When he arrived at Houtu Camp, Wu Ling no longer accompanied Cao Yun forward. Cao Yun arrived in the Ming Dynasty, which naturally means that Qi State is going to temporarily quit the Ming Dynasty. In a short period of time, there will be no major changes on the border. The original arrangements will naturally be invalidated, and all military deployments will be changed again. As a general, he still has many things to do. What has changed is not only the military arrangements, but also the comfort of the military soldiers. The fighting spirit is easy to rise, but how to safely vent them is not an easy task.

Wu Ling was preparing to conduct a military exercise, first, let the soldiers vent their vent, and secondly, it was also considered to shock the Qi army opposite. Naturally, it would not be able to fight in a short period of time, so naturally there was no need to hide the power at hand. He had to let the other party look at his strength so that they would not think about it, and he would become stronger and stronger. His Majesty would naturally gain more opportunities in his negotiations with Cao Yun.

Of course, you can't get something that you can't get on the battlefield at the negotiating table. Only by letting the other party understand that if you don't give it to me, I can steal it, and I have the ability to lose more.

"Military exercise?" Cao Yun frowned and looked at his casual expression.

"Your Highness the Prince doesn't have to worry too much. It's indeed a military exercise." Ben Kuan nodded and said, "You are a military master, of course you know this truth. Wu Ling has been preparing for this war for several years. His subordinates are all trained by him to scream and prepare to fight the Qi army to the death. Now you are here, the battle cannot be fought, but this anger must be released, otherwise you will have problems. Do you think?"

"That's right!" Cao Yun said.

"So, you don't have to worry that Wu Ling will take this opportunity to fight Xian Bisong. Moreover, with General Xian's ability, he will not be unprepared, right? Qi Ming's truce is the general trend and the consensus of the courts of both sides. Wu Ling dares not violate His Majesty's wishes." Ben Kuan said with a smile.

Cao Yun's eyes flashed and he said thoughtfully: "What the governor of Ben is that the Ming Dynasty doesn't want to fight at all?"

Ben Kuan laughed loudly: "Your Highness Prince, don't mess with me. There is nothing that cannot be said. Now our Ming Dynasty does not want to fight. The Ming Dynasty can't stand the battle after battle. Even here, your country wants to fight us, so we are forced to fight? It seems that between us and the Qi Dynasty, your country has always tried to fight us. We have never provoked you, right?"

Cao Yun smiled awkwardly.

"But, although we don't want to fight, we are not afraid of fighting. Four years ago, shortly after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there were dangers and three battlefields started wars at the same time. It can be said that the country's destiny is in danger. In that way, we have to survive. The Ming Dynasty is not the Ming Dynasty of the past, so how could it be that it would be a reason to shrink its hands and feet? Didn't Li Xiaoya say earlier that there is good wine when a friend comes. If the jackal comes, he will be greeted with swords and guns." Ben Kuan said seriously.

"Of course, Daqi doesn't want to fight. I was afraid that General Wu of your country misjudged it!" Cao Yun explained with a smile.

"Your Highness the Prince is bullying me, I don't understand military affairs anymore." Ben Kuan said lightly: "Although Ben does not understand military affairs, he is the garrison of a county in the border counties. He is still conscious of whether he is going to fight. If it weren't for the rebellion of Bozhou in your country, Your Highness the Prince would certainly not have gone this trip. My Taoyuan County is afraid that there will be wars everywhere."

Cao Yun remained silent and concealed his clever words in front of those who understand, that would be an insult to others. As the saying goes, the wise man did not say secret words before, and of course there was no need to be a heavy hammer for the sound of the drum. It would stop when it was clicked, and both sides had face.

"It's good not to fight!" Ben Kuan pointed to the land under his feet: "Your Highness the Prince must have dared to know that this place should have lush crops and villages spread all over the place, but now, what's there? It's barren. Taoyuan County used to have more than 500,000 Dingkou, but now, the entire Dingkou in Taoyuan County is less than 50,000, most of them are concentrated around the county town. Nine out of ten! The troops stationed in Taoyuan County can almost catch up with Dingkou here."

He glanced at Cao Yun and said, "Your Highness, it was your order that made the Qi army swept the young men in the three counties of our Ming Dynasty and snatched away all the wealth and food here. When we arrived here, it was not an exaggeration to describe it as hunger. The miserable world that Ben saw in his life was nothing more than this. Your Highness, you dreamed of it at midnight, have you ever regretted it?"

A trace of shame flashed in Cao Yun's eyes, but he shook his head firmly: "Never regret it. Even then, Cao knew that Ming would become a strong enemy of our Great Qi in the future. As long as it could weaken the power of Ming and delay the development of Ming, Cao would do whatever he wanted. This is a bet on national destiny. How could it be determined by Cao's personal likes and dislikes, or by the good and evil thoughts of some ordinary people?"

Ben Kuan nodded: "This is probably the difference between my Ming Dynasty and you Daqi. The ancients said that the people were suffering, the people were suffering, the people were suffering, and the people suffered, and the people suffered. Daqi really implemented this sentence to the end."

"I don't know how different the Ming Dynasty and my Daqi?" Cao Yun sneered. "It is natural for a small number of people to make sacrifices for the sake of unification of the world. After the unification of the world, the court will naturally remember the contributions made by these people. At that time, taxes will be reduced and labor service will be reduced to repay these places."

Ben Kuan smiled: "My taxes are light in the Ming Dynasty, and there is no corvee service."

Cao Yun couldn't help but speak, but immediately retorted: "What's the reason why the Qin people are in the Ming Dynasty attacking Qin? Aren't they still suffering heavy casualties?"

"Who told you that when we fought the Qin people, the Qin people were killed and injured?" Ben Kuan sneered and retorted: "Even if there is, it was caused by the Qin emperor. In our Ming-ruling area, the former Qin people lived and worked in peace and contentment, which was many times better than their original life. Even during the war, our army still built resettlement villages in the rear, took in the Qin people who lost their homes due to war, provided them with food, distributed them to land, and gave them the opportunity to work. His Royal Highness went to the Ming Dynasty this time, maybe you might as well go to the original Qin land to see what the Qin country, which is famous for its poverty, looks like now? Go and ask the original Qin people personally whether they are willing to live in the past or are willing to live in the present?"

"Da Qi is still very good to treat his own people." Cao Yun fought back toughly.

Ben Kuan was silent for a moment before clicking the underground: "I dare to ask, how are the people of the Ming Dynasty who were captured by the prince at the beginning?"

Cao Yun couldn't help but be stunned.

"Realistically speaking, His Highness the Prince captured them to Qi State, and they were even the people of Qi State, right? But as far as I know, they were in Changning County, and of course there were other places where they were placed, and they were not as good as pigs and dogs. Every day, people who fled back from the runaway were endless. On the most day in Taoyuan County, I received hundreds of people who fled back, but there were more people who died on the way to escape. If Qi State is really good to them, it doesn't need to say that they are good. As long as they have a way to live, will they run back at the risk of being killed by the border troops?"

"Why is this?" Cao Yun was stunned. "The court had special funds to resettle these people."

"Then let's see where your officials in Daqi use this money?" Ben Kuan laughed loudly and pointed to a village under construction in the distance. "Did you see it? The village under construction is to accommodate the people who have just fled from Qi. The most recent group was just ten days before you arrived here. If you don't believe it, you can ask, but don't say that you are from Qi, they will go crazy. Each of them has relatives who either die in Qi or on the way to escape. They really hate the people of Qi."

Seeing Cao Yun remained silent, Ben Kuan chuckled: "Does His Highness the Prince go and ask?"

Cao Yun shook his head, "The governor of Ben County is not going to lie to me. Changning County is under the control of the court, and the reform of the administration is also underway. Xian Bisong is not a greedy person, but such things still happen under his rule. It is conceivable that other places should be so dark. Daqi, it is indeed impossible to change."

Ben Kuan shrugged, "Your Highness, our Ming Dynasty is actually very clear about your purpose of coming here. Neither side intends to start a war, so the negotiations are too difficult. However, negotiations always have conditions. Let's not talk about anything else. I have submitted a report to Your Majesty. In the conditions of negotiations, one must be added, that is, to release the people of our three counties, Yiyang, Wu County and Taoyuan, and come back. Otherwise, it would be better not to talk."

"What if they don't want to come back?" Cao Yun raised his eyebrows.

Ben Kuan smiled coldly, "Would we be willing to come back? We will send someone to see, ask, and supervise."

Cao Yun frowned. Letting these people come back will inevitably increase the power of the Ming people. If the people who plundered were really hated by Da Qi as Ben Kuan said, then once they come back, they will inevitably become the vanguard of rebellion. But if they don’t let them go, I’m afraid that this negotiation will first encounter a huge hurdle.

Ben Kuan's meaning was naturally reached with Wu Ling. A general in the war zone and a county magistrate in the border area still had a great say in such matters.

Daming didn't want to fight, but Daqi now doesn't want to fight. Those who take the initiative to seek negotiations will naturally lose three points first with confidence. When Cao Yun thought of this, he couldn't help but have a headache.

"Of course it's OK to let go, but I wonder what sincerity can the Ming Dynasty show?" Cao Yun turned his back and attacked.

"This is not something I, a border county magistrate, can say irresponsible, so there will naturally be a court ruler." Ben Kuan is indifferent, "As the county magistrate of Taoyuan, I just want the people under my rule to return to their hometown as soon as possible, return to their roots, and stop wandering outside and let others bully him. Please understand this."

Cao Yun nodded: "You are a good official."
Chapter completed!