Prince Yuan Zhao waited for three days and was about to send a messenger, but the messenger he sent three days ago came back.
The messenger presented a reply from Prince Yan of Daliang, and said feebly: "Your Highness, this is an autographed letter from the Prince of Daliang."
The attendant checked the letter and handed it to Yan Huisheng.
Yuan Zhao took the letter and asked the messenger, "Why three days? Why are you so weak? Did Daliang torture you?"
The messenger shook his head, "My subordinate is hungry. As soon as I submitted the letter, Prince Daliang ordered me to be imprisoned without food or drink. I just released my subordinate back today."
Yuan Zhao nodded and asked, "Besides this letter, did Daliang say anything else?"
The messenger shook his head, "No more."
Yuan Zhao waved his hand, "Go down!"
The messenger's legs and feet were weak from hunger, so he immediately went down to find something to eat.
Yuan Zhao opened Yan Huisheng's letter. After reading it, his face suddenly darkened. He knew that when Da Wei proposed peace, Da Liang would naturally put forward harsh conditions, but he did not expect that they would be so harsh.
Yan Huisheng said in his reply that all the twelve cities Daliang had conquered would be returned to Daliang. In addition, the Wei Dynasty ceded three more cities and presented 300,000 taels of gold, 5,000 high-quality BMWs, and a structural diagram of the siege cannon. The structural diagram of the improved crossbow arrows, as well as the grain seeds unique to the Wei Dynasty, opened the border trade, and sent the second prince Yuan Chen of the Wei Dynasty as a hostage to the capital of Daliang.
Yuan Chen looked at Yuan Zhao's face, which was dark and gloomy, and asked, "Brother, what did Yan Huihui say in the letter?"
Yuan Zhao handed the letter to him, "Read it yourself."
Yuan Chen received the letter and after reading it, his expression changed drastically, "Yan Huisheng is so unreasonable! You actually want me to be the hostage?"
Since ancient times, there have been no princes who have been used as hostages, but generally the royal family has chosen an unpopular young prince who has not grown up and is not favored as a hostage. It is rare for anyone to name and appoint a candidate, especially when he is still an adult prince.
He looked at Yuan Zhao and said, "Brother Wang, you won't agree to him, will you?"
Yuan Zhaodao: "Waiting for the battle report between He Lanjue and Nangong Zheng, and also waiting for the reply from the Princess of Nanchu."
Yuan Chen pursed his lips.
Yuan Zhao looked at him and said, "Don't be impatient. If you don't want to go to Daliang as a pledge, I don't want to send you as a pledge."
Yuan Chen nodded. He knew in his heart that he and Yuan Zhao didn't have much brotherhood. In the past few days, he understood it and thought about it. He voluntarily gave up his ambition and focused on the interests of the Wei Dynasty. Their The relationship has eased, far from Yuan Zhao's disregard for the overall situation for his sake.
Zhu Zhun killed two horses and traveled day and night for five days and nights. He returned to Lanwan River and met the prince Yuan Zhao.
His whole body was almost exhausted. His horse fell to the ground and foamed at the mouth. He also fell to the ground, his eyesight turned black, but he still gritted his teeth and held on to his strength. He was helped up by others and arrived in front of Yuan Zhao.
Yuan Zhao looked at him and stood up, "Why do you look like this?"
Although Yuan Zhao had received the battle report between He Lan Jue and Nangong Zheng, he still couldn't accept it. When he brought 800,000 troops to attack Nan Chu, he was blocked by Su Rong at Heiya Pass and could not advance even an inch. , Su Rong had 500,000 troops, a gap of 300,000. Now Su Rong had 650,000 troops to attack the Wei Dynasty, while He Lanjue and Nangong Zheng combined had 350,000 troops, but they were short. Over time, four cities were lost in a row, especially Dingnan City, which was captured by Nanchu in ten days. He stretched out his hand and said, "Give me the letter to the king. Tell me, apart from the letter, you can see Su Rong, what else did she say?"
Zhu Zhun quickly told the truth about his meeting with Su Rong and her insulting words.
After hearing this, Yuan Zhao nodded and said in a deep voice: "She and Yan Huiyi, one locked up a person for three days without giving him food or drink, and the other made you run to death of two horses, and traveled five days and nights without being able to breathe. They are indeed the same species. No wonder they can Because of his temper, Nan Chu and Daliang hugged each other tightly to deal with Da Wei."
Zhu Zhun nodded and said, "The injury of the Princess of Nanchu seems to have been healed."
Yuan Zhao was silent for a moment after hearing the words, and waved to him, "You go and have a rest. There is no need for you to go to deliver the letter. If the king replies, I will send someone else to go."
Zhu Zhunying was supported by others and retreated.
Yuan Zhao opened the letter and after reading it, his face became livid again, "Her appetite is bigger than Yan Hui's voice."
Yuan Chen was on the side, looking at Yuan Zhao, thinking, Su Rong also wants him to be a hostage, right? He asked: "Brother Wang, what did the Queen of Nanchu say in her letter?"
Yuan Zhao handed the letter to him.
Yuan Chen took it and after reading it, he realized that he was overthinking it. Su Rong didn't ask Wei to send people as hostages at all, but she asked Wei to cede seven cities, 10,000 BMWs, and 500,000 taels of gold. This was simply... Why didn't she just grab it?
He looked at Yuan Zhao, "Brother Wang, what should I do? Do you want to agree to her?"
Yuan Zhao closed his eyes, "Of course I can't agree to them all."
He pondered for a moment and said: "I asked Su Rong, Princess of Southern Chu, to send people outside Xuzhou City half a month later, on the tenth day of the second lunar month, to discuss peace. I heard from Prince Yan of Daliang about three days later, between the two cities. Half-Moon Peak, negotiate in person."
"Will they agree?" Yuan Chen was a little worried, "Brother Wang is too busy to travel and can't take care of both sides. Who should he send to Nanchu to negotiate peace?"
"You go." Yuan Zhao said: "I will try my best to protect you and exchange people as hostages to prevent you from going to the Wei Dynasty."
Yuan Chen was moved, "Brother Wang, do you believe me?"
"I believe in you." Yuan Zhao nodded, "You pack up and set off after the messenger leaves. After you arrive in Xuzhou, on the day of peace talks, ask He Lan to defend the city and Nangong Zheng to accompany you. Listen to him more Suggestion. My bottom line is that I will cede at most three more cities in Southern Chu. I will not give you the structural diagram of the siege cannon. You can give me the improved structural diagram of the crossbow, one hundred thousand taels of gold, and one thousand BMWs. I will also send a prince to them. The royal palace of Nanchu is the maid of the prince."
Yuan Chen was stunned, "In the letter from the Princess of Nanchu, she did not ask for any hostage."
Yuan Zhao said: "She is a princess and the crown prince of Nanchu. How come she won't have three husbands and four attendants in the future? I am willing to give him a long and good-looking servant to serve her."
Yuan Chen nodded, "Okay, brother Wang, don't worry, I understand."
Yuan Zhao told her, "If Su Rong refuses to agree, it's too harsh. Then tell her that if she doesn't agree, I will fight her to the end. The same goes with Daliang. If you step on my bottom line, I won't mind." All three will suffer losses. Although Da Wei will die, neither she nor Daliang will be able to benefit from it, and I can kill them all, drag down both countries, and make the people miserable."
Yuan Chen should have said, "My brother, I will remember it."
Therefore, Yuan Zhao sent two letters. One sent someone to ride a fast horse, one step ahead of Yuan Chen, and delivered it to Su Rong within the date specified by Su Rong. The other sent a messenger to Prince Yan Huisheng of Daliang.