Chen Shuda advised from the side: "Please calm down your anger. Your Majesty will not solve the problem even if you get angry. It will only make the other party more proud."

Li Yuan also realized that he had lost his composure. He sat down slowly, pondered for a moment, and then said to Li Jiancheng: "You are busy with government affairs, so don't ask about this matter, just let the Prime Minister Chen handle it!"

Li Yuan didn't want his eldest son to deal with this matter at all. It was just that he was dissatisfied with his eldest son and wanted to continue to beat the eldest son in this matter. That's why he said on the one hand that they could deal with it with it with full authority, and on the other hand, he expressed a completely different attitude towards Zhao Jingci.

But Li Yuan was the monarch after all. After venting his anger, he finally calmed down. This matter was deeply involved and related to the fundamental interests of the Tang Dynasty. He could no longer be ambiguous.

Li Yuan waved his hand again, "You retreat first!"

"yes!"

Li Jiancheng nodded silently, lowered his head and retreated, and walked out of the imperial study room. He felt relieved. Being by his father's side made him feel so depressed. It's okay, he doesn't care about this matter, but what should Wang Junguo do if he was dismissed? Li Jiancheng was so sad that he had to leave depressedly.

Only Li Yuan and Chen Shuda were left in the imperial study. Li Yuan did not speak, but stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back and pondered for a long time. Chen Shuda didn't say anything. He knew that the emperor's heart was as clear as a mirror, and he looked at the problem from the perspective of the emperor, sometimes he could not understand it. Many times silence was the best strategy.

After a while, Li Yuan said slowly: "We can give up the spoils of Mayi County, and I can also accept their plans, but we must have a bottom line. Our bottom line is the security of Taiyuan. Loufan County, as a strategic buffer for Taiyuan, must be brought back. Loufan County is the throat of Loufan County, and the Sui army must be returned. After all, we must occupy Loufan Pass first. In addition, Zhang Changxun has already surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, and Hetao is our territory. The Sui army must withdraw from Hetao."

"But your Majesty, the Sui army has captured Hetao, Zhang Changxun fled, and all his soldiers surrendered. It is unlikely that the Sui army will evacuate." Chen Shuda whispered.

Li Yuan sneered, "There is nothing impossible in this world. If Zhang Xuan does not withdraw from Hetao, he will not want to take away Xiao Xian's territory."

Chen Shuda was speechless. He realized that the emperor wanted to tear up the agreement reached with the Northern Sui Dynasty to divide Xiao Xian's territory.

The two sides quickly reached an agreement on the plan to divide the spoils. The Tang Dynasty fully agreed to the Northern Sui plan. The two sides dispatched a total of 130,000 troops, of which 30,000 Tang troops were entrusted, and all the spoils were distributed to the Tang Dynasty in a ratio of 23%.

However, the Tang side politely declined Zhang Xuan's proposal to give additional pensions to each soldier with 30 stagnant coins. The reason was that the Sui army insisted on handing over the money to the family members of each soldier with the dead. The Tang side could not accept it, but asked the Tang court to distribute it uniformly, but the Sui side insisted on distributing it himself. In the end, the two sides could not reach a consensus and left it alone.

In addition, the Tang Dynasty also agreed to several suggestions put forward by Ziwei Pavilion in Northern Sui Dynasty, setting up offices in Chang'an and Zhong, and sending their respective representatives. Both sides recognized that the other party's imperial examination was valid, and both sides agreed to liberalize private trade.

It can be said that the two parties in the negotiations in the previous two days were spent in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. Although the pension was not reached, it did not affect the peaceful atmosphere.

But on the third day, the Tang side proposed a new suggestion to redefine the three northern counties, and the friendly atmosphere between the two sides began to fade away like the heat after autumn.

In the Political Affairs Hall, both sides were verbally fighting and fighting red. The focus of the debate between the two sides was the ownership of Loufan Pass. For the Tang Dynasty, once Loufan Pass was confirmed to be the Tang Dynasty, then the Loufan County in the south naturally belonged to the Tang Dynasty. For the Northern Sui Dynasty, Loufan Pass was the southern gate of Mayi County and Yanmen County. Once it belonged to the Tang Dynasty, it was equivalent to the gates of the two counties being opened, and Loufan Pass had no room to make concessions.

Although Zhang Xuan agreed to return Loufan County to the Tang Dynasty in exchange for Xiao Xian and his daughter in exchange for Xiao Xian, Wen Yanbo would never agree easily as a negotiation skill. He had to give up until the end to show that Mi Gui was the concession.

"I think we need to repeat it again!"

Yu Wenshi pressed the table, stretched his neck like a cockfighting, and blushed, whispered to Wen Yanbo: "We have defeated Liu Wuzhou and occupied Loufan Pass. This is an ironclad fact. You cannot deny it, nor can you deny that Loufan Pass is our territory and no longer belongs to Liu Wuzhou. Since both sides want to talk about friendship and reconciliation, at least you should return the occupied Tang Dynasty territory and return Loufan Pass. This is your sincerity, otherwise we have nothing to talk about."

"Mr. Yuwen, please calm down and listen to me first."

Although Wen Yanbo's tone was gentle, his words were very sharp. "Shishou Lang Yuwen believed that the land occupied by the Tang army was the territory of the Tang Dynasty. If this conclusion was true, then we could make the same request. We had occupied Pujin Pass, so Pujin Pass should be the territory of the Northern Sui Dynasty. We can return Loufan Pass to the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty should also return Pujin Pass to our Northern Sui Dynasty. Does Yuwen think this plan is feasible?"

"You are simply messing around!"

Yu Wenshi was so angry that his seven orifices were smoked, and his handsome face became distorted. He punched the table with his fists and shouted: "Pujin Pass is originally the territory of our Tang Dynasty, what does it have to do with you? Loufan Pass was taken down by 30,000 soldiers who died in battle, so what does it have to do with you? You have been occupied by force by you. Since we want to reconcile, we should return our Loufan Pass!"

At this time, Chen Shuda stood up and waved his hand and said, "Please calm down, both of you! Listen to me."

Since Chen Shuda was about to come forward to express his opinion, Yu Wenshi had to restrain his anger, turned his head to look at the roof, and his chest was undulating violently. Wen Yanbo was much better than him, and bowed and smiled: "Please tell me, please tell me, Prime Minister Chen!"

Chen Shuda said earnestly: "What's the use of negotiating like you, even if you have the voice over the other party? Even if you have the advantage in principle, will the other party make concessions? Negotiation is not buying vegetables, nor can it make the other party concessions by arguing with three or two garlic. Negotiation is a compromise, and both parties must show sincerity. Let me talk to Mr. Wen!"

Chen Shuda rushed Yu Wen and the other side and sat on the seat of the envoy. He smiled and said, "Mr. Wen, Loufan County and Loufan Pass are strategic buffers for Taiyuan and are crucial to us. I don't know what conditions we need to take, so the dynasty will agree to return Loufan Pass and Loufan County to us?"

Wen Yanbo also nodded, "Chen Xiangguo's pragmatic attitude is worthy of praise, but Loufan Pass is the southern gate of Mayi County and Yanmen County. Even if you imprison Ling and I in prison, my highness will not give in, but Loufan County may have room for negotiation."

Wen Yanbo told the other party frankly this time that he would not think about Loufanguan. If he wanted Loufan County, he could talk about it.

Chen Shuda was so experienced that he immediately understood the profound meaning of Wen Yanbo's words. At this time, Yu Wenshi was about to refute, but was stopped by Chen Shuda waved his hand. He smiled at Wen Yanbo and said, "Then let's talk about Loufan County first!"

This is Chen Shuda’s pragmatism. Instead of catching the moon in the water, it is better to pick flowers in front of the window, get the goals that can be achieved first, and then talk about Loufan Pass.

At this time, Deputy Envoy Ling Jing said: "Hundreds of thousands of soldiers fought against the Turkic cavalry in Loufan County, and finally annihilated the Turkic army. The loyal souls of tens of thousands of soldiers were buried in Loufan County. The Sui army soldiers cherished this land very much. However, His Highness of Qi was respectful to the Tang Dynasty's troops to fight against the Turkic army and also to commemorate the death of ten thousand Tang soldiers. Therefore, he authorized us to discuss the ownership of Loufan County to show his sincerity, but we also have conditions."

Anyone would say something glamorous and noble. Chen Shuda nodded with a polite smile, but he paid more attention to Ling Jing's last sentence. He stroked his beard and smiled: "The King of Qi is kind and righteous, which is admirable. We are also willing to exchange sincerity for your sincerity. I wonder what the conditions mean?"

"The conditions are very simple. I hope your country will hand over Xiao Xian and his daughter to us."

"this"

Uncle Chen was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect the other party to propose such a condition, which was difficult for him to answer!

After pondering for a long time, Chen Shuda said slowly: "I really have no right to decide on this condition, so let's do it! I go back and ask the Lord for instructions. If the Lord agrees, then we can reach an agreement. I also want to know, what other conditions do you have?"

Ling Jing shook his head, "In exchange for Loufan County, there is only one condition, there is no other condition, but I need to remind the Prime Minister Chen that this is a condition without any alternative. If you refuse to accept it, then Loufan County will no longer be able to discuss it."

Chen Shuda said lightly: "I understand, I will reply to you tomorrow. It's getting late, so let's stop here today!"

The Sui envoys stood up one after another, and they bowed to each other, and they said goodbye and left. (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!