Chapter 1122

Long Xuan'en nodded and said, "Valuing peace, ceasing hostilities is naturally best. I just don't know what terms you have." He had already reckoned; as long as Da Yong's terms were not excessive, he would agree.

Li Chenghou said, "I hope your state will return the East Luo Granary and the soldiers captured in this campaign; Dongliang Jun has always belonged to Da Yong, and giving Dongliang Jun to your state was a decision made during the reign of the Yongqing Emperor. At that time the Yongqing Emperor was gravely ill, and his mind was not clear when he made that decision; please also return Dongliang Jun."

Long Xuan'en frowned upon hearing this; these two battles were clearly lost by Da Yong, yet Li Chenghou's demand is that of a victor seeking compensation. The East Luo Granary is bad enough, but he even wants Dongliang Jun back. If I agreed, wouldn't I be spat upon by domestic officials and the populace? They would surely call me weak and incapable.

Li Chenghou smiled and said, "I haven't finished speaking yet; if Your Majesty can return these two cities, we will lift the grain embargo on Dakang and may also lend five hundred thousand shi of grain to Dakang to relieve its urgent need."

Long Xuan'en's heart startled; Da Yong's offer is truly sincere. Dakang's current predicament stems directly from Da Yong's joint grain embargo with neighboring states—even with money in the treasury, they cannot buy grain, worsening the famine. Lifting the embargo would allow Dakang to resume normal grain trade with neighboring states, and moreover Da Yong's voluntary offer of five hundred thousand shi of emergency grain, though a loan, would help Dakang overcome its immediate crisis. Such good fortune came too suddenly, and Long Xuan'en found it hard to believe.

Li Chenghou said, "Our emperor also wishes to conclude a treaty with your state, taking the Yong River as the boundary, forming an eternal alliance of non‑aggression. Hand in hand we could develop a peaceful golden age in the Central Plains; what does Your Majesty think?"

Long Xuan'en was about to nod and agree, but being old and crafty he quickly guessed Da Yong's true intent; moreover, Dongliang Jun and the East Luo Granary are both under Hu Xiaotian's control. If he agreed while Hu Xiaotian refused to surrender the cities, wouldn't this lead to a stalemate?

Li Chenghou also saw Long Xuan'en's hesitation and smiled, "Your Majesty need not rush a reply; please consider and then give the envoy a clear answer. However, I must remind Your Majesty: opportunity lost never returns."

After Li Chenghou left, Long Xuan'en immediately summoned the officials to the Diligent Governance Hall to discuss Da Yong's terms. Upon hearing that Da Yong was willing to offer such favorable conditions in exchange for the two cities, the officials' opinions almost unanimously leaned one way: everyone knew Dakang's primary problem was grain shortage; if the famine were not promptly resolved, Dakang would face popular disarray and the collapse of the state. As for Dongliang Jun and the East Luo Granary, no one kept those cities in mind—although Hu Xiaotian's recent victories had indeed boosted morale, psychological comfort and superficial glory cannot solve practical problems; no amount of victories could secure the people's food and clothing for Dakang.

Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan said, "Your Majesty, I don't find Da Yong's terms harsh; exchanging Dongliang Jun and the East Luo Granary for lifting the grain embargo and borrowing five hundred thousand shi of grain is absolutely feasible, bringing only benefits to Dakang with no harm."

The officials all nodded.

Just then a clear voice sounded from outside the hall: "Such an important matter—why wasn't I notified?" It was Yongyang Princess Qiqi, storming in angrily.

Long Xuan'en's face darkened; since Hu Xiaotian left Kangdu, his relationship with Qiqi had grown distant. Although he had not rushed to reclaim Qiqi's great authority in assisting governance, in practice he had recently begun strengthening his control over the court. Since his restoration, he had made a point of personally presiding over meetings he had previously neglected, while Qiqi, perhaps dissatisfied with him, often absented herself from court, and Long Xuan'en was glad to turn a blind eye.

Today's council, Long Xuan'en indeed chose to deliberately ignore Qiqi; although he also knew this was somewhat improper, after all Dongliang Jun was the fief he personally granted Qiqi, yet under heaven all land belongs to the king, all shores are the king's subjects; Dongliang Jun, though I granted it as your fief, does not mean that I, the Dakang emperor, have lost my dominion over this land.

The growing conflict between Qiqi and Long Xuan'en became common knowledge; outsiders thought their feud stemmed from Hu Xiaotian, but only those in power knew that Long Xuan'en's employment of Qiqi was merely a reluctant choice to step back under circumstances. As he found Qiqi increasingly hard to control, he began deliberately narrowing the authority he had once given her, weakening her entourage, transferring Hu Xiaotian out of the capital, and exiling him to Dongliang Jun by subtle means—one of his tactics, though his methods proved ineffective. Regarding Hu Xiaotian, it was like letting a tiger return to the mountains; they had thought he could not achieve much on Dongliang Jun's soil, yet they never imagined this scoundrel would carve out a realm of his own.

Long Xuan'en smiled faintly and said, "Qiqi, you've come at just the right time; I was about to send someone to find you."

Qiqi bowed and said, "Qiqi pays respects to Your Majesty, long live, long live, long long live!" While uttering the respectful blessings, she inwardly marveled at the old emperor's astonishing vitality; recalling when she had rescued him from Misty Peak Mountain's Lingxiao Palace, he had been feeble and bent, seeming near death, yet after this period of care he had miraculously recovered his health, appearing much younger than before, with his hair and beard beginning to darken—could it be that he had truly found the elixir of immortality?

Qiqi did not flare up then, but spoke softly, "I heard the Emperor summoned the officials to discuss affairs; coincidentally it concerns me. If I did not come, would that not be disrespect to the Emperor and rudeness to the officials?"

Long Xuan'en nodded and said, "Exactly!" He then briefly stated the terms of the Da Yong envoy.

In fact, Qiqi had already learned the details before coming; she knew the situation was dire, and given Dakang's current state, Da Yong's terms were hard to refuse. After hearing Long Xuan'en finish, Qiqi did not rush to voice her opinion but looked around at the officials, wanting to hear what they had to say.

Most of the officials who came to deliberate thought they should accept Da Yong's terms; Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan subtly signaled to Minister of Revenue Xu Zhengying, who understood and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe Da Yong's terms bring only benefits to us with no harm; if truly implemented smoothly, Dakang's famine would be resolved and our people saved."

Qiqi paid no heed to Xu Zhengying; in court he was merely a yes‑man, incapable of offering any constructive advice, lacking ability himself. Since taking the post of Minister of Revenue, the state's finances have only worsened, and he has never produced any novel effective measure. Qiqi said, "Only benefits with no harm? That's what you claim! Da Yong's intent to destroy Dakang never dies—do you really think they'd give us grain out of pure kindness?"

Xu Zhengying bowed deeply to Qiqi and said, "Princess, times change; now the Yongqing Emperor of Da Yong has just died, the domestic situation is unstable, the new ruler Xue Daohong, though ascended the throne, still cannot match his father's prestige, while the Northern Black Hu are taking this opportunity to mobilize and aim southward; his primary concerns are stabilizing domestic affairs and fortifying the Bei Jiang frontier, which prevents him from devoting more energy to plotting our land—so the supposed plan to cross the Yong River and invade south has in fact come to nothing."

Qiqi snorted coldly, "You speak lightly—how did the two battles on the Yong River start? Wasn't it the Yong people trying to covet our land? Now they've lost the battles and, under the guise of peace, demand our land; where in the world is there such a cheap deal? The victors actually turn around and demand compensation from the defeated!"

Xu Zhengying said, "Princess, you are mistaken; the Da Yong envoy is not asking Dakang to unconditionally return the two cities, but to lift Dakang's grain embargo and to grant us five hundred thousand shi of grain free of charge." In today's Dakang, nothing moves them more than grain.

Qiqi snapped, "What are you even? As Minister of Revenue, you've messed up Dakang's finances; you should bear the primary responsibility, yet now you're speaking for a foreign state—do you still consider yourself a Dakang subject?"

Xu Zhengying was left utterly embarrassed by Qiqi's barrage of questions, frozen and unable to respond.

Long Xuan'en coughed, coming to Xu Zhengying's rescue: "Qiqi, do not be rude!"

Qiqi said, "Your Majesty! Once Dakang's territory spanned both banks of the Yong River; it was precisely because of such traitorous officials seeking glory that Dakang's borders shrank day by day, once pressed south of the Yong River. Now Hu Xiaotian has finally managed to gain a foothold on the Yong River's north bank; these two victories not only failed to stir patriotic fervor but instead made some people panic, rushing to give away the fruits of victory. I do not know what motives these people have—are they acting for Dakang's good or trying to push Dakang into the abyss? Whose side are they really on?"

Grand Tutor Wen Chenghuan said, "Princess, Dongliang Jun is the fief Your Majesty granted you; it is natural not to want to give it away, but you also know Dakang's situation: year after year of natural disasters, the people suffer from hunger and cold, neighboring states have jointly imposed a grain embargo on Dakang, and if a grain source is not found soon, who knows how many will starve this winter. I hope you will look beyond personal interests and consider the state as a whole, not fixate on a mere fief."

Qiqi's eyes widened in anger and she retorted, "Are you saying I only care about my own fief and not the bigger picture?"

Please guarantee the monthly ticket! (To be continued…~^~)