Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5304 Harsh Treaty
When news of the crown prince's death and the king's coma spread, an atmosphere of grief and fear spread from the palace to the entire city.

As Jiang Ke rode his horse through the east gate, he immediately sensed the atmosphere of utter desperation...

Liu Renyuan's garrison was located east of Tuolupuluo City. To send a message back from Wuwenling, one had to go around the entire city. Therefore, before he set off to the city to negotiate with Zhuge Di, he had not yet received any news from Wuwenling. However, judging from the expressions and atmosphere of the soldiers, merchants, and even the common people in Tuolupuluo City, one could guess that something big must have happened.

Looking around, he asked the Lin Yi captain in charge of leading the troops into the city, "It seems that the morale of the troops in the city is unstable and their minds are wavering."

The Lin-yi military officer had just returned from the Tang army camp and was unaware of what had happened. It would be inappropriate for him to say anything, so he could only remain silent.

Jiang Ke stopped asking questions and began to observe the scene in the city.

Tuolupuluo City was the new capital of Linyi. After Zhuge Di usurped the throne of the Fan clan, he was probably feeling guilty and cowardly, so he abandoned the old capital and moved here. Although it was a large city with a population of over 200,000 and relatively prosperous commerce, the streets were crooked, the alleys were intertwined, and the houses were low, dilapidated and messy. If the Tang army were to attack the city and engage in street fighting, it would be extremely disadvantageous to the Tang army, which was unaware of the situation inside the city.

After turning a few corners, we arrived at the city lord's mansion.

He was currently just a captain in the Tang Navy. Because he came from the Jiang family of Tianshui and graduated from Zhenguan Academy, he was considered "both literary and martial." Therefore, Su Dingfang appointed him as the special envoy for this peace talks. However, everyone in the navy knew that the so-called peace talks were just a smokescreen and would not yield any results.

The Tang army hoped to buy time to give Li Jinxing an opportunity to capture Wuwenling, while Zhuge Di used this opportunity to gain more time to complete his looting. Both sides had their own plans, and it was only a matter of who could achieve their goals first, and then the war would begin.

Because of his identity, Jiang Ke could not meet Zhuge Di. Instead, he was received by Ke Lunwengding, the minister of Lin Yi, which aroused Jiang Ke's suspicion.

Since everyone is just putting on an act, why should the Lin Yi Kingdom avoid having its second-in-command appear?
Jiang Ke's spirits lifted, realizing that something significant had indeed happened within the city. Perhaps the Lin Yi Kingdom's attitude had changed, making it possible to facilitate these peace talks...

Both parties sat on the ground.

With his hair half-white, Coronard looked at the spirited, yet still somewhat immature young man before him and couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing feelings, emotions, and reflections).

While there are many factors that can be used to judge whether a country is prosperous and powerful, a surge in talent is one of the most important indicators. On this trip to Chang'an for the imperial court, I saw that the officials in the court were all in their prime, and there were many outstanding young talents in both civil and military fields. The whole society was full of vigor and vitality, and there were hardly any elderly people.

It was these young people who supported that vast and unparalleled empire, making it a force to be reckoned with and invincible.

The military officer in front of him, even younger than his grandson, was already capable of undertaking such a heavy responsibility as negotiations between the two countries…

Ke Lunweng looked Jiang Ke up and down, but said nothing.

Jiang Ke remained silent, only slightly bowing his head as he drank his tea.

The tea leaves floated and sank in the cup, the tea soup was yellow-green and had a sweet and fragrant aftertaste. It was the top-grade Tang Dynasty Longjing tea. I couldn't help but admire the Grand Commandant's skill. His tea was sold all over the world, and his wealth was like a river, flowing and accumulating.

After a long while, Ke Lunwengding suddenly smiled and exclaimed, "To have such composure at such a young age is truly impressive."

Jiang Ke then put down his teacup, smiled, and said modestly, "To be honest, I've been holding back for a long time. If I were to break into the city, I would have already ridden my horse and charged into battle. But since I've been invited into the city by your esteemed side to represent the navy for negotiations, I have to be patient and maintain a respectable appearance."

His words were barbed, yet he remained neither humble nor arrogant.

Kronon nodded: "Honest young man...then let's talk about how we can get the Tang army to withdraw?"

Jiang Ke shook his head: "The Tang Dynasty has a legitimate reason for its war, with tens of thousands of troops gathered here. How can they retreat without a fight? There is absolutely no possibility of them retreating."

After a moment of silence, Kelunwengding suddenly said, "What if the Kingdom of Linyi could give the Tang Dynasty a satisfactory explanation for the persecution of the Prince of Funan?"

Jiang Ke was somewhat surprised. Could it be that the Kingdom of Linyi was really planning to surrender?
That's not okay.

If you surrender, how can the war be fought?
With no battles to fight, where can one earn merit?

He asked, "For example?"

"For example... the king issued an edict acknowledging the existence of Funan and was willing to help the Funan prince restore the kingdom, and after that, the whole country submitted to the Tang Dynasty."

Jiang Ke shook his head: "Not enough. The Great Tang mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops to help the people of Funan, punish the guilty, and restore the rightful dynasty. They traveled thousands of miles to gather here. If Lin Yi were to simply 'surrender,' would they be satisfied with that? Where is the might of the Emperor? If everyone follows this example in the future, they will be arrogant and disrespectful to the Empire when the Tang army is not present, but when the Tang army arrives, they will bow down and beg for mercy. Wouldn't that lead to chaos in the world?"

The number "hundreds of thousands" is not an exaggeration.

The mobilization of a large army is no small matter; it is a matter of great importance, requiring strategic adjustments to the overall situation. At the very least, the overall situation must be taken into account across the entire overseas region. The strategic adjustments made across tens of thousands of miles of sea frontier are extremely extensive, including where to allocate how many troops and where to reinforce defenses.

The amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources consumed is simply astronomical.

So, you were arrogant and disrespectful before, but now that the army is about to be annihilated, you simply surrender?

After a moment of contemplation, Kelunwengding said, "Linyi can make compensation to the Tang Dynasty."

Jiang Ke raised an eyebrow: "How will you compensate me?"

He had a vague sense of foreboding; Lin Yi probably really wanted to make peace.

Kelun Wengding did not answer, but instead asked, "Then what does the Tang army want in this battle? Surely they don't necessarily have to break through Tuolupura City and slaughter everyone in the city?"

"The Tang Dynasty is a land of etiquette, and its royal navy is an army of benevolence and righteousness. As long as Lin Yi cooperates, it will absolutely not slaughter civilians."

"What exactly are the requirements?"

Faced with Ke Lunweng's persistent questioning, Jiang Ke panicked.

The reason Su Dingfang sent this inexperienced young general to negotiate was because the navy had absolutely no intention of stopping the fighting. The navy was extremely enthusiastic about this battle and was determined to fight!

So there was no prior discussion or conditions proposed, how is he supposed to answer now?

But you can't just say, "No conditions matter, I'm going to destroy your country and use the destruction of Linyi to gain personal merit," can you?

Whether it's bullying the weak or taking advantage of power, there always needs to be a pretext; that's called having a legitimate reason for doing something.

Therefore, he could only propose a condition that the Linyi people absolutely could not agree to—since you won't agree to the terms of peace talks, then it's no problem for me to attack you!

Therefore, after a moment of contemplation, Jiang Ke said: "First, Linyi should surrender and all its troops should be reorganized by the Tang Dynasty; second, Zhuge Di plotted to usurp the throne and slaughtered the Fan royal family, and must commit suicide to apologize to the world; third, Linyi should submit to the Tang Dynasty and accept its control; fourth, pay ten million strings of cash in military reparations."

Zhuge Di must die, and Lin Yi must perish. In his view, these were conditions that Lin Yi could never agree to... Even if they agreed to all of them, the last one would be absolutely unacceptable.

How could Lin Yi possibly come up with ten million kan in compensation?
This clause effectively eliminated any possibility of Linyi surrendering.

To his surprise, no sooner had he finished speaking than Kronenton said in a deep voice, almost without hesitation, "Fine!"

"what?"

"Bring pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and ask the Tang envoy to write down the terms and sign his name."

"..."

Jiang Ke was dumbfounded as he watched the clerk quickly fetch pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.

He cautioned, "While the Tang Dynasty is indeed a land of propriety and the Tang army is a righteous force, the imperial majesty must not be challenged. If Lin Yi signs the treaty now but then goes back on its word, then it must be prepared to bear the wrath of the empire!"

He paused, then intensified his threat: "I assure you, that will be an unbearable rage for Lin Yi!"

His gaze was intense and murderous, trying to awaken the fear in the other side: What are you surrendering for? You have to fight to the end!
Kelun Wengding, however, remained calm: "Your Excellency, rest assured, as long as the Tang army acts in accordance with the contract, Lin Yi will not renege on it. Please sign here, and it will take effect immediately."

What do you need to sign?
How could Jiang Ke dare to sign this?

If he signs the contract now, the officers and soldiers who are clamoring for war will tear him apart when he gets back...

He could only awkwardly touch his nose and say, "I am not qualified to sign. Since the conditions have been drafted, I will go back and inform them before making any further plans."

Then he got up to say goodbye, almost fleeing in panic, fearing the other party would force him to sign something...

……

Watching the Tang generals depart, Kelun Wengding remained kneeling there, his gaze fixed on the paper filled with clauses, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long while, he finally managed to stand up and took the papers into the inner courtyard.

"Are these the conditions offered by the Tang army?"

"Yes."

"Bring it to me and see."

Zhuge Di took the paper and read through the clauses one by one. Unexpectedly, he showed no expression. Even when he saw the clause that "Zhuge Di plotted to usurp the throne and slaughtered the Fan royal family, and must commit suicide to apologize to the world," he remained calm and showed no anger.

Zhuge Di put down the paper, took a sip of tea, and said, "The conditions are a bit harsh."

Kelun Weng stood respectfully to the side, his hands clasped behind his back: "Judging from the attitude of the Tang envoy, they have no intention of making peace, only of starting a war. So when he made his request, I agreed on the spot, without giving him any room to back out. In any case, as long as we can make peace and end this war, we will have gained an advantage."

Zhuge Di not only did not refute, but nodded instead.

The conditions may seem extremely demanding, but if the Tang army were to capture Tuolupuluo City, which one could not be met?

When the city falls, the country perishes, and the people die, everything will become the spoils of war for the Tang army, which can take whatever they want...

It would be better to end my final responsibility as the ruler of the country by taking this opportunity to die and avert a devastating disaster for the people of Linyi.

Kelunweng knew Zhuge Di well, so he was certain that Zhuge Di would agree to these conditions.

(End of this chapter)