Du Qi flicked his sleeves and shook his head, saying, "Prime Minister Wei, I won't agree to your conditions. If that's all you've proposed, there's no need to continue this negotiation. Liangzhou is not worth mentioning. I don't need the Tang Dynasty to give me Liangzhou. I can take it back myself. "
Wei Zheng's eyes were wide open and he looked a little angry. He took a deep breath and said, "Emperor Xia, the Tang Dynasty has already offered the most sincere conditions. You're obviously looking for trouble by refusing. If that's the case, it's really difficult to continue this negotiation. Emperor Xia, what's your condition? If you're willing to make peace, please state your conditions. If you're not willing to make peace, you can refuse directly. We'll immediately return to Chang 'an and inform His Majesty to prepare for war and fight to the death with Xia Xia. "
Du Qi saw that Wei Zheng was a little angry, but he chuckled. This was the most normal situation in a negotiation. He could even tell that Wei Zheng was just pretending to be angry.
He was just trying to confuse him.
He hoped that Du Qi would state his bottom line.
However, Du Qi had already thought about his bottom line, so he didn't care about Wei Zheng's words. He said, "Prime Minister Wei, since you've said so, I won't beat around the bush with you. I'll give you Xia Xia's bottom line. If the Tang Dynasty wants to make peace, I'll agree to it for your sake. Xia Xia's condition is very simple. The Tang Dynasty will cede the entire Longyou Road, and I'll stop the war. "
"Your Majesty, you can't!"
At this moment, Shangguan Yi stood up and said with a solemn look, "Your Majesty, Xia Xia now has all the advantages. Our soldiers are strong and strong, and every one of them is full of fighting spirit. They're all looking forward to the war. At this time, Longyou Road is not worth mentioning. If you want to make the soldiers feel at ease and stop the war, you should at least offer the Longyou Road, Gyeonggi Road, and Guannei Road of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty should move the capital away from Guannei, and the whole Guannei Road should be handed over to Xia Xia. "
"I second that!"
Ma Zhou also stood up and said.
Everyone else agreed.
Each and every one of them was aggressive, looking like they would not give up.
Du Qi smiled inwardly.
Shangguan Yi and the others really knew how to seize the opportunity. To be honest, it was impossible for Li Shimin to hand over Gyeonggi Province, or even Guannei Province, and move the capital out of Chang 'an. However, since they were in the middle of a negotiation, such a condition could force Wei Zheng into a corner and express the attitude of the entire Xia Xia.
Wei Zheng cursed the old fox in his heart.
A bunch of old foxes.
They were all using this opportunity to force them to submit.
Du Qi looked at Wei Zheng with a helpless expression and said, "Prime Minister Wei, you've seen what happened to Xia Xia and the others. Right now, everyone in Mr. Xia's camp was pro-war. They all wanted to fight to the death. No one is willing to stop the war, no one is willing to stop the war. In fact, even if I asked the Tang dynasty to take out Longyou Dao, it would still be difficult to satisfy everyone. "
Du Qi said, "But for the sake of you, Prime Minister Wei, I won't change what I said. I still agree to the previous condition. As long as the Tang dynasty cedes the entire Longyou Dao, Xia Xia will not attack. If the Tang dynasty is unwilling to even agree to this condition, then Xia Xia will definitely fight to the death. "
Wei Zheng frowned. The Xia Kingdom's monarch and his minister were putting on a show. It was obvious that they were deliberately setting a trap for them.
The situation was not good!
After all, the entire Longyou Dao was extremely crucial to the Tang dynasty, especially since it was the western barrier of the Tang dynasty. Once Du Qi got the entire Longyou Dao, then Du Qi could attack or retreat. He could threaten the safety of the Tang dynasty at any time.
This was an extremely unfavorable condition.
Wei Zheng looked at Kong Yingda, hoping that Kong Yingda would make a statement, but Kong Yingda shook his head and looked embarrassed. Because the current situation was very unfavorable.
Seeing this, Wei Zheng said, "Emperor Xia, ceding the entire Longyou Dao is definitely impossible. It involves the entire Longyou Dao, a huge area. It's absolutely impossible. If the Tang dynasty agrees to this condition, it's better to fight to the death. At least, it's worth it to cut off a few ounces of flesh from Xia Xia. "
Du Qi said in a deep voice, "In that case, let's fight. I'd like to see how the Tang dynasty will cut off a few ounces of flesh from Xia Xia. It won't be easy. I'm looking forward to it! I won't make things difficult for you. Please go back. "
Wei Zheng suddenly froze in place.
Du Qi refused to give in, which was very unfavorable to them. Especially now, the Tang dynasty was facing internal and external troubles. If Xia Xia didn't attack, even if there were internal and external troubles, there was nothing to be afraid of. The problem was that Xia Xia's strength was too strong. With Xia Xia here, the situation was very difficult to deal with. It could easily lead to the collapse of the entire Tang dynasty. They must stabilize the Tang dynasty.
Wei Zheng looked at Kong Yingda, but Kong Yingda also shook his head helplessly with a helpless look.
The current situation was very unfavorable.
Wei Zheng's mind was spinning fast. He suddenly said, "Emperor Xia, the Tang dynasty sincerely came to ask for peace. The Xia Emperor's request has already exceeded my ability to do so. I really can't make a decision on the current condition, and I dare not make a decision. However, I, Xia Xia, am really willing to make peace. So at this time, I beg you to give me some time. I'll immediately arrange for people to return to Chang 'an to ask His Majesty. In the meantime, I'm willing to stay in Zhangye County. Whether it's successful or not, I'll give you an explanation. "
Du Qi's mind was spinning.
It would be best for Xia Xia if he could directly take the entire Longyou Dao without losing a single soldier. Because the effect of Du Qi conquering the Longyou Dao and Li Shimin ceding it was completely different.
However, Du Qi smiled and said, "Why should I agree with you, Prime Minister Wei?"
Wei Zheng straightened his neck and said directly, "If you don't agree, then let's go to war. I, Wei Zheng, have already been loyal to the emperor. There's nothing to regret. Everything is up to you, Emperor Xia. Man proposes, and God disposes. At least, I've tried my best. "
"Fine, I'll grant your request," said Du Qi.
"Thank you, Emperor Xia!"
Wei Zheng said, "Farewell. I'll immediately arrange it." He looked at Kong Yingda and nodded. Then, he turned around and left with Kong Yingda. Only Shangguan Yi and the others were left in the tent.
"Your Majesty, this may be Wei Zheng's delaying tactic," said Shangguan Yi. "Because this round trip may take half a month, or even longer. Li Shimin will be able to recruit more soldiers to resist us in such a long time. "
Du Qi said, "If Li Shimin goes all out to fight us, then he won't be able to stabilize the situation in Tibet, the Turks, Goguryeo, and other countries. Li Shimin is now facing internal and external troubles, with many contradictions. "
"So we don't need to worry about anything for now. Besides, if we can seize the Longyou Dao without shedding a drop of blood, it'll be worth it. So, I hope that Li Shimin can cede the entire Longyou Dao. After all, for the sake of survival, Li Shimin ceded the Longyou Dao. If this news spread throughout the Great Tang, it would be a fatal blow to the Great Tang, and Li Shimin's prestige would suffer an unprecedented blow. "
"As for when the war with the Tang Dynasty will start, it's up to us to decide. It's not something Li Shimin can decide."
After pausing for a moment, Du Qi continued, "The most important thing is that it's not like we can't do anything now. Immediately mobilize the bad guys and spread the news in the entire Longyou Dao, saying that Li Shimin has taken the initiative to ask for peace and is considering ceding the Longyou Dao. After this news is spread throughout the Longyou Dao, it will inevitably cause a great turmoil. For us, this is also an opportunity to attract people's hearts. "
"Your Majesty is brilliant!" said Shangguan Yi.
Ma Zhou also said, "Your Majesty is very thoughtful. This subject admires you very much."
Everyone agreed with Du Qi's analysis. Because at present, this was the most cost-effective arrangement, with only benefits and no harm. On the other hand, seizing the entire Longyou Dao without any effort was extremely worth it. As for whether they would make a truce with the Tang Dynasty, that was another matter.
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