Chapter 478: The Alliance at Qin Pass

"Why has the Prime Minister come?"

At the temporary imperial residence at Qin Pass, Zhao Heng looked at Dou Wei with feigned surprise.

In truth, he knew clearly in his heart that with the Northern Di attacking Wuguan, Dou Wei was surely more anxious than anyone.

After all, the soldiers and horses that died were all from his Dou Family.

"Wuguan is in danger, so this subject had to come. If Wuguan is lost, the Great Song will never know peace again. Not wanting to hear halfway that the Northern Di wished to negotiate peace with the Great Song, this subject rushed to Qin Pass to await the Emperor."

Dou Wei tried hard to make his smile appear natural.

He was currently quite furious.

The Northern Di had suddenly attacked Wuguan with all their might, and the garrison commander of Wuguan had sent him twelve urgent battle reports in a row.

Upon learning this news, he had dropped his chopsticks while eating and galloped toward Jingzhou.

Although the Northern Di had suddenly proposed peace, his Dou Family had still lost quite a few soldiers and horses during the days of attacking the city.

"So that is how it is." Zhao Heng sneered in his heart.

He was now extremely resentful of people like Dou Wei.

While in Yancheng, he had learned that when he was trapped in Xian City, the Jingshi had shown no movement at all.

As Prime Minister, Dou Wei had so disregarded his life; what kind of thoughts were he harboring?

If Dou Wei were not the Head of the Family of the Dou Family, he would truly want to slash him down with a blade right now.

And what chilled his heart the most was the First Prince.

He had ordered the First Prince to supervise the state, wanting to give him a chance to enter the Eastern Palace.

Yet he, like people such as Dou Wei, was probably hoping for his death.

It was precisely because of the contrast with these wolf-hearted and dog-lunged people.

He felt that even though Yan Wang had spoken those harsh words to him, he was still much more likable than them.

"Since the Prime Minister has come, you shall participate in this peace negotiation with Us. You can represent Us in going outside Qin Pass to meet with the Northern Di envoys at the foot of Qin Pass," Zhao Heng said.

If it were any other official, they would certainly change their expression upon receiving this task.

The Northern Di were barbaric; this was not a good errand.

However, Dou Wei, having come in person this time, had his own little agenda.

Thus, he feigned a look of difficulty and said, "Emperor... this..."

"Only with the Prime Minister's personal presence can the sincerity of Our Great Song be shown. Is negotiating peace with the Northern Di not something the Prime Minister has always yearned for?" Zhao Heng frowned slightly.

Dou Wei hesitated again, and finally said, "Since that is the case, for the sake of the Great Song, this subject will make the trip this time."

Seeing this, Zhao Heng nodded with satisfaction.

Then he looked at Ma Han.

Upon entering Sizhou, Ma Han had met him and escorted him all the way to the foot of Qin Pass.

"Prefect Ma, where is Tiemuta now?"

"Answering the Emperor, Tiemuta is in Xiangcheng. He said he will come to Qin Pass on the day of the peace negotiations," Ma Han said.

Seeing Dou Wei, Ma Han's expression stiffened, and killing intent flickered in the depths of his eyes.

Regarding this drastic change in the Ma Family, he feared Dou Wei could not escape responsibility.

However,

he was now the Head of the Family of the Ma Family and could no longer act willfully as he had before.

It would be easy to kill Dou Wei now, but the Ma Family could no longer endure another upheaval.

He could only suppress this hatred in his heart.

Quietly waiting for the right moment to collect the blood debt in the future.

Dou Wei naturally noticed Ma Han's expression, but his own expression remained as usual, and he ignored it.

Because he knew that the more he said, the easier it would be to anger Ma Han.

Zhao Heng did not notice the secret exchange of glances between the two ministers on his left and right.

He said to Ma Han, "You immediately send someone to Xiangcheng to have Tiemuta come for the peace negotiations."

After responding with an acknowledgment, Ma Han turned and left.

Not long after, a troop of Cavalry emerged from Qin Pass and headed toward Xiangcheng.

One day later, the Cavalry arrived at Xiangcheng.

Upon learning that Zhao Heng had arrived at Qin Pass, Tiemuta immediately sent men to deliver the news to his Great Khan.

Three days later, escorted by twenty thousand Cavalry, Mule Hongzhen arrived at Xiangcheng.

"Remember our conditions: first, cede Qinzhou and Yongzhou; second, hand over Wulanba; third, marriage alliance. But most importantly, our Northern Di ceasefire range is only from Jinzhou to the Xiliang line; Yanzhou is excluded from the peace negotiations," Mule Hongzhen said.

Pausing, he said to Tiemuta, "You just state clearly that we are turning hostility into friendship with the Great Song, but with Yan Wang, it is a private feud and is not included in this."

Tiemuta nodded, "I understand."

Mule Hongzhen discussed some other matters regarding the peace negotiations with Tiemuta before letting Tiemuta leave.

He instructed him that any matters he could not decide should be sent back to Xiangcheng immediately for him to decide.

Watching Tiemuta leave, Mule Hongzhen's face turned gloomy.

This perfect plan to head south had failed completely because of Yan Wang alone.

In the east, Wulanba's Snow Wolf Royal Tent had been completely wiped out, and the Black Iron Royal Tent had only one-fifth of its remnants left.

Yan Wang's harassment of the Ningjin Dusi had caused them to lose a large number of cattle, sheep, Warhorses, and young and strong slaves of the Great Song.

And in the west, although he had won a complete victory, they had also lost over one hundred thousand men in Xiliang and against Ma Jin and the others.

In their Northern Di battle for Yongzhou, besieging Xian City and Wuguan, they also had over seventy thousand casualties.

This account would all be settled on Yan Wang's head.

Therefore, he made up his mind to negotiate peace with the Imperial Court of the Great Song Dynasty and concentrate all his strength to deal with Yan Wang.

"Yan Wang, the fate of the King of Wu Kingdom will be your fate." A cold glint flashed in the eyes of Mule Hongzhen.

After a day of trekking, Tiemuta arrived at the foot of Qin Pass the next day.

It seemed his arrival had been known in advance.

Outside the gate of Qin Pass, a table and two stools had already been set up.

Seeing him arrive, not long after, an official emerged from Qin Pass under the escort of a squad of Great Song Imperial Guards.

He recognized this person; it was the Prime Minister of the Great Song, Dou Wei.

Thinking of the battle in Jinzhou and his cooperation with the Dou Family, a smile appeared on the corner of Tiemuta's mouth.

The baleful aura on his body dissipated significantly.

To him, Dou Wei could be an object for them, the Northern Di, to win over.

"Prime Minister Dou." Tiemuta pointed to the chair opposite, signaling for Dou Wei to sit down.

"Great King Tiemuta." Dou Wei cupped his hands in greeting.

Sitting down opposite each other, Tiemuta spread a sheepskin scroll out on the table, "For a person as noble as Prime Minister Dou to come personally to negotiate peace, it seems the Emperor of Great Song is very sincere. These are the conditions of our Northern Di; in fact, we already conveyed them to your Emperor last time."

Although Dou Wei had his own intentions, Zhao Heng was currently watching him from the ramparts of Qin Pass.

He decided to handle the peace negotiation matters first.

Glancing at the contents on the sheepskin, Dou Wei could not help but feel pleased.

This time, the conditions of the Northern Di were not harsh at all for the Great Song.

Exchanging Wulanba for the remaining Great Song troops in Xian City was a very good deal.

Qinzhou and Yongzhou had already been occupied by Western Liang, and after this crushing defeat, it was impossible for them to raise an army to take them back.

Ceding them or not ceding them made no difference.

As for the matter of marriage alliances, with the Northern Di and the Great Song sending princesses to marry each other, it was not a grievance.

He continued reading down, and the fourth clause actually requested the Great Song to establish a Border Market at Wuguan.

This was simply sending Silver to their Dou Family.

Glancing at Tiemuta, he discovered that Tiemuta was also watching him, his gaze ambiguous.

Below that was a fifth clause, requiring the Great Song to pay an annual tribute of five million taels.

The sixth and seventh clauses were just minor matters, such as having the Great Song return captured Northern Di soldiers, and so on.

As for the most critical part, it was at the very end: the scope of the ceasefire did not include the Yanzhou front.

Dou Wei's heart began to thump in a way it rarely did.

The conditions for this peace negotiation were entirely favorable to the Dou Family and the powerful clans.

Thinking of this, he made up his mind.