Annam, Hanoi city.
"Your Majesty, the envoy has returned and is waiting for the summons outside!"
An eunuch came in from outside the palace and reported to Chen Zheping, the king of Annan.
Chen Zheping first looked at the Prime Minister Hu Jishao on the side, and then ordered to the attendants:
"Send him in!"
"yes!"
After a while, the messenger came in with a depressed look on his face and performed a respectful ceremony towards Chen Zheping and Hu Jiyou.
Hu Jiyou waved his hand at him and asked:
"Get up, how are things going?"
"Does Daming agree?"
The messenger shook his head, and then paraphrased Li Jin's words exactly as they were said.
After Hu Jiyou heard this, he became furious on the spot and cursed:
"They deceived people so much and went so far as to even try to ask us for five million taels of silver. This is naked extortion and extortion!!"
"The great Ming Dynasty is the supreme ruler of the country. If you act like this, aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the people of the world?"
That was five million taels of silver. When Hu Jisao thought about taking out so much silver, his heart couldn't help but beat fast. Even if he was powerful, Annan couldn't collect this amount of money!
Compared to Hu Jishen's anger, although Chen Zheping, who was sitting at the top, looked sad, his heart was filled with genuine ecstasy.
After all, he is just a puppet. If the Ming Dynasty attacks, as long as he can destroy this Hu Ji Ya, he will definitely regain power.
After all, Annan was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty would definitely support him on the throne.
The messenger lowered his head and listened to Hu Ji Yao's angry curses. He did not dare to say a word for fear of getting angry. After all, he still wanted to live longer.
After Hu Ji Yao cursed a few times, his expression gradually turned cold, and the entire hall suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
After a while, Hu Ji Yao spoke coldly and ordered the envoy:
"You continue to be an envoy to the Ming Dynasty and tell those people that our country does not have that much silver and we are only willing to compensate fifty thousand taels of silver."
"However, we can apologize, or even issue an imperial edict to formally apologize to Ming's crew. I hope Ming will not push people too hard, otherwise I, Annan, will not be afraid to fight to the death."
"At that time, my five hundred thousand Annan army will definitely meet the Ming Dynasty's swordsmen."
Facing Hu Jisao's instructions, the envoy had a frown on his face, and he could only say cautiously:
"Sir, what should I do if Daming still disagrees?"
When he said this, the envoy suddenly thought of the two Ming officials Li Jin and Fu Youde. He felt that the Ming Dynasty would definitely not agree. I am afraid that going there this time would be a disaster.
Hearing this, Hu Jiyou's face turned gloomy and he said with murderous intent:
"Don't agree? Then fight!"
The envoy was so frightened that he trembled all over. He had no time to salute, so he hurriedly turned around and left. After leaving the door, he walked non-stop towards the Ming Dynasty military camp.
...
Ming Dynasty military camp.
"Sir, the Annan envoy is here again!"
The messenger reported to Li Jin again.
Fu Youde said with disdain:
"It's like a dog-skin plaster. He came so quickly. Could it be that King Annan agreed to our request? Then should we fight?"
Li Jin shook his head, then looked at the messenger and said:
"Let him in!"
Fu Youde asked uncertainly:
"Do you think Annan can really give us so much money?"
"Of course they won't give it!"
Li Jin was very sure that Annan would not give it, because the person in charge of Annan at this time was not the king but the traitor Hu Jiyou. If he really gave Ming five million taels of silver, what was the difference between it and cutting his flesh?
Moreover, whether Annan's treasury has five million taels of silver is not a question at all. After all, the Ming dynasty's treasury did not have so much silver before!
When the envoy entered the Ming army camp again, as soon as he saw Li Jin, he knelt on the ground and saluted, never daring to raise his head.
When Li Jin saw this, he was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but smile:
"The envoy salutes so solemnly. He must have good news to tell me."
"Has your country already agreed to my request? If so, after I receive the money, I will have my troops withdraw the next day."
The messenger turned pale and explained tremblingly:
"Your Majesty, my king is willing to apologize and issue an edict to apologize to the merchants of Ming Dynasty."
"It's just...it's just that the five million taels of silver are really too much for Annan. The people of Annan are small and weak, and they really can't afford so much silver. I hope you will forgive me."
Li Jin nodded after hearing this. He didn't seem angry, but asked patiently:
"Oh? Then I wonder how much money you are willing to give? If the difference is not much, I can forgive you."
The messenger lowered his head, his expression unreadable, and just replied with his tongue tied:
"Five...five...five..."
Seeing the cowardly look of the envoy, Fu Youde, who was sitting next to him, immediately cursed impatiently:
"What's five five five five? Is it five hundred thousand taels? Are you sending beggars away?"
The messenger swallowed, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he could only close his eyes and force himself to say:
"It's fifty thousand taels."
Fifty thousand taels? !
Fu Youde instantly became furious, and his rough voice exploded in the tent:
"You bitch, how dare you despise me, Ming Dynasty, you will die!!"
With that said, he was about to pull out his sword and chop the messenger into pieces.
However, he was stopped by Li Jin, and the envoy was so frightened that he sat down on the ground.
At this moment, Li Jin's face was also extremely gloomy, and he said coldly:
"Fifty thousand taels of silver, if you don't say that I can't agree, even the one hundred thousand troops behind me can't agree."
"Go back and tell your king and prime minister to wipe your neck clean and wait for death!"
After speaking, the envoy was kicked out by Li Jin. The envoy stood outside the camp for a while. After he came to his senses, he still looked frightened.
The messenger couldn't help but stretched out his hand and touched his neck in fear. Just now, he was almost beheaded.
Looking back at the Ming Dynasty camp, the envoy did not dare to stay any longer and ran away to the south.
...
The envoy rode all the way back to the Annan Palace in a melancholy mood.
"How about it? Does Daming agree?"
As soon as the envoy entered the inner hall, before he had time to salute, he was asked urgently by the leader, Hu Jiya.
The messenger was stunned for a moment, then bowed and responded with a complicated look:
"They said they would not withdraw their troops without five million taels of silver!"
Chen Zheping couldn't help but feel excited for a moment, but there was sadness on his face. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
Hu Ji Yao, who was standing beside him, slapped his palm on the table and said through gritted teeth:
"Fifty thousand taels is already enough to show their respect for the Ming Dynasty. They have opened their mouths and regard our Annan army as nothing. If we don't have five million taels, at worst, it will be a dead end."
The more Hu Ji Ya thought about it, the anger in his heart rose rapidly, and then he directly said:
"Go and recall all the garrisons from the south and east to Hanoi. Today I will make these arrogant Ming troops pay the price with blood!"
