Chapter 1670 — I Simply Won't Sign
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 5
Nian Guanhe rose and said clearly, "Emperor Yunluo, stay your steps! " Wei Suifeng stopped and gave an angry snort, his face dark. "And what if you tell me to stay?
Will you kill me? The five of you of the Inner Thrones may not have the skill to hold Wei! " Nian Guanhe smiled.
"Since this is a consultation, there is still room for discussion.
Emperor Yunluo need not be anxious; let me return and report to His Majesty, and then decide. " Wei Suifeng's expression eased.
He shot a glance at Yuchenzi, then flew into a rage again and thundered, "If you dare sell Jingping's interests again, I will beat you to death, you Heavenly Court spy!
" Yuchenzi raged, "I am a Heavenly Court spy? What benefit would I get as a spy?
" "How should I know? I only heard the Heavenly Court gave you several heavens. Everyone says that once these talks are done you mean to hide yourself away and live out your days a rich man!
" . .
. The two fell to quarreling and were about to come to blows again. Prince Youming stood between them, urging peace, saying slowly, "Both of you, say one sentence less.
. .
" Nian Guanhe ordered a civil official under his command to go to the Heavenly Court and report to Emperor Haotian the difficulty they had met. Emperor Haotian was in the Zaofu Heavenly Palace speaking with the new master of Zaofu Palace, the Heavenly Venerable Xing'an, and no idle persons could enter. Only after more than ten days did Emperor Haotian come out of the Zaofu Heavenly Palace, his face radiant, plainly in excellent spirits. The civil official hurried forward and told Emperor Haotian of the Jingping negotiations, saying, "The Heavenly Venerable Mu does not involve himself in affairs, but the powers under him will not yield, and they howl to rebel.
" "A child that cries gets the candy. It is because I have allotted them no benefit that they have begun to make noise.
" Emperor Haotian judged it exactly.
He smiled, "Then I may concede a little; I should not press too hard. Press too hard, and the Heavenly Venerable Mu will rebel.
Go back and tell the Five Inner Emperor Thrones they may loosen the terms somewhat. But they must be given a deadline! " His face turned cold, and he sneered, "By the end of this year, they must sign for me! If they do not sign, then do not blame me for being merciless—I will wipe Jingping from existence!
" The civil official hurried off and returned to Jingping, and repeated Emperor Haotian's words to the Five Inner Emperor Thrones. The Five Inner Emperor Thrones breathed out in relief. "It is good that His Majesty will yield a little benefit.
Then it will be easier to talk.
" Yet once this gap was opened, every party of interest within Jingping leaped out, hoping for a share of the stew.
Inside the Wendao Academy the quarreling turned the air foul, as one Jingping magnate after another quarreled with the Heavenly Court's envoys, and among themselves they quarreled the heavens down. The five Emperors of the Five Inner Emperor Thrones were left dizzy and muddled. Each of the five had several hundred retainers—two or three thousand all told—yet even they were worn to exhaustion by the wrangling, and could not cope. The wrangling dragged on to the end of the year, and still nothing was fully settled.
Emperor Haotian was furious, and ordered all the envoys recalled, preparing for war. No sooner had the order gone out, before the Heavenly Court's envoys had even returned, than word came: the Heavenly Venerable Mu had left his seclusion and come out to Jingping, and had submitted a memorial to the Heavenly Court declaring himself willing to submit, and would personally lead the Jingping envoys to the Heavenly Court to continue the talks. Emperor Haotian, on one hand, ordered the Heavenly Court's armies put in order, ready to make war at any moment, applying maximum pressure; on the other hand, he ordered the Heavenly Venerable Mu to lead the Jingping envoys to the Heavenly Court to continue the talks.