Is Everything Ready?

Five hundred thousand taels of silver is nothing compared to the imperial court's annual tax revenue, but it also depends on the timing.

Maintaining the operation of the court and supporting military expenditures required a large amount of silver. The court was already "impoverished" and was just waiting to resume farming after the spring to catch its breath.

The initial intention of the peace talks was to "survive." Yunzhou wanted to use the peace talks to drive Great Feng to its doom, which the imperial court would certainly not agree to.

Emperor Yongxing said calmly:

"I intend to negotiate peace with Yunzhou, but it seems that Yunzhou is unwilling to negotiate with the court."

Ji Yuan frowned deeply:

"Your Majesty, this puts me in a difficult position. The Yunzhou army is in high spirits. If it weren't for my father's concern for the people, we would probably already be at the city gates. Yunzhou is sincerely seeking peace, so why does the court see it as if we are giving alms to beggars?"

He reiterated the Yunzhou army's advantage on the battlefield, implying the unequal relationship between the two sides.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongxing and the other officials frowned.

At this moment, Ji Yuan suddenly changed the subject and sighed:

"Fine, I'll take the liberty of making a concession: this year's tribute can be halved, but it must be made up next year."

"Your Majesty, esteemed officials, what are your thoughts?"

Emperor Yongxing silently exhaled and said with a smile:

"As for the details, we'll leave that to the Court of State Ceremonial to discuss with the Princess Envoy."

The so-called detailed rules are just a continuation of haggling and wrangling.

When discussing matters in front of the palace, only the general outline is discussed, and minor details are not mentioned.

Xu Yuanshuang listened silently, and roughly figured out Ji Yuan's tactics. Last night, Ji Yuan and Ge Wenxuan communicated telepathically, discussing and analyzing the thoughts of the Emperor of Great Feng and the officials, as well as their approximate tolerance levels.

The conclusion is that the limit is between 200,000 and 250,000 taels of silver (silk not included).

On the way, Xu Yuanshuang was still thinking that the first condition might be a "fierce battle," but with Ninth Brother's eloquence, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Only now do I realize that I underestimated Ji Yuan.

Xu Yuanshuang's heart stirred with wonder at his accurate estimation, guessing that it was related to his probing and show of force outside the capital yesterday.

After finalizing the first condition, Ji Yuan continued:

"The second condition is that Father Emperor hopes His Majesty will post proclamations widely, acknowledging that my Yunzhou lineage is also the legitimate successor of the Central Plains."

The officials remained calm, and no one stepped forward to issue harsh criticisms.

This is outrageous!

Prince Qian, Emperor Yuanjing's younger brother, dressed in ordinary clothes, strode forward, glared at Ji Yuan, and shouted:

"You traitors, do you deserve to be called the legitimate rulers of the Central Plains? You are nothing but bandits who occupy the mountains and rule as kings."

Several monarchs and princes immediately stepped forward and echoed his sentiments.

In stark contrast to the reactions of the other officials, the attitude of the imperial family was extremely vehement. They argued that the Central Plains lineage was the legitimate successor, so what about us? Were we traitors?

If we really want to delve into it, it is true, but precisely because of this, the royal family of Great Feng will absolutely not admit it or back down.

Ji Yuan's face turned cold. He glanced at the princes and dukes and said indifferently:

"How Emperor Wuzong gained the throne, don't you all know? We just want to reclaim our rightful place and status; it's only human nature."

The prince who had just stepped forward reprimanded:

Five hundred years ago, a tyrannical and incompetent ruler favored virtuous ministers and distanced himself from treacherous officials, persecuting loyal and virtuous people. Emperor Wuzong stepped forward to protect the ancestral foundation, which was in accordance with the will of the people.

Ji Yuan retorted sharply, raising his voice:

"The late Emperor Yuanjing was incompetent and foolish, indulging in the beauty of the Daoist leader and neglecting state affairs for twenty years, leading to widespread suffering among the people. Our Yunzhou lineage could not bear to see our ancestral legacy destroyed by a foolish ruler, so we rose up in rebellion. This is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people."

Several princes and dukes were furious:

"Speaking such nonsense! Your Majesty, this boy should be executed!"

If you gentlemen were to choose, these are conditions you would agree to without hesitation, because there would be no substantial cost involved.

Of course, it wasn't without its costs.

Once the imperial court acknowledges this, the rebels in Yunzhou will have a legitimate reason to rebel. The people's allegiance is secondary; the real fear is that the gentry, landlords, and local officials will have a legitimate reason to betray the government and defect to Yunzhou.

Since they are the legitimate rulers of the Central Plains, it doesn't count as betrayal. Even if they wanted to be loyal and righteous, it would be difficult for them to die rather than surrender.

But these are all minor matters, because given the current situation of the Great Feng, it is impossible to win a war. Since it is impossible to win, it is only a matter of time before the officials betray and defect to the other side.

Therefore, the gentlemen did not have much resistance to this.

However, in the eyes of the royal family, acknowledging Yunzhou as the legitimate successor to the Central Plains was far more unacceptable than 500,000 taels of silver, because it was a betrayal of their ancestors.

Emperor Yongxing frowned and slowly said:

"We'll discuss this later!"

He did not intend to make a decision at this time. In any case, the meeting in front of the palace set the main tone, and the negotiations between the two countries involved complicated details and could not yield results in a short period of time.

Unexpectedly, Ji Yuan was extremely assertive and shook his head:

"Before we came, my father specifically instructed that if His Majesty did not agree to this matter, the peace talks should not continue."

This is tantamount to shutting down the conversation.

Emperor Yongxing, you must either agree or suspend the peace talks. Yunzhou will never back down on this matter.

"Wishful thinking!"

Prince Yu also stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

"I can also tell you that the imperial court will not back down on this matter."

Ji Yuan stood with his hands behind his back and sighed:

"I have already made such a great concession on the annual tribute, giving the court ample face, yet this is the reward I have received."

His face darkened, and he said sternly:

"Are you truly not afraid of my 100,000 iron cavalry of Yunzhou?!"

First, he asserted his right to speak, then used his power, standing tall and straight, making all the princes and dukes appear unreasonable and ungrateful in comparison.

A prince shouted:

"Then I'll kill you as a sacrifice for the flag!"

Ji Yuan sneered:

"If I were afraid of death, I wouldn't have come to the capital."

In fact, the real purpose of this peace talk was to force the Fengtian Kingdom to Great Feng territory and sue for peace without bloodshed; seizing territory was the core objective of Yunzhou.

The more territory he acquires, the more fortune Grand Preceptor Xu Pingfeng can condense, and the closer he will be to becoming a Heavenly Fate Master.

Ji Yuan clung to the second condition, which at first glance seemed like putting the cart before the horse, but in reality, he was certain that Emperor Yongxing would agree.

Compared to practical benefits and even life and death, the reputation of the clan takes a back seat.

This matter was more of a conflict between two branches of the Great Feng royal family, and did not touch upon core interests, so the generals were not very opposed to it.

So, no matter how much the royal family members shout, it's nothing more than impotent rage.

Emperor Yongxing stared at Ji Yuan for a moment, then said, word by word:

"Very well, I agree!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the members of the royal family in the hall changed, and they shouted:

"His Majesty."

Emperor Yongxing raised his hand, his sharp gaze forcing back the princes and dukes:

"My mind is made up!"

The eyes of the imperial clan, including Prince Yu, were filled with disappointment as they looked at Emperor Yongxing.

Emperor Yongxing turned to Ji Yuan and asked:

What is the third condition?

Ji Yuan stretched out his palm, fingers spread, and said loudly:

"The Great Feng Dynasty demands that Yongzhou, Yuzhou, and Zhangzhou be ceded to us."

Inside the Golden Palace, a deathly silence fell for a moment, then a cacophony of voices erupted in the next instant.

Although the officials and Emperor Yongxing had anticipated that Yunzhou might make exorbitant demands for compensation and territory, they had not expected its appetite to be so great.

After fighting each other for so long, the Great Feng has only lost Qingzhou.

Then they want to take over the three provinces without bloodshed through peace talks?

Grand Secretary Qian Qingshu stepped forward, his gaze sweeping coldly over Ji Yuan and the others, and said:

"Although Qingzhou has fallen, the Great Feng still possesses eleven provinces, with a large and numerous army. Do you really think we're afraid of your mere Yunzhou, such a small place?"

"His Majesty's willingness to negotiate peace with you stems from his inability to bear seeing the people suffer further from the ravages of war, not from his fear of Yunzhou."

Ji Yuan burst into laughter and said:

"If I remember correctly, before the autumn harvest, Wei Yuan led 100,000 elite troops to attack the Witch God Sect, and almost suffered a complete annihilation. This is one of them."

"After winter set in, the imperial court once again assembled an army of 90,000 to fight against my Yunzhou soldiers in Qingzhou, where they suffered more than half their losses. This is the second instance."

"The troops in the three northwestern prefectures must be used to resist the harassment of the Western Regions allied forces, and no troops can be spared to support the war in the south, which is the third reason."

"Many soldiers and many generals, indeed! May I ask, Chief Minister Qian, does the imperial court still have enough troops to fight against Yunzhou?"

With each word Ji Yuan spoke, the expressions of the officials in the hall grew increasingly grim.

They wouldn't admit it verbally, but they knew in their hearts that everything Ji Yuan said was true and hit the nail on the head.

The fighting in Leizhou to the west was not serious. The allied forces of the Western Regions mainly engaged in harassment, with constant small battles but no major battles, since the Buddhist School was restrained by the Demon Race of the Southern Frontier.

However, just in case, it is indeed not advisable to mobilize troops on a large scale.

Qian Qingshu was speechless for a moment. He disdained to argue and simply flicked his sleeve with a cold snort.

Seeing the Grand Secretary remain silent in anger after being rebuked, the officials exchanged glances, pondering how to refute him.

At this moment, the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward and slowly said:

"If I remember correctly, in the 30th year of Yuanjing, Yunzhou had 830,000 registered households. May I ask, Envoy Ji, does Yunzhou support one soldier for every ten households, or one soldier for every twenty households? How did you acquire 100,000 iron cavalry?"

"We can accurately estimate how many elite troops Yunzhou has. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. No matter how weak the Great Feng is, it shouldn't be a problem to wipe out all of Yunzhou's elite troops."

The Ministry of Revenue was most sensitive to data on money, grain, household registration, and population.

Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Hong immediately stepped forward and echoed:

"The final outcome will only be a lose-lose situation, and don't forget, the Witch God Cult is watching with predatory eyes, and the Buddhist School allies aren't truly loyal to Yunzhou, are they?"

He was just trying to continue explaining the situation and persuade the young man from Yunzhou.

He was interrupted by loud laughter. Ji Yuan, his face full of mockery, said:

"Lord Liu, these words would fool a three-year-old. To try and manipulate me with your words and twist the facts is utterly ridiculous."

He looked at the Ministry of Revenue:

"What this sir says is true, but so what? Qingzhou is now under our control, and all refugees can be soldiers. If you want to wipe out the elite forces of Yunzhou, feel free to try again."

"Furthermore, the Supervisor has already been slain by our Imperial Advisor in Qingzhou. Without this guardian deity, what gives you the confidence to claim you can wipe out the elite forces of Yunzhou?"

Ultimately, we had to bring up this topic.

It was precisely because the supervisor had been lost that Emperor Yongxing and his officials were terrified. For a while, they dared not sleep at night, fearing that those terrifying extraordinary experts would storm into the capital and the palace, and take their heads in their dreams.

Upon hearing this, Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice retorted:

"Although the Director of the Imperial Observatory is dead, the Great Feng is not without extraordinary experts. There is Sun Xuanji of the Bureau of Astronomy, the Imperial Preceptor Luo Yuheng, Zhao Shou, the Dean of the Cloud Deer Academy, and Xu Qi'an!"

"That's right, we still have Xu Yinluo." As if to encourage themselves, someone chimed in.

Ji Yuan smiled without saying a word, while an official in a scarlet robe behind him sneered:

"Even the Imperial Supervisor died at the hands of our Grand Preceptor. How dare Xu Qi'an- rank official, contend with him? It seems that the Ninth Prince is too humble, making you all think that Yunzhou is afraid of the Great Feng."

"If you want to negotiate peace, then agree to our conditions. If you don't want to negotiate peace, then the strongmen of Yunzhou will naturally come to the capital and wipe you out first. Then the Yunzhou army will besiege the city and take over the Central Plains."

"Do you have any other options?"

The true intentions are revealed when all pretense is laid bare; this is an inevitable part of the negotiation process. The stronger party, holding leverage, uses it to exert pressure.

Territory must be ceded; the details of the negotiations lie in how much territory to cede.

Ji Yuan gently waved his silver-ribbed fan and said calmly:

"Your Majesty and the other officials may not be aware of the details of the day the Supervisor died. That said, the Supervisor was indeed incredibly powerful. If it weren't for the Imperial Preceptor bringing in the legendary divine beast White Emperor from Yunzhou, as well as the Black Lotus Daoist, the leader of the Earth Sect, killing the Supervisor would have been as difficult as ascending to heaven."

He slowly recounted the events of that day when the powerful figures surrounded and killed the supervisor. Of course, it was all fabricated, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that through this so-called account, he made Emperor Yongxing and the other officials understand just how terrifying the extraordinary experts behind Yunzhou were.

Inside the hall, the faces of the royal family members, civil and military officials were all extremely grim, some with gloomy expressions, some with clenched fists, and some with helplessness and dejection.

Humiliation!

Emperor Yongxing couldn't help but pinch his brow, and said in a deep voice:

"The three continents are absolutely impossible; we'll discuss that later. What is the fourth condition?"

This means that they have agreed to cede territory, but the quantity still needs to be discussed.

Ji Yuan raised the corner of his mouth. He had achieved his goal. So far, the negotiation was going smoothly without any major setbacks.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this fourth condition is nothing more than an extra."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongxing's solemn expression softened slightly, and he said:

"Please feel free to speak."

Ji Yuan snapped his silver-ribbed fan shut.

"This official requests His Majesty the supervisor's weapon-forging manual."

Compared to the first three conditions, this is indeed an extra. Although a first-grade Warlock's weapon-refining manual is undoubtedly extremely valuable, items of too high a level are simply not as important as tangible benefits.

Utter defeat!

The imperial court suffered a crushing defeat in its first confrontation with the Yunzhou delegation.

The peace negotiations were inherently unequal. The Great Feng was willing to make peace and inevitably had to make painful concessions. However, the sense of powerlessness shown by the officials and Emperor Yongxing during the process still chilled and disappointed many middle and lower-ranking officials in the capital.

Those four conditions, in the eyes of some intellectuals, were utterly humiliating and detrimental to the nation.

"To cede territory to sue for peace is an utter disgrace!"

The first to cause trouble were the Hanlin Academy, whose members, though lacking real power, were among the most distinguished scholars in the court. They gathered at the Meridian Gate and began to hurl insults.

"You tyrant, the mere loss of Qingzhou has terrified you."

"Death is inevitable for everyone, but we scholars would rather die standing than live on our knees."

"The Yunzhou lineage is the legitimate one? Then what about the current imperial family? And what are we scholars loyal to? A foolish and ungrateful emperor who has forgotten his ancestors."

Then these people were dragged out one by one and flogged until they were barely alive.

This did indeed intimidate some people, but it couldn't stop the rumors from spreading. Shortly after lunch, the students of the Imperial Academy went on strike. Their scholarly spirit was sharp; some wrote satirical articles; some gathered in the marketplace to criticize; and some stormed the Grand Chancellor's office, demanding to submit a petition written in blood to His Majesty.

The events that occurred at the morning court session first spread among the officials and upper classes in the capital, and then gradually reached the common people. By dusk, rumors were circulating in the streets that the court had ceded territory to sue for peace and recognized the rebels as the legitimate rulers of the Central Plains.

"When I saw the bandits from the prefecture enter the city yesterday, I knew the imperial court was suing for peace."

"Sigh, it would be best to avoid war, of course, the world is in chaos. But thinking about it, I still feel resentful. How could the imperial court be defeated so easily? Last year, when they sent troops to fight the Witch God Cult, they were so glorious."

"I heard even the Director of the Imperial Observatory is dead. He was a legendary figure in the Bureau of Astronomy. Alas, things are about to change."

"Where is Xu Yinluo? Is Xu Yinluo just going to stand by and watch the imperial court cede territory and sue for peace?"

"Xu Yinluo has done his best. Didn't the imperial court post a notice recently saying that Xu Yinluo had allied with the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons and the Gu Clan? Even if we lose the Buddhist School as an ally, we still have other allies."

"Alas, who could have imagined that Qingzhou would fall so easily? I've lost all hope. In the past, Xu Yinluo would always step up when something happened."

Post station.

Ji Yuan took out Law Artifact and set up a soundproof array. After listening to his subordinate's report, he smiled and said:

"It's quite lively outside. These ignorant bookworms are fine, they're all insignificant little people. Our next target is to test Xu Qi'an."

Upon hearing that it was related to Xu Qi'an, Xu Qi'an asked:

How to test the waters?

Ji Yuan twirled the small silver-bone fan in his hand and said:

"For example, near the end of the negotiations, I suddenly added a condition: I demanded a marriage alliance with the Great Feng, and the bride must be one of the two princesses from Lin'an and Huaiqing."

Xu Qi'an is engaged to Lin'an; he learned this from someone sent by Consort Chen.

Xu Yuanshuang frowned and said:

Are you looking for death?

If we really do this, whether the peace talks can be successful is one thing, and whether Xu Qi'an will let him leave the capital alive is another.

Ji Yuan laughed heartily:

"The two princesses are of the same clan as me, but the marriage alliance is naturally not between our lineage; it's with Yuan Huai. How do you think Xu Qi'an will react? Would he really harm his own brother?"

"He can!" Xu Yuanhuai's expression suddenly changed; this was pushing him to his death.

"Just kidding, look how nervous you all are."

Ji Yuan chuckled mischievously, then suddenly sat up straight and said:

"Xu Qi'an has not shown his face yet. We do not know what he is planning behind the scenes."

"Although the Supervisor has been sealed away, he is still the Supervisor. Who knows what trump cards he might have left behind? Even the Grand Preceptor doesn't know, so he wants to test Xu Qi'an, to test Xu Qi'an through peace talks, in order to find out what the Supervisor's backup plan is."

Xu Yuanshuang's complexion improved slightly, and she asked:

"What trump cards does Ninth Brother think he has up his sleeve?"

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, then laughed:

"A dead end!"

"This is a dead end for Xu Qi'an. If I were him, I would have ignored the peace talks and then used the time gained from them to beg and plead with powerful beings to become allies."

"So, our trip to the capital was a windfall; there was no danger whatsoever."

Ji Yuan twirled the folding fan in his hand:

"Even if he has extraordinary abilities, he'll have no choice but to accept it. Ah, I really want to see him in his darkest hour, but now is not the time. We have to wait until we conquer the capital."

Jingxiu Palace.

"Mother, I heard Huaiqing say that if we cede territory and sue for peace, the Great Feng will be completely doomed."

Lin'an said with a worried expression, her oval face no longer bright, but shrouded in gloom.

Consort Chen said somewhat anxiously:

"There is no other way. If we don't seek peace, are we going to continue fighting Yunzhou? If there were a chance of victory, would His Majesty and the other officials be so focused on negotiating peace?"

"The only way out now is to negotiate peace; otherwise, are you relying on your fiancé?"

Lin'an bit her lip, on the verge of tears:

"Mother, why do you hate him so much?"

A white-clad figure flashed through Consort Chen's mind, and she gritted her teeth, saying:

"None of the Xus are good people."

She immediately softened and took Lin'an's hand:

"Huaiqing has always been ruthless; you can't trust her. Lin'an, you don't understand. Now, besides negotiating peace, no one can save the court."

Prince's Mansion.

Qian Qingshu, wearing a thick cloak, went straight to Wang Zhenwen's bedroom.

Seeing him enter, Wang Zhenwen waved her hand to dismiss the maids and asked directly:

What are the conditions?

Qian Qingshu recounted the four conditions for Yunzhou.

"Go against the party! Go against the party!!"

Wang Zhenwen cursed several times, then suddenly began to cough violently.

Qian Qingshu sat by the bed, gently patting his back to help him catch his breath, and sighed:

"Things have come to this point, and His Majesty has already agreed. However, ceding three continents is impossible. His Majesty's bottom line is ceding Yuzhou."

"To acknowledge the lineage of Qianlong City as the legitimate successor of the Central Plains, to sow discord among the people of Great Feng, to demand wealth, to drain the resources of Great Feng, to cede three continents, and to establish complete power."

Wang Zhenwen murmured:

"It's over, there's no way to turn the tide, it's all beyond saving."

Even if Wei Yuan were to be resurrected, he still wouldn't be able to turn this game around.

Qian Qingshu sighed:

"But who can persuade His Majesty? Besides, negotiating peace is the only way to go against the tide. Right now, the only one in Great Feng who can go against the tide Xu Qi'an."

"But Brother Wang, isn't forcing Xu Qi'an to break with the court also a conspiracy by the rebels in Yunzhou? The reason he hasn't shown up is because he understands this."

"I've already found out he's in the Bureau of Astronomy, and I've sent word to him. If he wanted to come, he would have arrived long ago."

The Bureau of Astronomy, the main bedroom.

Xu Qi'an was soaking in the bathtub, leaning against the tub wall, with the Flower Goddess, who was nearly forty years old and whose body was more delicate than a young girl, sitting in his lap.

She slumped limply in Xu Qi'an's arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her face flushed, her eyes glazed, and she had no strength left in her body.

"W-what time is it?"

During the long break, Mu Nanzhi asked listlessly.

It was just past lunchtime.

Xu Qi'an held Mu Nanzhi's slender waist tightly, not letting her leave his arms for a moment, his spirits high.

The beauty in his arms was fair and soft, her skin as delicate and elastic as ivory.

Lunch was over, and Mu Nanzhi, her voice trembling with tears, scolded:

"Are you an animal? You won't let me sleep all night! I... I'm not cultivating with you anymore!"

Compared to Xiaoyu, your combat power is truly too weak, Xu Qi'an said.

"The first dual cultivation session is the most effective. My Qi is still growing; I'll stop when I reach my limit. Your Qi is equally powerful, Nanzhi. Do you know how many people crave this kind of explosive growth in cultivation?"

Water was splashed everywhere around the bathtub, and the clothes and undergarments on the screen had long since slipped to the ground, soaked by the overflowing bathwater.

The spacious and sturdy bed was in a mess; the quilt was on the floor, the sheets were wrinkled and disheveled, and the pillow was not at the head of the bed but lying horizontally in the middle.

Thanks to the profound spiritual essence of the Flower Goddess, Xu Qi'an stabilized his foundation in just one night.

Under normal circumstances, it takes about ten days after a promotion to stabilize one's realm and adapt to the power.

At that moment, he felt that familiar heart palpitation.

He beckoned and summoned the fragments of the Earth Book from among the scattered clothes.

[One: The Yunzhou delegation has already met with Yongxing, and Yunzhou has presented four conditions.]

Huaiqing relayed the details of his speech at the morning court session in the Earth Book chat group.

In conclusion, a brief evaluation:

[Part 1: A complete defeat. Ji Yuan is an extremely formidable character, and coupled with his intimidating power, Yongxing and the other officials had no leverage to negotiate with him.]

[Seven: Incompetent!]

"That's what the Holy Son commented."

After reading Huaiqing's account, Li Lingsu felt aggrieved for the Great Feng, let alone Li Miaozhen, who hated evil as if it were her enemy.

[Second: This useless emperor, if he really cedes three continents, wouldn't Xu Pingfeng be even more powerful, and wouldn't the Yunzhou army be even more powerful? Would the Great Feng still have a chance of winning?]

[Xu Ningyan, what should we do? Should we fight it out or what? Just say something.]

Xu Qi'an has been rarely sending letters or speaking lately, appearing extremely negative, which has made the Flying Swallow Heroine extremely anxious and unable to eat or sleep.

The other members of the Heaven and Earth Society were equally anxious, helpless as they watched Great Feng slide step by step into the abyss.

[Three: Don't worry, just focus on your work. I'll handle the peace talks.]

After giving a brief explanation, he held the limp and powerless Mu Nanzhi in his arms while having a private chat with the academically gifted princess.

[Three: Your Highness, is everything ready?]

P. S.: This chapter originally had 8,000 words, but I later deleted over 1,000 words. Sigh, it hurts a little. This chapter has 6,600 words; the remaining 2,600 words are supplementary.