This is what diplomatic negotiations are like. One moment everyone is so tense, using threats and inducements, but the next moment they have to maintain basic manners.
Therefore, after a day of negotiations, those people who had just been spitting all over the place began to chat and laugh again in the banquet hall.
Count John was an excellent negotiator who could change his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book. He could make loud threats one second and come up with another idea the next. However, his changeability did not disrupt Xiao Chen's rhythm. They still adhered to the principle of not opening the Black Wood Pass by keeping the same attitude in the face of ever-changing situations.
After being rejected repeatedly, Earl John put forward a new proposal. He reduced the number of people passing through Heimu Pass to two teams of Black Guards and their entourage, and asked them to cross Heimu Pass and head east to carry out sabotage behind enemy lines and support the war on the eastern front.
There are about a hundred Black Guards in a squad, and with the followers, the number will be nearly five hundred.
According to him, even if the Chinese disagree, the Black Guards can easily infiltrate the kingdom by crossing the mountains. But if the Chinese allow them to cross the border through Kuroki Pass, a lot of equipment, supplies and logistics personnel can be transported directly over, and then the front troops can be continuously supplied. This is not a bad thing for the people of the kingdom, because in this way, the Black Guards will not need to plunder and destroy the local area.
"This is a very fair proposal." Earl John leaned back in his chair, looked at the guests coming and going at the buffet, raised his glass and took a sip, and said, "Both His Majesty the Emperor and I hope that the first step between us will be friendly cooperation."
Now, Xiao Chen was the only one sitting on the other side of the Earl's small square table. Xiao Chen said, "I have emphasized this this afternoon that we do not accept threats. Our regime is not managed like a kingdom. Protecting the people is our duty. If a large force appears to rob the people, we will definitely encircle and attack them."
Count John laughed and said, "What are you worried about? Since you are confident that you can encircle and suppress them, why worry about them entering the country? If it is a matter of quantity, we can still discuss it..."
At the meeting, Earl John's entourage were also chatting with other Chinese people in twos and threes.
Most of the people who came with Earl John were minor nobles. Some were responsible for helping him record the negotiation content, some provided him with various materials, and some were his think tanks, often communicating with the Earl in private. Both sides talked about irrelevant things, but in their hearts they were more or less trying to spy on each other and find out the bottom line of the other side.
The Chinese from Earth, including Shi Hao, were not used to chatting with these people. Most of them were originally soldiers and were not used to doing things that were easy to deal with. They had no common topics with the nobles here. However, the officers of the Black Wood Pass who stayed in the kingdom were better able to deal with such situations. Although the Empire and the Kingdom belonged to two different camps, exchanges and intermarriages between the nobles were not uncommon. Many of them had ancestors from the same lineage and were considered distant relatives. The customs and hobbies of many nobles in the northern and southern parts of the Kingdom were very similar. Whether it was horseback riding, archery, dancing, or hunting, they could often talk together.
Zhang Hong tried to chat with a clerk who was from a minor noble family. The clerk kept trying to find common ground with him on the belief in the god of nature. Zhang Hong felt that there was no common ground, so he simply found an excuse to leave.
He sat at a table in the corner, eating a plate of pastries with some boredom. Life in Hei Mu Guan was still austere in his opinion. If it weren't for foreign affairs activities, he would have almost no chance to eat anything decent except military rations. Today, Shi Hao selected experts from various cooking classes to hold a banquet, which was a rare opportunity, so he couldn't help but eat a few more pieces.
Zhang Hong was eating, but he didn't expect that one of Earl John's entourage came to this corner with a plate and sat next to him.
Zhang Hong looked up and found that the man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him.
The attendant looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to this corner. He pulled the chair closer to him and whispered, "Mr. Zhang Hong, I have something to show you in private, but there are too many masters in this room, so it's a bit inconvenient. Please make arrangements and find a quiet place."
Zhang Hong stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth, rubbed his fingers on the tablecloth, and looked at the person in front of him with confusion, "I don't know you, what do you want to tell me in private?"
The man smiled and approached Zhang Hong. The small area they were in was a little dark, and he was facing away from the light, so his facial features were not very clear. He pressed a talisman on his neck with his hand, and the talisman lit up slightly. The man's face actually twisted and changed in a few seconds. Although the position of his facial features was similar to the original, his image was completely changed.
Zhang Hong recognized him at a glance. This man turned out to be the half-elf magic archer Cole. He was once a subordinate of Kalanda, and also the middleman of the cooperation between Baron Goya and Chu Ying. Now he has mixed into the imperial team. Of course, more importantly, Cole was once hired by him to go deep into the Temple of War to hunt down those horse thieves.
"Cole, Cole!" Zhang Hong screamed, but he covered his mouth in time and did not attract the attention of other people in the room. He was not stupid and knew that Cole must have some reason to appear here.
Cole's hands loosened from his neck and his face returned to its original appearance. It seemed that the amulet was a very rare disguise prop.
"Do you know that the Ministry of Intelligence and the Ministry of Public Security are looking for you? How dare you show up in our territory?" Zhang Hong said nervously.
"Why wouldn't I dare? As long as no one reports me, who would know that I am Cole?" The ordinary face in front of him showed a hint of smile, "Could it be that Mr. Zhang Hong would betray me?"
"What does my relationship with you have? What's the point of betrayal?" Zhang Hong threw the plate on the table and wanted to get up and leave, but unexpectedly Cole reached out and grabbed his arm.
"You'd better find a reason to take me out of this room and find a private place for us to have a good talk. Otherwise, you will regret it." Cole said softly.
Zhang Hong stood up and struggled a few times, but found that the other party was holding him very tightly and he could not get rid of him at all. However, he did not dare to fight back with magic, as that would definitely attract the attention of Xiao Chen and his men.
Seeing that he was unwilling to cooperate, Cole whispered a name in his ear.
Zhang Hong was still struggling, but now he seemed to be frozen in place, standing there with his hands and feet shaking uncontrollably.
Because he heard a name he hadn’t seen for a long time: Hong Lifeng. (To be continued)