Chapter 352: Peace Talks
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Qin Xiaoyao followed the team to the negotiation table, but she simply watched the entire process as a bystander.
She watched as the officials of the Great Jin State clashed with the envoys of the Great Liao State.
In the end, not surprisingly, her husband’s performance was the most outstanding. Many of the points he raised were accepted by the Liao State’s envoy.
The two sides talked for nearly an hour, and the negotiations finally hit a roadblock on a point.
That was the issue of exchanging captives between the Jin State and the Liao State.
In fact, according to the previous practice of both sides, one soldier could be exchanged for three civilians.
However, this time, the number of Liao soldiers captured was too large.
Although both sides had already exchanged some captives, there were still a large number of captives in Prince Huaiyin’s hands.
As for these captives, the Liao State no longer had any captured civilians from the Jin State to exchange for them.
If they were to use silver to exchange for them, it would be at least ten silver taels per person. The Liao State felt that this expenditure was too big.
Now, the two sides were negotiating the ransom sum.
“In this peace talk, our Liao State has already agreed to compensate your Jin State with 100,000 taels of silver. Now, the ransom for the captives is still so high. Isn’t this bullying?” The top-ranking envoy of the Liao State said angrily.
These words made the officials of the Jin State laugh.
Bullying?
In the past, when the Jin State and the Liao State were negotiating, didn’t they suffer a lot from the latter’s bullying?
Moreover, ten taels of silver per soldier was the price that the Liao State had set for them.
Every time after a great battle between the two states, the amount of money that the Jin State had to spend to redeem the captives reached unimaginable figures.
Now, it was time to make the Liao State bleed.
So how could the other party accuse them of being bullies?
“If Your Highness thinks it’s expensive, your state can choose not to redeem them,” Prince Huaiyin replied to the Seventh Prince.
“In any case, our Great Jin State is also very short of manpower.
“Although the soldiers of the Liao State cannot become citizens of our Great Jin State, they can still become slaves.
“It’s good to send them to excavate ore mines or simply sell them as laborers. I can still recoup my losses,” Prince Huaiyin said with a smile.
Emperor Father and Empress Jia had already agreed to give him the remaining money from the exchange of Liao soldier captives to use as military expenses.
Did the Liao State really believe that they could cut down his military expenses?
“You…” The Seventh Prince of the Liao State was furious, but he could only utter one word.
Prince Huaiyin was still looking at him with a beaming smile, totally unperturbed.
Qin Xiaoyao found it somewhat comical when she saw this.
Then, she looked at the Seventh Prince of the Liao State.
The Seventh Prince also returned Qin Xiaoyao’s gaze.
His glare was very hostile.
The reason their Great Liao State had failed in their invasion of the Jin State was all because of this woman!
Moreover, this woman killed their Supreme Commander and completely destroyed the morale of their Liao warriors.
How despicable!
Qin Xiaoyao was not afraid. Instead, she smiled even more brightly, just like Prince Huaiyin.
“Alright. I agree with your conditions. However, 1 also have one condition,” the Seventh Prince of the Liao State suddenly said.
The officials of the Jin State perked up instantly.
“What condition?” Prince Huaiyin asked.
“Her…” The Seventh Prince of the Liao State pointed at Qin Xiaoyao.
Prince Huaiyin frowned.
“I want to have a match with Marquis Xiaoyao.”
As soon as he said this, all the officials of the Jin State burst into laughter.
Prince of Huaiyin, who was somewhat worried initially, also smiled.
“Your Highness, are you sure?” He asked the Seventh Prince in a light-hearted mood.
Was there something wrong with this guy? He actually took the defeat so hard that he wanted to compete with their “Great Jin State’s God of Massacre?”
When the Seventh Prince saw their reaction, he looked at Qin Xiaoyao haughtily.
“General Qin, do you dare to accept my challenge?” he said arrogantly.
Qin Xiaoyao glanced at the Seventh Prince.
Then, she asked, “Compete in what?
“If it’s a martial arts competition, I accept. But if it’s a competition to show off one’s literary skills, then I do not dare to accept your challenge,” she said with a smile.
“Hahahaha…” When the officials of the Jin State heard this, they all guffawed.
At the same time, they felt a little more admiration for their Marquis.
When the Seventh Prince of the Liao State issued a challenge, they had assumed by default that it would be a martial arts fight.
However, Lord Marquis was so meticulous that she even inquired about the nature of the competition before agreeing.
They had no doubt that Lord Marquis’s martial arts skills were unparalleled in the world, but they had no confidence in Lord Marquis’s literary talent.
The Seventh Prince of the Liao State was so angry that his face turned red and ashen-white alternately.
“Of course, it’s a martial arts competition.”
“If I lose, I will agree with the Jin State’s condition to redeem our Liao soldiers at the price of ten taels of silver per soldier.”
Prince Huaiyin’s eyes lit up.
Thereafter, he said, “Alright. If Marquis Xiaoyao loses, 1 promise Your
Highness to lower the ransom to eight taels of silver per person.”
The expression on the face of the Liao State’s Seventh Prince finally relaxed.
“Deal!” He looked at Prince Huaiyin and Qin Xiaoyao with a burning gaze.
Qin Xiaoyao and Prince Huaiyin looked at each other and felt like laughing.
“Let’s start then.” Immediately, Qin Xiaoyao stood up.
“Hmph!” The Seventh Prince of the Liao State glared at Qin Xiaoyao and left first.
Qin Xiaoyao felt like laughing again.
After exchanging a glance with Prince Huaiyin, she led everyone and followed the Seventh Prince out.
After leaving the hall of the Ministry of Rites, everyone arrived at a wide, open space.
The Liao State’s Seventh Prince took the lead and walked to the center of the open space. He pulled out the Liao-style saber on his body and turned around to point it at Qin Xiaoyao.
“Come on,” he said with a vicious expression.
Qin Xiaoyao raised her eyebrows slightly and prepared to step forward.
However, she was stopped by Prince Huaiyin.
“Be careful. This Seventh Prince of the Liao State is considered a first-class expert in the Liao State. Moreover, he has a close relationship with the Xiao family.”
Although the Seventh Prince was not the son of Empress Dowager Xiao, he was raised by Empress Dowager Xiao.
The Xiao family had been bullied so badly by Teacher Qin. It was no wonder that he would make things difficult for Teacher Qin.
However, no matter how talented the other party was, Prince Huaiyin did not think that the other party was a match for Teacher Qin.
Nonetheless, he still had to warn Teacher Qin up front.
Qin Xiaoyao nodded at Prince Huaiyin before walking toward the Seventh Prince of the Liao State.
The Seventh Prince of the Liao State frowned when he saw this.
“You are not going to use a weapon?” he asked.
Qin Xiaoyao’s gaze swept over the Liao-style saber in the other party’s hand.
Then, she took out a tri-dagger from her boot.
“I’ll use this,” she said.
When he saw the tri-dagger and recalled some of the things he had heard, the Seventh Prince of the Liao State narrowed his eyes.
Following that, he raised his Liao-style saber and charged at Qin Xiaoyao.
Qin Xiaoyao did not move at all.
It was only when the Liao-style saber was above her face that she quickly raised her tri-dagger to block.
The Liao State’s Seventh Prince, who came charging menacingly, was gritting his teeth but he was unable to slash the Liao-style saber down on Qin Xiaoyao.
Qin Xiaoyao, on the other hand, dealt with the strike easily, as if she was just playing a game with the other party.
At this moment, the others did not know the situation, but the Liao State’s Seventh Prince knew very well.
He had deployed 100% of his strength in this slash. If it was in the past, even a huge boulder would have been chopped in two by him.
In the past, when he went all out like this, the enemy’s head would have been split in half by him.
However, this person in front of him had actually blocked his killing move so easily. Her hand did not even jolt from the impact.
The opponent’s weapon was not simple. More importantly, her strength was simply terrifying.
When she saw the disbelief on the Seventh Prince’s face, Qin Xiaoyao smiled leisurely..