ATPnovel Chapter 273 The Intense Discussion Among the Three Pillars of Liyang, the Initial Plan Settled
Chapter 273 The Intense Discussion Among the Three Pillars of Liyang, the Initial Plan Settled
Inside the Tianqi Hall, the lights were on full display.
Twelve gilded palace lanterns hung high beneath the caisson ceiling, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
The palace lanterns were made with a copper frame and a thin gauze cover. Each lantern was decorated with a five-clawed golden dragon. Under the candlelight, the dragons seemed to come alive and move slowly on the gauze.
The interior of the hall was furnished in a solemn and luxurious manner.
On the high platform to the north was a throne carved from rosewood, with a pattern of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix carved on the back, and the cushion was made of bright yellow brocade, with blooming peonies embroidered in gold thread.
That was Zhao Qingxue's seat, the place where she looked down upon her ministers and issued imperial edicts.
At this moment, the throne is empty.
Below the high platform was a huge long table made of rosewood.
The desk was over ten feet wide and piled high with various documents, memorials, and maps.
Several jade lamps were placed on the corner of the table, their lampshades made of jade pieces as thin as cicada wings, filtering the candlelight to make it soft and warm.
Behind the long table sat three people.
The man in the center is about fifty years old, with a thin face, three long strands of beard hanging down to his chest, wearing a dark purple crane-patterned robe and a black gauze turban.
It was none other than Zhang Julu, the prime minister and the foremost of the three pillars of Liyang.
At this moment, he was looking down at the map spread out on the table, his brows furrowed, his expression forming a deep "川" (river) shape.
The candlelight danced on his face, illuminating the deep lines etched by time with exceptional clarity.
His fingers moved slowly across the map, lightly touching the marks indicating passes, cities, and garrisons. With each mark, his brow furrowed a little more.
To his left sat Gu Jiantang.
This General Li Yang was still wearing that black iron armor.
The armor plates gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the candlelight, and the bixen patterns carved on the shoulder armor were clearly visible, ferocious yet majestic.
A massive sword, as wide as a door panel, hung from his waist. The scabbard was made of black sharkskin, and the hilt was wrapped with thin hemp rope, a mark left by years of battle.
His sitting posture was completely different from Zhang Julu's.
Instead of sitting upright, he leaned back in his chair, one arm resting on the armrest and the other on his knee.
His face was expressionless, except for his tiger-like eyes, which were fixed on a certain spot on the long table, filled with suppressed anger and deep resentment.
To his right was Li Chunfeng.
The swordsman was still wearing that faded blue Taoist robe, which had no decorations on it, except for a gray cloth belt tied around his waist.
His beard and hair were all white, but his face was rosy like a baby's, glowing with a healthy luster in the candlelight.
He held the white jade whisk in his hand, its silk ribbons hanging down and gently resting on his knees.
His demeanor was the most composed.
Leaning back in his chair, his eyes were half-open, as if he were resting.
But upon closer inspection, one can see that the sharp glint that occasionally flashes in his half-closed eyes is as sharp as a sword.
The letter lay before the three of them.
It was the letter written by Zhao Qingxue herself.
The ink on the letter paper had long since dried, and the handwriting was elegant and powerful, each character as clear as if carved by a knife or axe.
"So," Zhang Julu began, his voice hoarse and weary, "we must come up with a plan."
He raised his head and glanced at Gu Jiantang and Li Chunfeng.
"Since His Majesty sent this message back, it means he trusts us."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"We must follow this plan and choose the one that is most beneficial to Liyang."
Gu Jiantang frowned sharply when he heard the words "most advantageous".
"Most advantageous?" he asked, his voice hoarse and low, tinged with suppressed anger. "How would you say it's most advantageous?"
He sat up abruptly, placed his hands on the long table, and stared intently at Zhang Julu with his tiger-like eyes.
"Our emperor is going to be married off to that tyrannical ruler!"
"You call that advantageous?!"
Zhang Julu looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
Then, he spoke slowly, his voice steady and clear:
"General Gu, I know you are unwilling to accept this."
"Me too."
"But--"
He paused, then took a deep breath:
"Since things can't be changed, all we can do is make the best of a situation."
"Let His Majesty suffer less."
"Let Liyang suffer less loss."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jiantang's anger slowly subsided.
Instead, there was a deep, almost desperate sense of powerlessness.
He leaned back in his chair, lowered his head, and stopped talking.
Zhang Julu withdrew his gaze and looked again at the map on the long table.
"Then let's begin," he said.
"Article One—"
His finger touched a point on the map.
"What should we demand from the Qin Dynasty?"
This question, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in the hearts of the three people.
What do you want?
This should have been a negotiation.
A negotiation between the Qin Dynasty and Liyang that concerns the dignity of their respective nations.
But now, they have no control over the negotiations.
Because His Majesty is already there.
Because His Majesty has already agreed.
Because of them, we have no choice but to comply.
Gu Jiantang raised his head, his voice hoarse:
"At least one million taels of gold, one hundred thousand bolts of silk, and three thousand fine horses are required."
He paused, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes:
"And the Qin Dynasty must cede three cities east of the Lancang River!"
"Let's just say it's—"
He spoke slowly and deliberately:
"bride price."
Zhang Julu frowned slightly upon hearing this.
"Cease cities?" He shook his head. "The Qin Dynasty would never agree to that."
Gu Jiantang glared at him:
"If you don't agree, then—"
He stopped halfway through his sentence.
What?
Just fight?
But can they win?
And His Majesty is still in the Qin Dynasty!
Gu Jiantang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The breath he inhaled, carrying with it the heavy atmosphere of the hall, chilled him to the bone.
He stopped talking.
Zhang Julu sighed.
"Regarding the betrothal gifts," he said, "we can bring it up, but don't get your hopes up too high."
He paused, his gaze falling on the map.
"More importantly—"
"What should we be providing as a gift?"
Accompanying someone.
This is the custom for an empress's marriage.
When Empress Li Yang gets married, the dowry must be commensurate with her status.
What can I bring as a gift?
How much is the accompanying gift?
Zhang Julu's finger moved slowly across the map.
"In my opinion," he said slowly, "at least 500,000 taels of gold, 1 million taels of silver, 200,000 bolts of silk, and 100,000 catties of tea should be provided as a dowry."
"besides--"
He paused:
"Five thousand fine horses, thirty thousand sets of weapons, and ten thousand suits of armor."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jiantang abruptly raised his head.
"Weapons and armor?" His voice held a hint of shock. "Prime Minister Zhang, have you gone mad? These are all military supplies! What will happen to our army if we give them to Qin?"
Zhang Julu looked at him calmly.
"General Gu, do you think the Qin Dynasty lacks these things?"
Gu Jiantang was stunned.
Zhang Julu continued, each word like a sharp blade tempered with ice:
"The Qin Dynasty has no shortage of these."
"What they lack is our sincerity."
"It is our sincerity that will bring His Majesty peace."
Gu Jiantang's pupils contracted slightly.
He looked at Zhang Julu, at that old, tired face.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something.
In the end, however, nothing was said.
He simply lowered his head and stopped speaking.
Li Chunfeng kept his eyes half-closed, as if none of this concerned him.
But his hand holding the whisk tightened slightly.
"Article Two—"
Zhang Julu continued, his voice hoarse but clear:
"How to settle things between the government and the public?"
This is the most difficult problem.
Once the news of His Majesty's marriage spreads, it will surely cause a stir throughout the court and the country.
What would be the reaction of those loyal ministers to His Majesty?
Will those royal elders who have always coveted the throne take this opportunity to cause trouble?
Will any of those fierce generals in the army, those border commanders who hold military power, be dissatisfied?
And then there are the common people, the ordinary people of Liyang.
What will they think?
Zhang Julu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When I opened my eyes again, they were filled with a cold, clear light.
"I'll take charge of things at the imperial court."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"I will summon the ministers of the six ministries, explain the advantages and disadvantages, and stabilize people's hearts."
"Who dares to cause trouble at this time—"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes:
"Kill without mercy."
Gu Jiantang raised his head and looked at him.
"I'll take charge of things in the military," he said, his voice hoarse.
He paused, a cold glint flashing in his tiger-like eyes:
"Anyone who dares to disobey, I'll personally chop them down."
Zhang Julu nodded.
"Article Three—"
He continued:
"How should we deal with neighboring countries and the northern border?"
His finger touched the map.
There, several forces surrounding Liyang were marked.
Western Liang, Northern Mang, Nanzhao, and the islands of the East China Sea.
and also--
The northern border of the Qin Dynasty.
That northern territory, controlled by Xu Longxiang, with 300,000 iron cavalry.
"The marriage alliance between Qin and Liyang signifies that these two powerful nations will be linked by lineage, sharing both glory and hardship." Zhang Julu began slowly.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the two of them:
"This poses a huge threat to other countries."
"They will definitely take action."
Gu Jiantang's brows furrowed tightly.
"Over there in Xiliang," he said, "they're currently at war with the Qin Dynasty. That scoundrel Lü Bu has utterly routed Liu Meng, and Xiliang has suffered heavy losses. At this time, they shouldn't have the energy to provoke us."
"As for the Northern Barbarians," he paused, "they were severely injured by Xu Longxiang last year and have yet to recover. Even if they wanted to move, they couldn't."
"Nanzhao and the islands of the East China Sea—" He shook his head, "They are all small countries. A little something will keep them in check."
Zhang Julu nodded.
"Then there's only one left—"
His finger pointed to the place on the map marked "Northern Frontier".
"Xu Longxiang".
The moment the name was uttered, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became more solemn.
A complex emotion flashed in Gu Jiantang's eyes.
He remembered the young man who roamed freely across the snowy plains of the North.
I thought of how he entered the Celestial Realm at such a young age, how he commanded 300,000 iron cavalry, and how he hated Qin Mu.
"Xu Longxiang..." he murmured, "This man is not easy to deal with."
Zhang Julu nodded.
"He has just suffered a series of blows," he said. "His sister was forcibly taken as a concubine, his childhood sweetheart was also sent to the deep palace, and I heard that Empress Liyang has formed a marriage alliance with the Great Qin..."
He paused, his gaze deep:
"People like this are the most dangerous."
"Because he has nothing left to lose."
Gu Jiantang remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke, his voice hoarse and low:
"Does Zhang Xiang mean—he's going to attack us?"
Zhang Julu shook his head.
"not necessarily."
"But we must be prepared."
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"The number of troops stationed on the border will increase by 30%."
"All passes and checkpoints shall be thoroughly inspected."
"Intelligence network, operating at full capacity."
"Once any unusual activity is detected in the North—"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes:
"Report immediately."
Gu Jiantang nodded.
"clear."
The three continued their discussion.
One measure after another was proposed, discussed, revised, and finally determined.
Time slips away unnoticed.
When one of the candles burned out, the eunuch quietly replaced it with a new one.
The night outside the window grew deeper and deeper.
I don't know how much time passed.
Gu Jiantang finally couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his hand on the long table!
"Bang!"
The sound was so loud that it was like a thunderclap in the silent hall.
The entire long sandalwood table shook violently, documents and memorials on it tumbled over, several jade lamps nearly tipped over, and the candlelight flickered wildly.
Gu Jiantang pressed his hand on the long table, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
His face was filled with barely suppressed anger and resentment.
"This timeframe is far too tight!"
His voice was hoarse and deep, yet it carried an almost roaring quality.
"Just seven days!"
"Seven days? What can you do in that time?!"
Zhang Julu looked at him like this and didn't say anything.
But his already furrowed brows furrowed even more deeply.
Of course he knew.
Seven days is too short.
It was so tight that it was almost impossible to complete.
And there's a high chance something might go wrong.
Zhang Julu took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and tired:
"They say it's seven days, but we only have three."
His fingers tapped lightly on the long table.
"All preparations must be completed within three days."
"Then let the Grand Preceptor lead the ceremonial guard, riding at full speed day and night, to rush towards the Great Qin."
"Only in this way is it possible to achieve this in four days—"
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"That is, we will arrive in Daqin within seven days."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jiantang's anger intensified.
Three days?!
His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Three days isn't enough!!"
"Just preparing the dowry supplies will take several days!"
"We also need to select an honor guard, train etiquette personnel, and—"
He couldn't continue.
Because each step takes time.
What they lack most is time.