In the courtyard where the Han envoys lived in the Wu State Posthouse, the elegant Mi Shiyilang bowed to Zongxu, who had just arrived in Jianye and was waiting for Sun Quan to summon him.
Zong Yu, who was over sixty years old, looked at Mi Zhao, who was in his prime and most promising age, with a bit of joy and a bit of envy in his eyes.
He stepped forward to help Mi Shiyilang up, looked at it seriously, and then praised:
"He endured humiliation and surrendered to thieves for many years. He once made meritorious deeds, and now he travels to the east of the Yangtze River to benefit the country. Wow! A great man and a good son!"
Although Zong Yu is old, he is energetic, especially his voice is loud and full of energy.
When Mi Shiyilang heard this praise, he, who had been tested in dangerous places for a long time, felt a slight heat on his face, and at the same time he looked a little embarrassed:
"Zonggong has received the award. I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed. I really don't deserve it."
Speaking of which, this "bearing humiliation and humiliation", actually, given the current situation in the world, I may not really have this intention.
However, the word "thieves" at the end may be true.
Speaking of which, it was all thanks to his brother who sent someone to pull him back in time.
To say I'm ashamed is to say I'm really ashamed.
Otherwise, if one of the Mi family surrendered to Wu and the other surrendered to Wei, they would really have become the laughing stock of the Han Dynasty.
How is it like now, people in the world don't know who Mi Hongliang is, but when they hear Mi Shiyilang's name, who can't help but respect him?
Zong Yu didn't know Mi Shiyilang's psychological changes. He just thought that the other party was being modest, so he "tsk":
"What are you ashamed of? What are you afraid of? If you really want to say you are ashamed, it's up to me to say it."
As he spoke, he led Mi Shiyilang to sit down, and asked his entourage to pour tea, and then continued with a sigh:
"I think back then, when the late emperor had just entered Jingzhou, I had already attached myself to Jiwei. It has been more than thirty years now!"
Then he let out a long sigh and said, "For more than thirty years, I have done nothing but gained years in vain. Alas, I can't compare to you young men now!"
Looking at Mi Shiyilang again, he changed into a tone of appreciation: "The younger generation is to be feared, the younger generation is to be feared!"
Mi Shiyilang, who dared to seize the Maojin Ferry at night, smiled shyly in front of this sixty-year-old man, like a child being praised by his elders.
"My father-in-law is always strong and strong. He is not afraid of old age. He has crossed mountains and rivers and worked hard for the country. Why can't he be said to be inferior to us who are less advanced?"
When Zong Xu heard this, he laughed loudly again, then deliberately lowered his voice and said to Mi Shiyilang:
"When I followed the late emperor, the late emperor only occupied a few counties in half of the state. Later, he crossed Shu with a baby in his arms. His foundation was first established, and everyone thought that the world was restored to order."
"Who would have expected that not long after the bad news came out of Jingzhou, there would be another defeat at Yiling..."
Although the Han Dynasty is not what it used to be, and so many years have passed, Zong Yu still sighs when he recalls the darkest days since the founding of the Ji Han Dynasty.
"After the battle at Yiling, the Lord of Wu sued for peace, and the late emperor agreed to it and sent envoys to the land of Wu. But, alas!"
As he spoke, he shook his head: "Although the two countries of Han and Wu wanted to rebuild peace, the Han Dynasty was defeated one after another at the hands of the Wu people. The country was in danger, and it was as if it was hanging upside down."
"The envoys who came to Wu were either ignored by the Lord of Wu or underestimated by the people of Wu, but they had to endure the humiliation and bear the burden in order to achieve reconciliation between the two countries."
Having said this, Zong Yu stood up, clenched his fists, and hummed:
"If the Wei thieves hadn't been pressing hard from the north, how could the Wu people have been so easy to show favor to our Han envoys from behind?"
Mi Zhao remained silent.
After the battle in Yiling, he was no longer an ignorant child.
At that time, Sun Quan, while seeking peace from the late emperor, exchanged envoys with the Wei State, and still declared himself a vassal to the Wei State.
It was not until Wei sent troops southward that Wei and Wu fought a solid battle, which forced Sun Quan to sever ties with Wei.
It can be imagined that before this, although it was the Wu people who took the initiative to seek peace, in fact the other party was just trying to get both sides.
However, the Han envoys knew that the Wu people were wavering and had ulterior plans, but they suffered from the weakening of the country's power, so they could only do their best and seek compromise through humiliation.
"Do you know why I like to take the initiative to invite you as an envoy to the Kingdom of Wu every time?"
Speaking of this, Zong Yu's originally low voice suddenly became louder:
"I'm just free. I want to come to Wu country to relax, see what Wu people look like now, and then think about their faces in the past! Hahaha..."
As Zong Yu spoke, he laughed again:
"I just want to see how they are envious and jealous of the big man, but they have to smile and ask for help from the big man!"
"The more I see them like this, the better I feel!"
"There is a saying that it takes twenty years to the east of the river and twenty years to the west of the river. This is indeed not deceiving me."
When Mi Shiyilang heard this, he was shocked!
He almost blurted out: "Mr. Zong, do you also read novels?"
But when the words came to my lips, it became:
"Mr. Zong, you are really clear about grudges and grudges. It seems that you are also a person who enjoys grudges and grudges."
"There are grievances and grievances, and there are vengeances and revenges. This is the case in the world. I think that the Wu people took Jingzhou and made me unable to return home. Is it possible that I can't even watch a joke now?"
(Zong Yu is from Jingzhou)
After Zong Yu and Mi Zhao said these words, they sat down again and started to get to the point:
"Okay, let's talk about it. I just arrived in Jianye, and you, Mr. Mi, came to my door immediately. I think there must be something important. Can you tell me?"
Although this is the posthouse of Wu State, the Han Dynasty, as an ally of Wu State and the Han envoy, has long been different from what it used to be.
It is inevitable that the place where you live should be independent and quiet.
The courtyard was empty all around, and there were servants guarding the outside, so there was no fear of Wu people eavesdropping.
"Zonggong Mingjian." Mi Shiyilang cupped his hands and lowered his voice, "Zonggong came here this time for the Luoyang matter?"
"Um?"
Zongxu looked slightly surprised.
But soon, he returned to normal.
Although his visit to Jianye was not publicized this time, it was not a secret.
He felt relieved when he thought of the speed with which Xinghan Hui delivered news.
Moreover, Mi Langjun hurried over to see me like this, so he must have something important to discuss with him.
So Zong Yu tentatively asked:
"Mi Langjun knows my purpose and has been building a business for a long time. He is here today. But what plan do you want to tell me before I see Lord Wu?"
Mi Shiyilang shook his head: "I'm afraid this will disappoint Grandpa Zong, no."
"Um?"
Zong Yu was once again a little surprised.
Mi Shiyilang smiled mysteriously:
"But Zhao can tell Duke Zong some good news."
Zong Yu immediately became interested: "Oh? What's the good news?"
"In the past few days I have been in Wu, I have made some friends, so I was able to get some news."
Mi Shiyilang lowered his voice again and raised three fingers: "Thirty percent, at most only three percent is enough."
"What three..." Zong Yu didn't finish his words and immediately sat up straight, "Mi Langjun, are you serious about what you said?"
Mi Shiyilang smiled slightly:
"My lord, I am entrusted by my brother to handle such important national affairs. How dare I joke about it?"
"good!"
Zong Yu fisted his fist and couldn't help but let out a light drink. His face was filled with joy, and he had to suppress his voice like Mi Shiyilang:
"To be honest, Mi Langjun, the bottom line of what Your Majesty and Da Sima want when I come here this time is 50%."
"I didn't expect that Mi Langjun could actually beat him by another 20%."
Jingzhou’s 50% tariff, in exchange for the righteousness of entrusting Luoyang, would it be a loss?
It's a loss even if it's a loss, and it's a loss even if it's not a loss.
It's a loss because the money obviously belongs to the big man.
It’s not a loss because the money originally belonged to the State of Wu.
Take the money from the state of Wu and exchange it for Luoyang, which was assigned to the state of Wu in the covenant, in exchange for all the Han Dynasty to regain the old capital.
At least for Adou and most of the courtiers, it was not a loss.
And it doesn’t mean that the Wu people don’t have to pay back the money. At worst, we can just give them a little more time to pay back.
A 50% Jingzhou tariff would at most loosen the rope around Wu's neck, but it was far from enough if he wanted to survive.
But to recover all the old capitals would be to fulfill half of the late emperor’s will!
This is a huge incentive for big men.
The name of righteousness is very important.
What if we only use 30%?
That counts as a profit.
That's why Zong Yu is so happy.
After the excitement, Zong Yu asked again worriedly:
"Mi Langjun, it's not that I can't trust you, but this matter is of great importance. Is your friend reliable?"
Mi Langjun smiled understandingly:
"Mr. Zong, you don't know how short of money the Wu treasury is now. This 30% is a lot for Wu people."
As he spoke, he stretched out his finger, dipped his finger in the cup, and wrote a number on the table.
When Zong Yu saw it, his eyes suddenly widened, and his voice even raised a lot: "So many?"
Mi Shiyilang smiled and said nothing.
Zong Yu stared at the numbers on the desk and was speechless for a long time.
As Shangshu, his duty is to assist Shangshu Ling and handle matters at Shangshutai.
He had also heard of the Jingzhou tariff, and a lot of money could be collected there every year.
The specific numbers were personally reviewed by Shangshu Ling.
Over the years, the Han Dynasty has become financially wealthy and everyone has high aspirations.
Zaizong expected that no matter how much Jingzhou's vehicle and boat taxes were collected, it would never be able to compare with the taxes in the Han Dynasty.
did not expect……
Enter his mother's!
During the late emperor's reign, if he really had such a large sum of money, some fellow villagers in Jingzhou, if not asking them to sell themselves, could at least prevent them from selling Jingzhou to the Wu people.
wrong!
Zong Yu raised his head suspiciously, stared at Mi Shiyilang, and blurted out:
"How much business did your Xinghan Hui do in Jingzhou?"
After asking, he felt guilty and shook his head again:
"Forget it, this kind of thing is beyond my ability to ask."
Then he couldn’t help but complain:
"It is said that King Feng Gui has great foresight. I have witnessed it with my own eyes today."
Although he only saw a glimpse of it, it was enough to frighten him.
After being shocked, he suddenly laughed again:
"But aren't these the reasons for my trip?"
Knowing that he had greater confidence, Zong Yu straightened his back when he saw Sun Quan the next day.
After handing over the credentials, we began to discuss the ownership of Luoyang.
But Zong Yu stretched out a finger and said loudly:
"One percent!"
Sun Quan was so angry that he almost started a crime:
"Mr. Zong, I have always respected you and valued you precisely because of your resistance. I didn't expect that what happened today was contrary to your usual way of being a human being."
"The alliance between Wu and Han was decided by your first lord of Han and your first prime minister. Luoyang belongs to me, Wu. Do you want to deny the alliance now?"
Zong Yu said in surprise:
"How could your Majesty make such remarks? When did the foreign minister say that he did not recognize the alliance between Han and Wu?"
Sun Quan had a gloomy face:
"In this case, Luoyang, which should belong to me, Wu, was taken away by your Han country. Don't you have any explanation?"
Zong Yu stretched out a finger again:
"Your Majesty, the foreign minister has already said it, 10%. This is the sincerity and statement of our big man."
"not enough!"
It was a common thing for Han and Wu countries to send envoys to each other.
When there are most messengers, they are constantly on the road, with cars and boats looking at each other.
In addition, Zong Yu came here this time for the Luoyang matter, so it was not appropriate to publicize it in advance.
Moreover, when discussing how much Luoyang City was worth, Sun Quan probably felt that it would be a shame to bring it up for public discussion.
Therefore, during this summons, apart from Zong Yu, he only asked the school secretary Lu Yi to accompany him.
When it comes to Jingzhou's financial resources, the school affairs office has the most say.
Sun Quan was displeased, and Zong Yu was also a little dismayed:
"Your Majesty, it is precisely because I don't like hypocrisy and say whatever I have to say that I am standing here today to discuss the matter of Luoyang with Your Majesty."
"Although the Han Dynasty now wants to capture Luoyang, it is forced to do so. Because the news came from Xizuo, the Wei thieves knew that Luoyang could not be defended, so they wanted to burn the city and escape."
"The incident happened suddenly, so we couldn't ignore it, so we sent troops there. This is a workaround. We can't just watch the thieves burn the city and escape, and let Luoyang suffer another disaster, right?"
"Besides, before we sent out troops, didn't I come here to discuss the aftermath with His Majesty? Isn't this enough to show sincerity?"
Sun Quan was not moved at all, and just said in a deep voice:
"The 10% tariff is also called sincerity?"
Zong Yu was slightly surprised when he heard this.
Lord Wu did not mention the Luoyang matter, but just talked about tariffs.
Could it be that, as Mi Langjun said, the treasury of Wu State is already in such short supply?
With this thought in his mind, his expression remained unchanged:
"Then how much does Your Majesty plan to ask for?"
Sun Quan slowly stretched out his hand and said, "Fifty percent."
"Your Majesty's words are not sincere!" Zong Yu stood up immediately and protested, "Since Your Majesty said that I resist straight people, I will tell the truth."
"Luoyang is the old capital of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty will never let thieves do what Dong Zhuo did again! So when I came out, the Han Dynasty had already sent out troops."
"With the ability of my great Han Dynasty Sima, I might have captured Luoyang by now. Whether Your Majesty is willing to accept it or not, Luoyang will fall into the hands of the great Han Dynasty."
"Instead of leaving Luoyang in the hands of the Wei thieves, it is better to let the Han Dynasty temporarily take charge of it. If Your Majesty can come to Luoyang City one day, I, the Han Dynasty, will return Luoyang according to the covenant."
Hearing this, Sun Quan's face twitched.
How could he not know that the Han Dynasty sent troops to Luoyang, determined to capture Luoyang?
There is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.
As for burning the city and escaping, whether it was true or false, it was just an excuse anyway, and he didn't bother to argue with Zong Yu.
Since we can't stop it, we can only try our best to get as many benefits from Han as possible.
As for considering now whether the Han Congress will really return it in the future, it is better to consider how to capture Hefei first.
"Zong Shangshu, you also said that Luoyang belongs to me, Da Wu, according to the covenant. And the customs duties in Jingzhou should also belong to me, Da Wu."
"Isn't it a bit excessive for you to use my Da Wu's tariffs to buy my Da Wu's city?"
Zong Yu did not give Sun Quan any face:
"If Your Majesty has already returned the money, food, horses, weapons, and armor that you owe me to this big man, and you say this again, you will have to admit that it is too much."
Sun Quan's face suddenly turned livid.
His nails were about to bleed from the palm of his hand, and he could barely suppress his emotions.
If it weren't for the debt I owe you to the Han Dynasty, I would be sitting here today discussing the Luoyang matter with you?
But I am not as good as others, and I still want to ask for help from others. What can I do?
Lu Yi, who was standing by the side, saw the unwillingness of the two sides and couldn't help but secretly screamed that it was bad.
He has clearly expressed his anger to Mr. Mi Lang in advance. As long as the Han Kingdom can give up 30%, your Majesty will be able to comply.
But what's going on in front of you?
Could it be that Mi Langjun didn't remind the Han envoy?