Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 231 Covenant
In the hall, Xiong Rulin, Zheng Cai and other officials of Lu Fan heard the murderous words of Gui Jianguo, and their expressions suddenly changed.

Gui Jianguo's words hit the mark of Zheng Cai and others. Although Xiong Rulin had disputes with Zheng Cai, they were very consistent on this point.
Their original plan was to use the tens of thousands of troops in their hands to force the Guifan Alliance to make peace, and then they could take the opportunity to stay on the island to recuperate and let the Guifan block the way first.

This is actually an open conspiracy. The Gui clan has now taken control of Fujian Province. Whether the Gui clan is willing or not, they have to send troops to stop the Qing army's counterattack.
It is impossible for Gui Fan to abandon the Fujian Province that he had conquered with great difficulty and let the Qing army attack the Lu Regent Court just because he and others were hiding behind him.

However, Xiong Ruolin and Zheng Cai did not expect that the tens of thousands of troops they relied on were not taken seriously by Gui Fan and others.

Moreover, His Royal Highness Gui Jianguo was extremely decisive. He would rather go to war with them than let them stay on the island. This put Lu Jianguo's side in a passive position in an instant.

Of course, Lu Jianguo and his party can also ignore the threat from Gui Fan and continue to hold Zhongzuo. Lu Jianguo and his party still maintain the advantage on the sea. In a short time, Gui Jianguo and others will not be able to fight to the island, but this is equivalent to completely breaking off relations with Gui Fan.
And this also has problems. If they cannot seize food and money from Fujian and Guangdong within one month, or force Gui Jianguo to make peace with them militarily, the island will face food shortage.
Once the island ran out of food, they would probably fall into chaos without Gui Fan attacking.

Xiong Ruolin, Zheng Cai and others had previously analyzed the situation in Fujian Province. Xiong Ruolin and others believed that if the Gui Clan occupied Fujian and Guangdong at this time, they might face a counterattack from the Qing invaders at any time. At this time, as long as they could show goodwill, even if the Gui Clan was unwilling to recognize Lu's position as the regent, they should not dare to risk fighting on two fronts and go to war with them.

Therefore, neither Xiong Rulin nor Zheng Cai were ready to go to war with Gui Jianguo.
Zhu Lang saw that Xiong Rulin and Zheng Cai were silent for a long time, but he was not prepared to let them delay any longer. He looked directly at Lu Jianguo above and said

"Prince Lu, it is absolutely impossible for you to hide on this island and reap the benefits. I will not allow it, and the court will not allow it either!"

"At this point, you can either lead your troops north to recover, or lead your troops to fight me to see who will win. Apart from this, there is no other way for either of us."

"King Lu, now it's a matter of war or peace, you and I can decide it with one word."

Zhu Lang took a step forward and stared coldly at Lu Jianguo who was standing opposite him. Lu Jianguo looked at the armored young man who was pressing on him, and a drop of cold sweat flowed down his forehead. He suddenly became panicked.
At this time, even Xiong Rulin and Zheng Cai were confused about how to respond. How could Lu Jianguo know whether to fight or make peace?
If Zhu Yihai had to choose, he would definitely make peace. Gui Fan's army was powerful, and their chances of winning were slim.

This Gui Regent is so brutal and overbearing. If the army is defeated, I will definitely not have a good ending. In this case, it is better to move back to Zhoushan Island.

When they fled from Zhoushan to Fujian Province, they only had a few thousand remnants under their command. Now, when they returned to Zhoushan, they had become an army of tens of thousands. It was much better than their previous situation. He did not think there was anything unacceptable about moving back to Zhoushan.

Although Zhu Yihai was willing to agree to move, he was worried that Xiong Rulin's plan would be ruined, so he remained silent for a while, sweating profusely on his back, and kept glancing at Xiong Rulin below.
Xiong Rulin felt helpless when he saw this, so he could only say

"Your Highness Prince Gui's proposal was too sudden, and it is difficult for us to respond at this time. Please suspend the meeting today and allow us to discuss it clearly before giving you a response."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lang did not give Xiong Ruolin and the others any chance and spoke directly

"The Qing invaders from Jiangnan may march south at any time. I don't have time to delay with you. This matter must be settled today!"

"I have already told you that you only have two options: either move away and try to recover, or go to war with the imperial court and fight to see which side in the world is the legitimate orthodoxy of our Ming Dynasty."

"Since you want to discuss it, please go to the side and discuss it. I will wait for you in this hall."

"In fact, I would rather you choose the latter. We will fight on the battlefield, and the winner will be the king and the loser will be the bandit. Once I have wiped out you all, I can also use this opportunity to rally the hearts of the people in the world and compete with the Qing invaders."

Zhu Lang spoke in a cold voice. At this time, Zhu Lang had suppressed the opponent's momentum with a series of actions. Zhu Lang naturally did not want to let Lu Jianguo and others leave. If he let them return to the island at this time, I am afraid that Lu Fan and others will continue to delay.

At this time, he wanted to take advantage of the victory and rely on the pressure he created to completely settle the matter today and force Lu Fan and his people to leave Fujian Province.
Xiong Rulin and Zheng Cai saw the increasingly unscrupulous Gui Jianguo, and their faces were extremely ugly, but the two were silent for a while, but in the end they did not dare to turn hostile and leave.

Xiong Rulin responded to Zhu Lang, and then the officials of Lu Fan, led by Lu Jianguo, retreated to the side room and began to discuss the matter of war and peace.
Zhu Lang, Lu Daqi and others sat in the hall and ate some tea and snacks, then closed their eyes to rest. Zhu Lang and others waited in the hall for about half an hour before Lu Jianguo and others returned to the hall.

In the hall, Lu Jianguo was still sitting at the top. His face had regained its composure and he looked calm again. Zheng Cai was sitting at the bottom with a gloomy look on his face. After both parties sat down, Xiong Rulin stood up and said,

"May I ask Your Highness, Prince Gui, how much food and money will you provide us if we move to Zhoushan?"

The biggest problem for Lu Jianguo's side is food and wages. Lu Jianguo's soldiers add up to 40,000 to 50,000 people. Zhongzuo can't provide so much food and wages, and Zhoushan Island can't provide the food and wages needed by the army either.

Once they moved to Zhoushan, they would have only two ways to solve the problem of food and wages. One is to rob the areas occupied by the Qing army such as Zhejiang Province and South Zhili and Jiangnan. The second is to rely on Gui Regent to provide it. Now only the Gui Regent court, which has several southwestern provinces, can guarantee such a huge supply of food and wages.

Zhu Lang felt relieved when he heard what Xiong Ruolin said. Since Xiong Ruolin began to put forward conditions, it meant that Lu Jianguo had finally chosen to move out of Fujian Province.

Although Zhu Lang was ready for a fight, he was unwilling to do so unless it was absolutely necessary.

On the one hand, Zhu Lang had more urgent things to do in the southwestern provinces of Hunan. In order to give priority to completing the affairs of the southwestern provinces, Zhu Lang was even prepared to give up the four prefectures in southern Zhejiang when necessary. Naturally, he was unwilling to be tied down by Lu Jianguo and others in Fujian Province at this time.

This is also the reason why Zhu Lang was so determined to force Lu Jianguo and others to move away as soon as possible.
Moreover, if Lu Jianguo and others moved to Zhoushan, they would also be able to contain part of the Qing army in Zhejiang Province in the future, reducing the pressure on the court in Fujian and Zhejiang.
Zhu Lang looked at Xiong Rulin opposite him, his expression softened a bit, and he said

"If you move out of Zhongzuo now, I will allocate you 3,000 dan of rice. As for the future, it will depend on how much silver you have."

"You and I are both from the royal family. I don't want to make money from you. The court will sell grain to you according to the market price in Zhejiang and Fujian."

"Your Highness is saying that we have to pay for the food and wages."

Xiong Rulin was shocked when he heard this.

When Zhu Lang heard this, his face also looked unhappy. He said

"Otherwise, are you still planning to let the court provide you with food and wages for free?" "Don't you want to establish your own faction? If so, then you should find a way to take care of the food and wages you are waiting for."

"There are constant wars in the world now, and food is in short supply everywhere. I am doing my utmost to buy food for you at the market price. Otherwise, what else are you going to do?"

When the ministers of Lu Jianguo heard this, their expressions froze. Gui Jianguo's meaning was very clear. Since Lu Jianguo and others wanted to establish their own dynasty, they should find ways to get money and food by themselves. Gui Jianguo's court had no obligation to allocate funds for them.

Zhu Lang saw that Xiong Ruolin was still trying to argue, but he didn't give him a chance. He just waved his hand to interrupt him and said

"Of course, if you want the court to allocate funds to you, it is not impossible. If you return to your throne now and hand over your army to the court, the court will not only bear your military pay, but also pay you salaries. What do you think of this proposal? Are you willing to submit to the court?"

Xiong Rulin heard this and stopped talking suddenly. If they were willing to give up their fiefdoms and return to their positions, why would they have to argue with Gui Fan and others until now?

Zhu Lang had no intention of forcibly annexing Lu Jianguo and others. At this time, Lu Jianguo and others were willing to leave Fujian Province. In fact, there was no fundamental contradiction between the two sides. After discussing the issue of food and salary, the two sides quickly finalized other matters.
The alliance between Gui and Lu mainly consists of three clauses:

The first is that the two parties agree that within three years, they will not attack the other party's cities or subordinates, and will unite to resist the invaders.
Article 2: Gui Regent must provide at least 2,000 dan of rice per month, the price of which will be determined by the market price of rice that month. These 2,000 dan of rice are probably enough to support an army of 10,000 for a month.
Article 3: If either party encounters an emergency, they may ask the other party for help, and the other party shall do its best to help or shelter the other party's subordinates if conditions permit.
Xiong Ruolin originally intended to extend the non-attack period between the two sides to ten years, but was rejected by Zhu Lang. Although the two sides have now agreed on a treaty, they have only temporarily shelved their disputes. At this time, each side still claims to be the regent and does not recognize the other.
If Lu Fan and others want to keep each other company for ten years, then they can just let Zhu Lang recognize their title of regent. Zhu Lang will not do such a thing as raising a tiger to cause trouble.
At this time, the two sides had roughly agreed on the treaty, and Xiong Rulin also spoke

"Since the leaders have agreed, please sign a written agreement with us to seal the alliance and establish a treaty as proof."

"It's fine to sign a treaty, but if you want to sign an alliance with the court, you can only sign the treaty with the court in the name of the King of Lu, and you can only be classified as the chief secretary, the guard, and other officials of the royal palace. You are not allowed to sign the treaty as a minister."

Zhu Lang saw Xiong Rulin was about to argue, so he waved his hand to interrupt him and said

"This matter concerns the imperial court's legal system and is not negotiable. The imperial court will never allow you to sign a treaty with the imperial court in the name of the regent."

"If you can't accept it, then we can both make a verbal agreement. After returning, you can each tell your subordinates about it. This is also a method."

"Whether or not to sign a written agreement is up to you to decide."

Xiong Ruolin saw that Gui Jianguo was determined, and he knew that Gui Fan would never give up the orthodox name to sign a treaty with them at this time. However, if they signed a treaty with Gui Fan in the name of King Lu, they would be inferior to them for nothing. Xiong Ruolin was very hesitant for a while.
Xiong Rulin was silent for a moment, still unwilling to lower his status, and said

"In this case, how about both parties conclude the agreement by using the title of king?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lang was about to speak without any hesitation, but before he could say anything, Lu Daqi stood up and said
"Your Highness Gui has already inherited the throne, and now he has defeated the Qing invaders. The news of Fujian's victory will soon spread throughout the world. The court will never sign a treaty with the king's title at this time."

"His Highness also said that if you are unwilling, you can just make a verbal agreement. The imperial court is the orthodox authority in the world, so how can we go back on our word?"

Xiong Ruolin heard this but refused to respond. At this time, Guangxi was strong and Shandong was weak. If they could not get the treaty in black and white, how could they feel at ease?
Before they left Fujian Province, the Gui Regents should have honored their promise, but once they arrived in Zhoushan, it would be hard to say. If the Gui vassal government turned against them in the future, who would they turn to for justice without the treaty?
There are many old officials of Longwu in the Guifan court, and Xiong Ruolin does not trust them at all.

Xiong Rulin hesitated for a moment, then spoke again

"We also need to discuss this matter, please wait for a moment, King Gui"

"You are welcome to do as you please"

Zhu Lang did not refuse, but waved his hand. The Lu Jianguo party filed out of the hall and went to the side room to discuss.

This time, Lu Jianguo and others did not discuss for too long. After just a quarter of an hour, they returned to the hall again. Everyone sat down, and Xiong Rulin began to speak.

"Since the negotiation has been finalized, we should put it on paper. Your Highness, please sign a covenant with us."

Zhu Lang looked at Xiong Rulin, who looked somewhat unwilling, and chuckled and said

"Do you really want to sign a covenant?"

"If we sign the alliance now, you will be in a position to overthrow the imperial court. I have always kept my word, so why bother?"

"I see that you seem unwilling to give in. If that's the case, why don't we just make a verbal agreement? That way, you don't have to lower yourself a level."

"Your Highness is joking. Please ask Your Highness Prince Gui and Your Highness Prince Lu to sign a covenant."

Xiong Ruolin was still a little hesitant at first, but when he heard Gui Jianguo's instigation, the last bit of hesitation in his heart completely dissipated.

Gui Fan is trustworthy?
Gui Jianguo and his people were unwilling to keep the alliance letter at this time, and they even said that they would keep their promises. Do they really think they are fools?

At this time, Lu Jianguo's party decided to sign a contract with Gui Jianguo's court in the name of Lu Wang, and Zhu Lang and others naturally did not stop it.
The covenant was quickly written, and then Zhu Lang and Zhu Yihai each stamped their seals, and the covenant was finalized.

Qian Sule, Shen Tingyang and others from Lu Fan also breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the agreement was signed.
Gui Jianguo's faction was coming in aggressively today, threatening to start a war and wipe them out at any time. The record of Gui Fan's army in Fujian Province also made the people of Lu Fan breathless. Seeing that the two sides finally shook hands and made peace, Qian Sule and others were all relieved.

(End of this chapter)