Chapter 555: The Luchuan Country Fears Power but Not Virtue

Chapter 555: The Luchuan Country Fears Power but Not Virtue

Chapter 555: The Luchuan Country Fears Power but Not Virtue

“Two envoys, please introduce yourselves first.

I'm sure you all know each other here, so there's no need for me to introduce you."

Xu Huizu, who was sitting at the top, had an indifferent look on his face, and there was a hint of coldness in his tone.

For some reason, as soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire conference hall became depressing.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two envoys from Luchuan, waiting for their response.

One of the men, who was sturdy and looked to be about fifty years old, took a deep breath and said calmly:
"I am Dao Bu Wa, the Vice Minister of the Central Secretariat of Luchuan."

Another slightly younger envoy glanced at everyone and said in a deep voice:

"I am Gong Baguang, the Minister of Luchuan Province."

Everyone present nodded.

Luchuan retained some of the official systems of the Yuan Dynasty. The Vice Prime Minister was of the second rank, and the Vice Minister was of the third rank.

Xu Huizu, who was at the head of the group, nodded slightly.

Pointing to the many documents in front of the two, he said bluntly:
"This is the detailed account of the money and grain for the Luchuan war, which was calculated by the Military Governor's Office, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War.

The two adults take a look.

If you have no objection, please sign and seal as soon as possible, and then leave the capital."

Xu Huizu's words were impolite and his tone was stiff, and it didn't seem like he was entertaining an envoy at all.

However, the two envoys from Luchuan did not show any dissatisfaction, but their faces looked a little gloomy.

Ever since they entered the territory of the Ming Dynasty, they have deeply felt the huge gap between the two sides.

Especially the towering city, the magnificent and spacious Fengtian Palace, and the endless farmland.

In comparison, Luchuan is a place of poverty, bad water and scarce resources.

No wonder people in the Ming Dynasty called them a barbaric land.

Dao Bu Wa took a deep breath, looked up at Xu Huizu, and said solemnly:
“Meet the Duke of Wei. Luchuan still has some objections to this.

Although Luchuan was defeated in this battle, he was willing to bear the losses of money and grain caused by the misunderstanding between the two sides.
But the accounts given by the Ming court were really unacceptable.

The Luchuan court will definitely not agree to such a resolution."

As he spoke, Dao Buwa handed a document he was carrying to the waiter.

The waiter took the document and presented it to Xu Huizu.

Xu Huizu flipped through the documents while explaining:

"Duke Wei of the Ming Dynasty, I, Luchuan, come here with sincerity.

Willing to give some money and food to comfort the souls of the dead and wounded soldiers in heaven.

But Luchuan will never accept unreasonable and unfair payments."

Gong Baguang on the side also nodded heavily and glanced around:

"You are all top-notch officials in the Ming Dynasty court.
I hope you all will understand Luchuan’s difficult situation.

Our country has just suffered from heavy winds and rain, and has also experienced a series of wars. It has already been in a precarious and turbulent state.

If you take out such a huge amount of money,
At that time, there will inevitably be unrest in the country, and it may even affect the surrounding areas of Ming Dynasty."

"Ah"

Geng Zhong, the commander of the Left Army, sneered, and his body was no longer as straight as before.
Instead, he leaned back, his eyes full of contempt.

"Tell me, when will you affect the surrounding areas?

We can prepare in advance and help you quell the rebellion.

By then, you won’t have to give us money or food, we’ll get it ourselves.”

In an instant, the whole atmosphere became solemn and murderous.

Everyone present raised their heads more or less and focused their attention on the two envoys from Luchuan.

Lu Yunyi was also like this. For such a straightforward and intense scene,

It was the first time he had seen it, and it was somewhat different from what he had originally imagined.

Dao Buwa noticed everyone's gaze, pursed his lips, and a trace of helplessness flashed across his face.

In the final analysis, Luchuan was defeated in the war and the entire court was in a passive situation.

He paused for a moment and continued:

"Sir Geng, the Ming Dynasty is the Celestial Empire.
As we traveled along the way, we heard nothing but friendly words about neighborliness, and the people of Yingtian were also eager for stability.

If we start a war again at this time, it might go against public opinion.

Of course, what I want to say is,

Luchuan has no intention of opposing the Ming Dynasty, and I hope the Ming Dynasty court will know this."

Geng Zhong rolled his eyes at him and stopped looking at him, his disdain clearly revealed in his eyes.

Duke of Wei Xu Huizu raised his head and asked:

"Lord Daobuwa, this document is the will of your lord.
Or is this what you, the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel, meant?
I don't see any sincerity in it, instead I see a greedy villain!"

"you!"

Gong Baguang's expression suddenly changed. His originally slightly sallow face instantly turned red, and he was obviously angry.

However, he still suppressed his emotions and said in a deep voice:

"Duke Wei, two million taels of silver is the maximum that Luchuan can offer.

As for the trees and minerals mentioned by the Ming court,
Most of them are found in deep mountains and forests, making mining extremely difficult. It is not easy to obtain them.

I hope the Ming court can understand."

"Cut the fucking nonsense."

Geng Zhong suddenly started cursing, sat up straight, and glared at the two people present:
"If you Luchuan win the fight, will you still talk like this?

If you are not convinced, let's fight on the battlefield.

This Governor would like to see why a small border country whose ruler has been captured can be so tough!
The governor has made this clear. Not a single cent of the money and grain stated in the documents can be less.

How dare a tiny country challenge the Ming Dynasty?

Before that, why don't you consider your own weight and how much money you have in the country to pay?

Now you say you can’t produce anything, what were you doing before? "

The two of them looked uglier and uglier.
Nearly twenty clerks in charge of recording were writing furiously, with different expressions on their faces.

Duke of Wei Xu Huizu's expression eased slightly, he raised his hand to suppress it, then looked at Dao Bu Wa:

"My two envoys, we are all rough men from the military.
I have been working in the local area and the Governor's Office for a long time, so please forgive me if I have offended you.

But I suggest that the two envoys take a closer look at this document.
This number was arrived at after repeated calculations by the entire Ming Dynasty court.”

In comparison, Xu Huizu's attitude was much milder and his voice was softer.
Coupled with his youthful face, it is hard to feel angry at him.

Sure enough, Dao Bu Wa's expression softened after hearing this, and he nodded helplessly:
"Thank you, Duke Wei, for your mediation. We will take a closer look now."

After saying this, Dao Bu Wa looked down at the document in his hand.
Gong Baguang, who was standing by, raised his head and looked around the entire lobby.

Finally, he set his eyes on the very young general opposite him and asked with a little surprise:

"May I ask if this is General Lu?"

Lu Yunyi was looking at the documents and felt a little sleepy.
Hearing this, he paused and slowly raised his head.
After looking at Gong Baguang's face for a moment, he nodded slightly:

"Yes, General."

The atmosphere in the room froze again.

The Luchuan entourage who was originally recording documents carefully in the back couldn't help but look up.
Look at this general who was killing people in large numbers on the Luchuan battlefield.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

When they saw Lu Yunyi's seemingly ordinary eyes,

But it was as if he was being stared at by a cheetah and he couldn't move.

An invisible murderous aura spread out, and everyone's hair stood on end.

As the accompanying personnel, they knew very well that most of Luchuan's elite troops died in the final battle.

Apart from these, 80% of the ordinary soldiers died at the hands of this man.

Moreover, Luchuan's famous generals, General Hanba and Aruta, both fell into his hands.

Now, the person in front of me is so young.

Even younger than many of them.

Such a huge gap is daunting.

In addition, they have deep worries in their hearts.

Now, the generals of Luchuan have suffered heavy casualties, and even the king has become demoralized and increasingly decadent.

In the future, who can check and balance the people in front of us?
Is Luchuan going to be bullied by him all his life?

Gong Baguang took great effort to calm himself down and said softly:

"General Lu is indeed young, the rumors are true."

Lu Yunyi glanced at him indifferently, then looked away without saying anything.

The atmosphere in the field suddenly became awkward.

Gong Baguang was stunned on the spot, with an incredible look on his face. However, some clerks of the Ming Dynasty lowered their heads to hide their smiles.

Gong Baguang did not give up and continued:

"General Lu, the Marquis of Xiping is not here today.

And you have a lot of dealings with Luchuan, what do you think Luchuan should do?"

This time, Lu Yunyi answered him with a firm, powerful, and brief voice:
"The elementary school is not humble, weak but not afraid of strong, rude and insults the neighbor, greedy and clumsy, but also perish."

Seeing Gong Baguang's puzzled expression, Lu Yunyi smiled and explained:

"Luchuan is a small country in the southwest.
After defeating India and Siam, he overestimated his own capabilities and attempted to challenge the Ming Dynasty.

If you can't see your own strength clearly, your Luchuan will soon be destroyed."

"you!"

Gong Baguang's face froze.
No matter how good his temper was, he was still very angry about these words and his breathing became rapid.

"General Lu, Luchuan is a powerful country in the southwest.

Tianzhu and Siam provoked first, so Luchuan had no choice but to fight back. "

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"The Ming Dynasty also fought back, but they didn't expect Luchuan to be so vulnerable."

Gong Baguang clenched his fists and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Hahahahaha."

Li Jinglong laughed without any concealment, his face full of joy.

"It was the Ming Dynasty court that first established farming in Jinchisi and pressed forward step by step. Luchuan had no choice but to rise up in resistance!"

After finishing speaking, Gong Baguang added,

"It's inevitable that there will be disputes between two countries sharing a border, but I think there may be some misunderstandings."

Lu Yunyi shook his head:
"Jinchisi? You have a large area of ​​wasteland, but you, Luchuan, don't cultivate it, and you don't allow others to cultivate it?
Now we have cultivated the land, harvested a good wheat crop, and cultivated the fields.

And you come out and say this is your land?

This is called a wasteland with no one to till it, but once it is tilled, there will be people fighting over it. "

Gong Baguang took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"General Lu, you can't say that.

After all, there is still justice, law and fairness in this world.

If we trace back to the past, Jinchisi originally belonged to Luchuan.
We have been tolerant in every aspect, and it is the Ming court that is pressing us step by step."

After he finished speaking, Dao Buwa, who was standing beside him, looked up and glanced at him, thinking to himself that something was wrong.

Lu Yunyi suddenly laughed and said in a deep voice:
"In the 12th year of the Yongping reign of the Han Dynasty, the Ailao State submitted to the Han Dynasty, and the Yongchang Prefecture was established in its territory.

In the third year of Jianxing in the Shu Han Dynasty, the Shu Han divided the three counties of Jianning, Yuejun and Yongchang into Yunnan County.

Yongxiang County was added to the southeast of Buwei County, Yongchang County, and Yongshou County was added to the southwest. Luchuan was located in Yongxiang County, Yongchang County.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, it first belonged to Yongchang Jiedushi and then to Yongchang Prefecture.

Even in the old Yuan Dynasty, you were Luchuan Road, Yunnan Province.

A bunch of traitors, now that they have become independent, they have forgotten their roots. The country of Luchuan is doomed to perish."

Everyone's eyes lit up and they all felt that this made sense.

Since Jinchisi was once a part of Luchuan, Luchuan has always been a territory of the Celestial Empire!
Dao Bu Wa's face was a little stiff. He glanced at Gong Ba Guang and forced a smile.
"This is the Ming Dynasty, not the Han and Tang Dynasties."

Lu Yunyi stared at Dao Buwa with sharp eyes:

"After the fall of the previous dynasty, the Ming Dynasty inherited the throne and was located in the Central Plains, becoming the orthodox dynasty of the Central Plains.

The emperors of the previous dynasty were worshipped with incense and offerings by the Ming Dynasty, and now they are worshipped in Qintian Mountain in the south of the city.

Luchuan originated in the Han and Tang Dynasties and ended in the Yuan Dynasty. Has it ever offered sacrifices to the emperors of the previous dynasty?
If this isn't treason, then what is it?
We are not the orthodox ones of Han, Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties. Could it be that you are?
If this gets out, I won’t be afraid of being laughed at.”

"well said!"

Geng Zhong, the commander-in-chief of the Left Army, stood up straight and stared at the two men.

"If you think you are not a traitor,

Then we will enshrine all the emperors in our Central Plains and restore order.

Now I see you are confused,
If we can’t control the strong winds and floods, we can’t win the war.

If this continues, the country will be destroyed sooner or later.

It would be better for you to return to the Ming Dynasty as soon as possible. I will ask His Majesty for mercy on your behalf so that the people of Luchuan can have enough food to eat."

The two of them lowered their eyes, remained silent, and just sighed softly.

Dao Bu Wa said softly:

"Lord Geng is so aggressive. Where is justice? Where is the dignity of the Celestial Empire?"

Geng Zhong was stunned. He didn't expect this person to pretend to be pitiful.

He quickly turned his gaze towards Lu Yunyi and raised his head, as if to say:
"Speak quickly."

Lu Yunyi was somewhat helpless and said in a deep voice:

"It is the most correct justice in the world for the Celestial Empire to safeguard its core interests."

Geng Zhong tilted his head back and took a breath.

At my age, I should be calm and reserved.

But after hearing this, he couldn't help but get excited and gave Lu Yunyi a thumbs up.

Most people in the room turned their eyes to Lu Yunyi.
I deeply agree with this statement. I think it is so correct, so correct that it is irrefutable.

Even the Minister of Revenue Yang Jing,

He couldn't help but look at Lu Yunyi with some surprise, and a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

The young man in front of me is quite shameless and can talk about evil ways with confidence.

Li Jinglong quickly wrote down this sentence.
I plan to include it in Li's Art of War as the opening words.

Xu Huizu, Duke of Wei, who was sitting at the top, coughed lightly, looked at the Luchuan envoy, and said solemnly:
"My two envoys, today is the first time we meet.
We have conveyed the demands of the court.

As for whether you agree or have any objection,
Please go back and discuss this carefully.

Tomorrow, Mr. Yang from the Ministry of Revenue, Mr. Zhan from the Censorate, and Mr. Qin from the Ministry of Works will discuss further with you.

If there is anything you need to discuss with the Governor's Office, you can come here.

Whether on the battlefield or in this meeting hall, we will fight to the end."

After saying that, Xu Huizu slowly stood up, picked up the document in his hand, and walked towards the door.

People stood up one after another and left slowly.

However, Dao Bu Wa and Gong Ba Guang just sat there, motionless, with unconcealable sadness on their faces.

If you lose on the battlefield, it will naturally be difficult to move forward at the negotiating table.

Outside the door, Lu Yunyi was walking, and Li Jinglong hurried over and shouted excitedly in a low voice:

"Yun Yi, you said it very well.

Which book is the first part about small countries from? I have to take a closer look when I get back."

"Han Feizi's Lost Signs, Chapter 15."

Li Jinglong took note of it secretly and asked:
"What about the next sentence?"

"I just said it casually. As the Celestial Empire, the Ming Dynasty cannot act arbitrarily.
But it is still feasible to use it to deter some small neighboring countries.”

Li Jinglong agreed with this and nodded repeatedly:
"Yun Yi, you are right. These small countries have always been restless.

Taking advantage of the fact that our Ming Dynasty was just established and that we value our reputation, they are always trying to take advantage of us."

Lu Yunyi thought for a moment and said as he walked:

"Don't worry about this. Small countries taking advantage of small things is only a temporary benefit.
But we can gain long-term benefits.

Once we start trading with them, if they don't obey, we will cut off trade with them.

If the imperial court does not buy sugar cane from Siam now,
The King of Siam will probably crawl to the capital on his knees to apologize."

At this point, Li Jinglong suddenly remembered something:
"By the way, Yun Yi, is there any news on the method of turning brown sugar into white sugar?

It’s been so long.”

When mentioning this, Lu Yunyi was also a little confused and shook his head:
"There is no news yet, and no letters have been sent from the workshop."

"Could there be something wrong with the method?"

Li Jinglong couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
If white sugar could be easily made, it would bring in a lot of money.

"I'm not sure if this method is feasible, so let's just wait and see.

It would be best if it succeeds, but even if it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”

Lu Yunyi shrugged and then asked,
"Are you short of money?"

A trace of sadness flashed in Li Jinglong's eyes:
“There is a shortage, but it is not so urgent that we have to sell the land.”

"What do you want to do?" Lu Yunyi asked puzzledly.

Li Jinglong looked around carefully, pulled Lu Yunyi to the corner, and whispered:

"The imperial court intends to take control of the production of bicycles and tricycles.
However, the imperial court intended to relax the restrictions and allow private production of the two types of wheelbarrows.

I plan to collect some money and open a few workshops."

(End of this chapter)