Chapter Twenty Return Home

  Originally, after the defeat of the war, he repeatedly sent people to ask for peace. Wang Zhi, who was then the Minister of Personnel, intended to take this opportunity to bring Zhu Qizhen back. In fact, his intention was not to let Zhu Qizhen return to power, but he felt that the capture of the Taishang Huang was a very shameful thing. Now, if Zhu Qizhen can be brought back, it will also be a glory for the country.

  Unfortunately, their views were completely unpalatable to Zhu Qizhen's taste. This new emperor had just warmed up his throne and got a headache whenever he heard Zhu Qiyu's name, hoping that his brother would roll away as far as possible, and if possible, send him to another planet, never to return. So he ignored it.

  But Wang Zhi was a single-minded person, he mistakenly thought that Zhu Qizhen did not respond to him because he had not made up his mind and was still hesitant. He openly submitted a memorial expressing his own views. Originally, submitting a memorial was nothing unusual, but this straightforward brother Ren wrote a paragraph of rather taboo words, which made Zhu Qizhen furious and blew things out of proportion.

  "He wrote a passage, excerpted as follows: 'Your Majesty's heavenly position is already established, the Grand Emperor Above has retired and will no longer manage the affairs of heaven, Your Majesty reveres him, truly a glorious event in ancient and modern times.'"

  Actually, Wang Zhi's words were written after careful consideration. He had already sensed that Zhu Qizhen did not want Zhu Qiyu to return, precisely because of the throne. So he made a special declaration: even if Zhu Qiyu returns, he will not seize your throne, so you can rest assured!

  It seems there's nothing wrong with this sentence, so why would Zhu Qiyu get angry?

  Because Wang Zhiqian calculated everything, but missed one point: although everyone knew about this matter, it was the deepest secret buried by Zhu Qizhen. The emperor's mind is unfathomable, and you, Wang Zhi, actually poked through it - truly self-proclaimed cleverness!

  As expected, Zhu Qiyu was very indignant after reading it and thought it was exposing his shortcomings. He even wrote an article to respond to Wang Zhi! In the article, he stated that the reason why he did not go to receive Zhu Qizhen was because Altan was too cunning, fearing that the other side would take advantage of the situation to attack, so he hesitated and did not move, hoping that the ministers could consider it carefully before doing this thing.

  This is clearly a delaying tactic, in fact he just doesn't want to do this thing. What's interesting is that in the article, he also wrote a very brilliant passage, which can be seen as his defense:

  "I have read your memorial, and what you say is all correct. But this task is not something I myself wish to undertake (the great position is not what I desire), it is Heaven, my ancestors, the imperial clan, and you, the civil and military officials, who are forcing me to do it."

  Wang Zhi was extremely surprised and only then did he realize that he had stepped on the emperor's sore spot. Helpless, he could only shut his mouth and not mention this matter again.

  Things calmed down like this, but just a month later, the emperor sent an envoy to seek peace and expressed his willingness to return Zhu Qizhen. However, Zhu Qiyu was cold in his attitude and didn't respond at all. This led to heated discussions among court officials, with even veteran minister Hu Mian, Minister of Rites, expressing that if they could welcome back Zhu Qizhen, why not do so?

  Facing this situation, Zhu Qiyu finally couldn't sit still. He decided to convene a court meeting and severely reprimand those ministers.

  The morning meeting was held publicly, and Wang Zhi, Hu Meng, Yu Qian and others all attended. The meeting began, and Zhu Qizhen immediately changed his usual demeanor, severely scolding the evil deeds of the Wa La tribe, and stating that there could be no peace with them.

  Before the ministers could regain their composure, he turned his spearhead at Wang Zhi, and his words were sharp and piercing, really beyond expectation:

  "You people always bring up this matter, what exactly do you want to do?!" (Repeatedly mentioning it, what's the point?)

  The conversation had reached this point, greatly beyond Wang Zhi's expectations. But this tough guy was not a coward, he actually countered the emperor with one sentence: "The Taishang Huangdi has been captured for a long time and should have been returned already. If we don't send someone to receive him now, it will be too late to regret later!"

  To say that Wang Zhi was indeed a fierce man, he actually dared to fight with the emperor, but his impulsiveness not only failed to help resolve the matter, but also thoroughly enraged Zhu Qizhen, causing him to utter even more astonishing and shocking words.

  Zhu Qiyu heard Wang Zhi talking back to him, and became even more furious, shouting loudly: "I was never interested in this position in the first place. It was you people who forced me to become emperor at that time (when I saw the throne, it was actually you and others who pushed me). How dare you come out now and say these things!"

  Wang Zhi was really stunned. He had not expected the emperor to be so furious. The ministers present did not dare say anything else, and for a moment the atmosphere was very awkward.

  At this time, a cold-eyed onlooker broke the awkwardness. This person was Yu Qian.

  In fact, Yu Qian was also a very deep city, he had long seen the situation and understood Zhu Qi's psychological changes and the reasons for his anger. After careful consideration, he stood up and resolved the stalemate with just one sentence.

  "The position of Heaven is already decided, what other possibilities are there?"

  This sentence is even more timely than the timely rain, and Zhu Qiyu's face immediately turned from cloudy to sunny. Yu Qian saw the situation and took the opportunity to express that he wanted to send an envoy, but it was just for border security, and it was still good to send someone.

  Yu Qian's words made Zhu Qiyu feel a stone drop from his heart, as long as the throne was still his, everything else could be easily settled.

  He swept away the gloom from his face earlier and smiled, saying repeatedly to Qian: "As you say, as you say."

  Every time I see this place, I involuntarily admire Qian's humility. Not only is he brave in taking on tasks, but also so well-versed in the emperor's mind games, which is truly not easy.

  The plan was set and Da Ming sent out his own envoy.

  The name of this envoy was Li Shi, and at that time he held the position of Vice Minister of Rites.

  I specifically mention this person's position because there is a big problem with it. Everyone knows that the Shilang is the deputy minister, a third-grade official, and diplomatic personnel also need to have some seniority. This level of visit should not be low, and it seems that Zhu Qizhen attaches great importance to this mission. However, after checking the data, I found that there was another mystery.

  Just a few days ago, this gentleman was not the Minister of Rites, his original position was only a giver (a seventh-grade official)! It wasn't until before departure that he was hastily given a title and sent on a diplomatic mission.

  Now that an envoy has been sent, there is naturally a state letter. However, this state letter also has a big problem. The general content is: You killed people of the Great Ming, and the Great Ming can also kill you! My Great Ming is vast and populous, so why didn't we go to war with you? It's because I'm afraid it would violate Heaven's will. I heard that you have already withdrawn your troops and returned home, which means you are already fearful of Heaven's will. I am very satisfied, so I sent an envoy.

  Look at this, does it look like a letter from the peaceful country? I reckon it can be used as a declaration of war. Moreover, there is no mention of welcoming Zhu Qizhen back, what's the intention behind this, it's crystal clear.

  When Li Shi saw the national letter and found that there was no content about Zhu Qi's return, he was also shocked. He immediately ran to the inner cabinet, still being relatively naive, thinking that it was a mistake made by some dignitary when drafting the document. However, on his way, he happened to meet Xing An, Zhu Qi's trusted eunuch, and asked him about this matter. Xing An simply ignored him, loudly scolding: "Take the national letter and go! What business is it of yours?!"

  Li Shi understood the emperor's intention.

  And so a minor official set off with what was called a letter of peace. To me it seemed another farce.

  But thousands of miles away, Zhu Qi heard the news and was very excited, thinking that his day to return home was near. However, he had no idea that this person named Li Shi was not there to pick him up, but rather to scold him.

  At this time, Li Shi, who had just been entrusted with a great mission, would not have thought that he, an originally insignificant figure, would become famous for a while due to this diplomatic mission and leave behind two legendary dialogues in history.

  Legendary Dialogue

  In the seventh month of the first year of the Jing Tai era (1450), Li Shi arrived at Yeshi Batur (place name). This was also the main camp of Esen. He was then led by someone to pay his respects to Zhu Qizhen.

  After meeting each other, they were filled with emotions and both shed tears. However, judging from their conversation later on, the reasons for their tears seemed to be different.

  Both sides exchanged pleasantries before embarking on this extremely interesting conversation in history.

  Zhu Qizhen: Is Empress Dowager (Sun Empress Dowager) well? Is the Emperor (Zhu Qiyu) well? Is the Empress (Qian Empress) well?

  Li Shi: Everything is fine, please don't worry, Your Majesty.

  Zhu Qi Zhen: It's cold here, are your clothes enough? Did you bring some with you?

  Li Shi: Sorry, I was in a hurry when I went out and didn't bring it.

  Zhu Qizhen: ……

  Li Shi: I and my attendants have brought a few of our own clothes, let Taishang Huang use them first. (Privately offering regular clothes)

  Zhu Qizhen: They eat mutton and beef here, did you bring something to eat?

  Li Shi: Sorry, I don't have it.

  Zhu Qizhen: ……

  Li Shi: I have several dou of rice here with me, let the Taishang Huang eat first.

  Zhu Qizhen: These are all trivial matters (these are all minor things), you come to help me deal with the big things, I've been stuck here for a year now, why didn't you people come to pick me up?

  Li Shi: I don't know.

  Zhu Qizhen: Now, I have already promised to let me go. Please go back and tell the Emperor to send someone to pick me up. As long as I can return, even if it's just to be a commoner (willing to be a humble subject). Even if it's just to tend to my ancestors' tombs, that's fine too!

  At this point, Zhu Qizhen could no longer bear it and burst into tears.

  As the Taishang Huang, he actually said such words, it seems that Zhu Qizhen really had no other choice, he just wanted to go home.

  Zhu Qi Zhen started crying for the second time after meeting up, but this time, he was the only one crying, as Li Shi didn't cry.

  Li Shi simply looked at him coldly and finally asked two unbelievable questions.

  Question one:

  Li Shi: Does the Emperor remember his past life of luxury and extravagance now that he is living here?

  Question 2:

  Li Shi: The Emperor's current situation is all because he trusted and favored Wang Zhen. If that's the case, why did he favor this minor official in the first place?

  Such an attitude and such a question, if it were not recorded in history books, would be hard to believe, yet one has no choice but to believe.

  It's really a phoenix fallen to the state of a chicken, a small sesame official dare to use this tone to mock the emperor, Zhu Qizhen's last remaining dignity and majesty completely dissipated.

  Zhu Qizhen heard these two questions, his heart was filled with emotions, he couldn't answer them, and all he could do was burst into tears, saying his only defense:

  "I was wrong about Wang Zhen, this is a fact, but when Wang Zhen was around, none of the officials dared to speak out, now they all put the blame on me (today all the blame is on me)!"

  Having reached this point, there was nothing more to say. Li Shi sternly scolded the Taishang Huang and then left his tent to see Ye Xian.

  As a diplomatic convention, he also started a dialogue with Li Shiyu, and this dialogue was also considered classic.

  Ye Xian finished reading the national book and didn't get angry at all. It seems that one's temper is always supported by their strength.

  He strangely asked Li Shi: Why doesn't the national book mention Zhu Qi's return?

  Li Shi did not answer because he didn't know, and even if he knew, he couldn't have answered.

  Also Xian continued: Go back and tell the emperor, as long as he sends a few eunuch ministers over, I will immediately send someone to deliver them, is this feasible?

  Li Shi still remained humble and reserved, after all he was just a minor official, where did he have the right to make such remarks!

  Also, Li Shi didn't react at all, getting anxious, said the most classic line in this dialogue:

  "The Retired Emperor stays here but cannot be our emperor, he is actually a idle person, you'd better take him back as soon as possible!"

  A generation of heroes and great men, unexpectedly said such words, really makes people cry and laugh.

  Poor Yaxian, he really had no choice either.

  An ignorant envoy, a crying emperor, and a helpless tribal leader, this farcical visit came to an end.

  Zhu Qizhen still honestly stayed in his tent, he finally understood that the possibility of him going back was not great.

  Li Shi was quite happy, he was originally a minor official, this time not only promoted, but also went abroad to see the world and scolded the Emperor.

  Yeshen, however, was not confused. From Li Shi's reaction, he discovered that this person was not a big shot, and Zhu Qizhen seemed to have no other use except wasting his food here. So he decided to send another batch of envoys to the Great Ming, determined to get rid of this burden.

  This time he sent a minister named Pilma Menahem (this name is quite distinctive), but it's estimated that even the person himself didn't have much hope for this visit, because this was already the sixth batch of ministers. Hoping for a diplomatic miracle to occur seems unrealistic.

  It was this man with a distinctive name who brought about the appearance of a key figure and ultimately returned Zhu Qizhen.

  The Miracle Begins

  Piliman Hama arrived in the capital as ordered, but when he got here, he found that no one took him seriously. After hastily finding a hostel to arrange his accommodation, no one paid attention to him anymore. Not to mention meeting with the Emperor or the Minister, he didn't even see a single official.

  Pilermani Hamah felt anxious in his heart, although he didn't read many books, he had some insight and knew that if things went on like this, he wouldn't be able to return home with a good result. After deep thought, he came up with an unorthodox method - going to the higher authorities to appeal.

  This gentleman, without anyone's recommendation, found the relevant government office on his own and expressed his desire to meet with Hu Mian, the Minister of Rites. The officials in charge of receiving visitors at the Ministry of Rites were not daring to neglect this Wala person, so they reported the matter to their superiors. Finally, Hu Mian learned about it and felt that things had become too troublesome, so he immediately went to see Zhu Qizhen, hoping to send another envoy to Wala.

  Zhu Qiyu's response was to wait until Li Shi returned before saying anything.

  At this time, the governor Yuan Min, who had escaped from Tumu Fortress, submitted a memorial to the throne, volunteering to take clothes and necessities of life to visit Zhu Qizhen in Wa La prison (carrying books and clothing, asking for peace outside the pass).

  Zhu Qiyan expressed his idea and then ignored him again.

  Li Shi returned and informed Yexian of his intention to return the hostages, and Zhu Qizhen patiently listened and comforted Li Shi, but still ignored him.

  Wang Zhi and others could not help but insist on sending another envoy, Zhu Qizhen reluctantly agreed, and casually appointed an official to serve as the Ming ambassador.

  Hu Mian said that the former emperor was short of clothes and food outside, hoping to let the envoy bring some, so as not to suffer. Zhu Qizhen expressed his good opinion, but still ignored him again.

  Zhu Qiyu not only ignored these people, but also did not provide enough basic expenses for this batch of envoys. Even the gifts given to Esen were pitifully small. As for Zhu Qizhen's food and clothing, there was not a single penny. In Zhu Qiyu's view, letting Esen kill his own brother in a fit of rage or letting his brother starve to death from cold and hunger were both excellent choices.

  Zhu Qiyu repeated his old tricks and also gave this so-called envoy a national letter, which, like last time, did not mention bringing Zhu Qizhen back at all.

  Being brothers has reached this point, it's really meaningful enough.

  Zhu Qiyun's actions have told us a common sense in a world of power:

  Brotherly love is worthless, not even worth a fart.

  A delegation with a meager gift, not even enough to cover travel expenses, an arbitrarily appointed official, carrying a mysterious state letter, set off towards Wala, from any angle, this seems to be another farce.

  But miracles began from here.

  Zhu Qiyun set up all the obstacles he could think of for the envoy's visit, not giving money, not giving gifts, and even not giving a legitimate reason for the mission. Any one of these obstacles could be an important reason for the failure of this visit.

  But in order to succeed in doing something, often just one successful factor is enough.

  And in this delegation, there is a successful factor. Although only one, it is the key to determining success or failure and creating miracles.

  It is ironic that the most important factor was actually created by Zhu Qizhen himself, as the key to success lay in the official who was arbitrarily appointed by him.

  The official's name was Yang Shan, who served as the Right Vice Director of the Censorate. Although he held a second-grade position, he was not particularly noticeable and didn't count as much of a figure, which was also one of the reasons Zhu Qizhen chose him. Unfortunately, Zhu Qizhen did not know that this Mr. Yang Shan was a man with extraordinary skills, and his skill could be considered among the best in the entire Ming dynasty history among people of the same type.

  Yang Shan's special skill is talking.

  The Best Debater of the Ming Dynasty Takes the Stage

  During the Warring States period, Zhang Yi traveled to various countries to offer his counsel, hoping to find an official position. However, he was often beaten until he was covered in bruises. His wife pitied him and said, "Why do you insist on going out to seek office? Have you learned your lesson now?"

  Zhang Yi asked her a question: "Is my tongue still there?"

  His wife replied, of course still is.

  "As long as the tongue is still there and can speak, there's a way."

  Yang Shan is someone who as long as his tongue is still there and he can speak, he will find a way.

  Yang Shan, a native of Daxing County (now part of Beijing), had an extremely unusual background. He held the rank of 2nd grade official, but after checking his resume, I was shocked to find that this high-ranking official not only wasn't a Hanlin scholar (selected from the top three ranks of imperial examination graduates), but he wasn't even a jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations)! This is extremely rare throughout the entire 300-year history of the Ming dynasty.

  The Ming Dynasty was an era that attached great importance to academic qualifications. To be able to mix in the imperial court and get a official position, one had to at least pass the Imperial Examination to become a Juren (a kind of degree), and if one wanted to become a high-ranking official, he must become a Jinshi (a higher degree). As the saying goes: "If you are not a Jinshi, you cannot enter the imperial cabinet." In the three-level examination system at that time, if we say that Jinshi is equivalent to a university graduate and Juren is equivalent to a high school graduate, then Mr. Yang Shan's academic qualifications can only be written as junior high school graduate, because he was just a Xiucai (a lower degree).

  So-called scholars are just rural intellectuals, and they don't even have the qualifications to be officials. In a time when fake diplomas were not yet widespread, how did Yang Shan manage to become a second-grade official?

  Having seen his career advancement experience, it can be found that he has been able to come this far without any luck.

  In the first year of Jianwen (1399), October, Li Jinglong led a large army to attack North Ping. At this time, the young scholar Yang Shan joined the Yan Wang's army, but he did not have any military achievements and was responsible for ceremonial work.

  Yang Shan is a qualified official, he did very well, but due to his low education level, when people who became officials at the same time as him were promoted one after another, he was still struggling to qualify for promotion.

  After struggling for over 30 years, he finally rose to the position of Honglu Temple Minister (third rank), which was really not easy. The ups and downs of his official career made him a refined person, skilled in speaking to people's faces and behind their backs. He was a master of politics, able to navigate complex situations with ease, whether it was during the Three Yangs' administration or Wang Zhen's rule. This gentleman remained as stable as Mount Tai, untouchable by anyone.

  Many people despise his way of dealing with the world, and are ashamed to associate with him, but he is self-sufficient. By the time of Zhengtong, he had been promoted to Deputy Minister of Rites.

  Not long after, the expedition of Zhengtong 14 began, and Yang Shan, who was already over 60 years old, also went on the expedition. To say that he was not ordinary at all, in the midst of war, with swords and shadows flying everywhere, countless young and strong ministers died, but this old man in his sixties actually managed to escape back, it's unknown whether it was due to his daily jogging exercises, which is truly admirable.

  He was later transferred to the Office of Transmission and appointed as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, concurrently serving as an envoy to the Oyirad.

  Yang Shan was not as naive as Li Shi, he was very clear about the mystery hidden behind the envoy, and also understood that Zhu Qizhen did not want his brother to return at all. The fact also proved his idea, this so-called Da Ming envoy team had no money, no goods, and even no specific statement for the envoy.

  No one supported him and no one looked up to him; in everyone's eyes, this was just another futile long journey.

  But Yang Shan still set out with full confidence, determined to create a miracle and bring Zhu Qizhen back even if nothing else.

  What for?

  Just because of his mouth.

  The cow is blown out.

  Yang Shandao led the delegation to the camp of Wagar, where he met the envoy sent by Ye Zong to welcome him. However, during the welcoming banquet held in his honor, Yang Shandao faced his first severe test.

  It was probably because the envoys sent out earlier were treated with too much disdain, and also because Yang Shan did not have a very good impression of him from the start. Under his instructions, at the banquet, the reception staff suddenly asked Yang Shan an extremely embarrassing question in an arrogant tone:

  "The war of attrition, how can your army be so fragile?"

  Yang Shan, who was eating with his head down, heard this deliberately provocative question and raised his head to stare at the opponent's provocative eyes, starting a tense thinking.

  To handle this complex situation well, that is, not to lose face and maintain national dignity, while not quarreling with the other party, Yang Shan decided to brag a bit. Although he may have bragged many times before, I think this time's bragging was the most perfect.

  Yang Shan suddenly looked worried and said with a sigh: There are some things I didn't want to say, but now it's time to tell you.

  The other party was taken aback by this sentence and hastily asked for the reason.

  Yang Shan continued with a seemingly unwilling tone: "During the Tumu Crisis, our main forces were not in the capital, they all went on an expedition (all the strong men marched south). Wang Zhen led the army to underestimate the enemy and enter, which is why they failed. Now the troops that went on the southern expedition have all returned, with 200,000 people! Plus the newly trained 300,000 troops, all of whom have undergone rigorous training, can go into battle at any time!"

  After hearing this, the envoys couldn't help but take a cold breath, but they never expected that what they would hear next would be even more astonishing, because Mr. Yang's boastful part was about to begin.

  At over sixty years old, Yang Shan now assumed the posture of an elderly woman telling scary stories to her little grandson, vividly describing a terrifying scene for the Uighurs.

  "We have set up ambushes with many firearms and poisonous crossbows along the border, and if you are hit, you will undoubtedly die (a hundred steps away, people and horses will fall and die). Moreover, we have also placed many iron caltrops on the main roads (hidden iron caltrops three feet long), your horse hooves will be pierced, and you will not be able to move at all."

  Yang Shan is still a master of telling horror stories, and he even said to the pale-faced Wa people with a serious face: "To be honest with you, every night when you sleep, we send many assassins to spy on your camp, coming and going without a trace, did you know that?"

  So, Yang Shan finally ended his bluff, smiling as he raised his head to look at the stunned Wala people opposite him.

  It's pointless to scare people, so Yang Shan continued his performance.

  His face suddenly changed, and he put on a sorrowful expression, letting out a sigh:

  "Alas, all these are useless now."

  The Huihe people were just frightened by the strange and terrifying tone of this gentleman, and suddenly they saw his attitude turn warm, and couldn't understand what kind of trick he was playing, so they asked him why.

  Yang Shan finally expressed his ultimate intention:

  "We've already made peace and are like brothers now, what's the point of using these anymore!"

  The Uighurs laughed; they no longer had to worry about those firearms, iron pikes and assassins that didn't exist anyway.

  Yang Shanyao also smiled, for he had once again successfully told a moving story.

  After finishing the dinner party's rivalry, Yang Shandong went to see Ye Xian, where a real test awaited him.

  The Final Test

  Yang Shan finally arrived in front of Also First, he understood that the last moment had come, he did not have a thick gift, nor a dignified national letter, but he wanted to let the generation's hero in front of him willingly negotiate with himself and hand over Zhu Qizhen for free (he didn't have money to give).

  He had to accomplish this impossible task, to conquer also Xerxes the great and magnificent conqueror, and his only weapon was his wisdom.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, problems arose as soon as the conversation started, because Yeshi lost his temper.

  Also Xian was angry, and his emotions were justified. After all, he had suffered a lot since the war began. At this moment, he plucked up his courage and adopted a preemptive strategy, raising a series of accusations against Yang Shan.

  "Why did you lower the price of the horse?"

  "Why are all the fabrics you sell us inferior goods?" (Bo Duo Jian Lie)

  "Why are our envoys often detained by you?" (causing people to go but not return)

  "Why do you want to reduce the annual reward given to us?"

  After asking, he first stared at Yang Shan with a fierce gaze, waiting for his response.

  Although Yang's attitude was also aggressive, the questions he raised were indeed facts. As an official in charge of etiquette, Yang had no say in major national policies, let alone speaking on behalf of the country.

  But now he must answer.

  Facing such a situation, Yang Shan was not flustered at all. He stabilized his emotions and remained calm and composed, but in his mind, he was anxiously thinking of an appropriate response. In the past fifty years of his official career, he had gone through countless crises and difficulties, but he had always persevered. The current predicament should be no exception.

  In an instant, he was confident and composed.

  Yang Shanshao smiled and said to Ye Xian: "Master, don't be angry. Actually, we didn't lower the price of the horse. Master sent (wanted to sell) the horse over, and the price has been rising year by year. We couldn't afford it but also couldn't bear to refuse Master, so we had to slightly lower the price (a small loss). This was unavoidable. Think about it, the current price of horses is already much higher than at first."

  "As for the matter of the damaged fabric, we deeply regret it and have severely punished the responsible personnel (the affair was handled by them and they were dismissed). Didn't you also send some inferior horses? Of course, that wasn't your intention either!"

  "Of course, of course, I can guarantee that this is absolutely not my arrangement."

  At this time, the best debater Yang Shan had already entered the state and continued with a spirited expression:

  "Moreover, we have not detained your envoys. You sent three or four thousand people, and it is inevitable that some of them are of poor quality, and it is also inevitable that some of them will steal or rob. We can understand this. And Grand Master, you uphold the law impartially, and must investigate them. These people fear being convicted and so flee (they flee because they fear being convicted). It's not us detaining them. In fact, we have not reduced the annual gifts to you. What we reduced was only the number of people who made false reports. Those who have been verified have not been reduced."

  "You see, am I right?"

  The debate topic of Yang Shanzhan "Did the Ming Dynasty ever owe a debt to Wa State" is now complete.

  The opposing debater was also stunned and speechless for the time being, with no response yet.

  On the battlefield, he was often the victor and conqueror, but this time, he was thoroughly conquered by an old man with no strength to truss a chicken, conquered by his words and wisdom.

  In this debate, Yang Shen was in a heroic state, speaking fluently and eloquently, leaving his opponent bewildered as if lost in clouds and fog. The sharpness of their words was matched, yet without losing dignity, he also gave his opponent face, truly worthy of the reputation of being the number one debater of the Ming Dynasty (personal evaluation, not official).

  In this process, he also showed a very general attitude. According to historical records, apart from nodding in agreement and repeatedly saying a few words like "good" and "right", he did not show any other expressions.

  Yang Shan made his final statement:

  "The Grand Tutor sends troops to attack the Great Ming, and the Grand Tutor will also suffer losses. Why not send the Retired Emperor back to the Great Ming, and then the Great Ming will reward the Grand Tutor every year? This is good for both countries."

  Ye Xian was thoroughly moved by this. He had been touched by Yang Zan's description of the wonderful prospects, and decided to send Zhu Qizhen back.

  But when he was delightedly holding up the Da Ming Country's book and examining it carefully, he discovered a very important issue:

  "Why doesn't your national letter mention receiving the retired emperor?"

  This is indeed an important issue, you don't say you want to receive it, why should I send it?

  Yang Shan was well-prepared.

  It was discovered after all, but it doesn't matter, with this mouth, there's no hurdle that can't be crossed!

  He calmly said: "This is to make the name of the Grand Master whole! The national book intentionally did not write, in order to let the Grand Master do this thing himself. You think, if it were written on the national book, wouldn't the Grand Master become a mere executor? This is indeed a painstaking effort of the Ming Dynasty!"

  He heard this and immediately reacted with great joy.

  He was also moved, he didn't think that Ming would be so considerate, even taking care of the face problem for himself, it's really not easy. So he decided to send Zhu Qizhen back.

  But at this time, another person came out and spoke to interrupt.

  Ye Xian's Ping Zhang Angke was a clever man. Seeing Ye Xian being deceived by Yang Shan, he stood up and said something very practical: "Why didn't you bring money to ransom him?"

  Yang Shan glanced at Ang Ke and gave a nearly perfect response:

  "We originally came with money, but wouldn't that make us seem too greedy? Fortunately, we deliberately didn't bring any money, and now we can witness the kindness of the Grand Master!"

  Then he turned to Ye Xian and said the most brilliant words of this visit:

  "Grand Tutor is not greedy for wealth and material possessions. He is a true man, his name will surely be recorded in history and praised for generations to come!"

  Every time I see this place, I involuntarily want to find a piece of paper and write a letter of apology to Mr. Yang Shan.

  Mr. Yang Shan elevated speaking into an art form, which is truly magnificent and unparalleled.

  He was even more excited, he stood up excitedly and immediately said that a man's word is his bond, brother you first settle down, I'll have someone send Zhu Qi back to you right away.

  He couldn't contain his excitement, pacing back and forth, laughing and saying repeatedly: "Good, good!" (laughing and praising)

  A miracle was thus born. Without ceding an inch of land or paying a single penny (except for travel expenses), Yang Shan brought Zhu Qizhen back, accomplishing the impossible task.

  Yang Shan has made a great achievement, he inherited the excellent tradition of countless persuaders, debaters and flatterers since the Spring and Autumn Period. He went deep into the desert, fully demonstrated the dare-to-die spirit under the condition that there was no condition to create one, and brought Zhu Qizhen back with empty hands, which really makes people admire him with all their might.

  But Yang Shan never thought that after establishing this unprecedented achievement, the only reward he got was to be promoted from Right Vice Censor-in-Chief to Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. To say that with his merits, this reward is too low. The reason is very simple, because he brought back a person whom the current emperor did not want to see.

  In short, Zhu Qizhen was very happy and could finally go home.

  But just at this critical moment, someone came out to stop Zhu Qizhen from going back.

  In fact, in the Ming dynasty, many people hated the Ming dynasty and did not want to let the Ming emperor return. This is not surprising, but this time it was different, because Zhu Qizhen never thought that the person who would stop him from going home would be Bayan Temur.

  Bayan Temur prevented Zhu Di from returning, but the reason was really laughable:

  "We must ensure that Zhu Qizhen can become emperor after he goes back, only then can we let him go!"

  From the relationship between Bayan Temur and Zhu Qizhen, he did not want Zhu Qizhen to go back like this. It is very likely that he was afraid that after going back, he would be bullied by his own brother (Zhu Qiyu) and suffer losses. The fact also proved that his speculation was correct.

  Bayan Temur was quite determined to see their friendship through to the end and help Zhu Qizhen one more time. He found Esen and proposed detaining the envoy until the Ming court promised to restore Zhu Qizhen's throne, at which point he would be sent back.

  He also stated that he had already promised Yang Shan, a man's word is as good as his bond, and he would never go back on it.

  So Zhu Di was sent back after all, and what happened on the day of seeing him off also made people admire Bayan Temur's deep friendship.

  To show respect, he led all the tribal leaders to see off Zhu Di, sending him a thousand miles away, and everyone gradually returned. However, Bayan Temur accompanied Zhu Di for a whole day, stopping only at Wild Fox Ridge.

  Yehe Nara is close to Guyuan Pass, and Bayan Temur sent him here to stop because he could no longer move forward. This was already within the sphere of influence of the Ming dynasty, and at any time there was a danger of being captured by the enemy's Ming army.

  Bayan Temur dismounted here, looked at his friend for the last time, this friend who had made friends in a strange environment, thought that from now on they would be separated by heaven and earth, and couldn't help himself, bursting into loud sobs. He grasped Zhu Qizhen's horse head, with tears streaming down his face, saying:

  "Farewell for today, when can we meet again? Take care!"

  Then he covered his face, mounted his horse and galloped towards the direction of Wala, never to be seen again. Four years later (1454), Bayan Temur was killed by the Minister Aradai, and this time it was a permanent farewell.

  Through those years entangled with hatred and prejudice, I saw genuine and selfless friendship.