Ning Que looked into the Empress's eyes and said, "Shame brings courage and anger. If the anger can be released, the rest will be courage. These are your words. Now we need to consider who will bear the anger of the Tangs."
The Empress did not answer.
Ning Que continued, "After we cede the Xiangwan Plain, the Academy will solve the problem of the warhorses."
The Empress shook her head and said, "No matter how strong the Academy is, it can't create something out of nothing."
Ning Que said, "I will take back everything I lost in the future."
The Empress did not understand where his confidence came from, but was finally convinced by his firm tone. After thinking for a moment, she said seriously, "In that case, I will sign it."
Ning Que said, "You can't sign it, because we can't let you and His Majesty bear the anger of the people."
The Empress said, "But you once said that the Academy can't sign it, because this agreement will be reneged."
Ning Que said, "The West-Hill Divine Palace is well prepared. They will definitely ask me or even my Senior Brother to sign it. As for the imperial court, Ye Hongyu is right. We still have a way out."
The Empress was extremely smart and immediately understood what he meant. She disagreed and said, "The one sitting on the throne is my son, so I have to bear the corresponding responsibilities and obligations. It makes no difference whether I or anyone else in the Li family sign it."
"At least it can form a buffer." Ning Que said, "As a member of the Li royal family, you have to sign your name on such a humiliating treaty. Only death can appease the anger of the people. And in this situation, you cannot die, Empress."
"The Academy has entered the human realm, Mr. First promised to educate my son, and there will be no more disputes in the imperial court. In fact, if I think about it carefully, it is no longer important to the Tang Empire."
The Empress smiled and said, "And for me now, death is really not scary."
…
…
Ning Que naturally could not push the Empress to the front. He left the palace that night and went to the prince's mansion.
The candlelight in the study was dim. Li Peiyan still looked handsome and amiable, but there were more wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. His once sharp eyebrows had also become very soft.
"I've never had any big ambitions in my life. I just want to help my brother make up for his shortcomings and represent the royal family to ease the relationship between the royal family and the Dao Sect. At most, I want to be a virtuous king who will leave his name in history."
Li Peiyan looked at Ning Que and said with a self-deprecating smile, "Now that I think about it, if I wasn't born into the Emperor's family, I believe I would be more useful than I am now."
"This is where His Highness's problem lies."
Ning Que said, "In this great era, your thoughts are too trivial. Moreover, you have given in too much to the Divine Hall. His Majesty doesn't like it, the Academy doesn't like it, and the people don't like it either."
Li Peiyan said, "It seems that I really am useless."
Ning Que said, "This image suits the role that His Highness is going to play. Therefore, I think before you leave this world, you can still make some contributions to the Tang Empire and the royal family."
Li Peiyan looked at the candlestick on the table and the dripping candlelight. He sighed and said, "After you killed Xiahou, you have never paid attention to my existence. I always thought that the Academy put pressure on you for the sake of my brother, or that you have killed enough people and your resentment has dissipated, or that you just want me to fall into the fear of dying. I didn't expect that you are waiting for me here."
"No one can calculate what will happen years or even decades later like Haotian, and I can't think so far ahead. It's just like what Third Senior Sister once said, some people are more useful alive than dead."
"Useful in … dying at the right time?"
"Yes."
"Ning Que, you are indeed the most cold-blooded person in the world." Li Peiyan sighed and praised, "Now that the Tang Empire is in a precarious situation, it needs a cold-blooded and realistic person like you to protect it."
Ning Que said, "Everyone has the right to say that I am cold-blooded, but His Highness doesn't."
…
…
It was a sleepless night, not because he tossed and turned, but because he wandered around Chang 'an.
Ning Que left the prince's mansion and returned to his house by Yanming Lake. He went to see Ye Hongyu and said directly, "The Academy and the royal family cannot go to the West-Hill Divine Palace to apologize to Haotian."
Ye Hongyu said, "Yes, you can send a delegation." “
Ning Que said, "No."
Ye Hongyu thought for a while and said, "Let's do what we did in the South Jin Kingdom. Let the House of Red Sleeves go to the Divine Hall to perform."
Ning Que said, "That might work, but they must not have any official status, and I have to ask for their opinion first."
Ye Hongyu said, "Continue."
Ning Que said, "We can agree to all other conditions, but the Divine Hall must guarantee the absolute safety of the Great River Kingdom. Whether it is the Yuelun Kingdom or the South Jin Kingdom, as long as they cross the Great River, it will be considered as breaking the contract."
Ye Hongyu said, "No problem. In return, the Tang Empire must also guarantee the safety of Qinghe Prefecture."
Ning Que said, "This is in the Divine Hall's condition."
Ye Hongyu shook her head and said, "It is the safety of everyone in Qinghe Prefecture, including the people of Qinghe who stayed in Chang 'an during the war. The Tang Empire must release them."
Ning Que said, "It seems that this is the condition that the Qinghe warlords proposed when they surrendered to the Divine Hall."
Ye Hongyu said, "If the Divine Hall can't even do this, how can they win the trust of the billions of believers in the world?"
Ning Que said after a moment of silence, "I promise you, once the treaty is signed, as long as the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army leaves Qinghe Prefecture, I will send the people in the Qinghe Guild Hall back."
…
…
In the early morning, the spring rain fell again, and the dust fell to the ground.
The Tang Empire agreed to most of the demands made by the West-Hill Divine Palace. Prince Li Peiyan solemnly signed his name on the treaty, and at the same time, wrote his name on the pillar of shame in history.
When the news spread, there was an uproar in the imperial court. No one knew what had happened in this long night, and why the bigwigs in the palace dared to sign the treaty, even though they would be condemned by the whole world.
The Tangs gathered in front of the imperial palace could no longer control their emotions. They cursed angrily and spat at the red palace wall. Then, some old rumors spread among the crowd.
Those old rumors were not actually rumors, but things that everyone knew. For example, the massacre of the village in the Yan territory, the close relationship between the Prince and the West-Hill Divine Palace Hierarch, and the murder of a certain Taoist sect in Chang 'an. That was why he was demoted to a commoner by the former Emperor, and his title was only restored when Li Huiyuan ascended to the throne …
The palace gate opened slowly, and Li Peiyan walked towards the crowd. He wore a dark robe with black and red embroidery with gold. It was especially eye-catching in the light spring rain that fell in the early morning.
Countless people looked at him, their eyes full of contempt and anger. Some even tried to rush over and beat him up.
A low-ranking official in the yamen asked painfully why the imperial court ceded Dongshan County and Xiangwan Plain. The official's voice was really painful, as if he was bleeding.
Countless people were questioning and scolding. Did the imperial court not want to take back Qinghe Prefecture? Why did they send the traitors in the Qinghe Guild Hall back?
The front of the palace was full of voices with the smell of blood.
If it were not for the heavy protection of the Yulin Royal Guards, Li Peiyan would have been torn to pieces by now.
Li Peiyan suddenly stopped and looked around at the sea of angry people.
His expression was calm, but the expression in the depths of his eyes was very complicated.
The crowd gradually quieted down.
"Why? There is not so much reason in the world. The Tang Empire needs time, and I will buy time for you. The Tang Empire needs peace, and I will fight for peace for you. If the whole world attacks the Tang Empire, what will the Tang Empire do? Can it really be the enemy of the world? If you think that I am wrong, prove it to me in the future. "
His expression was very indifferent, but his hands in his sleeves kept trembling.
…
…
Li Peiyan returned to the prince's mansion.
The angry people surrounded the prince's mansion.
The students of the Academy and the Imperial College were in the city helping the Ministry of Works to repair the houses damaged in the war. After hearing the news, they carried countless bricks and stones to the prince's mansion.
The soldiers and guards of the Yulin Royal Guards were ready, but their numbers were too small to frighten the angry people. Angry slogans echoed around the prince's mansion.
Some people even took out tung oil and lit torches.
At the most tense moment, a sad cry suddenly sounded inside the walls of the prince's mansion.
A white banner stretched out behind the prince's mansion.
Prince Li Peiyan of the Tang Empire was dead.
The street became extremely quiet. Looking at the white banner in the spring rain, people put down the bricks and stones in their hands, and the newly lit torches gradually extinguished.
Ning Que stood at the entrance of the alley in the distance, quietly watching the scene.
There was no emotional fluctuation on his face.
…
…
Li Peiyan signed the peace treaty on behalf of the Tang Empire. For the West-Hill Divine Palace, it did not mean the end of the negotiation or the final victory, because the Divine Hall still needed the Academy's signature.
If possible, of course they would prefer Mr. First, who was famous for his benevolence, or Mr. Second, who was polite and honest. However, there was only one person in the Academy who entered the human realm, and that was Ning Que.
At this time, Yanming Lake was shrouded in the misty spring rain, but it was not sad. Everyone in the West-Hill Divine Palace diplomatic corps and the Grand Secretaries of the Tang Empire were in the hall. No one spoke, and everyone had different feelings. Needless to say, the West-Hill Divine Palace, Grand Secretary Zeng Jing and other officials of the Tang Empire looked very solemn.
Everyone was waiting for Ning Que to come back and sign. Ye Hongyu was also waiting in the plum garden, but Ning Que did not appear, because he went to a place before returning to Yanming Lake.
…
…
In front of the guild hall of Qinghe County was a straight street, and behind it were lakes and mountains. At this time, it was also misty in the spring rain, and the scenery was very beautiful.
Several guards and more than 20 members of the Fish-dragon Gang were vigilantly watching the movements around the guild hall.
When Chang 'an City was in turmoil that night, the descendants of the warlords of Qinghe County in the guild hall took advantage of the chaos to escape. After that, it took a lot of effort to catch these people, and they did not want such a thing to happen again. If they knew that these people in the guild hall were about to be sent back to Qinghe County, they did not know how angry they would be.
It was at this moment that Ning Que walked into the guild hall of Qinghe County. He took the towel and wiped his hair that was wet from the spring rain, and dusted off the water droplets on his clothes, as natural as if he was returning home.
…
…
(Hello everyone, this is the only chapter today. Tomorrow will be the end of this volume. I need to think about it, and maybe write three or more chapters in one go. Recently, I have been scolded a lot, and I want to explain: Please don't say that I don't work hard usually, and pretend to ask for monthly votes at the end of the month. It won't be too late to scold me if I ask for it. The problem is, when did I seriously ask for monthly votes this month? The most important thing is, I don't plan to do it. I spread my hands. As for saying that my writing is bad, I can't do anything about it. I will try my best to write according to the standards that I think are good, and I hope that you can accept it. If I can't meet your standards, it means that I am not capable enough, and I can only wave my hands helplessly and say goodbye. I wish everyone a happy reading, and try not to scold me. Let me be happy too, okay?) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it and vote for it. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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