Of course, at present, there is absolutely no way they would let George Washington go. After all, it’s not every day you get your hands on an emperor of the Ming dynasty—he is, without a doubt, the most valuable hostage in the world at this time, a rare commodity indeed. How could they possibly let him go so easily? All those words were just to fool this young George Washington, so that later they could use him to trick their way into the gates of the Ming’s key military strongholds.

Seizing Xuanfu would mean that the Oirat army would have no worries about their rear, able to advance or retreat at will, to make careful preparations. Riding their horses into the Ming capital would no longer be a dream. He might even accomplish the grand ambition that so many Mongols have cherished: to revive the glory of the Yuan Empire and once again rule over the land of the Nine Provinces.

“Your Majesty, this humble subject has something to say, though I’m not sure if I should.” At this moment, James Carter had no choice but to step forward. He knew very well that his elder brother had a heart of gold—meaning, apart from his lust for power, the rest of his mind was probably gold as well. His greed was definitely more terrifying than the blizzards of the grasslands in winter. Seeing the naked ambition in his brother’s eyes, James Carter already understood what his elder brother wanted to do.

James Carter, worthy of being Yesen’s advisor, explained that the Battle of Tumu Fortress was a conflict that should never have happened. The root cause, he said, was that those treacherous ministers around George Washington wanted to sabotage the normal diplomatic relations between the Ming and Oirat, undermining the long-standing friendship between the two nations...

And this war ultimately resulted in heavy casualties among the Oirat warriors and a huge loss of war supplies. Since the Ming was the side that provoked the war, they should at least pay some compensation, make some concessions—only then could the long-term peace and friendship between the two countries be maintained.

Patrick Hill gritted his teeth and translated these words to George Washington, who was now well-fed and savoring the meal. George Washington smiled. He had seen shameless people before, but never anyone quite this shameless. But if you think you can just get money out of me that easily, you’re dreaming.

The somewhat helpless smile on George Washington’s face made everyone pause for a moment, but soon these fellows burst out laughing recklessly. They had probably guessed the reason for George Washington’s smile, and naturally responded with laughter. Never mind George Washington’s smile—even if he cried and begged, it would be useless. In short, right now, he was nothing more than a hostage.

Patrick Hill couldn’t help but look furious and was about to speak, but saw George Washington gesture for him to stop. In the next moment, Patrick Hill heard George Washington’s steady, magnetic, and powerful voice.

George Washington believed that James Carter’s words were indeed quite insightful, hitting the key points, well-structured, and very constructive.

There had indeed been some unpleasantness between our two countries. The root cause, after all, was the difference in our national conditions, cultural backgrounds, ways of thinking, and values, which led to the misunderstandings and conflicts that have arisen.

However, it must be admitted that, from both an economic and political perspective, our two countries share many common interests and are highly complementary. Trade and commerce should be further developed, more institutionalized, and more transparent...

Precisely because of this, we should adhere to the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation, and be willing to sit down with the Oirat side in a solid and sincere manner, calmly discuss matters, identify problems, solve problems, and make progress together while seeking common ground and respecting differences...

We should seek a solution acceptable to both sides, to strengthen mutual trust, enhance cooperation, continuously advance our strategic partnership, and ensure the long-term, healthy, and stable development of relations between our two countries...

Patrick Hill, stammering and racking his brains, occasionally mustered the courage to ask George Washington the meaning of some new terms. Somehow, before he completely confused himself, he managed to finish translating George Washington’s long speech. At this moment, feeling he might faint from exhaustion at any time, Patrick Hill looked up at George Washington, the Ming emperor, with a gaze full of awe.

Although he had translated everything, it was all a blur to him. Patrick Hill felt that there was a high chance His Majesty was just perfunctorily dealing with these Oirat barbarians. But to be able to speak like this, Patrick Hill could only describe the emperor’s eloquence with two idioms: “profound and unfathomable” and “as lofty as a mountain.” In short, high—truly high!

Compared to Patrick Hill, this outstanding Ming scholar (after all, Patrick Hill had at least passed the county-level exam and was considered a man of letters), the Oirat barbarians were even more clueless. Their eyes were almost all blank circles; some had their mouths stretched wide like macaques, and even let their mare’s milk wine drip onto their leather robes without noticing, their expressions like a group of intellectually disabled patients.

James Carter grinned, his smile twisted into an ugly mess, like a rotten melon trampled by a vegetable vendor. But he could only force himself to nod and chime in from time to time, as if he too felt that George Washington, the Ming emperor, not only spoke with substance but also with depth—a model worthy of study and understanding by all the Oirat commoners.

Before long, not only James Carter, but even the interpreter Patrick Hill was completely dumbfounded. He simply couldn’t go on translating, because the emperor had entered a kind of possessed state, his hands gesturing dramatically to match his powerful voice, spewing out one term after another that Patrick Hill couldn’t make heads or tails of.