novelnext Chapter 168 First-Class Hall
Chapter 168 First-Class Hall
Chapter 168 First Grade Hall
"His Majesty."
Wanyan Congyi raised his head and faced Zhao Yu directly: "Since the Shaoxing Peace Treaty, the Song and Jin dynasties have each guarded their borders, and the people have lived in peace and prosperity for several years. Previously, your country's retired emperor listened to Han Tuozhou's slander and rashly started a conflict, which led to continuous warfare and the suffering of the people."
"Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, war has broken out again. In Shandong and the Huai River region, bones lie exposed in the fields, and people are displaced. Is this the behavior of a benevolent ruler?"
"My country is compassionate towards its people and does not wish to see soldiers from the North and South buried in foreign lands again. Therefore, I have sent a foreign envoy to wish to restore friendly relations with Your Majesty and for the two countries to cease hostilities."
He paused, then added, "The terms of the previous agreement can all be renegotiation."
,
These words sounded grand and dignified, but the generals below all looked indignant upon hearing them.
Zhao Yu, enraged, laughed coldly, stood up, and slowly descended the steps: "Peace? You dare to talk to me about peace?"
"During the Jingkang era, when the Jurchens captured Bianjing, abducted two emperors, slaughtered millions of people, and plundered countless riches, why didn't they talk about peace then? When they allied with the Jurchens to destroy the Liao, and the Jurchens broke their promise and marched south, trampling our Central Plains, why didn't they talk about peace then?"
He stood before Wanyan Congyi, his words resounding: "Kaifeng is the location of the ancestral temples and mausoleums of the Great Song Dynasty, a fact I have never forgotten. If you wish to negotiate peace, then first return Kaifeng to the Great Song Dynasty and withdraw all the land south of the Yellow River. Only then can we discuss peace."
Wanyan Congyi's expression changed slightly, then he shook his head: "Your Majesty is deliberately making things difficult. Kaifeng is the Nanjing of our Great Jin Dynasty. We have been managing it for decades, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. How can we give it up so easily?"
He looked up at Zhao Yu, his tone becoming more serious: "Your Majesty must not forget that our Great Jin is a great power in the north, with a million iron cavalry and a large army in the north. If the war continues, the outcome is still uncertain. Although Your Majesty has won a few battles, if we are truly pushed to the brink, and our Great Jin mobilizes the entire nation, Your Majesty may not be able to hold Shandong."
"Is that so?" Zhao Yu sneered. "Then let's see. If I could destroy Wanyan Kuang in Zaoyang, I can destroy the entire Jin army in Kaifeng. You can go back and tell your emperor that if he wants to negotiate peace, he should agree to my terms. If he doesn't want to negotiate peace, then we'll meet on the battlefield."
The exchange was heated.
Wanyan Congyi did not expect this young emperor to be so tough and unwilling to back down in the slightest.
He remained silent for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty's intentions will be truthfully reported to the King. However, peace talks are a serious matter and cannot be decided overnight. I hope Your Majesty will grant me a few days, and also allow my King to consider the matter."
"Alright." Zhao Yu waved his hand. "Take the envoy to rest and treat him well. Increase manpower around the post station, and make sure there are no mistakes."
Wanyan Congyi bowed and took his leave, his expression complex as he went out.
After the person left, the generals in the hall immediately began to discuss it.
"Your Majesty, what's the point of talking to them!"
'
Qiu Qianren said urgently, "Our army's morale is high right now, and taking Kaifeng in one fell swoop is a piece of cake! This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, and I swear I will not return until Kaifeng is captured!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, Kaifeng is so close, it would be such a pity to negotiate peace like this!"
""
Most of the generals were eager to fight and make merits; none of them wanted to stop at this time.
Zhao Yu shook his head and walked to the map: "You only see the current victory, but you don't see the difficulties behind it."
"Kaifeng is a strategically important location, vulnerable to attack from all sides, and offers no natural defenses. Even if we capture it, how many troops will we need to defend the city if the Jurchens counterattack?"
He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "More importantly, we can't fight anymore."
,
For months, the Song army had been fighting from Zaoyang to Shandong, and the soldiers were exhausted.
Shandong, having suffered from prolonged war, was in ruins, and its food supplies relied entirely on Huainan for transport, leaving the national treasury empty.
As for the grain supplies that Zhao Yu swindled from the Ming Dynasty, they had long since run out.
If the fighting continues, the logistics will be the first to collapse.
Upon hearing this, all the generals fell silent.
"The peace talks weren't out of fear of the Jin, but to give us a breather," Zhao Yu said slowly. "Occupying Shandong gives us a buffer zone. Next, we can recuperate, reorganize our internal affairs, train a new army, and restore production. Once our national strength is restored, it won't be too late to launch a northern expedition."
He finally made the decision, his tone resolute: "Peace is possible, but there are only three conditions. First, all previous tribute payments must be abolished, and the Song Dynasty will no longer pay the Jin Dynasty a single tael of silver or a bolt of silk. Second, the two countries will govern according to a demarcated border, with equal diplomatic relations, and the appellation between them will cease. Third, border markets will be opened to facilitate the exchange of goods."
"If the Jurchens agree to these three conditions, a peace treaty will be signed. If they don't, then the fighting will continue."
The generals exchanged glances and bowed to accept the order.
These conditions were already a source of pride; since the southward migration, the Song Dynasty had never had such confidence in negotiating peace on such an equal footing.
Subsequently, Zhao Yu appointed several officials familiar with foreign affairs to be specifically responsible for negotiating with the Jin envoy and finalizing the border details and peace treaty terms as soon as possible.
The negotiations between the two sides have gone relatively smoothly over the past few days, and the general framework has been set. Only some details regarding the selection of border villages and trading markets remain to be finalized.
That night, Hong Qi led several Beggar Clan disciples on patrol.
During the day, he helped contact local militias, and at night he took the initiative to take charge of the city's security to prevent the Jurchens from making any moves.
As he walked through the streets and alleys near the inn, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he silently disappeared into the shadows of a corner.
Under the cover of night, three dark figures scaled the wall and entered the inn where the Jin envoy was staying.
The three moved with lightness and landed silently, clearly skilled at night travel.
They evaded the patrolling Jin soldiers, crept to the backyard of the kitchen, took out paper packets from their pockets, and were about to pour them into the water vat.
"What the hell is going on?" Hong Qi muttered to himself.
He had initially thought the Jin envoy was trying to investigate the secrets of the Song army, hence the furtive behavior, but now it seemed the newcomer was more likely to kill the Jin people.
Hong Qi made a hand gesture, signaling the Beggars' Sect disciples to flank from both sides, while he himself leaped away with a light touch of his toes.
Who goes there!
""
With a low shout, the palm strike arrived.
The three men were shocked and drew their swords to parry.
But they were no match for the Northern Beggar. Hong Qi struck out with a palm, and the powerful force sent the leader flying backward, crashing into the wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The remaining two tried to escape by climbing over the wall, but were stopped by the arriving Beggar Clan disciples. After only a few moves, they were also knocked to the ground.
The sounds of fighting alerted the Jin soldiers guarding the post station and also attracted the nearby Song army patrol.
Both sides arrived quickly, swords drawn, and confronted each other across the courtyard. The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and they almost clashed on the spot.
"Stop!" Hong Qi shouted in a deep voice, kicking the prisoners on the ground. "These people are not ours."
""
At this moment, the Jin envoy's guards also squeezed in. When they saw the prisoners' attire and waist tags on the ground, their expressions changed drastically: "They are from the Western Xia First-Class Hall!"
The prisoners on the ground, realizing they had been exposed, gritted their teeth and prepared to commit suicide.
Hong Qi reacted swiftly, flicking a wisp of wind from his fingertip, striking the opponent's jaw joint precisely.
With a soft "click," the man's jaw was removed, leaving his mouth unable to close and only able to make muffled sounds.
Hong Qi reached into his mouth and pulled out a poison pill hidden between his teeth, then casually threw it on the ground.
"Want to die? Not so easy."
.