PFC Chapter 196 Beidi Mission
Chapter 196 Beidi Mission
In the imperial study room.
As early as when Emperor Jing received the letter from Shen Tang, he had already asked people to wait at the Kyoto dock.
A quarter of an hour ago, a secret guard at the dock had already sent a message saying that Shen Tang had arrived at the dock.
In addition, the ministers in Emperor Jing's imperial study were also waiting.
"Your Majesty, why not let me lead the troops to defeat these Northern Di people directly—"
The general was interrupted before he could finish his words.
"General, this person has already arrived in the capital. It's too late to say this now."
"I heard that this Keda is the most beloved youngest son of the King of Beidi."
The ministers in the Imperial Study were discussing the matter.
This matter began when the envoys from Northern Di came to Beijing a few days ago.
The Northern Di were defeated and requested peace talks. They specially sent Prince Keda to lead a Northern Di delegation to the Great Qi in order to sign a treaty.
The capital is prosperous and a hundred times richer than the border areas.
Koda grew up outside the Great Wall. Not only him, but even his brothers who were much older than him had never seen Shengjing, the capital of the Great Qi.
"Longmu, it would be great if this capital city could be the capital of our Beidi Kingdom."
"Prince, please don't say that. We've already arrived in Da Qi. They have an old saying in Da Qi: 'Walls have ears.'"
Koda knew that he should be careful with his words and actions, but he was used to being unscrupulous in Beidi, so it was difficult for him to adapt for a while.
"Prince, don't forget the king's instructions."
Koda remembered the instructions given by the King of Beidi before he left and calmed down.
Great meeting.
The Beidi delegation and Koda requested peace talks and signed a 100-year armistice treaty.
Emperor Jing and his ministers were overjoyed.
If the treaty of a hundred-year ceasefire is successfully signed, it will ensure the prosperity of the Great Qi for a hundred years.
"It's just that Your Majesty, our king has conditions."
"What conditions do you Beidi have? Tell me first."
The Minister of Revenue spoke first.
After all, as long as there are conditions involved, most people want to get funding from the Ministry of Households.
The Minister of Revenue had to cheer up.
"Hahahaha, sir, don't be anxious. These conditions may have been a bit difficult for Da Qi before, but now they are probably as easy as pie."
Koda smiled and continued:
"During the hundred-year truce, Beidi hopes that Daqi will send us five million dan of grain every year. I also heard that Daqi has developed a new kind of warm clothing called cotton. I, Beidi, also want fifty million jin of this cotton."
As soon as Koda said this, the faces of the ministers in the court became ugly.
This Beidi has such a greedy heart!
One stone of grain weighs about 100 kilograms. With 50 million stones of grain, does this mean that the Great Qi is expected to feed all the Northern Di people?
Moreover, 50 million kilograms of cotton!
They haven't even put on their cotton clothes or covered themselves with quilts yet, and these Northern Di people want 50 million kilograms!
"Prince, you're joking. Even if we empty the Great Qi, we still can't even take out all the grain and cotton."
What this means is that you want too much and we can't give it to you.
Koda and the Beidi envoys did not seem angry after hearing this. After all, it was indeed a bit too much.
"Your Majesty, my Lords, you are far too modest. On our journey north to the capital, we've long heard that Daqi has a thousand kilograms of rice. Now, every household can grow a thousand kilograms of grain per acre, several times more than before.
"The environment in our Beidi is harsh, and we can't grow food. Every year, many people in Beidi starve to death. Now that Daqi has such high-yield rice, if our Beidi couldn't grow it, we wouldn't ask you, Daqi, for it."
The envoy from Beidi told the story in detail, and his eyes became red when he talked about the Beidi people starving to death.
If everyone present was not such a smart person, they would probably have been moved to death.
"The envoy is wrong. The people are growing rice, and they are prosperous. The Great Qi court is diligent in serving the people, and the grain belongs to the people.
Besides, we don't have the final say on cotton. Ning'an Marquis is now solely responsible for cotton. The envoys asked the court for cotton, but they made the wrong request.
If the envoy doesn't believe it, just ask anyone on the street and you'll know for sure. Besides, the cotton is still being grown in the fields."
The Minister of Rites spoke in time.
This woke everyone up.
Yes, this cotton is now in the hands of Ning'an Hou.
They had no cotton either.
"Since the envoy and the prince know about the thousand kilograms of rice and cotton, they must also know that these two powerful weapons for the people came from the hands of Ning'an Hou. Ning'an Hou is a meritorious minister of our Great Qi. Even if we agree to the things that the envoy and the prince ask for, Ning'an Hou may not agree."
Never mind. Marquis Ning'an is not here now, so you'll have to take care of them first.
A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist.
......
That's why Shen Tang was invited into the palace by Emperor Jing as soon as he got off the boat.
Shen Tang had already heard about this on his way into the palace.
So when Emperor Jing asked Shen Tang for his opinion, Shen Tang immediately refuted it.
"Your Majesty, I disagree."
"Lord Shen, this is a 100-year truce."
Emperor Jing sat on the upper hand and sighed.
Looking at the history of the Great Qi, the longest treaty with the Northern Di was only fifty years, but now it has lasted for a hundred years.
How can I not be moved by this?
If Da Qi could have a hundred years of peace, what a prosperous era that would be.
"Your Majesty, my Lords. The Northern Di people's demands far exceed previous needs. With so much food, it's like Great Qi is supporting the Northern Di people.
Since it is my Great Qi that supports the Northern Di, why not just let the Northern Di submit to me, incorporate them into my Great Qi territory, and let them accept my Great Qi's administration?"
What Shen Tang said was very accurate.
"Besides, it's the Northern Di who are now trying to negotiate peace with our Great Qi. Not only are they refusing to pay tribute, they're even demanding compensation from us. If the people knew about this, they'd think we'd been defeated!"
Shen Tang's words made many people blush, and the generals all supported Shen Tang.
"Your Majesty, Marquis Ning'an is right. If the people knew about this, they would probably think that Great Qi allowed the Northern Di people to bully us."
"And the most important thing."
Shen Tang spoke slowly but solemnly:
"The taxes paid by the people of Great Qi must not be allowed to benefit those enemies who killed the people of Great Qi.
My Lords, please do not forget the Northern Di people who killed civilians on our border. Life and death are inevitable in war, but they absolutely should not kill innocent, unarmed civilians.
These words made the generals' eyes red.
I heard that the snow was pink in those days.
"Your Majesty, the Northern Di have made such a huge request. Who knows if they are trying to use the resources of the Great Qi to bide their time?
By then, when they have recovered and regrouped, they will tear up the agreement. What will Da Qi do then?"
"Isn't that just losing both the wife and the army?"
Every word Shen Tang said hit the nail on the head.
Everyone present had been in the officialdom for many years, so how could they not understand this truth?
It's just that I don't dare to say it out loud.
It doesn’t matter. If they don’t dare to say it, then let her say it.
"My Lord, isn't there still a treaty that has stopped the war for a hundred years?"
Shen Tang sneered:
"Do you expect the Northern Di people to keep their promise?"