Chapter 155: Terms of the Peace Agreement

Nie Huaishang, you truly push people too far, bringing up before me, this Song Ren envoy, the matter of our Songtai Sect's beloved Xiao Zhou Hou and the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident involving our womenfolk.

But when one is under another's eaves, one must bow one's head; he is here to negotiate terms and cannot afford to anger these men of the Revolutionary Army.

"I admit your troops are strong and your strength surpasses that of the former Liao and even the Great Jin, but Great Khan, do not forget that the Great Jin was destroyed by the forces led by Zhang Chu'an. There is only one Lord of the World; if your Mongols cannot accommodate us Song Ren, then can the forces led by Zhang Chu'an accommodate you?"

Wang Nan asked calmly and unhurriedly.

Hearing this, Nie Huaishang let out a snort of laughter and immediately asked, "That Lord Wang, Wang Dada, is there a possibility, is there a possibility, that we, like the people of the Central Plains, are all Revolutionary Army?"

Hearing this, Wang Nan felt as if struck by lightning and quickly said, "Impossible, this is impossible. The armies of your two regimes belong to different factions; your armies were created by yourselves. How could you be willing to remain beneath others?"

"There is nothing impossible, after all, we are not like you petty men who fight for power and profit and abandon the common people." A voice from outside the hall entered their ears.

Wang Nan looked up and saw Zhang Xiaofan and Zhang Chu'an walking in with a strange young man. That young man's steps were vigorous and powerful, as if a dragon swimming in shallow waters or a tiger striding with wind. His posture was straight as a pine, like a towering green pine standing unyielding. His face bore a hint of simplicity, like uncarved jade, plain and natural, making one feel an immediate sense of closeness upon seeing him.

However, the domineering aura he emitted, faint yet present, was like a fierce tiger hidden in the abyss, making one dare not make the slightest move. This aura was not deliberately displayed but naturally radiated from him, inspiring three parts of awe.

Wang Nan hesitantly asked, "Two Standing Committee Lords, who is this...?"

"Oh, let me formally introduce you: this is one of the four military standing committee members of our Revolutionary Army, Chairman of the Revolutionary Army Military Commission, and the first General Secretary of the Huaxia People's Government, Guo Jing." After Zhang Chu'an finished introducing, Guo Jing immediately looked at him.

Before negotiating with the Revolutionary Army, Wang Nan had urgently studied their political system, knowing that a Secretary was equivalent to the top leader of that department, and the General Secretary of the People's Government was the top leader of the People's Government.

Hearing that this person was the top leader of the Revolutionary Army, Wang Nan quickly bowed and said, "Your subordinate Wang Nan pays respects to Lord General Secretary."

"No need to bow; I, a mere commoner, cannot accept your bow. There is no need to mention peace talks; we have nothing to discuss with you. Unifying Huaxia is inevitable. In the past, Songtai Sect's northern expedition ended in a crushing defeat by the Liao army; relying on driving a donkey cart to escape the Liao army's pursuit, he became the 'God of Chariots at Gaoliang River.' Since then, whether the Song Dynasty was the legitimate ruler of Huaxia is debatable."

"After Jingkang, there was even a beast like Qin Gui proposing that Southerners return to the South and Northerners return to the North. I heard that the newly ascended Shi Miyuan and Empress Yang on your side have restored Qin Gui's posthumous title of Prince Shen, correct?"

Guo Jing gazed coldly at Wang Dan, his sharp eyes like a sharp blade piercing straight into the heart. Under Guo Jing's piercing stare, Wang Dan felt a strange fear surge in his heart; he dared not meet Guo Jing's gaze and could only lower his head, avoiding the knife-like and sword-like look.

"This, this... previously, when the Jin army invaded the south, making peace with the Jin army was a move we had no choice but to make; we actually did not want to do it either," Wang Nan quickly explained.

"Enough, I do not wish to hear your explanations. Lord Wang, do you know why a Song Ren like me ended up among the Mongols?" Guo Jing's unexpected question made Wang Nan pause.

"Your subordinate does not know; please enlighten me, Secretary Guo," Wang Nan asked politely.

"About ten years ago, my father was an ordinary hunter in Niujia Village near Lin'an City. Until one day, the Sixth Prince of the Jin Kingdom desired my Uncle Yang's wife, so he colluded with the corrupt official Duan Tiande to hunt us down. My father died because of this, and my mother was taken captive to the great desert. Lord Wang, tell me, can a son forget the vengeance for his father's death?" Guo Jing looked at Wang Nan with a faint, mocking smile.

Wang Nan broke out in cold sweat internally; he just wanted to ask if Wanyan Honglie was seriously ill. As the Sixth Prince of the Great Jin, what woman could he not have, yet he insisted on forcibly snatching someone else's wife.

The key point is, you should have been more thorough in your actions; how did you let them escape and grow to such an extent? Now, your Great Jin is gone, and our Great Song is about to be gone too.

"So Secretary Guo has such a connection with our Great Song. At that time, the court was corrupt, and inevitably some treacherous ministers caused you suffering. Once your subordinate returns, I will immediately inform the Emperor to uphold justice for Secretary Guo's father."

"Uphold justice for my father? Are you worthy? Is your Great Song Emperor worthy? Does he even hold real power, or is it all in Shi Miyuan's hands? I command an army of millions. The former Western Xia, which your Great Song could do nothing about, the Great Jin that captured your Emperor, refined him into corpse oil, and auctioned off your Princess, Empress, and Princess Consorts as prostitutes—all destroyed by us. Your own justice is something I am helping you uphold."

"If we had not destroyed the Jin Kingdom, you people wouldn't even be able to uphold your own justice, yet you speak so arrogantly about upholding justice for us."

Guo Jing's gaze toward Wang Dan was filled with mockery and disdain.

Wang Dan now fully understood what it meant that a weak nation has no diplomacy; since they entered, this group had been constantly exposing the scars of the Great Song.

They had no awareness of "do not strike a person's face," just as the Jin Kingdom had shamelessly humiliated the Great Song in the past.

"Secretary Guo speaks the truth, but as far as I know, after your forces occupied half of Jiangshan, you seized from the rich and distributed land to the poor. Recently, you have also cracked down severely on bandits. Although your forces are strong and your horses are fat, if your forces come to destroy the Great Song, I believe all officials in the court, from local virtuous scholars up to the hundred officials in the capital, will set aside past grievances and fight your forces. In that case, even if your forces win, you will only obtain a scorched earth." Wang Dan spoke the hardest words of the negotiation at this moment.

"Hmm, what you say has some merit?" Zhang Chu'an walked out and smiled. Guo Jing frowned and looked at Zhang Chu'an; the land reform in half the world had already been implemented, and now the remaining courage should be used to pursue the fleeing enemy.

"Let us also briefly state our peace terms. First, the Song Emperor must voluntarily remove the title of Emperor. Since the founding of the Song State, it has been confined to a corner and has no qualification to inherit the legitimacy of Huaxia. The Song Emperor must voluntarily remove the imperial title and be called King. All imperial temples of the Song State must be downgraded to King temples."

"Second, the Song State must immediately send troops against the remnants of the Jin Kingdom. The lands captured must be ceded to our People's Government. Third, Han Chengxiang, in his early years, contributed vast amounts of money and grain to support us, yet he was killed by your Empress Yang and Shi Miyuan. You must execute his ten clans. Additionally, the Song Emperor must issue a self-criticism edict and worship Han Chengxiang with the rites due to a father."

"Fourth, the Song Emperor Zhao Gou accepted the peace agreement with the Jin people and abandoned the Han people of the North. You must dig up Zhao Gou's grave, whip his corpse three hundred times, and build a statue of Zhao Gou kneeling before the tomb of King Yue. These are our demands; are they not excessive?" After Zhang Chu'an finished speaking, he looked at Wang Dan, who was trembling with rage.