On the second day after the Peace Negotiation Office announced the end of the peace talks, Jingguo held another court meeting.
All the officials gathered at Fengtian Hall.
In the history of Jing Country, there had never been a period like this where the court meetings were held so frequently in one year.
After the ceremony, Sheng Boyuan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I did not fail my mission and finally completed the peace talks with my envoy. As long as you seal it and issue an imperial edict, the two sides will naturally sign the contract. As for the content of the contract, it has been sent to all the officials in the hall before the meeting. "
The Empress Dowager nodded gently and said, "Thank you for your hard work. What do my beloved ministers think about this? If no one objects, the peace talks will end. "
Honglu Temple had officially changed its name to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yu Xingshu, stepped forward and said, "I, Yu Xingshu, object to most of the terms of the peace talks."
The civil and military officials looked at Yu Xingshu. No matter what they were thinking, their faces were expressionless. From afar, they looked like statues without any human feelings.
Yu Xingshu was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When it came to peace talks, his words were no less powerful than those of the Minister of Rites.
"What do you think?" The Empress Dowager's tone was very gentle.
"I think that many of the terms were not important to me and could have been more beneficial to Jingguo. However, Sheng Boyuan gave up the interests of Jingguo and the people to please me. Perhaps he has other motives. This is betraying the country!"
Sheng Boyuan said angrily, "Ridiculous! The reason why Old Man gave up a small part of the benefits was not to betray the country. It was for the sake of the human race. If not, I would not have given up the Sage Seal. If you only think about small benefits, how can you understand the big benefits of the country? We gave up a small part of the benefits not only to show Gyeongo, but also to the other countries. We let them know that Jingguo is a country of etiquette, friendship, and harmony. In the future, the other countries will respect us more and be more willing to cooperate with Jingguo. "
Yu Xingshu sneered and said, "Every inch of land in Jingguo was fought for with absolute strength. It was never obtained through courtesy. Previously, Jingguo was weak. We had etiquette and were willing to cooperate with the other countries, but what did we get in return? Wu's oppression, Gyeongo's invasion, and Qi's contempt! Respect? There was only a relationship between the countries' interests. If you were strong, they would be weak. If you were weak, they would be oppressed. This is an eternal truth. Fang Xusheng had once said that justice could only be achieved through words! Now that Jing Country was at its peak, it was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest countries. Jingguo could give up some benefits in front of the old powerful countries and fight for space to develop. However, in front of Gyeongo, which was obviously in decline, Jingguo would not let the other countries see our etiquette and kindness. They would only see us as weak and easy to bully. They would see that we were afraid of them and are still kneeling in front of them! Gyeongo is not worthy of Jingguo's true friendship. They are only worthy of being slaughtered by Jingguo under false pretenses. They are only worthy of the leftovers that Jingguo doesn't want. They are not worthy of competing with Jingguo for benefits! "
"You're spouting nonsense! As long as Jingguo shows enough goodwill, the other countries will definitely treat us with respect, "Sheng Boyuan said.
"Why don't we do an experiment? If you treat me well, I will slap you!" Yu Xingshu did not hide the anger and contempt in his heart.
"How dare you! This is not a place for you to behave atrociously! "
"Jingguo is also not a place for you to betray your interests!" Yu Xingshu was not afraid.
Many officials vaguely realized that the fight between the two was actually a fight between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Rites for control of foreign affairs. It was also a fight between the radicals and conservatives in Jingguo. In other words, it was a fight between the hardliners and the moderates.
"Why? Are you going to deny the results of the negotiations?" Sheng Boyuan asked.
"That's right," Yu Xingshu said.
"You didn't care during the peace talks, but now you are criticizing us. How dare you!" Sheng Boyuan said.
"During the peace talks, you were stubborn and didn't listen to any advice. Even Fang Xusheng was forced to leave by you. What's the use of me being there?" Yu Xingshu asked.
Sheng Boyuan said angrily, "Fang Xiang ate smelly thorns during the peace talks and called it nostalgia. The stench in the meeting room didn't go away for a few days. Is it Old Man's fault? Old Man wouldn't dare to chase him away even if he had ten guts. He didn't want to negotiate at all and left on his own! It's not like you don't know Fang Xusheng's conditions. He almost forced everyone from the School of Miscellany to leave! "
The officials present looked at Fang Yun helplessly. In the entire human race, only he could eat smelly thorns on such an important occasion.
"That was just a negotiation strategy. He first asked for a sky-high price. On the other hand, you, the person who presided over the peace talks, not only clearly handed over Jingguo's foundation, but you also gave in step by step. Aren't you a traitor? "Yu Xingshu said.
"Old Man won't pester you endlessly! Empress Dowager, let me ask you, do you accept the results of this peace talks? "
Everyone looked at the Empress Dowager.
After a few breaths, the Empress Dowager sighed softly and said, "I'm just a woman. Perhaps I don't think as much as all of you, but I know one thing. The results of this negotiation are far better than what was expected when the temporary peace talks were established. As long as you hand over the official examination and belong to the School of Miscellany, the School of Miscellany and Gyeongo will give up their hostility and promise not to use the Sacred Path to seal Jingguo. I know that some of you are not convinced, but I want to ask you all, other than this, what other means do you all have to stop the Sacred Path from sealing? "
Everyone was silent, including Yu Xingshu, who strongly objected.
"Then, who has any objections?" The Empress Dowager's voice was less tired and more solemn.
"I have objections."
Fang Yun's voice echoed in the Fengtian Hall.
"Please speak, Minister Fang." The Empress Dowager tried her best to control her emotions.
All the officials looked at Fang Yun with their own thoughts.
"If Jingguo had been safe for decades, this negotiation would be the best choice. Even if it was ten times worse than this, it would be acceptable, let alone Sheng Boyuan's ignorance and betrayal of the country."
While Fang Yun was speaking, Sheng Boyuan flew into a rage. He wanted to interrupt him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Fang Yun's body emitted an inexplicable force. It was like a mountain hanging above his head, like a sharp sword at his throat, forcing him to be unable to say a word.
Sheng Boyuan clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging, and his eyes flashed with hatred.
Fang Yun glanced at Sheng Boyuan inadvertently and continued, "However, Jingguo is still in danger. If we retreat this time, there will be no chance for us to rise again, and even … our country will be in danger!"
Many people sighed softly. Everyone knew what danger Fang Yun was referring to.
Chen Guanhai was about to die.
Once Chen Guanhai died, Jingguo could only last for two to three years at most. After that, the surrounding countries would definitely unite with their own Half-saint to swallow Jingguo.
Without a saint, there would be no country.
In a sense, Jingguo would not be able to escape the fate of being swallowed up, regardless of whether they negotiated peace or not.
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.
