Wen Chenghuan said, "Your Majesty is wise indeed. Great Yong does want to sow discord between Your Majesty and Hu Xiaotian, your subject. Nothing would please them more than plunging Great Kang into internal strife. But Hu Xiaotian is expanding very rapidly now. He is a tiger out of his cage, threatening not only Your Majesty but Great Yong's defensive lines as well."
Long Xuan'en said, "If Great Yong wants to destroy him, I have no objection." He harbored a thought: hateful though Hu Xiaotian was, he could still hold Great Yong in check in the north. For him, that was a blessing, not a curse.
Wen Chenghuan said, "Great Yong's current situation is hardly reassuring either. The Black Hu people are sharpening their weapons and feeding their warhorses along Great Yong's Northern Frontier, poised to invade the south. A major war may well break out next spring. Otherwise, Great Yong would never swallow its anger and negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Hu Xiaotian."
Long Xuan'en said, "What does their agreement have to do with me?"
Wen Chenghuan said, "Your Majesty, Hu Xiaotian's proposal to return the Eastern Luo Granary in five years is nothing but a delaying tactic. He wants time to rest and rebuild, while Great Yong cannot attend to affairs in the south for the moment. Otherwise, they would not have taken the initiative to send envoys to negotiate peace with each side separately. I believe their true purpose in sending two delegations is to squeeze as much benefit out of us as possible."
Long Xuan'en nodded and said, "They are worried that when war breaks out with Black Hu, we will strike them from behind."
Wen Chenghuan said, "Whatever their motives, Great Kang can gain some tangible benefits this time. These past few days, acting on