allonlinenovel Chapter 334 Crazy talk
Chapter 334 Crazy talk
Chapter 334 Talking Nonsense
Kong Zhenyun, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was the secret envoy who came to the Qing Dynasty for this mission.
Kong Zhenyun vehemently opposed peace talks, so he didn't care much about the matter. After all, the Emperor hadn't given him any specific tasks when he sent him; he was only instructed to make contact with the Qing. Therefore, although Kong Zhenyun had been in Shengjing for several days, he spent all his time reading in his study and didn't have any contact with any Qing officials.
"My lord, Prince Su of the Qing Dynasty, Hauge, and Fan Wencheng, Fan Daren, request an audience," a servant announced as he entered the study.
Kong Zhenyun frowned deeply. Hauge was Huang Taiji's eldest son. Fan Wencheng, on the other hand, was in charge of the three inner courts of the Qing Dynasty, equivalent to the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. These two were both heavyweight figures in the Qing Dynasty, and yet they had come together.
Kong Zhenyun was truly baffled and said, "Please come in!"
Hauge cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "I have long admired Lord Kong. Meeting you today, I can confirm that you are indeed a man of great stature."
"Hmph!" Kong Zhenyun snorted coldly and asked indifferently, "May I ask what brings you two here?"
Fan Wencheng was still recovering from serious injuries and his face was still a little pale, but for the sake of the country, he could only continue to work despite his illness.
Fan Wencheng frowned. "Two guests have arrived, and instead of offering them a seat and tea, your host is all smiles and speaks coldly. How can you treat guests like this?"
Hauge sneered, "Lord Kong, I heard that the Ming Dynasty's treasury is empty. It seems that's true! You're an envoy to the Qing Dynasty, and you can't even bear to drink tea! You should have said so earlier!"
Hauge beckoned to his servant and ordered, "Go back to the manor quickly and bring over a few pounds of the finest tea."
"Yes!"
Just as the servant was about to leave, Hauge, still feeling that he hadn't disgusted Kong Zhenyun enough, hurriedly said, "Wait a minute, don't rush! Bring another thousand taels of silver. I'm afraid Lord Kong doesn't have money for food. Lord Kong is, after all, an envoy of the Ming Dynasty. Our Great Qing can't let him starve to death!"
"Pfft..." Kong Zhenyun's old face flushed red with embarrassment at the mockery.
Kong Zhenyun thought for a moment, then said, "I cannot bring shame to the Ming Dynasty!" He quickly added, "Please, both of you, have a seat!"
Kong Zhenyun instructed his servants, "Bring tea quickly, the best tea! And bring the red robe that the Emperor bestowed upon this old man."
Kong Zhenyun looked at Hauge and said sarcastically, "I know you barbarians have never tasted such fine tea before. I don't mind wasting it. I didn't want to invite those monkeys in crowns, those chieftains of a small tribe who dare to call themselves emperors, to have tea. But they are like frogs in a well. My Great Ming is vast and rich. How can the national treasury be empty?"
Kong Zhenyun, a civil official of the Ming Dynasty, spent his life engaging in verbal battles. How could Hauge be his match? With just a few words from Kong Zhenyun, Hauge was so angry that he gritted his teeth.
Fearing that Hauge might do something inappropriate, Fan Wencheng quickly patted Hauge lightly and said, "Lord Kong, may I ask what brings you to the Great Qing?"
Kong Zhenyun smiled and said casually, "It's nothing. His Majesty noticed that I haven't been very happy lately, so he specially sent me here to see the hardships of the barbarians and to remind me of the bitterness of the past. I have indeed been quite moved these past few days; the barbarian people are living such a miserable life!"
"Pfft..." Hauge was stunned. "You old bastard, your mouth is fucking venomous! You're on a paid vacation? Your Ming Dynasty is even behind on paying the frontline troops!"
"Hmm..." Fan Wencheng said with a wry smile, "Lord Kong, let's not beat around the bush, let's speak frankly. I heard that the Ming Dynasty is preparing to negotiate peace with our Great Qing?"
"Peace talks?" Kong Zhenyun slammed his fist on the table angrily and shouted, "Who said that? How could my Great Ming negotiate peace with barbarians? My Great Ming does not engage in marriage alliances, pay reparations, cede territory, or pay tribute. The emperor guards the nation's gates, and the monarch dies for the state!"
Hauge was internally cursing. If the Ming Dynasty wouldn't negotiate, what was Chongzhen sending you for? To mock us? Was Chongzhen that stupid?
At this moment, Kong Zhenyun's servant entered the study, walked to his side, and whispered a few words in his ear.
Kong Zhenyun quickly said, "Please come in!"
Gao Guilan, dressed in a flight attendant uniform, skipped into the room.
"Who is the Ming Dynasty's secret envoy?" Gao Guilan asked casually.
Kong Zhenyun shook his head with a wry smile. This girl who came must be Wang Wenzhou's baby; no one else would dare to ask that.
"I am Kong Zhenyun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the Imperial Envoy sent to the Qing Dynasty this time." Kong Zhenyun began by asking, "May I ask who you are, young lady?"
Gao Guilan pouted and said irritably, "Uncle said I can't tell a strange man my name! What business is it of yours who I am?"
"Haha!" Gao Guilan suddenly thought of something and laughed loudly, "Kong Zhenyun, you're the idiot who was ridden like a horse by the little princess?"
"Pfft..." Hauge and Fan Wencheng were immediately dumbfounded. Was this girl out of her mind?
Kong Zhenyun blushed. This girl must be Wang Wenzhou's baby. No matter how beautiful she is, no one but Wang Wenzhou would like such an idiotic girl.
Kong Zhenyun was just about to send Hauge and the others away so that he could go to the inner room with Gao Guilan to investigate secretly.
Gao Guilan spoke up, saying, "Uncle told me to tell you that no matter what, you must not agree to peace talks with the Qing Dynasty. If you dare to agree, he will kill your whole family."
"Huh?" Kong Zhenyun was so shocked that his mouth dropped open. That mad dog Wang Wenzhou used every means to force the civil and military officials to agree to peace talks. Why is he opposing peace talks today?
Gao Guilan continued, "Uncle said that if the Qing Dynasty really pushes you too far, you should tell Huang Taiji that Uncle likes Huang Taiji's Consort Zhuang, Dayuer. As long as Huang Taiji agrees to give Dayuer to Uncle, peace talks will be easy to discuss."
"How dare you!" Haug stood up abruptly and shouted angrily, "Who are you? How dare you be so rude!"
Fan Wencheng quickly grabbed Hauge's arm and whispered, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. Don't act impulsively."
Hao Ge smiled bitterly. Although Consort Zhuang is not my biological mother, how can a son bear to hear his father send his mother to another man to play with in front of him?
Wu Sangui quickly stepped in front of Gao Guilan and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you disrespect our lady! Do you know who she is? She is the concubine of Wang Wenzhou, the Vice Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty, the heir of the Earl of Xinjian!"
"Hmm!" Gao Guilan nodded with a smile, completely baffled that Wu Sangui had deliberately revealed her identity to set a trap for Wang Wenzhou and make the Qing people hate him.
Hauge and Fan Wencheng exchanged a glance. No wonder this girl acted like a madwoman; she was Wang Wenzhou's woman!
Gao Guilan, that silly girl, didn't care who Hauge and Fan Wencheng were, and said in a carefree manner, "Kong Zhenyun, Uncle also said that you should hurry back to the Ming Dynasty if you have nothing to do. After Uncle returns to the Ming Dynasty, he will mobilize a large army to attack the Qing Dynasty. Once the war starts, you, as an envoy, may suffer."
After Gao Guilan finished speaking, she took out the jade pendant and waved it in front of Kong Zhenyun, saying, "See? Uncle said you'd know what to do once you saw the pendant. I'm leaving!"
Hauge and Fan Wencheng were immediately alarmed. Although the Ming Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles, the Qing Dynasty was even more beset by internal and external troubles. If the Ming Dynasty really mobilized all its resources to send troops to attack, the Qing Dynasty would probably be in imminent danger.
After Gao Guilan left, Kong Zhenyun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said, "Gentlemen, that girl just now was a madwoman. I don't know her. She was just talking nonsense, so don't take it seriously!"
"Lord Kong! Our Great Qing is willing to cease hostilities and establish a brotherhood with the Ming Dynasty!" Hauge could no longer sit still. Ignoring his prior consultation with Huang Taiji, he directly revealed the Qing Dynasty's trump card.