Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

After Emperor Jingsheng finished speaking, his expression turned serious, and he questioned Xu Qianxue, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, with displeasure:

"Minister Xu, what's going on with so many people from the Censorate and the Imperial Academy submitting memorials advising against peace talks lately? Don't you know I've said that the Han and Qing dynasties cannot coexist?"

Emperor Jingsheng was quite displeased, and before every major battle, there were always voices in the court advocating for peace and surrender.

When the nation is in such a perilous situation, instead of thinking about how to defend against the enemy and win, all they know is to kneel down and beg for mercy.

The reason Emperor Jingsheng questioned Xu Qianxue was naturally because he was the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion and the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and more than half of those who submitted memorials to negotiate peace were his subordinates.

Moreover, Xu Qianxue was originally a member of the old party and a leader of the Qingliu faction in the court, and he was very prestigious among scholars. The talk of peace talks this time came from him.

Xu Qianxue remained calm in the face of Emperor Jingsheng's questioning. On the contrary, as if he had been prepared, he stepped forward with his tablet in hand and said:

"Your Majesty! I know that Your Majesty once told the Duke of Zhao that the Han and Qing dynasties are irreconcilable enemies, and that the false Qing dynasty is a major threat to our great Han dynasty. I wholeheartedly agree with Your Majesty's words."

"But the peace talks we are referring to are with the Northern Yuan and the Hunye Kingdom, not with the pseudo-Qing."

"Your Majesty! The court has just ended a major battle in Liaodong, and the national treasury is now empty and the country is facing difficulties. It is really not advisable to launch a major military campaign!"

"Moreover, the Northern Yuan, Hunye, and the pseudo-Qing have gathered hundreds of thousands of troops. If our dynasty were to fight against all three at once and on multiple fronts, the chances of victory would be very low."

"Therefore, we believe it would be better to send envoys to negotiate peace with the Northern Yuan and Hunye, thus avoiding the clashes between the two sides, turning hostility into friendship, and then planning for the future."

Xu Qianxue's words were reasonable, well-founded, and resounding.

He first affirmed the correctness of Emperor Jingsheng's refusal to negotiate peace with the puppet Qing dynasty, and then changed the subject, proposing to negotiate peace with the Northern Yuan and Hunye.

They cited two reasons for seeking peace: first, the Han Dynasty was fighting on multiple fronts, and its chances of victory were slim; second, the imperial treasury was empty, and it was not advisable to wage a major war.

He wasn't the only one in the hall who thought the same way. Chief Minister Chen Tingjing and Prince Teng, among others, nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.

Wang Ziteng followed suit, stepping forward and bowing respectfully.

"Your Majesty! I agree with Grand Secretary Xu's opinion. Once war breaks out, the people will suffer immensely, and countless civilians will inevitably die or be injured."

"If we can exchange peace talks for the withdrawal of the Northern Yuan and the Hunye troops, it would truly be a great thing for the country and its people!"

Wang Ziteng was not unaware that Emperor Jingsheng was likely in favor of war, and Emperor Jingsheng had always maintained a tough stance towards foreign powers, but he still had to stand up and offer this advice in favor of peace talks.

Firstly, he was about to reorganize the Beijing garrison, a matter of vital importance concerning his chances of being promoted to Minister of War, and one that could not be overlooked.

However, if war breaks out in the Northwest, his efforts to reorganize the capital garrison will be greatly hampered and doubled in difficulty.

Because the war in the Northwest could very well affect the capital, the imperial court would naturally seek stability at this time. If it wanted to make sweeping reforms to the Beijing garrison, it would face strong resistance from within.

Secondly, he had heard rumors that Emperor Jingsheng intended to send Jia Jing as the main general to lead the expedition to the Northwest, a situation he was extremely unwilling to see.

If he were to actually control the military power of hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northwest, what would become of him?

Therefore, whether peace negotiations were beneficial to the country and its people was not something Wang Ziteng really cared about, but peace negotiations were very beneficial to his own power struggle.

Of course, he had to stand up and righteously support the peace talks.

After Wang Ziteng finished speaking, no one else in the hall spoke for a moment.

Niu Jizong looked at Jia Jing, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he also kept silent.

The other civil officials, including Grand Secretaries Zhang Tingyu, Li Guangdi, and Gong Dingzi, all adhered to the ways of officialdom and would not easily express their opinions.

As for Minister of War Chen Qiao, he simply stood there with his eyes slightly narrowed, motionless, as if he were asleep.

Emperor Jingsheng glanced at Prince Teng and Xu Qianxue, his gaze deep and his expression slightly cold, but he said nothing more.

Instead, after glancing around at the assembled officials, he turned to the Grand Secretary Chen Tingjing and asked:

"Minister Chen, you are the Grand Secretary. I see that you also seem to support the opinions of Minister Xu and Minister Wang, and agree to negotiate peace with the Northern Yuan and Hunxie. What do you say about this?"

Chen Tingjing met the gaze of Emperor Jingsheng behind the imperial desk above him. His heart skipped a beat, he sighed inwardly, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty! This old minister truly believes that now is not the time to wage war. The national treasury simply does not have the funds to support the court in launching a major campaign!"

"Warfare hinges on resources. If a defeat at the front is caused by insufficient funds and supplies, it would be a true disaster for our Han Dynasty!"

"Why not tolerate him for now? If a peace treaty can buy our Han Dynasty a few years of dedicated governance, rebuilding our internal affairs, and strengthening our military, even if we suffer temporary humiliation, it will ultimately lead to our dynasty's prosperity!"

"Emperor Taizong of Tang once made the Treaty of the Wei River, exchanging a temporary peace for time for the Tang Dynasty to recover and develop its economy, which led to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty afterwards. Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

As the Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue, Chen Tingjing was all too aware of the court's financial situation.

In recent years, the national treasury has been running a deficit, so where would it find the money to support a major battle in the Northwest!

So even though he knew Emperor Jingsheng might not like what he said, he still said it.

Using Emperor Taizong of Tang as an example, it was explained that the court should exercise restraint and patience at this time, and exchange peace for time.

Upon hearing Chen Tingjing's words, both Wang Ziteng and Xu Qianxue showed delight.

Even the Grand Secretary supports peace talks, surely His Majesty will consider it!

Emperor Jingsheng remained indifferent, offering no comment, but instead turned his gaze to Li Guangdi and asked:

"Li Qing, you are quite knowledgeable in military affairs, what do you think?"

Li Guangdi was pondering with his tablet in hand when Emperor Jingsheng called upon him for his opinion. He quickly cupped his hands and said:

"Your Majesty! I believe the matter of peace negotiations still needs careful consideration!"

"Now that the Northern Yuan and Hunxie are coming on strong, they probably won't give up easily."

"However, if we were to engage in battle with them, as Grand Secretary Chen said, the lack of funds and supplies is indeed a major problem. Moreover, fighting against three enemies simultaneously does not offer a high chance of victory."

"Although I am knowledgeable about military affairs, I am ultimately a civil official who has never been on the battlefield. Now that Governor Niu and Marquis Jingwu are here, they are both senior generals of the court who have guarded the border for many years. Why don't we listen to their insightful opinions first?"

Li Guangdi's words made no mention of either making peace or fighting.

He only mentioned that both peace talks and fighting had their difficulties, without giving any clear opinions, and then put forward Jia Jing and Niu Jizong, wanting them to express their opinions first.

Upon hearing this, Jia Jing glanced at Li Guangdi and secretly thought of him as a seasoned veteran of officialdom.

Emperor Jingsheng, however, remained indifferent, not allowing Li Guangdi to get away with it so easily, and instead asked directly:

"We'll discuss their profound arguments later. Minister Li, first tell us whether the peace proposals put forward by Grand Secretary Chen, Minister Wang, and Minister Xu are appropriate."