I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1175 has only one condition

"Why is he here?!"

Seeing the Han fleet slowly approaching, Severus turned ashen-faced. He never expected that the Han navy could appear in the Black Sea so quickly and precisely block his last escape route.

"It's over, it's all over."

"Prepare for battle! Protect His Majesty!"

In this desperate situation, some people knelt down with a thud, having lost all their strength, while others shouted at the top of their lungs, determined to fight to the death.

Protinas shouted loudly, urging the ships to intercept, while he grabbed Severus and turned to run, wanting to escape inland and get away from this terrible threat first.

but
"Run? Where can we run to?"

This time, Severus did not listen. Instead, he sighed and ordered someone to be sent to sue for peace.

"Report——!"

The messenger quickly climbed onto the bridge of the Dingyuan and knelt on one knee:
"Your Majesty, the Roman Emperor Severus has sent an envoy to sue for peace. The envoy has arrived in a small boat and requests to board the ship for an audience!"

Su Yao stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the white flag slowly rising from the walls of Sinop Port in the distance, a playful smile curving his lips. He glanced at Guo Jia and Zhou Yu beside him, and all three showed knowing expressions in their eyes.

"It seems that this Augustus of Rome has finally come to terms with reality," Guo Jia said with a light wave of his feather fan.

"Let's see what price he can offer." Zhou Yu's eyes were sharp. "If he's not sincere enough, we might as well take this city in one fell swoop and eliminate future troubles."

Su Yao nodded slightly: "Summon."

A moment later, an elderly man dressed in a purple-trimmed toga of the Roman senator, but looking fearful and walking with a faltering gait, shakily boarded the bridge, escorted by two Han soldiers. In his hands he held a scroll of parchment tied with gold thread, a letter of credence personally signed by the Roman emperor.

"Lucius Fabius, the First Senator of the Roman Senate, by order of His Majesty Augustus Septimius Severus, pays homage to His Majesty the Great Emperor..." The old man prostrated himself on the ground, stammering in Greek with a heavy Latin accent, and held up his credentials high.

The interpreter quickly translated his words.

Su Yao did not immediately take the letter of state, but looked down at him from his superior position, his voice calm but carrying an invisible pressure: "What does Severus want to say?"

Lucius Fabius took a deep breath, struggling to maintain the last vestiges of dignity of a Roman senator, but his trembling voice betrayed his inner fear: "Your Majesty the Emperor... I... I, Augustus of Rome, Septimius Severus, wish... wish to cease hostilities with Your Majesty and forge an eternal alliance..."

He unfolded the parchment and read aloud the terms that had already been prepared on it. His voice echoed across the empty bridge, yet it sounded so pale and powerless:
"I, Rome, wish to recognize the sovereignty of the Great Han Empire over Egypt, Syria, Armenia, and the territories it has occupied in Asia Minor... I offer five thousand talents of gold, thirty thousand talents of silver, one hundred jars of spices, and ten chests of jewels. I request the cessation of hostilities and permission for my remaining troops... to return safely to the west..."

Su Yao didn't look at the gift list, but merely glanced at the envoy and replied in equally fluent Greek with a nonchalant tone: "That's it?"

Indeed, if these conditions had been proposed a year ago when the Han army had just left the two rivers, Su Yao might have given them some consideration.

But now, the Roman Empire's elite forces in the East have been wiped out, its main naval force has been destroyed, and even the emperor himself is trapped in the desolate port of Sinop.

If at this point you simply give me some land that I have already occupied and some gold and silver, and then expect me to stop fighting, wouldn't that be too easy?
"Does Your Majesty still not feel satisfied?" the envoy asked anxiously.

Upon hearing this, the Han army generals on the bridge all wore expressions of disdain or sneers. Guo Jia lightly waved his feather fan, while Zhou Yu's gaze sharpened; they both awaited Su Yao's decision.

After hearing the interpreter's report, Su Yao suddenly chuckled. The laughter, unusually clear on the silent bridge, sent Lucius Fabius's heart sinking. "A ceasefire? A permanent alliance, how wonderful?" Su Yao stood up, walked to the old man, and looked down at him. "Has Severus still not grasped the situation?"

His voice suddenly turned cold, like the biting wind of the Black Sea: "I rule over all corners of the world, and the mandate of heaven has decreed me. Rome's fate is sealed, and its demise is imminent. Now that my army is at the gates, you are like turtles in a jar. What right do you have to negotiate with me?"

Su Yao's gaze swept over the crumbling walls and chaotic Roman army of Sinop in the distance, his tone leaving no room for argument:

“Go back and tell Severus that he has only one choice—to surrender unconditionally.”

"He shall relinquish his imperial title, leave the city with his hands bound, and lead his troops to kneel and welcome the royal army. Perhaps I may take Heaven's mercy in sparing his life and that of his soldiers, and send him to Luoyang to live out his remaining years in peace."

"If they continue to harbor any illusions and stubbornly resist..."

Su Yao paused, then turned his gaze to the menacing cannon muzzle on the side of the "Dingyuan," his meaning clear.

Lucius Fabius shuddered, nearly dropping the parchment in his hand.

He never expected that His Majesty the Emperor would offer such harsh conditions.

What's the difference between this and sending them to their deaths?
Lucius Fabius turned deathly pale and stood frozen in place, completely bewildered.

At this moment, Guo Jia stepped forward and whispered in Su Yao's ear: "Your Majesty, although Severus has been defeated, Rome's foundation remains. If we push him too far, he may gather his remaining strength and stubbornly resist in Italy. It would be better to grant him peace for now, allowing our army to consolidate our newly acquired territory. Once our fleet is fully formed, we can cross the sea in one fell swoop and take Rome directly!"

Zhou Yu also said in a low voice, "Our army has been fighting many battles, and our soldiers are exhausted. We also need to strengthen our logistics. Moreover, Asia Minor has only recently been pacified, and the people's hearts are not yet with us. We can use this peace treaty to buy time to reorganize the surrendered troops, appease the local people, and build more warships."

Su Yao slightly raised his hand, stopping the two advisors' advice, his gaze remaining calmly fixed on the Roman envoy.

“What Guo Fengxiao and Zhou Gongjin said is indeed reasonable.” Su Yao’s voice clearly reached the envoy’s ears, giving him a glimmer of hope in his despair. “But that is based on the premise that Severus still has negotiating power.”

He stepped forward, the sea breeze ruffling his crimson-gold dragon-patterned cloak. His voice was not loud, but it carried the weight of a decision that would determine the fate of the empire:
"Now, my fleet has blockaded the port, my army is at the city gates, and Severus has only ten thousand or so defeated soldiers, whose supplies are exhausted and morale is completely broken. What makes him think he can give me a chance to breathe? Just because of that empty promise of 'eternal alliance' on paper?"

Su Yao's gaze was sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through the messenger's soul:

“Tell Severus that I am not negotiating with him, but giving him, and Rome, one last chance to end this with dignity.”

"Unconditional surrender was his only way out, and the only option to prevent Sinop from being reduced to ashes and to prevent more Roman soldiers from sacrificing themselves needlessly."

"I will give him one day to consider. If by this time tomorrow, you do not see a white flag flying high and the emperor surrendering in mourning clothes, I will consider it your choice to fight to the death. At that time, ten thousand cannons will fire, and on the day the city falls, not a single chicken or dog will be spared."

Lucius Fabius felt a chill run through him. The interpreter trembled as he relayed the words, each one like a hammer blow to his heart. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but under Su Yao's unwavering, authoritative gaze, all the words stuck in his throat. He bowed deeply, almost collapsing in a salute, and, "escorted" by Han soldiers, left the Dingyuan in a daze.

Watching the small boat carrying the envoy sway back to the harbor, Guo Jia said softly, "Your Majesty, if Severus chooses to die rather than surrender and stubbornly resists in the city..."

Su Yao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the ancient walls of Sinop, his eyes cold:
"Then grant him his Roman glory. Order all ships to prepare for a bombardment. On the land, have Cao Cao intensify the encirclement. If he does not surrender by this time tomorrow, attack the city immediately!"

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)