Moma Liangshan

Chapter 198 Peace Negotiations, Military Tally

Princess Shu's feelings for Wang Hao were complex, a mixture of expectation and admiration, as well as disappointment and wariness. She admired Wang Hao's ability to rise from humble beginnings and hoped that one day he would understand her feelings and turn the tide for the Khitan. However, her affections were unrequited; Wang Hao remained unmoved throughout. Whether it was the title of Duke of Bohai or the official position of Governor of Dongjing, he remained aloof, seemingly only seeking to use the remaining strength of the Liao Dynasty to develop and strengthen himself.

Princess Shu was acutely aware of the situation in the Liao Kingdom. Although the four capitals still existed, the loss of most of the territory not only greatly increased the strength of the Jurchens, leading them to shift from defense to offense, but also intensified the conflicts among the Liao nobles, even escalating to the point of armed conflict. Emperor Tianzuo, who reigned for twenty years, was stubborn and nepotistic, yet also decisive and ruthless. The political fortress he had built over twenty years proved remarkably vulnerable in the face of internal and external troubles. When the emperor personally led an army of 700,000 northwards, Yelü Zhangnu disregarded the overall situation and seized the opportunity to launch a coup in Shangjing, resulting in the annihilation of a tenth of the 700,000-strong army and causing the Khitans to completely lose the strategic initiative. Without this rebellion, Emperor Tianzuo might not have returned victorious, but at least he wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat. The annihilation of the 700,000-strong army further fueled the rebellion of Gao Yongchang in Liaoyang Prefecture, adding insult to injury to the already precarious Liao court. This led to the later event of the Shu princess leading her army eastward to take charge of the Tokyo Circuit.

Because the current situation is extremely unfavorable for the Liao Kingdom, without the intervention of external forces, it can only retreat step by step under the relentless pressure of the Jurchens. Therefore, in the eyes of the Shu Kingdom princess, it is better for Wang Hao to be either a breaker or a disruptor than just an observer.

Wang Hao understood the Shu princess's intentions and said, "I am not a cold-blooded person. I will repay your father's generosity!" The Shu princess and Wang Hao were, after all, only partners, and she couldn't be too sentimental. She said, "Thank you for keeping your promise and bringing your fleet!" Wang Hao smiled and said, "I will do what I promised you!" The Shu princess closed her eyes in thought, and after a long while, said, "To be honest, if you hadn't reopened the connection between me and the capital, these ten thousand palace troops might have mutinied!" Wang Hao showed no surprise and said, "If my own family were facing the enemy's blade, I would do everything in my power to return home!" The Shu princess deeply... Sighing, she said, "So I don't blame anyone!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "After returning to Shangjing, they will remember your kindness!" The Princess of Shu said, "I hope these ten thousand men can alleviate Father's current pressure!" Wang Hao hesitated for a moment, then reminded her again, "The fall of Shangjing is only a matter of time. I hope your father can make a decision soon!" The Princess of Shu said, "Shangjing can be abandoned, but the army in Shangjing and the families of those soldiers must be taken away, otherwise Father will be in danger of losing power!" Wang Hao said, "If your father can not be concerned with short-term gains, this matter will not be difficult!" The Princess of Shu asked eagerly, "What is the solution?" Wang Hao said, "Negotiation!"

The Shu princess was incredibly surprised and asked, "Do you know what peace talks mean?" Wang Hao replied, "What does the princess think peace talks mean?" The Shu princess answered, "Peace talks mean admitting defeat!" Wang Hao said, "You've already lost, and you've lost at least 700,000 troops!" The Shu princess felt immense humiliation and shouted, "How dare you!" Wang Hao did not back down and said, "Peace talks are to buy you a chance to breathe; otherwise, you and your father have no chance of turning the tide!" The Shu princess, her face flushed with anger, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath, said after a long while, "Peace talks cannot be conducted by my father!" Wang Hao had already prepared his answer and said, "I will go with you!" The Shu princess looked at Wang Hao with complicated emotions and said, "You will come with me to negotiate peace with the Jurchens?" Wang Hao said, "No one is more suitable than you and me!" The Shu princess asked, "Will the Jurchens agree to peace talks?" Wang Hao said, "They should!" The Shu princess asked, "Why?" Wang Hao said, "The Jurchens initially rose up because they could not bear your oppression. Now the Jurchens have tasted the sweetness of victory. If you can take the initiative to negotiate peace and agree to the Jurchens' demand for independence, the Jurchens will have no reason to continue fighting to the death. After all, you still have hundreds of thousands of troops and half of your country!" The Shu princess did not expect Wang Hao to offer the condition of "Jurchens establishing an independent state," and said, "My father will not agree to the Jurchens' demand for independence!" Wang Hao did not think so, and said, "Cruel reality will make people realize their past naiveté, and your father is no exception!"

After pondering for a long time, the princess of Shu asked, "What will happen after the ceasefire?" Wang Hao replied, "With just two years, I can help your father train another 50,000 elite troops!" The princess suddenly understood Wang Hao's plan and said, "The iron of Pingzhou, the coal of Luanzhou, and the gold and silver of the Liao Kingdom's treasury can be exchanged for the armor and weapons of Jiaozhou, is that alright?" Suddenly seen through, Wang Hao felt deeply embarrassed and awkwardly said, "Your Highness can understand it that way too!" The princess hesitated for a long time before finally taking a token from her waist and saying, "This is a military tally that allows you to recruit 5,000 soldiers within the Liao Kingdom!" Wang Hao accepted the military tally. He held the tally in his hand for a moment, then said, "Thank you for your trust!" The princess of Shu suddenly smiled and said, "I never thought you'd thank me!" Wang Hao said, "In times of chaos, military power is even more precious!" The princess of Shu said, "I have many more military tallies like this here!" Seeing Wang Hao's surprised expression, the princess of Shu continued, "This military tally may be priceless to you, but it's worthless to others!" Wang Hao was puzzled at first, then understood, "This military tally is just an empty promise; not a single soldier can be mobilized. As for recruiting and training soldiers in the future, it's all up to Wang Hao to raise the funds himself!"

After a three-day stay at Lushun Port, five thousand Liao soldiers boarded twenty ships and set sail for Dagu. However, for these Khitan soldiers who were unfamiliar with water, life at sea was not easy. Just an hour after setting sail, seasickness began to occur one after another. When the Shu princess received the news, she immediately sought out Wang Hao to inquire about the cause. Wang Hao replied, "It varies from person to person; it's perfectly normal." The Shu princess asked, "Why have I never experienced seasickness?" Wang Hao said, "Less than ten percent of the soldiers suffer from seasickness!"

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