General Qin Qiong had a blank expression on his face, but he didn't know what to say in his heart. You are not that old, how come your acting skills are better than your grandfather's? What you said is very appropriate. You are born to be a negotiator.
This negotiation was so easy. We did almost nothing, and the other party had to put forward all their bottom lines. Then we could sit on the side and pick and choose. General Qin Qiong felt that he had found the right partner, which saved him a lot of trouble.
Prime Minister Midu was also pondering Li Xiang's words word by word. It seemed that the Tang Dynasty really wanted to go to war, and it was the emperor who insisted on doing so. He also thought of some legends about Li Shimin. He was bullied by the Turks in the past, but he turned around and prepared for war, and after a few years he captured the Turkic Khan.
In recent years, he has started the eastern expedition to Goguryeo. He is definitely a warmonger. Tuyuhun has repeatedly provoked the Tang Dynasty, and perhaps it has reached a level that His Majesty the Emperor cannot tolerate. What Li Xiang said is also true. After all, he is just a grandson of the emperor and it is impossible for him to decide the policies and major policies of the entire Tang Dynasty.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your efforts on behalf of the peoples of both countries. Tuyuhun is willing to withdraw one hundred and twenty miles and offer this one hundred and twenty miles of pasture to the Tang Dynasty. We will also compensate the Tang Dynasty with five thousand war horses and fifty thousand cattle and sheep. We will also marry our eldest princess to Your Highness, thus consolidating the friendship between Qin and Jin."
Prime Minister Midu did not hesitate at all and quickly took out all the things he had prepared. Of course, this was not their bottom line. This was only what they had prepared in the first phase. If this condition had been in the last negotiation, Li Xiang might have agreed. But now you are still taking out these things, it would be a bit too much.
"Prime Minister, your conditions are a bit outdated. If these are all you have, I won't even need to open my mouth. I can't convince my grandfather, let alone myself. Let's just continue fighting on the battlefield."
Li Xiang took a sip of tea and said, it is obvious that I don’t like you guys.
"If your Highness is dissatisfied, you can speak directly. We Tuyuhun are sincere this time. As long as we can afford it, we must avoid this war."
Prime Minister Midu was simply testing the waters. He was not afraid of Li Xiang bargaining, but what he feared most was that Li Xiang would not even mention it. If he did not mention it, then the matter would be troublesome.
"The Tang Dynasty needs pastures four hundred miles outside Liangzhou City and will build a new city to the southwest. Tuyuhun herders will no longer be allowed to enter this area, and we will send troops to garrison there. In view of the losses the Tang Dynasty suffered in this war, Tuyuhun must pay us a one-time compensation of two million strings of cash, as well as a trade route to Tubo. Chinese merchants and Tuyuhun merchants will pay the same taxes. If you do not agree to these terms, I cannot mediate this matter. You also know that the Tang Dynasty's army is gathering towards Liangzhou City. Once they gather a certain number, even if you are willing to pay these things, I don't think we will need them."
Li Xiang knew that Prime Minister Midu and his men had been squeezed to the limit, so he simply told them everything we needed. Of course, some of the items were a bit excessive, but that was to leave room for bargaining. As for the eldest princess you mentioned, I really don't like her. Aren't the women in Chang'an beautiful enough?
After listening to Li Xiang's requests, Prime Minister Midu felt a little dizzy. These requests were too much. The 400 miles of grassland alone were not enough to cover them. Adding the taxes on the trade routes, this would cut off the economic lifeline of Tuyuhun.
"Your Highness, these conditions are truly difficult to agree to. If you agree to them, then our Tuyuhun will cease to exist. How will our country survive? Four hundred miles of grassland support one-third of our population."
Prime Minister Midu said very excitedly.
"My Lord Prime Minister, you are a wise man. You should understand the current situation. I am not forcing you to agree. Even if you agree to all this, I cannot guarantee that war will not come again. I can only say that I will speak to my grandfather on your behalf. It does not mean that I can decide this matter. If you say you disagree, then I will be a better person. My Lord Prime Minister and I hit it off right away. I will remember the fact that my Lord Prime Minister killed Zhe Duoji today for the rest of my life. My Lord Prime Minister did it to protect my dignity. Let's not go home until we are drunk. After drinking this wine, we will meet on the battlefield tomorrow."
According to Prime Minister Midu's idea, Li Xiang should bargain over those conditions, but Li Xiang had no intention of bargaining at all. If you don't want to, then forget it. Let's just talk about love and not politics tonight. After this drink, I will come with a sword to harvest you tomorrow. By then, it will not just be a 400-mile grassland. It is very likely that the entire grassland will be ours.
Prime Minister Midu didn't know what to say for a moment. If he agreed, it would be difficult to explain to the Khan when he returned. If he disagreed, Tuyuhun would be in danger of being destroyed.
"I've also heard that Tuyuhun's roasted lamb legs are amazing. I wonder if the Prime Minister has brought a chef with him. If so, we'll have a great meal tonight."
General Qin Qiong, who was half asleep, came out again to smooth things over. The negotiations had now come to a standstill. If the two of them were allowed to continue talking, it would be embarrassing for both sides.
"Yes, yes, there is roasted lamb leg..."
Prime Minister Midu was on the verge of tears. It was already this late, and how could I possibly be in the mood for roasted lamb legs? If a single thought went wrong, the entire Tuyuhun region would be wiped out. How could I possibly be in the mood for this? But Prime Minister Midu didn't dare to speak out. He could only arrange the meal first. As for the negotiations, they would discuss it over drinks that evening.
Li Xiang gave a thumbs up to General Qin Qiong, thinking that he had come at the right time. Just now, the two sides had been talking back and forth, and General Qin Qiong had not said a word. When Prime Minister Mi Du made a decision, General Qin Qiong stood up and spoke, which was equivalent to giving Prime Minister Mi Du some time to consider. You'd better think it over carefully, as this concerns the fate of you, Tuyuhun.
"Don't be afraid of running yourself to death. Get to the royal court as fast as you can..."
While arranging the roasted lamb leg, Prime Minister Midu called his most trusted subordinate. This note recorded all the negotiation conditions. Although he was the plenipotentiary representative, he had to let the Khan know...