His Holiness is also a good tactician.
There was nothing wrong with Xue Yuan wanting to love Gu Yuanbai as his beloved, but Gu Yuanbai was not of the temperament to be obediently loved by another man with such a strong sense of aggression. Xue Yuan's toughness had precisely aroused the nerves under Gu Yuanbai's gentle face that were filled with the desire to win and conquer, and he had directly told Xue Yuan with his actions, In my place, I can't use your loving care, but you look as if you could not do with less favors from me.
Gu Yuanbai did have a moment of weakness when he saw the blood on the bed.
There's no denying it. The facts are out there.
This softness of heart is not a softness of heart that has to take on an emotional coloration, it does not mean that Gu Yuanbai has moved his heart towards Xue Yuan, it is just that he saw the blood, thought of the words that Xue Yuan said, and thought of last night's night's good night's sleep. So it snapped, and then quickly passed away.
Gu Yuanbai hadn't even been able to distinguish the origin of this softness of heart.
Pity Xue Jiuyao? He doesn't need pity.
Gu Yuanbai didn't know, but he wasn't in a hurry to find out.
He just thought about it for a moment before switching his thoughts to wondering if Xue Yuan thought of him as a woman.
The way he was treated, that passionate emotion, was it because of Gu Yuanbai's boy-girl face.
Thinking of this, Gu Yuanbai let out a cold laugh.
No matter how pretty he looked, no matter how good looking he was, no matter how sick and weak his body was, if Xue Yuan really didn't see him as a man, then Gu Yuanbai would chop him into pieces.
Carrier pigeons have been used for military purposes since the Han Dynasty. In Daheng's post stations, border gates, government offices, inns, and capital cities and towns, there were pigeon troops specialized in delivering messages. ①
These pigeons had been specially bred to be homelike and sensitive to the earth's magnetic field. But when the locusts were ravaging the north, using pigeons to send messages would only lead to hungry people or raptors seeing them as a meal in their mouths, so General Xue gave up on using pigeons to send messages, and the drawbacks were obvious.
However, in the middle of the journey from the capital to the post station, the use of carrier pigeons is much faster than the fast horse.
While Xue Yuan was still running on the road, His Holiness's decree was transmitted from the previous post to the next, one by one, never stopping.
Financial resources, material resources, everything that made people willingly submit to it was displayed to the fullest in Gu Yuanbai's body.
The most important thing was that he didn't care about these things, he had enough backbone to give anyone special treatment, and a majestic pile of stuff slammed down on the gods and goddesses could be knocked out of their heads.
Xue Yuan wasn't knocked out by these things, but he was knocked out by the dominance implied behind them.
All the way dizzy, drunken general delirium. His Majesty good means, so a moment, Xue Yuan completely crispy heart, willingly become that by the emperor miles care of the "delicate consort".
I can't do anything about it. Ever since Gu Yuanbai said that he couldn't bear the pain in the cave, Xue Yuan had wrapped the chain around himself, and then tried to deliver it to Gu Yuanbai's hands.
Thinking about him makes me feel like I'm in a volcano, my feelings are like lava, and I'm grilled hot and hyper at all times.
Xue Yuan drove his horse and wanted to smile when he thought of Gu Yuanbai. As long as he was sure that Gu Yuanbai didn't have a palace consort, he was in such a high mood that he wanted to sing as he traveled through the high mountains and dense forests. Occasionally, his palm brushed the horse's mane, only to feel a tickling sensation as if it had brushed against the saint's chest.
Every now and then, the thoughts are interrupted and the nose starts to itch along with them.
Such a strong saint, that place is also powdered.
Lovely ...... ah.
*
Gu Yuanbai by no means knew that Xue Yuan still dared to call him cute in his mind.
He took people back to the palace, deliberately sent Chu Wei Chu House door, implicitly asked some: "I have heard that Chu Qing recently with the Western Xia emissary walked close to some?"
Chu Wei was a little afraid to look at the saint, at this time heard the words, abruptly raised his head, his face condensed frost, his eyebrows covered with gloom.
In Gu Yuanbai's eyes, he has always been a dignified gentleman, a modest white jade, with the declining sun in the west without losing the dignity of the beauty of the gentleman of the times. He looked beautiful, capable and proud.
But it was the first time Gu Yuanbai had seen such a look on Chu Wei's face. Even the time he was tied to the dragon bed, Chu Wei looked at least calm and unruffled.
Gu Yuanbai secretly thought that such a look was indeed loathing the Western Xia Emperor to the extreme.
Chu Wei brow dark tide surging, but calm. Eyes impartial, looking straight at the saint: "the saint Mingjian, I and the Western Xia messenger, but instead of disagreement with each other."
"I know your person," Gu Yuanbai pacified, "these days hard work Chu Qing, tomorrow I will summon the Western Xia emissary, Chu Qing in recent days and the Western Xia emissary has had a few contacts, tomorrow also come together."
Chu Wei respectfully responded, "I obey the decree."
*
On the second day, the Hall of Declared Government.
The ministers stood on both sides, the eunuch outside the high announcement of the Western Xia emissary into the hall.
Western Xia prince with the envoy low head into the hall salute, Gu Yuanbai sitting in the high seat to watch them. Those ten days of etiquette learning is still useful, at least now, the action is very regular, can not pick any mistakes.
After saluting, the Western Xia Emperor said, "Foreign Minister Li Angshun, with his Western Xia envoys, see Your Majesty and kowtow to Your Majesty's All Hail Golden Peace."
The heavy ministers looked at them with smiles, most of them had received gifts from Western Xia to a greater or lesser extent. When the Western Xia emissary saw them it was a twitch on his face, and in his heart he was already cursing these old men.
There is no one who receives a gift from someone without asking them what they are doing with the gift, and the Western Xia emissary has really seen through the hypocrisy of these Daheng officials these days.
Isn't it always said that Daheng is a state of etiquette and everyone is beautiful with humility? Western Xia messenger to these people to send gifts when they do not have the good sense to put the words straight, the results of these people really is the gift to the receipt, but once the receipt of the gift, they with do not understand the words of the Western Xia messenger implied general, know pretend not to understand, hard to let the Western Xia messenger to send the gift again and again for nothing.
These days of anxiety and frustration at not being able to go any further had left the arrogance on the face of the Western Xia emissary long gone, replaced by the nervousness and haggardness left behind after hitting the wall in many places.
Evidently, it was tossed.
However, His Majesty the Emperor of Daheng was also a master of bad taste. Gu Yuanbai leaned over and asked with concern, "Why is the Western Xia envoy's face as colorful as a stained vegetable?"
The flirtation in these words can not be hidden, Western Xia Prince's face pulled, but looked up at the saint, the heart of the anger and hard pressed down, just sullenly said: "Should be the soil and water, sleep unsettled some."
Gu Yuanbai smiled faintly and turned the jade wrench on his hand, and after a few polite words with him, he let the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue come up and talk to him about the debatable fields of the two countries.
Today's Xixia is still inseparable from Daheng's resources, and Xixia's green salt has also been the main source of private salt in the country because it is cheaper than official salt.
Green salt alone has brought huge profits to Western Xia. Western Xia is not afraid of Gu Yuanbai bold ban on salt, because the people as long as there is a choice, they will buy cheaper private salt, there is a market, there is supply and demand, if Gu Yuanbai tough ban, it will be counterproductive. But Western Xia is afraid that Gu Yuanbai inserted his foot, give a way of life, and then toss half of the dead, such a maneuver, will let the Western Xia's green salt suffered a big bumpy ride.
The Minister of the Household then relied on his country's bottom line and took out the faction of a great nation, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he added the benefits of the debatable field upwards by fifty percent on the previous conditions, and then waited for the counteroffer of the Western Xia.
The Western Xia emissary's face went black.
Naturally, there were more than just these people in the large Golden Palace. The people from the Honglu Temple were also there, as were the ministers and various officials from the Ministry of Revenue, and the people from the Hall of Political Affairs smiled and also interjected a few words every now and then after the words of the Minister of Revenue.
In addition to this, there were historians holding books, ready to record them in a book from time to time.
So many people surrounded the Western Xia emissary in the center, as if a group of foxes surrounded a few young chicken cubs, eyeing them intently.
Daheng's officials are wearing polite official robes, but the face with a smile spit out the words is a step a pit. Kong Yilin also stood on the side, suddenly felt greatly enlightened, in the two countries officials in the exchange of learning to a lot.
It dawned on me that it could still be a pit stop.
Western Xia emissary's face is now really dyed in the face of vegetables, Western Xia Emperor clearly know that there is a pit in these people's words, but his head turn even faster can't keep up with the brain of these famous ministers. Among the Western Xia emissaries, there are officials who specialize in negotiation, and at this time, they can no longer hold back, and indignantly said, "You are deceiving people too much!"
"Deceiving people too much?" The Counselor smiled helplessly, "Dare I ask the ambassadors how we have bullied people?"
When Daheng was really courteous to the outside world, they felt that Daheng was a wimp, and thought that Daheng's keeping all these rules and keeping all these beautiful names was just vanity, and not much use. But now, after the people hidden under the polite skin had really become unreasonable, they realized how good it was for the rest of the countries for a great nation to be able to humbly grant courtesy to its neighbors.
The Western Xia emissaries stereotyped Daheng too much, as if they thought that if they asked, Daheng would definitely agree to everything.
But the Daheng of today is no longer the Daheng of old.
Li Angshun reacted quickly, stepped forward to apologize: "In the heat of the moment the wording is fierce and not rigorous, but also please adults do not want to be with me and so on."
When two countries are competing for their own interests, heated words are trivial; psychological warfare and deliberate oppression and bullying are designed to make the other side back down. Daheng officials pressed on step by step, saying that it was too much bullying, but it was only the people of Western Xia who were disorganized and barking like a defeated dog.
This apology from the Western Xia prince was accepted frankly by the Daheng officials, who graciously indicated that they did not take it personally.
The more generous they were the more they set off the Western Xia's exasperation.
Thus, today's talk ends here. The next two days, you in and I back in the Palace of Xuanzheng tug-of-war lasting and slow, matters gradually detailed, with the negotiations step by step forward, finally, both sides have determined acceptable conditions.
After waiting for a hammer, the matter about the debatable field between Daheng and Western Xia was finally set up. Western Xia still conceded those benefits and promised to supply Daheng with a fixed number of at least 3,000 horses to be bought and sold every year.
Among the debates, Daheng merchants can occupy 60% of them, the tax and tooth money are even 30% higher than before, and the rest of the scattered trivialities, in short, the harvest is very rich.
After agreeing to these things, the faces of the Western Xia envoys were not very good. Li Angshun also cold face, the perfunctory smile on his face had stiffened.
Gu Yuanbai's eyes were half-squinted and half-opened, and his face was a little pale. The corners of his lips, however, held a smile, and although his movements didn't move a bit, his brain was running at high speed until now, and it was also a bit difficult.
But it was so well hidden that no one saw it.
The sun was in the sky, and the time was right at noon. The dishes from the Imperial Cuisine Room were set up one by one, today was a state banquet to entertain Western Xia, so naturally, a great deal of effort had to be put into it. After the dishes and drinks were set up, amidst the toasts and jokes of the officials, the face of the Western Xia emissary finally eased a bit.
It was also at this time that Li Angshun realized that Chu Wei was actually here.
Emperor Daheng had previously escorted Chu Wei onto the carriage and admonished him for it. In that case, Chu Wei and Emperor Daheng seemed to be on good terms.
Li Angshun looked at Chu Wei for a moment and drank a cup of wine. Another inexplicable glance at the high and mighty Emperor and another drink.
After three times, his sanity was a little blurred. Li Angshun stood up abruptly, picked up the wine cup and walked to Chu Wei, and without any explanation, dragged Chu Wei's arm to the front of the saint.
The guards behind Gu Yuanbai had their gazes fixed on the Western Xia Emperor's body.
The Western Xia Emperor was drunk and said with a big tongue, "Foreign minister, want, want to beg to marry your official."
Gu Yuanbai looked at him expressionlessly.
The Xixia Emperor's son hard yanked Chu Wei, but his eyes stared at the Emperor and wouldn't let go, "The foreign minister has retreated so many steps, he likes him, Emperor Daheng, do you, do you agree?"
Chu Wei's cold face, his anger was deep, he was just about to shake off the Western Xia Emperor's hand, when his afterglow stopped his movement.
He turned his head sideways and looked sullenly at Lyonsoon.
If you really like me, why are you clinging to His Holiness.