The Martial Emperor fell ill at this ti, sending his councilors into a frenzy. The North Country's army was stationed in Youping County, poised to march south at any mont, and the emperor, the sovereign of the nation, ironically beca an "absentee landlord."
Fortunately, the Martial Emperor eventually issued an imperial decree, instructing Prince Wu Ming to lead a diplomatic mission northward to sue for peace with the North Country.
When the imperial decree was announced, the officials aligned with Prince Lu Yi felt very pleased within. Seeking peace was hardly an enviable task.
On one hand, the Martial Emperor was known for his hardline stance; he had waged many wars in his life and had never sought peace with any power before. This was his first ti doing so, which, for the Martial Emperor, was a humiliation and a stain on his reputation.
In the future, the Martial Emperor might see Prince Wu Ming and be reminded of this blot on his rule, and consequently harbor feelings of disgust toward the prince.
That was on one front, but there was also the fact that Great Wu had been defeated in the war with the North Country, which would surely make hefty demands. Concessions of territory and indemnity were a given; if Prince Wu Ming failed to handle negotiations well and increased Great Wu's losses as a result, he could say goodbye to any chance of being the Crown Prince.
After hearing that the Martial Emperor intended to send an envoy to the North Country, Wu Junwan tried every possible way to persuade the emperor to choose her for the mission. Despite all her efforts, the Martial Emperor completely ignored her, although Chai Jiliang ntioned it several tis to him. Not only did the emperor not agree, but he also demoted Chai Jiliang.
The reaction of the Martial Emperor left Wu Junwan in utter despair; it seed that her father had lost hope in her, and she would never be allowed to participate in politics again.
North Country.
Today, the weather was fair and the winds were gentle. Lu Chen took the rare opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea with his wives and concubines in the courtyard.
The first phase of the war had ended, and now it was ti for peace talks.
Lu Chen sat on a stone bench, sipped so Dragon and Phoenix Tea, and then playfully teased the child in Chu Yuqin's arms.
At that mont, Dongfang Longyue, dressed in plain white clothes, entered the courtyard. She had been working at the newspaper office earlier that day. While writing, she suddenly thought of the peace talks between Great Wu and the North Country and hurried back to the Prince's Mansion to find Lu Chen, wishing to discuss what demands North Country would propose during the negotiations.
This is how political consultations work: when emissaries from one country are to visit another, both countries engage in maneuvering to gain the upper hand.
With Great Wu's emissaries coming to North Country, it was ti for the latter to shape public opinion and release so conditions for the peace talks to ntally prepare Great Wu.
Dongfang Longyue held a notebook in her left hand and a pen in her right as she approached Lu Chen and asked, "Prince, since Great Wu will soon be negotiating peace with North Country, may I know what terms North Country plans to propose?"
Lu Chen replied, "That still needs to be discussed in the Hall of Political Affairs along with the officials, so nothing has been decided yet."
Although Lu Chen was a prince, such a matter of state still required the deliberation of the Small Court of North Country before any decisions could be made. Stay tuned to mvl
Hearing Lu Chen's response, Dongfang Longyue quickly jotted sothing down in her notebook, then continued to inquire, "What are the Prince's thoughts on the matter? What do you think Great Wu should offer to North Country in reparation?"
Lu Chen thought for a mont and then said, "As for reparations, gold cos first, and then land."
"Of course, these two are just the basics. Additionally, I plan to demand that Great Wu open up more trading cities and that all trade between Great Wu and North Country from now on must be conducted with the currency that North Country is about to introduce."
Dongfang Longyue quickly took notes and, noticing that Lu Chen had stopped speaking, probed further, "Are there any other conditions?"
Lu Chen said, "To prevent Great Wu from seeking revenge against North Country in the future, Great Wu must send hostages to North Country."
At these words, Dongfang Longyue was taken aback, as were the won in the courtyard; none of them were fools. As soon as Lu Chen ntioned hostages, they thought of a certain person.
Without missing a beat, Dongfang Longyue asked directly, "Is the Prince going to decide who the hostage will be, or will Great Wu have a say in the matter?"
Lu Chen responded, "Since the individual is to serve as a hostage, they must indeed fulfill the role of a hostage. If we leave it to Great Wu to decide, they might send soone of no importance to North Country, which would render the notion of a hostage aningless. Therefore, the hostage must be chosen by North Country."
Hearing Lu Chen's answer, the won in the courtyard beca even more convinced of their suspicions.
Dongfang Longyue pressed on, "Does the Prince already have soone in mind for the hostage?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers