kvmb Chapter 312 Cession of Cities
Chapter 312 Cession of Cities
The crop seeds and planting techniques listed in the national document could greatly improve the livelihoods of the people.
The Northern Qi, known for its cruelty, warlike nature, and cunning, surprisingly showed great kindness, bringing benefits to the people of the Great Zhou.
How could Emperor Jing'an not be surprised?
The Northern Qi emperor was neither wise nor broad-minded, so this letter of state must not have been written by him.
It must have been the Imperial Tutor's idea.
Emperor Jing'an couldn't fathom the thoughts of his imperial tutor. When he was a hostage in the Northern Qi Kingdom, he had no interaction with the imperial tutor.
All that is known is that the Imperial Tutor was exceptionally talented and was regarded as a treasure by the late Emperor of Northern Qi.
Over the years, the Imperial Tutor has become renowned in Northern Qi, working for the well-being of the people and earning their deep affection.
Emperor Jing'an suppressed his thoughts and closed the official letter: "Imperial Tutor, what is the meaning of this?"
"Your Majesty, the war between the Northern Qi and the Great Zhou has brought suffering and destruction to the people. You have the people in your heart and cannot bear to see them suffer. After the Northern Qi was defeated, you not only did not pursue the victory, but you were also willing to turn hostility into friendship with the Northern Qi."
The Imperial Tutor replied, “Our Emperor greatly admires you and has appointed me to take crop seeds, planting techniques, and artisans to the Great Zhou to improve the livelihoods of the people.”
Emperor Jing'an knew very well that Northern Qi looked down on Great Zhou, and that the imperial tutor's words were just empty platitudes.
The fundamental reason why Northern Qi yielded this time was that the King of Qi and his envoy were in the Great Zhou.
The officials of the Great Zhou lowered their eyes, unmoved. After all, they were officials, and they had to say countless such polite words every day.
"Your Majesty, the Great Zhou has suffered from war and natural disasters, resulting in the devastation of the people and the decline of all industries. The Northern Qi has presented cotton seeds, and the Great Zhou will promote cotton cultivation techniques. If the people are unwilling to plant cotton, the court can establish a cotton management office to hire refugees and disaster victims to plant it."
The Imperial Tutor smiled slightly and said, "This move effectively solved the resettlement problem of refugees and disaster victims that had been troubling various regions, transforming them into laborers and greatly alleviating the pressure on the national treasury."
The Imperial Tutor's words hit the nail on the head, striking at Emperor Jing'an's deepest concerns.
However, he still had concerns. The Great Zhou Dynasty had established the Cotton Bureau to try to grow cotton, but unfortunately the process was outdated and it did not spread among the people.
The ministers all looked at the Imperial Tutor, seemingly trying to discern the truth in his words.
If planting cotton could truly resettle the displaced people, it would solve a major problem for the Great Zhou Dynasty.
But would Northern Qi really be so kind?
The ministers couldn't help but whisper among themselves, discussing the Northern Qi's intentions.
"The Northern Qi established cotton management offices in various regions to promote cotton cultivation techniques among the people. Cotton yields higher than silk and hemp, and is cheaper. It can not only keep you warm, but also be spun into soft cotton cloth, which is very popular among the people of the Northern Qi."
The Imperial Tutor took in the expressions of the ministers and continued, "With more people buying cotton cloth and cotton, the demand for cotton has increased, which requires more manpower to grow it, providing more opportunities for people to make a living and improving their lives."
"Thirty percent of the taxes collected by the Northern Qi treasury come from cotton," the Imperial Tutor said, bowing. "The Northern Qi is willing to lend a helping hand to the Great Zhou."
Emperor Jing'an frowned deeply, his expression growing increasingly serious.
The benefits of cotton were very tempting to him.
After all, the Great Zhou Dynasty was short of silver and food, and many refugees were waiting to be resettled.
Even so, Emperor Jing'an did not budge, believing that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
The Northern Qi's bestowal of favors upon the Great Zhou is tantamount to a jackal turning into a docile sheep; we must be wary of the conspiracies hidden behind them.
"The Great Zhou is currently short of food. Yingcheng, which is adjacent to the northern border, is rich in wheat and is willing to provide it to the Great Zhou unconditionally and on a priority basis for the next three years."
The Imperial Tutor then offered another bait: "If the two countries engage in trade, Northern Qi is willing to reduce or exempt tariffs for merchants from Great Zhou."
The ministers looked at the Imperial Tutor in disbelief. If the Imperial Tutor had not been standing in the position of the Northern Qi envoy, they would have almost thought that the Northern Qi Imperial Tutor was the Imperial Tutor of their Great Zhou.
The Northern Qi not only sent crop seeds and taught techniques to the Great Zhou, but also sold them grain and reduced or exempted tariffs.
Where is this still the enemy country with a blood feud?
He is clearly a living Bodhisattva.
They resolved the difficulties faced by Da Zhou one by one, and then personally guided Da Zhou to prosperity.
Undeniably, most ministers were tempted and wanted to agree to Northern Qi's request for peace.
The remaining ministers, however, became more vigilant, wary that the Northern Qi harbored ill intentions and were setting traps for the Great Zhou.
Emperor Jing'an's face was cold and stern. The Imperial Tutor addressed the shortcomings of the Great Zhou Dynasty one by one, proposing conditions and promising substantial benefits.
This shows that the Imperial Tutor was very familiar with the situation of the Great Zhou.
Emperor Jing'an developed a sense of apprehension towards his imperial tutor, who was not only adept at manipulating power but also skilled at controlling people's hearts.
Yesterday, the Imperial Tutor hinted to the people at the Four Barbarian Inn that he, as the Emperor, would do everything in his power to ensure that the people had enough to eat and wear.
This statement is undoubtedly putting him on the hot seat of adversity.
If he did not agree to the Northern Qi's request for peace, he would not be able to obtain cotton seeds, and the people's hopes for food and clothing would be dashed.
At that time, the Northern Qi will spread another evil wind, implying to the people that he abandoned the benefits offered by the Northern Qi for personal grudges, disregarding the lives of the people.
The people of the Great Zhou would immediately turn against him and turn their anger towards the emperor.
The Northern Qi didn't need to do anything; the Great Zhou simply fell into chaos on its own.
If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. After all, the people who went to the Four Barbarians Pavilion were only a very small number, and he could have easily suppressed them with strong measures.
However, the Northern Qi imperial tutor was very resourceful. Last night, he arranged for someone to spread the news to all the people in the capital.
The soldiers of Northern Qi were no match for the Prince of Zhenbei. Now that the Prince of Qi had incurred the wrath of the Great Zhou, he feared that the Great Zhou's iron cavalry would crush Northern Qi. Therefore, he taught the people of the Great Zhou all the techniques of farming and water conservancy in order to appease the Great Zhou's anger.
With these technologies, the Great Zhou will no longer suffer from the ravages of war, will have cotton-padded clothes to wear in winter so as not to freeze, and will have food to eat so as not to go hungry.
All that's left is for him to nod today, accept the Northern Qi's apology, turn hostility into friendship, and for the two countries to sign an alliance treaty. Once that happens, these benefits will be implemented immediately.
As dawn broke, the people waited at the palace gates for news.
Emperor Jing'an looked at the ministers who were whispering among themselves, all of them agitated and flushed, as if they had disagreed and were arguing.
He sighed inwardly. The imperial tutor was two-faced, putting him in a dilemma and seemingly leaving him no choice but to agree to the peace talks with Northern Qi.
But he was unwilling to be held by the neck by the Imperial Tutor and be manipulated by them.
"Yingcheng borders Licheng, which was expanded by the Great Zhou Dynasty. The soldiers of Yingcheng can move between Licheng as if it were empty land. The soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty are uneasy day and night. They want to incorporate Yingcheng into the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but they do not want the people to be caught in the flames of war."
Emperor Jing'an remained expressionless: "If Northern Qi sincerely wants to negotiate peace, it should unconditionally sell the grain of Yingcheng to Great Zhou. In return, it might be worthwhile to cede this city to Great Zhou as compensation for Northern Qi's invasion of Great Zhou's territory."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.