roccoschili Chapter 388 is indeed a great deal.
Chapter 388 is indeed a great deal.
On the throne.
Ying Zheng looked down at Zong Yu, who stood with an air of righteous indignation, and a cold smile appeared on his crown.
"good!"
Ying Zheng suppressed his sneer and said calmly, "I am very pleased that Minister Zong is so understanding. Since all the civil and military officials have no objections, the Northern Expedition is hereby decided."
Zong Yu kowtowed: "Your Majesty is wise."
He retreated back into the queue, head bowed, but his eyes glanced subtly towards the outside of the hall.
He could not stop the Northern Expedition, but the scheme he laid out last night had only just begun.
"Summon the Xiongnu envoy to an audience!" shouted the eunuch beside Ying Zheng.
Heavy footsteps came from outside the hall.
The Xiongnu envoy, dressed in heavy animal hides, strode into the main hall.
He still did not kneel down, but simply bent over and touched his chest, performing a customary greeting from the grasslands.
The envoy straightened up and scanned the hall with his eyes.
Last night, a man in black came to the Sifang Pavilion. The man claimed to be a confidant of a high-ranking official in the court and brought him two boxes of gold.
He was also told that the Qin Dynasty would surely make a decision to launch a northern expedition in court today.
The man in black gave him a suggestion: change your strategy and instead of demanding it by force, propose a deal.
They also implied that if he cooperated in stirring up trouble and directing the attack at Zhang Fan, he could not only get women but also reap enough benefits for the Xiongnu before the war.
He kept the gold for himself.
I've always disliked the Qin Dynasty!
Today, I have decided to follow the plan of the man in black and take advantage of this opportunity to gain the greatest benefit for myself.
"The Emperor of Qin!"
The envoy raised his head, his voice less arrogant than yesterday, "Yesterday I conveyed to you the decree of Touman Chanyu. After a night of reflection, I know that Great Qin has just unified the country and is unwilling to be coerced!"
For the sake of peace between our two countries, I am willing to make concessions!
Upon hearing this, the ministers in the hall all frowned.
Did the Xiongnu voluntarily retreat?
This is unprecedented!
Ying Zheng looked at the envoy: "How do you intend to back down?"
The envoy smiled, crossed his arms over his chest, and said something surprising: "I do not ask Great Qin to pay tribute or propose marriage. I stand here today to do business with Great Qin."
"Business?" Ying Zheng asked in return.
"Yes, business!"
The envoy said loudly, "The Chanyu's army is right on the border. If a war really breaks out, the Qin army might win, but you will also suffer many deaths and waste countless amounts of food. It's not worth it."
The envoy held up three fingers: "Now, I propose a deal. Great Qin only needs to hand over three things. First, 30,000 catties of pig iron."
Second, 100,000 shi of millet for the winter.
Third, the Chu woman I specifically asked for yesterday, Mi Yueyao.
The envoy lowered his hand and stared at Ying Zheng: "As long as Great Qin hands over these three items, I can swear in the name of the Chanyu that the Xiongnu army will immediately retreat fifty li!"
For a full year, the Xiongnu will not invade the Qin border even a step!
The Qin Dynasty can use this year to recuperate and rebuild.
An uproar erupted inside the main hall.
Wang Ben was so angry that he laughed and pointed at the envoy, cursing, "Absurd! You want to exchange my Great Qin's ironware and grain for a year of your refrain from robbing?"
Once you've eaten and clothed yourselves, and used the iron we gave you to forge weapons, come and fight us again next year.
The Great Qin will never accept such a humiliating deal!
The envoy remained unperturbed by Wang Ben's angry rebuke, coldly replying, "General, war is a war that results in death. Thirty thousand catties of pig iron and one hundred thousand shi of grain are but a drop in the ocean for the Qin Dynasty."
As for that woman, she was just a slave of a conquered nation.
We used these insignificant things to ensure a year of peace for hundreds of thousands of people on the border, and to save the Qin treasury a million shi of military rations!
"The clever people in your court should be able to figure this out!"
As soon as the envoy finished speaking, the hall suddenly became much quieter.
Some civil officials began to lower their heads and ponder.
Numerically speaking, this deal seems to be a worthwhile one.
One hundred thousand shi of grain and thirty thousand jin of iron are negligible compared to the resources required to launch a major war involving three hundred thousand people.
Zong Yu stood in the queue, a slight smile playing on his lips.
The envoy was clever; he set the terms at just the right level to make people's hearts flutter.
At this moment, a civil official stepped forward as planned and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that although the envoy's words are somewhat outrageous, they are not entirely without reason."
While a northern expedition is necessary, the preparation of a large army will take time. If we can use some supplies and a woman from Chu who has been convicted of a crime to keep the Xiongnu at bay for a year, our army will be able to prepare more thoroughly.
This deal... seems worth considering.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Wang Ben pointed at the civil official and cursed him, "You're selling out the country!"
"General Wang, please calm down. I am only stating the facts. As the art of war says, the best victory is achieved without bloodshed. If we can reduce the number of soldiers who die, what harm is there in providing some supplies?" The civil official did not back down.
The envoy became increasingly pleased to see the divisions within the Qin court.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, and accurately locked onto Zhang Fan, who was standing near the front.
"I heard that Mi Yueyao is currently living in the residence of this Immortal Master Zhang."
The envoy looked at Zhang Fan, his voice laced with provocation, "Immortal Master Zhang, you obstructed me yesterday. Today, look at the court officials, and think of the people on the border!"
For the sake of Qin's peace for a year, and to save a million bushels of grain, are you really going to cling to that woman for your own selfish desires?
The messenger's words were directed at Zhang Fan.
All eyes in the hall instantly turned to Zhang Fan.
Zong Yu lowered his head, concealing the smugness in his eyes.
This is his ladder over the wall.
The question was shifted from "whether or not to go to war" to "a worthwhile deal".
The interests of the Qin Dynasty, the safety of the border, and the lives of the soldiers were all placed on Zhang Fan's shoulders.
If Zhang Fan refuses to hand over Mi Yueyao today, he will be labeled as "ruining the country for the sake of women" and "disregarding the overall situation".
His prestige in the court will be greatly diminished, and the soldiers on the Northern Expedition will also harbor resentment towards him.
Dead end!
Ying Zheng sat on his throne, his gaze cold as he watched the scene below, but he did not speak immediately.
He wanted to see how Zhang Fan would respond.
Inside the main hall, you could hear a pin drop.
Zhang Fan stood still, feeling the different gazes around him.
There were military generals' expectations, civil officials' schadenfreude, and envoys' arrogant provocations.
He didn't panic.
Zhang Fan slowly raised his head, straightened his collar, and faced the tall Xiongnu envoy.
"You want to do business?" Zhang Fan's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.
"good!"
The envoy puffed out his chest, "A deal that will benefit the Great Qin in every way!"
Zhang Fan nodded, then strode into the main hall.
As he walked, he said, "Thirty thousand catties of pig iron and one hundred thousand shi of grain. In exchange for you not going south for a year. It does sound like a very good deal."