Li Shimin met with the Turkic envoys and read the letter of Jieli Khan, but did not accept the request of the Turks to pay tribute and make peace. The reason seems obvious, although the sincerity brought by the Turkic mission was robbed by accident, but the final result was that the Tang Dynasty did not see the sincerity of the Turks. I want to be a minister, but I don't pay tribute, I want to ask for peace, but I don't have a dowry, and I still receive them in this way, which is already out of the righteousness of allies, but there is no possibility of agreeing - Yang Datang, if you can agree to this, it is simply humiliating.

However, Li Shimin did not completely refuse to die, but knew that the Turks' things had been robbed, and asked them to go back and prepare their things again, and then discuss these things.

The civil and military officials in the court unanimously agreed that the emperor's move had already reflected the Tang Dynasty's sufficient morality and generosity.

And the Turkic envoys did not seem to be surprised by this.

There are quite some gossips in Chang'an City, saying that the Turks are just trying to confuse the Tang Dynasty when they ask for peace and affinity, and maybe it is the Turks themselves who snatched those things!

Although these rumors will not be taken seriously, they will always have some impact. Coupled with the previous actions of the Turks, as well as Xia Hongsheng's efforts in the newspapers for a short period of time, the anti-Turkic sentiment in all strata of Datang society is now very serious, so the arrival of the Turkic mission is not very welcome. For this reason, Jin Wuwei had to send a small team of men outside the Sifang Pavilion to prevent the residents of Chang'an City from going to the Turkic mission to make trouble.

Because of this, the civil and military officials of the DPRK and China were afraid of the Turkic mission, and only Xia Hongsheng would accept Ashina Mujin's invitation. Sitting down to eat together.

"Since I went back to Xiahou to catch the wind for the inferior people. It's been more than half a month. It's time for the next gift. Ashina Mujin sat opposite Xia Hongsheng. said with a smile to Xia Hongsheng. As he spoke, he filled the cup in front of Xia Hongsheng with wine.

"It's easy to say, Ben Hou is really ashamed of the Lord in his heart for you to take the wind and wash the dust, but today he is ashamed to be spoiled by the Lord for making the Lord spend money." Xia Hongsheng shook his head, then picked up the wine cup in front of him and said, "This glass." Just make amends for your sins, and do it first as a respect! ”

After drinking it in one gulp, I felt that the hot and spicy alcohol taste burned down my throat and burned straight into my stomach, and I thought that this guy was going to get drunk today, so he ordered a kind of liquor with the highest degree.

"Good! Xiahou deserves to be a heroic boy! Ashina Mujin also picked up a cup: "Dry!" ”

After drinking, someone next to him immediately filled it again. Ashina Mujin smiled: "Now, I'm afraid that only Xiahou dares to drink with me." As everyone knows, the courtiers and princes in Chang'an City avoid me as if they were avoiding trouble, and when they see me, they spin away, but Xiahou can sit down and drink face to face with me. This magnanimity and open-mindedness are much higher. ”

Xia Hongsheng smiled: "What did the Lord Envoy say?" How did the courtiers avoid the lord? It's just that I'm busy with things and have no time. Ben Hou was dismissed from his post for a long time, but he ended up being idle and free, which is not a bad thing, so that he can accompany the lord to make the adults have a drink. ”

"Xiahou is really a sharp mouth." Ashina Mujin said with a smile: "I heard that with Xiahou's mouth, Xue Yantuoyong is a vassal of the Tang Dynasty, with 20,000 cattle, 20,000 sheep, 20,000 mink skins, 5,000 grassland horses, 1,000 horse breeders, and countless gold and jewelry. Xiahou is really a strange man! ”

"I don't have any real skills, it's just talking on paper. Glory and wealth, just point to this mouth. Xia Hongsheng didn't deny it, and said with a smile: "If it weren't for this mouth, he would be able to make some small profits for the Tang Dynasty, where would Ben Hou have the opportunity to drink with the Lord Envoy now?" ”

"That's right." Ashina Mujin raised his glass and invited: "And for Xiahou's sharp mouth, you and I can sit here, raise a glass and drink together, and have a drink." ”

The two of them raised their glasses and drank them all.

"Xiahou's sharp mouth is rarely matched by people in the world, and we naturally understand this. It's just ......" Ashina Mujin raised his glass and toasted with Xia Hongsheng, and then said: "It's just that the point of making Datang profit is a little shallow below. ”

"Oh?" Xia Hongsheng filled Ashina Mujin with wine: "Lord Envoy, come and listen?" ”

"Xue Yantuo, a repeated traitor, is no less than the three family slaves in the Three Kingdoms written by Xiahou." Ashina Mujin said: "Earlier, the Turks were very prosperous, and Xue Yantuo was originally a part of Tiele and submitted to the Turks. After the civil strife, the Turks were divided into two parts, our department was attached to the Central Plains, and Xue Yantuo was attached to the Khan of Sheku, and we and the Central Plains country were repeatedly enemies. Later, even during the time of Luo Khan, Xue Yantuo rebelled against Luo and joined our department. Now, he has betrayed our Turks and wants to establish a country for himself. Why not a house slave with three surnames? Such an unrighteous person, such an unrighteous country, how can he really put Datang in his eyes? Xue Yantuo was able to agree to these conditions, but he was in a hurry to seek the protection of the Tang Dynasty and avoid being put down by our troops. It won't be long before they get a foothold, and where will they abide by these conditions. So I said that Datang seemed to have gained some benefits in front of him, but he allowed Xue Yantuo to buy weapons from Datang, but he was raising tigers. ”

"Ben Hou naturally knows this." Xia Hongsheng laughed and said, "Even if Datang rejects Xue Yantuo now, won't it still be the same result in the end?" Since the final result is the same, then Datang still has some immediate benefits, isn't it? -- The Lord can guess a little bit about the mind of the lord, and it is better to say what is going on! ”

"Hehe, Xiahou can see it clearly." Ashina Mujin said: "Even so, there is no hiding in the future. Xue Yantuo paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty with 20,000 cattle, 20,000 sheep, 20,000 mink skins, 5,000 grassland horses, 1,000 horse breeders, and countless gold jewels. I Turks can also do this, even more than Xue Yantuo. The only thing that is needed is the permission to purchase weapons from Datang. ”

And so it was.

Xia Hongsheng smiled secretly in his heart.

His face was impassive, and he said: "This, I am afraid that the main envoy will go to ask His Majesty, and after getting His Majesty's approval, he will negotiate the price with the lords of Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Works." Ben Hou has no real position now, only a knighthood left, but he has no strength to speak! ”

The Turkic envoy was about to speak again, but when he saw Xia Hongsheng, he suddenly laughed, and said: "The chief envoy can try to ask Your Majesty to see that Xue Yantuo is newly attached, and Your Majesty has specially allowed him to purchase Tang weapons to show his grace." The Turks have been allies of the Tang Dynasty for many years, and they are much closer than Xue Yantuo, since Xue Yantuo can buy them, there is no reason why the Turks can't, don't you say? ”

Ashina Mujin's eyes froze, staring at Xia Hongsheng. (To be continued.) )