Chapter 424: Before the peace and happiness

This was really straightforward. Wei Lequan held the wine glass halfway through and froze in the air. Li Meng on the opposite side looked calm, as if asking about the weather today.

There was an awkward quietness at the banquet. Li Meng was waiting for the answer with a smile, but Wei Lequan, who was still calm, gradually sweated on his forehead.

After a while, Li Meng did not urge him. He picked up the wine glass and raised it forward, then drank it all in one go, leaning comfortably on the back of the chair, still waiting for the other party's response. Wei Lequan's arms were not only stiff, but even the expression on his face became more and more stiff, and he didn't know what to say.

Looking at the other party's smile, Wei Lequan hesitated for a while, and drank the wine in the glass and said with a wry smile:

"Mr. Li, I used to study. During the Spring and Autumn Period, King Zhuang of Chu asked about the importance of the nine tripods. The doctor, Sun Man, responded calmly, which was quite admirable. When he met his family at this time, he was sweating all over his head."

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, King Zhuang of Chu conquered the barbarians and arrived near the Zhou Dynasty. King Zhou sent the official Wang Sunman to work hard on the army. King Zhuang was actually ambition to get involved in the orthodox throne. Wang Sunman said that the fortune of Zhou Dynasty was not over, so he advised King Zhuang to give up this idea.

This historical allusion has always been praised by later generations, which means that one person maintains the national fortune with words. What an outstanding eloquence and wisdom is this.

When Wei Lequan, the Minister of War, encountered this scene, he realized how difficult it was to be as difficult as a prince and a son. The so-called domineering spirit and awe-inspiring power, Wei Lequan did not feel in Li Meng that this young general was indeed gentle and polite, without any rude actions.

But think about the victory achieved by General Zhendong. The powerful army that won, Li Meng immediately became powerful and overwhelmed with a high-ranking temperament.

He could feel such temperament and made such aggressive requests. Wei Lequan did feel uncomfortable all over, but such a scene did not mean that he could leave just by feeling uncomfortable. The court sent him here to deal with this place.

However, his self-deprecating and joking eased the atmosphere. Li Meng, who had read a lot of history books, naturally understood the allusion of this sentence. He couldn't help but laugh and said with a smile:

"Sir, you are very eloquent. Didn't Li ask about the King of Qi yet?"

Li Meng's laughter made Wei Lequan feel relieved. It seemed that there were some talks about this matter, but Li Meng could understand this allusion, which shocked him again. Li Meng was as vulgar as rumored by outsiders. He was clearly a wise and brave talent. Such a person had ambition and strength. This was the real disaster of the Ming Dynasty.

"Mr. Li...Master Li, the Northern Zhili is the current resident of the Emperor, and the Southern Zhili is the place where the emperor is. The Grand Marshal is already in charge of Shandong. If Zhili in the North and South will be guarded by the Grand Marshal, this would be too unfair to take the Supreme Court and the imperial court seriously. How can the people in the world regard the Grand Marshal? Is it harmful to the reputation of the Grand Marshal?"

"It's okay. Since the grain transport of Jin, Li seems to have no reputation in the eyes of the world. The famine in the north of Zhili has been in disarray for years, and the war is also chaotic. However, the court has never had any choice. Li Meng is determined to do something for the world and the court. Let these problems be left to Li!"

Wei Lequan's painstaking advice, Li Meng answered sarcastically. Wei Shilang was speechless again. Under the rule of the court, there was no peace everywhere. Under the pressure of Li Meng, peace everywhere. This is reasonable.

But this is not right. No matter what, Li Meng said, he was just a military general in the local area. How could he negotiate terms with the court on an equal footing and divide the territory? Is this a rebellion? If he had already rebelled, why was he still so kind in negotiation?

For a moment, Wei Lequan, the Minister of War, was also a little dizzy. He couldn't figure it out. The table was quiet for a while. Li Meng finally became less gentle. He raised his voice a little and said coldly:

"Li and Shandong made a angrily request to make loyalty to the country and the people. If the court still doesn't compassionately, would they have to take it by themselves? Wouldn't everyone be ungrateful?"

If you don't let me steal it yourself, you are indeed naked, but it made Wei Lequan react. Li Meng's various behaviors have long stopped treating himself as a minister of the Ming Dynasty. If the court followed a formal attitude, it should have long since rebelled.

According to the past rules, the court would have had a long time ago, and the scholars from all over the world rebuked them, and the emperor issued an order to mobilize the troops from all over the world to encircle and suppress them. This is the response and behavior.

But the court handled it very low-key and sent itself to negotiate. This shows that it is already a bit of something. Perhaps it should not regard itself as an envoy from the court center and come to talk to local people, but should lower the court to an equal position with Shandong so that the negotiation can proceed.

Since I sent someone to discuss, the real meaning is not to scold him, but to reduce the compression as much as possible on the land price of Li Meng. The more compressed the land, the smaller the loss of the court and the more time it can win. The emperor and the court did not reluctantly give it, but wanted to give as little as possible through negotiations.

Now even the court itself doesn't have the face of the center, and he still protects the court. Wei Lequan, who has figured out this, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hands, but his smile has become much calmer, and he smiled there and said:

"Although the commander's meaning is not clearly stated, I understand in my heart that if we don't talk about business, just say these private words at the banquet. If the commander takes Zhili from north to south, he will probably become an enemy of the world immediately. At that time, the bandits' soldiers will attack the commander if they want to take over the world, and the soldiers of the court will naturally come to encircle and suppress them. I am afraid that the Tartars outside the pass will also point their finger at the commander!"

Seeing Li Meng pondering and thinking, Wei Lequan, the Minister of War, knew that his words were effective, but he was also quite ashamed. First, he reduced his identity to a humble manner in his words and spoke, and then what he was talking about was completely naked interests, which seemed to be analyzing Li Meng's rebellious behavior.

But this is true. If Li Meng was really granted the title of King of Qi and occupied the four provinces with the hearts of the Ming Dynasty, he would immediately become the target of attention of the world and immediately become the public enemy of the world. At present, officers, soldiers, bandits, and several forces of the Tartars were entangled. If Li Meng suddenly emerged, it would definitely attract most of the power and attacks.

In other words, if Li Meng wants to do something that is so irritating, he must do it slowly. He must follow the steps and take it slowly.

This is indeed a favorable approach for Li Meng. When Wei Lequan said these words, his face was vaguely red and swollen. But the key to the problem is that if Li Meng slowly plans it, there will be a lot of time left for the court. During this period, he will save the nation and survive, and there may be some opportunities.

The so-called drinking poison to quench thirst means that in this situation, if a person is thirsty, he must drink poisonous wine to quench thirst first.

"The Grand Marshal wants to accomplish great things. How can the talents and material resources of Shandong be able to do it alone? How can the people in the world not win the hearts of the world? Let me say something pretentious. It is indeed an extraordinary merit to wipe out 40,000 troops from the Tartars. However, the foundation of the Qing Dynasty Eastern Captains outside the pass has not been damaged. The power of the bandits Li Chuang in Huguang and Henan is in full swing, and the Ming Dynasty is gradually recovering. The Grand Marshal, Shandong is in great dangers at the moment, and he still needs to be prepared!"

Wei Lequan, the Minister of War, spoke endlessly. He looked solemn. He looked completely helping Shandong, looking more like a think tank than Sun Chuanting. Li Meng also listened carefully and felt that it made sense. After a moment of pause, Li Meng reacted and looked at Mr. Wei with a smile and said:

"If Mr. Wei's words are spread, this person who intends to rebel will not be Li. It's you."

After saying that, he laughed a few times, and Wei Lequan's old face turned red. He then laughed dryly and said with a little awkward interface:

"The Grand Marshal laughed. The conversation at the banquet could not be put on the official service. The Grand Marshal didn't know that he had done such a big situation. If he made a rash move and made mistakes, he would delay the Grand Marshal's great achievements at that time, wouldn't it be a pity."

"Mr. Wei is also loyal to the country, but I will say this for a few words. Even if the imperial court can last for a year or two years, what can he do under such a general situation? How many soldiers can he train and how much money can he collect? Think about the current style of the past, I am afraid he will become worse and worse!"

What Wei Lequan said and thoughts were clear at a glance, but what he said was true. When Wei Lequan heard Li Meng's bitter reply, he was quite calm.

After thinking about it again, Wei Lequan, the Minister of War, was completely let go. He thought that such a ruthless thing had been said. Anyway, he had to think about making the errand this time, and it was okay to say more deeply. He smiled and said:

"Master, since he left Beijing this time, he has been talking to Master. It is almost the only way to make decisions. Of course, the fewer it is, the easier it is to return to the capital to work. The name of Zhili, Shandong, Henan, and the title of King Qi is regarded as the upper limit of the Great Commander's shouting. Let's talk about this."

Wei Lequan now does not look like an important official in the court. He is like a bargaining vendor in the market, and his face is full of philanthropy. Li Meng was really troubled by this minister of War who was willing to roll on. The other party's attitude of a hob and flesh, and his words are so clear that it really makes people unable to force it too much.

"Mr. Wei, let's talk about the bottom line of the court. I am not willing to go on endless disputes. Tell me the bottom line, and I will add it up!"

This is the so-called style of a local martial artist. Wei Lequan's face froze slightly, and then he returned to normal. He smiled and said:

"Shandong is the place where the commander is in the jurisdiction of the Great Commander. Yongzhen will not be given by the court, but the commander can designate who will inherit the position of general. The land of Henan, not to mention the Yellow River and Kaifeng city, the entire Henan area is not unlucky. In the south, Zhili and Jiangbei, except for the capitals in Fengyang City, which require officers and soldiers to guard the rest, the rest are also under the control of the commander. However, the capitals of the northern Zhili, the capitals of the capital, Shuntian Prefecture, Zhending Prefecture, and Baoding Prefecture are all important places in the heart and cannot be given. The other prefectures can choose two."

Wei Lequan kept talking and dug a large piece of meat from the Ming Dynasty to Li Meng. However, if you think about it carefully, Shandong soldiers stationed 60,000 troops there in Jiangbei, Nanzhili, and Shandong soldiers were stationed there, even similar to the local troops in Shandong. Local gentry returned home again, and the road to salt administration was also controlled by him. This place was already in corruption for the court. Instead of maintaining a false reputation, it would be better to give it to Li Meng generously.

As for Henan, except for the lonely city of Kaifeng, the small prefectures and small prefectures north of the Yellow River, the rest of the places are controlled by large migrants. Recently, garrisons and officials have even set up regimes there, and the regime has been established.

The two prefectures in Northern Zhili were also based on Li Meng's current situation. It is no secret that Shandong troops did not withdraw from Hejian Prefecture.

In addition to the salt industry, Lianghuai is also a specialty of strong people's customs. Henan is also in ruins, with a large army of refugees. The two prefectures in the north and Zhili are in ruins, and they also need grain supply from the canal transport!

But this was indeed a lot of concessions. After Wei Lequan said this, he saw Li Meng wanting to open his mouth, so he quickly got up and bowed with his fists:

"Master. I can take this bottom line out of my heart. I can't increase it, but I can only reduce it. What's more, how many soldiers, officials and money are there at this time. Even if it is allocated to Master, how can I eat it in a hurry?"

Li Meng picked up the wine pot and poured himself a glass of wine, but did not drink it, just rubbed the edge of the cup and said in contemplation:

"Henan General Chen Yongfu, who is directly under my command, Shandong, Henan, Lianghuai, and Northern Zhili, civil and military officials will be appointed and removed by our commander. Will this court agree or not!"

The two were talking about serious matters, and Wei Lequan's eyes were also a little red. He poured himself two glasses of wine, and they all drank it all. After hesitating for a while, he slapped the table and gritted his teeth and said:

"Henan General Chen Yongfu has not many soldiers under his command. The situation in Henan is so corrupt that he should have lost his head long ago. If the general wants to defeat the army, he will use it for the general to appoint and remove civil and military officials from all over the place. Except for the power of the general's shogunate, the rest are the fundamental traditions of the court, and they cannot make decisions without authorization."

Li Meng slapped the cup hard towards the table. He snorted coldly. Wei Lequan grabbed the wine pot without caring about being gentle. He swallowed the spout twice. His face was already red and hesitantly said:

"Although you are going back to the capital to report to Your Majesty and discuss with all the ministers of the Pavilion, the Grandmaster should rest assured. As long as the Grandmaster recommended anyone, the imperial court would never say anything. It would definitely be an order to be appointed, but it would be just a procedure."

Although Wei Lequan made such a crazy look, Li Meng noticed that the Minister of War had been observing his expression, with his eyes very lively. It was clearly using this crazy look to prevent Li Meng from adding a price. It is estimated that those he asked just now were within the limit that the court could bear.

But what we said in advance was to ask for a price all over the place and pay it back. What Wei Lequan said was also what Sun Chuanting, Liu Fulai, Zhou Yang and others said.

The other party gritted his teeth and said the conclusion, but it was a secret agreement with Li Meng's request. Li Meng's face remained silent and leaned on the back of the chair to look at the other party. Mr. Wei shook his head, looking a little unconscious, and said vaguely:

"Master, the senior official has dozens of people. If you do this job wrong, you will be the crime of raiding the family and extermination of the clan when you go back. The Marshal has a long future, why bother to worry about this moment... The Marshal's merits must be granted the title of Duke... Otherwise, the two prefectures of Guangning and Daming, the Marshal can choose another prefecture. This is also the land of Northern Zhili or a fertile land..."

Li Meng's expression was still on the side, and he kept staring at the Minister of Wei. Wei Lequan felt more and more guilty. He was already a crime of beheading the head and searching the house, but he still made some concessions.

Li Meng, who was sitting there, straightened his waist, let out a long sigh, pointed to the screen on the side and said:

"I am not hiding you. There is a document on the record behind the screen. Today, the matter you and I discuss at the table will be subject to this. If Mr. Wei forgets, there will be a note on the document to be handed over to Mr. Wei tomorrow."

Wei Lequan didn't expect that Li Meng would agree so happily. He pretended to be crazy and stupid for a long time. He was so nervous that he suddenly relaxed. After relaxing, he followed the thoughts just now and said with a smile:

"The land occupied by the Shandong province by the Grand Marshal, let's guess the land in Northern Zhili that the Grand Marshal wants should be Hejian, Guangning and Daming. It means that the territory of Shandong provinces has expanded out of thin air!"

Li Meng shook his head and said nothing, bowed his hands and walked out of the room. Wei Lequan did not return the gift and sat there blankly. When Li Meng walked out of the room, a clerk walked out from behind the screen, put the paper on the coffee table aside, and bowed and retreated silently.

The Minister of State Wei also did not respond. After there was no one in the room, he grabbed the wine pot on the table and drank it in big mouthfuls.

At that time, it was said that the two of them had a secret conversation, and there were only a few more pots of wine on the table. The two of them had just drunk less than a pot. At this time, Wei Lequan picked up the pot after drinking one pot and kept drinking it. He drank all the wine on the table. After drinking the last pot, he threw it on hand and smashed it to pieces.

Then he lay on the table and it seemed that the Minister of War was indeed drunk this time.

There were two documents hiding behind the screen, one left in the house. The other was taken to Liu Fulai and Sun Chuanting. Seeing the secret discussion, although Wei Lequan was just a minister of the Ministry of War, everyone understood that there would be no changes in the matter that was decided this time.

In any case, from the Jiaozhouying standpoint, relying on its complete advantages and actual control, this thing is required. It has already made a lot of concessions.

The troops and horses that can be obtained everywhere were also recognized by the court, and the other party agreed to the official position and authority. It can be said that the purpose of the Jiaozhou camp has been achieved.

After discussing these, after digesting them, the strength of Jiaozhou Camp will further expand, and now the obvious advantage will become more obvious. Wei Lequan hopes to delay time by agreeing to Li Meng's conditions, and hopes that the court will cheer up again. See if there is any chance to turn the tables in the future.

If the Jiaozhou Camp system rules are supplemented by these supplements and digested, his strength will become more and more terrible, and he will ask for more at that time. If this continues, it will be a cycle of death.

Perhaps Wei Lequan, the Minister of War, also knew about it, but he had to do so. It was nothing more than a desperate struggle...

In theory, such progress has been made, and Li Meng, as the head coach, should be happy, but Li Meng, who returned to the inner hall, was also as sank as if he had something to worry about.

Bargaining and entangling each other requires a lot of effort and energy. Li Meng also felt a little tired. After entering the inner house, he did not talk and laugh with his family like he used to. The female family members of the inner house were members of the inner house and knew that Chen Yuanyuan became a nun in Jinan.

Chen Yuanyuan is also a woman with great reputation in Jiangnan. Her appearance and talent are naturally the top choice. Although her wives and concubines knew that Li Meng was sincere to them, they did not dare to judge whether Li Meng was attracted to Chen Yuanyuan. The inner accounting room was almost the first priority in building a nunnery, and both financial and human resources were given priority.

Currently, there are many empty houses in Jinan City. There are many wealthy people. A small nunnery is really done every moment. Almost after Rossi passed this order to the inner house, Chen Yuanyuan moved into the preparation of a nunnery for her. Now the only place left is the name of the nunnery.

In this era, women's jealousy is one of the seven reasons, and even more so in the wealthy inner houses. Yan Ruoran and Mu Yunyao are fine, Gu Hengbo and Liu Rushi are really nervous, thinking that it is because Chen Yuanyuan became a monk and cannot have a kiss. They began to think about whether they should take the initiative to ask Li Meng to take Chen Yuanyuan into consideration.

From afternoon to dinner, Li Meng sat alone in the study. When dinner was approaching, he looked like this.

Even if Li Hong came forward to act cute and betrayed, Li Meng just smiled calmly, and his emotions were obviously low, which made everyone even more worried.

Halfway through dinner, the housekeeper Rossi came over with a gift list, with his inner servant in the room. He just raised his voice outside the door and reported:

"Master, the Zheng family of Bamin Commercial Bank sent a gift, saying that our Shandong won a great victory. He did not prepare any gifts in a hurry. This time he prepared a formal gift for the adults."

The Zheng family's series of actions during this period have made Shandong very wary. The Zheng family is also trying hard to remedy it. They have already sent gifts and congratulated people. This so-called formal gift must be just an additional bargaining chip. Li Meng felt it was quite boring and said:

"I understand, I'll show you some ladies tomorrow."

Yan Ruoran next to him felt that this was a good opportunity to adjust the atmosphere, and said with a smile:

"The things sent by the Zheng family often have some fresh things from abroad. Butler Luo, please recite the gift list and listen to it as a fun."
To be continued...