Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 249 You call this the bottom line? [Seeking monthly votes]

And there's another problem:
Now is not the time for armies to clash and for messengers not to be killed.

Over the years, many of the envoys sent by Anda to coerce tribute have been captured or killed by Ming officials and generals, and many have been detained. Some of them were even ordered by Zhu Houcong himself.

Yan Maoqing dared to go on a mission to Anda mainly because he was there to facilitate the establishment of a tributary relationship, which was in Anda's interest.

This time, Yan Maoqing led his army here to start a war.

In this situation, the envoy would be in a very awkward and dangerous position.

Especially after Anda's troops suffered heavy losses, his impotent rage would likely be vented on the messenger, who might be dragged out and slaughtered as a sacrifice to appease his subordinates and cover up his defeat.

Therefore, even though he knew that fighting while negotiating could maximize the benefits, Yan Maoqing did not send any envoys this time, and even the message was delivered by Tatar spies.

Because if someone is incompetent, they won't be able to play their proper role.

Yan Maoqing was reluctant to send capable people to take this risk.

Yan Shifan's sudden volunteering caused a strange ripple in Yan Maoqing's heart...

This includes promises made in the extortion letter, wariness of Yan Song and his son, and a little bit of something that's hard to explain... the same kind of friendship as with Gao Gong, Shen Kun, and others?

Yan Maoqing felt that this was most likely because Yan Shifan was too good at performing and his disguise was too impeccable!
For a moment, he couldn't tell whether Yan Shifan's act of enduring hardship was feigned or if an unimaginable transformation had truly occurred.

But if his act of enduring hardship and biding his time is merely a pretense, then his behavior at this moment seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?
After all, this was a risk that even Yan Maoqing himself was unwilling to take; there were simply too many uncontrollable factors, and Yan Shifan couldn't possibly be unaware of this...

"Uncle-in-law, there's no time to lose, please give the order!"

Seeing that Yan Maoqing's expression was becoming increasingly complicated, and that he was even struggling with something, and was not giving a reply for a long time, Yan Shifan's one eye turned slightly red for some reason, and he immediately bowed and asked for permission again.

He had spent over a decade in officialdom, where he had seen many cronies and sycophantic subordinates who only cared about their own interests.

A few days ago, when his father Yan Song was stripped of all his power, he deeply experienced what it means to be cold-hearted, to be ungrateful, and to be hypocritical.

At that time, only Yan Maoqing, his uncle-in-law whom he had painstakingly harmed, was able to set aside past grievances and generously lend a helping hand, pulling the Yan family out of their predicament.

And now, the genuine struggle on Yan Maoqing's face also touched his heart.

In this world, besides his parents, the only person who cares so much about his safety and is willing to disregard his own interests is probably his uncle Yan Maoqing.
The more Yan Maoqing acted this way, the more determined he became to act as the envoy this time!
Let's just call it moral blackmail...

Consider it atonement for my past sins...

Find wealth in danger!
Whether or not he comes back alive this time, all the previous matters can be wiped clean, and Yan Maoqing will become the Yan family's strongest support.

The father will then be able to make a comeback, and the mother will no longer have to look worried.

Besides, who says he's definitely going to die this time?
As my uncle just said, this time we hold the truth and we are on the side of justice. Although this move is somewhat risky, it also has considerable room for maneuver!

"Alright!"

Meeting Yan Shifan's resolute gaze, Yan Maoqing finally made up his mind.
"However, you must act according to the situation and not push Anda too hard. Always put your personal safety first."

"Furthermore, since we are going to fight for our interests, there are some secrets I have to tell you, so that you will know where our bottom line really is."

"Actually, last time I secretly colluded with Anda to facilitate the tributary relationship, in addition to releasing the soldiers and civilians, beheading the traitorous general, and presenting a hostage, Anda also demanded a bribe of 400,000 taels of silver from me. You can elaborate on that as you see fit."

Just as Yan Shifan had thought, he decided to treat this matter as an opportunity to give the Yan family a chance to wipe away the previous grudges.

After this, he will no longer seek opportunities to kill the father and son, but only aim to prevent them from making a comeback, and fight them without breaking them.

"???"

Upon hearing this, Yan Shifan froze, his eyes widening instantly.

And what about the 400,000 taels of silver as a tip?!

His father had served as Minister of Rites for five or six years, but he still couldn't imagine when the Yan family would have so much silver!
You know, when the Ministry of War takes money to promote someone to a border town garrison as a commander, they usually only take a few thousand taels of silver as a bribe. To collect 400,000 taels of silver, how many people would they have to promote? Can the entire Ming Dynasty even muster that many commanders?

and so……

Uncle-in-law, you call this the bottom line?

If this is the bottom line, then how far must I go to satisfy your terrible appetite, given that I have risked my life to travel to Anda?
At that moment, Yan Shifan suddenly began to regret his actions.

He felt that regardless of whether he could come back alive this time, he would definitely not be able to do things to Yan Maoqing's satisfaction, and in the end, he would definitely cause Yan Maoqing to lose benefits.

Because no matter how much benefit he gains, if Yan Maoqing were to go himself, he would definitely gain more...

……

As Yan Shifan stepped out of Yan Maoqing's carriage, his single eye remained somewhat dazed.

He was still pondering a question:
"How exactly did my uncle manage to get 400,000 taels of silver from Anda... If I manage to come back alive this time, I must learn from my uncle and apply what I've learned in the future."

"Son."

Two trusted servants who had run out of the wall with him quickly followed after seeing this.

"You, prepare two fast horses and come with me to Altan Khan's court ahead of me."

Yan Shifan snapped out of his daze, first giving orders to one of them, then handing a still-wet letter from home to another.
"You stay in the army. If I return alive this time, you don't need to send this letter home. If I die in the Altan Khan's court, then take this letter back to my father. He will know what happened after reading it." "Young master, this?"

The two servants were immediately terrified.

Especially the servant who was specifically chosen by him to be the first to go to Anda's court, his face turned ashen instantly, and he almost couldn't stand up.

"No jokes in the army, get going now!"

Yan Shifan glared and shouted.

In this letter home, he emphasized that his mission to Anda was something he volunteered for and had nothing to do with Yan Maoqing.

Even if he died in the court of Anda, Yan Song and Ouyang Duanshu would not have formed an irreconcilable feud with Yan Maoqing over the killing of their son.

In his view, this would only lead to the Yan family's utter ruin.

His purpose in coming here was to protect the Yan family from harm, not to cause their ruin.

Moreover, he was certain that Yan Song would not question the contents of this family letter.

Because he and Yan Song always had a pre-arranged code for their correspondence, as long as Yan Song saw the code, he would know that it was his own handwritten letter and not a letter forged by Yan Maoqing to shirk responsibility.

……

Anda's royal court.

Anda and the tribal leaders had already donned their armor, waiting for Yan Maoqing to arrive so they could offer him their "most sincere price."

He did not order these tribal leaders to go back and gather their troops, but instead summoned the tribal cavalry under his command to stand ready for battle.

Because Yan Maoqing's appearance was so sudden, these tribal leaders would definitely miss this good show if they came and went.

In his view, this was also a very important show.

Because the coal trade has been delayed, these tribal leaders are now full of complaints about him, and some even call him "Khan" but have forgotten that he is still the Khan.

Therefore, he wanted to take this opportunity to demonstrate the strength of his direct lineage to these people and teach them who the real king and queen were.

Just treat it as a military exercise or a military parade!

"Report——!"

The sound of messengers from outside came again.

"It's come much faster than I expected, they're even in such a hurry to die..."

Anda sneered inwardly, stood up, grabbed his precious sword, and was about to lead the leaders out of the tent to meet the enemy.

But then the messenger rushed into the tent, knelt on one knee, and reported:
"Two Ming men have arrived outside the camp, claiming to be envoys sent by Yan Maoqing, requesting an audience with the Khan!"

It wasn't like that after all...

Anda, realizing he had misunderstood, awkwardly put down the precious sword, sat back on his throne, and then waved his hand impatiently.
"So, two were just here to die. Bring them in, and let me hear their last words!"

After a while.

Yan Shifan and his servants, who had already been searched from head to toe, were led into the tent.

The servant grew increasingly nervous, biting his lip tightly and walking stiffly, not daring to even lift his head.

Yan Shifan, on the other hand, seemed to be doing things quite well, at least outwardly appearing much more composed. Meeting the fierce gazes of Anda and the other tribal leaders, he bowed respectfully without being servile or arrogant.
"I have met Anda Khan."

"Hahaha, the Ming Dynasty boasts tens of millions of subjects, how come Yan Maoqing can't find a single complete person?"

Before Anda could speak, a tribal chief burst into laughter, pointing at Yan Shifan's one eye and mocking him in a loud voice.

"Hehe, some people may seem whole, but they lack loyalty inside, making them truly treacherous and wicked."

Yan Shifan glanced at the leader and sneered.

"Although I am incomplete, I dare to venture alone into the enemy camp when the two armies are about to clash. I wonder if this complete warrior, if Anda Khan gives the order, would you dare to go alone to speak with our General Yan?"

"..."

Anda was taken aback, and couldn't help but recall the scene when Yan Maoqing shouted in his tent, "The treacherous minister has jumped out on his own."

It seems that this same leader was also rendered speechless by Yan Maoqing's rebuttal.

"You're spouting nonsense, you're asking for it!"

The leader was indeed enraged, and immediately stood up, drew his sword, and glared angrily.

"If you don't dare, then you don't dare. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Yan Shifan seemed to have gotten into the zone, straightening his chest and speaking seriously.

"What you say is not wrong. I came here to die, otherwise General Yan would not have bothered to pick out a crooked and deformed person like me who I would not care about dying."

(End of this chapter)