Chapter 512 Friendly Negotiation
After this statement was made, the civil and military officials stopped arguing and began to propose new directions.
The civil servant thought: I need to ask for more money so that I can rest and recuperate.
The military officer thought that the negotiation period should be shorter so that the attack on You State could be resumed in a few years.
No matter which idea is adopted, it fully demonstrates the style of a strong country.
The young emperor tried hard not to laugh. It turned out that being a military power was so cool. Even if the You Kingdom became more and more aggressive, a weak country had to obey. Their Great Chu had been bullied by the You Kingdom for hundreds of years. Now they could finally hold their heads high.
Chu Jincheng said loudly: "The general's suggestion is very good, let's implement it. Ministry of Revenue, calculate all the losses and hand them over to the Ministry of Rites for negotiation. The envoy to negotiate will be Minister Shao of the Ministry of Rites, and you can choose the people to accompany you, and go to the border today."
"Yes, I obey your order."
The Ministry of Rites is divided into two factions: the left and right assistant ministers. The emperor said that he would let Assistant Minister Shao choose his own entourage, but in fact he wanted him to bring his own people to prevent anyone from tripping him up during the negotiations.
Minister Shao was a man who would return a favor. As soon as he left the palace, he told someone, "Go and ask Wei Yuanwailang to come see me."
Before the army set out for peace talks.
Zong Wenxiu stuffed a few more hidden weapons into Wei Xinglu's pocket, saying that they were gadgets his father had just developed, and asked him to give them to Luo Ji.
Wei Xinglu was filled with envy and tears: "Brother Wen Xiu, I hate that I didn't learn martial arts when I was a child. I can only give so many fun things to others."
Zong Wenxiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "It's not fun at all. Go quickly and be careful of Prince Jin'an."
"Okay!" Wei Xinglu waved to him and set off with the envoys.
The peace talks did not go smoothly.
Facing the lion-like mouth of the envoy from Great Chu, Prince Jin'an overturned the table on the spot. As a result, just as the table was overturned, a wire was placed across his neck.
Luo Jingfeng raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked sarcastically, "What is this posture of your prince? Is it a new martial arts move you learned?"
Prince Jin'an was ridiculed so much that his face turned blue and red. He quickly recognized who had made the hidden weapon that threatened his life.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Give Zong Yan back to me!"
Luo Jingfeng spat and said angrily, "Give it back to your father! I am the son of a general from the Great Chu State. I have worked for you for more than ten years for nothing. Have you paid me? Minister Shao, give him this money as well!"
Minister Shao quickly replied: "Yes! Yes! The Duke has a good memory. I can't even remember it! The Ministry of Revenue is the same. It's amazing that such a large sum of money could be missed..."
As he spoke, he asked someone to hold an abacus and continue the calculation.
Luo Jingfeng saw the calculated number and threw it directly into the face of Prince Jin'an, mocking him: "Will you pay, Your Highness, the unruly prince?"
A weak country that had been defeated in the war dared to turn against the emperor at the negotiation table. It was obvious that he had been the crown prince for too long and could not tell who was the boss.
Prince Jin An said angrily: "I won't give in! If you want to fight, then fight. Am I afraid of you?"
"Oh... then you will die here today." Luo Jingfeng ordered coldly, "Luo Ji, kill him."
Seeing the iron wire around his neck getting tighter and tighter, Prince Jin'an was terrified and screamed, "Ah, stop! Stop! I'm dead! I'm dead!"
He had worked so hard to get everything he had today, and he had worked so hard to become the crown prince with the help of Zong Yan. How could he die on the border like this?
What's the point of paying some money? That's the court's responsibility, not his. His life is his own!
Prince Jin'an trembled as he picked up the pen. He was still struggling in his death throes: "I can sign this peace agreement, but I have a condition. I want the clan..."
Luo Jingfeng turned his head impatiently and said to the envoys: "Should we kill him? I really don't want to negotiate at all."
The envoys for peace talks: "..."
With the Lord Protector threatening them, they had basically no chance to speak.
Prince Jinan was so angry that he signed the document and put his fingerprints on it indignantly.
Luo Ji let him go.
The peace envoys even smiled at him in a friendly manner, indicating that the two countries were beginning to shake hands and make peace. This angered Prince Jin'an so much that he fainted on the spot.
In October, the army was on its way back to the capital.
The little devil was happily wandering around in Yu's study. He said to Prime Minister Shen, "After returning victorious this time, I will give them great titles. Those with lower ranks will be promoted, and those with higher ranks will be rewarded with silver. Oh, and there is also Zong Yan. Although he did not go to the battle, he was the key to this victory. What title should be given to him? The head of the Armaments Bureau is a fourth-rank official. Isn't it a bit insufficient?"
Prime Minister Shen smiled and reminded: "It is indeed not enough, and the head of the Armaments Bureau has just been promoted. If the emperor lets the second son of the Zong take over, what should the current incumbent do?"
The young emperor thought about it and said, "Then he should be made a marquis. He will have a good reputation and won't have to attend court."
Prime Minister Shen smiled and replied, "I think it's okay. The title of Marquis Yuanyang was inherited by General Zong, so there is no conflict with Zong Yan's title."
Jin Cheng asked: "How about calling him Shengong Hou? Isn't that appropriate?"
Prime Minister Shen frowned and said, "It's appropriate, but if you call it that in daily life... wouldn't it be too strange?"
The little devil suggested, "Then when the general of the sect arrives tomorrow, let him come and see what this title is like?"
"Okay." Prime Minister Shen thought to himself that Zong Zhao would definitely not agree to such a pretentious title.
The draft of the award had been basically completed and was waiting to be announced after the army returned to the court. Prime Minister Shen came over with a memorial and began to talk to the little emperor about today's homework.
Chu Jincheng was very excited and found all the memorials very interesting. After reading a few of them, he saw the memorial from King Zhennan.
The happy Jincheng suddenly became unhappy.
The little devil frowned and asked seriously, "Does the memorial have to be replied? Can I pretend that I didn't receive it and say that he lost the memorial on the way?"
Prime Minister Shen's mouth twitched as he warned, "Those who sent the memorials all the way here will be severely punished, and they may even lose their lives."
Chu Jincheng took a deep breath, closed his eyes and then opened the memorial from his uncle.
The above content first congratulated the Duke of Huguo on his victorious return, then again mentioned the matter of growing mushrooms on the fiefdom. The following long string of content said how great mushrooms were and how worthless those counties were, and asked the emperor to give them to him so that they could maximize their value.
The little devil read the entire document with a gloomy face, resisted the urge to throw it to the ground, and replied: "I shouldn't have read it so carefully. The more I read, the angrier I get. What does the victory of the Protectorate have to do with him?"
Prime Minister Shen reminded him with an embarrassed look on his face: "I heard that the relationship between the Duke of Protecting the Country and the King of Zhennan is closer than that of ordinary brothers. Weren't you still worried about how to reward the Duke of Protecting the Country? He has no more official positions and property to reward, so maybe he will come to you to ask for this reward for the King of Zhennan..."