Midnight had passed, but the candles in the room were still bright. When Ning Yi pushed open the door and entered, Qin Siyuan, Yao Zunian, Jueming, Ji Kun, and the others were already in the study. The servants had already reported the news of Ning Yi's return. When he pushed open the door, Qin Siyuan also came to greet him.
"Liheng is back." Yao Zunian also came to greet him with a smile.
"You've worked hard, you've worked hard."
"It's snowing heavily again tonight …"
The core circle of advisors in the Right Minister's residence were all familiar people. Although the Female Zhenren was busy attacking the city, in these few days, there were finally fewer things to do. Qin Siyuan and the others had been running around during the day. At this time, they were finally able to rest a little. It was also because of this that when Ning Yi entered the city, everyone could gather at the Minister's residence at this time to welcome him.
After not seeing him for several months, Qin Siyuan, who was originally in good health, had lost a lot of weight. His hair was all snow white, but it was neatly combed, and he still looked energetic. Yao Zunian, on the other hand, was slightly sickly. He was too old, and could not stay up all day, but he definitely could not stay idle. As for Jueming, Ji Kun, and the other two advisors of the Minister's residence, they were all thin, but in good condition. Ning Yi greeted them one by one.
"Liheng's battle in Xia Village is inspiring."
"It's all because of Second Young Master's good command."
"Ah, Shaoqian may have some merit in commanding, but in terms of military management and strategy, he is far too lacking. If not for Liheng holding the line, there would not be today's victory."
"Liheng's return was too sudden, and it's not good to drink at this time. Otherwise, we would have a big drink with Liheng."
"If all the soldiers of the Wu dynasty could be like Xia Village …"
After the truce, the Right Minister's residence became a little more relaxed, but there were many hidden troubles, and there were even more things to worry about. But even so, when everyone met, the first thing they talked about was the achievements of Ning Yi and the others in Xia Village. The other two advisors in the room, Tong Zhiyuan and Hou Wenjing, who had entered the inner circle, were also acquainted with Ning Yi in the past. They were both older than Ning Yi and had previously been in charge of the affairs of other branches. It was only during the defense of the city that they were brought into the core. At this time, they had also come over to congratulate Ning Yi. There was a hint of excitement and eagerness in his expression.
During the few days of truce negotiations, the surface of the ice in Bianliang City seemed quiet, but the undercurrents were already surging underneath. Regarding the overall situation, perhaps Qin Siyuan had discussed it privately with Yao Zunian and Jueming, but he had not discussed it in detail with Tong and Hou, two people. Tonight, Ning Yi had returned. Coincidentally, in the middle of the night, everyone had gathered together. First, to welcome and congratulate him, and second, to discuss the situation inside and outside the city. What was decided here was perhaps the entire political situation in Bianliang.
After Ning Yi sat down, he drank a few mouthfuls of tea and briefly introduced the situation outside the city. Including the current confrontation with the Lady Zhenren, the tense atmosphere at the frontlines, and the fact that even in the midst of negotiations, a war could break out at any time. In addition, there were some small matters that had not been transmitted to the city before.
"… Negotiations are originally a battle of the heart. The Lady Zhenren's attitude is very firm. Even if she has less than half of her soldiers, she still has the attitude of charging at the enemy at any time. This Li Zheng sent by the imperial court will probably be frightened. Everyone should already know about these matters. Oh, there is something I want to tell Qin Gonggong. Back in the battle of Shou Zhang, when Second Young Master led the troops to stop Zong Wang, he was injured in his left eye. He did not report this matter, so I think, you probably do not know … "
The matter of Qin Shaoqian being blind in one eye was originally just a small matter, so Ning Yi did not pass the news to Qin Siyuan to bother him. Only now did he feel the need to say it. Qin Siyuan was slightly startled, a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes, but he immediately shook his head and smiled.
"He is the commander of the troops, charging at the front. It is already very fortunate that he is still alive after being injured in the eye. Oh right, what does Liheng think is the possibility that the Lady Zhenren will start a war with us because the negotiations are unsuccessful? "
Ning Yi shook his head. "This is not a question of success or failure, it is a question of negotiation skills. The Lady Zhenren is not irrational. They know how to obtain the greatest benefits. If our army sets up a battle formation to fight him, he does not want to fight, but he will not be afraid to fight. The trouble on our side is that the upper echelons are afraid to fight, and that Li Zheng only wants to report. If the two sides set up a battle formation, the Lady Zhenren will feel that we are not afraid to fight, and that will be easy. This situation is troublesome. "He looked at everyone." What is the bottom line on our side? "
Qin Siyuan furrowed his brows. "At the beginning of the negotiations, His Majesty asked Li Zheng to quickly come to an agreement, but in terms of conditions, he will not back down. He asked the Lady Zhenren to immediately retreat, pass Yanmen Pass, and return the six provinces to Yan Yun. We will not pursue this matter. "
Ning Yi smiled. "And then?"
Yao Zunian also smiled bitterly. "After two days of negotiations, Li Zheng came back and said that the Lady Zhenren's attitude is firm. She wants to cede the north of the Yellow River, the Jin Kingdom as the elder, and our dynasty as the younger. Our dynasty will compensate a lot of resources, and ask for coins every year. Otherwise, we will continue to fight. His Majesty was furious, but then he relented. They cannot cede land, and do not recognize the Jin Kingdom as the elder, but they can compensate with gold and silver. His Majesty wants to send them away as soon as possible … "
"I understand." Ning Yi nodded. "If it were me, I would peel off a few layers of your skin before leaving …"
He fell silent, and everyone else also fell silent. Jueming stood at the side and poured more tea for himself. "Amitabha, the matters of the world are far from what you and I can do perfectly. Once the war stopped, the Right Minister's residence was at the heart of the struggle, and there are many people who are working behind the scenes. This matter has already been discussed with Prime Minister Qin and everyone else. In the current negotiations, His Majesty has made Prime Minister Li a figurehead, and Prime Minister Qin cannot interfere too much. These days, I have been discussing with Duke Nian. The most troublesome matter is not the coins, nor is it the name of brother. As for where it is, with Liheng's intelligence, he should be able to see it, right? "
"Taiyuan." Ning Yi's gaze lowered slightly.
"The Bianliang war may be over, but Taiyuan is not finished." Jueming nodded and continued. "There are not many of us who can interfere in this negotiation. If there is anything to protect, it must be Taiyuan. However, eldest young master is in Taiyuan. On this matter, there are not many places that Prime Minister Qin can speak. Eldest young master, second young master, and Prime Minister Qin, in this capital … it is hard to say how many people wish for Taiyuan to be safe. "
Before Jueming became a monk, he was originally a member of the royal family. No matter what words others could not say, he did not have too many taboos. But now that he was talking about how many people wished for Taiyuan to be safe, he still paused.
Ning Yi said, "When we were outside the city, I discussed this with second young master and Wenren. Let's not talk about whether or not we can solve the siege of Taiyuan. Just how to solve it is a big problem. The Xia Village army of over ten thousand reorganized and headed north. Now, with over a hundred thousand wounded soldiers, it is hard to be at ease against Zong Wang, much less Ni Han outside Taiyuan. While this person is not a member of the Jurchen royal family, he is above tens of thousands of people. Compared to Zong Wang, he is probably more difficult to deal with. Of course, if the court is determined, there are ways. The Jurchen has been invading the south for too long. If the army presses the border and forces the area north of Taiyuan and Yanmen Pass, the Jin may retreat. But now, first, the negotiations are not resolute. Second, there are over a hundred thousand people scheming against each other. Third, the Xia Village has over ten thousand people. The higher ups do not allow second young master to lead them … these are all problems … "
His words were cold and serious. What he said now, compared to what he had said to Shishi, was a completely different concept.
Ji Kun, who had been silent all this time, said in a low voice, "Maybe there is a way."
"But every time we solve a problem, everyone takes a step closer to the cliff." Ning Yi said, "Also, I am discussing with Wenren and the others outside the city. There is something more troublesome …"
He paused and said, "In a few years, there will be a second invasion of the Jin. How should we deal with it?"
When he said this, Qin Siyuan raised his eyebrows and his gaze became even more solemn. Yao Zunian sat to the side and closed his eyes. Jueming played with his teacup. Clearly, they were already thinking about this problem. In this room, Ji Kun was the executor of the matter and did not need to think about this. On the side, Tong Zhiyuan and Hou Wenjing both frowned. It was not that they had not thought of it, it was just that they had not thought about it in the past few days.
Qin Siyuan took a breath. "Liheng and Wenren, what do you think?"
"If we withdraw now, we may be able to escape unscathed. If we go forward, no one can guess the consequences." Ning Yi also stood up and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
The room was silent for a moment.
"The Female Zhenren is a tiger and a wolf. Even if we get through this time, they will definitely attack again. They destroyed Liao and are like the sun in the sky. This time, they have also achieved great results in the south. They are just short of destroying Bianliang. To solve this problem, the core problem is … we have to pay attention to the soldiers. " Ning Yi said slowly and then sighed. "The best situation is to preserve Xia Village, preserve the seeds of the Western Army, preserve the soldiers who can fight this time, and not let them be defeated. Then, reform the military system and give some status to the warriors. Then, in a few years, when the Jin invade south, we may be able to fight. But both are difficult, and the latter is more difficult than the former … "
Jueming took a sip of tea. "In the past two hundred years, the country has emphasized culture and restrained the military."
On the side, Yao Zunian opened his eyes and sat up. He looked at everyone. "If we want to reform, now is the time."
"If this were an opera, when Duke Nian said this, there would be applause." Ning Yi smiled, and everyone laughed softly. But then, their smiles disappeared. "It is not that there is a problem with emphasizing culture and restraining the military. It is just that we have reached the stage where we can change and we will die if we don't. Duke Nian is right. After the battle of Bianliang, we suffered such heavy casualties. If we want to give some status to the soldiers, we can say it. But even if it is persuasive, you all know how much resistance there is. The commanders of the armies are all civil officials, and the soldiers are all civil officials. If we want to give status to the warriors, we have to share the benefits with them. If the Right Minister's Residence pushes this matter, with our strength, we will die without a burial place … "
Qin Siyuan and the others hesitated. Yao Zunian said, "This matter is crucial …"
"The key lies with Her Majesty," Ning Yi said softly, looking at the old man. Jueming and the others nodded slightly.
When it came to the Emperor, there were many things that were difficult to say. The Emperor was the Son of Heaven, the sovereign of the Nine Five. Anyone who wanted to play tricks on the Emperor was treason and heresy. The room was silent again.
Time was stuck at an awkward point. It was not only the time in this room, but also the time in this era. The soldiers of the Xia Village, the soldiers of the Western Army, and the soldiers guarding the city had all experienced hardships in this battle. If they could keep the results of these hardships, they might be able to fight against the Jin Kingdom in a few years. If they could expand, they might be able to change the fate of an era.
However, all kinds of difficulties were placed in front of them. Emphasizing culture and restraining military power was the foundation of a country. Under such a policy, a large number of people with vested interests were stuffed into positions. The battle of Bianliang and the deep pain might have provided the conditions for different voices to be heard, but it was still not something that could be achieved by a few people or a group of people to push forward such conditions. Changing the foundation of a country was like changing the sex industry. It was never something that could be filled by sacrificing a few lives or the lives of a few families. And if it could not be done, the future would be even more dangerous.
One step forward was a cliff, and one step back was hell.
Ning Yi had already said the price of reform. He had also told others that he was not willing to use his own life to push for reform. When he set off for the north, he was only willing to do something. If he couldn't do it, he would leave. However, things had come to this. If he went forward, he would be doomed. If he went back, the people of the Central Plains would be plunged into misery and suffering.
He didn't put himself in a position where no one else would do it without him. If it was in the past, he could leave this matter behind and let Qin Siyuan and the others die. But at this point, even the thought of withdrawing had become so difficult.
The loss of life had weight. A few years ago, he told Yunzhu, who was about to open a shop, that he could not hold the sand in his hand and casually tossed it away. He had experienced many things in his life, but after experiencing so many deaths and bloodshed, even he could not casually toss these things away.
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