61. Chapter 61
"none"
Soetu was not bragging. Qi You had already anticipated the character of the Rakshasa Kingdom. Li Rongbao's Chahar soldiers had been following closely behind.
At the time, Suo Etu was worried about angering the Luosha Kingdom, so he earnestly advised, "Seventh Prince, before I left, the Emperor issued an order, ordering me not to delay the peace talks any longer. Now that so many troops are going with us, I'm afraid the Luosha Kingdom will break off the negotiations. If this matter is delayed, you will see..."
Everyone understood Suo'etu's intentions: he feared failing to perform his duties well and thus incurring Kangxi's dislike. After all, he had experienced many ups and downs, and was hoping for a smooth conclusion of the peace talks so he could stage a comeback.
Qi You said calmly, "If he dares, we can just follow the Russian strongholds in the Far East and attack them one by one all the way to Moscow. Their hands are stained with the blood of so many Qing people, and they should have paid for their blood debt long ago."
Suo Etu's face changed and he said nothing more. He had to follow Qi You's arrangement.
Qi You didn't want to say too much. He was determined to get Sakhalin Island and Lake Baikal.
The Rakshasa Kingdom has never been a humane country. While negotiating with the Qing government, it was also flirting with Galdan, and the two sides met many times.
Galdan was able to challenge the Qing Dynasty time and time again, causing the Qing Dynasty to fall apart for so many years, and the Rakshasa Kingdom played an indispensable role.
When the bandits from the Rakshasa State invaded the Daur people, burning, killing and looting were not the biggest problems. They were so cruel that they ate people. There are records that they ate more than 50 people.
Naturally, they would not let women go, and they raped and plundered them. The crimes they committed were too numerous to list.
Qi You retracted the telescope and saw that Golovin on the other side had left, so he gave Soetu a few instructions.
Soetu looked thoughtful, and finally had to agree.
Sure enough, the next day, people from the Rakshasa Kingdom came again. This time, their arrogance was lower than last time, and they asked Soetu to cross the river for negotiations.
Suo Etu sat in his tent, leisurely drinking tea. After a while, he had a gun brought to the envoy and said, "Take this back to your governor. If he has any questions, bring your envoys across the river and talk to him."
The visitor looked at the gun in his hand, his eyes flickering.
He was very familiar with this gun, which originally belonged to the Rakshasa Kingdom.
Suo Etu laughed and waved his hand, saying, "We have seized a lot from Galdan. Let's take it back and let your governor have a good look at it."
The visitor didn't dare to say anything else. He had to put away his gun and hurried back to find Golovin.
After everyone left, Suo Etu looked at Qi You who was standing next to him, and quickly made way for Qi You, invited him to sit down, and asked, "Seventh Prince, what do you think next..."
Qi You didn't sit down either. He walked slowly to the door of the tent, looked at the Nercha River flowing not far away, pointed to the open space outside and said, "Let's set up a big tent there and wait for Golovin to come to negotiate. They are paper tigers who bully the weak and fear the strong. Remember, never, never give in!"
Tong Guogang, who was standing by, became excited and almost raised his arms to shout, "We have so many soldiers, why should we be afraid of him?"
Suo Etu was extremely annoyed. He glanced at Tong Guogang and said, "Master Tong, you must remember that we are here to negotiate, not to fight!"
Tong Guogang's face darkened, and he was about to curse. Qi You waved his hand at him, and he immediately shut up, only snorting at Suo Etu.
Qi You asked, "Master Suo, what are the key points of the negotiation?"
Suo Etu was stunned for a moment, then replied, "Of course, peace is the most important thing."
Qi You smiled and said, "Peace doesn't mean treason or concessions. Go ask the Buryat Mongols they plundered if they are willing to make peace with them. It won't be too late to negotiate peace later."
Soetu remained silent.
Last year, Golovin led the Cosat troops and, in conjunction with Galdan, attacked the Khalkha Mongols. The Buryat Mongols were particularly devastated by the invasion, suffering countless casualties.
At that time, they slipped away quickly, robbed the things and ran away. Qi You only regretted that he didn't have time to deal with them.
Tong Guogang snorted rudely, turned around and walked out, saying, "I'll go get someone to set up the tent!"
Seeing this, Soetu's shoulders slumped, he sighed, and followed him.
Qi You walked out of the tent and came to the river, looking at Nerchinsk on the opposite bank.
The wind from the Nercha River in August brings a chill even when the sun is shining brightly. Wildflowers bloom along the riverbank, and some grass and trees begin to turn yellow.
Another year of autumn is here.
Qi You squatted down and scooped up a handful of the shimmering river water. The water was clear and cold, flowing through his fingers.
Just like time, everything has changed.
Some of the mountains and rivers in Qi You’s memory are still there, such as this river.
The city of Nerchinsk is still there. Hundreds of years later, the scene is different from what it is now, but it is still desolate.
Qi You raised his head and looked at the sun in the sky.
What hasn't changed are perhaps the sun, stars, moon, and human nature.
If you fall behind, you will be beaten. This bilateral treaty is just a temporary peace.
Qi You sat on the grass by the shore, without moving for a long time, until the sun gradually set.
There were footsteps behind him, and Qi You heard Soetu calling "Seventh Prince". He did not turn around, but just responded.
Suo Etu walked forward, stood beside Qi You, and bowed, saying, "The tents are set up, but I don't know if Golovin will come."
Qi You said calmly and firmly: "He will come."
Suo Etu paused, then simply sat down next to Qi You, looked sideways at him, and said frankly: "Seventh Prince, to be honest, I have been feeling uneasy all the time on this trip."
Qi You smiled and said, "I know."
In fact, it was not just Soetu. Everyone else in the delegation was equally nervous.
Last year's battle was still fresh in their minds, and they feared a conflict with the Rakshasa Kingdom if they disagreed. These officials were fine with verbal battles in the court, but if they were to go to the battlefield, they would probably wet their pants.
They were also afraid that failure to complete the tasks assigned by Kangxi would affect their official careers and the prosperity of their families.
They have a sense of territory, but not much.
Especially for this bitterly cold land, the resources contained in Lake Baikal and Sakhalin Island cannot be mined at this time and have no value.
To be honest, even if Qi You talked a lot, no one, including Kangxi, would take it seriously.
Suo Etu was silent for a moment, then turned to look at the river and said, "I understand your thoughts, Your Majesty. The Qing Dynasty doesn't want to lose even a single inch of territory. However, the court simply can't care for this vast expanse of land. The Khalkha Mongols in the northern desert have always been unstable. The Emperor is deeply concerned about the Mongols. Every autumn, he goes to Mulan Paddock, spending countless silver and energy, fearing that something might go wrong. After all, the Manchus fought the Mongols for years, and the two sides have a deep grudge. The Mongols are difficult to tame and only care about profit. With silver, marriage is just icing on the cake."
"This isn't surprising. What's there to be sentimental about?" Qi You pulled a blade of grass and twirled it around his fingers, his posture relaxed as he said casually, "It's always been this way between people, tribes, and countries. It all depends on your perspective and standpoint."
Soetu was stunned, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was true.
Qi You turned his head and stared at Suo Etu, smiling and saying, "People talk about feelings as well as interests. As for the final choice, it depends on the relative importance of feelings and interests. Lord Suo, do you think feelings are more important or interests are more important?"
Suo Etu fell silent, his expression confused for a moment, then he laughed at himself and said, "Seventh Prince, you are a wise man and see everything clearly. I have nothing to hide from you. I really can't answer your question. It's just that many times, I have no choice. I have no choice."
Qi You sighed lightly. Now that things had come to this, there was nothing more to say.
Soetu was an extremely intelligent person. Intelligent people want a lot and think a lot.
Since Soni became one of the four regent ministers, the Hesheli family's first empress was from Kangxi's family, and they had a crown prince, so they were destined to prosper forever.
Although the other three regents have fallen, some have fallen, and some have been overthrown, they have survived to this day and are still ambitious, thinking that they are the exception.
Everyone has their own aspirations. Besides, once you plunge into the abyss of wealth and glory, how many people can escape safely?
The Crown Prince could not retreat, Soetu could not retreat, and Kangxi could not retreat even more.
They are actually all players in the game. Qi You couldn't help but sigh. The outcome is uncertain, so no one should blame anyone else.
Qi You changed the subject, his expression becoming serious. He said, "Whether it's the Rakshasa Kingdom or Galdan, it's like training a hawk or a horse. Whoever is stronger will win in the end. The Qing Dynasty is not a weakling facing them. It's just that the Qing Dynasty thinks too highly of them, and no one is willing to think or do more. Lord Suo, since we have come here from afar, let's cast aside all distractions, forget about wealth and fame, and be a true man of blood. Leave a mark in the history books, and do not let down the people above and the people below!"
Soetu's heart suddenly began to boil like a rushing river.
Yes, this time they came to sign a treaty, which will be recorded in history.
Who wants to be weak and incompetent?
Who would like to bear the eternal infamy forever?
Qi You looked at Soetu, raised his eyebrows slightly, and explained everything to him in a low voice.
Soetu nodded continuously as he listened, and asked seriously about what he didn't understand.
Qi You patiently answered their questions one by one until it was completely dark. Only then did the two of them get up and return to the tent to make arrangements.
The next day, as Qi You had expected, Golovin came in person.
Soetu did not put on airs. He stood outside the tent and greeted them politely according to the etiquette of exchanges between envoys of the two countries.
Qi You pretended to be Soetu's follower, following beside him and carefully observing Golovin.
Golovin was still arrogant and had a sinister look on his face. After being introduced by the interpreter, he nodded slightly to Soetu and then swaggered into the tent.
Soetu took the lead and walked in front of Golovin, put on the airs of a host, and asked Golovin to take a seat.
Golovin paused slightly, a murderous aura suddenly appeared on his body, a coldness flashed in his deep-set eyes, and his hand involuntarily pressed the gun at his waist.
In the sun, the tent door was open, and the inside was bright and spacious.
At this moment, the inside of the tent seemed to darken for a moment. Golovin turned his head alertly, and saw rows of strong Qing soldiers passing by the tent door, blocking the light from the entrance.
Golovin's eyes flickered, and he lowered his hands from his waist. With a cold expression, he walked to the side and sat down. The officials around him gradually took their seats.
Soetu sat on the other side, Tong Guogang and others sat down separately, and the interpreter and others sat at the end.
Qi You led the people to serve tea, fruits, and snacks, then went back to make tea.
Golovin didn't touch the tea. He sat there with his hands on the table, looking excited and talking a lot.
Qi You lowered his eyes, added charcoal into the small stove, and a smile appeared on his face.
He could understand about 80 to 90 percent of Golovin's Russian.
Golovin questioned Soetu, "The Rakshasa Kingdom is so compassionate and willing to negotiate with the Qing, yet you are so insincere. Not only have you sent so many troops, but you have also arbitrarily changed the venue of the negotiations. You, go back and tell your emperor that if you anger our queen, our Rakshasa soldiers will not be polite!"
The interpreter translated Golovin's words, and Qi You smiled again after hearing it.
The words translated by the interpreter did not have the arrogance of Golovin, and some meanings, such as great compassion, were not translated.
For example, the negotiations between the Rakshasa Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty were originally due to their defeat in the Battle of Yasak, their own domestic situation was in turmoil, and they were in constant conflict with neighboring countries, so they had no choice but to sign an agreement with the Qing Dynasty. However, Golovin described it as a gift to the Qing Dynasty.
Soetu looked calm, but his eyes darkened. He asked questions repeatedly according to what Qi You had taught him.
"Your Excellency, Governor, may I ask, was this visit to the peace talks ordered by your Queen Sophia or by Tsar Peter the Great? Who has the final say in your country?"
"When will your country's war with Crimea break out again? Have you managed to gain access to the Black Sea from neighboring countries like Redding, Poland, and Turkey?"
"Your country has traveled through the cold Siberia to come to the Qing Dynasty. Are the troops deployed in the Far East a little insufficient?"
"Your country is colluding with Galdan internally and externally. It's a pity that we didn't meet your country in last year's battle. Your Excellency the Governor-General, it's not easy to recruit Cosat soldiers. Would you like to try to fight the Qing Dynasty?"
Golovin never expected that the Qing Dynasty actually knew their background so clearly, and his expression changed drastically.
He subconsciously withdrew his hand that was originally on the table, sat up straight, turned sideways, and whispered something to the person next to him.
Seeing this, Qi You stood up, picked up the teapot and walked forward to refill the tea. He listened to what Golovin said in detail.
Golovin suddenly stopped muttering, looked up at Qi You, and looked him up and down with a puzzled look.
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