Chang'an is good

Chapter 629: There Will Be No More Princesses Marrying for Peace

Outside the big tent, Cui Jing led the Xuan Ce army to guard it.

Inside the tent, Li Suining sat at the head seat, with Adian standing beside her, followed by Shecai, Wujue, Tang Xing, and several counselors and military advisors who accompanied them.

A Beidi official presented the draft peace document to Li Suining for her to review.

After reading the lines of tribute of tens of thousands of horses and livestock, as well as the promise of never violating the border again, Li Suining's eyes showed satisfaction. He closed the document, which was taken by a female soldier and handed to the military advisors for review.

What followed was the discussion of details between the two sides. The atmosphere was generally harmonious. The Dasheng side did not seem as overbearing as the Beidi officials had imagined. Instead, they were very cheerful.

The Beidi officials secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Some of them thought to themselves that it was fortunate that the court of Dasheng was in chaos now. Just imagine, if that group of aggressive and scheming civil officials of Dasheng were here today, the peace talks would not be so simple.

This feeling of relief continued until the woman in the black robe at the head opened her mouth and bluntly stated that she had another request.

The Northern Di officials exchanged glances, and then their queen said, "Please give your orders, Princess Crown Princess. The Khanate will not refuse anything within its power."

At Li Suining's instruction, She Cai stood up, took out the item on his waist, walked to the center of the tent, unfolded the scroll, and faced the Beidi people.

It turned out to be a topographic map of Northern Di.

Although the level of detail could not be compared with that of a map, the mountains and major rivers were accurately depicted... This shocked the Beidi officials. They did not know when and how the Sheng people had gained such an understanding of their territory. This would require years of exploration and measurement.

Did the Sheng people plant spies, or was there a traitor in their royal court? Or was it both?
It would be foolish and impulsive to question him at this time, not to mention that the real problem is not here...

As the Beidi people were in confusion, their eyes were all fixed on the three places circled in red in the picture.

They are located above, on the left, and on the right side of their Khanate's tent. The circle on the top is Langjuxu Mountain, on the left is between Uvs Sunor Lake and Udeqian Mountain, and on the right is in the area of ​​Chobal Mountain and Kherlen River.

They are all places with abundant water and grass, and they are all important locations.

The voice of the woman at the top sounded at the right time: "I want to change our Anbei Protectorate to Anbei Grand Protectorate, and set up three local protectorates in these three places, all under the jurisdiction of Anbei Grand Protectorate—"

Amid the shock, she asked, "What do you think?"

"...How can this be possible!" A Beidi official suddenly stood up and blurted out in Beidi dialect: "In this case, what has our Khanate become! A domestic slave of Dasheng? This is simply too much!"

Setting up a protectorate within the region is clearly an attempt to turn them into a second Western Regions!

Other officials noticed Li Suining's expression and signaled those noisy officials to calm down. They stood up, bowed to Li Suining, and said in a calm tone, "Your Highness, your country has set up the Anbei Protectorate to monitor the border..."

Before he could finish his words, Li Suining calmly interrupted him and asked, "But you have provoked war more than once, haven't you?"

"This shows that the Anbei Protectorate has become in name only over the years and is not enough to maintain peace between the two countries." She smiled and said, "Since it is not enough, we naturally have to add more chips. Isn't this reasonable?"

The meaning of her words could not be clearer. It was Beidi who broke the agreement first. Anbei Protectorate was the bottom line of Dasheng. Since Beidi had violated this bottom line, she did not mind moving this bottom line forward.

The bottom line set by Dasheng is not meant to be tested repeatedly by them. If they must test it, they will have to pay the corresponding price.

Li Suining's words were not harsh, but his attitude was unyielding.

Shepherd's Purse put away the topographic map, held it in his hand, and said loudly: "Your Highness set up protectorates in various places to prevent your country from falling into the situation of tribal division again! Moreover, our officials stationed here can also enlighten your people. Not to mention that under the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the party that benefits and prospers must be your Khanate!"

As he spoke, he bowed slightly to the officials of Beidi who had complicated expressions on their faces and said, "Your Highness, the Princess of our dynasty has made great efforts. If you are unwilling to appreciate it, then I will not accompany you!"

"Wait a minute!"

The queen stood up, bowed to Li Suining, and then told the Beidi officials that she wanted to speak to Her Royal Highness the Princess alone.

Those officials turned around with different expressions, and paced anxiously outside the tent, or talked in twos and threes with indignant looks, but seeing the black-armored soldiers guarding the tent, they had no choice but to lower their voices again and again.

Inside the tent, Li Suining's subordinates did not leave. She told the queen that these were all her confidants and there was no need to be shy about anything.

The queen nodded, first glanced at Tang Xing who was sitting cross-legged, and then said: "Your Highness, when General Tang discussed cooperation with me, he never mentioned such a request."

Tang Xing smiled and answered, "That was the initial form of cooperation, but the Queen took too long to consider and agreed too late. Today, in addition to the Queen's contribution, the peace talks here are mainly the result of the blood and flesh of our princess and soldiers. Naturally, the conditions cannot be generalized."

If the Khan of Beidi returns to the west as soon as possible, the war will hopefully be settled sooner, there will be fewer casualties, and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess may not have to put herself in danger.

The queen felt a little depressed: "General Tang, don't you know the situation at that time? At the beginning, the battle situation was not clear, and Tilie was still in the royal court. How could I dare to agree rashly when I was alone and weak?"

"Queen, your difficulties are not something our army needs to consider." Tang Xing still smiled. He never spoke in a sarcastic tone, and his words were always open, generous, and unrestrained:
"Risk-taking is the price of cooperation. You are unwilling to take too many risks. You always weigh the pros and cons and wait for the right opportunity. The results you get will naturally vary."

"Besides, the defeated party does not have much bargaining power—" Tang Xing said with a smile: "The winners and losers are determined by their own abilities. If the queen has enough ability, she can first cooperate with me to get rid of the Khan, and then take charge of the overall situation to continue fighting against our army, and then turn around and kill me, I will have nothing to say."

After hearing these words, the queen's clenched fists loosened, she let out a sigh of relief, and slowly smiled: "Yes, I have learned my lesson."

She has her own cleverness and calculations, but it is true that she has not had much exposure to real politics, and in this regard, she does seem too unfamiliar and naive.

She still has a lot to learn.

The queen bent her arms and bowed her head upwards, saying, "The Khanate is willing to obey the wishes of Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Li Suining: "Can the Queen make the full decision on this matter?"

The queen raised her head slightly and smiled: "Your Highness, please show mercy. As long as my brother is alive, people can rest assured."

It was not until this moment that she truly understood the intention of the Princess of Dasheng in sparing her brother's life.

That day, Li Suining did not kill Ashide Yuanli.

Yuan Li is a talented general. Li Suining admires him but is also wary of him. Getting rid of him is certainly a safe choice, but it will not be conducive to her next move.

The Queen of Beidi needs Yuanli's help to stabilize the situation.

And Li Suining needed this queen to help her control Beidi.

It was a rare opportunity to let a woman become the ruler of Beidi. Women were more cautious and adept at avoiding risks, which was extremely beneficial to Dasheng. And the queen had not yet had time to become a mature and qualified politician, which was undoubtedly more appropriate.

Killing Yuan Li at this juncture would destabilize the situation again and create a rift between her and the queen - there was absolutely no need for her to test human nature or the queen's obedience in this way.

Only by giving them the proper sense of security, allowing them to be calm, and not allowing them to be dominated by meaningless negative emotions, can long-term cooperation be achieved.

In small matters, there is no need to test or hesitate to show kindness and leniency; in large matters, one must exercise authority and leave no room for negotiation.

The queen observed the style of work involved and felt even more respect for the young woman at the top.

At this moment, she thought with certainty that if the other party could become the master of Dasheng, she and her Anai would surely have a brand new Northern Desert Khanate. Even if it was controlled by others, how could it not be considered a safe fortune to be under the wings of a great man?

The queen put forward her conditions, which she had mentioned to Tang Xing before, that she wanted to have a meeting with the princess.

The ten-year-old girl walked into the tent, stood beside her mother, and bowed upwards with her mother.

The queen's voice was like the most sacred oath on the snowy plain: "Please allow my daughter Anai to become the new king of Beidi. From now on, Anai and I are willing to be your loyal subjects."

This was the thought she had in mind when she decided to kill her husband.

Kill the most honorable person and become the most honorable person, then killing will have meaning.

Li Suining's eyes fell on the little girl: "Princess Anai is the only blood of the late Khan. It is reasonable for our dynasty to grant your request."

She is very young, but her mother and her uncle will teach and support her.

Anai finally came back to her senses. She stared in disbelief and spoke incoherently: "... Am I going to become someone like the Khan? A Khan respected by everyone?" She spoke in Northern Di language, and Li Suining answered her in Northern Di language: "You will become the queen of the Khanate. Whether you can be respected by others depends on your ability."

Ana's heart was pounding. She didn't know what power was yet, but she thought of her father. Such a comparison made her palms sweat. She bowed properly again and straightened her small back: "Ana has made a note of this!"

Seeing her straighten her back and look very majestic, Adian also straightened his back even more, fearing that his own prince would be outdone.

Ana noticed his movements and subconsciously stood straighter.

Adian followed suit and raised and tightened his chin.

Five days later, everything was settled. In addition to Dasheng's plan to set up three protectorates in the Beidi territory, the royal court also announced the decision to make Princess Anai the new king, with the queen as regent.

The turmoil caused by this move is rising and is also being suppressed.

In the evening, the queen formally set up a grand dinner to entertain Princess Dasheng.

As he wished, Adian ate roasted lamb and drank hot goat milk wine in the warm tent.

There was a bonfire burning outside the tent. Anai took Adian out to play. In the past few days, the two had become friends and playmates.

When Anai and Adian were watching a fight, a figure came over. Anai shouted happily, "Uncle!"

Ashide Yuanli came over and bowed to her with a gentle expression.

Anai asked him, "Does uncle's hand still hurt?"

"Much better, don't worry."

Li Suining did not kill Yuan Li, but Yuan Li slashed off four fingers on his right hand to show his sincerity in making amends.

Yuan Li then asked Anai: "Where is your mother?"

Ana raised his hand and pointed in the direction.

Beside the campfire, the queen was chatting and laughing with Tang Xing.

Yuan Li walked over, Tang Xing greeted him with a smile, and then left with the wine jug.

Seeing the queen's smiling eyes watching Tang Xing leave, Yuan Li was silent for a moment and asked, "Lana, do you like this Han general?"

The queen turned her gaze back and replied with a smile: "Brother, he is very different from others. And if it weren't for him, there wouldn't be me and Anais now."

Yuan Li clenched his fists, and after a moment, he said, "If you like him, I will keep him."

"No need," said the queen, "He can't be trapped here."

"He said that if we are destined to meet again, we will meet again." She said, looking at her brother with a frank smile: "These are all small matters. The future of me, Anai and my brother is the big thing."

Yuan Li raised the corner of his mouth slightly and nodded to her.

At this time, Anais ran over and the queen waved to her daughter.

Yuan Li looked at the mother and daughter in front of him, with a calm and warm look between his brows.

After walking a distance, Tang Xing looked back at the three people and said with a smile, "You have some tricks."

The affection between General Yuan Li, who has not yet married, and her is probably beyond that between brother and sister. How could she be unaware of it? She pretended not to know, yet she controlled everything just right, making him willing to be used by her - this is also a remarkable skill.

Besides, we are both willing and happy about it, and it is not the turn of outsiders to interfere.

Tang Xing drank a pot of wine, threw away the pot, drew his sword and started dancing. The more he danced, the more cheerful he felt.

Not far away, Cui Jing pushed Li Suining away from the crowd, away from the hustle and bustle, quietly gazing at the stars and the bright moon.

Li Suining talked to Cui Jing about many of his past experiences in Beidi.

Cui Jing looked at the person in front of her, the moonlight falling lightly on her hair and shoulders. She talked about the rolling mountains, the blue lakes, and the brilliant bonfires, but there were no scars of the past.

Finally, she raised her hand to point to the mountains and the bright moon in the distance, and asked him with a smile: "Cui Jing, now am I treating you to the mountains and the moon of the Northern Desert?"

"Okay." Cui Jing: "I will keep them safe and protect them for you."

"I knew you would say that." Li Suining sounded in a very good mood.

The two of them, one sitting and one standing, stayed here for a long time.

When the bonfire was dimming, Cui Jing pushed Li Suining back.

He walked slowly and told her something, asking for her opinion. The queen suggested building a temple for Princess Chongyue, where she would receive incense and merits forever, to show the Khanate's apology.

"No need." Li Suining said, "Chongyue doesn't want to stay here, she has already returned home."

"From now on, there will be no more princesses marrying off to other countries in Dasheng."

She finally said in a relaxed tone: "Cui Lingan, it's time for us to go home."

"Okay." Cui Jing: "Let's go home."

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, Sheng Jun officially embarked on his return journey.

Li Suining sat comfortably in the car, and Cui Jing led the way for her in front.

Adian also got into the carriage with Wu Jue. At this moment, the two of them were staring at the two little creatures wrapped in a blanket in the carriage.

That was thrown in by Yufeng before leaving.

First one was thrown, then another, and both were thrown into Adian's arms.

Adian, the babysitter chosen by Yufeng himself, was holding the fluttering little eagle in his arms, feeling very helpless and begging Wujue to help him think of a solution.

The two of them were in a hurry to carefully wrap up the two eaglets, which had already grown brown feathers after their down was plucked off, without caring whether they needed it or not. This is how raising a baby is done.

At this moment, Ah Dian stared at them, looking at their sparse hairs on their heads, and suddenly he seemed to have discovered a secret, and said in surprise: "Master Wu Jue, they seem to look like you!"

Wu Jue was very angry, and what made him even angrier was that he understood it all at once!
"You unlucky child!" Wu Jue was so angry that he was about to hit someone.

"I was talking about before!" Ah Dian quickly put his head in his hands and changed his words: "It's not like that now!"

Wu Jue withdrew his hand, touched the wig on his head, snorted twice, and fell asleep with his arms as a pillow, ignoring A Dian.

Adian soon started to worry about the names of the two little eagles. He begged Wu Jue to think of two names, but Wu Jue still ignored him with a sullen look.

Yufeng, who brought his family with him, took the initiative to explore the way ahead and was a very competent scout.

The eagle's cry is clear, the sky is high, and the green grass is gradually revealed under the melting snow.

The soldiers on their way back from this great victory were all in high spirits, eager to bring this great news of victory back to their homeland.

4500 words, good night everyone~