The emperor recalled that this matter had been discussed for so long, but there was no result, and it could not be delayed for so long, the peace envoys were about to arrive, and the war in the northwest should also be calmed down, and the rewards and punishments were clear, which was indispensable. "Han Aiqing, Jiang Shunqing, I am going to cooperate with King Wu to come up with a detailed charter on the twelve northwest proposals for governance proposed by the king of the left shoulder."

For the first time, Han Shangshu felt that he and Jiang Shuncheng could also talk together, the important thing is that he and Jiang Shuncheng both wanted to win more benefits for the northwest soldiers, and they were all for the northwest and the imperial court, and they were the same in this regard.

"Obey the Divine Commandment!"

The emperor covered his forehead, "Stand down." ”

"Retire!"

Han Shangshu and Jiang Shuncheng withdrew from the imperial study, and after they settled, they looked at each other and smiled.

Jiang Shuncheng clenched his fists and said: "Lord Han, I don't know a lot about military affairs, and I have to ask Han Shangshu to draft the charter early. ”

"Prime Minister Jiang is dedicated to the Northwest soldiers, and I thank the Prime Minister for them."

"Lord Han is polite, we are all doing errands for the emperor and the court, and it is our duty to be conscientious and conscientious."

The two of them whispered a few more words, and then they went home separately.

Han Shangshu sat on the horse, looked at Jiang Shuncheng's sedan chair in the distance, and breathed a long sigh of relief: "Damn, someone actually said that Prime Minister Jiang Cheng is a traitor, where is he treacherous?" ”

The little guy on the side said with a smile: "Prime Minister Jiang Cheng is cautious and easy-going, that's it, the people in the Metropolitan Procuratorate are also picky in the eggs, and they can always find his mistakes." ”

What are the imperial historians for, aren't they just picking on the mistakes of hundreds of officials?

Even if a saint was placed in front of them, they could pick out a few, let alone a secular person like Jiang Shuncheng.

Han Shangshu looked at Jiang Shuncheng, no matter how he looked at it, he was a good minister and a virtuous minister, and it was good that people could think so much for the soldiers in the northwest.

*

On July 25, the city of Xiqi was broken.

Yang Bingzhong led nearly 300,000 male soldiers to the northwest. The mighty generals were full of morale and morale, like dark clouds pressing on the top, like a mountain besieged, so that Tuoba Zhao was unable to fight back under repeated defeats, and had to retreat to Yicheng and evacuate to Shanzhou.

On the third day of the first month of August, the city of Shanzhou in Xiqi was in an emergency, and Yang Bingzhong adopted the suggestion that Su Yan besieged but did not attack, and cut off his wings first. successively captured the two cities around Shanzhou.

On the seventh day of August, Shanzhou became an isolated city......

The Imperial City, the Western Parliament and the envoys arrived. However, when he heard the news of the success of the Northern Qi counteroffensive, he was so anxious that he burned his eyebrows, and Emperor Xiqi sent a document urging peace for 800 li.

If it continues like this, it will be extremely disadvantageous to Yu Xiqi. Tuoba Zhao's 300,000 male divisions are now only more than 100,000. The soldiers and combat effectiveness were far inferior to those of the Northern Qi.

The envoy talked with Zhou Chen and Han Shangshu in the post house for five days, but there was no result, and Zhou Chen even asked for a sky-high price, saying that this war was originally provoked by the West, and the Northern Qi lost 400,000 soldiers and nearly 2 million people were homeless. More than 800,000 people died in the war, and the loss of more than 1.2 million people should be compensated by Xiqi.

If you can't talk about it, then don't talk about it.

The Xiqi envoys were grinding their kung fu with Zhou Chen and Han Shangshu. But after a few days, Zhou Chen was also a little soft-hearted, and Han Shangshu didn't dare to let him take half a step. "If you don't agree, it doesn't matter, we got the news yesterday. Marshal Yang has captured Shanzhou and is planning to attack Xibao City to the west......"

Fort West. An urban pond 200 miles southwest of Xiqi Dadu, adjacent to Dadu.

This is only August, how the situation of the war has changed, the Northern Qi actually waved troops in the direction of the capital, isn't this to the west to destroy the country.

The envoy made people inquire and knew that the news was true, and it had spread all over the imperial city recently, and even the people were all happy, saying that the war in the northwest had improved, and it had given Northern Qi a long face. The envoy stroked his forehead, drenched in sweat.

Han Shangshu raised his voice: "Is it to be discussed?" Lord Yelu, I heard that General Abaojin is your brother-in-law? Also, Your Royal Highness the Fourth Prince of your country has now arrived in the Imperial City, can you take a look? ”

The Northern Qi people not only have more than 100,000 soldiers who were captured alive, but also hostages such as the Four Princes, Abaojin, and the Lame Military Division, and there is no room for mistakes between hundreds of thousands of soldiers and the Four Princes.

The envoy clasped his fists and said, "Two adults, please let me think about it!" ”

Han Shangshu glanced at Zhou Chen, "Lord Zhou, let's go!" Let him think slowly, this awakening, Ming'er may not be able to say that the news of the capture of Xibao City will come, and if it drags on for a few more days, Marshal Yang and Wang Ke on the left shoulder will hit the capital of Xiqi, Ha Lu Ha ......"

The alliance under the city refers to an unfair covenant, and this is the case with the current Xiqi and Northern Qi.

The envoy of Xiqi wanted to delay it any longer, but he no longer had the capital to delay, and the more he dragged it out, the worse Xiqi would lose. But he can't make any decisions privately, and there are only countless "what to do?" in his mind. ”。

Xiqi is poor in resources and is not as rich as Northern Qi. Northern Qi has grain, silk, fertile land, and a large number of people. Xiqi is mostly a nomadic people, with a large number of cattle, sheep and pastures, but lacks land to grow food, the population is far less than that of Northern Qi, and the lives of the people are not as rich as those of Northern Qi.

160,000,000,000 taels of silver, isn't this going to cut off the back road of Xiqi?

In the words of Han Shangshu, "Northern Qi lost 1.2 million people in the war, and the compensation was 160 million taels of silver, which is very cost-effective!" However, the annual income of the state treasury of Xiqi is only 10 million taels of silver, which is not to trap the entire Xiqi in vain. But if they don't agree, with the current strength of the Northern Qi, there are still 200,000 soldiers in the Cangzhou Praetorian Guard, and the Royal Forest Army and the Yulin Army are the most powerful soldiers in the Northern Qi.

On 26 August, the envoys of Xiqi again received a secret letter from Emperor Xiqi, urging him to form an alliance and negotiate peace as soon as possible.

The envoy said to Zhou Chen and Han Shangshu: "Compensation of 80 million taels of silver, 1,000 cattle and sheep (only) every year, another 100 horses, and 5,000 furs of all kinds......"

Han Shangshu almost jumped up and scolded, "Do you think this is business? Most of the cuts at once are more than enough. No, no, 160,000,000 taels of silver, all of a sudden it becomes 80,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, ”

Zhou Chen said with a smile: "Lord Yelu, this is too low, not to say that it is me, but to the court to say, when the time comes, the civil and military ministers of the Northern Qi Dynasty will not be able to scold me and Lord Han for being incompetent, and they can't even do such a trivial matter." ”

The envoy thought about the letter that he had repeatedly urged. It stands to reason that the two sides negotiated peace and should stop the war, but since the envoy set foot on the road of peace, the situation in the northwest suddenly changed, and Xiqi was defeated again and again, but in a month's time, the Northern Qi advanced for 900 miles, and this formation was the same as when the Xiqi sent troops to attack the Northern Qi in the past.

In the past few days, because of the peace negotiation, the Northern Qi no longer attacked the city. But hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the Northern Qi Dynasty were hoarded in Xibao City, and the people were so frightened that they fled to Dadu, for fear that it would be a bloody battle.

The envoy said, "The two adults said. How? ”

The battlefield was defeated, the words were not firm, and now that the Northern Qi had the upper hand, they had to take advantage of it ruthlessly.

Zhou Chen smiled: "I don't think I can say 160 million taels of silver, 120 million taels of silver." 10,000 pieces of fur every year, 3,000 cattle and sheep (only) ......"

And the words of the envoy of Jerod were doubled, but the compensation for the silver was reduced.

Beiqi asked for so many things, didn't this mean that he wanted the future of Xiqi, and if he continued to pay compensation in this way, the people of Xiqi would not be covered in the next twenty years.

And he saw that Jerod's envoy was moved. Zhou and Han returned to the post house, discussed carefully, and took a list. It's like a vendor in a vegetable market, bargaining.

Zhou Chen is a literati in the end, and he doesn't want to be too ruthless.

Han Shangshu's tone was tough, and he still refused to back down, and the civil and military officials were ministers of peace. Under the argument between the two, they had a big quarrel first. "Not convinced! The two countries fought again. ”

Zhou Chen said: "Lord Han." Take it when you see it. ”

"What does it mean to take it when you see it? If it is the West that wins today, do you think they will accept it when they meet it? The price I said can't be less, and if it drags on, I will play the emperor, and the city I captured will not be refunded. Hum! ”

Han Shangshu won the battle with Northern Qi, and stubbornly refused to give in to half a point.

What to fight, the West Qi poured the strength of the country, and now the people are struggling to make a living, the people are miserable, and the treasury is empty. Asking for food, no; Silver, much less; If you want to replenish the troops, you can't do anything.

The war must end!

The longer it drags on, the more useless it will be for Yu Xiqi.

This night, Yelu's envoys stayed awake all night, so they had to resort to other means, but all the courtiers who could talk to the emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty about good things were sent to visit them, especially the two prime ministers on the left and right and several of the most favored princes and grandsons, and a lot of good things were sent out, but some people agreed to speak for them.

On 12 September, after more than a month of peace negotiations, the "Imperial City Treaty" was finally signed.

*

The grassland in September is the most gorgeous time of the year, the yellow grass is firm, full of gold, like a dream, the grassland is golden one after another, as if to pave a layer of bright brocade to the earth, and fall into a dream. Such a magnificent and rich, gold-satin yellow, dazzling yellow like the sun, and the yellow covering the earth, meet the eyes, overwhelming the world, occupying all eyes and memories, and it is amazing for several days. The cloud-like sheep occupy the autumn color of the grassland, turning into a white like snow to catch people's eyes, in the golden yellow of the sky, the white brittle and thin like a mist, as if a gust of wind will dissipate, and like the white jade inlaid in the Golden World.

Between the vast golden heaven and earth, the camp tent of the Northern Qi camp is like a colorful dragon coiled between the blue sky and the golden plain. Flags fluttered, and tents were scattered on the grassland like white clouds and pearls.

Two horses galloped towards the camp, and the messenger on the horse shouted: "Report! 800 miles of urgent secret letter! ”

The guards let them go, opened the camp gates, and the horses galloped like the wind.

Get! Get! Get!

He was about to rush into the tent, but when he was a few steps away from the tent door, a messenger turned over and dismounted, knelt straight in front of the tent door, and repeated it in a loud voice.

In the tent, there are several generals, laughing and drinking tea, eating cheese unique to the grassland, and fat cattle and sheep. Half of these things were bought by everyone, and half were specially offered by the local squires in order to protect the people. It is said to be bought, but it is the cheapest price in the local area.

The siege stopped, and Su Yan and everyone were idle, but on the school ground, the sound of soldiers training could still be heard morning and evening.

So-yeon took the pen and practiced the big characters over and over again on the table.