Wang Shouzheng is an orthodox scholar. He is noble and self-possessed in any situation, neither humble nor arrogant, even in front of a group of barbarians in a chaotic land.
"Master Wang, does Dashang want to send troops to assist us?" Yan Wenyuan of the Shanhe League was the first to speak.
This is what Li Qiankun wanted to ask, but as he was the head of the family, it was difficult for him to ask, so he could only ask his subordinates to do it for him.
Mu Qianyu was eating fruit with his legs crossed, looking like a melon-eater.
Wang Shouzheng couldn't bear to correct the emperor's deportment, cleared his throat and said: "Leader Li, I, the Prime Minister of the Great Shang, are in charge of the government. The Prime Minister believes that this war is of no use to the Great Shang and does not want to send troops."
At this time, Li Qiankun, Shi Yan and Yan Wenyuan couldn't help but lean forward. Although they tried their best to appear calm, their tense bodies had already betrayed them.
In fact, it is already difficult for them to support the war. Without the support of Dashang, they can only fight for a month at most. After that, there will be no Shanhe Alliance in this chaotic land.
"Your prime minister is not satisfied with the conditions?" Shi Yan asked.
Wang Shouzheng nodded and said:
"The Prime Minister is still willing to help your alliance. When I came, the Prime Minister told me that if Leader Li of your alliance agrees to incorporate the chaotic land into the territory of Dashang, the Prime Minister will accept the emperor's will and be willing to make the leader a king and enjoy this territory for generations to come.
of worship."
After saying this, he unconsciously glanced in the direction of his emperor, wanting to confirm whether he had made any omissions.
As a result, she saw that her emperor was just the same as before, just eating silently, as if everything on the negotiating table had nothing to do with her.
She seemed to be one of the people who finally snuck in just to have something to eat and didn't want to be kicked out by anyone.
Seeing this scene, Wang Shouzheng felt helpless and wanted to laugh. When will their emperor be able to behave more reliably? What kind of temperament does this have?
Li Qiankun thought deeply, and his face darkened slightly when he heard this. This condition is completely different from the condition they gave before. This is the issue of the ownership of the chaotic land.
All fools know that whoever belongs to them will take the initiative, while the other party will be the passive party.
"I, the great merchant, have always been kind to the feudal kings, and as the king of this whole chaotic place, I can raise my own private army and do my own business. How comfortable it is." The official from the Ministry of Rites beside Wang Shouzheng said.
Lobbying.
Yan Wenyuan was a little tempted when he said this. The chaotic place was far away from the Great Shang Dynasty, and there was no difference between being a king here and a local emperor.
Although it is not as good as ruling independently, there are only two paths before them, either to rule as a subordinate vassal king, or to become a dead ghost and a hero twenty years later.
Anyone with any sense of judgment knows that they should choose the former. Even if they are not satisfied, there is always the possibility of changing it later, but if they die, nothing will be lost.
Shi Yan had the same idea. It was said that the Shang Emperor practiced benevolent governance, and it would be a good choice to become a king under her.
The atmosphere in the entire hall was in a stagnant state.
As a wily negotiator, Wang Shouzheng stood up from his seat at this moment and said: "Alliance Leader Li is not in a hurry to give a reply. I will take my leave now. You can discuss it before informing me."
This is his attitude, neither fast nor slow, neither anxious nor panicked, and his attitude is also the attitude of a big businessman, they can afford it.
Even if the negotiation fails this time, Dashang still has the opportunity to negotiate with others, or even directly attack the border with a large army, but there is not much time left for the Shanhe Alliance.
"Sir Wang, please wait a moment, do you want to retain the right to govern this place?" Li Qiankun continued to talk about the conditions. Being able to say this means that he has agreed to the previous conditions.
"Governance rights?" Wang Shouzheng said after hearing this: "In the past, the vassal kings of Dashang did not participate in the government affairs. Since Leader Li has this request, we can discuss it."
Li Qiankun felt a lot more at ease. Between having real power and being a smooth prince, he would definitely choose the former.
"It's just that I have no choice but to take charge of such a big matter. I will send a letter to the Prime Minister after I have compiled it, and ask the Prime Minister to go to heaven to listen and act according to the emperor's will."
Wang Shouzheng said and explained: "It's not that I am indecisive, but that only Your Majesty can delegate power to the vassal king, and the Prime Minister cannot make the decision."
Li Qiankun and Shi Yan were relatively satisfied just now. After all, they thought the old man agreed to negotiate without even thinking about it. They thought that the conditions could be met.
After listening to the discussion process, they almost vomited blood. It was delivered to their emperor from the land of chaos, and they were waiting for their emperor to convey it to the prime minister when he had time, and then passed it on. They might have been cold by then.
"Master Wang, as an envoy, shouldn't he have the autonomy to negotiate?" Shi Yan asked.
"I can make decisions on small matters, but when it comes to the delegation of power by the vassal king, even if I agree to the big merchant, I can refuse to recognize the contract at all." Wang Shouzheng said seriously.
Even if the scholar tells lies, he is always upright, making it impossible for anyone to see any clues.
The three leaders almost got angry at these words, but what they said was very reasonable, so they had no place to express their temper.
Perhaps what is more helpless than when a scholar encounters a soldier is when a big-headed soldier encounters a scholar, and there is nothing he can do.
"No more negotiation. I agree to Dashang's current conditions." Li Qiankun relented. He now realized that he was weak and could not defeat Dashang.
Moreover, the people of the Great Shang Dynasty were really smart. If they continued to fight, they might not only lose advantage but also suffer losses. It was really not worthwhile, so it was better to admit defeat as soon as possible.
Mu Qianyu was not surprised by this result, but he still gave Old Man Wang a thumbs up in his heart. The old man from the Ministry of Rites was really awesome.
Then it was time to sign the contract, which was brought by Old Man Wang. The sealing place on Dashang's end was empty, but Li Qiankun wrote his name and stamped the seal of Shanhe Alliance.
"Master Wang, since this contract was drawn up long ago, why didn't your emperor seal it with a jade seal?" Shi Yan was careful and quickly noticed this matter.
Since the contract has been drawn up, it means Dashang has agreed, so why not seal it in advance?
"It's like this. His Majesty has traveled abroad and is not in the territory of Dashang." Wang Shouzheng tried not to bring any personal emotions when he said this.
In fact, when they heard the news, the civil servants were extremely angry. Your Majesty, who is in charge of your affairs, was running around like this.
Mu Qianyu touched his nose and continued eating, trying to reduce his sense of presence as much as possible.