"The national teacher's words, why did the lower officials hear a little taste?" Li Tengfang no longer took into account the etiquette of both sides, "Could it be that Dacheng is unable to govern the army, is it because of Daming?" ”

"Don't be angry, that's not what the lower officials mean......," Putty thought about the inappropriate words.

"Dacheng paid a pension to Daming, because the Ming soldiers exchanged their lives for it, if there were no soldiers of Daming, now sitting in the mansion of the national teacher, I'm afraid it is the general of Donghu, right?"

"Master Li, you ......" Putty was so choked that he couldn't speak, but he had to admit in his heart that Li Tengfang's words had a certain amount of truth, "Don't misunderstand, the lower officials don't want to erase the merits of the Ming soldiers to the city." ”

"Daming took into account the brotherly friendship of Dacheng, so he didn't care about the lives and safety of the soldiers, and rescued Dacheng from fire and water, and Dacheng didn't see grace, so you can't attribute the responsibility for this war to Daming, right?" Li Tengfang was still angry.

"Your envoy is right, Daming and Dacheng have a brotherly relationship, so the lower officials are brave," Putty saw Li Tengfang's face softened, "For example, two brothers, now that the younger brother is in trouble temporarily, can you help the elder brother?" ”

Li Tengfang wanted to dispel Dacheng's resentment against Daming, "The meaning of the national teacher is ......"

"Xia Guan didn't mean to blame Da Ming, Da Ming helped Dacheng so much, can my Majesty not know?" Putty changed his tone, "Xiaguan is saying that Dacheng wants to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty again, and he should pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty every year. ”

Li Tengfang pondered for a long time, "The national teacher's words, don't let my majesty know, in case of misunderstanding, Daming and Dacheng can't even be a brotherly state," Seeing that Putty was still surprised, looking puzzled, Li Tengfang no longer explained, with Puti's wisdom, he should have thought clearly.

"Thank you for the reminder, the lower official has thanked you for this," Putty saluted Li Tengfang, "The lower official didn't mean that, but he didn't think about it." ”

"As for the matter of the vassal state, this should not be the content of this discussion," Li Tengfang returned the salute, "Xiaguan's mission to Dacheng this time is to implement the last contract, and the contract has been completed, and Xiaguan has completed the mission of His Majesty the Emperor." ”

"The lower officials understand, the lower officials understand," Putty saw Li Tengfang's Ding is Ding Mao is Mao, "the lower officials are asking your envoy whether His Majesty the Emperor can accept Dacheng as a vassal state." ”

"Whether you can accept Dacheng, I really don't know if the lower officials can't do it," Li Tengfang said in his heart, verbally recognizing Daming as the suzerain, he wanted to exchange Daming for unconditional protection of you, there is no such cheap thing in the world, "But Dacheng needs the protection of Daming, I'm afraid it can't be agreed to with a word, although my majesty is kind-hearted, but the ministers are probably not dependent." ”

"Your envoy means ......"

"If Dacheng wants to get the protection of Dacheng and take the brotherhood one step closer, there is no basis for words, and a new contract must be signed," Li Tengfang saw that Putty still didn't understand, so he had to say it clearly, "Dacheng has to bear the responsibility of protecting Dacheng, so Dacheng must also bear the corresponding responsibility." ”

"My big city is so weak, compared to Daming, I don't know what I can contribute?" Putty feels that the current Da Ming, whether it is Zhu Youzhen, Huang Xiaofu, or today's Li Tengfang, seems to be different from the legendary Da Ming.

"For example, if there are two brothers, the eldest brother bears the responsibility of protecting the younger brother, so what can't the younger brother do for the eldest brother?"

"What do you mean, what can I do for Daming?"

"This ...... Xia Guan doesn't know, but Daming and Dacheng must enter into a contract to stipulate the rights and responsibilities of both parties, just like last time, if there is no contract, there is no basis for words, and when Dacheng really encounters any difficulties, Daming may not be able to lend a hand in time. ”

"Oh," Putty thought about it, he seemed to understand, Laos used to be the Ming Dynasty's Xuanwei Division, at least the Ming Dynasty's nominal territory, but when Donghu invaded, it was not protected by the Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that it lacked clear responsibilities stipulated in the contract, and Dacheng was not the territory of the Ming Dynasty, because of the contract, the Ming still sent troops according to the contract, thinking of this, his eyes lit up, "The lower officials must be clear to my majesty, send envoys to Beijing as soon as possible, and sign a new contract with the Ming Dynasty." ”

"If the national teacher can think so, that's right, only by clarifying the rights and responsibilities of both parties, Daming and Dacheng can become permanent brotherly states, as for whether it is a vassal state or not, it doesn't matter anymore."

"The vassal state still wants it, as long as the contract can be signed, my Dacheng is still a permanent vassal state of the Ming Dynasty." In Puti's eyes, if Dacheng becomes a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, at least the Ming Dynasty will not invade Dacheng, otherwise, it will lose the trust of other vassal states.

Li Tengfang smiled, since Dacheng wants to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, maybe it can be written in the contract.

Only then did Puti take out the great seal of King Tishan and the submission document of King Pawu Yurava and handed it to Li Tengfang, "The last contract is considered to be complete, and the lower officials will hold a banquet to celebrate today, and your envoy will want to appreciate his face." ”

"Thank you to the national teacher," Li Tengfang arched his hand, "Don't be busy with drinking, the lower officials have to go back to Donghu for a trip, and settle the affairs of Laos as soon as possible, so as not to waste the efforts of the national teacher." ”

"That's, that's, state affairs are important, then this wine, the lower officials will write it down first." Putty is not reluctant, he and Li Tengfang should still have a chance to meet, no accident, it is he Putty who is the envoy to Daming.

"Then the lower official will leave first, and the matter of the 500,000 taels pension ......"

"Three days later, I will send it to your envoy's apartment and ask your envoy to arrange for a special person to accept it."

"It's a deal." Li Tengfang said goodbye to Puti.

According to the contract, Dacheng gave Daming 300,000 stone of grain, 50,000 stone had been shipped in advance, and the remaining 250,000 stone had been shipped to Baigu, and Li Tengfang was worried about the situation in Laos.

He left a few retinues in his apartment and went to Taungoo himself.

The Ming Dynasty had 100,000 Chen soldiers in Donghu, Chen Zizhuang's 17th Army was scattered and deployed in the whole territory of Donghu, and it was difficult to gather for a while, Mu Qiyuan's 19th Army was deployed on the border of Dacheng, and the two sides were demarcating the national border, among which Liu Zhenyu's 55th Division was still far away in the Malay Peninsula, so Li Tengfang planned to transfer Lin Chengxiang's 20th Army to garrison Laos.

Li Tengfang followed Lin Chengxiang's army and entered Laos through Chiang Mai, because with the Great Seal of King Qiang Tishan and the submission document of King Pavuba Yurava, the Ming army did not encounter any resistance in Laos, that is, the army of Luang Prabang, in front of the Ming army, was also automatically disarmed.

Lin Chengxiang was deployed in Laos and officially took control of the situation in Laos.

Li Tengfang was about to return to Jingshi with King Qitishan and King Pawu Yurawa, when an entourage who remained in Dacheng rushed over, and he told Li Tengfang that Dacheng's 500,000 taels of silver had been transported to Baigucheng under their supervision and would be handed over to Mu Qiyuan for the time being.

The next day, Putty also came, and as an envoy of the Great City, he sent the Ming envoy again.

Li Tengfang and his entourage easily went north and entered Beijing in May.

Hearing that Li Tengfang had returned, Zhu Youzhen immediately summoned him in the Qianqing Palace.

"See Your Majesty!" Li Tengfang only saluted, but did not kneel, except for the official court meeting once every half month, Zhu Youzhen exempted the ministers from paying homage, if it were not for the fear of Shilin's opposition, Zhu Youzhen would have been ready to cancel the kneeling ceremony throughout the country.

"Li Aiqing doesn't have to be polite, give a seat." Zhu Youzhen had already learned about Li Tengfang's implementation of the contract from the flying pigeon biography of the interrogators, and knew that Li Tengfang had fulfilled his mission, and he looked at Li Tengfang's eyes and felt a little strange.

"Your Majesty......" Li Tengfang did not wait for Zhu Youzhen to ask questions, and took the initiative to entrust the situation of the envoy to Dacheng to Zhu Youzhen.

"Aiqing lives up to my expectations, and is really my minister." Without spending a single soldier, Daming took back the Laos Xuanwei Division, which had been lost for nearly a hundred years, and made Zhu Youzhen Longyan happy, although he already knew the result, and now after listening to Li Tengfang's narration, he was still excited.

"This is all Your Majesty's strategy, and the minister is just implementing Your Majesty's holy fruit." Li Tengfang said a few words of modesty, but he was still quite proud in his heart, he went to the embassy this time, and he exceeded the holy will.

"The contract is one thing, it is still very difficult to implement the results of the contract, Aiqing does not need to be too modest, I understand." Zhu Youzhen is still thinking about Laos, when he signed the contract with Ayutthaya, Zhu Youzhen had no intention of recovering Laos at all, his current energy is still in the north, if Puti can't help recover Laos, in a short time, Daming has no plan to use troops at all.

"It is the duty of a courtier to share His Majesty's worries and share His Majesty's hard work." In front of Zhu Youzhen, Li Tengfang still didn't dare to take the credit, Zhu Youzhen's personal achievements seem to be against the sky, who dares to compare with him?

"Hahaha......" Zhu Youzhen laughed loudly, "Li Aiqing has made outstanding achievements in Dacheng, but there is one thing wrong. ”

"Wrong?" Li Tengfang was taken aback, he really didn't know what was wrong, "The minister is stupid, I implore Your Majesty to correct it." ”

"Aiqing is not to share my worries, but to serve the Ming Dynasty, and the interests of the Ming Dynasty are the common goal of you and my monarchs." Zhu Youzhen Xindao, conquered Jiannu and Southern Ryukyus, established a province outside the Guan, and permanently eliminated the border troubles in the north, my exploits have been exhausted, where do you care about recovering Burma? He is opening the Indian Ocean to the sea for the Ming Dynasty, providing more choices for future trade and military layout, "I don't have any actual benefits to take back Burma and Laos, the bigger the country, the more affairs of the country will be, and I will only be busier." ”

"The minister understands, the interests of the Ming Dynasty are above all else." For the first time, Li Tengfang felt that this sentence was not an empty slogan.

"It's good to understand," Zhu Youzhen sipped his tea, "Aiqing has stayed in Myanmar for many days, can she have a strategy for governing Myanmar?" Mu Qiyuan, they are all soldiers, and they will only occupy militarily, if you want to govern Myanmar well, you still have to rely on you civil servants. ”

"Your Majesty, if you want to govern Burma, you must first govern people," Li Tengfang learned from Zhu Youzhen's appearance, sipped his tea, and saw that Zhu Youzhen was looking at him, so he boldly said, "The current Burma has a population of less than one million, but the Han people have exceeded 500,000, mainly due to the naturalization of Shan people and Mongol people, and this momentum should continue to develop." ”

(PS: Thank you for the red ticket support of friends such as Youyouren, Kruchaga Intersection, Buber, Yuan is a Confucian doctor, Mu Boyun, Qiu Yan Changfeng, Nan Muzi and other friends)