Zhu Zan no longer stomped about, instead he picked up the letter and his beard off the ground, cursing under his breath.
"What's happened?" the man from earlier came over and asked.
"Huang Cheng, that damn old fool, convinced the emperor to agree to negotiations," Zhu Zan said with a cold laugh.
The man looked surprised.
"Is he out of his mind?" he asked.
Zhu Zan sat back down on the rock.
"Opening a market, ceding six counties, while we are not yet defeated, anyone who suggests this must be mad," he said, "It's ridiculous how many madmen there are in the world."
The man patted Zhu Zan on the shoulder.
"Those people far away in the dynasty, they fear war too much. Their way to handle fear is to stop the war, but they don't realize that it's not through non-fighting but through fighting," he said.
Zhu Zan sneered.
"It's not that they don't know, it's just that it doesn't concern them," he said, "To some people, what does losing land and sacrificing the people matter, as long as they remain wealthy and powerful."
Issues of the dynasty were too lofty, the man felt he couldn't judge or influence them.
"What do we do now?" he asked, suggesting they do what they could influence.
Zhu Zan looked at the letter for a moment.
"Negotiate," he said, "Surely many in the court disagree, the people of the northern lands disagree, the generals of the northern lands won't agree."
He stood up with his beard in place.
"We also disagree."
Having said this, he strode forward.
The man greeted people around, and many followed him heading swiftly northward.
..................…
"This is both absurd and ridiculous."
The night was deep, but Ning Yan's study was still brightly lit.
"What military insufficiency, what national distress."
Ning Yan looked more haggard than before, still in his official robe, sitting at the desk with an angry expression.
"They blame the depletion of the Great Zhou National Treasury on Duke of Chengguo's military expenses, which is complete nonsense."
"If the treasury is depleted, they should ask Huang Cheng, he manages the treasury, where has all the money gone?"
The desk was smacked loudly, causing the teacup to shake.
Ning Yunzhao reached out to steady it.
"Uncle, change your clothes first," he said softly, spreading out a casual cotton robe he was carrying.
Changing clothes is usually a task for the maids, but Ning Yan stormed out of court and entered the study without a word, locking himself in until late without letting anyone in.
Second Madam Ning had no choice but to entrust Ning Yunzhao to come in under the pretext of bringing clothes to see what was happening.
The news of negotiations between the dynasty and the Jurchen people had already spread.
At first, the people thought it was a surrender, the whole capital was joyful, as war cessation is a good thing.
But soon, the conditions set by the Jin Envoy in court shocked everyone, it wasn't a surrender but a threat.
The message of a hundred thousand Jurchen troops plunged the entire capital into a gloomy chaos.
Ning Yan and other officials were furious, openly rebuking and expelling the Jin Envoy, and in the following court meeting, they even decided to execute the envoy before sending him to the northern front lines, indicating an eternal refusal of friendship.
But avoiding war is always a good thing, besides the angry proponents of war, many officials felt there was still room for salvage.
"Negotiations, that's what it's all about," Huang Cheng said leisurely, "If the conditions are inappropriate, then let's just talk, why the rush?"
Negotiate my ass, they have us by the neck and are sh*tting on our heads, and we're supposed to ask them if they'd like to sit more comfortably before they take a dump?
The verbal abuse on both sides grew fiercer, and eventually, a few old ministers on the court simply started fighting with Huang Cheng and others, throwing the court into chaos and causing the emperor to faint.
But afterwards, Huang Cheng indeed went for talks, and astonishingly, he actually managed to negotiate terms.
"No need to open markets, just three counties, they had no choice, seeking a way out, and they could claim to be vassals of Great Zhou, paying annual tribute," he negotiated.
Vassal, annual tribute.
These words brightened the emperor's eyes.
Though the annual tribute was not much money, it represented a stance, a bowing acknowledgment of sovereignty.
Having a former enemy bow down was an achievement, a comforting achievement to report to the ancestors.
"How can this be seen as an achievement!"
Ning Yan paced around, just as he did in the dynasty court.
"And about ceding three counties, this is still not negotiations, this is still a threat."
"What does 'bowing down to submit' mean? Allowing the other party to bow down to us can never be exchanged with the grace of giving concessions."
"Only by conquering them into submission."
"I refuse to believe, our grand Zhou, can't defeat a mere hundred thousand woodcutters."
Looking at the enraged Ning Yan, Ning Yunzhao remained calm.
"The Ministry of Personnel says that the populace is impoverished and the country is lacking, we cannot afford the expenditure," he said.
"What's even less affordable is the cost to the Jurchen people," Ning Yan said, furrowing his brows.
Ning Yunzhao smiled lightly.
"Uncle, why not change your clothes and have something to eat first?" he suggested.
Ning Yan sat down again before his desk.
"No need," he said, lifting his brush, "I will finish this memorial and then immediately go to the palace."
This memorial was naturally to refute the likes of Huang Cheng who demanded peaceful negotiations, and to persuade the Emperor to continue fighting the Jurchen people.
Ning Yunzhao stroked his cotton robe.
"Uncle," he said, "However, His Majesty does not see this as a threat."
Ning Yan stopped writing and looked up at him.
"I understand your meaning," he said.
The reason why people like Huang Cheng are eagerly pushing for peace talks is actually because the Emperor has considered it.
Now, whether to advocate for war or peace turned out to merely be a matter of aligning with the Emperor's wishes or going against them.
Thus, as things have reached this point, more and more officials have stopped speaking.
"However, truth can be harsh on ears, and this is what a subject should do," Ning Yan continued solemnly.
Ning Yunzhao agreed with a nod.
"I will prepare the ink for uncle," he said, setting aside his robe and rising with a sweep of his sleeves.
Ning Yan did not speak further, and the study fell silent, the light casting shadows of one grinding ink and the other fervently writing on the window.
.............
..................
On December 18th, Mandarin Examiner Jiang Jing was demoted to Zhaozhou for arrogantly slandering and harboring resentment against the dynasty.
On December 20th, Adviser Li Nan was dismissed from office and imprisoned for inverting right and wrong and misleading the sovereign's judgment.
On December 25th, Assistant Minister Ning Yan was removed from office.
............…
"So, it seems that the peace negotiations are unstoppable?"
Miss Jun set down the letter in her hand and said indifferently.
Without anger this time, the shopkeeper packed up his caution and sighed lightly.
"Yes," he said, "Grand Scholar Huang Cheng is fully in charge of the negotiations."
Miss Jun smiled, but her smile slowly turned into a smirk.
"I see," she finally said.
What else could they do anyway, with high and distant halls deliberating over the affairs of state, they as commoners had not much they could influence.
The shopkeeper sighed again.
"I'll bring you any new information when it comes," he said softly, bowing and then retreating.
Miss Jun sat still in the room for a long while.
"I really shouldn't have..." she murmured under her breath, "shouldn't have just died like that; I should have killed him, such a useless person, and I didn't kill him. What a failure."
She pondered something else, then felt a void.
Footsteps sounded outside.
"Miss Jun." Madam Yu's voice rang out from outside.
Miss Jun responded, and the thick curtain of the door was lifted as Madam Yu walked in.
She still wore the floral jacket given to her by the village women here, having recovered from her injuries over the past few days, now able to move freely.
Recovered, Miss Jun snapped back to reality watching her.
Now that she was healed, she could travel; Miss Jun had almost forgotten.
"Madam Yu," she stood up and said, "I will prepare, and either tomorrow or the day after, we will leave for Daming Prefecture."
Madam Yu looked at her and shook her head.
"No, Miss Jun," she said, "I have decided not to go to Daming Prefecture. I plan to go somewhere else."