The day of the peace negotiation arrived in a blink of an eye.
That day was nothing special. The sky above Liao City was still shrouded in dark clouds. The city's residents still cowered in their homes, too afraid to venture out. The Northern Allied Army within the city still patrolled the streets at their usual pace.
Perhaps because they knew the war was about to end and that the Northern Allied Army had the upper hand in this battle, and Liao City would soon have a new master, the patrolling soldiers became much lazier than before. They no longer patrolled with the same level of tension and seriousness.
The Emperor of Yu intended to discuss a truce with the Northern Allied Army. In his letter, he clearly stated that he wanted to see Ji Lingchuan in person at the negotiation site to ensure his safety. Therefore, Ji Lingchuan had to accompany them.
Although Song Yihuan was nominally the princess of Yanyun, as a woman, she was not allowed to participate in such an important event as the peace negotiation. So she stayed in Liao City and waited.
Before leaving, Ji Lingchuan held her face in his hands and planted a kiss on her lips.
"Fu Zhou entered the city last night. He will protect your safety. I'm leaving Liao City in your care. Wait for me here. I'll come back for you myself."
The peace negotiation site proposed by the Emperor of Yu was located at the border between Liao City and Jiang City, also known as Pingjiang Plain. The terrain there was open and flat, not suitable for ambushes. This was why the Northern Allied Army agreed to the negotiation without hesitation.
Although it was a peace negotiation, the Northern Allied Army still dispatched 30,000 troops to escort Feng Tingyun, Tuo Ba Shi, and Yelv Renya to the site, in case the negotiation broke down and the two sides resumed hostilities. Among these 30,000 troops, 10,000 were from the Northern Di tribe, 10,000 from the Western Rong tribe, and 10,000 from Yanyun.
The Northern Allied Army left Liao City and slowly made their way to the negotiation site.
Ji Lingchuan was now a "prisoner." Although he had been treated well by the princess of Yanyun in recent days, his hands and feet were still chained, restricting his freedom.
It took two hours to reach the negotiation site from Liao City. From afar, they could see the vast army of Yu, like a dark cloud, stationed in the distance. The flags of Yu fluttered in the wind, and the character "Ji" on them was so familiar.
Inside the thatched shed, Ji Zihuan was already waiting.
At the sight of Feng Tingyun, Ji Zihuan was momentarily stunned. Then he quickly suppressed his surprise and greeted Feng Tingyun with a smile. "You must be the lord of Yanyun. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Feng Tingyun replied indifferently. "Likewise."
A few days ago, this person was just a mysterious doctor of unknown origin. Now he was the lord of Yanyun. This "Doctor Feng" was truly an interesting character.
The smile on Ji Zihuan's face widened. This peace negotiation was going to be even more interesting than he had expected.
Without much conversation, after they introduced themselves, everyone sat down at the only table in the thatched shed and began the negotiation.
This negotiation was almost a foregone conclusion. Tuo Ba Shi and Yelv Renya threatened the Emperor of Yu with Ji Lingchuan and the people of Liao City, demanding six border cities from Yu.
Tuo Ba Shi said lazily. "General Ji has been poisoned by the deadly poison of Yanyun. One wrong move, and he could lose his life. Whether General Ji and the people of Liao City can survive depends on the Emperor of Yu's choice."
Ji Zihuan could easily abandon Ji Lingchuan and the people of Liao City to save more cities. But without Ji Lingchuan, the border army of Yu would be like a toothless tiger, not worth worrying about.
Moreover, if he refused the terms of this negotiation, the Northern Allied Army, having the upper hand, would surely launch another attack on the border of Yu. Then, Yu, without Ji Lingchuan, would be in an even more difficult situation.
In the eyes of Tuo Ba Shi and Yelv Renya, Yu had no choice but to back down.
Facing the aggressive Tuo Ba Shi and Yelv Renya, Ji Zihuan showed no sign of panic or hesitation on his face. He picked up the teacup in his hand, his eyes narrowing into slits with a smile. "Oh? Do I really have no other choice? Do you really think we have no way to retake Liao City?"
Tuo Ba Shi sneered. "Your Majesty the Emperor of Yu underestimates the fighting strength of our Northern Allied Army. Even the great general who protects the country of Yu has become our prisoner. I advise Your Majesty to face reality and sign this peace treaty as soon as possible. If you delay any longer, things may get out of your control."
At this moment, Feng Tingyun, who had been silent since they met, spoke up. "I think there is still room for negotiation in this peace negotiation."
Yelv Renya shouted angrily. "Lord of Yanyun, what do you mean?"
Feng Tingyun said. "This war has been going on for four years, and Yanyun has not been without losses. If we continue to fight, it will only be a waste of manpower and resources, consuming the foundation built by our ancestors."
"Lord of Yanyun, do I need to remind you of how your army of Yanyun performed in the previous battles? Nine out of ten attacks were delayed because of Yanyun. If it weren't for the courage and determination of our Northern Di warriors, how could we have achieved such results? Don't you think it's ridiculous to say these things now?" Tuo Ba Shi roared.
"The past is the past, and the present is the present." Feng Tingyun said. "Compared to the Northern Di and the Western Rong, Yu has a vast territory and kind - hearted people. If we can make friends with Yu, it will be beneficial to Yanyun."
Yelv Renya immediately drew his long knife. "So, Lord of Yanyun, you want to betray our alliance and become an enemy of the Northern Di and the Western Rong?"
Feng Tingyun raised his hand and said. "The one who made the alliance with you was my younger brother, the previous lord of Yanyun. He has already passed away and gone to the underworld to accompany Du Gu Lou. Why should I still abide by your alliance and be restricted by you?"
The atmosphere became tense at this disagreement. Just then, there came the sound of horses galloping outside. A seriously injured Northern Di soldier fell off his horse and staggered towards the thatched shed, shouting.
"General, n - no! Something's wrong! Liao City—Liao City—"
Tuo Ba Shi didn't care about Feng Tingyun anymore and asked urgently. "What happened to Liao City?!"
The seriously injured soldier spat out a mouthful of blood and said. "I don't know what happened. All of a sudden, our soldiers in the city lost all their strength. There were many soldiers of Yu lurking in the city. Princess Changhuan led these soldiers of Yu and the people of the city to stage a rebellion. They captured all our men and took over the city!"
"What?!"
Tuo Ba Shi and Yelv Renya were shocked. They immediately turned to look at Feng Tingyun and Ji Lingchuan.
Ji Lingchuan, whose hands and feet had been chained, had somehow regained his freedom and pounced on them. His movements were smooth and swift. Tuo Ba Shi and Yelv Renya immediately drew their swords to defend themselves.
Feng Tingyun took out a copper whistle and blew a tune. The 30,000 troops waiting outside immediately fell into chaos. The 10,000 soldiers of Yanyun suddenly drew their swords and attacked the soldiers of the Northern Di and the Western Rong, engaging them in a fierce battle.
Seeing this, Ji Zihuan fired a signal flare into the sky. The border army of Yu swarmed towards the Northern Allied Army.
Ji Lingchuan's attacks were fierce and full of killing intent. There was no sign of him being poisoned or injured.
"Aren't you supposed to be poisoned by the lord of Yanyun and unable to use your martial arts?" Yelv Renya shouted at Ji Lingchuan in shock and anger.
Ji Lingchuan said coldly. "It's you who have been poisoned by the lord of Yanyun."
Tuo Ba Shi and Yelv Renya felt a sharp pain in their lower abdomens. Their steps faltered. Before they could react, Ji Lingchuan struck them in the chest with a palm, and they spat out a mouthful of thick, black poisoned blood.
Without saying a word, Ji Lingchuan snatched the swords from their hands and neatly beheaded them!