Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2553 A Weak Nation's Helplessness, Year-End Feast

Kuai Tong didn't take Tian Wen's rejection too seriously. He leaned back against the cushion, and the warmth in his smile gradually disappeared.

“Lord Mengchang, gold and silver are merely stored goods for our Han Dynasty. Although the mineral veins are good, they will eventually need time to be mined and refined. Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.”

"And a safe and reliable outlet to the sea is of strategic value to us in connecting the East China Sea trade, far exceeding that of gold and silver mines, moreover..."

Kuai Tong drew out his words meaningfully and said slowly, "If the Qian army's iron cavalry really attacks, I'm afraid they won't give Qi much time to weigh the relative importance of sovereignty and survival."

"Although Jiang Ziya has not attacked Qi in the past six months, your country must have felt his abilities."

"Furthermore, our Great Han can make a promise here: if the Qian army ever invades, our Great Han's garrison in Qi can lend your country a helping hand."

"Whether to temporarily borrow a corner of the land to preserve the nation, or to cling to the idea of ​​defending the territory and sit idly by while the country is shattered, I think the wise King of Qi and the insightful Prefect will make their own decisions."

According to Luo Wang's report, during the six months that the Han Dynasty was campaigning against the Eastern Yi, Jiang Ziya, in addition to using feigned attacks on Tian Qi while actually attacking Xuan Xiao, also did not give up on Li Mi.

While sowing discord within Li Mi's inner circle, the government also courted Li Mi personally politically.

They offered Li Mi generous terms, hoping to win him over directly into the court's system. The key point is that Li Mi was actually tempted by this offer.

During Jiang Ziya's campaign against Xuan, Li Mi consistently employed a policy of appeasement, which directly led to Xiao Ping'an's isolation and lack of support. In just six months, Xiao suffered repeated defeats, incurring heavy losses and becoming utterly defeated.

Even his adopted son, Mu Xuanyang, almost died on the battlefield and is still recovering from his injuries in the rear.

If Jiang Qian were to take action against Tian Qi, they could really only rely on the Han people. This is the fundamental reason why Kuai Tong was able to sit back and make such outrageous demands.

The enemy had no other choice but to face them, the mighty Han.

For a moment, the room fell into a deathly silence. Tian Wen's hands, which were resting on his knees, clenched slightly, his nails almost digging into his palms.

He knew very well that the other party thought they had their Great Qi completely under their control.

Even so, the Great Qi was still helpless. It wasn't that he didn't want to be tough and refuse the other party's unreasonable demands, but the current situation of the country simply did not allow him to be tough.

Once they offend the Han Dynasty and Jiang Qian takes action, their Great Qi will be isolated and helpless, and they will truly face the danger of national subjugation.

Given Xuanxiao's strength back then, he was already suppressed to such an extent in just half a year. If it were the Great Qi, it would probably be even worse.

To put it bluntly, Xuanxiao managed to hold out for at least half a year, but if Jiang Qian were to launch a full-scale attack on Qi, it's uncertain whether their Great Qian could even survive for half a year.

Faced with the threat of national subjugation, even the most unreasonable conditions are ultimately open to negotiation.

After all, no matter how unreasonable the conditions, they are not as good as the direct destruction of the country. Compared to the bottom line of national subjugation, other bottom lines are not necessarily so important.

However, if we actually agree to such conditions...

However, for a moment, Tian Wen was indeed tempted by Kuai Tong's suggestion that the Han army in the concession could help the Great Qi in the event of Jiang Qian's attack.

But in an instant, he realized that this condition was a sweet bait. It looked delicious, but it was actually deadly.

If one day the Han army stationed in the concessions is truly needed to take action, as the intensity of the war increases, it is likely that more and more Han troops will use the pretext of the concession garrison to land in Qi.

When that time comes, should the Great Qi refuse or accept it gladly?
However, if they accept, the existing concession area will inevitably be unable to accommodate so many troops, and the other side will certainly put forward new and more demanding conditions.

Every condition Kuai Tong gives has its own purpose behind it; if you're not careful, you'll be misled and fall into a trap.

After a long silence, Tian Wen finally spoke with difficulty, “This matter… is of great importance. I dare not act on my own initiative. I must report to my lord immediately so that he can discuss it with the court officials.”

The reason Tian Wen gave was, on the one hand, indeed the truth, that this matter had exceeded the standards by which he could make a direct decision.

On the other hand, it was also a delaying tactic. Although Han and Qi were adjacent, they were separated by mountains, making direct access impossible. One had to travel by sea down the coast.

Even with the assistance of troop transport vehicles, and traveling at full speed, it would take at least two months, or even three months, for a round trip.

To put it bluntly, such a big matter could not be decided directly by the court; it would inevitably involve discussions among the officials.

Kuai Tong seemed to have expected this, picked up his teacup again, and his tone returned to its initial ease.

"That is the way it should be, but I hope that Your Excellency and the King of Qi will make a decision quickly."

"A portion of the provisions and military equipment of our Great Han has already been prepared in the border granaries, awaiting..."

At this point, Kuai Tong smiled but didn't continue, though his meaning was self-evident.

Tian Wen stood up and bowed solemnly: "Wen, immediately send a fast horse to report back to our court. In any case, thank you for your hospitality, Minister Kuai, and please convey my lord's respect and... expectations for His Majesty the Han Emperor."

"Of course." Kuai Tong also stood up to return the greeting and personally escorted Tian Wen to the hall door.

After bidding farewell to Kuai Tong, Tian Wen immediately wrote a letter explaining the situation and instructing the deputy envoy to return to the capital as soon as possible.

As for him, he remained in the Han Dynasty at this time, visiting high-ranking officials and even relatives of the emperor through various channels, offering them generous gifts or trying to please them, hoping to find a way to turn the matter around.

As Tian Wentian spent his days visiting various powerful figures in the capital of the Han Dynasty, the days passed by one by one.

Before we knew it, the year was drawing to a close, and the seventh year of the Yuan Shi era of the Han Dynasty was coming to an end.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty personally ordered that, starting from the beginning of the year, the curfew would be lifted for half a month in all parts of the Han Dynasty except for border cities, in order to celebrate the arrival of the year.

Furthermore, the imperial court officials have already begun preparations for the annual banquet.

Between the fourth and sixth years of the Yuan Shi era, the Han Dynasty spent most of its time in war. Even though the sixth year of the Yuan Shi era had ended, it was only after the war had just ended and everything was in need of rebuilding.

Under such circumstances, it's natural not to hold a grand celebration.

This year, coinciding with another great victory in the war against the barbarians, Wang Yu decided to combine the victories of the three major battles into a celebration at the end of the year.