Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 296: Longzhong, Thatched Cottage, Liangfuyin, BUFF Full
The Xiongnu delegation walked into the Tai'an Hall with their heads lowered.

After the group arrived at the center of the hall, Qu Bei, as the representative of the delegation, bowed his head deeply and paid homage to the majestic figure above.

"Respected, supreme emperor of the Han Dynasty, I, your humble servant, come to see you. May your glory always shine as brightly as the sun."

Qu Bei's tone and attitude were full of respect.

The other members of the Xiongnu delegation did not dare to speak, and they did not speak Chinese very well, so they just performed the etiquette according to the etiquette that Qubei had taught them beforehand.

Everyone is very nervous at this moment.

Because all the ministers in the hall were looking at them, and the deeply scrutinizing gazes made them feel extremely uncomfortable.

If I have to make an analogy, they are like a group of sheep entering a pack of wolves. They may be torn to pieces by the wolves at any time. Everything here is incompatible with them.

But what made them feel the most pressure was the Han emperor above them.

The overwhelming pressure was like a huge mountain pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Such majesty is far beyond what their Chanyu can compare to.

Liu Xie's eyes fell on Qubei and the Xiongnu envoys below. After looking at them for a moment, he said calmly, "Everyone, get up."

These words immediately broke the solemn and majestic atmosphere in the hall. Qu Bei and others felt the pressure on them relieved. They stood up after expressing their gratitude respectfully.

"I already know what you have done." Liu Xie looked at Qu Bei and said, "Killing Gao Gan and the other remnants of the traitors is indeed a great achievement. I am very satisfied with this."

"But there are some things that I need you to give an explanation for, such as when you escorted me back to the east, you took the opportunity to plunder in Guanzhong."

It is true that the Hun delegation came here to apologize this time.

But the looting of Guanzhong cannot be forgotten by simply returning all the looted property and people.

Because this is an insult to the majesty of the Han Dynasty!

Although Qubei had been mentally prepared before coming here, he still couldn't help feeling nervous after hearing Liu Xie's words.

"Your Majesty," Qu Bei organized his words in his mind, and then said, "The outsiders have already investigated this matter. It was done privately by several tribes."

"We, the Chanyu, feel extremely angry and guilty for not being able to restrain them and allowing them to cause indelible harm to the people of the Han Dynasty."

"So this time when I came to see Your Majesty, the Chanyu not only asked me to return all the property and the people of the Han Dynasty, but also sent 30,000 sheep, 10,000 horses, and 300 boxes of treasures as compensation for this matter."

"Please forgive our sins, Your Majesty."

Qu Bei apologized sincerely in words.

He was of course aware that simply returning all the property and people would not be enough to appease the anger of the Han emperor, so before coming he suggested to Huochequan to prepare more gifts.

"apologize?"

Liu Xie couldn't help laughing when he heard this, and said to the ministers in the hall: "Did you hear that? Thirty thousand sheep, ten thousand horses, and three hundred boxes of treasures, it's really a big deal."

"So the lives of my people are worth only these things. Why have you never told me this?"

No one in the palace dared to respond to his words.

Everyone could hear the indifference in Liu Xie's laughter.

Lu Bu snorted coldly, and looked at Qu Bei and others with an increasingly unfriendly gaze, as if he would step forward and take action immediately at the command.

"His Majesty……"

Qu Bei was panicked by Lu Bu's look and said quickly, "This is just part of our sincerity. Please let your majesty know how much compensation is required."

In fact, the apology he prepared was already a lot.

But since Liu Xie was not satisfied, he could only choose to compromise. Giving some livestock and treasures was better than asking Lu Bu, the killer, to lead his troops to kill them personally.

After all, with their current strength, they cannot defeat any of the Han princes, let alone the imperial army?

Take the siege of Gao Gan for example, it was just a remnant of about a thousand people, but it caused many casualties to their elite Wang Ting army. If they were faced with the fully armed elite Han army, how would they resist?

"The apology I want is very simple."

The smile on Liu Xie's face slowly faded, and he stared at Qu Bei and said, "Return to me as many heads as you killed during the looting."

"I don't know how many you have killed, but if what you give is not enough, I will send Lord Wen to get it personally."

Liu Xie's tone was not harsh, but it was full of murderous intent.

They looted and slaughtered the people in Guanzhong, and now they want to pay them back with some livestock and property? How could such a good thing happen in the world?

If this continues, where is the dignity of the Han Dynasty?

He didn't believe that Qubei was unaware of the Huns' looting of Guanzhong. He came to apologize not because he knew he was wrong, but because he knew he would die if he didn't apologize.

So, he would give back as many heads as he killed. It was as simple as that. If he was not satisfied with the amount given, he would send troops to take them.

We must repay tooth for tooth and blood for blood!

When facing foreign races, Liu Xie only believed in one principle, that is, only by making them afraid and fearful to the core would they dare not offend.

Otherwise, if you show the slightest sign of weakness, they will dare to test your bottom line.

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible!"

Qubei was horrified when he heard this, and immediately knelt down and begged, "We are willing to compensate you with several times the amount of goods and cattle, please be merciful, Your Majesty!"

He kowtowed deeply to Liu Xie and begged bitterly.

There were definitely quite a few Han civilians who were killed or injured during the looting of Guanzhong. The most important thing is that we don’t know the exact number, so even if we have to pay back, we don’t know how much.

As for whether it was enough in the end, it was still a matter of Liu Xie's words? In other words, they had to hurt themselves until Liu Xie was satisfied!
"It seems that Zuo Xian Wang still doesn't understand."

Liu Xie had an indifferent expression, showing no intention of changing his mind. He said coldly, "I am not bargaining with you. You only have two choices: accept or reject."

"Tell me, what do you want to choose?"

Either you surrender your lives obediently or wait for the Han army to arrive. There is no third way.

Qu Bei's face was pale and sweat broke out on his forehead.

He understood that if he chose to refuse, not only would all the members of the delegation die here, but the emperor would also really send troops to attack the royal court.

This is definitely a consequence he cannot bear!

Looking at Lü Bu, who was standing like an iron tower with an unfriendly look, Qu Bei couldn't help but shudder and said with difficulty: "I will obey... Your Majesty's order."

After saying this, the other members of the Xiongnu delegation looked at him in shock. No one expected that Qu Bei would actually agree!
"Khan—"

A member of the delegation anxiously tried to dissuade him, but was glared back by Qu Bei.

Then Qu Bei said respectfully: "Your Majesty, we will send you the heads of all those who participated in the looting of Guanzhong."

"At the same time, in order to show our loyalty to the Han Dynasty, our Chanyu intends to leave two of his sons in Yecheng as hostages. Your Majesty, please believe that we are not willing to be enemies with the Han Dynasty."

"We will always be loyal subjects of the Han Dynasty." This attitude was extremely humble, but it was undoubtedly the most correct choice at this time, because he knew that this was the attitude that the Han Emperor wanted.

If you dare to be tough, you will die!
"good."

Liu Xie took a deep look at Qu Bei, and the expression on his face eased a little. "If there are mistakes, they must be punished, and if there are merits, they must be rewarded."

"Since you escorted me back to the east last time and took the initiative to send troops to wipe out the remnants of the rebels, and have made great contributions, I graciously allow you to engage in trade with the court."

"Fine salt, porcelain, and silk can all be purchased from the court."

In order to prevent foreign races from growing stronger, many materials were openly prohibited from foreign trade, and only caravans would secretly sell some of them.

Salt and iron are the top priorities of control.

Liu Xie's decision to give the Huns the right to purchase fine salt was well thought out, because the treasury was empty and he needed to make money, so he had to liberalize some trade.

"Fine salt?!"

Qu Bei's eyes widened instantly when he heard this.

My heart was filled with disbelief.

Salt is an extremely scarce commodity on the grassland. In the past, the Han court had strict control over salt, but now Liu Xie actually allowed them to buy it!
This is such a great thing!
All of a sudden, the grief in Qubei's heart disappeared, and he said to Liu Xie with excitement: "Your Majesty! Your wisdom and kindness will be sung among the tribes on the grassland!"

"Praise your majesty, praise Eternal Heaven!"

Liu Xie was too lazy to listen to his polite words. After a long talk, he waved his hand and asked the Hun delegation to leave.

Then he asked Zhen Yi to be responsible for receiving the property, supplies and people sent back by the Xiongnu delegation. After arranging them properly, he ended the court meeting and returned to Xuanshi to handle government affairs.

By the way, Jia Xu was also summoned over.

When he entered the Xuanshi Hall, Liu Xie asked, "Wenhe, have you made any progress in the matter of sending people to find Zhuge Liang that I asked you to do?"

"Reply to Your Majesty."

Jia Xu bowed slightly and replied, "The envoy I sent has arrived in Jingzhou. I believe it won't be long before we can bring the person back. Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Liu Xie nodded slightly and said, "Remember to tell them not to be rude and bring the person back respectfully."

Jia Xu said yes respectfully and turned to leave.

After Liu Xie sent Jia Xu away, he turned around and returned to the dragon table. Looking at the mountain of memorials submitted from all over the country in front of him, he couldn't help feeling a headache.

Prime Minister, please come quickly.

……

Jingzhou.

After receiving instructions from Liu Biao, Liu Qi quietly left Xiangyang City and went to Longzhong County.

In order to keep his whereabouts secret and avoid being noticed by others, he traveled with a small entourage, including only a few servants.

But this also brought him a lot of trouble.

Because he only knew that Zhuge Liang lived near Longzhong County, but he didn't know exactly where, so he could only ask the locals.

After a lot of effort, he finally confirmed that Mr. Wolong lived near a hill called Wanshan outside Longzhong County.

So he rushed over without stopping.

Although it is just the beginning of spring, the weather has already turned warmer, and the sun is very strong today, so Liu Qi is wearing quite thick clothes.

The long ride and the sun made him feel extremely hot, so he stopped temporarily and rested in front of a tea stall on the side of the road.

"Dr. Tea, give me a pot of tea."

Liu Qi took off his cloak and handed it to the servant beside him, then wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Dr. Tea.

"Okay, sir, tea is here!"

The tea master quickly wiped the table clean with a towel and brought a pot of freshly brewed tea. "Sir, please drink slowly. Be careful of the burns."

After saying that, he was busy entertaining other guests.

But at this time Liu Qi stopped him and said, "Wait, I have something to ask, I wonder if Dr. Tea can help me solve it?"

Doctor Cha was busy with business and was reluctant to answer. However, when he saw Liu Qi dressed elegantly and was obviously a young master from a wealthy family, he smiled and said, "What do you want to ask, young master?"

Liu Qi asked, "I heard there is a hermit nearby named Zhuge Kongming, who lives near Wanshan. Doctor Cha, do you know where exactly he lives?"

"Zhuge Kongming?"

Doctor Cha was slightly stunned when he heard this. After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly said, "Are you talking about Zhuge Liang?"

Liu Qi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, "Yes, it's him! Has Dr. Cha heard of Mr. Kong Ming?"

Dr. Cha smiled and said, "Of course I have heard of it, but you are overly flattering him, sir. This Zhuge Liang is just a pretentious lunatic, how can he be worthy of the title of sir?"

"When he was seventeen, he began to follow others and lived in seclusion in a thatched cottage in the mountains, reciting Liangfu Yin all day long, and even compared himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. How could people in our area not know him?"

"Why are you looking for him, sir? You don't really believe that he is some great hermit and come to visit him, do you?"

Liu Qi was stunned by Dr. Tea's words.

Didn’t my father say that Zhuge Liang was a rare talent? Why do people in Longzhong speak so highly of him?

Although he was surprised, Liu Qi did not show it. He just smiled and said, "My father and his father are old acquaintances. I happened to pass by Longzhong this time, so I would like to visit the son of an old friend. Please ask Dr. Tea to tell me where he lives."

As he spoke, he took out a small amount of money from his sleeve and placed it on the tea table.

"Easy to say! Easy to say!"

Dr. Tea immediately smiled, took the money, and pointed to the northwest, saying, "Sir, just walk along this road for three miles, and when you see a crooked tree, walk east for a while and you will arrive."

"Zhuge Liang lives in a thatched cottage over there."

Liu Qi was overjoyed when he learned the specific location of Zhuge Liang's residence from the tea master. After hurriedly drinking a sip of tea, he got on his horse and set off again.

But what he didn't notice was that at another table in the tea stall, there were three customers dressed as traveling merchants, staring at his back intently.

"Longzhong, thatched cottage, Liangfuyin, this is where Mr. Kongming lived in seclusion. But who is this person, and why is he also looking for Mr. Kongming?"

One of the thin men frowned and spoke in a low voice while drinking tea, with surprise in his eyes.

The leader of the three was a middle-aged man. He did not answer the thin man's question. He threw down a few coins and stood up and said, "Let's go, follow me."

The other two followed closely behind.

As they walked, the hem of their clothes lifted slightly, revealing the embroidered clothing emblem that few people knew about at the moment, underneath their ordinary clothes.

(End of this chapter)