Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors-Chapter 540 - 276: Circle Kick

After scanning the ministers and the highly seated Emperor Gaozong of Qi, Zan Mo proudly declared, "The Emperor of Great Jin decrees! If you wish to negotiate peace, the Qi must satisfy the following conditions!"

Emperor Gaozong of Qi smiled benignly, "But speak freely, envoy. It is all for the well-being of the people and to ensure that there will be no more wars between our two nations. I am a merciful sovereign, a few mere conditions, which I shall certainly strive to fulfill."

Zan Mo looked coldly at the monarch and his courtiers in this palace, feeling a sense of discomfort amidst the vile atmosphere.

Even to the Jin people, they looked down upon Emperor Gaozong of Qi and Qin Huizhi, these unctuous ministers, who, despite their ability to offer advantages unattainable on the battlefield, still earned contempt.

Otherwise, these Jin envoys would not be openly cursing these key figures of the Qi court on the court floor.

"This ’I,’ you shall cease to use henceforth. For the first term is that Qi shall submit to Jin, forever serving as the Southern barrier for our Jin Dynasty!"

Emperor Gaozong’s face stiffened slightly, as submission was a somewhat humiliating affair.

But he had mentally prepared for this earlier, so although the situation was a bit awkward, he still forced a laugh and said, "This subject is willing to serve the Emperor of Great Jin as lord, forever guarding as the barrier of our Great Jin Dynasty, securing Jiangnan, and each maintaining our borders!"

Zan Mo had predicted that this Qi Emperor was an easy target, but he did not expect such shameless words could be spoken so openly in court, deepening his disdain.

"Good, the second term is also simple. Qi shall pay Great Jin an annual tribute of twenty-five thousand liang of silver and two hundred fifty thousand bolts of silk."

In response to this, Emperor Gaozong agreed much more readily. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"That is only natural."

He did not elaborate, but both he and everyone present knew what he was thinking.

It was just the annual tribute.

It was not as if they had never paid it before.

They had even paid tributes to Xixia before, so giving a little to Jin Country was not a big deal. It was merely "burdening our people for ten years"; after all, it was just extorting the common people. Who knows, perhaps when border trade opens up, the Qi court might even recoup some from trade.

Although if seen in detail, Qi could completely avoid paying the tribute and still profit from border trade, but that didn’t matter, for Emperor Gaozong, having a moral victory was enough. The risks of a tangible victory in gold and silver were too great for him to bear.

Zan Mo slightly regretted it, feeling that the amount of money was too little.

However, it was a bit late to change his statement now, so he continued with the next term.

"The third term, territorial cession; Qi and Jin will be bounded by the Huai River and Dasan Pass. South belongs to the South, North to the North. All northerners escaping to the south must be sent back without harboring!"

Emperor Yingzong of Qi’s face turned sour again, "This...

"Envoy of Jin, I ... oh no, this subject too is a northerner. If we are to divide South and North, where shall this subject return?

"Moreover, if northerners willingly escape southward, searching and deporting each one not only lacks compassion but also consumes considerable manpower and resources..."

Zan Mo snorted coldly, "So you of the Qi Dynasty truly have no sincerity in negotiating!

"Perhaps I should return and let our grand army descend southward again, sending you to Five Countries City to reunite with your brethren?"

Emperor Yingzong’s face visibly changed, "Envoy, you speak unfairly! It’s just about deporting the northerners who escaped southward. Our dynasty will definitely do its utmost."

Zan Mo couldn’t help but sneer, the Emperor of the Qi was indeed an extraordinary pushover.

No matter what was said, he would accept it all.

For Zan Mo, being an envoy of Jin was too comfortable.

If it were any other place, being an envoy could often mean prolonged negotiations without reaching an agreement. Worse, facing some unruly nomadic tribes, getting angry might end up with the envoy being chopped or cooked, truly a high-risk occupation.

But being an envoy to the Qi Dynasty was a very lucrative appointment.

From the Emperor to the officials of Qi, they could hardly wait to kneel in welcome, and the standards of food, clothing, living, and transportation could be directly compared with the emperor’s. Moreover, not to mention killing an envoy, even being cursed by a Jin envoy in the palace was something they dared not retort.

The terms proposed by the Jin envoy did not need to be haggled over; the Qi Dynasty accepted them all as they were.

Is there any other assignment better than this in the world?

Seeing that the terms of ceding territory, submission, and paying tribute were all accepted by the Qi, Zan Mo stated the final demand.

"One more condition remains, personally negotiated by our Emperor of Great Jin with the distinguished Bo Jilie. If this cannot be satisfied, even if you agree to the previous three terms, we cannot reach a treaty!"

Emperor Gaozong of Qi, sensing that the negotiation was nearly complete, hurriedly asked, "Envoy, please speak!"

Zan Mo squeezed a few words out from between his teeth, "Han Fuyue must die!"

The court fell silent as if the drop of a needle could be heard.

Emperor Gaozong chuckled dryly, "Ahem, envoy, such matters are perhaps best not discussed openly in the palace... This matter, this subject still needs to consult with Prime Minister Qin, and an answer can be provided to the envoy shortly."

In truth, before the envoy’s arrival, Emperor Gaozong and Qin Huizhi had already discussed this matter and had already incarcerated General Han Fuyue.

However, these kinds of things still could not be openly declared in court, otherwise where would Emperor Gaozong’s face be?

Thus Emperor Gaozong reluctantly said that further consultation was needed.

But in fact, the matter of Han Fuyue’s eventual death was clear to Qin Huizhi, and although Emperor Gaozong was still vacillating, he had mostly acquiesced.