"How did the junior officials hear the words of the national teacher a little bit differently?" Li Tengfang no longer cared about the etiquette of both parties, "Could it be that Dacheng's inability to govern the army is because of Ming?"
"Your ambassador, don't get angry, that's not what you meant to be an official..." Puti just thought of the wrong words.
"Dacheng paid Daming's pension because it was the life of the soldiers of Daming. If there were no soldiers of Daming, the one sitting at the mansion of the national division now, I'm afraid it would be General Dongyu, right?"
"Master Li, you..." Putty was choking speechless, but he had to admit that Li Tengfang's words had a certain truth. "
"Da Ming took into account the brotherly friendship with Dacheng, and he disregarded the safety of the soldiers and soldiers, and rescued Dacheng from the fire and water. It is enough for Dacheng not to see grace. It is impossible to attribute the responsibility of this war to Da Ming, right?" Li Tengfangyu Still angry.
"Your envoy was right. Daming and Dacheng have a brotherly friendship. Only the officials are brave." Puti saw Li Tengfang's expression softened. "For example, two brothers, now that the younger brother is experiencing difficulties temporarily. Can't help?"
Li Tengfang wanted to dispel Dacheng's grievances against Daming, "Guo Shi means..."
"The subordinate did not mean to blame Daming. Daming helped Dacheng so much. Doesn't my Majesty the king know?" Puti changed his tone. "The subordinate means that Dacheng wants to become a vassal state of Daming again. Tribute to Daming."
Li Tengfang pondered for a long time, "Do not let my emperor know what the national teacher said, in case of misunderstanding, Daming and Dacheng, even the brotherhood, can't do it." Seeing Puti still surprised, he was puzzled. Li Tengfang didn't explain the appearance of it anymore. With Puti's wit, he should understand.
"Thank you for your reminder, Xiaguan thanked Li Tengfang," Puti saluted Li Tengfang, "Xiaguan didn't mean this, but was not thinking about it."
"As for the matter of the vassal state, this should not be the content of this discussion," Li Tengfang replied. "The official visit to Dacheng this time is to implement the last contract. The contract is completed, and the official is completed. The mission of my majesty."
"The subordinate understands, the subordinate understands," Puti saw Li Tengfang's Ding Shi Ding Mao Shi Mao, "The subordinate is to ask your envoy to ask whether your majesty can accept Dacheng as a vassal state."
"I don’t know whether Dacheng can be accepted or not," Li Tengfang said, verbally admitting that Da Ming is the suzerain country. He wanted Da Ming to protect you unconditionally. There is no such cheap thing in the world. "But Da Cheng needs Da Ming’s protection, I’m afraid it’s not like saying You can agree with just a few words. Although my Majesty has a kind heart, I am afraid that the ministers will not follow him."
"The envoy means..."
"If Dacheng wants to be protected by Da Ming, he will take the brotherly friendship one step closer, saying that there is no proof and must sign a new contract," Li Tengfang saw that Puti still didn't understand, so he had to say clearly, "Da Ming must bear the responsibility of protecting Dacheng, then Dacheng must also bear corresponding responsibilities."
"My big city is so weak and small. Compared with Daming, I don't know what I can contribute?" Puti felt that the current Daming, whether it is Zhu Youjian, Huang Xiaofu, or today's Li Tengfang, seems to be different from the legendary Daming. .
"For example, two brothers, the eldest brother assumes the responsibility of protecting the younger brother, so what can't the younger brother do for the eldest brother?"
"Your envoy, what can Dacheng do for Daming?"
"This... The lower officials don’t know, but Daming and Dacheng must enter into a contract that stipulates the rights and responsibilities of both parties. Just like last time, if there is no contract and the words are unfounded, what difficulties Dacheng will really encounter at that time, Daming It may not be able to reach out in time."
"Oh," Puti thought for a while. He seemed to understand that Laos used to be Daming's propaganda department, at least a nominal possession of Daming, but when Toungoo invaded, it was not protected by Daming, probably because of the lack of contract provisions. Dacheng is not Daming’s land. Because of the contract, Daming still dispatched troops according to the contract. Thinking of this, his eyes brightened, "Your majesty, your majesty, must be sent to Beijing as soon as possible to sign a new contract with Daming. Contract."
"If the national teacher can think so, that's right. Only when the rights and responsibilities of both parties are clarified, Daming and Dacheng can become a permanent fraternal state. As for whether it is a vassal state, it doesn't matter anymore."
"The vassal state is still necessary. As long as the contract can be signed, my Dacheng is still the permanent vassal state of Daming." In Puti's eyes, if Dacheng became a vassal state of Daming, at least Daming would not invade Dacheng, otherwise, he would lose The trust of other vassal states.
Li Tengfang smiled, since Dacheng wants to become a vassal state of Ming Dynasty, maybe it can be written in the contract.
Puti then took out the big seal of King Batishan and the surrender paper of King Pawuba Yulawa, and handed them to Li Tengfang, "The last contract is considered to be complete. The next official will have a banquet today to congratulate you, your envoy. You have to show your face."
"Thank you for the national teacher," Li Tengfang arched his hands. "Drinking is not busy, and the next official has to go back to Tongyu to settle the affairs of Laos as soon as possible, so as not to waste the efforts of the national teacher."
"That's, that's, national affairs are important, then this wine, the official will write it down first." Puti did not reluctantly, he and Li Tengfang should still have a chance to meet, no accident, it is he who is the envoy to Daming Putty.
"Then the official will leave first, the five hundred thousand tael pension matter..."
"Three days later, I will be sent to your ambassador's apartment, please arrange for someone to accept it."
"A word is a deal." Li Tengfang said goodbye to Puti.
According to the contract, Dacheng gave Daming 300,000 shi of grain, and 50,000 shi had already been transported in advance, and the remaining 250,000 shi had been shipped to Baigu. What Li Tengfang was worried about was the situation in Laos.
He left several entourages in the apartment and went to Tongyu by himself.
Daming Chen had 100,000 soldiers in Dongyu. Chen Zizhuang's Seventeenth Army was scattered throughout Dongyu. It was difficult to gather for a while. Mu Qiyuan's 19th Army was deployed on the border of Dacheng. The two sides were dividing the national border. Among them, Liu Zhenyu's The 55th Division was still far away in the Malay Peninsula, so Li Tengfang planned to deploy Lin Chengxiang's 20th Army to garrison Laos.
Li Tengfang followed Lin Chengxiang’s army and entered Laos via Chiang Mai. Because of the Dayin of King Batishan and the surrender document of King Phra Vubayurawa, the Ming army did not encounter any resistance in Laos, and it was Luang Prabang. In front of the Ming army, his army also disarmed automatically.
Lin Chengxiang completed his deployment in Laos and officially took control of the situation in Laos.
Li Tengfang was about to return to the capital with King Batishan and King Pawuba Yulawa. At this time, an entourage who had stayed in Dacheng rushed over. He told Li Tengfang that the 500,000 taels of silver in Dacheng was under their supervision. Next, it will be transported to the ancient city of Bai, and will be temporarily delivered to Mu Qiyuan.
One day later, Puti also came. As the envoy of Dacheng, he once again went to Daming.
Li Tengfang and his entourage went north easily. When they entered Beijing, it was already May.
Hearing that Li Tengfang had returned, Zhu Youjian immediately summoned him in the Palace of the Qing Dynasty.
"See your majesty!" Li Tengfang only saluted, but did not kneel. Except for the official meeting every half month, Zhu Youjian exempted the ministers from paying their respects. If they were not worried about the opposition from Shilin, Zhu Youjian was prepared to cancel the kneeling all over the country. Polite.
"Li Aiqing don't need to give a lot of gifts, give a seat." Zhu Youjian has already learned from the investigators’ flying pigeons about Li Tengfang’s implementation of the contract, knowing that Li Tengfang’s mission is not humiliating, and the look in Li Tengfang’s eyes is a bit strange. .
"Your Majesty..." Li Tengfang did not wait for Zhu Youjian to ask questions, and took the initiative to entrust Zhu Youjian with the situation of the envoy to Dacheng.
"Aiqing has lived up to my expectations, really is my minister of the arm." Daming took back the Lao Xuan comfort Secretary who had been lost for nearly a hundred years without a single soldier, and ordered Zhu Youjian to Longyan Dayue, although he already knew the result. Now, after listening to Li Tengfang's narrative, my heart is still surging.
"This is your majesty's strategizing, and the minister is only the realization of your majesty's sacred fruit." Li Tengfang said a few words of modesty, and he was quite proud in his heart. He has overfulfilled the holy intent this time on his mission.
"Contracts are the same thing. It is still very difficult to implement the results of the contract. Aiqing doesn't need to be too modest, I understand." Zhu Youjian was still thinking about the Laos situation. When the contract was signed with Dacheng, Zhu Youjian He didn't plan to take back Laos at all. His energy is still in the north. If Puti can't help take back Laos, in a short time, Daming has no plan to use troops.
"It is the duty of a courtier to share the worries for your majesty, and to share the burden of your majesty's troubles." In front of Zhu Youjian, Li Tengfang did not dare to take great credits. Zhu Youjian's personal merits seemed to be against the sky. Who would dare to be with him? ratio
"Hahaha..." Zhu Youjian laughed for a while, "Li Aiqing has made great achievements on his mission to Dacheng, but there is one thing wrong."
"Wrong?" Li Tengfang was startled, he really didn't know what was wrong, "The minister is dull, please correct me."
"Aiqing is not to divide my worries for me, but to serve Daming. Daming's interests are the common goal of you and my monarchs." Zhu Youjian said, conquering Jian slaves and Southern Ryukyu, establishing a province outside Guan, and permanently eliminating the north. On the sidelines, my achievements are exhausted, so how can I care about taking back Burma? I am opening up the Indian Ocean for Daming, providing more choices for future trade and military deployment. "Recovering Burma and Laos, I don’t have any practical interests. The larger the country, the more the country’s affairs will be. , I will only get busier."
"The minister understands that Daming's interests are above all else." For the first time, Li Tengfang felt that this sentence was not an empty slogan.
"It's good to understand," Zhu Youjian gently sipped the tea, "Aiqing stayed in Burma for many days, is there a strategy to govern Burma? Mu Qiyuan and the others are soldiers, only military occupation, if you want to govern Burma well , It still depends on you civil servants."
"Your Majesty, if you want to rule Myanmar, you must first rule people," Li Tengfang followed Zhu Youjian's way and sipped the incense tea lightly. Seeing Zhu Youjian watching him, he said boldly, "Now Myanmar The population is less than one million, but the Han people have exceeded 500,000, mainly due to the naturalization of Shan and Men. This momentum should be continued."