The Comeback of the Charming Farmer's Wife-Chapter 2265 - 2267: Second Negotiation
Originally, the people of Great Qi did not quite agree with the peace negotiation. Old Mu also felt that this was akin to losing without a fight.
Even though they had lost several battles before, he was a soldier and would never give up easily. No one could guarantee the results that followed, but he always felt that there was a possibility of turning the situation around.
But now with the peace talks, even though he felt uneasy at heart, since the Emperor had decided, he had to support the Emperor’s decision.
However, during the peace talks this time, he was truly angered by that General Zha. As soon as they met, General Zha mocked Great Zhou, saying that from the Emperor to his officials, none were competent. He even said that as a defeated nation, Great Zhou should behave as such—pay reparations where needed and cede territory where needed.
The amount of silver, the land to be ceded, as well as cattle, sheep, and cloth, were all written down on three full sheets of paper.
Moreover, when General Zha saw Old Mu, his arrogant nostrils practically pointed skyward.
Although Old Mu could tolerate such neglect, he couldn’t bear the thought of giving away all those reparations. Without thinking, he tore those sheets of paper.
General Zha was so angry that he lunged at Old Mu on the spot, and the two of them fought until they were both injured and were eventually pulled apart by their respective men.
"For such peace negotiations, we should find an articulate and genial civil official who is neither servile nor overbearing," Yang Chuxia said to Mu Shaoling, "You would be more suitable than Uncle Luo."
"To tell you the truth," Mu Shaoling shrugged, "the Emperor only sent Uncle Luo because he heard that the other side was sending a military officer. Otherwise, if we sent a civil official to deal with that brute and they ended up fighting, it would definitely be our side that suffered losses."
"Then what do we do next?"
Mu Shaoling waved his hand, "Don’t worry, peace negotiations like this usually require several rounds of discussions before anything is finalized. There will definitely be a second round of talks."
Mu Shaoling’s guess was right. Within a couple of days, both sides started a second round of negotiations.
This time, Great Qi sent a civil official, reportedly a military advisor of Great Qi.
And coincidentally, Great Zhou also sent a military advisor, but one who was somewhat arrogant.
"I heard that Great Qi wants to negotiate peace with our Great Zhou?" The Great Zhou military advisor was a middle-aged man with the compound surname Zhuge. Seeing the Great Qi military advisor who had arrived a quarter-hour earlier than him, he snorted and sat down in a chair, squinting his eyes.
"You misspoke, sir. It is our Great Qi giving you an opportunity to negotiate," the Great Qi military advisor, no fool, was quite displeased with Mr. Zhuge’s attitude, "It is our Grand Emperor’s benevolence that gives you a chance to beg for mercy. Otherwise, if we continue fighting, it will still be Great Zhou’s people who suffer."
The main battlefield still lay on Great Zhou’s land, so it was indeed the people of Great Zhou who would be harmed, whereas the people of Great Qi in the far west would not be affected at all. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
"Hmph, boasting so much. Who begs whom isn’t something decided by winning once or twice," Mr. Zhuge said firmly, "The one who laughs last is the true winner."
"Not at all, not at all. I believe the real winner is the one who gains benefits from the war," the Great Qi military advisor said with a smile, taking out several sheets of paper, "Do you see these? This is what your Great Zhou needs to compensate Great Qi: three million taels of silver, one hundred thousand taels of gold, ten thousand oxen, twenty thousand horses, twenty thousand sheep and pigs, cloth... thirty chests of jewels. If you don’t wish to give them, we can keep fighting! Believe that in the end, when Great Zhou and Great Qi become one, these things will become shared goods."
