Did I blame him wrongly? He--he turned out to be such an upright and kind-hearted person?
Duan Zhengyan blinked, his expression was blank, as if he couldn't believe his ears, his eyes showed a trace of doubt and guilt, and he made a muffled sound in his throat.
He originally thought that Li Qi had exhausted all his efforts on the Gao family, so the money must not be that easy to get. He was already prepared to have his skin peeled off. He thought that as long as Li Qi would make the big
Just give him part of it.
However, he never expected that Li Qi would agree so boldly.
There is a conspiracy.
This is what Duan Shiwen is thinking, because he has dealt with Li Qi too many times, and he knows Li Qi’s deeds better than anyone else. He may still believe these words from others, but from now on
Li Qi said that this was simply ridiculous, and he was worried that Duan Zhengyan had been deceived by him, so he hurriedly said: "The Privy Councilor is really willing to return the money to us."
He also emphasized the pronunciation of the word "we" because the idea of returning the thing to its original owner is too vague. Who knows who the "lord" you are talking about represents!
Damn it! You look down on people, but I never play these word games. Li Qi pretended to be displeased and said: "Brother Duan, what do you mean by this? This money should belong to you, so I won't give it to you."
Who is it? Oh, I know, Brother Duan thought I would be greedy for this money. Alas, I didn’t expect that even though I had good intentions, it actually--it really hurt my self-esteem."
Duan Zhengyan glared at Duan Shiwen and said, "Shiwen, why did you say that? Why don't you quickly apologize to the Privy Councilor?"
As long as he can give us money, I'm willing to kowtow to him! Duan Shiwen muttered to himself, then cupped his hands and said, "I used inappropriate words and offended the Privy Councilor. I hope that the Privy Councilor will not remember the faults of others."
"
Li Qi directly ignored these nonsense and said with a smile: "Hey, although my temper is not as good as that of King Dali, I am definitely not a small-minded person, so it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter."
After a pause, he continued: "Don't worry, King Dali, I will definitely return the money to you, and I won't ask for any of your money. But you also know that I still have many things to deal with at the moment, and I have to deal with them one by one."
It won't take a few days for the package to arrive. After the situation in Shenglong Mansion is slightly stabilized, I will personally deliver the money. I wonder what King Dali wants?"
"Okay, okay, then I'll have to trouble the Privy Council."
Li Qi's words had reached this point, and Duan Zhengyan naturally couldn't say anything more.
Li Qidao: "But King Dali, I have something I don't know whether to say or not?"
Duan Zhengyan said: "It doesn't matter if the Privy Council just says it."
Li Qidao: "I know very well how much this money is. For a certain person, this can be said to be a huge sum of money. Even if it is lying down, it can last a hundred lifetimes, but for a country,
This little money is not enough. Dali has been experiencing civil strife in recent years. The losses are huge. In addition to this war, whether it is commerce, agriculture, or even industry, they have suffered huge losses. Even if the king of Dali will
If you throw all your money in, I'm afraid you won't make a sound."
Duan Zhengyan's face was full of sorrow when he heard this, and he sighed: "The Privy Councilor is right, this is also my biggest headache."
Zhao Jingyan suddenly interrupted: "I don't think any of this money will reach the hands of the people."
Duan Zhengyan was surprised and said: "Why did the military advisor say this?"
Zhao Jingyan said: "Regarding this battle, your Dali Thirty-Seven Division has helped a lot. I believe they are not all good people. If King Dali does not handle it well, I am afraid there will be chaos again, but if it is handled well,
Promotion and wealth are indispensable in this." At this point, she smiled again and said: "Don't be surprised, King Dali, I am just out of good intentions and do not intend to interfere in your political affairs."
"No no no."
Duan Zhengyan waved his hands repeatedly and said: "Military advisor, please don't say that. In fact, this is also what worries me. Alas, Dali is still in chaos now. It gives me a headache just thinking about it."
Li Qi said sternly: "King Dali, I, the Song Dynasty, have finally helped you regain the royal power. The purpose is to let the people in the south have a peaceful environment. Don't mess it up again. In that case, how many people will be wasted."
life."
"I know this, I know this." Duan Zhengyan nodded and said: "Don't worry, even if I risk my life, I will definitely manage Dali well."
Li Qi smiled and said: "That's good, I have absolute confidence in King Dali."
Duan Shiwen suddenly thought of something and said, "By the way, I wonder what the Privy Council plans to do with Gao's tens of thousands of soldiers?"
Li Qi pondered for a moment and said: "I originally planned to return it to you together, but---"
Duan Zhengyan asked anxiously: "Just what?"
"I won't hide it from you." Li Qi sighed and said, "It's just that none of their generals are willing to surrender to you. I believe King Dali knows the reason better than me. I am a very open-minded person. As long as you can persuade
I will definitely not mind if they return to Dali, but I promised those generals when I persuaded them to surrender that everything will depend on their own wishes."
The implication is that if they are really unwilling, then I will not force them to be sent to you.
Duan Shiwen said: "They are originally from Dali, and they should be returned to us."
Zhao Jingyan said: "You can't say that. They have surrendered to the Song Dynasty, and they have stated in advance that if we forcefully send them back, it will affect the credibility of the Privy Council and even the emperor. This is not what you said.
It’s something that can be solved.”
Li Qi sighed and said: "Well, I'll arrange a meeting between you two, and it's up to you to persuade them. I swear, I will never interfere in this matter, let alone force them to stay. As long as they agree to return to Dali, I will
Let them go back, but if they would rather die than go, then there is nothing I can do, after all, I have an agreement with them first."
Duan Shiwen saw that Li Qi had a tough tone and the money was still in his hands, so he didn't dare to anger him. Otherwise, he might lose both people and money. In fact, even if Li Qi didn't give them the money, there was nothing they could do. In terms of strength, there was nothing they could do.
They are not on the same level, so I can only accept it as soon as it is good and say: "Thank you so much, Privy Councilor."
"Where, wherever, this is what I should do." Li Qi smiled, and then said: "Okay, let's talk about this for today. I still have some things to deal with. King Dali will stay here.
, after all, we still have a lot to talk about."
Li Qi ended the talks so early not because everything had been discussed, because the negotiation could never be completed in one day. Whenever there were differences, both parties had to go back to discuss and make a decision before talking again, so
There's no rush.
Duan Zhengyan said: "I won't disturb the Privy Envoy. I'd better go back to the camp to stay. Anyway, it's not far to go back and forth."
Li Qi did not force it, and said: "That's fine, but you two must have dinner here tonight."
"It's better to be respectful than obey your orders."
Duan Zhengyan did not refuse this time and left the hall immediately.
As soon as Duan Zhengyan left, Zhao Jingyan asked: "Are you really going to give that money to Duan Zhengyan?"
Li Qi chuckled: "Of course, but it is not for Duan Zhengyan personally, but for the people of this area."
I knew you were not so kind. Zhao Jingyan nodded slightly and said, "I thought you would use this money to blackmail Duan Zhengyan into submission."
Li Qi rolled his eyes and said, "Am I this kind of person?"
You haven't done this kind of thing too often. Zhao Jingyan asked doubtfully: "Then what are your plans?"
Li Qi smiled and said: "I have always convinced others with my virtue. I rarely ask for help from others. People usually come to me to ask for help. I also like this way of communication. I use money to blackmail Duan Zhengyan.
It's not a bad idea, maybe he will give in, but Duan Zhengyan is a talented person, and what I hope is to be sincerely convinced, rather than being forced to surrender helplessly."
Zhao Jingyan shook her head and said: "I think it's difficult, because no matter who it is, they will not give up easily when facing the throne."
"Of course I know that." Li Qi smiled and said: "Although Duan Zhengyan is a talented person, he lacks a hint of domineering. To put it harshly, he is soft. In comparison, Gao Shunming is really more suitable to be the emperor than him, at least.
Gao Mingshun can still suppress the thirty-seven tribes, but if Duan Zhengyan becomes the king of Dali, he will definitely not be able to suppress the thirty-seven tribes."
Zhao Jingyan frowned and pondered for a moment, then said: "Are you trying to create difficulties for Duan Zhengyan and make him voluntarily surrender to the Song Dynasty?"
Li Qi nodded and said: "That's right. As you said, the temptation of imperial power is too great, so now no matter how I persuade, Duan Zhengyan will definitely refuse to surrender to me, the Song Dynasty. In this case, why should I waste this time?"
Drool, until he understands that without me, Da Song, he will not be able to manage this mess. With his character, he will definitely consider the overall situation, so asking for help from me, Da Song, is the only way. Only then will I and him
Sit down and talk about this issue seriously."
Zhao Jingyan said: "But I don't have much time to spend with them."
Li Qi chuckled: "Don't worry, Duan Zhengyan will soon find it difficult to move forward. If I don't say more, he will not be able to integrate the military and political affairs. Without the support of the army, do you think his throne is secure?"
Zhao Jingyan was stunned for a moment and said with a smile: "I know why you want to see Wu Jie first and then meet Duan Zhengyan again."
Li Qi laughed and said: "There is no way. After we regain Jiaozhi, we will definitely develop southward. If we do not surrender to Dali, there will definitely be a lot of conflicts. Instead of doing this, it is better to solve it now."
...
...
Wu Jie's big tent.
At this time, Wu Jie was sitting in the main seat, with several generals sitting on the left and right sides. Half of these generals were tribal leaders in Dali, and the other half were former generals from the Gao family who later surrendered to Wu Jie.
"How can this not make sense? How can this not make sense? Who the hell dares to ride on me? I'm so angry!"
Following a burst of yelling and cursing, a middle-aged man with a rough face walked in from outside. (To be continued...)