Chapter 42 The diplomatic relation
The Xiongnu wouldn’t let go and wanted Great Liang to give an explanation. How could a healthy person die unexplainable just because of eating a few bites of something? They suspected that someone had poisoned them. If emperor Jinghui couldn’t give them a satisfactory explanation, they threatened that they would send the army to Great Liang.
In front of the officials, emperor Jinghui angrily threw a white jade cup onto Situ Jinkang’s forehead. Fresh blood immediately appeared. Situ Jinkang knelt trembling and said aggrieved, “Emperor father, don’t be angry. This subject son truly has no idea what had happened! When this subject son entertained the Xiongnu, they were obviously fine. How could they had died in a blink of an eye?! Moreover, there were many officials present at that time. They are fine. Why did something only happen to the Xiongnu? There must be fraud in this matter! Asking emperor father to investigate!”
Situ Jinkang shed tears while recounting. Situ Yaohua and other officials also pleaded for him. At this time, prime minister Lin stood out and said, “Your Majesty, perhaps there are some ulterior motives about this matter. The Xiongnu had always been very deceitful and has ambitions towards my Great Liang. Although, second prince can’t escape the responsibility, but we have to beware that the Xiongnu will make a matter using this in order to get more benefits from my Great Liang. Second prince may have only been accidentally caught in their tricks.”
The remarks of Lin Xian seemed very reasonable. It looked like he was also pleading for Situ Jinkang, but in fact, he made the crime of Situ Jinkang a fact. Not only did he made Situ Jinkang unable to escape taking responsibility, but he also left an impression of incompetence in emperor Jinghui’s heart. Prime minister Lin was indeed an old shrewd. After Situ Yaohua looked at Situ Jinkang’s face, he showed an expression of approval and satisfaction.
Emperor Jinghui still didn’t get rid of his anger and clutched one of his hand on his chest, “Then, say how to solve this matter that can calm the anger of the Xiongnu, but also not make my Great Liang lose face!”
At the same time, he looked at Situ Jinkang with resentful eyes and felt that this son of his was unworthy and couldn’t even do a small matter. All day long, he only knew how to recite poetry with those officials and pose himself as being sophisticated. However, he only looked impressive, but was worthless. He couldn’t do anything! What else could he count on him to do in the future?!
At this moment, Situ Yaohua stood out and said, “Second little brother was eager to serve the country, but he lacked experience after all. This subject son thinks that there is still margin to ease the tension.”
“Oh? What can you do to ease the anger of the Xiongnu?” Emperor Jinghui asked and felt a bit comforted at the same time. Sure enough, it was the crown prince that was more mature and stable and has strategies. He hasn’t misjudged him.
Situ Yaohua respectfully continued, “The winter in the grassland is about to arrive. The Xiongnu will face the situation of having nowhere to put the cattle and sheep, difficult to find food resources which will cause the starvation of the young and old. As long as we give them some food and benefits, they will certainly be moved to tears and remember the kindness of my Great Liang’s emperor!”
The officials also felt that it was reasonable and nodded. The Xiongnu were people who only knew how to herd sheep. Could they still not be happy when they see the benefits and appreciate Great Liang’s kindness?
However, they did not know or deliberately ignored the brutal and greedy nature of the Xiongnu and had forgotten that they are a group of thankless wretches that no matter how good you treat them, they would bite you.
Lin Qing quietly looked at the triumphant officials and the comforted emperor Jinghui as well as the silent prime minister Lin and the imperial tutor Du Heng. Suddenly, he wanted to know what expression general Pingxi who didn’t attend the court for a long time would have if he got to know about this matter.
- General Pingxi guarded and fought against the Xiongnu all year long at the frontier, so, LQ was wondering what expression he would have since Great Liang was so yielding.
Situ Jinkang was demoted by emperor Jinghui, put on house arrest and couldn’t participate for half year in political affairs. Also, the matter of making amends with the Xiongnu was left to crown prince Situ Yaohua. Situ Wenrui also wanted to take on this errand, but when his ally Jui Qiansui was indifferent, how could he win against Situ Yaohua? He could only give up.
With the expectation of all the officials, Situ Yaohua invited the Xiongnu’s envoys to his residence and entertained them. As long as the bargaining chip was in his hand, Situ Yaohua believed that in face of huge benefits, the Xiongnu wouldn’t be able to resist these temptations.
Songs and dances were in unison in the hall. The leader of the Xiongnu’s envoys Chachar looked with a bad expression at Situ Yaohua who was sitting on the upper beam and said, “Your Highness the crown prince, is this how you treat us, who came to Great Liang with kindness? Our people had died by unknown reasons here in Great Liang. If Your Majesty the emperor can’t give our brothers who had died an explanation, our descendants of the Blue Wolf White Deer won’t endure this humiliation.”
The other Xiongnu also stared at Situ Yaohua with angry eyes. It seemed that if Situ Yaohua doesn’t give them an answer that would satisfy them, they would immediately become hostile.
Situ Yaohua motioned to a beautiful woman to give a cup of wine to Chachar. Then, from a distance, he picked up his cup and raised it at Chachar, “Honorable envoy, don’t be impatient. My magnificent kingdom has vast land and countless of food supplies. The people are hardworking and there are countless of capable officials throughout the whole country. How can I bully you and the other small tribes?”
Chachar laughed strangely, “Since it’s like this, then how does Your Highness the crown prince wants to resolve the matter this time?”
Situ Yaohua said calm and collected, “Knowing that honorable envoys had suffered, emperor father also felt very sad. Therefore, to apologize, my Great Liang decided to compensate honorable envoys.”
“Dare I ask what the compensation is,” Chachar said. The other Xiongnu also looked at Situ Yaohua.
Situ Yaohua immediately clapped. Immediately, people carried a few large boxes to the center of the hall. They were placed in front of all the Xiongnu envoys and opened one by one. All the Xiongnu inhaled deeply and greediness appeared in their eyes.
Because what was placed in front of them was a box of gold and three boxes of jewels and jade. The dazzling golden light and beautiful jade dazzled their eyes. Everyone swallowed involuntarily. They looked like hungry wolves that hasn’t eaten meat in a long time and wished that they could swallow all of these things in one breath.
Chachar was also dumbstruck for a moment. However, when he swept over the Xiongnu envoys, his eyes immediately returned to normal. After he glared sharply at all the Xiongnu envoys that had lost their composure, he coughed a few times and said, “Your Highness the crown prince is generous, but every son of our grassland is our closest relative. If Your Highness the crown prince thinks that we wouldn’t pursue the death of our relatives because of these things, then Your Highness looks down on us the Xiongnu too much.”
Situ Yaohua naturally didn’t miss the loss of composure of the Xiongnu at first which showed that these things were not useless. The reason that the Xiongnu didn’t compromise was because these things were not enough to satisfy their appetite. However, as long as there were enough benefits, he believed that the Xiongnu would change their attitude.
Situ Yaohua smiled faintly and said, “Honorable envoy is not unreasonable. This is just my emperor father’s kind intention. I also hope that honorable envoy won’t refuse. I think that the khan far away in the grassland will also like it. Also, emperor father heard that every winter was very difficult to live on, he is also very concerned.”
Chachar couldn’t sit still for a bit. He stood up and with one hand, he curtsied in a standard etiquette from the grassland and said expectantly, “Your Majesty the emperor of Great Liang is wise and brilliant, loves its citizens like its sons and his kindness and power is vast and mighty. Don’t know what he thinks about the citizens of my grassland.”
Situ Yaohua smiled faintly and said, “Emperor father’s imperial kindness is vast and mighty. After hearing about the difficulties of the citizens of the grassland, he felt sympathy and compassion arose and planned to gift the grassland with ten thousand food supplies to express the hope of being on friendly terms with your distinguished country.”
Ten thousand food supplies were a guarantee Situ Yaohua could give. More was not something he could decide about. Moreover, aside from this year which year didn’t the people from the grassland not disturb and attack the border. Countless of food, valuables and women were looted. Also, in recent years, they had intensified the trend. The amount of silver that the court allocated to the border each year was countless. The allocated money from the treasury was so much that emperor Jinghui got scared.
Therefore, when the Xiongnu took the initiative to express goodwill, although emperor Jinghui was surprised, he couldn’t have asked for more. Emperor Jinghui wasn’t an emperor with ambitions and great skills. Even if he had those in the past, but after leading and easy and comfortable life, he was no longer. That was why he tolerated the Xiongnu so much.
However, the Xiongnu were originally the enemies. Great Liang’s officials and emperor Jinghui couldn’t trust them so easily just because they temporarily showed their goodwill and it was even more impossible to personally help strengthen the enemy. That was something only a fool would do. Therefore, ten thousand food supplies were a compensation made by Great Liang and also the thing they threw out for a probing.
But Chachar was obviously dissatisfied with these ten thousand food supplies. Chachar couldn’t help but say, “We are very grateful for the care that Great Liang’s emperor showed us, but there are many people on my grassland and the winter is long. Can Great Liang’s emperor be more generous? Our khan and people will be grateful.”
The appetite of the Xiongnu was obviously large enough. This small food supply was not enough to send them away. Situ Yaohua put on a difficult expression and said, “This crown prince can’t decide on this and have to ask emperor father’s opinion first.”
“Then, I have to trouble Your Highness the crown prince. Chachar is very grateful,” Chachar said.
“Then, the matter of your distinguish country’s envoys?” Situ Yaohua reminded.
Chachar quickly said, “Great Liang treats the people of my grassland like friends and family. When Chachar returns, Chachar will express your distinguish country’s goodwill to my khan. What happened before is a misunderstanding. Presumably, khan wouldn’t haggle about it.”
Situ Yaohua was satisfied. After the Xiongnu agreed on this matter, things would be easier to handle. As long as the Xiongnu didn’t care about the matter of the envoys, then Situ Yaohua’s job was finished. The rest was naturally decided by his emperor father and the officials and had nothing more to do with him.
When Situ Yaohua brought back the news, emperor Jinghui was overjoyed. Emperor Jinghui felt that as long as they didn’t anger the Xiongnu, what did it matter if he gave them some food supplies?
Except for some few officials who opposed this matter, the majority agreed. So, emperor Jinghui gave the Xiongnu another five thousand food supplies.
On the corridor outside of the imperial study, Lin Qing sneered at the departing prime minister Lin’s party. They all said that eunuchs were selfish with no regard for others. However, from Lin Qing’s point of view, this group of sanctimonious officials who kept saying that they did everything for the country and its people, couldn’t even be compared with eunuchs. The reason that they were still wearing a cloak of integrity was just because they had not encountered something yet that was worthy for them to take off that cloak. In face of interests that were enough to make their heart beat, these people couldn’t even be compared to eunuchs.
Someone seemed to have been frightened by the sneer on Lin Qing’s face. With a thud, he fell flat on his face. Several small servants exclaimed, “Your Highness the eight prince!”
When Lin Qing saw that it was the eight prince, he wanted to help the somewhat chubby eight prince up. Who would’ve thought that the moment eight prince saw Lin Qing, the young eight prince immediately remembered those rumors about him. He panicked and fell again. This time, he fell while pulling Lin Qing’s sleeve and another thud could be heard. This time, the little servants screamed without hesitation because that was Lord Qiansui!
Lin Qing who had fallen on the ground frowned from pain and felt that today was an unlucky day. The qi and blood were not flowing well and he should return to the residence quickly!
- Qi and blood are the two basic bodily fluids of Chinese medicine.
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