It would take at least 20 days to travel from Dongling Jingdu to Beiyuan Shengjing, even if one galloped. Huo Kangsheng had been captured, and the treasure they had been looking for was within reach. Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng did not want to wait too long.
Therefore, Nanjing and Beiyuan resorted to the traditional diplomatic skill of the two countries - negotiation.
Since the top leaders of the two embassies had just had sex, in order to avoid suspicion, the Crown Prince and the young prince did not directly participate in the negotiation. Rong Tang was the leader of the Nanjing side, and Yi Qian was the leader of the Beiyuan side. They had a three-day intense negotiation on the issue of the distribution of the Xixia treasure.
It was called "intense", but in fact it was Bei Yuan who was unilaterally intense. Yi Qian used both soft and hard tactics, combining strength and softness, kicking the table heroically and passing over tea flatteringly, but Rong Tangrong Taifu had a cold and indifferent look from beginning to end, without showing any emotional ups and downs, and then calmly said two words: "Fifty-fifty."
Yi Qian: “…”
Yi Qian returned to the Beiyuan Embassy and complained to the young prince: "Your Majesty, I really can't do anything about that Rong Taifu. How about you personally go and have a good talk with the Crown Prince Nanjing?"
Ever since he got out of Zhao Mian's bed on the 15th, Wei Zhenfeng has been staying in the Beiyuan Embassy. At this moment, he was lying on the couch bored, holding a book of military tactics in his hand, and he didn't turn a page for a long time.
Wei Zhenfeng said calmly: "It is not appropriate for this prince to go to the Nanjing Embassy now."
Yi Qian asked anxiously: "Why?"
Wei Zhenfeng thought depressedly, why else? Of course, as soon as he saw Zhao Mian, he wanted to... go to bed with him.
Blame him for being too young. He ate meat at the age of 18, so he would always think about it and even dream about it. If he was 28, he would definitely not have this worry.
I'm annoyed. I want to grow old quickly.
"Young Prince, please say something." Yi Qian was almost dying of anxiety. "Also, don't always lie down and read. It's not good for your eyes."
Wei Zhenfeng sat up slowly and asked, "Is Nan Jing still determined?"
"That's right. He is unyielding. No matter what I say, Master Rong will always say 'fifty-fifty'."
Wei Zhenfeng said: "'Fifty-five' is definitely not Nan Jing's bottom line."
This is a common practice in negotiations. No one will talk to the other party about their bottom line right from the start. Just like if his bottom line is not 20:80, he can barely accept 30:70. But once he becomes the party that gives in first, the other party will inevitably push for more and hold on to 50:50.
"Beiyuan can accept Siliu." Wei Zhenfeng said, "but we have a condition. Nan Jing must help Beiyuan eliminate the remnants of the Imperial City Division, and all cases related to the Imperial City Division in the past and in the future must be handed over to Beiyuan for trial."
Yi Qian stared with wide eyes: "Will Nanjing agree to this?"
Eradicating the remnants of the Imperial City Bureau is not a task that can be accomplished overnight. These remnants are hidden in various places in the Three Kingdoms. It will definitely consume a huge amount of manpower and material resources to completely wipe them out.
"You have to go and negotiate for this, Lord Yi." Wei Zhenfeng smiled and patted Yi Qian's shoulder. "I can also give you another trump card - Beiyuan is willing to pay an additional 300,000 silver coins as a reward to the brothers in Nanjing who helped me."
Yi Qian asked curiously, "Why is it three hundred thousand?"
Wei Zhenfeng's face was full of heartache: "Don't ask me about this. You go now, I will go back to my room to take a rest for a while."
Things finally had some changes. Yi Qian was full of expectations. He had a much better impression of the little prince's inaction in the past few days. He said respectfully, "Farewell, Your Majesty."
After Yi Qian sent the young prince off, he found that the prince's military strategy was left on the couch and he didn't take it with him. He walked forward curiously to take a look, and this glance almost made him fall backwards.
There is actually another book hidden behind the Art of War. The young prince is really... a diehard!
Yi Qian felt extremely sad and even thought that if the young prince continued to indulge in love affairs, he would have no choice but to write a letter of impeachment and ask His Majesty to take good care of his youngest son.
Yi Qian indignantly lifted the cover of the Art of War, and after seeing the book hidden underneath, his anger immediately subsided by more than half.
Fortunately, fortunately, what the little prince had been reading for a long time was not "Feng Yue Tan", but a... almanac
In the subsequent negotiations, Beiyuan was the first to make concessions. Nanjing also knew that if the stalemate continued, no one would benefit, so he also took the opportunity given by Beiyuan. After a series of additional conditions, the two sides finally reached a consensus that was satisfactory to both parties.
After the treaty was signed, Wei Zhenfeng finally didn't have to avoid suspicion anymore. He returned to the Nanjing Embassy, thinking about discussing the next plan with Zhao Mian.
When he found Zhao Mian, Zhao Mian was eating snacks alone.
Zhao Mian did not go out today, nor did he plan to summon his ministers, so he could take a break from his busy life. But even when he was alone, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was still dressed in noble and gorgeous clothes, wearing a goose yellow robe with gold edges and a velvet white fur collar, and he elegantly tasted the exquisite Nanjing tea.
However, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seemed a little absent-minded, with a frown on his face. When he was picking up the chestnut cake with chopsticks, he didn't even realize that he had picked up empty space, and he opened his mouth and took a sip of air.
Wei Zhenfeng smiled to himself and breathed a sigh of relief.
Look, he is just looking at Zhao Mian now, and he is not thinking about having sex with her, so he should not be addicted yet.
However, Wei Zhenfeng soon stopped laughing as he realized the contradiction in the problem.
Although he didn't want to sleep with Zhao Mian, he was thinking about whether he wanted to sleep with Zhao Mian. So did that count as thinking about it
Zhao Mian didn't get to eat the chestnut cake, so he picked up another piece with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the little prince standing outside the door, looking at something with a subtle expression on his face.
Zhao Mian put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "You still remember to come here."
There was a hint of complaint in his voice.
Wei Zhenfeng: “…”
Oops.
Zhao Mian added: "Marquis Anyuan has interrogated Huo Kangsheng a lot in the past few days, but this man is extremely tight-lipped. The old marquis has tried every possible means, but Huo Kangsheng still refuses to reveal any clues about the Xixia treasure."
When it comes to business, all the random thoughts in Wei Zhenfeng's mind disappear automatically. He sat down next to Zhao Mian, not considering himself a guest, and took a bite of chestnut cake with Zhao Mian's chopsticks to taste it: "Didn't Huo Kangsheng say at the time that he only told one side, Beiyuan or Nanjing?"
Zhao Mian was quite dissatisfied with Wei Zhenfeng's unreserved behavior and wanted to scold him, but he thought that he and Wei Zhenfeng had kissed before and had already tasted each other's saliva. Moreover, they would kiss again on the 15th of next month, so there was no need to care about such things now.
Zhao Mian acquiesced to Wei Zhenfeng's actions and said, "Yes, he later said that unless he saw me kill you with his own eyes and Nanjing and Beiyuan turned against each other, he would not say anything."
Wei Zhenfeng said: "He is not stupid. But this matter is not difficult to handle. I will find a way. Don't let this affect your mood of enjoying the food."
"It's not just because of this." Zhao Mian frowned slightly, "Xiao Rang hasn't eaten much in the past few days. He has been immersed in mechanical mathematics all day long. He has no appetite, wakes up early and sleeps late. He has gone crazy."
Wei Zhenfeng groaned and said unhappily, "No, why do you call me 'Xiao Rang' so often now? You said yourself that you only called Zhou Huairang like that when you were little. Are you lying?"
Zhao Mian explained: "I've always wanted to call him that, but I was embarrassed to do it in front of him, so I just said it in front of you."
Wei Zhenfeng was a little mad: "Think about your behavior and see if it is logical. You call him by his full name in front of him, but call him by his nickname in front of me - are you deliberately trying to provoke me?"
Zhao Mian was confused: "Will it irritate you if I call him 'Xiao Rang'?"
Wei Zhenfeng was stunned for a moment, then calmed down a lot. He said slowly: "It's not that exciting, but I'm not used to it."
Zhao Mian remained indifferent: "If you are not used to it, just bear with it. I must get over my craving for it."
Wei Zhenfeng: “.”
Zhao Mian was not the only one who was worried about Zhou Huairang. The taciturn guard Shen also expressed his concern for Zhou Huairang in a special way.
Shen Buci personally cooked for Zhou Huairang and prepared several dishes that he always liked. When Zhao Mian found out, he said, "I'll go with you."
Wei Zhenfeng was not interested: "Then I will go too."
The three of them came to the yard where Zhou Huairang lived. The door of the room was closed and there was no sign of human life, as if no one had lived there for a long time.
Zhao Mian and Shen Buci looked at each other and said, "You go now."
Shen Buci nodded, raised his hand without the lunch box, and was about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened from the inside.
Zhao Mian felt something was wrong. The last time he saw Zhou Huairang in such a mess was a few years ago when he asked Zhou Huairang to play with his brother for half a day.
Zhao Mian called out tentatively: "Zhou Huairang?"
Hearing the voice of His Royal Highness, Zhou Huairang's eyes gradually lit up again. He first saw Shen Buci standing in front of him, and suddenly let out a strange cry and hugged Shen Buci in a bear hug.
"Ahhh Old Shen!" Zhou Huairang shouted, "I succeeded! I successfully deciphered the jade mechanism left by Gu Ruzhang!"
Shen Buci was slightly startled, and then patted Zhou Huairang on the back: "Congratulations."
Zhao Mian stood aside, looking at the two people hugging each other, his eyelashes trembling slightly.
He didn't know that when he was looking at Shen Buci and Zhou Huairang, Wei Zhenfeng was also looking at him.
The next moment, Zhao Mian felt a weight on his shoulder—Wei Zhenfeng's arm was on his shoulder.
Wei Zhenfeng's movements were very casual, without any ambiguity or charm, just like a young man in fine clothes and riding a horse in the academy, naturally getting close to his good friends.
Zhao Mian's heart skipped a beat.
After doing this, Wei Zhenfeng did not look at him, but said to Zhou Huairang: "Didn't you see that your Highness is here too?"
Zhou Huairang quickly turned to Zhao Mian, rubbing his hands and stammering with excitement: "Your Highness... I, I found it, I succeeded!"
Zhao Mian gave a faint smile: "It's hard work."
"It's not hard, it's not hard," Zhou Huairang said in a hoarse voice, as if he was about to cry for joy, "I am willing to do something for your Highness. I, your subordinate... wuwuwuwuwuwu."
Zhao Mian: “…”
Why did you really start crying? This is the limit of a naive person like you.
Zhou Huairang has always been self-aware. He knows very well that with his "intelligence and talent", he is far from being worthy of staying by the side of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He has always felt that His Majesty chose him to be the Crown Prince's companion just because he hoped that he could make His Royal Highness happy when necessary.
He never imagined that he would be able to help His Highness accomplish great things like Bai Yu and Shen Buci.
Zhou Huairang said embarrassedly: "Your Highness, please forgive me. I lost my composure."
Zhao Mian's tone was unusually gentle: "It's okay."
"Alright, alright." Wei Zhenfeng interrupted the deep affection between the two masters and servants in time, "So, what exactly is the mechanism that Gu Ruzhang left behind?"
Zhou Huairang said, "My lord, wait a moment," and rushed back into the house. He rummaged through a pile of books that was half a person tall, and found a drawing full of strange symbols: "My lord, please take a look."
Wei Zhenfeng lost his patience after just one glance and handed the blueprint to Zhao Mian: "It's too complicated. I won't read it. Please summarize it."
Zhou Huairang said: "This strange symbol is the Western Xia Desert..."
Wei Zhenfeng raised his eyebrows slightly: "Watch your words, Lord Zhou."
Zhou Huairang quickly changed his words: "… It is a totem of an early minority civilization in the former Xixia Desert, now the Beiyuan Desert. Gu Ruzhang made some modifications on this basis. I think this should be a 'key' to unlock the door."
Zhao Mian looked at the strange cubic triangle on the drawing and asked, "How early is it?"
"Probably between five hundred and eight hundred years ago."
According to the records in ancient books found by Zhou Huairang, this desert ethnic group was called the Yi tribe. They once established a glorious civilization in the desert. However, due to the increasingly harsh climate and constant invasion and plunder by the Central Plains countries, the Yi tribe eventually disappeared in the endless yellow sand.
Although the civilization has disappeared, its relics still exist. It is said that the palace of the royal family of the Yi tribe was built in the oasis, the royal garden was full of roses, and the bricks used to pave the ground were huge pieces of gold. People seeking wealth flocked to this place, braving the wind and sand to go deep into the desert, just to chase the glorious afterglow of hundreds of years ago.
Unfortunately, most of these people never returned, and no news was ever heard of them. Whether the remains of the Yi people still exist, and whether they were buried underground by the yellow sand, has also become an unsolved mystery.
Today, the desert has become Beiyuan's territory. Beiyuan has tens of thousands of troops stationed in the desert. They have also tried to find the remains of the Yi tribe, but have never been able to do so.
Zhao Mian asked Wei Zhenfeng: "Are you familiar with the desert?"
Wei Zhenfeng said: "I can't say I'm familiar with it. I've only been here for half a year."
"The desert is too big, and the location of the Qieyi tribe ruins has long been untraceable." Zhou Huairang looked worried, "If we don't know the exact location of the ruins, it's useless even if we have the key."
"Don't worry about that." Wei Zhenfeng said nonchalantly, "Don't we have a ready-made guide?"
Zhao Mian's mind moved: "You mean, Huo Kangsheng?"
Wei Zhenfeng said: "That's right. Take him to the Red Sea Sand first. I have plenty of ways to make him talk."
Zhao Mian hesitated.
The Red Sea Sand is where the Yuan army is stationed in the desert. Once there, you will be completely on Wei Zhenfeng's territory.
Wei Zhenfeng was young and frivolous. He had dared to be so arrogant in Dongling and had done many things that were disrespectful to the Nanjing East Palace. If he could return to his own territory, he might completely suppress him.
Zhao Mian felt uncomfortable just imagining that Wei Zhenfeng was superior to him. But since it was about the Xixia treasure, how could he just sit back and watch
Zhao Mian said, "Okay, let's not delay any longer. Let's pack up for two days and set off as soon as possible."
Hearing the word "we", Wei Zhenfeng was a little surprised: "You want to go too?"
“It’s natural.”
"Let me be frank with you. The scorching sun in the desert is no joke." Wei Zhenfeng said with a hint of meaning, "Your Highness will be tanned."
Zhao Mian's forehead jumped: "Shut up."
Wei Zhenfeng laughed, "Then let's go together. Although the desert has a harsh climate, there are many interesting things, such as the starry night view and fine grape wine, which are nowhere to be found in the Central Plains." The boy's tone was full of desire to share, "I can take you to ride a camel, and I can also take you to see the dark-skinned beauty you have been thinking about for a long time."
Zhao Mian asked: "How long does it take to get to the Red Sea Sand from Kyoto?"
Wei Zhenfeng said: "If we travel day and night, it will take at least ten days."
Zhao Mian said nonchalantly: "In that case, we will spend the fifteenth of next month in the desert."
Wei Zhenfeng was stunned for a moment, and a picture couldn't help but emerge in his mind.
The starry sky of the desert, the endless sea of sand, a bright moon, a tent, him and Zhao Mian.
Wei Zhenfeng couldn't help but cover his face. He chuckled and said, "... I give in."
Zhao Mian noticed that Wei Zhenfeng's ears seemed to be a little red, and was also startled: "You..."
"I finally stopped thinking about this, why are you bringing it up again?" Wei Zhenfeng said helplessly, "Can you please stop reminding me, Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
(End of this chapter)