Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2552 Meeting the Qi Envoy, Han Concession

Inside the Great Han Inn, the warm stove dispelled the chill of deep winter, but could not dispel the heavy atmosphere that permeated the air.

Kuai Tong, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, dressed in dark casual clothes, with his usual slight smile on his face, personally poured a cup of hot tea for Lord Mengchang, Tian Wen, opposite him.

Tian Qi was just an insignificant little country, and their envoys were naturally not qualified to meet with Wang Yu directly to discuss matters.

Regardless of the purpose of the mission, the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial were responsible for making the arrangements.

Once the people below have finished their discussions and their requirements are met, he will only meet with them symbolically and stamp the jade seal to legally confirm the terms of the agreement.

"Lord Mengchang has come from afar and must be tired from his journey. His Majesty is very concerned upon hearing of the worries of the wise king of Qi and the envoy." Kuai Tong spoke in a gentle voice, as if chatting casually.

Tian Wen took the teacup, feeling the warmth of the porcelain on his fingertips, but his heart was ice-cold.

He remained calm and responded with a polite smile, saying, "Minister Kuai, you are too kind. My lord and the people of Qi are deeply grateful for His Majesty the Han Emperor's noble character. This year's assistance with provisions and military equipment has relieved our urgent crisis."

"Now, the Qian army is pressing in with overwhelming force. My lord has specially sent Wen here, firstly to express his gratitude for past kindness, and secondly... also shamelessly, to ask for your assistance again."

Tian Wen paused, silently observing Kuai Tong's expression, and continued slowly, "What is needed this time is still food, armor, and crossbows; the quantities are as follows."

As he spoke, he pushed a booklet toward the enemy, saying, "If we could obtain the finest military equipment from the Han Dynasty, especially powerful bows and crossbows, our brave soldiers in Qi would have more confidence in defending our land. Furthermore..."

"If we can summon the heavenly army of the superior nation and deploy them on the border of Han and Qian, we will not need to actually fight. Just by displaying our banners, we can deter Jiang Chaoyu and prevent him from focusing all his efforts on the east. Such assistance is better than 100,000 troops to me."

This latter point is the real purpose of Tian Wen's mission.

Even if the Han Dynasty provides them with more food and military supplies, the gap in strength between them and the Great Qian Dynasty remains. If Jiang Chaoyu really launches an attack on Qi, they will never be a match for him.

Even Xiao Ping'an was suppressed by Da Qian, so Tian Qi could not possibly be confident that he could stop Da Qian on his own.

Currently, among the surrounding forces, the Han Dynasty is the most reliable to them.

Kuai Tong took a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping over the bamboo slips, but he was in no hurry to express his opinion. He simply smiled and said, "What you have asked of the magistrate is reasonable. Our Han Dynasty and Qi are neighbors, and it is only right that we help each other."

"His Majesty has already decreed that all those who can delay the Great Qian should be supported as appropriate. Although our Han army also has a great need for food and military equipment, it is not difficult to allocate some to support friendly nations."

While Kuai Tong's words sounded eloquent on the surface, he unconsciously emphasized the words "at his discretion" and "not difficult" slightly as he spoke.

Tian Wen's heart tightened as he understood the other party's implication. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty the Han Emperor's great favor is deeply appreciated by all of us in Qi. To show our sincerity, our lord is willing to offer the right to mine three copper and iron mines within our territory for ten years as a reward for this assistance."

Upon hearing this, Kuai Tong gently put down his teacup, the porcelain making a crisp sound as it touched the sandalwood tabletop.

His smile faded slightly. Although he remained outwardly gentle, he spoke with a subtle distance: “Lord Mengchang, matters concerning minerals involve the earth’s veins and laborers, and are complicated to manage. They are not what our Han Dynasty is currently in urgent need of. Moreover, there are too many variables in the ten-year period.”

The three copper and iron ore veins were not unimportant, but they were nothing special to the Han Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty is not lacking in copper and iron resources. In fact, the mineral resources within its borders are sufficient for its current war and development needs. Furthermore, these three mines were not directly given to the Han Dynasty, but only granted with a ten-year mining right.

To put it bluntly, the Han people would never keep their opponent for ten years.

For the Han Dynasty, this condition made little difference whether it existed or not.

It was precisely for this reason that Kuai Tong abruptly changed the subject at this point, saying, "Our Han merchants travel south year after year, often suffering from the disturbances of wind and waves, which is quite inconvenient."

"His Majesty's intention is to find a good port in the southeast of Qi as a transit and supply point."

Upon hearing Kuai Tong's proposed conditions, Tian Wen's expression changed slightly as he asked, "A ferry crossing?"

"Exactly."

As Kuai Tong spoke, he took out an exquisite leather nautical chart from his sleeve and spread it out on the table.

This map only shows the part of the territory controlled by Tian Qi, not the entire world.

This map was drawn with particular care, especially in the port areas.

Kuai Tong pointed to a spot on the southeast coast of Qi and said emphatically, "This place has deep water and a wide harbor, with excellent shelter from the wind. We only need to designate this bay and the surrounding thirty miles of coastline as a concession, and the lease term... shall be set at ninety-nine years."

"Within the concession, our Great Han can build its own docks, granaries, and barracks, and station a small number of soldiers to protect merchants and maintain order."

"Of course, taxes and judicial matters within the territory shall be governed by the laws of our Han Dynasty, and the Qi government shall not interfere. As compensation, in addition to the immediate allocation of all military funds required for this mission, a considerable rent shall be paid annually thereafter."

"Government troops? Self-governing?" Tian Wen's voice rose a few decibels. Even though he was mentally prepared, this blatant demand still caused him great pain.

This is not a leased ferry crossing, but a cession of territory, allowing foreign troops to be stationed on the mainland for a long time and to exercise jurisdiction. Once this precedent is set, there will be endless troubles in the future.

Of course, if that were all, it would be obvious to everyone that the other party's request was a clear indication of their true intentions.

Once such a crossing is opened to the other side and they are allowed to garrison troops, it means that the other side has been given a bridgehead to attack.

In the future, if the Han Dynasty has any designs on them, the Han navy can simply sail south along the coastline and land.

If we agree to this condition, we are truly playing with our national security.

"Minister Kuai, this matter... concerns territorial sovereignty, and I'm afraid it's difficult to comply. Although my lord is in a predicament, he dares not become a sinner for all time. How about we pay with gold and silver, or add two more mines?" Tian Wen replied with some difficulty.

Tian Wen certainly couldn't easily agree to a condition that would put a knife to his throat.

Otherwise, even if he returned to China, he would be impeached to death by his colleagues at all levels.