Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 228: Forerunner
Quanzhou Prefecture, January 18, early in the morning, on the road outside Guankou Town, countless cavalry scouts were running back and forth, and nearly 10,000 Ming troops surrounded this small market town.

The regents of Gui and Lu decided to meet. The officials of both sides attached great importance to this meeting.

The two vassal states of Gui and Lu are the only remaining legitimate forces in the world. If this meeting goes well, the two strongest vassal states of the Ming Dynasty will be able to bridge their differences and work together to fight the Qing invaders. If the meeting goes badly, the two sides may soon repeat the old story of Tang and Lu, with wars and disasters, and fighting again.
In fact, after the envoys from Gui Jianguo arrived at Zhongzuo, the officials on both sides had already begun to make intensive preparations.
Although the two kings had agreed to meet, the officials on both sides were arguing over the details of the meeting. The two sides argued for several rounds over the location of the meeting alone.

Lu Jianguo's side initially proposed that the two sides meet at the sea between Zhongzuo and Fujian Province. After Zheng Cai joined Lu Jianguo's side, they had hundreds of warships under their command and maintained an absolute advantage on the sea.

Although Gui Jianguo had Huang Ting, Zhou Hezhi and other naval commanders join him, he was still unable to compete with Zheng Cai, who controlled the main force of Zheng's navy.

The Lu Regent wanted to use their advantage at sea to suppress the Gui Regent, but the Gui Regent refused and told the Lu Regent that this meeting would never take place at sea.

The reason given by Gui Regent was very simple. Although the Ming Dynasty had lost half of its territory, it had not yet fallen to the point where it had no place to stand. If the two regents met at sea at this time, it would be no different from the Southern Song Dynasty after Yashan. After hearing this, Lu Regent had no choice but to give up the plan to meet at sea.

Gui Jianguo's party then proposed to set the meeting place in Changtai City, but Lu Jianguo's party also strongly opposed it.

At this time, the land of Fujian Province was under the control of Gui Jianguo. Everyone knew that Gui Jianguo had elite land forces. If the meeting place was set in the city, once Gui Jianguo had some ideas, Lu Jianguo would have no way to counterattack.
If Gui Jianguo suddenly launched an attack and trapped Lu Jianguo in the city, would Zheng Cai, Yang Geng and others be able to attack the city against Gui Jianguo's elite land forces? With Gui Jianguo's superior military strength, let alone attacking the city, Lu Jianguo's soldiers would probably be unable to protect themselves, so Lu Jianguo was firmly opposed.

After several rounds of arguments, the two sides finally decided to meet at Guankou Town between Changtai and Zhongzuo. This town had no city walls and was close to the sea. If something unexpected happened during the negotiations, Lu Jianguo and others could quickly reach the seaside and leave by boat.
The two sides decided on a meeting place, and then began to discuss the number of troops to be sent. There was another debate on this point, and the two sides finally decided to send 2,000 soldiers each to station inside and outside Guankou Town. Except for these 2,000 people, the rest of the army was not allowed to approach Guankou Town within 30 miles.

The number of guards on both sides was set at 2,000, which was also the result of Lu Jianguo's strong request. It was not that Lu Jianguo and others could not send troops, but that Lu Jianguo's troops could not defeat Gui Jianguo on land. The more troops were sent, the more dangerous Lu Jianguo's side would be.
The two parties finally decided on the meeting place and the number of guards, but they disagreed on the seating arrangement.
The Lu Regent proposed that the two regents sit on the main seat above, and the two ministers sit on the left and right sides below.

Gui Jianguo was unwilling to agree. If both kings sat on the throne, wouldn't it be a disguised declaration that the two kings were equal in status and would accept the worship of all the ministers together? How could this be feasible?
After a debate, the two sides finally decided that there would be no main seat at the venue. The two kings would be the leaders, and the two sides would sit on either side. This was the reluctant way to determine the seating arrangement at the venue.

In the early morning, soldiers were everywhere inside and outside Guankou Town. The people in the town had been moved out of the town long ago. Now all the houses in the town were occupied by soldiers from both sides.
In the central mansion of Guankou Town, on the right side of the lobby, Zhu Yihai, the regent of Lu, is wearing a bright yellow dragon robe with a snow-white fox fur coat over it. Below Zhu Yihai are Xiong Rulin and Qian Sule, who are wearing bright red official robes of cranes, and Zheng Cai, Zhang Mingzhen and other military officials, who are wearing unicorn robes.

Just as Lu Jianguo and his party sat down, footsteps were heard at the door again, and then a group of people wearing scarlet robes and Liangguan walked in.

Zhu Lang walked into the hall, glanced at the middle-aged man in a dragon robe above him, and then walked to the upper left with a blank expression. Behind Zhu Lang, Lu Daqi, Su Guansheng, Jiao Lian, Ma Bao, Shi Lang and others also followed him into the hall.

At this time, both sides of the hall were full of people. There were seventy or eighty people in the field, almost all of them were dressed as birds and beasts. In this remote house, for a moment, it was full of nobles.
Xiong Ruolin and the others looked at Gui Jianguo who walked into the hall, and their faces were shocked. Gui Jianguo opposite was not wearing a crown robe, but a black and gold mountain pattern armor. Looking behind Gui Jianguo, in addition to the civil officials, Jiao Lian, Ma Bao and other military generals were also wearing black iron armor.
At this time, seven or eight military officials in iron armor stood in the hall, looking at Lu Jianguo and others opposite with expressionless faces. The atmosphere in the field suddenly became solemn.

On the left side of the hall, Zhu Lang seemed to be unaware. He walked to the upper left and casually took off the phoenix-wing helmet on his head. The black iron helmet with gold edges hit the table, making a light sound.

The people on the other side, including Xiong Rulin, the governor of Lu, were all slightly shocked when they heard the sound.

Xiong Rulin stood below Lu Jianguo, looking at the tall young man in black and gold armor opposite him, and his heart sank. It turned out that Gui Jianguo's party had come with bad intentions.

At this time, Qian Sule, Zhang Huangyan and other officials of the Lu vassal state were all frightened by the sudden intrusion of Gui Jianguo's party. The hall was silent. Xiong Ruolin knew that this could not go on. He turned his eyes and said

"Both Gui and Lu are descendants of the Ming Dynasty. It is against etiquette for Your Highness to come in military uniform when the princes meet at this time."

When everyone on Lu Jianguo's side heard Xiong Ruolin's voice, they came back to their senses and nodded slightly, then looked at Gui Jianguo opposite them.
At this time, everyone in Lu Fan's eyes were focused on the young man opposite, but Zhu Lang's face was calm. He glanced at Xiong Rulin opposite and said softly:

"Etiquette?"

"I came to Fujian Province to fight, not to travel and visit relatives. In a large army, if you are not careful, you will die without a burial place. I am leading the army in person, so what should I wear if not armor?"

After Zhu Lang finished speaking, he glanced at the people opposite him and said in a cold voice

"On the contrary, you all, wearing wide robes with big sleeves, furs and brocade, what, are you preparing to let your horses go to the mountains?"

Xiong Rulin and the others on the opposite side all changed their expressions when they heard this. It was winter now, and even in the south it was still freezing cold.
The Lu Jinguo's party was on the island, and it was even more unbearable to be cold. At this time, many people in the court of Lu Jinguo's party were wearing fox fur to keep warm. Originally, this was nothing, but in front of the people of Gui Fan who were wearing armor, it immediately seemed inappropriate.
When the officials of the Lu clan on the right saw the cold expression of Gui Jianguo opposite them, their hearts immediately tightened, as if they felt that they had done something wrong, and subconsciously wanted to take off the fox fur coat on their bodies.

But just when they were halfway through, they realized something was wrong. They were ministers of the Lu Regent. What did the Gui Regent say had to do with them? Why should they listen to what the Gui Regent said?
When the ministers of Lu Jianguo thought of this, they stopped what they were doing. They were confused about whether to delay or not.
When Zhu Yihai saw Gui Jianguo looking at him, he panicked a little and subconsciously wanted to take off his fox fur coat.
But as soon as he raised his hand, he saw Xiong Ruolin's gaze. Then Zhu Yihai immediately came to his senses and stood on the right side with an expressionless face, as if he was not moved at all.

Xiong Ruolin was relieved to see that Lu Jianguo did not show any fear. He turned his gaze to Gui Jianguo and said softly, "Your Highness Prince Gui is wrong. If we were fighting against the Qing invaders, we should wear military uniforms and fight to resist the enemy. But now we are meeting relatives, so we should wear wide robes and sleeves to show our friendship."

Lu Jianguo, Qian Sule and others nodded secretly when they heard this, and Zhu Lang looked at the calm old man opposite him, praised him in his heart, and said softly

"Mr. Xiong is indeed smart, but on the battlefield, the Qing invaders will only fight with swords, bows and crossbows, and will not give you a chance to speak. Even if Mr. Xiong is eloquent and good at argument, I'm afraid he will not be able to save his life on the battlefield."

After Zhu Lang finished speaking, he stopped pursuing him and gestured to Lu Jianguo opposite him, then sat down directly above his left head.
Seeing Zhu Lang sitting down opposite him, Lu Jianguo nodded slightly in response to Zhu Lang, and then sat down on the first seat on the right.

The two regents sat down, and everyone in the hall also sat down. At this point, the scene finally looked like a conversation.

On the side of Gui Jianguo, Zhu Lang sat at the top, and below him were three cabinet ministers, Lü Daqi, Su Guansheng, and Zhang Kentang. Below Zhang Kentang were Jiao Lian, Zheng Hongkui, Ma Bao, Shi Lang and other dukes and military officials with titles. Below them were Zhang Tongchang, Zheng Chenggong and other ordinary civil and military officials. Overall, the seating order was still roughly the same, with civil officials being superior and military officials being inferior.

The Lu Regent on the right is a little weird. The one on the right is Zhu Yihai, the Lu Regent, and the one below is Xiong Rulin, the chief minister of the Lu Regent court. This is also fine.
But the strange thing is that after Xiong Rulin sat Zheng Cai and Yang Geng, and after Zheng Cai and the other two sat Qian Sulue and Shen Chenquan, two cabinet ministers of Lu, and after Shen Chenquan sat Shen Tingyang, Zhang Huangyan, Zhang Mingzhen and other civil and military officials.

Zhu Lang looked at the people of Lu Jianguo opposite him, his eyes were full of thoughts. Zhu Lang did not speak, and Lu Daqi and other officials of Guifan would naturally not speak either.

The Lu Jianguo party was taken advantage of by Zhu Lang and others. Seeing that the other side was silent, they did not want to speak first and fall into a disadvantage. Both sides were silent, and there was silence in the hall for a while.

Zhu Lang was thinking about the situation in the court of Lu Jianguo, and Lu Daqi and others soon discovered the strangeness of the seating arrangement of Lu Jianguo's side. Lu Daqi, Su Guansheng, and Zhang Kentang looked at each other, and then looked at the ministers of Lu Fan opposite with inquiring eyes.

The seating arrangement of Lu's side is obviously abnormal. In Gui's court, even if Zhu Lang is determined to improve the status of military officials, the cabinet ministers are still the most respected, and the military officials are second.
But on the other side, although Zheng Cai and others were below the Prime Minister Xiong Rulin, they were above the two cabinet ministers Qian Sule and Shen Chenquan.
Lu Daqi and others had been in the officialdom for a long time. Just by looking at the seats opposite them, they could already smell a familiar atmosphere. They were also old officials who had experienced the Longwu Dynasty. How could they not guess the situation in the Lu Jianguo court at this time?

Lu Daqi and others saw that the Lu Jianguo court was unstable, and they felt relieved, so they became more calm. Xiong Ruolin and others on the opposite side also noticed the frequent inquiring eyes from the opposite side, and their expressions changed slightly.
Xiong Rulin saw that the atmosphere on his side was becoming increasingly depressing, and his heart sank. In the end, he was the first to lose his patience.

Xiong Ruolin nodded slightly to Lu Jianguo above him, and Lu Jianguo, seeing Xiong Ruolin's hint, also cleared his throat and suddenly spoke

As Lu Jianguo spoke, everyone in the hall immediately looked at him.

"Although I and the King of Gui are both members of the royal family, we have lost touch with each other for a long time. The world is in turmoil. It is a joy for us to meet each other today."

"I have been fighting in the north and south in recent years, and I have no treasures with me. Only this jade pendant is an old item in the mansion. It has been with me for many years. Today I will give it to King Gui. I also hope that our two families can be like this in the future and turn hostility into friendship."

After the King of Lu finished speaking, he took off the white jade pendant from his waist, and the waiter quickly held the jade pendant and handed it to the Regent Gui opposite.
"Since it is a gift from a relative, I will accept it. Thank you, King Lu, for the gift of the jade."

Zhu Lang looked at the jade pendant on the tray and raised his eyebrows, but he didn't say much. He handed the jade pendant to Li Guoyong behind him and bowed to express his gratitude. When Lu Jianguo on the opposite side saw Zhu Lang accept the jade pendant, he felt relieved.

This gift of jade was also arranged by Xiong Ruolin and others. The purpose of giving the jade was not the jade pendant itself, but the last sentence to turn hostility into friendship. Now that the King of Gui could accept the jade pendant, it was at least a good start.
Zhu Lang looked at the white jade dragon, phoenix and auspicious cloud jade pendant on the tray, his eyes turned, and he also spoke

"The King of Lu gave me a beautiful jade. I also brought something with me on this trip, and now is the perfect time to give it to the King of Lu."

Zhu Lang gestured to Li Guoyong behind him, and Li Guoyong also took out a palm-sized jade box and handed it to the waiter of Lu Jianguo opposite.

On the mahogany tray, the white jade box was tightly covered, but it was impossible to tell what was inside.

Lu Jianguo looked at the tightly covered jade box on the tray with a hesitant look on his face. After seeing Xiong Rulin nod slightly, he reached out to take the jade box and put it on the table.

"Guangdong Province has a prosperous maritime trade, and many foreign treasures have gathered here. The gift from the King of Gui must be a rare treasure. I would like to thank the King of Gui for his kindness."

"The contents of this box are truly rare treasures in the world."

Zhu Lang was silent for a moment before he spoke softly.

The officials of the Lu clan opposite to them heard what Zhu Lang said, and they all looked at the jade box in the hands of Lu Jianguo, wanting to see what the world's treasure that Gui Jianguo mentioned was.
(End of this chapter)