Chapter 69 Inexplicable Obedience to the King and Father
Hezhoufu Yamen has been temporarily renamed as Dazhouxingzai and has been slightly renovated.
Sun Sheng and Li Deming arranged their clothes, looked at each other, encouraged each other, and walked to the front of the hall step by step.
After hearing Feng Yansi recommend him, Sun Sheng knew that he had bad intentions.
This kind of envoy who submits a list of downgrades is the most difficult to do.
If you compromise, you will be scolded; if you don't compromise, you will be beaten.
The humiliation of an envoy is the same as the humiliation of a king. If his personal attitude is high, he will be killed by his enemies. If his attitude is low, he will be killed by his own people when he returns.
The left and right are not human beings.
But as a representative figure of the Qing school in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Sun Sheng also demonstrated his responsibility.
He stood up without hesitation, looked at Feng Yansi and said word by word: "You should have gone on this trip, but if I postponed it, I would be a disgrace to the country. In order to repay the kindness of the late emperor, I am going to make this trip today. Can we negotiate?
It's best if you die in the Zhou camp if you can't negotiate, so as not to humiliate the king. As a minister of the country, you should know the principle of death when the king humiliates his ministers. If you forget the king, don't harm the country in the future."
As soon as he said these words, even Feng Yansi, the treacherous leader of the Five Ghosts, couldn't help but feel ashamed and reflected for a whole day.
This time when meeting the envoys of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Guo Rong did not arrange any weapons and honors. He met Sun Sheng with normal etiquette. The accompanying officials were just three people, Fan Zhi, Wang Pu, and Luo Youdu.
Sun Sheng and Li Deming first saluted Guo Rong with the etiquette of envoys from other countries and expressed their attitude towards their visit. At the same time, they did not make too many polite remarks, but went straight to the point and said: "My Lord is willing to take the imperial title and cede Jiangbei."
The fourteen prefectures will pay tribute every year and give millions of annual coins to the king. I sincerely ask the king to consider the sufferings of the people in Jianghuai and stop the troops and return to the court."
Guo Rong's face remained normal, but his heart was pounding.
This is the best outcome they agreed upon in the first place.
If we really want to follow Wang Pu's "Pingbian Policy" strategy of first south and then north, the Zhou Dynasty has already reached the point where the divisions and veterans are exhausted.
They fought against Shouzhou for nearly a year. The Yangtze River Gorge and Jinling, the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty, were not better than Shouzhou.
During these six months of conquest, the economy of the Zhou Dynasty was also affected to a certain extent.
What's more, there are threats from the Northern Han Dynasty and the Khitan.
Moreover, the difference in logistical pressure between the stalemate with the Southern Tang Dynasty in Shouzhou and the stalemate with the Southern Tang Dynasty in Jiangbei is not the slightest.
If they really wanted to attack Southern Tang, they wouldn't be able to bear it.
Now the Great Zhou Dynasty has acquired the prosperous land of Jianghuai, and can obtain millions of years old coins from Jiangnan every year.
This result is more economical than attacking Jiangnan forcefully.
Luo Youdu also looked at Sun Sheng with some surprise, and said to himself: "There are still capable people in the Southern Tang Dynasty. This offer is irresistible."
Unexpectedly, Guo Rong said with a stern face: "You want to prevaricate me again? Are you treating me like a three-year-old naughty boy and deceiving me at will?"
Sun Sheng said calmly and unhurriedly: "My lord's title of vassal and tribute is not an empty statement. Your Majesty is not willing to accept the southern expedition, and now the country has surrendered. In ancient times, the holy emperors all summoned the four directions with their benevolence. Your Majesty is the emperor of the Central Plains, how can you kill them all?"
Guo Rong snorted coldly: "Submit yourself to your fate?"
He picked up the letter on the desk, handed it to the attendant beside him and said, "Look for yourself, this is a letter written by your Lord. Is there any sign of surrender in the letter?"
Luo Youdu looked at the familiar letterhead. Isn't this the letter from Chai Kehong to him?
He had never read the contents of the letter.
At this moment, I can’t help but guess what’s in it.
Sun Sheng took the letter and looked at the contents inside, beads of sweat could not help but appear on his forehead.
This letter was written during the most difficult period of the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the Southern Tang Dynasty counterattacked across the board and had the momentum to expel the Zhou Dynasty from Huainan.
Li Jing has the exaggerated air of a scholar, and his words are often boastful. He said that the arrogance of the Great Zhou Dynasty has been lost. If he can get help from his husband, the counterattack on the Central Plains can be just around the corner, etc.
Whoever believes this is a stick.
But there is no way to explain it in black and white.
Sun Sheng had no choice but to say: "It was not at this time. When I was studying calligraphy, I didn't know the power of the Lord, so I said this. Now, my Lord is afraid of His Majesty's divine power, and is willing to surrender. I have no second thoughts. I hope Your Majesty will learn from it."
Guo Rong nodded in approval and said: "That statement makes sense. It's just that I want to know at this moment whether the marriage contract between my subordinate Mr. Luo and the daughter of your lord's important minister Zhou Situ is true? They were childhood sweethearts, childhood sweethearts, and have been together for three lifetimes.
about?"
Luo Youdu was a little confused after hearing this. What was the promise of three lives? He thought to himself: "Is it the one Uncle Chai said?"
Sun Sheng was a little at a loss, why did the state affairs get involved in this matter when they were well discussed.
But he happened to know a little bit about this matter.
In the early years, Sun Sheng appointed Zhu Shouyin Zheng, the envoy of Xuanwu Jiedu, as the judge of Jiedu. At that time, Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang Dynasty Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny, and Emperor Mingzong of Tang Dynasty Li Siyuan was proclaimed emperor.
Zhu Shouyin, as an old general of Zhuangzong, was often uneasy. He later rebelled against Bianzhou under his instigation, but was soon defeated and killed. He had no choice but to abandon his wife, children and children, and fled to Chenzhou, Songzhou and other places, and later fled to Jiangnan.
.
Sun Sheng's Li Min was highly regarded by Li Jing and became the prime minister. Naturally, he also remarried and had children in the Southern Tang Dynasty.
I got a son when I was old and loved him very much.
The eldest daughter of Zhou Zong was the most talented and beautiful in the south of the Yangtze River, and his son was greatly infatuated with her. He even shamelessly came to discuss the matter, but he refused because the eldest daughter had already been engaged.
Later, it was learned from Song Qiqiu that the eldest daughter of Zhou Zong was indeed engaged to Luo Youdu.
Therefore, Sun Sheng said: "Situ Zhou is a pious gentleman. He has never forgotten the agreement made in the past. He must be able to do it well."
Guo Rong's face changed slightly and he said: "So, the engagement is true? When you marry a beggar, you will be a beggar, and when you marry an old man, you will follow the old man. How can there be any reason for the husband's family to follow his mother's family? Doesn't that make it a marriage? Let the husband marry into the family.
, you as a whole Jiangnan cannot bear it."
Sun Sheng's expression changed, and he heard the threat, and said hurriedly: "The foreign minister is not a party to this matter, but I believe Zhou Situ will not break his promise."
Guo Rong said angrily: "This is not the only thing that makes me angry. You also force my husband into a dilemma of loyalty and filial piety. I have to seek justice for my husband."
Sun Sheng was confused and said in astonishment: "Why did your Majesty say this?"
Guo Rong said sternly: "My Mr. Luo is extremely talented, and he is the best in the world. I have always relied on him, and seeing that he has not married yet, I decreed that the queen's second sister betrothed to him. The two of them were a match made in heaven, but now it's good, you are majoring in
The book tells that he and the daughter of the Zhou family have made a three-life agreement since childhood. Do you think Mr. Luo will obey the emperor or his father? Those who know will naturally understand that Mr. Luo's parents died when he was young and do not know about this three-life agreement. Those who don't know
I also thought that Mr. Luo clung to the powerful and ignored the covenant made by his father in order to marry the queen, and his filial piety was lacking."
"Sir, you have devoted your whole life to me. This time when you go south, military exploits and meritorious service come first. I will not allow anyone to ruin his reputation."
"I am quite satisfied with the conditions you have proposed. I also believe in the sincerity of your Lord's surrender, but it is up to you to find a way to solve the troubles caused by your Lord. Remember, you must not let me break my trust in the world, nor let Mr. Luo suffer misfortune.