0p0 Chapter 350 Peace Negotiations in Progress
Chapter 350 Peace Negotiations in Progress
Yingyang learned that evening that peace had been agreed upon the following morning, which put him at ease.
He had long considered the peace negotiations, but the key issue that had prevented an agreement was that the Xia state wanted to acquire the fine horses of the Rongdi tribe, but the Rongdi tribe refused to give them up.
He had already planned to back down on the issue of the fine steed during peace negotiations, but in the past few days a new idea has come to him that might be more beneficial to the future development of the tribe.
The next morning, when Ying Yang entered Qin Shao's command tent on time, he was surprised to find only Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan there. He stopped in his tracks.
"Why are you two here? Where is General Qin? Is he busy with something important?"
Gu Zhanghua, who was sitting behind the table, was slowly brewing tea. Upon hearing this, he smiled slightly at Ying Yang and gestured for him to sit down.
"King Rongdi, please sit down. General Qin has entrusted me and my queen with the entire responsibility of negotiating peace with you today."
Ying Yang hesitated for a moment, then sat down opposite Gu Zhanghua.
"Can the two of you make this decision?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuan, who was sitting next to Gu Zhanghua, felt displeased and gave Ying Yang a haughty glance.
"You are a king, and so is our wise king. What, are we not worthy? Do we expect His Majesty to come and talk to you?"
Ying Yang understood Zhao Xuan's implication: he, the king of the Rongdi tribe, was not worthy to sit on equal footing with His Majesty the Emperor of Xia. The appearance of the Wise King and his consort was already a great honor for him.
Yingyang was somewhat annoyed, but he couldn't help but admire the virtuous princess, who had immediately extinguished his arrogance in underestimating them.
"Please have some tea, the finest Huangshan Yunwu tea. I only brought a small jar with me on the way here, and now there's only a little left. I hope King Rongdi will like it."
As Gu Zhanghua spoke, he pushed a cup of tea in front of Ying Yang.
The aroma of tea filled the air. Yingyang subconsciously picked up the teacup, took a sip, pursed his lips, and looked quite content. Then, he couldn't help but sigh.
Zhao Xuan was completely bewildered by Ying Yang's series of actions.
Why are you sighing while you're just drinking tea?
Yingyang seemed to immediately sense Zhao Xuan's doubts, put down his teacup, and gave Zhao Xuan an apologetic smile.
"Please excuse my poor Princess Consort. The tea is very good. It is slightly bitter at first, but then has a refreshing sweetness after swallowing."
Yingyang couldn't help but sigh again.
"Tea is a good thing. It can refresh the mind, relieve fatigue, and remove fishy smells and greasiness. But for our Rongdi tribe, it is a rare commodity. Ordinary families can't even drink it once a year."
Zhao Xuan's eyes darted around.
"Does the Rongdi king intend to exchange tea with us? Why don't you tell us how you intend to do it?"
Ying Yang's face lit up with joy, but after a moment's hesitation, Gu Zhanghua cut to the chase.
"The main purpose of this peace negotiation is to establish a border town on the northern border of Xia, exchanging local specialties such as cattle and sheep from the Rong and Di tribes for Xia's grain, salt, cloth, and other necessities. Of course, tea could also be included, but..."
"But what?"
Yingyang had already anticipated what Gu Zhanghua was going to say, but still asked directly.
Gu Zhanghua stared intently into Ying Yang's eyes.
"However, the Xia Kingdom still insists on exchanging its fine horses for those of the Rongdi tribe. What are the Rongdi king's thoughts on this? If this matter is not resolved, there is no need to continue discussing anything else!"
The two stared at each other without blinking, as if whoever blinked first would be at a disadvantage.
A moment later, Yingyang picked up the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then put the teacup back on the table.
“Your Highness is truly not being polite! Fine! I agree to add my tribe’s finest horses, but the number exchanged per year cannot exceed one hundred…”
Zhao Xuan frowned slightly; a hundred horses were far too few.
She and Gu Zhanghua had learned from Qin Shao that the Xia army's cavalry was in dire need of good warhorses. The most important thing in this peace negotiation was the fine horses of the Rongdi tribes. At least a thousand horses were needed per year in order to build a super-strong cavalry force in a short period of time.
Gu Zhanghua was clearly aware of this as well. Instead of directly bargaining with Ying Yang, he asked Ying Yang another question.
"Then may I ask, how many bushels of grain is a fine steed equivalent to, and how many Rong and Di tribes could survive the cold winter without resorting to plundering, with just one bushel of grain?"
"This……"
Faced with Gu Zhanghua's aggressive questioning, Ying Yang was clearly caught off guard and momentarily speechless, unable to process what was happening.
Zhao Xuan pressed her advantage and teamed up with Gu Zhanghua.
"We don't want to ask how many people the Rongdi tribe has in total, but you, King Rongdi, should know the answer. You can calculate it yourself. Our Xia Kingdom doesn't do business at a loss!"
Moreover, how could we, the people of Xia, so painstakingly toil from dawn till dusk, easily give away the grain we have grown with our sweat and toil?
Ying Yang looked at Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua and suddenly smiled approvingly.
"I have long heard that Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and I am sure you will understand my intention to seek peace for the Rong and Di people. I did not expect that Your Majesty's wife is also a person who has suffered hardship, and that she can be so understanding of the hardships of the common people. I have really underestimated you two!"
Gu Zhanghua chuckled inwardly. Would praising them make them lower their guard and loosen their standards?
impossible!
But before he could even speak, Zhao Xuan had already made her stance clear.
“King Rongdi, we know that it is not easy for you to maintain such a large estate, but over the years, if it were not the Rongdi tribe that actively invaded our northern border, when has the Xia army ever actively harassed your tribe?”
If you worry that having enough horses will strengthen our cavalry and harm the Rong and Di tribes, you truly underestimate the magnanimity of my Great Xia Kingdom! You are judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person!
At this point, Zhao Xuan shook her head slightly and chuckled.
"If our Xia Kingdom thinks like the Rongdi king, I would like to ask, wouldn't it be like raising a tiger to cause trouble for ourselves by providing you with enough food and strengthening your tribe?"
Zhao Xuan plays the bad cop, so Gu Zhanghua naturally has to play the good cop.
So he spoke with utmost sincerity.
“I can understand the hard work of the Rongdi people in herding livestock. Cattle, sheep and horses are your means of survival. We, the people of Xia, feel the same way. I hope that you, the Rongdi king, can reconsider. Without enough horses, we really cannot exchange them for enough grain.”
Gu Zhanghua paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then continued.
"I'll be frank. In previous years, there have been some private transactions. On average, a fine horse costs about six to eight taels of silver, which can be exchanged for three shi of grain."
This year, grain prices have risen sharply. With transportation costs and losses along the way, the cost of transporting grain to Yancheng has reached three taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure).
To put it another way, to show our sincerity, we can agree to exchange one horse for four bushels of grain, but this condition will only be met if we have enough good steeds.”
The couple talked back and forth, leaving Yingyang speechless for a while, but what they said was true.
Upon hearing this, Ying Yang fell into deep thought. He could sense the Princess Consort's firm attitude, but he could also feel the sincerity of the Prince and his wife.
The establishment of border towns in the northern border region of Xia Kingdom has concerns for both sides, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
The Xia Kingdom has already conceded a step and agreed to peace talks, and he has also conceded a step and agreed to provide fine horses; the only point of contention is the quantity.
This was the most promising opportunity to reach an agreement, and Yingyang didn't want to let it slip away, but he still wanted to secure the greatest possible benefit for the Rongdi tribe.
It seems we're going to have a head-on confrontation today. If he doesn't back down, a stalemate is likely. But how much should he concede?
He needs to think about it carefully.
After a moment's thought, Ying Yang directly stated his position.
"Your Highness, Your Highness's Wisdom, perhaps I should return and consider this further. How about we discuss it again tomorrow?"