PFC Chapter 46: This isn't blackmail, it's for your own good...
Chapter 46: This isn't blackmail, it's for your own good...
Gu Jingzhi and his entourage arrived at the inn where the Beili delegation was staying, and Baili Gongshu was there with his men to greet them.
Seeing them arrive, there was naturally some politeness, and then a new round of negotiations began.
"Master Baili, I believe you are aware of the attitude of our civil and military officials. If you want to talk about this..."
"His Royal Highness..."
Baili Gongshu knew what the prince wanted to say the moment he heard it. He ignored the etiquette and directly stopped the prince from speaking. Then he said, "It is normal for two countries to have different ideas in diplomatic relations. But how can Daxia know that Beili is not sincere enough?"
"Oh?"
The Crown Prince hesitated and said, "If Lord Baili still speaks the same way as before in Wuying Palace, then there is no need to say anything more. You should know that such remarks will not convince the ministers of our dynasty."
"This……"
Baili Gongshu was stunned by the prince's words. He lowered his head and pondered for a while before saying, "If Beili were to cease to exist, Liyue would certainly covet the territory of Daxia. Forgive my ignorance, but with the might of His Majesty the Great Xia, he would surely understand this. Why..."
"Why did you reject the Northern Lihe Alliance, huh?"
Seeing that the prince looked like a mascot after he finished speaking, Gu Jingzhi couldn't help but speak up and take over the topic.
Baili Gongshu looked at the two of them and nodded hesitantly.
Gu Jingzhi immediately laughed and said, "Master Baili, although the border between our two countries has been quite peaceful in recent years, this is only because your country is at war with Li Yue and dares not to engage in friction with our Great Xia on the border!"
"If Beili is not threatened by Liyue, in your opinion, can the border between the two countries enjoy peace?"
Baili Gongshu fell silent.
Gu Jingzhi smiled and said, "I believe your Excellency knows in his heart that this is simply impossible, right?"
Baili Gongshu said, "Since Deputy Envoy Gu has mentioned this issue, I will not deny that it is indeed impossible to enjoy peace and tranquility like we do now!"
"That's it!"
Gu Jingzhi smiled and said, "Since there is no absolute peace between countries, then for Daxia, what's the harm in changing a neighbor?"
"What's more, if we form an alliance with Li Yue, we can at least gain some benefits!"
"Master Baili holds the position of Prime Minister of Beili. You wouldn't be like an ordinary scholar who believes that only morality exists between nations, right?"
I'm coming……
Baili Gongshu was shocked.
If it’s not morality, then it must be interests!
Gu Jingzhi's words showed that there was still room for discussion! It seemed that the gift he had given earlier was not useless after all!
He smiled and said, "I am a little curious. Since it's not just about morality, I wonder what Daxia wants?"
"Ten Northern States!"
Gu Jingzhi's face changed. "It has been twenty years since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, but the border areas have not been recovered. This is a shame for the Great Xia Dynasty. Now Li Yue has sent envoys to the Xia Dynasty, wanting to form an alliance with the Great Xia Dynasty. This is a perfect opportunity given by God to recover the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty!"
"If we can't get back the lost territory, I'm afraid all the officials in the court will quit!"
Upon hearing this, Baili Gongshu was immediately shocked: "Daxia actually wants me to cede ten states? This is impossible!"
"What do you mean by ceding? If you say that those ten states belong to your Beili territory, then that's ceding. But these ten states belong to my Great Xia territory! That's called returning it!"
Gu Jingzhi deliberately played with the words just to reduce the resistance in Baili Gongshu's heart.
However, even so, Baili Gongshu said firmly: "This is simply impossible! I, Beili, do not ask Daxia to send troops. We only need to maintain peace between the two countries. Daxia will not suffer any loss. But you are asking us to give up ten states. This is absolutely unacceptable!"
"Lord Baili, you should know that if these ten states are not returned, once your country goes to war with Liyue, our dynasty can take advantage of your country being mired in the quagmire of war and launch an army to reclaim our homeland!"
Gu Jingzhi was not disappointed and argued forcefully, "Although launching a war will cause our dynasty to suffer losses, even great ones, this is a God-given opportunity! If we can wash away our dynasty's shame and reclaim our homeland with the blood of our soldiers, I believe our soldiers will be willing to sacrifice their lives!"
"This……"
Baili Gongshu hesitated.
If the letter had not been submitted previously, he might have suspected that Gu Jingzhi was bluffing, but with the opposition led by Song Pu, he naturally had a certain understanding of Daxia's attitude.
What's more, when he left Wuying Palace, Prince Beili's overjoyed behavior also deeply stimulated him.
A prince of a country was on a diplomatic mission to another country, and he disregarded etiquette even at such a solemn moment as presenting the letter of credence. He must have had a very pleasant conversation with Gu Jingzhi.
If Li Yue was the first to offer conditions that would make Da Xia interested, then his trip would be in vain.
He thought for a moment and said, "Deputy Envoy Gu, territorial matters are beyond my power to decide. How about something else... For example, if our two countries can trade with each other, I, Beili, will give Daxia an additional 20,000 war horses?"
Everyone in the world knows that Daxia is short of horses.
Gu Jingzhi laughed and said, "Lord Baili, although Great Xia lacks war horses, it's not that we don't have any! How can a mere 20,000 war horses compare to the land of ten states? Besides, if our dynasty recovers our homeland, will we still be short of war horses?"
"..."
Baili Gongshu hesitated. It seemed that his conditions did not impress Gu Jingzhi at all!
"Master Baili, although the ten states are a lot of land, consider it from another perspective...it's actually not that hard to accept!"
Seeing that he was hesitant, Gu Jingzhi couldn't help but say, "These ten states are the icing on the cake. For Beili, it's just more financial revenue!"
"But if Beili is gone, what meaning will these ten states have for you... and your emperor? After all, your country and Liyue are at war, a life-and-death struggle for national destiny!"
"Boom!"
Baili Gongshu felt as if his head exploded and his scalp felt numb!
Gu Jingzhi continued to say, "But if these ten states are returned to Daxia, not only will we gain Daxia's friendship, but your country can also dispatch a large number of soldiers to support the national war!"
"Deputy Envoy Gu, it's not that I don't believe in Daxia's sincerity, but as you said, between nations, besides morality, interests are more important! If our dynasty withdraws soldiers, how can we guarantee that Daxia will not go back on its word?"
Although Baili Gongshu was shocked, he was not fooled by Gu Jingzhi.
Gu Jingzhi's eyes turned. He had already thought about this question and said, "Master Baili may not trust Daxia, but he must trust your country..."
"???"
Baili Gongshu was a little confused. Why did these words sound so contradictory?
Gu Jingzhi laughed and said, "Your country's Yunjin Defense Line is one of the most powerful passes in the world. In the past, even a famous general like Gu Shun, who was good at attacking, failed to conquer this pass even though he led an army of 400,000... Hehe!"
He suddenly chuckled and turned to look at the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, I'm not very familiar with this battle example, but I'd like to ask who led the Beili army guarding this pass back then? How many troops were there?"
The prince was stunned.
I was just listening to it with great interest, why are you asking me suddenly?
However, Baili Gongshu was shocked and seemed to understand something!