ebookland Chapter 139: Peace and War
Chapter 139: Peace and War
When Shou Junwu returned to Beijing, the Shou family became the biggest advocates of war. He submitted thirteen consecutive petitions to the emperor requesting to lead troops into battle, but they were all suppressed by the cabinet.
The Prime Minister Song Pu, who was in charge of the court, was the biggest advocate of peace. Many important people followed his advice and said that they would negotiate peace. It would only cost more money, cede a few cities, and get rid of these barbarians.
Wuge's cavalry and horse whip cannot hurt the officials in the temple. They cannot empathize with him because it is not a deep pain.
The Cabinet has issued an order to the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the peace talks, and the Honglu Temple to prepare for the reception of the Uge envoys. The peace talks are a foregone conclusion.
The Gao family has turned to dust. Among the remaining three regent ministers, Song Pu advocated peace. Que Yan, who had always been neutral, stood up this time and strongly advocated war. It was Zhao Lingji who remained silent.
The officials above the second rank gathered in the cabinet to discuss matters. Que Yan spoke impassionedly, contrary to his usual practice: "The Wuge border barbarians, in the past, Taizu directly attacked Wuge King Sarmoge for more than a thousand miles, and defeated the Wuge Dynasty and caused the remaining tribes to flee, and then he obtained the sixteen states of Changqi. If we lose the battle and negotiate for peace and beg for mercy, and hand over the ancestral land, how can our Dazhao keep its face?"
Although Shou Junzhong's death dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the people of Da Zhao, there were still many officials who wrote letters advocating war. After Que Yan finished speaking, the Minister of Works Xu Miao and the Minister of Punishments Zhang Songchan also nodded repeatedly.
Song Pu looked at the pile of memorials in front of him, with the advocacy of war and the advocacy of peace being evenly matched. He thought to himself, could it be that Que Yan has gone insane? He usually just stands by and watches everything, so why does he suddenly jump out when the war is about to start?
He rubbed his brows and threw the letter in his hand aside.
"Prince Jin, Prime Minister, the two factions of advocating war and advocating peace are arguing endlessly. It will take time to mobilize money and grain. Please make a decision as soon as possible." The Minister of Revenue Meng Zhengcheng said.
It's a difficult task for everyone. If a war really breaks out, it will not only test the generals who lead the troops to fight, but also be a big test for him as the chief steward.
Chu Yuanming knew this, but he had no idea whether to fight or not. If everything went well, this would be a good time to wipe out Wu Ge and gain the people's prestige, but if he lost, the consequences would be disastrous.
"What do you think, Lord Han?" Chu Yuanming said in a deep voice.
Han Bingzhong, the Minister of War, stepped forward and said, "Prince Jin, in my opinion, it is not a good idea to start a war rashly at this time. Although our army is well-trained, General Shou, who is most familiar with the war, has died in the front. Morale has dropped greatly, and we cannot promote any available generals for the time being. It is better to be prepared and not fight than to fight without preparation. The Wuge cavalry is fierce, and they are well prepared this time. If we fight hastily, it may be difficult to win."
Chu Yuanming nodded slightly and said, "I am also worried. But if we don't go to war, how can we explain to our subjects if we lose the dignity of a great country?"
Han Bingzhong was silent for a moment, and then said, "Your Highness, the Wuge envoy will arrive in Beijing soon. We should test their intentions, secretly mobilize troops, and prepare for war. If Wuge is willing to negotiate peace, we can take the opportunity to negotiate; if Wuge is unwilling to negotiate peace, our army can also fight."
Although Han Bingzhong's words seemed to support peace talks, peace talks were just a delaying tactic for him, and a war was inevitable.
Chu Yuanming thought about it again and again. Ever since the war broke out, his staff had been arguing with each other. Some advised him to continue to focus on the court and prepare for the throne; some advised him to deal with the crisis, find opportunities in danger, save the country from collapse, and return to the court with the military power, then lead the army into Beijing and ask the emperor to abdicate.
He had been struggling for quite some time, but the thought of making a contribution finally prevailed. Although he had never led troops in battle, as long as he chose the right assistant generals, he should be able to achieve victory.
Chu Yuanming was still very confident and said, "Lord Han, this is quite comprehensive. What do you think, Prime Minister?"
Song Pu responded readily: "Your Majesty is wise, this is a great plan."
Chu Yuanming nodded and said, "In that case, let's first decide on the candidates for the peace talks and discuss it in detail with the Wuge envoy."
"Your Highness is wise." All the ministers said in unison.
Chu Yuanming nodded and said, "In that case, we will send an important official to discuss the matter in detail. But the choice of the envoy..."
His eyes swept around the hall and finally stopped on Que Yan.
"Master Que, if I order you to be the leader of the peace talks, would you be willing?"
Que Yan is actively advocating war!? If he goes to negotiate, there will be no fighting on the spot. The ministers looked at each other and remained silent.
At this time, Zhao Lingji, who had been silent, suddenly said, "Your Highness, I think Lord Que can take on this important task. Lord Que has been an envoy to many foreign countries and has a lot of experience in persuading people to surrender. He is also upright and will definitely not let my Dazhao be humiliated."
A hint of surprise flashed across Que Yan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He cupped his hands and said, "I obey your command."
Chu Yuanming smiled and nodded to show his satisfaction.
The Minister of Rites Huo Qian reported on the details of the peace talks, and after all matters were agreed upon, the cabinet was disbanded.
The date for the peace talks had been set, and Que Yan began to prepare. Although he insisted on fighting, he knew in his heart that the chances of victory were slim.
The emperor was young, people's hearts were divided, and there was a rebellion by Chu Changning, a natural disaster in Jiangzhou, and the battle-hardened Shou Jun was killed in battle. The time, place, and people were not favorable. Da Zhao was now in internal and external troubles, and it would be difficult to take care of both ends if it got involved in a war.
If there were peace talks, he would try his best to gain favorable conditions in the talks, Que Yan swore secretly.
As a civil official who prides himself on his integrity, he is unwilling to be the leader of peace talks that would be humiliating and detrimental to the country, and he is still thinking about counterattack and revenge.
Que Yan returned home, closed the door and refused to see anyone, concentrating on his research. He knew that this peace talk was of great importance and he had to be fully prepared.
"My lord, we must stick to the bottom line in this peace talk and never let the Uge envoy succeed." said a confidant.
Que Yan nodded, "I understand, but we also need to pay attention to strategy and not be too tough, so as not to anger Wu Ge."
Another confidant suggested: "We can understand Ugge's needs and bottom line in advance so that we can take the initiative in the negotiations."
Que Yan agreed, "Very good, you go collect relevant information immediately. Also, notify everyone to strengthen the defense of the capital to prevent Wu Ge from cheating."
Everyone took the order and left. Que Yan sat alone in the study, thinking for a long time. He knew that this peace talk would be a difficult game, but he was determined to strive for the best result for Dazhao and live up to the trust of the late emperor's regent.
After Que Yan collected information about the Wuge war, he discovered some very strange clues.
Shou Junzhong was a good fighter. He had been fighting against Wuge for more than ten years and had never been defeated. How could he lose his life in the battle of Jianzhou?
Que Yan suspected that there was a traitor in the army, so there must be one in the capital as well. He secretly thought about how to deal with it carefully during the peace talks, and also prevent the Wuge envoy from colluding with the traitor to cause chaos in the capital.