"Your Royal Highness the Holy Princess!" Although the ministers were a little reluctant, they could only respond in unison. They knew that Zhao Yingluo had already made the biggest concession and if they continued to force her, it would be counterproductive.
Liu Yu was escorted out of the hall, his legs as heavy as lead.
When he heard Zhao Yingluo's pardon order, a glint of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for not killing me! Thank you, Your Highness, for your mercy!"
He knew that although he had saved his life, he would have to spend the rest of his life in that desolate place in Lingnan.
But this is much better than losing his life. At least he is still alive and there is hope.
The entire hall was silent, with only the sound of Liu Yu's kowtow echoing in the air.
His forehead banged on the ground, and blood oozed out after a while.
But he seemed to feel no pain and continued to knock hard.
"Take him down." Zhao Yingluo waved her hand and said calmly.
She didn't want to see Liu Yu's disgusting face anymore.
"Yes!" Two guards in front of the palace stepped forward, lifted Liu Yu's arms from the left and right, and dragged him out of the hall.
Liu Yu's legs have become weak and he cannot walk on his own.
He could only let the guards drag him, and step by step he left this hall where everyone in the world was crowded.
Calmness returned to the hall, but the air seemed to still be filled with the fear and despair left by Liu Yu.
The ministers looked at each other, not knowing how to speak to break the awkward silence.
Although their hearts were full of anger and hatred for Liu Yu, they couldn't help but feel palpitations when they saw his end.
After all, some of them have done many things that go against their conscience for the sake of power and profit.
If they had chosen the same path as Liu Yu, then they might be the ones being escorted out of the hall at this moment.
At this moment, Han Fang stepped forward, saluted Zhao Yingluo and said, "Your Highness, Princess Qi, Foreign Minister Han Fang has something to say." His voice broke the tranquility of the air and attracted everyone's attention. Come over.
She nodded and motioned for Han Fang to continue.
Han Fang took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "Your Royal Highness, is the Kingdom of Jin quite satisfied with Liu Yu's handling methods and attitude? Since the Kingdom of Jin is sincere to reconcile the two countries, the foreign minister also has one thing, I hope Her Royal Highness the Princess can agree."
At this point, he paused and seemed to be considering his words.
Zhao Yingluo did not speak, but quietly waited for Han Fang's next words.
She knew that Han Fang must be paving the way for Wanyan Zongyi's incident at this moment. But she did not interrupt him, but wanted to hear what tricks he could come up with.
Seeing that Zhao Yingluo did not speak, Han Fang continued: "I hope that Your Highness the Princess can return Wanyan Zongyi, who is exiled in the Song Dynasty, to the Kingdom of Jin. He is the prince of our Kingdom of Jin, and his status is extremely noble. His exile is in the Kingdom of Jin. Song has aroused widespread concern and suspicion among both the government and the public in the Kingdom of Jin. If he can be returned to the Kingdom of Jin, it will help eliminate misunderstandings and barriers between the two countries and promote friendly relations between the two countries."
After saying these words, he stared closely into Zhao Yingluo's eyes, as if waiting for her answer.
However, Zhao Yingluo did not answer immediately as he expected.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Han Fang with a hint of amusement and ridicule.
She knew very well that the reason why Han Fang made such a request was simply to use Wanyan Zongyi's identity to disrupt the internal situation of the Song Dynasty court.
He thought that in this way, the Song Dynasty could be plunged into civil strife and take the opportunity to seek more benefits.
It's a pity that he doesn't understand Zhao Yingluo's personality and skills. In Zhao Yingluo's view, Wanyan Zongyi is just a dispensable pawn.
The reason why she protected him was not because she valued his identity and status, but because she wanted to use him to contain the power of the Great Jin Kingdom.
Therefore, it was impossible for her to return Wanyan Zongyi to the Kingdom of Jin.
Zhao Yingluo sneered. She looked into Han Fang's eyes and said slowly: "I am really surprised by what Ambassador Han said. Your Kingdom of Jin keeps saying that it wants peace and friendship, but it keeps making unreasonable demands. Wanyan Zongyi is already the son of our Song Dynasty. People, we have the responsibility and obligation to protect him. As for the concerns and suspicions of the government and the public in your country, that is your own business and has nothing to do with us, the Song Dynasty."
At this point, her tone suddenly became stern, "If you, the Golden Kingdom, really want peace and friendship, you should show sincerity and negotiate with us. Instead of repeatedly making such unreasonable demands to provoke our bottom line! "
Han Fang was speechless by Zhao Yingluo's words.
He didn't expect Zhao Yingluo to reject his request so firmly.
Although he was angry and unwilling, he also knew that there was no point in continuing to argue at this moment.
So, he took a deep breath, calmed down his emotions and said: "Since Her Royal Highness the Princess has so resolutely rejected my request, I will say nothing more. I only hope that peace and friendship can be maintained between the two countries." relationship, no more wars and conflicts.”
Having said this, he saluted Zhao Yingluo and then turned and left the hall.
He knew that today's negotiation was over and there was no point in staying any longer.
Zhao Yingluo looked at Han Fang's leaving figure with a sneer on her lips.
She knew that Han Fang must be dissatisfied and resentful at this moment. But she didn't care about that either.
At this moment, Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao stepped forward and saluted Zhao Yingluo: "Your Highness, Princess Qi, since the Kingdom of Jin has proposed peace talks, we should send people to negotiate with them as soon as possible."
His voice broke the tranquility of the air and brought Zhao Yingluo back from her thoughts.
Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly to indicate that she understood the importance of this matter and said, "Then leave the peace negotiation to Lu Qing."
After a month of intense negotiations and countless tug-of-wars, Song and Jin finally reached an unprecedented peace agreement.
In the agreement, the Jin State officially recognized that the vast territory west of the Taihang Mountains was the territory of the Song Dynasty. This was the first time since the Jingkang Incident that the Song Dynasty had achieved such a significant victory on the territorial issue.
At the same time, the two countries also became brothers. Wanyan Zonghan called the young emperor Zhao Min of the Song Dynasty his younger brother, which meant that in terms of identity, Zhao Yingluo became Wanyan Zonghan's aunt.
Although Wanyan Zonghan is twice as old as Zhao Yingluo, in this political arena, seniority and age are not the decisive factors. What really matters is wisdom and strength.
With her tenacity and wisdom, Zhao Yingluo won this war without gunpowder and won dignity and benefits for the Song Dynasty.
At this point, after the Jingkang Incident, the Song Dynasty no longer gave any coins to the Kingdom of Jin. This was a major turning point in the history of the Song Dynasty.
Not only that, the Song Dynasty also regained some of the previously lost territory, making the country's territory more complete and unified.
The territory of the Great Jin Kingdom was limited to the north of the Yellow River and the east of the Taihang Mountains, and their sphere of influence was compressed as never before.
And Xixia, a country that had had disputes with Song and Jin, also became the Song Dynasty's sphere of influence in this peace agreement.
Without Taiyuan Prefecture, Huanzhou and other places, the Jin Kingdom no longer had the strength to influence Xixia, which made Xixia under the influence of the Song Dynasty for a long time in the future.
Zhao Yingluo stood high in the hall, overlooking the officials and people celebrating below.
She knew that this peace was hard-won and was earned through the sacrifices and efforts of countless warriors and wise men in the Song Dynasty.
But she also knows that peace is not eternal. Only by constantly strengthening herself can she protect this prosperous and peaceful land.
