Say the most humble words and show the most sinister smile.
Everyone: “…”
As expected of the Zhenbei Army, they are even more ruthless than these children from aristocratic families!
Sun Renluan frowned as he watched them being frightened by Xiao Rong. He stopped them because he was annoyed. He didn't intend to ask King Zhenbei for any tribute. After thinking over it, he felt that surrendering to the court would be more beneficial to the current court. He had already planned to agree.
The real focus of negotiations today has never been tribute, but sending troops.
Sun Renluan wanted the King of Zhenbei to surrender, but he didn't want to send troops.
If Jinling's troops were 10,000 less, something might go wrong, so he would never send anyone to Xianbei. But he also knew that Xiao Rong would not agree to do so, so according to his idea, he planned to send 3,000 people out to deliver food and fodder to the Zhenbei Army.
The first batch of grain and fodder left Nanjing, and they were only responsible for transporting the rest without worrying about shipping them out.
When Xiao Rong heard this, he instantly became excited. He loudly stated that what the Zhenbei Army lacked now was people, not food. What's more, that amount of food was not enough for anyone to eat and was not even enough for one day!
Upon hearing this, the group of old men became unhappy. Jinling also had an army to support, and there were only so many that could be sent out. They couldn't let the royal army guarding the capital suffer for the sake of the Zhenbei Army. It was already good enough that they didn't ask the Zhenbei Army for food and fodder. Xiao Rong was really heartless.
Xiao Rong: “…”
He gritted his teeth and looked at the group of old men who were sitting and talking without any pain in their backs. After a long time, he firmly stated that if Jinling had this attitude, then they would not need the help of the court to attack the Xianbei. No matter how difficult the battle was, they would defeat the Xianbei Murong tribe. After they finished fighting, they would remember those who helped them, and they would remember even more those who took advantage of them.
Old men: “…”
You dare to threaten us?!
Of course Xiao Rong dared. He looked at the group of people with a sneer. It was at this time that the group of old men finally realized that this man was the military advisor of the King of Zhenbei. His attitude was basically the same as that of the King of Zhenbei. When he went back and gave the King of Zhenbei a little wind, Jinling would be in danger.
The fear they had felt when the King of Zhenbei moved the capital resurfaced. They panicked, and their first reaction was to look at Sun Renluan above.
Sun Renluan pursed his lips but still did not ignore them. He put on a rational attitude and negotiated with Xiao Rong in person. Seeing that he was relatively polite, Xiao Rong's expression became a little better.
No one else dared to interrupt, and during their discussion, Xiao Rong finally softened his stance a little. He said that if Jinling really did not want to send troops, then they could provide enough food and fodder for 100,000 people to feed them for a month. They were willing to submit to the court, but the court could not protect them, so why should they devote themselves to the court?
Sun Renluan was so angry at his lion-like appearance that his heart ached. It was not that he could not provide the food and grass, but how could he possibly use it to support the Zhenbei Army? Isn't this just raising a tiger to cause trouble?
Just when Sun Renluan was thinking about whether to end this meaningless dispute and talk about it another day, he heard Xiao Rong change his tone. If the court was unwilling to provide the food, then it could be converted into gold and silver. However, the food north of the Huai River was more expensive, so if it was converted into gold and silver, it would have to be doubled.
Old men: “…”
You are really going too far!
But they didn't notice that Sun Renluan's expression changed slightly. People, food, and money were in the order of importance in Sun Renluan's mind. He absolutely couldn't give people, and he could only give part of the food. As for the money...
It is impossible to double it, and it is also impossible to give it all, but we can give a little more than food and fodder.
There is actually nothing wrong with Sun Renluan's idea. In troubled times, the least valuable thing is money. But he doesn't know that what Xiao Rong lacks most at the moment is money. Money can help him get through this difficult period. With money, he can immediately put city defense construction on the agenda after he returns.
A new round of bargaining came again. Xiao Rong and Sun Renluan refused to give in to each other. Finally, Sun Renluan agreed to pay 50,000 gold. This 50,000 gold was not given at once. He would give 20,000 first, and then another 20,000 after the Zhenbei Army was dispatched. The last 10,000 would be given after he had collected enough money.
This statement basically means that the last 10,000 gold has been wasted. Perhaps not only the last 10,000 gold, but even the 20,000 gold given after the expedition will probably not be obtained.
But even if it was only 20,000, it was an astronomical figure for Xiao Rong now. Xiao Rong had to agree with an expression on his face, but he almost laughed out loud in his heart.
As everyone knows, Sun Renluan is a man of great integrity. He never regrets what he has promised. Sun Renluan said that he would have someone deliver the things soon, including what Xiao Rong wanted before.
He didn't say it explicitly, but Xiao Rong knew that he was talking about the letter to Huang Yanjiong to send troops. Sun Renluan was reminding him in this way that they were in a cooperative relationship. He believed Xiao Rong's words and entrusted the matter to him. Seeing that he was so frank, Xiao Rong should also do his best.
Xiao Rong was naturally grateful, and there was no sign of him biting someone just now.
Feeling that the negotiation was over, Xiao Rong was about to leave when he heard Sun Renluan suddenly ask him to stay and attend the banquet in the evening. Xiao Rong was startled.
In all these days he had been here, he had never attended any banquet because he came uninvited, and the people of Jinling looked down on him and were unwilling to hold a welcoming banquet for him. Now that one was suddenly being held, Xiao Rong was a little confused about what Sun Renluan meant.
But no matter what, he would gladly accept the invitation if the host invited him. After all, he had been too active just now and he had no chance to pretend to be sick.
Seeing that he agreed, Sun Renluan nodded and allowed him to leave early.
After returning to his residence, Xiao Rong thought for a long time why Sun Renluan suddenly held a banquet for him. Could it be that because they had just reached a cooperation, Sun Renluan wanted to thank him? ... It seemed reasonable, but it also felt unreasonable. Normally, shouldn't they have invited him to the banquet when they planned to cooperate? He had expressed his intention to cooperate with Sun Renluan the day after he arrived here. At that time, Sun Renluan was moved, but he didn't even say that he would treat him to a meal.
Xiao Rong has a filter for Sun Renluan. He always feels that Sun Renluan would not do such a thing as murder and robbery. It is ridiculous to set up a Hongmen Banquet and take his life during the banquet. This man's character is too noble. He is clearly the kind of person who is too lazy to socialize.
Something abnormal happened, but Xiao Rong couldn't tell whether this abnormality was dangerous or not. He felt depressed every time this happened. He could use cheating to calculate whether the next thing would be disadvantageous to Qu Yunmie, but he couldn't calculate whether it would be disadvantageous to himself.
After hesitating for an afternoon, he finally went to the banquet. Zhang Biezhi was out for the whole day. According to Xiao Rong's request, he hired back more than 40 aliens. When these aliens entered the villa, they almost scared the servants here to faint.
As usual, Zhang Biezhi and others were left behind, mainly to watch over these foreign races. Xiao Rong took Ashu and the remaining guards to the palace. Because this time they were going to have a meal and drink, Ashu could come in with them. He sat obediently aside, while Xiao Rong toasted with the others.
However, Xiao Rong declined by saying that he was in poor health and could not drink much, so he basically did not drink much. If someone forced him to drink, he would lower his head and pinch his forehead to make others feel embarrassed to force him.
Ashu was also very helpful. He helped Xiao Rong spill the wine by pouring it, pretending that he had drunk a lot.
This kind of occasion was too unfamiliar to Ashu, so unfamiliar that he was not afraid. He just focused on serving Xiao Rong. It was also because of this that he was the first person to notice when Xiao Rong's body stiffened.
He looked at Xiao Rong in confusion: "Lord?"
Xiao Rong: “…” He understood.
He understood what was going on with this banquet. It was not Sun Renluan who wanted to invite him, but someone else. So he persuaded Sun Renluan and invited him in in Sun Renluan's name.
If he had not seen the dancer at the banquet and heard someone on the stage saying her name with a smile, praising her as a rare beauty in Jinling, he would not have known that the trap was set here.
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