Water Margin people

Chapter 1591 Negotiation Breakdown

"But you are still occupying my territory!"

Sun Lei held up a wine glass and said, "The Caliphs are not allowed to drink alcohol, so there was not even a wine glass in front of Saladin, only a roasted leg of lamb and some dry biscuits and fruits."

"You have taken over a lot of territory! You are from the East, you don't belong here!"

Saladin knew what Sun Lei meant, but he could not give in. Once he gave in, it would be tantamount to giving large tracts of land to Qi, and he would not be able to explain to other Arab kingdoms.

"The territory I conquered doesn't belong to me? Is this your logic?"

Sun Lei took a sip of wine and laughed. The logic of the robbers was different.

"We just don't want to start a war with Qi. Your Excellency, please order the army to retreat to the east of Wuhu River. We can use Wuhu River as the boundary. I swear to Allah that we, the Arabs, will never be the enemy of Qi! We can even become brothers!"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei and spoke.

"Of course I believe what you say. Although I have not been here for long, I know that you, Saladin, have a very good reputation!"

Sun Lei said with a smile.

"Does Your Excellency agree?"

Saladin was delighted to hear this. He did not expect that the agreement could be reached so easily.

"disagree!"

Sun Lei shook his head.

"Why!"

Saladin was very puzzled. He had just said it perfectly and the emperor in front of him also praised his credibility.

"Because you can't live forever. If you were still alive, those Arabs would naturally not be enemies of our Qi State. But what if you died? Did you go to your so-called kingdom of God?"

Sun Lei looked at Saladin. Saladin was a man of credit and aristocratic spirit. His credibility was not a problem, but other Arabs were not trustworthy. As long as Saladin was not there, all agreements would be invalid.

"I can bind everyone and make others swear as well!"

Saladin assured them that their greatest enemy was the Christian Crusaders and that there was no need to break with Qi.

"I trust you because you are trustworthy. As for the others... hehe..."

Sun Lei shook his head.

Saladin looked at Sun Lei. He didn't know how to proceed. He knew very well that other Arabs would not be the same as him. If he returned to the Kingdom of God, the remaining people would do things according to their own ideas, and the agreement he had made would naturally be torn up.

"Sir, why don't we sign a short-term agreement?"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei and suggested that as long as he could stabilize Qi, he would have time to deal with the internal problems of the Arab Empire and the problems of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

"Short-term agreement, then let's use the plateau as the boundary!"

Sun Lei looked at Saladin and said.

"The plateau is the boundary!"

Saladin raised his voice by several decibels. Using the plateau as the boundary meant annexing all the Seljuk territories, which was unacceptable to the Arabs.

The first to disagree were the Abbasid Kingdom and the Zengid Kingdom. These two kingdoms were located just below the plateau and had always been threatened by the Seljuks. Now that the Seljuks were destroyed, these two countries would definitely attack the plateau.

"Of course, I defeated the Seljuks. Sanjar is in my hands. I will not give up even an inch of this territory! What's mine must be mine!"

Sun Lei looked at Saladin and said.

"Sir, what do you want such a large territory for? You are the emperor of the East, and you will return to the East!"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei and asked.

"Is there any necessary connection? My territory is my territory. What does it have to do with where I am? Isn't my army here?"

Sun Lei pointed at the row of generals and the murderous army behind him.

"I understand what you mean!"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei. Sun Lei’s meaning was very simple: Qi’s expansion would not stop.

"Then may I ask what agreement your Excellency has reached with Baldwin IV?"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei and asked. This was the issue that concerned him most. How could Qi State reach an agreement with the Kingdom of Jerusalem? All strategies had to be redeployed.

"Nothing, just a courtesy!"

Sun Lei said, how could these things be told to Saladin for free.

"Sir, do we have to become enemies?"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei and said, "Either a friend or an enemy!"

Sun Lei nodded.

"Can we be friends then?"

Saladin looked at Sun Lei and asked.

"Yes, submit to me, submit to Qi, and follow my imperial teachings, and we will be good brothers!"

Sun Lei looked at Saladin and said.

"Since you have no sincerity, we can only meet on the battlefield!"

Saladin stood up and refused, saying that none of the three conditions were acceptable to him.

"Will the war begin today?"

Sun Lei looked at Saladin and smiled.

"Today is the first time I meet you, how can we fight against each other!"

Saladin said politely that although the negotiations failed, one should not lose his composure.

"He's a character!"

Sun Lei nodded approvingly.

Saladin turned around and returned to the army, and everyone immediately surrounded him.

"How did the talk go, sir?"

Everyone immediately surrounded Saladin and asked.

"Nothing came of it! They have no intention of negotiating at all!"

Saladin spoke.

"This... is this going to start a war?"

Everyone immediately became nervous.

"Don't worry, there won't be a war today. Let's go after Baldwin IV and ask him what he wants to do!"

Saladin spoke to the crowd, and soon left with his army in the twilight of the evening.

"Your Majesty, are you just going to let him go?"

Li Zu whispered that the demeanor displayed by Saladin was no less than that of Baldwin IV, and in some aspects he was even more mature and experienced than the young Baldwin IV.

This kind of person is too dangerous. Baldwin IV has leprosy. Although he now has medication to maintain his health, his life and death are in their hands and he cannot pose a threat.

But Saladin is different. He is cold and capable. You can tell at first glance that he is someone who can do great things. He will be very terrifying when he grows up.

"Kill him here? Wouldn't that be an easy deal for Baldwin IV and those people in the West?"

Sun Lei shook his head and said that Saladin was a trouble, but just a trouble. He needed Baldwin IV to contain the Arabs, and he also needed Saladin to contain the Crusaders in the West.

"Send a message to the army, tell them to charge onto the plateau, and kill anyone who resists!"

Sun Lei looked at Li Zuo and gave the order. Saladin's attitude showed that there was no unity of opinion within the Arabs. The Arabs wanted to take the opportunity to attack the plateau and seize the Seljuk territory.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Li Zhu took the order and went.

"Your Majesty, could it be that Saladin is chasing after Baldwin IV?"

Lu You looked at Sun Lei and asked.

"That's for sure. He came here just for Baldwin IV. Now that he can't get anything out of me, he will naturally turn his attention to Baldwin IV."

Sun Lei nodded.

"Then...will the Leper King be caught up?"

Lu You asked hurriedly.

"I've bought him half a day. If he can't get away, it's just his fate! No one else can be blamed!"

Sun Lei smiled.

(End of this chapter)