After a whole day, the peace negotiation has not yet entered into the main topic, which makes Elbrus and Tam a little depressed.
However, the Supreme Emperor was more enthusiastic and left them to drink tea and eat. After eating, they continued to chat.
It was not until it was too late that they were sent out of the palace and returned to Yirenfang Paradise.
After a brief discussion with Elbrus about the gains and losses of the day, Tam returned to his room and started writing regardless of his fatigue.
"Constantinople heard about the five-year war from the Oghuz. Perhaps someone added fuel to the fire and the Romans mistakenly thought that the supreme emperor was 'Elder John'. This is really nonsense and very ridiculous.
Perhaps they are afraid of the rise of the Creator's power, and subconsciously want to look for help in the East."
"The Supreme Emperor is the most powerful monarch in the world. Elder John cannot match his status at all. Even the Caliph of Baghdad may not be as great as him - whether it is greatness, nobility, wisdom or bravery, they cannot be compared.
But the Supreme Emperor does not believe in the Creator, which is harmful and useless.”
"The Supreme Emperor even inspired many Persians, Sogdians, and Cannibals to join his country. I have been thinking about why these people have to go through many winds and waves to get what the Creator did not give them. Elbrus said
It was poverty in their hometown or greed caused by vanity that prompted them to leave their hometown and come to the Xia Kingdom. I think this is probably not the main reason. The real situation is that the glory of the supreme emperor made these people rush to such a rich and powerful country.
They even settled here for a long time, even denying the existence of the Creator and abandoning their own country.”
"The Supreme Emperor was born only for victory and triumph. He was a passionate, aggressive, and majestic man. He was not like the traditional Chinese kings who wrapped themselves in layers of divinity and kept people away. His
Officials are also not like traditional officials - lest anyone doubt it, I would like to mention the records in ancient Chinese books. These must-read books for officials teach them to be "cold and leisurely walking like arrogant beasts". The Supreme Emperor
Officials are very pragmatic, handle incidents very quickly, and don’t care too much about their own dignity, because they believe that failure to get things done would be the most damaging to their dignity.”
…
After writing a paragraph, Tam put the manuscript away.
He is a little confused now.
I originally thought that the Supreme Emperor was one image, but after more exposure, he became a different image. However, after a year, I felt that this was not accurate.
He was a little at a loss, and there was only one thing he was sure of: no matter which image he had, he was so great.
But he knows that he has integrity.
He will not betray his responsibilities, and when it is time to fight for Bukhara's interests, he will not shrink back and even fight for his cause.
Elbrus believed that he could start with the Emperor's desire to build a unique palace and let him make compromises in other areas.
Tam thought this was correct, although Elbrus backed down after the Supreme Emperor threatened war.
Well, maybe the difference in behavior between the two men was due to their different responsibilities, which is not surprising. Elbrus had a huge responsibility and he didn't have much room for maneuver.
In two days, the Supreme Emperor will summon them again, and then the negotiations will enter a new stage, instead of just testing each other like today.
Tam took out another piece of paper and carefully listed the precautions, planning to have a serious discussion with Elbrus and other members of the mission tomorrow.
******
"Your Majesty, you can't really..." Heavy snow fell in the sky again. On the second floor terrace of Hehuan Hall, Shao Shude was leisurely drinking hot tea. After hearing the news, Prime Ministers Zhao Guangfeng, Xiao Qu, Wang Yong and Han
Jian, Lu Siye and others stood on one side, and finally Zhao Guangfeng spoke up and asked.
"Do I look like that kind of person?" Shao Shude asked.
Zhao Guangfeng was speechless.
According to the saint's past style, it really doesn't look like it, but as he gets older, it's inevitable...
Well, he only dared to complain in his stomach and did not dare to express it with his mouth.
"Yang Liang went out again this year and didn't grab much." Shao Shude said: "After being plowed for so many years, at least half of the sweat was no longer able to produce oil and water. This year's Western strategy cannot be said to be a loss, but it is still
No profit.”
The Persians are not stupid. They have been attacked for several years. No matter how stupid they are, they know how to defend to the death, strengthen the walls and clear the country. I heard that they have levied an "anti-autumn tax" in the country, which is used to hire soldiers.
The Hagistan area resisted the Xia army's raids.
Don't look at the Persians shouting happily, the battle line will not lie.
Initially, the Xia army had to fight when they left the Alai Valley. Now, after leaving the valley, the road is smooth and they need to walk westward for ten days and a half to encounter the enemy.
In the eastern half of Bukhan, the cities are dilapidated and the countryside is desolate. It is not entirely because they were robbed, but mainly because the people could not stand the endless war and ran away on their own. And the Turkic and Yimo tribes that were incorporated were more ferocious. This kind of dog-leg robbery
He was even more ruthless than the Xia army and was hated by the Persians the most.
The Persians attacked north this year, and the Bull Camel King suffered some losses and vomited out the city of Kulan. However, it can be seen from the course of the war that last year's battle in the Alai Valley caused some injuries to them, and the private soldiers of the nobles in the river area lost their
It is completely exhausted, and it is impossible to replenish it within a few years. It can only be supported by the palace gulam, mercenaries and the aristocratic army in the Khorasan region.
But these people came all the way and were not necessarily willing to sacrifice their lives for the Dihkan people in the areas beyond the river that could not be reached with eight poles, so that was it.
In history, they did not completely eliminate Karakhan and allowed them to resurgence. This time and space is even more difficult.
The only good news for the Persians is probably that after several years of inspiration, many Jihadists came from other "vassal towns" in Dashi, totaling about ten or twenty thousand people. They were organized by various temples of the Creator and organized into armies.
, the will to fight is quite tenacious, at least it is a combatable division.
This may be the advantage of religious societies, which are good at bringing together believers from different regions and different nationalities and using external human resources to fight a war of attrition against the enemy.
This is true of the Creator, and so is the one further to the west. Although they sacked Eastern Rome, their military discipline was not flattering.
"But -" Shao Shude suddenly put down his tea cup and asked with a smile: "If I really build such a palace..."
"Your Majesty, be careful." Zhao Guangfeng quickly advised.
"Your Majesty, you can't." Xiao Yu tried to dissuade him with sweat on his forehead.
Others agreed.
"That's fine." Shao Shude said, "Building a palace is a waste of time and money, but what if we build a palace for learning?"
It's just a waste of money and people! Zhao Guangfeng almost blurted out, but he stopped.
It is really not nice to say that the emperor built a palace for pleasure. As the prime minister, if he did not dissuade him, he would definitely be listed as a "treacherous official" in the history books - the best result would be an evaluation of "inaction".
But if it were a school, most people wouldn't be able to curse.
The common people may scold you, because whether it is a palace for pleasure or a palace for cultivating talents, it is a burden to them, but they have no say.
The right to speak is in the hands of the scholars, who have the final say.
Will scholars scold the academy? I can't say it well.
But as the prime minister, Zhao Guangfeng felt that the cost was still a bit high, unless—unless His Majesty was willing to negotiate a truce with Persia.
"What if the construction process of this academy lasts for decades?" Shao Shude asked again: "Would the burden be very low?"
Decades? Zhao Guangfeng was a little surprised. In that case, a lot of the wood would be rotten, right? It would be time to spend money to repair what was originally built.
"That's all, we can discuss this later." Shao Shude smiled and said, "Looking at you guys, do you really think I am someone like Sui Yang?"
"I have no such intention." Everyone said one after another.
Shao Shude waved his hand and said: "You are more or less familiar with the situation in Persia. Let's talk about how to negotiate this peace."
Zhao Guangfeng speculated on Shao Shude's recent attitude, organized some words, and said: "Your Majesty, the walls of Persia are strong and the country is clear, and the army has nothing to plunder. If we continue to fight, it will be a waste of food and grass. Today, the Western Region is full of waste, so use money and food.
There are many places to go, so it is better to take the army back to the court. In this way, Anxi Road does not need to spend so much money and food, and the people of Hexi and Longyou Road can also breathe a sigh of relief."
If someone takes the initiative, it will be easier for others to speak.
Xiao Qun was the second to remonstrate, only to hear him say: "Your Majesty, this year there were people absconding from Weizhou, Minzhou, Lanzhou and other places in Longyou Road and gathering in the mountains and forests. The state soldiers spent a lot of effort to wipe them out. But as long as the Western Regions
While the war is still going on, these fugitives will be suppressed forever and there will be no end. Your Majesty has always loved the people, and if the war can be stopped, the people of Longyou will no longer rebel."
"Your Majesty marched westward, and all the barbarians were subdued, with great martial arts. The Persians suffered consecutive defeats. Now that they know the power of Great Xia, they will not dare to covet Shule, Suiye and other places again. I heard that the Persian envoy brought Samani.
He was the leader of the Shule rebellion and a member of the Persian clan. If he could come to Luoyang, he must have been handed over as an abandoned son by the Persian kings and ministers, which shows his ambition. Your Majesty might as well accept it as soon as he sees fit and send someone as an envoy to Bukhara
, after giving a lecture, the matter will be over, and the border will be safe for a hundred years." Secretary Superintendent Lu Siye said slowly.
"But -" At this point, he made a change: "If Your Majesty believes that all efforts must be made to eradicate evil, I agree."
Zhao Guangfeng and Xiao Qu glanced at Lu Siye at the same time.
After talking for a long time, it was like saying nothing!
"Wang Qing, what do you think?" Shao Shude asked.
"Return to your majesty." Wang Yong said: "I think that if Persia can become a vassal and pay tribute, your majesty will allow it to rehabilitate itself."
"Han Qing?"
"Your Majesty, Persia is in trouble internally and externally, so why give them a chance to breathe?" Han Jian said: "Even if we cannot occupy the country, it is still good to rush into Bukhara and plunder it."
"Du Qing?"
"Wang Qing?"
…
Shao Shude asked everyone's opinions one by one.
In the end, he determined that most of the prime ministers did not want to fight because they felt there was no gain.
This mode of thinking made him want to laugh. In the 19th year since the founding of the People's Republic of China, all the prime ministers have been led astray by him. Now they are all accustomed to thinking in terms of "interests". This is very "wufu".
"I have made up my mind!" Shao Shude raised his voice.
The others listened solemnly.
"Negotiation is definitely necessary. I also intend to negotiate peace with Persia. I don't want to fight." Shao Shude said, "But my conditions must be met. If not, I will use war to promote peace."
"In addition, the Longyou and Hexi roads will be given another two years to calm the people's hearts."