two major feudal lords.
However, the delegation was not satisfied with this, and this was where the negotiations reached a deadlock.
After the Minister of Rites finished his speech, the empress finally turned her attention to the delegation.
The naive Xu Wenyan took the lead in bowing, and spoke with a smile, looking harmless:
"Thanks to Your Majesty's care, we have been living well in the capital for this period. We had hoped that the peace talks would have a conclusion before the New Year, so that we could bring back good news and clear up the misunderstandings within our royal family and resolve past grievances..."
However, after many days of negotiations, there has been no progress... Especially since I received a letter from home, informing me that fighting has resumed on the front lines, which has caused the people of Yu State to be caught up in the flames of war in the cold winter... This is something that the Hejian Palace does not want to see..."
Xu Wenyan acted a little clumsily, as if he was reciting a speech.
After a long and rambling speech, he sighed, a look of melancholy on his face.
"…My father, the king, could not bear to see his own people fighting against each other and the people being displaced, so he was willing to negotiate with great sincerity.
However, the court’s request is something that the Hejian Palace cannot agree to... I would like to explain it here today.
If you want peace, Your Majesty, in addition to publicly issuing an edict to the world, promising not to actively threaten our Hejian Palace in the future, you should also grant Dingyuan, Wen'an, Huangshui... and other counties to our Hejian Palace as fiefdoms, and the court shall not interfere in the internal affairs of the fiefdoms..."
Xu Xuelian also spoke:
"My Yanshan Palace demands the same. In addition to the imperial edict, Tongyuan, Linhai, Baishan... and other areas must be permanently handed over to the Yanshan Palace..."
The real purpose is revealed!
Putting aside the nonsense, it’s just two words: “cede land”!
As for the weapons, they will naturally not be disarmed.
After hearing this, the official in charge of the peace talks was fine, but many of the other ministers in the hall looked upset!
The other party is too greedy!
Although the territory proposed to be ceded by both sides was not the entire Xiping and Tieguandao - everyone knew that it was impossible to cede all of it.
Even though some areas were left to the imperial court, all that was left to the imperial court were the poorer counties.
Secondly, the imperial court now occupies many areas in both regions.
And the most crucial thing is... not to mention that this is tantamount to creating two "countries within a country", if it is agreed, the court will lose control of these two regions.
Especially Xiping Road. According to the list of ceded land given by Xu Wenyan, the passage to the Western Regions will be firmly controlled by the King of Hejian.
"How can this be!" A trembling roar erupted in the hall without any warning.
Grand Tutor Dong, who was already in his eighties, walked out from the ranks of civil officials with the help of a cane, and knocked the ground hard with the cane in his hand, making a thumping sound.
This old minister, who had grown old and weak due to his busy work for state affairs over the past year, stared at the delegation angrily:
"Since you are willing to submit to me, how can you ask for fiefdoms and territories? You are clearly ambitious and you deserve death!"
As the Grand Tutor opened fire first, Yuan Li in the crowd also spoke coldly:
"Previously, the Kings of Hejian and Yanshan took the initiative to propose peace talks. I thought they came with sincerity, but now it seems that they are extremely disappointing."
The Deputy Privy Councilor also expressed his position on behalf of the military officers. He stepped forward, bowed to the Empress, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, I have never heard of a war breaking out during peace talks. These two bandits mobilized troops on the front lines during the negotiations, demonstrating their complete lack of sincerity! I request that these bandits be executed as a warning to others!"
"His Majesty……"
"The thief harbors evil intentions... We must not agree to this."
For a time, the court was filled with outrage, and officials jumped out one after another to denounce the acts of the rebels.
However, if one looks closely, one can see that a considerable number of ministers remained silent, representing another voice in favor of peace.
In fact, the issue of ceding territory in exchange for peace had been discussed many times in previous small court meetings.
Many ministers also believed that if they did not agree, war would break out the following year, and the situation would be dangerous. It would be better to pretend to be a snake and temporarily agree, then find a way to regret it after the victory was established.
In other words, the advocates of war and peace have quarreled privately too many times.
Today's court meeting simply brought all these things to light for the first time.
However, even though many officials advocate peace, at least on this occasion they must not publicly come out to support the delegation.
At least... not before the Empress clearly expresses her attitude.
As for what the Empress would decide, none of the ministers were sure.
Because up to now, even though the empress has been paying attention to the progress of the peace talks, she has never expressed any opinions.
It seems that no decision will be made until the last moment.
"Your Majesty," as the wave of angry rebukes from the ministers gradually subsided, Mr. Feng, the distinguished guest of the Hejian Palace, stepped forward and took over the pace of the negotiations:
"And all the lords, please don't get angry for now."
He looked calm and fearless, even with a slight smile on his face. He exuded confidence and spoke eloquently:
"I know that Your Majesty and the others are unhappy, but I have a piece of latest intelligence that I would like to read to Your Majesty."
intelligence?
At this moment, all the ministers were stunned and the hall suddenly became quiet.
I didn't expect the other party to have further preparations.
Xu Zhenguan sat high on the dragon throne, looking down below, his eyes swept over through the beaded curtain, and he said calmly:
"allow."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Mr. Feng bowed gracefully, then took out a letter from his sleeve. The envelope had been torn open. He pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and read in front of everyone:
"Your Majesty has sent a personal letter. Changes have occurred at the ancestral temple of Buddhism in the Western Regions. The abbot of Shenlong Temple, Xuanyin, has brought Bianji into the temple. They are suspected of forming an alliance with the Dharma King. They have issued a decree, which has been secretly circulated among the countries in the Western Regions. They are waving the banner of revenge for the destruction of Buddhism by Tianshu and will march into the pass in large numbers..."
boom!
Mr. Feng's light words rolled through the hall like thunder.
Almost everyone's expression changed.
Xuan Yin returned to the Western Regions after decades? He even formed an alliance with the Dharma King. How did he do that?
How can one mountain accommodate two tigers?
No... this is not the key point. The key point is the attitude of the Buddhist ancestral temple.
Before this, although the imperial court had received news of unrest in the Western Regions, it was not sure what the Western Regions wanted to do.
The biggest guess is that the Western Regions will take advantage of the chaos to gain some benefits and occupy some border territories.
The countries in the Western Regions were scattered and not strong enough to be enemies of the Yu State.
But if the Buddhist ancestral temple issues a decree and clearly raises the banner of revenge for the "Tianshu's destruction of Buddhism" six hundred years ago, it will mean that the Western Regions will not only be making small-scale extortion and seizing territory, but will also be a formal invasion!
A large-scale invasion would most likely completely overwhelm the imperial court, leading to its downfall due to being attacked from all sides.
What is even more terrifying is that:
If Xuan Yin forms an alliance with the Dharma King, the power of Buddhism will be unprecedentedly strong. By then, even if the empress has the cultivation of a celestial being, she may not be able to defend the capital.
Almost subconsciously, some people questioned the authenticity of this information, but soon realized that such a thing could not be faked.
The King of Hejian had been operating in Xiping Road for many years and had many spies in the Western Regions, so it was not surprising that he was the first to obtain intelligence.
But if such a big thing really happened, the court should have known about it later.
"this……"
"An all-out war has broken out in the Western Region..."
"The Buddhist and Western cultures have merged...?"
At this moment, even the most hardline advocates of war could not help but waver.
"Your Majesty," At this time, the old man who represented the Yanshan Palace in the peace talks also stood up and said calmly:
"With the convergence of Eastern and Western Buddhism, the nations of the Western Regions will be united. Now that they've raised the banner of revenge, they won't resort to mere treason. If they launch a full-scale invasion, my Great Yu Dynasty will be in utter peril... In such a situation, if our military power is stripped away, how can we resist?"
What does it have to do with your Yanshan Palace... You are clearly using my words... Mr. Feng complained inwardly, stepped forward, and said with a smile:
"That's exactly what's happening. If we were to relinquish our military power, we would be tantamount to surrendering. And since Your Majesty and the other kings are all members of the royal family, facing an external enemy, we should all share a common hatred. If Your Majesty still insists on fighting against your own people at this critical juncture, I'm afraid..."
Xu Wenyan and Xu Xuelian looked at each other, knowing that the time had come, and they both spoke in unison:
"Your Majesty, please make the decision."
Force the emperor to abdicate!
A blatant attempt to force the emperor to abdicate!
Anyone could see that at this moment, the delegation was using the Buddhist sects in the Western Regions to force the emperor to abdicate.
If the empress insists on not agreeing, the internal strife will continue and the situation next year will be extremely bad.
If the empress agrees, Xiping and Yanshan can be quickly stabilized, making it difficult for Buddhist sects in the Western Regions to invade.
But...it is no different from enfeoffment.
This is also the real reason why they dare to hold on to their promises.
Aren't you a female emperor? Don't you want to emulate Emperor Taizu and achieve great things?
What if the dynasty is invaded by foreign enemies during your reign?
A gentleman can be deceived by tricks.
As vassal kings, they do not need to consider the "overall situation", but the empress must do so.
Xu Wenyan and Xu Xuelian raised their lips as they looked at the Golden Palace which was already in turmoil and the empress who was sitting silently on the dragon throne. They almost laughed out loud.
In their opinion, the empress was already defeated.
Next, as long as they are given a way out, or even no way out, the empress will come down on her own and agree to their demands.
Victory will eventually belong to them.
However, in the midst of the chaos, Xu Zhenguan still did not speak. She even looked away from the ministers and raised her eyes slightly, looking towards the closed palace door.
Seems distracted.
Will the empress be distracted at this time?
First, Yuan Li, Dong Xuan, Ma Yan and others felt something was wrong.
Then……
Xu Wenyan, Xu Xuelian and others also felt inexplicably uneasy.
Some people began to look towards the tightly closed palace door, and those standing nearby were surprised to hear some vague noises coming from outside.
There seemed to be shouts and sounds of killing... ?
No, the palace is now under the control of Your Majesty, so how could there be shouts of killing?
Sudden.
Without any warning, the tightly closed palace door was suddenly pushed open!
A cold wind swept in!
“Squeak—”
This unexpected scene suddenly suppressed the commotion in the hall, and countless eyes looked over at the same time.
Then he was stunned.
Suddenly, in the bleak daylight, a figure wearing a dark cloak and a white mask slowly walked in.
In his right hand, he actually held an unsheathed sword, with fresh blood flowing down the blood trough from the blade, dripping onto the floor.
Connected in a string.
Who dares to enter the palace with a sword?
"It's you!?"
Someone exclaimed, recognizing the new police chief of Lihuatang, who had become a famous figure in the capital in recent months.
But what followed was more shock and confusion.
How could a mere police officer, a mere priest, dare to enter the palace bearing a sword? Who gave him such courage? Was he mad? And...who had left the blood on the sword?
In a state of shock.
Zhao Duan glanced at everyone coldly, and his gaze finally fixed on the faces of Xu Wenyan and Xu Xuelian.
He smiled slightly, but his voice was colder than the dead of winter:
"Force the emperor to abdicate? Have you asked me?"
——
P.S. My fault, I’m stuck. This paragraph is particularly difficult to write…
(End of this chapter)
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