In the city of Sunmartin, in the king's meeting hall.
King Sun Martin was wearing a jet black white shirt, a pair of wrinkled breeches, and a messy short hair, sitting feebly in his seat.
Under the gaze of a group of subordinates with equally miserable images, Sun Martin took a few deep breaths, raised his head and asked them:
"How is the situation today? Has Ming continued the bombardment?"
A general immediately said:
"Not at the moment. The other side has not fired any artillery today. Maybe the supply of artillery shells is insufficient."
Sun Martin seemed slightly relieved:
"We also don't have many artillery shells. Did Ming's Yin troops launch an attack?"
The general immediately replied:
"No, Ming Dynasty did not send out troops to test today, but was building their defense line."
Sun Martin was a little surprised:
"Building a defense line? Are the Ming people planning to besiege us for a long time?
“We have a lot of developed farmland behind us, and it’s useless to besiege us...
"By the way, have the number of tanks on the battlefield increased?"
Another general said:
"No, Ming Dynasty is building a defense line right now and there is no sign of mobilizing troops to attack.
"It can't be observed from farther away. I don't know if Daming has made other preparations in the rear."
When Sun Martin was guessing what Daming was going to do, a guard ran in quickly:
"Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty has sent an envoy to see you, saying that he has brought the words of His Highness Prince Dashi, the governor of Yinzhou in the Ming Dynasty."
The surrounding officials and generals were stunned for a moment, and then many of their faces showed joy.
"Is Daming finally willing to negotiate with us again?"
"The Ming Dynasty should be willing to give us orders again!"
"Your Majesty, we finally see hope of victory."
"Da Ming also realized that this kind of place is difficult to break."
"Although they have tanks and aircraft, it's difficult to gather them here to use them. The fuel supply is simply not available..."
Sun Martin also naturally felt that Ming Dynasty was willing to negotiate peace.
As long as a relatively independent country can be retained, Sun Martin can accept it even if it is only the remaining land.
Sun Martin was obviously relieved:
"Please invite the messenger in quickly..."
An officer in his forties, Zhu Jianxuan, the warden of the Xintianfu Southern Bandit Suppression Headquarters, was escorted by four Ming soldiers and led by Sun Martin's guards, and walked into Sun Martin's meeting hall.
The five Ming people took a step into the door, then stopped, and then took two steps back.
In a state of war, in the tropics, a group of Thai and Western men did not take a shower for who knows how many days.
Now this hall is almost like a gas chamber to Daming.
Zhu Jianxuan stood at the door of the hall and said to the guard:
"Let your Majesty come to the door to talk. This place is more spacious and the air is better..."
The guard soon realized why the Ming officer didn't go in.
I felt that this Ming officer was really too polite and didn't directly scold this place like a pig's nest.
The guard immediately ran over and told Sun Martin.
Sun Martin also immediately realized that his current image was really sloppy.
But now I don't care so much anymore, I can't let the other party wait for me to take a shower and change clothes.
So he accepted Zhu Jianxuan's suggestion and went to the door with several officials and generals.
Just under the porch of the hall, the two parties stood more than two meters apart and greeted each other with arms raised.
Zhu Jianxuan took two pieces of paper from the document bag and asked the guard to pass them to Sun Martin.
Sun Martin looked at the first picture, his eyes widened immediately, and he muttered in a sad tone:
"O'Higgins' letter... He also surrendered... He gave up our ideals..."
The generals and officials around Sun Martin were silent.
There is nothing to say about this matter. Under the continuous siege of the Ming army, too many companions surrendered.
Not to mention independent warlords like O'Higgins, many of the subordinates led by Sun Martin himself surrendered and ran away.
The key is what kind of conditions his surrender can serve as a reference for himself.
Therefore, these officials and generals subconsciously looked at the details on the paper in Sun Martin's hand.
Martin Sun stayed there for a while, then suddenly sighed and picked up the second piece of paper.
Sun Martin and the officers and generals around him saw the above content.
Then a chorus of suppressed and painful exclamations rang out one after another.
"I can only go to Dongyi Kingdom with assets worth ten thousand silver coins..."
"He is just an ordinary citizen, without any title or good treatment.
"Your Majesty is just an ordinary person after you go..."
"We...all are going to be laborers."
"That's the control of reeducation through labor, which is equivalent to criminals!"
"This is unacceptable! Otherwise, what have we done all these years!"
Sun Martin quickly collected himself and looked at Zhu Jianxuan opposite:
“I can be loyal to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and I can be loyal to the king of any vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.
"I only hope that my subordinates and people can live as free people in our homeland."
Zhu Jianxuan looked at Sun Martin with a calm expression. He hesitated several times and finally just raised his hand:
"My message has been sent, and I already know what you mean, so I'll take my leave now."
As Zhu Jianxuan said this, he turned around and led the soldiers out.
The off-road vehicle he took when he arrived was not far away, and he could just get in the vehicle and drive back directly.
Sun Martin was a little confused and confused. What did this Ming officer mean?
Do you want to take your words back and ask His Highness Prince Dashi what you mean?
It sounds, and when you think about it, that's what it seems.
But it’s a bit unexpected. As a negotiator, shouldn’t you bargain with yourself?
We should talk about a key node and then go back and ask the senior management for instructions.
Judging from the military rank of the other party, he is a major general of the Ming Dynasty. This status is already very high and there should be no room for negotiation.
Moreover, Sun Martin was vaguely impressed by the scene in front of him, especially this feeling.
A feeling of uneasiness and panic deep inside spread unconsciously.
Sun Martin chased forward almost instinctively:
"General, walk slowly. General, wait a moment. What do you mean?
"Do you want to take my request back to His Highness Prince Dashi?"
Zhu Jianxuan was helpless and struggled to ask:
"What do you want? Why should I bring your meaningless nonsense back to His Highness Prince Dashi?
"My mission has been completed. Now I'm just going back to resume my life..."
Sun Martin basically understood what was going on, his expression and tone were full of despair:
"Aren't you here to negotiate? Have you finished the negotiation now? So what is your... Daming's decision?"
Zhu Jianxuan asked naturally:
“When did I negotiate? What is negotiation?
“The purpose of my coming here is just to tell you what His Highness Prince Dashi means.
“Then convey your response back, that’s it.
"I don't have any other tasks..."
Sun Martin felt that the way this Ming officer spoke was very uncomfortable.
There was an underlying meaning in his words, but he just didn't say it out loud.
Sun Martin could vaguely guess it, but he found it very incredible.
If he had not experienced it three years ago, Sun Martin would not have felt this problem.
Then I fell into a huge trap.
Sun Martin finally couldn't control his mood and directly asked his guess:
"So, how do you want to convey my response? Did I reject His Highness Prince Dashi's conditions?"
Zhu Jianxuan asked naturally:
"Isn't it true? You didn't accept His Highness's conditions. Isn't this a rejection?"
Sun Martin confirmed his guess and immediately became a little bit violent.
It was the Ming Dynasty negotiators who had this kind of logic at the beginning that pushed themselves into the abyss of despair now.
When the Ming Dynasty came to ask him whether he would accept the title of earl of the Shang Kingdom of the Ming Dynasty and the conditions for moving to the southeastern coastal area.
He bargained with Ming Dynasty as a matter of course, saying that he hoped to stay where he was and become an independent duke-level vassal state.
Daming's negotiators at that time also naturally said that they understood, and they went back to convey it.
I am also looking forward to the other party coming to discuss with me again, and I can actually lower the price.
My bottom line at that time was actually not far from the conditions given by Daming...
But then... Ming's troops began to attack.
If I take the initiative to ask anything, the other party will not respond and will not listen to me at all.
What followed was a war that lasted three years.
His kingdom of millions of square kilometers was quickly reduced to only 10,000 square kilometers today.
I have been guessing and analyzing for three years how the diplomat conveyed my news.
Now it's finally confirmed.
What they conveyed was two words - rejection.
In addition to acceptance, any other expression of their own meaning is rejection to them.
Sun Martin was a little broken now and wanted to ask in an almost filial tone.
But considering the identity of the other party, he had to work hard to control his momentum.
In the end, it turned into a particularly aggrieved and emphatic complaint:
"You... people like you, why are you so rigid and old-fashioned?
“We just want to discuss with you and discuss the details of the terms with you.
"As a result, you conveyed such serious misinformation...
“Then it led to these three years of unnecessary war!
“Hasn’t Ming Dynasty considered whether so-called negotiators like you are competent?”
Zhu Jianxuan took a moment to look at the indignant Sun Martin.
It seems that I don’t quite understand why Sun Martin is in this state:
“Let me ask you a question now, what is negotiation?
“When did you form the misunderstanding that we were negotiating with you?
"Why do you expect Daming Council to respond to your conditions?
“We were never negotiators, we were just people who came to deliver the message.
“We are just informing you of something and confirming whether you will express your acceptance.
"This matter was originally very simple, why did it become so complicated in your minds?
"The current situation is also the same. I have informed you of His Royal Highness Prince Dashi's intention.
"Then, I will now convey to His Highness your response that you did not accept His Highness's request."
When soldiers of the Ming Dynasty wanted to continue fighting, they would subconsciously adopt Zhu Jianxuan's logic.
I'm just informing you of one thing. I will receive and record only two response messages, accept and not accept.
At the same time, all expressions of meaning that are not accepted will be directly recorded as not accepted.
All other information is irrelevant and will not be recorded.
So any nonsense you say means nothing.
They have already deprived Bolivar, Sun Martin, and the major rebel princes of Nanyinzhou of their titles.
Originally, they had the opportunity to retain several small-scale vassal territories under the vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.
There was nothing now but a chance to survive.
If Sun Martin, Boliva and others have not awakened this time, they may even lose their lives in the future.
But Sun Martin himself has realized the problem.
After all, Sun Martin had been the king of a country for several years. In this despair, collapse, and frustration, he quickly organized his thoughts:
"I haven't said no yet, I should say, I haven't made a formal response yet.
“I need to discuss with our subordinates, and I need time to convince them.
"General, please wait a moment, and I'll have someone arrange a place for you right away..."
Zhu Jianxuan was a little unhappy:
"I'll wait here and give you ten minutes."
Sun Martin subconsciously thought that it was normal for decisions of this level to be discussed for several days.
As a result, Zhu Jianxuan was only given ten minutes, which was simply forcing someone to do something difficult.
Sun Martin said subconsciously:
"Ten minutes is too short. There is no way to fully discuss it. I need at least a day..."
Zhu Jianxuan took out his pocket watch:
"From now on, the countdown will be ten minutes, and no matter what you are doing, it will time normally.
"I will leave in ten minutes. If I don't get an acceptance answer before leaving, it will be regarded as rejection..."
Sun Martin completely understood. The other party's words were both notification and information.
There was no discussion at all, no consultation at all.
Sun Martin almost ran back to his officials and generals, and said in a very fast and strong tone:
"Now the scene is reappearing three years ago. The Ming officers gave an ultimatum instead of an invitation for peace talks.
“Remember three years ago? Instead of accepting the conditions directly, we tried to bargain for the environment.
“Then we face war.
“It’s the same now, if you don’t accept it, you reject it.
"If we refuse, the war will definitely continue.
“The Ming Dynasty will definitely launch an attack later until we are completely wiped out.
“Or when you think you can give another condition.
“I don’t know when the next time will be.
"I hope that by now, I'm tired and I'm sure everyone is tired.
“I decided to accept Ming’s conditions.
"If someone can't accept it, take the initiative to attack and break out with your people."
The officials and generals at the scene understood what Sun Martin meant, but most of them found it difficult to accept this reality.
Several officials and generals subconsciously wanted to question and ask back.
As a result, Saint Martin immediately mentioned the voice and said loudly and somewhat hysterically:
"Don't ask me why I'm asking this, don't think about any other requests.
"The Ming Dynasty did not give us the qualifications to negotiate, it was just an ultimatum!
“The representative of Ming Dynasty gave us ten minutes to discuss.
“When the ten minutes are up, if you don’t say the word “accept”, that’s rejection!”
There was silence.
After silence, a man asked with a trembling voice:
"How long will we have to work after surrendering? If it is for life, then I will choose to continue fighting."
Sun Martin was stunned for a moment, then immediately ran back to the representative of Ming Dynasty, asked this question, and then added another detail:
"At present, I can no longer fully control all the troops and officials. Someone may ignore the order and break out later.
"There may also be someone who leads the team to surrender directly in front of the formation. Will those who surrender in front of the formation be treated according to relative conditions?"
Zhu Jianxuan thought for a while and said:
“Five years for ordinary residents and ten years for soldiers.
“However, most of the current captives will be sent to the Yinzhou Canal in Panama.
“As long as they are workers building the canal, they will be free after the canal is built, and it is the same for all workers.
“The estimated duration of the canal is five years.
"As for surrendering before the battle...the effect is still the same so far. They are basically sent to build the canal."
The question of breakout was not answered, it must have been directly eliminated.
After hearing this, Sun Martin immediately went back and told his subordinates:
“Five to ten years, most likely five years, most likely sent to Panama to dig a canal.
"Don't ask any more questions and make a decision for me right now.
“If most of them accept it, then those who don’t will break out on their own.
"If most of them don't accept it, then those who do will go and surrender in front of the battle."
Five years is not a long time, and being a laborer for five years may not be more difficult than the current war.
Therefore, most officials and generals accepted this condition.
Some diehards who wanted to fight to the death were also controlled by their surrounding companions.
Sun Martin returned to Zhu Jianxuan in the last two minutes:
"We accept the conditions of His Highness Prince Dashi and we are willing to surrender."
Zhu Jianxuan sighed softly after listening:
"It's really a pity that you accepted it..."
