In the Imperial Study.
Yongxing Emperor opened the document and carefully reviewed the "agreement" between the two parties. The agreement was complicated and involved a lot of details. The first condition remained unchanged.
Starting from the first year of Yongxing, Daibun paid 500,000 taels of silver and 600,000 bolts of silk to Yunzhou as tribute every year.
The details were extended and changed.
In the first year, only 150,000 taels of silver and 300,000 bolts of silk had to be paid in full next year.
The second condition remained unchanged. After the peace talks, the imperial court of Daibun would immediately issue a court bulletin to all the government offices, admitting that Yunzhou was the legitimate branch of the Central Plains. They would also post a notice to the world.
The third condition was the longest.
Yunzhou asked the imperial court to cede Yongzhou, Yuzhou, and Zhangzhou.
Further north of Yongzhou was the territory of the capital, so it was impossible to cede Yongzhou. This was a matter of principle.
During the negotiation, Ji Yuan once again pressured them with the Extraordinary Masters of Yunzhou, but it didn't work this time. The Minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Minister of Honglu Temple refused to budge.
Yuzhou and Zhangzhou were rich in iron resources, and Zhangzhou was one of the three largest granaries of Daibun. If these two states were ceded to the rebel army of Yunzhou, it was easy to imagine what would happen.
But if Yongzhou was kept, Yuzhou and Zhangzhou had to be ceded. In terms of geographical location, these two states were far from the capital, not as fatal as Yongzhou.
The fourth condition was the Supervisor's Handwritten Letter of Refining.
Yongxing Emperor had sent someone to the Celestial Commissioner to get it yesterday. Unexpectedly, the Celestial Commissioner's Song Qing gave it to him without hesitation.
He was so happy as if it was not a relic of his deceased master.
"Your Majesty, although the peace talks were successful, the rebel army of Yunzhou is ambitious. We can't trust them easily."
The old King Li was also in the Imperial Study at the moment. He was the only one who was given a seat.
"Don't worry, Uncle!"
Yongxing Emperor finally had a smile on his face. He said in a relaxed tone,
"I have already discussed this matter with the officials. After sending away the Yunzhou delegation, I will personally find Xu Yinluo and ask him to go to the Southern Border to ask for reinforcements. The Gu race and the demon race had many Transcendents. Let Xu Yinluo invite them over.
"The Spring Sacrifice is in a month's time. After the Spring Sacrifice, spring will return to the earth and the cold disaster will be resolved. The situation will definitely improve."
When Li Wang heard this, he nodded slightly.
"I heard that His Majesty and Xu Yinluo had a falling out a few days ago?"
The Yongxing Emperor waved his hand.
"It's just a small matter. I usually show him some respect, but I have my own opinions on matters of state. We will not allow him to show off his bravery. "
As for the matter of asking for reinforcements, the Yongxing Emperor had never thought about how Xu Qi'an would ask for help. Whether it would be difficult or not, it seemed that everything was what Xu Qi'an should do.
Just like how he developed the Gu race and the demon race into allies.
King Li hummed in acknowledgment. His expression relaxed a little and he slowly said,
"So Your Majesty already has a plan. Then I am relieved."
The Yongxing Emperor's plan was very clear. He would first negotiate for peace, stabilize the rebel army, and then let Xu Yinluo go to the Southern Border to ask for help. At the same time, he would wait for the beginning of spring and the cold disaster to subside.
King Li also did not consider the difficulty of the task.
…
Outside the city gate, six riders galloped in. They were wearing cloaks and riding fast horses, roaring through the city gate.
After entering the city gate, the speed of the horses slowed down. The leader of the riders pulled the reins and looked back at the city wall.
His face was stiff and expressionless, as if it was carved out of stone.
Yang Yan!
After the massacre in Chu Zhou City, Yang Yan stayed there. The imperial court appointed him as the commander of Chu Zhou City and the commander of Chu Zhou City.
Even after the death of Wei Yuan, he had stayed in Chu Zhou City and never returned to the capital.
"Gather all the brothers hiding in the capital and wait for orders." Yang Yan turned his head and looked at the subordinate on his left.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The subordinate cupped his fists and then pulled the reins of the horses. With a gentle tug, he separated from the group and galloped toward another road.
"My godfather failed to help the Fourth Prince ascend the throne. Now, it is time for us to take control of the country …" Yang Yan moved his eyes along the wide main road and looked in the direction of the palace.
…
At the Yamen.
Four Jinluo gathered together. The doors and windows were tightly shut.
Zhao Jin of Jinluo stared at the silver gong Song Tingfeng and squinted his eyes.
"Did Xu Yinluo really say that?"
Xu Yinluo had become a title, not an official position.
In Daibun, as long as the name "Xu Yinluo" was said, everyone knew who it was.
Song Tingfeng smiled.
"Now that the Central Plains is in turmoil and the imperial court is also in crisis, whether you can seize the opportunity in this torrent depends on your choice today.
"Ning Yan is the disciple of Duke Wei. You are friends with him, so you are not strangers to him. Are you afraid that he will cheat you? Besides, I'll say something disgraceful and unfilial. Now that the Great Feng is here, who has the best future prospects to serve?
"Not the one sitting in the throne room, wagging his tail at the rebels of Yun State, but my brother."
Zhao Jin and the other three Jinluo looked at each other and pondered for a moment.
"Why didn't Xu Yinluo come by himself?"
Song Tingfeng didn't answer. Instead, he took out a piece of paper.
"You will know after reading it."
Zhao Jin took the paper and looked at it. At first, he was relieved, but then he said,
"It is his handwriting."
Then, he stared at the paper for a long time.
Zhao Jin took a deep breath and suppressed the surging excitement in his heart. Without batting an eyelid, he passed the note to the other three Golden Gongs. After he finished reading it, he said,
After passing it around, he said, "Tell Xu Yinluo that as long as he didn't lie to me, I, Zhao Jin, can give my life to him, but I want to meet him."
…
At the courier station.
Ji Yuan held the magic shell and said,
"Boring!
"The young Emperor of Daibun is boring, the officials in the court are boring, and the Imperial College students are even more boring.
"I heard that when the King of Zhenbei's body was brought back to the capital, Yuan Jing closed the palace and refused to see the officials. There was a scholar named Xu Xinnian who blocked the Meridian Gate and cursed from morning to night until Yuan Jing gave in and opened the door.
"Unfortunately, I didn't see him in the court, nor did I see him in the negotiations. Maybe he is not qualified to debate with me."
Regarding Xu Xinnian, he had occasionally heard someone whisper in private during the negotiations over the past few days.
That guy from Yunzhou has a sharp tongue. If your excellency Xu could come to the Hanlin Academy, he would scold him until he cried and went back to Yunzhou.
Ge Wenxuan's laughter came from the magic shell.
"Then I'm afraid you won't have the chance to see him. Xu Xinnian is Xu Qi 'an's cousin, Yuan Shuang and Yuan Huai's cousin.
"He is not in the capital, but fighting with Daibun's army in Qingzhou. Well, after Qingzhou fell, he was cut by Zhuo Haoran. No one knows whether he is dead or alive."
Ji Yuan clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"A scholar was cut by General Zhuo. I'm afraid he is dead. Let's not talk about him. General Ge, that Xu guy hasn't shown up yet. "
Ge Wenxuan thought for a while and said,
"It seems like we have guessed. Xu is at his wit's end and acquiesced to the negotiation. He is trying to get through the winter and ask for help from the Southern Border."
It was easy to deduce. Daibun was short of Transcendents. Most of them were Third Stage. They could not compete with First and Second Stage Mighty Ones.
Once they reached the Transcendent Realm, it would be difficult to advance from Third Stage onwards.
Those with poor aptitude, like the Wulin League Kouyang Province, could barely advance to Second Stage Warrior after five hundred years.
Those with excellent aptitude, like Nation Master and Luo Yuheng, could advance to Second Stage at a young age, but they were stuck in Second Stage for twenty years.
Since he could not advance to the same level in a short time, asking for help was the only option for Xu Qi 'an.
Ji Yuan sneered.
"The Southern Border's Gu Tribe is limited by the power of the Gu God. It is difficult for them to produce First Stage Mighty Ones. Among the seven tribes, only Grandma Gu is Second Stage, but she is not good at fighting. The number of Transcendents in the Southern Goblins was pitifully small.
"That horrible corpse will not leave the Southern Border. Nine-tailed Celestial Fox may intervene in the battle for the Central Plains. But if she comes to the Central Plains, the Western Region will not be restrained. They can also divide their forces to attack the Central Plains."
"The only variable is the Witchcraft Cult. After Nalan Tianlu escaped, the Witchcraft Cult has a Grand Wizard and a Rain Master.
"If they ally with Daibun, it will be a headache."
"Ninth Young Master is smart." Ge Wenxuan said with a smile.
"I think so too. But Master said we should ignore the Witchcraft Cult for the time being. As for the reason, I don't know."
After a pause, he continued.
"Since Xu Qi 'an is willing to be a coward, let him be. A Third Stage Warrior will not be able to do anything. Leave the capital tomorrow? "
"Yes," Ji Yuan said.
"We will exchange the documents in the morning court tomorrow, and then we can leave for Yunzhou."
This was a necessary process. After the negotiation, the two sides would exchange the documents and then "bid farewell" in a public meeting.
After the voice transmission, Ji Yuan returned the Sound Transmitting Shell to Xu Yuanshuang and asked Xu Yuanhuai with a smile,
"Yuanhuai, all the top beauties in the Musical House in the capital are top-notch beauties. Since we are leaving the capital today, I will take you to enjoy them while we still have time."
Xu Yuanhuai ignored him.
Ji Yuan did not care at all. He went out while playing with his folding fan. He just said it casually and did not dare to go to the Musical House. What if he was assassinated?
…
The next day, in the morning court.
At dawn, the sky was dark. The civil and military officials passed through the east and west side doors in an orderly manner. After crossing the Golden Water Bridge, the officials waited in the Alchemy Hall, the steps, and the square.
Today's morning court was specially held for the Yunzhou delegation. The main characters were Ji Yuan and his entourage.
More than 20 "negotiators" in the official robes of Yunzhou stepped into the Emperor's Hall with their heads held high, with the strength and pride of winners.
The Yongxing Emperor sat high on the throne. After chatting for a while, he asked people to exchange the documents.
"Thanks to the hospitality of Your Majesty and the officials, I am very happy."
Ji Yuan smiled and bowed to the Yongxing Emperor and the officials.
In the Emperor's Hall, the officials looked gloomy. They just pretended not to see his mocking and arrogant face.
"By the way, the people in the capital are boiling with discontent recently. They openly insult the imperial court and Your Majesty. I suggest that we kill them as a warning to others. "Ji Yuan said with a smile.
Xu Yuanshuang beside him remembered that her ninth brother often inquired about the news among the people these days. Every day, he heard the people in the capital and the students of the Imperial College scolding the Yunzhou delegation and Hidden Dragon City. At that time, he waved his folding fan and seemed not to care.
It turned out that he had secretly remembered it.
The Yongxing Emperor just wanted to send the Yunzhou delegation away as soon as possible. He said,
"Don't worry, envoy Ji. I will handle it. In addition, the silver and silk have been prepared. Envoy Ji can take it away. "
As for the ceding of land, there was still a lot of follow-up work, such as notifying the local government, removing the gentry, nobles, and local troops, etc.
It could not be done immediately.
"In that case, thank you, Your Majesty …"
As soon as Ji Yuan finished speaking, he suddenly heard a "boom". The sound of gunfire came from afar. Then, dense drums came at the same time. It was from the direction of the palace gate.
Everyone in the hall turned pale with fright, including the envoy group of Yunzhou represented by Ji Yuan.
It just had to happen at this critical juncture.
The panic in the eyes of the Yongxing Emperor flashed away. He forced himself to be calm and looked at Cho Hyun-jin.
"Go and see what's going on."
Cho Hyun-jin took the order and left. He stepped out of the Throne Room and looked down at the square outside the hall. The officials below were in a mess and looked anxious. Some of the palace guards rushed to the palace gate, while others rushed to the Throne Room to protect the emperor and the officials.
In the Throne Room, Ji Yuan frowned and held the silver fan tightly. He was silent.
Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai were frowning. The former was frowning, while the latter kept looking outside.
The civil and military officials in the hall and the royal family looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.
Until Cho Hyun-jin rushed back. He grabbed the hem of his robe and ran like a stray dog. He screamed,
"Something bad happened, something bad happened …"
"Your Majesty, the rebel army broke in. They broke in."
The expressions of everyone in the hall changed drastically, and they subconsciously looked at Ji Yuan. Ever since the uprising in Yunzhou began, the term "rebel army" had been associated with Yunzhou. After hearing about it for more than two months, when they suddenly heard the word "rebel army", their instinctive reaction was that the Yunzhou rebel army had entered the capital.
Ji Yuan and the others were also stunned.
Then they heard Cho Hyun-jin take a deep breath and continue.
"They shouted to get rid of the emperor's side …"
A commotion broke out in the hall again. Yongxing Emperor suddenly looked towards where the royal family members were. Then, he was stunned because he saw Prince Yan.
Theoretically, Prince Yan shouldn't be here. Could it be that it wasn't him?
The princes and princes also looked at Prince Yan with a strange look. Among the nobles, there were a few with cultivation. They quietly moved closer to Prince Yan.
If there was anyone in the imperial court who could and dared to rebel, it was probably the princes born by the Empress Dowager.
Everyone knew the principle of capturing the ringleader first to capture the followers.
Prince Yan was stunned.
"What do you mean they broke in? Did they break through the palace gates? "
A duke stepped out from among the nobles and glared at Cho Hyun-jin.
"Speak clearly."
The pale Cho Hyun-jin was about to speak when the sounds of fighting, weapons clashing, and screams came from outside the hall.
There was no need to say anything.
The rebel army had spies, and the scale was not small … Everyone in the hall immediately came to a conclusion.
The palace gates were guarded by the imperial guards, and the imperial city was guarded by the Twelve Guards. No army could take down the imperial city and the palace in such a short time, unless the rebel army was the Twelve Guards and the imperial guards.
Who could incite the imperial guards and the capital's Twelve Guards to rebel?
As these thoughts flashed through everyone's mind, the sounds of fighting grew closer until an imperial guard fell into the throne room screaming.
Outside the hall, figures flashed. The first to enter were two Jinluo in the uniform of night watchmen and Yang Yan in light armor with a long spear. Behind them were Yin Gong, Copper Gong, the Yulin Guards, and the Imperial Blade Guards.
The members were very complicated, but they all had a red ribbon wrapped around their arms.
They carried blood-stained sabers and surrounded the dukes, members of the royal family, and nobles in the hall.
"Yang Yan?"
One of the princes recognized him and was both shocked and angry.
"Traitor, how dare you rebel! Aren't you afraid of executing nine generations of your family?!"
The Yongxing Emperor suppressed all his emotions and maintained the composure of an emperor. He stood up and glanced at Prince Yan, then turned to look at Yang Yan and the few Jinluo. He forced himself to remain calm and said.
"Who is your master?"
At the same time, two nobles stood on the left and right of Prince Yan.
Upon seeing Yang Yan and the few Golden Gongs appear, anyone with a discerning eye knew who the mastermind was.
These were Wei Yuan's henchmen, and they had supported the Fourth Prince.
If not for Wei Yuan's early death, after Xu Qi 'an killed Joan of Arc, the Fourth Prince would not have ascended the throne.
Ji Yuan knew how to keep a low profile at the critical moment. He held his folding fan and observed the situation coldly.
"Ninth Young Master, the Imperial Court of Daibun is in chaos."
An official in a crimson robe said with a hint of joy and worry.
This was the same as their goal. If the peace talks could cause chaos in the Imperial Court, then it would not matter if the peace talks succeeded or not. In fact, it would be even more effective than the peace talks.
Once the central government was in chaos, the Imperial Court of Daibun would collapse at a surprising speed.
Of course, the safety of the diplomatic mission was not guaranteed. Therefore, they were both happy and worried.
"Let's wait and see." Another official in a crimson robe said in a low voice.
"No matter who wins or loses, if you don't want your country to be destroyed, you must be polite to us."
Based on the current situation in Daibun, it would be a dead end to fall out with Yun State. The rebels would not be blind to this fact.
"This, this has nothing to do with me …"
The Flame Prince was only in the Qi Refinement State. He could not resist the suppression of two nobles with profound cultivation.
At this moment, the sounds of fighting outside the hall stopped. It seemed that the winner had been decided.
Of course, the sound of cannons and drums could still be heard in the distance. The battle continued elsewhere.
"Don't make things difficult for Fourth Brother. This has nothing to do with him."
A cold and melodious voice rang out. Everyone in the hall turned their heads or glanced sideways at the source of the voice. They saw a beautiful figure in a plain white dress stride over the high threshold of the throne room. Her dress dragged on the ground as she walked in.
Princess Royal?
Those who did not know the truth were stunned.
The Yongxing Emperor was stunned. He did not expect that the person who appeared in front of him would be her.
"Huaiqing?"
The Yongxing Emperor pointed at her and said angrily.
"What do you want? Answer me, what do you want?!"
He slammed the table hard and his aura surged.
Huaiqing walked step by step to the throne and looked at the Yongxing Emperor. Her tone was calm but not soft.
"Brother, please abdicate!"
As soon as she said this, the hall was so silent that even a pin drop could be heard.
Ji Yuan was dumbfounded. He looked at Huaiqing's back with an unconcealable look of amazement in his eyes.
"You? Huaiqing … "
The Yongxing Emperor seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. He placed his hands on the table and looked down at his rebellious sister. He suddenly roared.
"Do you know what you are doing?!"
The Yongxing Emperor punched.
If it were any other brother, he would be cautious and vigilant. But the one asking him to abdicate was a woman.
What a joke!
He did not look at Huaiqing again. Instead, he looked at Yang Yan and the people of Jinluo, as well as the rebels surrounding the hall. He scolded angrily.
"Are you all crazy? You want to rebel with a woman? How many heads can you chop off?
"She can do it? Ask everyone in the hall who will support her. Ask everyone in the world who will support a woman like her. "
At this moment, Liu Hong silently stepped out. He bowed and said loudly.
"Your Majesty, please abdicate!"
Then, Grand Secretary Qian stood side by side with Liu Hong. He bowed and said loudly.
"Your Majesty, please abdicate!"
Then, the Right Imperial Censor Zhang Xingying, the Ministry of Justice Minister Sun, and the Ministry of War Minister all stepped out.
"Your Majesty, please abdicate!"
As if it triggered a group effect, a large group of officials bowed and said,
"Your Majesty, please abdicate!"
The number of people in the hall took up almost half of the people.
The Royal Faction and the Wei Faction were united for the first time.
The Yongxing Emperor's expression suddenly froze. Then, he slowly turned pale. He looked at the officials bowing in the hall. After a long time, his lips trembled as he murmured,
"Crazy, all of you are crazy …"
On the side of the royal family, the princes and dukes were at a loss. Only Prince Yan was overjoyed. He was trembling with excitement.
The Dali Monastery official was in disbelief. He went to support the officials who bowed and reprimanded,
"Are all of you crazy? Accompanying a woman to go crazy. Who gave you the guts? Don't be impulsive for a moment. You will not be able to accomplish anything."
Now it was only a surprise attack. What about the follow-up?
The number of the royal family was huge. With just a call, the rebellion would be quelled.
That was because no one would support a woman.
Following a princess to rebel, if they were not crazy, then what were they?
Huaiqing crossed her hands on her abdomen and said lightly,
"Take him away. Let him write the abdication edict."
Yang Yan led a few silver-gong eunuchs and strode forward towards the Yongxing Emperor on the throne.
"Do not be presumptuous!"
Palm Seal eunuch Cho Hyun-jin opened his arms and blocked in front of Yang Yan and the rest. His face was slightly pale as he said sternly,
"His Highness Lin An and Xu Yinluo have an engagement. If you all rebel, Xu Yinluo will not let you all off!"
This sentence was like the evening drum and morning bell, awakening the hesitant royal family members, nobles, as well as the officials of the Wang and Wei clique.
Light suddenly burst forth from Emperor Yongxing's defeated eyes. It was as though a despairing person had seen a ray of light.
That's right, he still had Xu Qi 'an.
As long as Xu Qi 'an supported him, no matter how arrogant Huaiqing and Prince Yan were, they would not be able to achieve anything big.
Those who were hesitating were also aware of this problem.
The Yongxing Emperor composed himself and looked around at Yang Yan and the rest and said in a clear voice,
"Zhen will give you all one more chance. Rein in the horse at the precipice and Zhen will let bygones be bygones. Take down the traitor Huaiqing and Zhen will still reward you.
"Otherwise, you all should know what is the consequence of rebelling."
Cho Hyun-jin gathered his courage and shouted, "Still not retreating!"
"Rebels and traitors, still not repenting."
"Following a female to rebel, do you all think your lives are too long?"
"Quickly take down Huaiqing, otherwise when the imperial army and Xu Yinluo come, all of you will die."
Those officials and nobles who were fans of the Yongxing Emperor berated loudly.
"Ai!"
A huge sigh reverberated in the hall. In the shadow behind Huaiqing, a figure expanded and stretched. It was Xu Qi 'an who had just suppressed the fifth camp of the imperial army.
Just now he was still talking about Xu Qi 'an and in the next moment, the main character came. The joy in the eyes of the Yongxing Emperor had just floated when he saw the number one Warrior of Daibun coldly looking at him and said,
"Yongxing, abdicate. I can guarantee that you will not die.
"Otherwise, you will end up like the former Emperor."
The Yongxing Emperor's face was as pale as snow. His body swayed as if he had lost all his strength and fell onto the throne.
Those officials and nobles who were fans of the Yongxing Emperor were all stiff.
The silver fan in Ji Yuan's hand fell to the ground with a clatter. His pupils contracted violently as if he had seen a strong light.
The one who wanted to rebel was Xu Qi 'an …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
