“Our Great Zhou has many soldiers and generals. Even if we send three people as hostages to Yan, what harm could there be? When it’s time to fight… we won’t lack good generals!” The military general cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan. “Not to mention that our Majesty is naturally skilled in warfare and is the Great Zhou’s god of war.”
“It’s Yan who’s begging our Great Zhou to agree to this national gambling strategy. It’s also Yan who faces the danger of national destruction, not a treaty of equals between two nations. What right does Yan have to demand that our Great Zhou send hostages into Yan?” Bai Qingyan smiled as she spoke. “Since our Great Zhou is strong, we should display the attitude of the strong… using strength to bully the weak. How is it that our court ministers are now talking about fairness with Yan? Uncle, you’re being too honest…”
With Bai Qingyan’s words, the atmosphere in the court relaxed, and some court officials laughed aloud at her phrase “using strength to bully the weak.”
“Exactly! Your Majesty is right! We are a strong nation… we should display the attitude of a strong nation. If we don’t use strength to bully the weak, what kind of strong nation would we be? Minister Dong, you’re too honest!”
Hearing this, Dong Qingping also laughed aloud, touching his nose and saying: “It’s my fault! Let’s do as Your Majesty says—use strength to bully the weak and oppress Yan a bit…”
The tense court atmosphere dissipated. Even Grand Commandant Lu couldn’t help but curl his lips and exchange a glance with Minister Shen.
“Naturally…” Bai Qingyan paced unhurriedly on the high platform. “Using strength to bully the weak also requires moderation—we can’t go too far. My meaning is… Yan must send their Regent, Prince Murong Li, and Great General Xie Xun as hostages to our Great Zhou. Our Great Zhou can present Yunjing to Yan.”
“Yunjing is no big matter—cities are gained today and lost tomorrow, and sooner or later it will all belong to our Great Zhou anyway!” A military general said confidently. “However, Duke Zhenguo nearly… for this Yunjing, so giving Yunjing to Yan like this still makes us feel uncomfortable.”
Even this military general who hadn’t participated in the campaign to destroy Western Liang felt uncomfortable, let alone those Great Zhou soldiers who had fought hard in Western Liang to capture Yunjing, not to mention… the soldiers under Duke Zhenguo Bai Qingyu’s command.
“Don’t be ungrateful after getting a good deal!” Bai Qingyan looked at the military general with a smile. “One Yunjing in exchange for one Yan—this trade isn’t a loss!”
“Your Majesty is right!” Minister Shen nodded. “As long as we detain Yan’s capable generals in the capital, even if we end up fighting in the future, our Great Zhou has nothing to fear! This opportunity to gamble the nation… is worth a try.”
“But will Yan agree to this?”
“Yan currently has no choice. Either the Great Zhou can immediately send troops to destroy their nation! Or… obediently send people to the capital and struggle for survival for three years.” Minister Shen looked at Grand Commandant Lu. “Grand Commandant, if you were Yan… how would you choose?”
“If I were Yan, these three years… would be an opportunity to gather strength for a desperate final gamble. Why wouldn’t I want it?” Grand Commandant Lu spoke steadily. “Perhaps Yan still harbors wishful thinking, believing that if they truly win against our Great Zhou in governance after three years, our Great Zhou will obediently present Great Zhou with both hands.”
“However, this old minister thinks that the possibility of Yan wanting to use three years to gather strength for one final gamble is greater!” Grand Commandant Lu said.
Bai Qingyan also nodded: “Regardless, what’s urgent now is Yan, not our Great Zhou. Yan is certainly more anxious than us. Let them wait!”
After speaking, Bai Qingyan looked at Liu Rushi: “Minister Liu…”
Liu Rushi quickly stepped forward: “This minister is here!”
“This matter of establishing the alliance between the two nations is entrusted to you to negotiate. Tell them that our Great Zhou agrees to their Emperor of Yan’s national policy gambling agreement, but the prerequisites and requirements must be made clear to Yan! If Yan doesn’t agree, we have no other option but to fight! This way, Yan can’t use the excuse that our Great Zhou doesn’t cherish our soldiers’ lives, doesn’t care about the people’s lives, and is militaristic.”
“This minister understands. Your Majesty, rest assured!” Liu Rushi responded.
“By the way… that brother of the Empress Dowager of Yan is also in Yan’s diplomatic mission this time. Let’s keep the Empress Dowager’s brother as well!” Bai Qingyan said with a smile. “Don’t rush to negotiate—let them cool their heels for a few days first.”
“This minister understands. Your Majesty and this minister think alike!” Liu Rushi said with a smile.
“Good, then this matter is entirely entrusted to Minister Liu.”
Liu Rushi’s tongue had never disappointed Bai Qingyan—let them go negotiate!
If Bai Qingyan demanded to keep Yan’s Regent as a hostage in Great Zhou right from the start, probably the entire Yan court wouldn’t agree.
But if the Great Zhou didn’t create difficulties for Yan and smoothly agreed to Murong Li’s strategy of merging the two nations, it might make the Yan court and Empress Dowager suspicious. Even if they weren’t suspicious, they would think that she, the Emperor of Great Zhou, and Great Zhou’s court ministers were all fools.
The more difficult this negotiation with Yan became, the more the Empress Dowager would understand how strained her relationship with Xiao Rongyan had become.
If… if the Empress Dowager truly allowed Xiao Rongyan to remain in Great Zhou for the sake of preserving the nation, that would be good too… then their family could be reunited earlier.
However, if the Empress Dowager didn’t fight for him with reason and find ways to let Xiao Rongyan return, it might break A Yan’s heart.
She knew that A Yan had always respected his sister-in-law.
Soon, news of Yan’s visit to Zhou, wanting to determine victory through national policies and establish a strategy for merging the two nations, spread throughout.
Not only were the students at the Imperial Academy discussing it animatedly, but even the common people in the streets and alleys who cared about political affairs were talking about it.
Most of the students disagreed with the strategy of determining victory through national policies to merge the two nations. After all, the Great Zhou’s army was currently positioned at Yan’s borders, ready to strike and destroy Yan at any time. Why not eat the meat that was already at their lips and instead wait three years?
However, the common people felt that if the two nations could merge into one without fighting, achieving unification of the realm, it would be a good thing. This way, there would never again be incidents where border people were harmed due to conflicts over the interests of both nations.
Naturally, some common people also believed that each nation could live its own life without necessarily needing unification—mutual non-aggression would suffice.
The capital was at the foot of the Son of Heaven, so naturally, the people would be more concerned about political affairs.
To put on a show for the Yan diplomatic mission, Xiao Rongyan sent people out to gather information in various parts of the capital, listening to the opinions of servants in noble households about this matter.
Servants’ opinions were often influenced by their masters, so the servants could reveal to some extent whether the nobles supported the merger of the two nations. Then he had Zhong Xingxiao go manage these relationships.
Zhong Xingxiao repeatedly agreed and also privately sent people out to gather intelligence. He feared that Xiao Rongyan originally disagreed with the strategy of merging the two nations and was forced to come to the capital by the Empress Dowager. What if he was secretly scheming to sabotage this negotiation between the two nations by giving him false information, leaving him to take the blame in the end?