Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors-Chapter 477 - 261: Stirring Up a Major Prison Incident!_2

"But for the Jin people, they were utterly submissive.

"The Jin envoys dared to scold the emperor and all the officials in the great hall, and Emperor Gaozong of Qi could do nothing but nod in agreement, not daring to make a sound. Meanwhile, a renowned general who had been fighting against the Jin was resting at an inn, yet someone from the palace demanded he vacate his room for the Jin envoys. When he moved to his assigned place, he found the courtyard filled with animal dung and garbage, which enraged him so much that he spat blood and died on the spot.

"Why such a difference? Nothing but bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

"To those generals whom they could easily manipulate, they continued to take liberties, but with the Jin people they did not dare provoke, they were extremely cautious and fearful.

"And now, I have also become one of those whom they dare not provoke!"

Clearly, Zhao Haiping’s great victory had completely changed the court’s attitude toward him.

Before, he was a traitor, utterly unforgivable. If the Jin had won, he would have been implicated along with his entire family by Qi for the crime of rebellion and branded a rebel, never to rise again.

But now, the Jin’s great army had been defeated, and the troops of Qi that had gone to attack them even revolted.

Zhao Haiping, despite his firm stance, had also shown an attitude of being still open to negotiation and that there was still room for rectification.

This made the Qi court, which was already in panic, immediately become submissive.

General Deng Yuanjing asked, "So what do you plan to do next?"

Zhao Haiping tossed the imperial edict aside, "Simple, they do their thing, and I’ll do mine!

"After this great battle, Qi and the Jin will still have to negotiate peace.

"But their negotiation has nothing to do with me anymore.

"I’ll continue to recover the Northern Land, which may not go smoothly and will encounter many difficulties, but it is absolutely imperative.

"In between the two states of Qi and Jin, I will find a space for the suffering people of the Northern Land to survive!"

...

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Celebrations are in order!

"The peace negotiations have succeeded!"

Qin Huizhi presented the peace treaty to Emperor Gaozong of Qi.

A look of joy appeared on the face of Emperor Gaozong as he reached out to take the treaty.

Previously, Emperor Gaozong had sent scholars from Duanming Hall and others to submit an oath tablet to the Jin, with the following content:

"Our statement is this: Now that we have come to draw borders, let us agree to use the midstream of the Huai River as the boundary, with Tangzhou and Dengzhou State ceded to the superior state. Having received such grace, we pledge to guard our borderlands. Generations of descendants shall maintain obedient servitude. Each year, on the emperor’s birthday and New Year’s Day, envoys will be sent to pay respects without fail. Yearly tributes of silver and silk totaling 250,000 taels and bolts will be paid, starting from the year of Renxu, to be delivered to Sizhou every spring. Should this oath be violated, may the divine punish and annihilate my lineage, bringing downfall upon our state. Now that I have presented this oath tablet, we implore the superior state to quickly issue a similar oath edict, so that our state may secure everlasting assurance."

And by now, the Jin’s response had arrived as well.

"The emperor says: Heaven has inflicted disaster upon your country, hasting the destruction of the Qi alliance and bringing it upon yourselves, resulting in you being exiled beyond the river. Our troops have grown weary from their continuous campaigning, which has been ongoing for eighteen years. We are shocked and mournful, for what crimes have these people committed? Now Heaven has to regret the misfortune, and you have been lured into repentance, humbly submitting your requests and pleading to be listed among our vassal states. Now dispatching the Guanglu Doctor and Left Envoy, both bearing imperial tokens, to bestow upon you the title of emperor and the state name of Qi. You shall serve in a subordinate role for generations, forever acting as our shield and protection. Oh, heed our command with reverence!"

Both sides’ terms are not difficult to understand.

Emperor Gaozong of Qi presented himself as a groveling, submissive servant, proclaiming his subservience, and agreed to set the Huai River as the boundary, ceding Tangzhou and Dengzhou to the Jin. All the previously lost and recovered northern territories were also given up without a fight. He also vowed to "subserviently guard our duties through generations of descendants," pledging yearly tribute of silver and silk totaling 250,000 taels and bolts.

Moreover, he swore an oath, outlining the consequences should he betray the alliance.

In contrast, the Jin took a condescending tone, scolding Qi harshly. First, they accused Qi of losing the Mandate of Heaven and of breaking their alliance with Jin, which led to the war between the two nations. Now, because you have acknowledged your mistake, we forgive you and allow you to continue as a vassal, as long as you obey!

Not a single word on the document spared Emperor Gaozong of Qi his dignity.

But he still looked over it again and again, pleased beyond measure.

No matter what, it was still a peace treaty!

There would be no more wars, no more worries about his position being unstable. From this day on, he could sleep soundly without the terror of exhaustive searches and inspections!

However, after reading it twice, Emperor Gaozong’s joy gradually faded.

Qin Huizhi asked, "Why does Your Majesty seem unhappy?"

Emperor Gaozong seemed to come to his senses, "Before, Wanyan Sheng insisted that General Han Fuyue had to be killed for peace talks to proceed. Yet now, haven’t the Jin still negotiated peace with our state?

"If I had really killed General Han Fuyue... would it not have been a gratuitous gift to the Jin!"

Even the simplest person should understand now.

The Jin’s demands were nothing but exorbitant initial offers!

Now that General Han Fuyue could not be killed, with Wanyan Sheng defeated and retreating, the subsequent peace negotiations did not bring up the condition of killing General Han Fuyue anymore, because there was no one left who could do it!

And with the Jin rear in chaos, Wanyan Sheng had to regroup his scattered and defeated troops to quell the rebellion, so after some wrangling, the peace treaty was settled on largely the same terms as before.

It was then that Emperor Gaozong had a dawning realization that perhaps, General Han Fuyue did not need to die.

Qin Huizhi’s expression turned cold, and his eyes shifted.

Clearly, it was time for him to say something.

Although it was the Jin who proposed killing General Han Fuyue, he himself had been fervently encouraging and pushing for it.

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