Except for the two stubborn heads, others at the banquet were quite obedient.
On the second day of Qianqiu Festival, countries started discussing cooperation, and the real confrontations began.
The Southern Borderlands wanted to purchase batches of grain seeds, such as rice. They even wanted to purchase technology for double cropping rice cultivation.
Seeds could be sold. High-yielding grain types were almost popularized across the country. Even if the Da Xia Imperial Court didn't sell, they could still get from folk, though more difficult. Rather than that, generously selling could gain good impression.
As for double cropping rice cultivation techniques, Jiang Wenyuan directly rejected with the reason still in trial and immature technology.
Whether the Southern Borderlands people could figure out themselves after returning depended on their own capabilities.
Apart from seeds, the Southern Borderlands produced abundant jade and medicinal herbs. Da Xia also had salt and other goods that they urgently needed. The two sides were mutually beneficial.
The Xian Country wanted to open border trade between the two sides. The Da Xia emperor and his ministers had discussed. The Xian Country had been compliant in the north over the years. It could be opened.
This was good for both. Silk, porcelain, tea and other Da Xia goods could be imported into Xian Country. Cattle, sheep and related products of Xian Country like leather and wool, especially warhorses could be imported into Da Xia.
Da Xia had few grasslands and quality horses within its boundaries.
In most of the wars with Xiongnu before black powder appeared, Da Xia had often been in the disadvantaged position of being passive defenders, more defeats than victories.
After all, infantry, regardless of how powerful, could not overcome cavalry with superior speed.
As for the East Woman Country, the relationship with Da Xia had been alright before. Giving them some grain types should not have been a big deal. Unfortunately, their princess did not recognize her behavior, offending people she should not have, and a few words made the emperor change his mind.
They wanted grain types? Alright, pay to buy them, and the price would be twice that of other countries.
The East Woman Country female officials heard the news and their faces turned black yet they could do nothing. Whose fault was it that she offended others?
Tubo was located on the plateau, with climate even worse than Su Prefecture in Da Xia. Domestic livelihood was mostly nomadic, also some cultivation of qingke millet. The people's temperament was fierce.
The two generations of Zhambu had intentions of friendship with Da Xia. Many years ago, they specially sent envoys to Da Xia to ask for marriage ties, wanting permanent friendship between the two states.
After much consideration, Emperor Xia Jing then married the princess to the current king of Tubo. Therefore, Emperor Xia Jing was the Tubo king's father-in-law.
So the two states were related by marriage, and hence the emperor gifted them corn and potato seeds. Whether they could survive depended on themselves, nothing the emperor concerned.
Emperor Xia Jing, thinking of his daughter not seen for many years, felt somewhat remorseful, and separately gave more gifts for them to bring back to the princess. It was some of his sentiment as her father emperor.
As for Liju in the northeast...
They had been waiting for the rewards of the Da Xia emperor, but waited left and waited right yet got nothing.
After more than ten days, unable to endure anymore, they sideways asked the officials of the Ministry of Rituals. Meaning, other countries had gotten rewards and left, but why we till now have received nothing?
Those officials looked at them with expressions as if something was wrong with them, and meaningfully said "Who did you say? The Southern Borderlands and East Woman Country bought grain seeds with their own money.
Tubo were marriage relatives of Da Xia. It's not excessive for father-in-law to gift son-in-law and daughter." And more righteously, he said "Who told you that coming here means you must get rewards?
Da Xia is in financial constraints now and needs money everywhere, belts must be tightened. Where is spare money to assist others!"
These words were like a slap across the face of the Liju envoys, fiercely painful. They immediately left in anger.
In fact, this was Jiang Wenyuan reminded his father. He said, "Dad, today on the street I saw Liju envoys entering the city. Apart from some boxes of not large size on the lead wagon, the long line of carriages were completely empty. Were they coming to shop?"
These words indeed frightened Jiang Wenyuan. He hurriedly checked the records. Unknown before, fearful after checking. In the past hundred years after Da Xia's founding, Liju had overall thirty-seven records of tributary visits.
Each visit, they brought some worthless small ginseng, or a few small pearls. Most valuable was once a half foot coral.
Each departure, they brought many carriages of rewards. Countless gold, silver, jewels and Da Xia specialties.
My god, that was tribute envoys? This was more like country cousins coming to the city to beg!
Thinking of the empty carriages seen by his daughter, Jiang Wenyuan was so anxious he immediately carried these records and took them into the imperial palace.
Worrying the emperor's mind would loosen and vast rewards would flow out.
The current national treasury was only relatively more abundant. The vast nation needed money everywhere. Even funding requests by the Ministry of War to build treasure ships at Fuzhou against Japanese pirates had not fallen into place.
Rather than spending money to feed these wolves, using it to build two more treasure ships was the proper thing to do!
Seeing the records, the emperor also felt hurt all over, especially losing face.
These little rapists really treated Da Xia like a fool.
Reward? Reward your *! Get lost where you came from!
So Liju envoys unprecedentedly left, dragging the long line of empty carriages, all the way murmuring resentfully.
Huyan Xuri Gan never dared worship at the memorial. Instead, whenever Xiongnu envoys passed, he would hastily lower his head to avoid it.
That memorial emitted too strong a pressure, giving them an inexplicable discomfort.
On the 15th day, when they left the palace, they were seen by Jiang Yuqing who happened to be going there to worship. She coldly laughed and blocked their path, saying "Do you know what lies under this memorial?
The Xiongnu envoys were silent.
Her voice squeezed out between teeth. "Grave soil. I personally took back from the graves of those who died at Yumen Pass, 118,861 in total. And that was only part of them!
Every drop of blood debt, the Da Xia people will remember forever and never forgive. So don't bother with any more useless effort! Da Xia will not sell a single grain to you!"
She paused and stared at the two Xiongnu brothers with the ice cold gaze of looking at the dead. "You should feel fortunate for not being at that battlefield.
Otherwise, your heads would be dried under Da Xia's city wall like Agula Habateer's!"
"So you did kill them and the other five thousand warriors?" Xuri Gan's face paled somewhat.
Jiang Yuqing did not directly reply, but her attitude explained everything.
"So leave Da Xia's land quickly! And far away! No more fantasy of using schemes and plots."
She suddenly wickedly stared at Xuri Gan, using her hand to point to his head. "Otherwise, I'll have you die even more miserably than Agula!"
Xuri Gan shuddered, thinking of something with cold sweat dripping. Shivering, he asked "What did you do to my head?"
Jiang Yuqing shrugged with hands out. "Nothing much, just planted a little seed where you cannot see! Not even known by my master! You know, I have some unknown abilities."
As she spoke, she lightly waved her right hand, and Xuri Gan immediately felt something drilling in his head.
The discomfort made his stomach churn, instantly vomiting on the spot. His followers panicked.
"Seed!" Xuri Gan's face was deathly pale, gnashing his teeth in hatred. "You sinister!"
Jiang Yuqing looked up at the memorial, her heart filled with endless hatred. "When you lifted blades to slaughter our Da Xia people, treating them like sheep, did you ever consider mercy?"
Xuri Gan felt his head would explode, as if something wanted to drill out. It hurt so much his body was trembling.
Seeing his elder brother hurt like this, Abalu was enraged and swung at Jiang Yuqing's head. But she directly kicked him back several feet.
The Xiongnu envoys were all shocked. Such a small person yet able to kick the 300-pound Abalu back. How big was her strength?
Xuri enduring the violent headache, relying on his subordinate's arm to stand up, asked Jiang Yuqing in cold sweat: "What exactly do you want?"
Jiang Yuqing sneered: "2000 war horses, 500 miles of grassland, to buy your life!"
"Impossible!" Xuri angrily refused.
"Whatever you want!" Jiang Yuqing looked indifferent "Agula is dead, and there is still Lakeshen. His mother is the concubine.
If you die, do you think it will be up to that pus bag Abalu and your son whose beard has not even fully grown to fight against him?"
By then the entire grassland will be his. Who knows, maybe to thank me for eliminating you as his opponent, he might directly give me these things as gifts. One can never know for sure."
This undoubtedly touched Xuri's fatal weakness.
One of his confidants advised him: "Regent Khan, agree to it.
What she said makes sense. If something unfortunate were to happen to you, Lakeshen would definitely not let us off easy. By then everything we have would be reduced to nothing.
There is a saying in China, as long as the green hills last, there will always be wood to burn."
Xuri also clearly understood the stakes involved. After weighing the pros and cons, he eventually compromised: "Fine! I agree to your conditions! When will you remove what's in my head?"
Jiang Yuqing said; "Only I can activate this thing. As long as you behave yourself, you will naturally remain safe and sound. But if..."
She drew a few circles in the air with her hand, looking sinister as if she came out of hell itself: "Even if we were thousands of miles apart.
As long as I move my thoughts ever so slightly, it will instantly penetrate your skull, drain all the blood and flesh from your body, and turn you into a dried corpse not even worthy of a soul.
So do not even think of trying anything sneaky again. You cannot beat me."
At this point even Xuri's soul was shivering in fear. Weakly he said "Since I have agreed to your conditions, you must fulfill your side as well!"
"Of course!" Saying so, Jiang Yuqing immediately crooked her finger, withdrawing the Wood Spirit's Breath.
The intense pain that wracked Xuri's body immediately dissipated without a trace. If not for his clothes that were still soaked in cold sweat, he would have thought nothing had happened at all.
And for this reason he feared her even more now, as he truly believed her capable of doing what she claimed.
Having regained his freedom, Xuri fled in embarrassment with his men.
Watching the pathetic escape of the Xiongnu people, Jiang Yuqing walked up the steps and gently placed the bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone.
Gently caressing the surface of the tombstone, she softly said: "Comrades, don't you think they look like dogs that have lost their homes?"
