first minister

Sitting on the carriage, Yelvshi's mind was still echoing Xia Jingyun's words just now.

Rather than saying that Xia Jingyun is an excellent lobbyist, it is better to say that he is a genius planner.

When he puts the pros and cons clearly before him;
  When he clearly demonstrates the exciting future and the clear path to that future;
  As the target of his lobbying, it is really difficult to find a reason to refuse.

If there is a secret agreement and support from the Southern Dynasty, all he needs to do is how to successfully implement the abolition and establishment, and then how to settle the relationship between the seven surnames.

The most important thing is that in Xia Jingyun's design, this is not a road that can't be turned back once embarked on it. He can break the contract and stop before every critical node.

He could choose to be the new emperor's loyal dog and stop before deposing Xue Rui and replacing him with Xue Yi;
  He could also stop being a powerful minister after replacing Xue Yi;
  Everything can wait and see whether Xia Jingyun can achieve what he promised today.

This is also the reason why he agreed.

He secretly formulated a several-step strategy in his mind: first win Xue Rui's trust, then lead troops to Beijing to control the overall situation, then abolish the establishment, and finally take the final step to balance the interests of all parties. At the same time, he watched Xia Jingyun Is the so-called pioneering path reliable?

While thinking about it, the carriage quietly arrived at the temporary residence.

Before he even got out of the carriage, he heard the anxious and concerned voice of King Jing, "King Dingxi, are you okay?"

Yelvshi couldn't help but feel a kind of guilt and panic that he hadn't experienced in many years, as if he had been caught in bed. But when he opened the curtain and walked out of the carriage, his face was completely natural, without any trace of it. Broken rage.

"Xia Jingyun is really going too far! I am the majestic King Dingxi of Daliang. Even though I, Daliang, are facing internal and external troubles, how can he humiliate me like this!"

He looked at King Jing and said, "Your Highness, pack up. Let's leave tomorrow! If you don't care about his arrogance, I don't think he can understand anything. How can he communicate with the Queen Mother and the court in the south!"

King Jing had never seen King Dingxi being so angry and lost his temper, and he quickly said: "King Dingxi, calm down and calm down. Let's go into the house and have a drink of tea to rest our breath."

Hearing this, Yelvshi looked at him and couldn't help but stamp his feet, "Your Highness, you are also the prince of the Xue family. You should have some princely bearing. Don't be like a clay Bodhisattva who lets others rub you!"

After saying that, he walked away, leaving King Jing standing there awkwardly.

King Jing was stunned for a moment, smiled mockingly to himself, and looked at the officials and followers on the side, "Don't be stunned. King Dingxi said to pack your things, so get busy!"

After everyone started working, he rolled up his sleeves, sighed softly, and slowly walked into the room alone.

On the other side, in the city lord's palace at Lieyang Pass, Xia Jingyun was sitting alone in the room, reading the information about Xue Yi, King of Beiliang Jing, and writing down a few thoughts from time to time.

In the next room, Bai Yunbian was astonished, "I didn't expect it to happen like this. Gao Yang is truly a genius as famous as me. This ability is truly astonishing."

There is nothing wrong with the first half of his sentence. As long as Yelvshi agrees, the overall situation has been determined, and the rest is just to perfect some details.

However, the second half of his words made Jiang Yuhu couldn't help but turn his head and glance at him. Even though he was so familiar, he still seemed a little unbelievable that he could say such words so confidently.

Bai Yunbian waved his hand, "You don't have to look at me like this. Although this young master's praise is extremely rare, he deserves it."

Jiang Yuhu couldn't bear it anymore, but he felt that his attacks were a bit frequent in the past two days, and he couldn't really beat him hard, so he simply got up and walked out.

"Where are you going?"

Listening to the voice behind him, Jiang Yuhu said coldly: "I, sir, go and do some exercise."

Bai Yunbian clicked his tongue, "Why don't you just sit down now? It's really free. A martial artist is a martial artist."

Jiang Yuhu paused and took two deep breaths before taking another step. However, by the time he reached the place where he usually practiced martial arts, holding a spear in his hand, he had suppressed all the negative emotions brought by the white clouds.

He raised his gun and thought about Xia Jingyun's plan, with a hint of satisfaction at the corner of his mouth.

In this case, it's time for me to do what I should do.

He hummed softly, and the spear roared out, like a dragon soaring over the sea.

In a room not far away, Xia Jingyun put down the information in his hand and took up a pen to write down his subsequent thoughts. On that small square paper, the whole world was written down.

Da Xia has two treasures, one for literature and one for military. Civilization can stabilize the country, and military force can rule the country.

At this moment, standing in Lieyang Pass, which originally belonged to Beiliang, and holding the throne of Beiliang in his hands, this title was completely worthy of its name.
-
  When night falls, people in Beiliang have really packed their bags.

Deputy envoy Wang Ruoshui sat with a sad face. At this moment, he felt that the world was so big and he seemed to have nowhere to go.

Originally in Beiliang, although he could see the contempt in the eyes of those Beiliang people, after all, Emperor Liang valued literature, and because of his status as the Minister of Rites of Daxia, he was treated with extra courtesy, which was considered the treatment of an important minister. But now, Emperor Liang No more, what will the new emperor's attitude be toward him?
  And this is not the most critical thing. What really confused him was the negotiation a few days ago.

Xia Jingyun would ask him by name, and he was prepared.

How could a resourceful person like Xia Jingyun have thought of this when he saw him being placed among the envoys by Emperor Liang? How could the other party express the anger in his heart and how could he dispel it if he had not shown up? Emperor Liang was suspicious.

But he seemed lost at the time, but in fact he was full of joy.

After all, this was Emperor Liang's method, so that he could no longer stay in Beiliang and "serve the country." Considering that he had been frightened and worked hard in Beiliang, the Queen Mother and Xia Jingyun should also be able to forgive themselves for their sins. Let yourself be reunited with your wife and children, be a rich man, and spend your old age in peace.

Although King Dingxi was so decisive and gave up on him without any hesitation, it made him understand that Emperor Liang had already made such a plan before sending him here. At least Emperor Liang had regarded him as dispensable. The chess piece gave King Dingxi full decision-making power, which made him a little disappointed, but he was happy to return to his homeland after all.

But unfortunately, this peace agreement is invalid!
  I was kicked back again!

All those longings and fantasies about the future suddenly disappeared, leaving only endless embarrassment.

The looks he had seen in the past few days were as if they were insulting him. He did not even dare to go out and face the officials and servants.

And now, they are going back.

Are you just going to follow along?

Xia Jingyun, aren't you resourceful? Why don't you come and save your undercover?

Tuk Tuk Tuk.

The long-lost knock on the door suddenly sounded, and then Yelv Shi's calm voice came.

"Master Wang, have you fallen asleep?"

"No, no!" Wang Ruoshui stood up quickly, wearing his shoes backwards, and rushed forward to open the door.

Yelvshi walked in and sat down on the chair in the room like a master, "Master Wang, please sit down too."

Wang Ruoshui hesitated and sat across from him, looking at Yelvshi with some anxiety.

Even if the other party had offended him, even if the other party once wanted to put him to death, now in person, he did not dare to have any dissatisfaction or even resistance. That was the power of power quietly working.

"Your Majesty, I still have to say a few words to you about what happened a few days ago." Yelvshi spoke slowly, and Wang Ruoshui stood up quickly, "Your Majesty, your words are serious, and they are all for the sake of the court, where justice lies, and it is my duty as a low-ranking official. "

Yelvshi, who originally thought that Wang Ruoshui would inevitably complain and express some anger no matter what, looked at him and was a little surprised at this man's lack of limits. It was no wonder that he would abandon his country and defect.

He said leisurely: "Before coming, His Majesty did make it clear to me that if the people of the Southern Dynasty ask for you, they will use you as a bargaining chip in exchange for tangible benefits of the court. That's why I made such a decision at that time. Don't resent me." .”

Wang Ruoshui hurriedly said: "How dare you? Your Majesty's words are serious, and I don't have any resentment at all."

Yelvshi did not comment on the authenticity of his words, but continued: "If your majesty is healthy, I will not say another word about this matter. This is also the reason why I have not come to you in the past few days, but since your majesty is now Di Beng, I still want to explain some things clearly to you and let you know the inside story."

Wang Ruoshui quickly expressed his position, "My lord, don't worry, I will not be dissatisfied with you at all. Oh no, the same is true for the late emperor."

Yelvshi nodded, "That's good. The late emperor passed away. Let the past be bygones. When the new emperor succeeds to the throne, we will all look up and move forward. We will be loyal to His Majesty and work together on state affairs. What do you think?"

"Best regards, Your Majesty!"

Yelvshi smiled and took the initiative to hold Wang Ruoshui's arm, "Let's go and meet His Highness King Jing together."

Wang Ruoshui was flattered and walked out of the room together.

And in the eyes of other Beiliang people, this gesture has the effect of "the peach and plum are self-defeating" in another sense.

As soon as he saw King Jing and before he could say anything, an official came in a hurry, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, the people from the Southern Dynasty are here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Jingyun's clear voice sounded outside the house, "What does King Dingxi mean by this? Do you want to leave without saying goodbye?"

In the room, the expressions of King Jing and Wang Ruoshui changed slightly, but Yelvshi had a hidden anger on his face, and snorted outside unceremoniously, "What Marquis Jianning said is interesting, even if I want to leave without saying goodbye, can't I say goodbye?" ?”

Xia Jingyun's figure appeared in the room accompanied by his guards, "What are you talking about, King Dingxi? Even if the two countries are fighting, they will not behead the envoys. I, Zhongyuan Zhengshuo, the great Xia, a country of etiquette and righteousness, can I still not let you down?" Can’t you leave?”

Yelvshi smiled mockingly, "Otherwise, what did Marquis Jianning think you were doing? Didn't you just break into our courtyard without any communication? Is this where the etiquette of your country lies? This king has opened his eyes. !”

Xia Jingyun still had a smile on his lips, "Don't get me wrong, King Dingxi. I've learned that you guys seem to be leaving, so I'm anxious to come here to try to persuade you to stay!"

Yelvshi snorted coldly, "Whatever you say! Between the two countries, there are victories and defeats, offenses and defenses for each other. Now that you have the upper hand, you are so arrogant. We have nothing to say, but don't blame me, Daliang, for being unreasonable in the future. Just noodles!”

Xia Jingyun's face suddenly turned cold when he heard this, "Yelushi, are you threatening me? When I call you King Dingxi, do you really show your prince's genealogy in front of me? In Daxia, which prince dares to So arrogant in front of me!"

Wang Ruoshui trembled at these harsh words that he had never heard since they met. King Jing also looked frightened, but Yelvshi was not afraid and said with emotion: "That's because the prince in your court has no spine. I, the prince." I have been brave all my life, so how can I be afraid of you at all! If you sincerely want to talk, then we can still talk. If you want to be arrogant and bully others, I'm sorry, I don't have such spineless and slavish people!"

Xia Jingyun's frosty face suddenly showed a smile again, as if spring had returned to the earth, "Why does King Dingxi think that I am humiliating you instead of testing your sincerity? Now that the new emperor of your country has succeeded to the throne, you are still How much power you have, whether the things that have been negotiated can be counted, and even whether you want to rush back and claim credit in front of the new emperor to consolidate your position, or whether you are willing to sit down and settle the matter, all these are the things you want to do. Is it not too much for me to test our doubts a little bit?"

"Hmph! Don't argue so hard here!" Yelvshi said: "Although our imperial power in Daliang has changed, we will still be loyal to the imperial power of the Xue family and abide by our duties as ministers. And we also believe that His Majesty can see us. Your hard work will not chill the hearts of loyal people. What's more, this is our internal affairs in Daliang. We have our own concerns, so why should Marquis Jianning act like a villain here?"

Xia Jingyun's expression was calm with a hint of secret annoyance, "It is said that King Xi is a warrior on the battlefield and has outstanding military achievements. Now it seems that his mouth is not inferior at all!"

"I have a clear conscience and a strong sense of justice, so I naturally speak loudly and forcefully!"

"In this case, I would like to ask you a question, do you still want to talk?"

Yelvshi was silent for a moment, "Since Marquis Jianning is here, let's just draw a line and see if it works. If it works, we'll sign it. If it doesn't work, let's make a difference!"

Xia Jingyun looked at Yelv Shi, smiled, walked directly to a chair nearby and sat down, facing the three Beiliang people in front of him alone, he smiled confidently and calmly, "Then let's talk!"

Seeing this overwhelming momentum, even though tens of thousands of people were there, King Jing and Wang Ruoshui simply didn't dare to say a word. Only Yelvshi slowly walked to sit opposite him.

In the view of Wang Ruoshui and King Jing, perhaps there had been enough testing between the two parties, or perhaps the time spent fighting each other was too long. Therefore, this time the meeting between King Dingxi and Marquis Jianning only took a long time. When it was time for a cup of tea, the final result was discussed.

Daxia released [-] captives, and Daliang paid a one-time compensation of two million taels of silver and no longer paid annual coins. Daxia opened Phoenix City and Daliang opened Huaishuo City to facilitate business travel between the two countries. At the same time, the two courts protected each other's business travel. security within one's own borders.

When Marquis Jianning's men called for the documents from the Southern Dynasty and wrote down the peace agreement, and both sides used their seals, everyone present could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

These two fluffy pieces of paper are really too twists and turns.

Watching Xia Jingyun and others leave, Yelvshi, who had been tough and firm before, suddenly slumped down on the chair, frightening the people around him and quickly gathered around him.

Yelvshi waved his hand a little weakly and said in a solemn voice: "It's nothing, I just held on for a while and I'm a little tired. I'm getting old after all!"

Wang Ruoshui hurriedly said useless nonsense, "Your Majesty, what are you talking about? You are still healthy!"

Yelvshi ignored him and waved gently to let the others go down, leaving only two deputy envoys. Then he slowly took a sip of tea, sat up straighter, looked at King Jing, "Your Highness, I have A request."

Xue Yi, who witnessed with his own eyes Yelu Shi's hard work in the Southern Dynasty and lived up to the glory of Daliang, said quickly: "King Dingxi, please speak."

"There are only three of us here, so I won't hide it anymore, and I would like to share a few words with you two. Although I am loyal to the imperial court, as can be seen from the sun and the moon, but now that the new king has succeeded to the throne, how does Your Majesty treat me, the late emperor? You are my favorite, but I still feel unsure!"

He spoke slowly, and his words seemed to be the accumulation of decades of ups and downs, "What's more, although the peace agreement has been reached this time, it will eventually have to pay compensation and open businesses. If it is seen by those in the court who are happy in Liangdu, , they have no idea about the hardships of this peace negotiation, and they will only feel that we have not only failed to accomplish anything, but also humiliated the country, and with the public discussion fierce, how will your Majesty view our trip?"

"To be honest, your Majesty, oh, it's the late emperor. After he vomited blood and fainted, he gave me some secret instructions about assisting the new emperor. But now does your majesty know and trust me? What does your majesty do to me and the Yelu family? The attitude is completely unknown, and the thought of it will inevitably make people uneasy!"

No matter how ineffective Xue Yi was, he realized what he was doing at this moment, "Does King Dingxi want Xiao Wang to go back first and explain the details to the emperor's brother so that he can understand his attitude?"

Yelvshi held Xue Yi's hand as if praying, "Your Highness, you and Your Majesty are brothers, and there has never been a fight for the throne. Your Majesty will never be suspicious of you, and only what you say, he Only then will I believe it without reservation, so, Your Highness, I will not hesitate to help you if I can help you!"

Xue Yi said repeatedly: "The words of King Dingxi are serious. Xiao Wang is also a member of the mission. This time, King Dingxi is loyal and brave, the hardships of the entire mission, and the difficulty of the peace talks are all seen by Xiao Wang. This is an unshirkable responsibility. !”

Yelvshi nodded repeatedly, "Then thank you very much, Your Highness. In my opinion, it is better to ask Your Highness to take the guards first, return to Liangdu quickly, and report to Your Majesty. I will take the rest of the people to wait in Huaishuo City for His Majesty's decree." Once the gold and silver are delivered, we can deliver the goods to the Southern Dynasty, and then we can return to the capital with [-] snow dragon riders."

This is not an additional request, but someone must be left here to deliver the goods, so King Jing nodded when he heard this, "It shouldn't be delayed, Xiao Wang, let's leave overnight!"

"It's snowy and windy and the road is slippery. Your Highness can leave Lieyang Pass with me tomorrow morning." Yelvshi looked at Wang Ruoshui, "Wang Langzhong, please accompany His Highness. I'll have someone to look after you on the way. After returning to the court, if anything happens, When Your Majesty asks about etiquette and regulations, can I have some support for His Highness's words?"

Wang Ruoshui naturally had no reason or confidence to refuse, so he quickly agreed.

After receiving their promises, Yelv Shi stood up and bowed to them, "I would like to thank you both for your kindness on behalf of the Yelu family, and I will wait for your good news in Huaishuo City!"

The two hurriedly expressed their humility again.

After some polite greetings, the yard gradually became quiet.

But what the people of Beiliang who did not set out overnight did not know was that another group of hundreds of Qingqi quietly left the city from the south gate of Lieyang Pass under the cover of night, and then gathered three thousand elites in Yanhui Pass. , disappeared into the wind and snow again.

Only, that time it was to the north.

This time, it was to the east. (End of chapter)