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Having children earns benefit, start competing for dominance in the world by marrying a wife-Chapter 603 - 354 Does the Prince Have a Hostage Candidate in Mind?_3
The Martial Emperor fell ill at this time, sending his councilors into a frenzy. The North Country's army was stationed in Youping County, poised to march south at any moment, and the emperor, the sovereign of the nation, ironically became an "absentee landlord."
Fortunately, the Martial Emperor eventually issued an imperial decree, instructing Prince Wu Ming to lead a diplomatic mission northward to sue for peace with the North Country.
When the imperial decree was announced, the officials aligned with Prince Lu Yi felt very pleased within. Seeking peace was hardly an enviable task.
On one hand, the Martial Emperor was known for his hardline stance; he had waged many wars in his life and had never sought peace with any power before. This was his first time doing so, which, for the Martial Emperor, was a humiliation and a stain on his reputation.
In the future, the Martial Emperor might see Prince Wu Ming and be reminded of this blot on his rule, and consequently harbor feelings of disgust toward the prince.
That was on one front, but there was also the fact that Great Wu had been defeated in the war with the North Country, which would surely make hefty demands. Concessions of territory and indemnity were a given; if Prince Wu Ming failed to handle negotiations well and increased Great Wu's losses as a result, he could say goodbye to any chance of being the Crown Prince.
After hearing that the Martial Emperor intended to send an envoy to the North Country, Wu Junwan tried every possible way to persuade the emperor to choose her for the mission. Despite all her efforts, the Martial Emperor completely ignored her, although Chai Jiliang mentioned it several times to him. Not only did the emperor not agree, but he also demoted Chai Jiliang.
The reaction of the Martial Emperor left Wu Junwan in utter despair; it seemed that her father had lost hope in her, and she would never be allowed to participate in politics again.
North Country.
Today, the weather was fair and the winds were gentle. Lu Chen took the rare opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea with his wives and concubines in the courtyard.
The first phase of the war had ended, and now it was time for peace talks.
Lu Chen sat on a stone bench, sipped some Dragon and Phoenix Tea, and then playfully teased the child in Chu Yuqin's arms.
At that moment, Dongfang Longyue, dressed in plain white clothes, entered the courtyard. She had been working at the newspaper office earlier that day. While writing, she suddenly thought of the peace talks between Great Wu and the North Country and hurried back to the Prince's Mansion to find Lu Chen, wishing to discuss what demands North Country would propose during the negotiations.
This is how political consultations work: when emissaries from one country are to visit another, both countries engage in maneuvering to gain the upper hand.
With Great Wu's emissaries coming to North Country, it was time for the latter to shape public opinion and release some conditions for the peace talks to mentally prepare Great Wu.
Dongfang Longyue held a notebook in her left hand and a pen in her right as she approached Lu Chen and asked, "Prince, since Great Wu will soon be negotiating peace with North Country, may I know what terms North Country plans to propose?"
Lu Chen replied, "That still needs to be discussed in the Hall of Political Affairs along with the officials, so nothing has been decided yet."
Although Lu Chen was a prince, such a matter of state still required the deliberation of the Small Court of North Country before any decisions could be made. Stay tuned to novelbuddy
Hearing Lu Chen's response, Dongfang Longyue quickly jotted something down in her notebook, then continued to inquire, "What are the Prince's thoughts on the matter? What do you think Great Wu should offer to North Country in reparation?"
Lu Chen thought for a moment and then said, "As for reparations, gold comes first, and then land."
"Of course, these two are just the basics. Additionally, I plan to demand that Great Wu open up more trading cities and that all trade between Great Wu and North Country from now on must be conducted with the currency that North Country is about to introduce."
Dongfang Longyue quickly took notes and, noticing that Lu Chen had stopped speaking, probed further, "Are there any other conditions?"
Lu Chen said, "To prevent Great Wu from seeking revenge against North Country in the future, Great Wu must send hostages to North Country."
At these words, Dongfang Longyue was taken aback, as were the women in the courtyard; none of them were fools. As soon as Lu Chen mentioned hostages, they thought of a certain person.
Without missing a beat, Dongfang Longyue asked directly, "Is the Prince going to decide who the hostage will be, or will Great Wu have a say in the matter?"
Lu Chen responded, "Since the individual is to serve as a hostage, they must indeed fulfill the role of a hostage. If we leave it to Great Wu to decide, they might send someone of no importance to North Country, which would render the notion of a hostage meaningless. Therefore, the hostage must be chosen by North Country."
Hearing Lu Chen's answer, the women in the courtyard became even more convinced of their suspicions.
Dongfang Longyue pressed on, "Does the Prince already have someone in mind for the hostage?"