Chapter 570: Liang Hengzhang — Negotiation |
"Daddy, do you want to call a truce and cease hostilities with Caiqiu?"
After Yuwen Tao led the others away, only Xia Hong's family remained inside the tent. Xia Yuyao suddenly spoke softly, asking a question.
Xia Hong turned his head and looked at his eldest daughter with keen interest, nodding as he asked, "What is it? What do you want to say?"
During this period of returning to the Southern Foothills, he had always kept Li Xuanling and their two children by his side. Xia Yuyao had been present for almost all the major battles that occurred and for many of the strategy meetings. It wasn't surprising that she could discern his desire for a truce and cessation of hostilities. The main point was that she had chosen to speak up at this moment, clearly indicating she had something else on her mind.
Xia Yuyao lowered her head in thought for a moment, then looked up at him and spoke in a clear, crisp voice. "Our greatest enemy right now is Chencang. Caiqiu has the support of two feudatories, so they are not in danger of being toppled. They themselves are certainly aware of this. The fact that their Grand Steward has come to us so politely and proactively at this time shows a clear intent to seek peace. However, A-Yao thinks he definitely won't say he's here to *beg* for peace. Most likely, he'll say he's here to *negotiate* peace, and then he'll present many demands for Daddy to agree to."
His eldest daughter could actually think this far ahead!
A wave of astonishment rose in Xia Hong's heart, but his face remained calm as he nodded and asked, "What demands does A-Yao think he will make?"
"Releasing prisoners of war and returning occupied territory are the most basic ones. If he's being more excessive, he might even demand compensation. A-Yao guesses this Liang Hengzhang will definitely bring up Wei Bo and Hecang, using the influence of the two feudatories to pressure our Great Xia."
Now even Li Xuanling couldn't quite sit still, though her composure was also excellent, showing no emotional fluctuation on her face. However, the slight tilt of her head betrayed that she, too, was quite startled by her daughter's words.
"Daddy surely already has a well-thought-out plan. What use would A-Yao's advice be? But A-Yao wants to say that in the entire Mo'ao Chuan right now, there are two camps: Chencang and the Three Feudatories. Clearly, the Three Feudatories are stronger. Although Chencang dares to move troops against Caiqiu, they absolutely would not dare to declare war on all three feudatories. Our Great Xia currently lacks a bit of strength and needs a lot of time to develop. If the four feudatories of Mo'ao Chuan settle their conflicts now, they will probably turn their attention to the Southern Foothills region, which is where our Great Xia is located."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Xia Hong's face vanished rapidly, his expression instantly turning serious. His initial mindset of testing his daughter came to an abrupt halt at this moment, and he began to seriously contemplate her words.
His daughter had seen that his desire for a truce and cessation of hostilities was very strong, to the point where he was even willing to concede some of the gains they had made. That's why she had spoken these words.
His daughter's words, in essence, boiled down to one point:
Calling a truce and ceasing hostilities at this moment would give Caiqiu a chance to catch its breath, allowing them to focus on resisting Chencang's attack. If the other two feudatories then applied a little pressure on Chencang, and if Chencang's subsequent military campaigns went poorly, and Chu Longteng truly decided to quit while he was ahead and not continue fighting, turning instead to deal with Great Xia, what would Great Xia do?
Would the Three Feudatories care about Great Xia's survival?
It's even possible that the Three Feudatories and Chencang might join forces to carve up and devour Great Xia.
Xia Hong's face suddenly turned grave. What he had previously considered was only a truce and cessation of hostilities with Caiqiu. If his daughter hadn't reminded him, he truly wouldn't have thought about the subsequent developments.
"The four feudatories of Mo'ao Chuan cannot stop fighting. At the very least, we cannot let the relationship between the two major camps ease. We have offended Caiqiu too deeply; it would be very difficult for us to stand on the side of the Three Feudatories now. But our relationship with Chencang isn't too strained yet. Coincidentally, the Three Feudatories are powerful, and we..."
Li Xuanling also spoke up at this point, but before she could finish, Xia Hong waved his hand to interrupt her. Seeing Xia Hong gesture with his chin towards the tent entrance, she immediately understood and did not continue.
"Lord Leader, Yuwen Tao is here with the Caiqiu envoy requesting an audience."
"Let them in!"
Not long after Xia Hong's words fell, Yuwen Tao was the first to walk in from outside the tent. Following him, besides Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Luo Yuan, and others, was an unfamiliar face.
The man was dressed in a set of dark blue brocade robes. He had a refined, scholarly appearance, with a full head of black hair tied up with a piece of white silk cloth and secured with just a single silver hairpin, without any other accessories—clean and neat.
A faint smile played on his face. His pupils, which seemed to hold a light of their own, swept across the upper part of the tent only once before immediately focusing on Xia Hong.
However, his gaze lingered for only a moment. Before Yuwen Tao and the others could speak, he took a step forward first, bowed towards Xia Hong, and saluted. "This envoy from an external feudatory, Caiqiu Grand Steward Liang Hengzhang, pays his respects to the Lord Leader of Great Xia!"
Seeing Liang Hengzhang's posture at this moment, although Xia Hong's expression showed no change, he had to admit he was quite satisfied inwardly.
Great Xia was only a town-level camp, at least at this very moment it still was. Logically, as the Grand Steward of a feudatory town, Liang Hengzhang didn't need to perform such a grand salute, yet he had done so anyway. On one hand, this certainly acknowledged Great Xia's strength; on the other hand, it also represented the goodwill he was signaling.
It seems my daughter was right. He really is here to seek peace.
No... wait. This is... being polite before resorting to force!
Xia Hong suddenly understood the reason behind Liang Hengzhang's display of this posture. His eyebrows rose slightly as he asked with a smile, "At a time like this, with our two towns engaged in war, Grand Steward Liang has come alone. What guidance do you have for us?"
Without giving Liang Hengzhang a chance to continue speaking, Xia Hong went straight to the point, asking his intention for coming here.
Liang Hengzhang's face showed little surprise, as if he had expected this. He straightened up, clasped his hands, and said with a smile, "This external envoy has come for two purposes: first, to point out a clear path for Lord Leader Xia; second, to negotiate peace."
"Oh... a clear path?"
Xia Hong pretended not to understand, looking down at him curiously.
A smile on his lips, Liang Hengzhang immediately spoke up. "Chencang's hundred thousand troops are still stationed in Dongchuan City. Great Xia doesn't have many usable soldiers; otherwise, you wouldn't have delayed sending reinforcements to Evergreen Valley for so long. To be frank with Lord Leader Xia, our Three Feudatories intend to negotiate peace with Chencang. The war in Linchu County will probably end very soon. Once the war in Linchu County is over, Chencang's next target will likely be Great Xia."
Trying to scare me?
Xia Hong chuckled inwardly, raising an eyebrow as he said, "The Three Feudatories are negotiating peace with Chencang? So, does that mean Fang Bo Cai intends to hand over Linchu County to Chencang?"
"Of course not. With the Three Feudatories applying pressure, even if Chu Longteng had heaven-defying abilities, he could only spit Linchu County back out. This includes the territory Great Xia has currently occupied; it must all be returned intact to our Caiqiu."
"What arrogance! The territory my Great Xia has swallowed, we have no reason to spit back out!"
"Preposterous! The armies of Hecang and Wei Bo are still on their own borders, not even within your Caiqiu's territory yet. Do you think such tricks can scare us?"
"Returned to you intact? Quite the bold talk. How many more troops can your Caiqiu even deploy to Evergreen Valley?"
......
Clearly provoked by Liang Hengzhang's confident, victory-assured demeanor, before Xia Hong on the main seat could speak, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Luo Yuan, and others angrily responded one after another.
The entire main tent was instantly filled with surging battle spirit, and the atmosphere became thoroughly tense.
Xia Hong did not speak. The smile that had been on his face just moments ago suddenly vanished, replaced by utter calm. He simply stared straight at Liang Hengzhang, waiting for his response.
Liang Hengzhang was also at the Tribulation Body Realm, though only at the first revolution. The little commotion in Great Xia's main tent naturally couldn't frighten him. Even with the three miniature Frost Beasts behind Xia Hong growing restless, his expression remained unchanged.
"Lord Leader Xia, the Southern Foothills are newly annexed. Great Xia's territory has increased several times over. The urgent task now is to digest these new lands, develop strength, and lay the foundation for establishing a feudatory, not to be here, bitterly fighting our Caiqiu over this barren land of Evergreen Valley. Chencang's hundred thousand troops haven't moved because their main focus is on Linchu. Once Chencang frees up their hands, does Lord Leader Xia believe your Great Xia can protect Beishuo, Wuchuan, and even the newly acquired five towns in the north?"
Xia Hong's gaze immediately lowered. He turned his head to look at Qiu Peng.
Last night, Qiu Peng had brought back new news from Xia Chuan. The rebel forces in the five northern towns had repeatedly stirred up trouble. Xia Chuan had already dispatched half of the troops from Dongchuan to suppress them. Who would believe there wasn't Chencang's influence behind this?
Therefore, Liang Hengzhang's words hit the mark.
With Chencang's hundred thousand troops not even moving, they could still cause so much trouble. Once they truly decided to act against Great Xia, would the hidden rebel forces in the five towns let such a good opportunity pass?
The time of Great Xia's rise had, after all, been too short. Although they had swallowed the five northern towns in one gulp, the hidden dangers within were not small. If not handled properly, a good thing might very well turn into a bad one.
"Grand Steward Liang just said you wanted to point out a clear path for my Great Xia. Do you mean to suggest that this Lord Leader should withdraw troops and cease hostilities with Caiqiu?"
"Of course!"
Seeing his thoughts laid bare by Xia Hong, Liang Hengzhang didn't try to hide anything. He directly gave an affirmative answer and continued, "The Xia troops withdraw from Evergreen Valley. Our Caiqiu and your Great Xia take the Bone-Erosion Path as the boundary. From now on, our two families are good neighbors. Our Caiqiu can act as an intermediary to help Great Xia establish friendly relations through correspondence with Wei Bo and Hecang.
With the support of our Three Feudatories, driving Chencang out of the Southern Foothills region would be easy for Great Xia. With Great Xia's current strength, in as short as a dozen years, or as long as thirty to fifty years, you will certainly be able to establish a feudatory and open a government office. At that time, our Three Feudatories will be the first to endorse Great Xia. Then, not only suppressing Chencang but even carving up and devouring Chencang would not be impossible."
He's actually painting me a grand picture...
Xia Hong looked at Liang Hengzhang. His face showed no emotional fluctuation, but in his heart, he regarded this Caiqiu Grand Steward with a bit more seriousness.
Liang Hengzhang's words were indeed very tempting.
However, they also contained immense hidden dangers.
As things stood now, Great Xia had already deeply offended Caiqiu. Without a doubt, as Caiqiu's allies, Wei Bo and Hecang's perception of Great Xia would certainly not be very favorable.
Great Xia currently still had a cooperative relationship with Chencang. If they truly did as Liang Hengzhang suggested, changing sides at this moment to cooperate with the Three Feudatories and turn against Chencang, regardless of the outcome, they would certainly bear the stigma of being two-faced.
Secondly, would the Three Feudatories sincerely help Great Xia drive out Chencang?
The armies of Wei Bo and Hecang had, up to now, only assembled at the borders and had not entered Caiqiu to help them resist Chencang.
If they treated their long-standing ally like this, how much more so a newly joined Great Xia in their camp? Furthermore, even if the Three Feudatories really did send troops to the Southern Foothills region, claiming to help Great Xia deal with Chencang, Xia Hong asked himself, he wouldn't dare to let the Three Feudatories' armies come over.
'Borrowing a passage to conquer Guo,' 'the cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest'—such examples were far too numerous in Xia Hong's mind. With the experience of two lifetimes, how could he be fooled by such tricks?
Xia Hong did not speak. The atmosphere inside the tent immediately froze.
Liang Hengzhang also saw that Xia Hong was thinking. His expression calm, he stood in place, patiently waiting for him to speak.
"Can the Three Feudatories join forces to annihilate Chencang?"
Hearing this question, Liang Hengzhang was first taken aback, then looked up at Xia Hong. His expression immediately sank.
He almost didn't need to think; he instantly realized the subtext behind Xia Hong's question.
The overall strength of the Three Feudatories was, of course, stronger than Chencang's.
But were the Three Feudatories a unified whole?
Chu Longteng's ambitions were known to everyone in Mo'ao Chuan. If the Three Feudatories were truly of one mind, where would Chencang get its opportunity?
Alliances, pacts, and cooperation had always been a double-edged sword since ancient times. The advantage was strength in numbers; the disadvantage was that each had their own agendas. In most cases, achieving a result of one plus one equaling two was something to be thankful for. In worse situations, sometimes it was even less effective than going it alone.
The Three Feudatories combined did not have the strength to annihilate Chencang, but Chencang could nibble away and annex them one by one. Their current actions against Caiqiu were clear proof.
Great Xia had already made an enemy of Caiqiu. Joining the Three Feudatories alliance at this juncture would most likely have a negative impact on the camp. Caiqiu could not trust Great Xia, and Great Xia certainly could not trust Caiqiu. Not only would this provide no help in suppressing Chencang, but it might even create cracks within the alliance, indirectly benefiting Chencang.
Secondly, since the Three Feudatories could not unite wholeheartedly to deal with Chencang, why should Great Xia abandon its ally Chencang and switch to the Three Feudatories camp?
It was true that Chencang had ambitions, but they couldn't possibly swallow all three feudatories in one go. Just look at this instance; judging by the scale of troops Chencang deployed, they most likely only intended to take Linchu County.
In that case, rather than choosing the Three Feudatories, Great Xia was better off continuing with Chencang.
Chencang was fighting one against three; surely they would want allies too. If the Three Feudatories truly united to pressure Chencang, it was quite hopeful that Great Xia could get Chu Longteng to withdraw the hundred thousand troops from Dongchuan.
"Lord Leader Xia, my Fang Bo is not a man who holds grudges. As long as all prisoners of war are returned, these territories south of Guangningshan can be ceded to your town. Right now, our greatest enemy is Chencang, is Chu Longteng. I hope the Lord Leader will consider this carefully."
He's starting to relax his conditions!
Xia Hong's face appeared expressionless, but a silent laugh echoed in his heart.
The condition Liang Hengzhang proposed upon entering the tent was not only the return of prisoners of war but also the return of the Evergreen Valley territory Great Xia had occupied. Now, hearing that Xia Hong intended to continue cooperating with Chencang, he immediately softened his stance, only demanding the return of prisoners of war.
Since he's willing to soften his stance, then everything is negotiable!
Xia Hong said with a flat expression, "The armies of Wei Bo and Hecang haven't moved up to now. In this Lord Leader's view, these two feudatories simply don't care about your Caiqiu's survival. If Chencang is willing to withdraw its troops from Dongchuan City, and my Great Xia sends more troops to Evergreen Valley, it's not impossible to seize the entire Evergreen Valley, or even capture Qinghua City and attack Whitewater Commandery. Grand Steward Liang coming to this Lord Leader to seek peace with such an attitude probably isn't appropriate, is it?"
The faint smile that had been maintained on Liang Hengzhang's face up to this moment vanished abruptly, replaced entirely by gloom. He looked up at Xia Hong on the high seat, his pupils flashing with a hint of anger and coldness.
"Lord Leader Xia, be careful the wind doesn't make your tongue slip. Qinghua City is one of Caiqiu's seven cities. Forget your mere hundred thousand troops; even if you mobilized all the troops Great Xia currently has, which at most is three hundred thousand, you still couldn't capture it. As for Whitewater Commandery..."
At this point, Liang Hengzhang's tone suddenly turned heavy as he continued, "Since Lord Leader Xia has such audacity, then this external envoy has nothing more to say. We might as well settle this on the battlefield. I, Liang, will now return to Red Tiger Ridge and sit waiting for the Xia army to attack!"
Having said that, Liang Hengzhang actually turned and walked straight towards the tent entrance, as if unwilling to continue the discussion any further.
Xia Hong's heart skipped a beat from his high seat. He hadn't expected Liang Hengzhang to be so unyielding, simply leaving like that.
They definitely could not continue fighting. Thinking this, Xia Hong immediately gave Qiu Peng below a look.
"Grand Steward Liang, please wait!"
Qiu Peng understood the signal and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, walking briskly towards Liang Hengzhang to stop him.