After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Early in the morning, Zhu Houzhao was dragged out of bed by Liu Jin.

"Your Highness, it's time to get up. You must go to the Court of State Ceremonial today; you can't be late!"

Zhu Houzhao rubbed his eyes and said with dissatisfaction, "What's the point of going to the Court of State Ceremonial? I still need to attend the completion ceremony of the biogas digester!"

Liu Jin, with a bitter face, said, "Didn't Eunuch Xiao convey His Majesty's oral decree yesterday? You are to represent the Ming Dynasty in negotiations with the Northern Yuan envoys; this is a very important matter."

Zhu Houzhao then remembered and muttered, "What a nuisance!"

Liu Jin smiled ingratiatingly and said, "His Majesty's decision to send you means you are now capable of handling things independently!"

Zhu Houzhao dawdled as he dressed, washed up, and then slowly ate his breakfast before finally heading out.

Outside the palace gates, the sedan chair was ready, and Li Chun was still in charge of escorting it.

Minister of Rites Zhang Sheng, who had been waiting for some time, bowed and said, "Your subject Zhang Sheng greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"No need for formalities, no need for formalities!"

Zhu Houzhao waved casually as a greeting, then climbed into the sedan chair.

Zhang Sheng smiled bitterly to himself. This young master was still as unruly as ever. He hoped that nothing would go wrong during the negotiations.

As the sedan chair began to move, Zhu Houzhao kept lifting the side curtain to peek out, and said impatiently, "Aren't we there yet?"

Liu Jin rode alongside the sedan chair on horseback and said, "Your Highness, please don't be in a hurry. We'll be there just around the next intersection."

Zhu Houzhao slapped his forehead, as if he had just remembered something, and asked, "Where is Yang, the study companion?"

Liu Jin said, "Yang, the tutor, is not on duty today and should rest at home."

"Go and fetch Yang, my study companion, right now!"

"Your Highness, while you go to negotiate, summon Yang, the study companion..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Just go when I tell you to!"

Zhu Houzhao was too lazy to explain and simply lost his temper.

Liu Jin dared not hesitate any longer, and with a spur of his horse, he turned and headed towards the south city.

The procession quickly arrived at the Court of State Ceremonial, but Zhu Houzhao ordered them to wait outside the gate.

Zhang Sheng advised, "Your Highness, please go inside first, lest the Northern Yuan envoys grow impatient."

Zhu Houzhao tilted his head: "Let him wait!"

"But if we just wait like this and miss the appointed time, it will make it seem like our Great Ming Dynasty lacks sincerity..."

"He's not sincere at all! Let him wait! If he doesn't want to wait, he can get lost!"

Zhang Sheng had no choice but to shut up and stand obediently to the side.

Finally, the sound of horses' hooves came from ahead, and sure enough, Liu Jin had arrived with Yang Shen.

Yang Shen was grumpy from being woken up. He had finally gotten a day off, but he was dragged out of bed again.

Zhu Houzhao exclaimed excitedly, "Yang, my companion, how could I go to the negotiations without you!"

Yang Shen forced a smile and said, "This is not an occasion I should be attending."

Zhu Houzhao pursed his lips and said, "Since Father Emperor sent me, then I'm in charge. If I say you should come, then you should come!"

Yang Shen had no choice but to say, "His Majesty's request for you to step forward is a great honor. Your Highness cannot act recklessly. When the time comes, no matter what the other party says, try to have Minister Zhang step forward."

Zhu Houzhao scoffed, "It's just an argument, isn't it? I can't be bothered wasting my time on them!"

Seeing this, Zhang Sheng patiently explained, "Your Highness, negotiations are a matter of state, not child's play. If the tribute indicates that an agreement has been reached, the border people can recuperate and the court can save a lot of military expenses."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Then can we negotiate with them? For example, exchange them for purebred Mongolian horses?"

Zhang Sheng was somewhat surprised, and nodded, saying, "Your Highness is right; we must argue based on reason."

Zhu Houzhao then became somewhat expectant and led the group into the Court of State Ceremonial.

Zhang Sheng was still uneasy and pressed on, saying, "If the other party's words are harsh, Your Highness need not rush to respond; this old minister will handle it."

Zhu Houzhao, without turning his head, said, "I have no interest in wasting time with them!"

The main hall was already prepared, with a rosewood armchair placed at the head of the table, which was specially raised.

Two people were sitting opposite them. The one in the lead was a young man with dark skin and a rugged and arrogant air about him, who was none other than Tulubolot, the heir of the Tatar tribe.

Sitting next to him was an old man with a withered, sallow face and slightly closed eyes; this was Akunda, the National Preceptor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Next to Zhu Houzhao was Zhang Sheng, the Minister of Rites. After the four of them sat down, the negotiations officially began.

Tulu sized up Zhu Houzhao with a look of disdain. He placed his right hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and said in his broken Chinese, "Tulu Bolot, the envoy of the Great Yuan, accompanied by the Imperial Preceptor Akunda, greets the Crown Prince of the Great Ming!"

Zhu Houzhao, mimicking the Hongzhi Emperor, raised his hand and said, "No need for formalities, please take a seat!"

Tulu was speechless. This guy was too arrogant. Shouldn't he return the courtesy?

You are the Crown Prince, and so am I. Why are you so arrogant?

Akunda slowly sat down and said in a low voice, "This is a psychological tactic, Your Highness, do not fall for it."

Tulu calmed himself down, and although he was very unhappy, he still sat down.

The negotiations between the two sides quickly got down to business. The Northern Yuan's demands were simple: I would acknowledge the Great Ming as my suzerain state, I would pay tribute to you, and you would open a trade market to sell us grain and supplies, or I would rob you!

The Ming Dynasty was also willing to open up trade, but the two sides could not agree on the details.

"...3,000 catties of tea, 5,000 catties of salt, 800 bolts of silk, 3,000 bolts of cotton cloth, and ironware limited to farm tools, not exceeding 500 pieces per year..."

Zhang Sheng slowly finished reading the list, then picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and took a small sip.

Tulu, holding his breath, said in a deep voice, "My steppe tribes number more than a million. Who can possibly share all this little bit of stuff?"

Zhang Sheng put down his teacup, smiled slightly, and said, "Your Highness, don't forget who tore up the agreement and disrupted the trade first? Now that our Great Ming has agreed to reopen the trade, it is already a great favor. How about this, if the border town is peaceful for a year, all supplies will be increased by 10% the following year."

Tulu counted on his fingers, but there were too many numbers, and he couldn't figure it out right away.

Akunda sighed inwardly, then said, "Double all the numbers, and increase them by 20% every year!"

Zhang Sheng shook his head and said, "Absolutely impossible!"

Akunda seemed to anticipate this outcome, and said, "How about we each compromise and double the number, increasing it by 10% each year?"

Zhang Sheng shook his head again: "No way!"

Akunda continued, "Even when buying things, there's a bargaining involved. We can't just accept whatever you say! Let me compromise further: from the list we just made, we'll only choose one item, in quantity, and keep everything else the same, how about that?"

Zhang Sheng tentatively asked, "Which one?"

Akunda said, "Two thousand pieces of ironware, isn't that too many?"

"That won't do!"

Zhang Sheng shook his head and continued, "Everything else is acceptable, except for ironware!"

Turu, growing increasingly angry as he listened, said in a deep voice, "I don't think you're planning to talk sincerely! Without iron, how can we forge tools? Without enough salt and tea, how will the tribe survive the winter?"

Zhang Sheng said expressionlessly, "What does your lack of supplies have to do with me?"

"you……"

Tulu slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, the tension between the two sides reaching a boiling point!

Zhu Houzhao had just fallen asleep when he was suddenly startled awake. He opened his sleepy eyes and asked, "Are you done talking?"

Yang Shen, who was dozing behind him, yawned when he heard they were done talking and asked, "Where are we eating?"

Turu gritted his teeth as he watched the two of them looking dazed.

I'm here arguing my case, and you're all asleep?

Can't you at least show some basic respect?