Crossing the Unknown Country

Chapter 327 General Wang An Hosts a Banquet for Nine Princes and One Group of People

When the Third Prince Yelu Yixin and his entourage arrived at the post station, they went straight back to their rooms to rest. They had been traveling for so many days, and the road was not peaceful, so they had not rested well. Now that they had finally settled down in Fenggu City, they all lay down to rest first.

After they entered the city, General Wang An also went down from the city wall of Wengcheng and returned to his residence. As long as the envoys of Dongjie Kingdom came, it meant that the peace talks were halfway done.

He was in a good mood and had someone inform Wu Qirui and the Ninth Prince and asked them to prepare and discuss the time for the peace talks. He had to arrange a banquet for them tomorrow. He sent someone to prepare the place first, which of course had to be a suitable place for both parties, his general's mansion.

The next day, General Wang An, in order to fulfill his duties as a host, held a banquet in the General's Mansion to welcome the Dongjie Kingdom envoys. Wu Qirui and the Ninth Prince accompanied them as hosts, and they also wanted to get to know the Third Prince of Dongjie Kingdom in advance.

Although both sides had heard of each other's names, they were both princes of hostile countries and had never met. This time they had the opportunity to get close to each other, so they must get to know each other first, as they would have many intersections in the future.

As the saying goes, knowing yourself and knowing your enemy ensures victory in every battle. Only by understanding the other party's situation can you gain the upper hand in negotiations. Both parties certainly thought so and observed each other as soon as they met.

The ninth prince Zhang Liang looked at the third prince of Dongjie Kingdom, Yelu Yixin, who was walking in from outside the door. He was in his twenties, tall and strong, with a pair of sparkling leopard eyes on his long reddish-brown face. He was a very energetic young man, and it was obvious that he was skilled in martial arts, and he walked with a brisk pace.

The typical Dongjie people exude a strong sense of arrogance, and are not cowardly even as a defeated country. They will not admit defeat as long as they don't die in battle, which is related to their long-term nomadic life.

She was wearing a robe made of smooth fur, with jewels hanging on it that symbolized her status, and jewel-studded leather boots on her feet. Her hair was tied into many small braids, and she wore a big earring on one ear.

He walked in front with big strides, followed by a group of burly men in various robes. He laughed and greeted everyone present with a one-handed salute, and then was led to their seats by the maids.

He walked to the seat, sat down carelessly, and looked at the people in the upper seats. The other subordinates also sat down in a hurry, looking at their Ninth Prince, waiting for instructions.

The portrait of General Wang An had long been circulated in Dongjie State, and he knew which one it was without even recognizing him. However, the real one was even more domineering. He sat there with an imposing manner, and it was obvious that he was a general who had been on many battlefields.

The youngest one must be Zhang Liang, the ninth prince of Ansheng Kingdom, because he was wearing the prince's attire this time. After all, he was representing Ansheng Kingdom, and he could not wear casual clothes.

Dongjie State also knew that the leaders of the Ansheng State delegation were the Ninth Prince Zhang Liang and the Ministry of Revenue Doctor Wu Qirui. You can tell who they are by looking at the seating arrangement. The Ninth Prince sat in the highest seat, with General Wang An and the Ministry of Revenue Doctor Wu Qirui on both sides.

The Ninth Prince was still very young, about the same age as his Fifteenth Brother. He was thin, with a jade-like complexion, a straight and square mouth, and big, bright eyes. He looked like a handsome boy. It was said that his mother, Concubine Mei, was the most favored concubine of Ansheng State. She was naturally beautiful, so how could her son be so ugly?

Although he was young and tender-looking, he could not be underestimated. He looked at him with a sharp gaze, trying to read something from his expression. His eyes still had the pressure of a superior. It turned out that there were only a few people in the royal family who were incompetent.

They both had a preliminary understanding of each other. Then the ninth prince Zhang Liang, as the host, began to toast them. Yelu Yixin himself was a wine lover, so of course he accepted the toast.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, everyone put down their airs and began to explore each other's bottom line. They all wanted to know what the other party wanted during the negotiation and what they could give.

Not only were the top officials testing each other, but the officials brought by each of them were also testing each other, using alcohol to build up their courage and playing guessing games with each other.

After a while, the officials of Dongjie State were defeated. Most of them were straightforward warriors. How could they gain the upper hand when dealing with the civil officials of Ansheng State?