Chapter 116 Agreement reached [Jinjiang genuine exclusive release · Quickly take my little...
As soon as the little devil finished speaking, Maodun instantly stood up from his seat with a red face, like a gourd that had exploded in anger.
But before he could utter the next word, the tall Qin soldiers standing on either side of him pressed down on his shoulders with their two iron hands, forcing him back to his seat. Maodun glared at Qin Ying angrily for a long time, and after a while, he finally suppressed his anger and said:
"My little grandson, please forgive me for laughing."
"Modun just wants to hear the truth from Lord Xiao'an. Have you Qin people really completely conquered the Baiyue lands now?"
"It's absolutely true. The Yue people's household registration has now been changed to a certain county in Daqin." Qin Ying replied indifferently.
Maodun clenched his fists, pursed his lips, stared straight into the eyes of the child opposite him, and said in a serious tone:
"My young grandson, even though Maodun doesn't have a deep understanding of the Baiyue, I can sense that the speed with which you Qin people conquered the Baiyue is truly bizarre. The Baiyue have a hot and humid climate, are rife with miasma, and are home to countless poisonous snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Even though the Yue people are few in number, they are not easy to deal with. You Qin people don't practice poison, so what methods did you use to conquer the Baiyue so quickly?"
"Of course it's thanks to the strong and loyal soldiers fighting day and night! Couldn't Prince Maodun figure out such a simple answer?" Qin Ying tilted her head and said innocently.
Maodun choked, pointed at the table with his finger, and continued with a good temper:
"I'd like to ask, have you forged a new, extremely powerful weapon? It's incredibly powerful, and it's the reason your Qin army was able to defeat the Baiyue so quickly."
Qin Ying blinked and replied, "No." Gunpowder is a "hot weapon" and indeed not a "cold weapon."
Maodun, unwilling to give up, stared at the child's expression, clenched his fist, frowned, and asked, "Really?"
"No."
Qin Ying's tone was still exceptionally firm.
Maodun seemed to be deflated in an instant, his eyelashes drooped, and his mood was extremely complicated.
Since the Qin army did not have powerful new weapons to support them, there was only one reason why the Qin people were able to take over the land of Baiyue so quickly - because the Qin army's combat power was too strong!
Ordinary Qin soldiers could not only fight ten to one, but the more elite soldiers could even fight a hundred to one! With such a powerful fighting force as a backing, if Qin Shi Huang was willing to send a team of Qin soldiers to escort him back to the grassland to seize power and kill his father, it would be as easy as eating and drinking water.
But then again, with such a powerful neighbor, wouldn't the Xiongnu be oppressed year after year? A true man, born under heaven, would never be willing to live in depression and inferiority for long? Recognizing this despairing reality, the Xiongnu prince's enthusiasm for returning to the grasslands was somewhat dampened.
Qin Ying looked at the expression on the face of the grassland hostage who was kneeling opposite him, which was sometimes cold, sometimes hot, and his expression was as complex and changeable as a palette. He could probably guess the torment Maodun was feeling at the moment. He couldn't help but stroke the jade pendant at his waist with his small hands, looking at Maodun with a smile and said:
"Prince Maodun, why are you so concerned about the situation of the Baiyue? The Baiyue are far away from the grasslands. Even if the Yue people are good at poisoning, they can't poison the Xiongnu. Prince Maodun, you can relax and don't worry about it."
Maodun glanced at the little demon star, took a deep breath, and changed the subject:
"Since the young emperor's grandson just said that he can be Maodun's master, then Maodun will believe it for the time being."
"Now that Maodun has grown up, it's time for him to return to the grasslands. If the young grandson can persuade His Majesty Qin Shi Huang to dispatch the Qin army to escort Maodun back to the grasslands, Maodun will be deeply grateful and will repay His Majesty Qin Shi Huang's kindness even if he has to pay a debt of gratitude in his next life."
Qin Ying sneered, "Prince Maodun is truly dishonest. We Qin people only care about this life, not the afterlife. Although Ying isn't as busy as my grandfather or father, I'm not someone who has a lot of free time."
"If Crown Prince Maodun doesn't agree to the conditions Grandfather mentioned earlier, there will be nothing further for us to discuss today."
After saying this in a cold voice, Qin Ying immediately stood up and prepared to turn around and walk back.
Seeing that the child was young but had a very bad temper, Maodun did not dare to confront him and quickly stretched out his hand to stop him:
"Why are you so anxious, little grandson? Hasn't Maodun finished his words yet?"
Qin Ying turned around, pursed her lips, and looked at Maodun with eyes as cold as cold stars.
Looking at the little devil's eyes that resembled Qin Shi Huang, Maodun put away his contempt and looked at Qin Ying in a serious negotiation.
"My little grandson, we are truly poor on the grasslands. The herders only know how to graze their livestock along the water and grass, and have no knowledge of farming. Even if the Great Qin annexed the entire grasslands, it would be useless. Can't we just be good neighbors for a long time, where you don't offend me and I don't offend you? Why bother annexing us? The Xiongnu don't even have a clear written language. It's impossible for them to follow the laws of your Qin and live a law-abiding life."
"Don't worry about it. We Qin people love to expand our territory. Whether that place is useful or not, we'll know once we actually take it over!"
Maodun was completely speechless when he heard the child's domineering words, as if he was taking away a toy.
Meng Yi, who was standing next to Qin Ying, couldn't help but curl his lips upwards, thinking that the little grandson really looked like the emperor.
Seeing that Maodun turned away and seemed to not want to pay attention to her, Qin Ying wanted to continue to pay attention to Maodun. She took two steps back and returned to her seat. She looked at the grassland proton opposite her and said slowly:
"Prince Maodun, I really can't understand. Since you know that the people on your grasslands have a hard time, why are you so unwilling to join our Great Qin?"
"As far as I know, the people of you grasslands have no resistance to tea. You have been drinking Daqin tea for several years, so you naturally know the benefits of this precious leaf to you Xiongnu people."
"I can't say anything else, but I can guarantee one thing. If you don't agree to my grandfather's terms, you'll never see the prairie again in your lifetime. But on the other hand, if you agree to submit to my grandfather, and one day you and your prairie tribe merge into the Qin Empire, not only won't you be able to drink tea, but the Qin Empire's precious tea will be dumped into your tribe right away from the prairie."
"We don't treat you as a fool, and you shouldn't treat us Qin people as fools. We won't take advantage of you, and in return, don't even think about taking advantage of us!"
"When you came to Xianyang gravely injured, my father mercifully saved you. When you were down and out, he fed you with good food, drink, and clothing. When you grew up and wanted to make a name for yourself, he was even ready to help you. In every one of these things, he was like a real father, even better than a real father. And you? Not only do you have no gratitude in your heart, but as soon as you grow a little bit stronger, you want to abandon our Great Qin and return to the grasslands to establish yourself? You even want to use a pie in the sky to fool us. You are truly shameless! Humph! Shameless! Outrageous to both humans and gods! Barbarians are uncivilized savages who are inferior to us!"
Qin Ying scolded the grassland hostage with real emotion, snorted coldly, and was about to get up and leave.
Maodun clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white and his face turned black, but he couldn't think of a word to refute. Who could blame the little devil opposite him for telling the truth?
He could only force a smile, tugged at the little guy's sleeve across the table and said flatteringly:
"Why are you so angry, my dear nephew? You're about to get so angry while talking. You've frightened Maodun so much that he doesn't dare to say a word."
Qin Ying frowned and stared at Maodun coldly, with an expression that said: I'll just watch you pretend.
Maodun was almost unable to be fooled by the child's gaze, so he had to bite the bullet and said:
"Don't worry, nephew. I will never forget your great-grandfather's kindness. However, I am the crown prince of the Xiongnu after all, and I must also consider the interests of my tribe. How about this? I remember that during your Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou emperor was very fond of granting meritorious officials the title of princes. Since there is a precedent, why don't we both take a step back? I am willing to submit to your great-grandfather, but he must make me a 'king'. The grassland tribes can follow the orders of the Qin royal family, but our nomadic tribe's way of survival is very different from your Qin people. The specific management of the nomads will be left to me. How do you say that?"
Hearing Maodun's words, Qin Ying couldn't help but touch her chin. After thinking for a while, she looked at Maodun and said, "This is a huge matter. Whether to crown you king or how to govern the grassland in the future, all decisions must be made by my grandfather."
Maodun was a little disappointed when he heard this. He had never expected that the child would be so difficult to fool. He glanced at Qin Ying jokingly and said,
"Since this matter is too big for my nephew to handle, Maodun has another matter he would like to discuss."
"What's the matter?" Qin Ying was a little curious.
Maodun placed his hands on the floor, leaned back slightly, and looked at Qin Ying with a playful expression.
"My dear nephew, I, Maodun, am a Xiongnu after all. If your grandfather really sends a Qin army to escort me back to the tribe to seize power, what if we fall outside the Great Wall and those Qin troops don't obey my command? What should I do?"
"Then what do you want?" Qin Ying raised her eyebrows.
Maodun laughed and said, "I want the Eighteenth Prince to accompany me to the grassland to seize power."
"Just because of this?"
Qin Ying asked in surprise.
"Yes!" Maodun poked his cheek with his tongue and said with a wicked smile, "If I'm not mistaken, the Eighteenth Young Master is only ten years old now, right?"
"Your Majesty, the First Emperor of Qin, and your nephew, are you willing to send your ten-year-old son and uncle to the grasslands to live a hard life?"
Qin Ying immediately waved her hands and smiled generously when she heard this:
"Don't worry, Master Maodun. Ten years old is the perfect age to be a hostage. You don't need to ask my grandfather about this matter. I can agree to it."
Maodun was stunned when he saw this. He wanted to see the little devil opposite crying because he couldn't bear to leave his uncle, but he didn't expect that the other party would smile so happily.
The grassland proton, unaware of the grudge between the uncle and nephew, said suspiciously:
"My dear nephew, you must think carefully. Xianyang is very far away from the grassland. If the Eighteenth Young Master follows me to the grassland this time, there's no telling when he'll be able to return to his homeland."
Qin Ying nodded with bright eyes:
"It's alright, Crown Prince Maodun, please take your men and leave. As a prince of the royal family, I have been supported by the Qin people and should serve the Qin at this critical moment."
"My uncle is yours to take care of! Take him away quickly!"
Maodun blinked in surprise, then regained his composure and immediately reached out to point at Qin Ying, as if he had some powerful evidence against her. He laughed heartily, "So, deep down, my nephew is a child who doesn't care about his uncle. I wonder if His Majesty Qin Shi Huang and Prince Fusu know of this naughty side of mine."
Listening to Maodun's ridicule, Qin Ying remained calm and smiled as she said, "I'm no match for Crown Prince Maodun. This time, the Crown Prince returned to the grasslands with the intention of killing his own father, slaughtering his own brother, and beheading him for me. Such a ruthless man could even revolutionize his own family tree. So what's the point of Ying sending my uncle to the grasslands to contribute to the Qin Dynasty?"
Maodun felt rather bored seeing the child's quick counterattack, so he stood up from his seat, straightened his tattered clothes, and said to Qin Ying:
"Since my nephew has already agreed to let the Eighteenth Prince go to the grassland, I will trouble you to take Maodun to the Zhangtai Palace to meet His Majesty Qin Shi Huang, and then discuss the matter of making Maodun a king."
Qin Ying waved her hand and said, "You can't go now."
"Why?" Maodun frowned, thinking that Qin Ying was playing a trick on him.
Qin Ying tilted her head slightly and explained:
"The New Year is coming soon. There are many sacrifices in the palace, and you are too busy to handle them. After the New Year, when November comes, I will advise you to summon Crown Prince Maodun to the palace for a detailed discussion."
After living in Xianyang for several years, Maodun knew how much the Qin people valued the beginning of the year, so he had no choice but to nod and give up.
Qin Ying also cupped her hands, and left with a large group of soldiers, just like when she came here, swept away by the autumn wind.
When the first snow fell, the Qin people welcomed the beginning of the 32nd year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign.
After a busy new year, in early November, there were several consecutive heavy snowfalls.
Qin Ying and his grandfather raised Maodun's new request of "both sides taking a step back". After deep thought, the First Emperor summoned Maodun to the Zhangtai Palace for a second round of negotiations.
The second negotiation lasted a whole day.
Finally, both parties reached a consensus:
After the spring, the First Emperor sent 300 elite soldiers from the palace to escort Maodun and his youngest son to the border town to meet with General Meng Tian. Meng Tian transferred 5,000 elite soldiers from the garrison to help Maodun return to the tribe to seize power. After Maodun succeeded and reorganized the nomadic tribes on the grassland, he could be named "King of the Sai". The title of king was hereditary in Maodun's family. Once you submit, you will always be a vassal. No matter how large the territory Maodun conquered in the future, it would all belong to Qin. Correspondingly, Qin's tea would also be supplied to the grassland first.
Both parties write the contract, sign it, seal it, and it comes into effect.
Fusu and Qin Ying, who had watched the entire process, breathed a sigh of relief. However, when the news reached the Qinxue Palace, and Hu Hai heard that his father was actually going to throw him onto the grassland as a hostage, he felt as if he had been struck by thunder and split in half from head to toe. He felt as if the sky had fallen, and with snot and tears streaming down his face, he sobbed and punched and kicked the eunuchs guarding him:
"Impossible! This is simply impossible! I am the emperor's most beloved youngest son! How could he possibly send me to that barbaric land of the Xiongnu as a hostage? It must be that little bastard Qin Ying who is harming me! I want to go to Zhangtai Palace! Wuuuu! I want to see the emperor immediately!"
"roll!"
"All of you get out of here!"
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