Are you crazy? Trying to trick him into military service? He's the number one dragon on the fro

Half an hour later, five miles outside Zemeng's camp, on a small hillside with no shelter on all sides.

Lu Xiao rode alone and saw a burly Chu general, about fifty years old, sitting on a small hill. He then said loudly:

"General, you have been waiting for a long time. I was truly surprised to hear that you wished to see me."

"It was General Qian who said that the old general was an upright person who never disdained those schemes and tricks, so I felt at ease to come and see him."

"May I ask what advice the venerable general has for me today?"

Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhao chuckled and gestured for Lu Xiao to dismount and take a seat. He waited until Lu Xiao was close before speaking:

"No wonder the Marquis was able to achieve such great military exploits at such a young age!"

"Such meticulous thinking surpasses even that of an old man like myself."

He saw Lu Xiao sit down in front of him and drink the strong liquor he had prepared without asking any questions, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow:

"Isn't Your Excellency afraid that I might have poisoned the wine?"

"If that's your opinion, then I wouldn't have come to keep this appointment today."

Lu Xiao shook his head and smiled, looking in the direction behind Xiong Zhao, and after thinking for a moment, said:

"General, hundreds of years ago, Zhou and Chu were one family. Although there are now some disagreements, we still cannot sever our blood ties."

"Why don't we shake hands and make peace here?"

Xiong Zhao was surprised that he expressed the intention to cease hostilities so soon. After a moment of pause, he was shocked and realized that what the strategist Qu Hongtu said might be true!

This guy probably planned to lull his opponents into a false sense of security on his way here, and then gather his strength to head straight for the enemy's headquarters!

Thinking of this, Xiong Zhao smiled bitterly:

"If we can shake hands and make peace, why would I disagree?"

"But my lord, you may not know this, but our Zhou and Chu states have been fighting for many years. Not only our soldiers, but also the people in the border areas are full of hostility towards foreigners."

"If I agree to the Marquis's suggestion, I'm afraid I'll be forcibly taken down by the enraged soldiers within three days."

"That's a real shame."

Lu Xiao smiled in agreement and continued to offer his suggestions:

"Then why don't we agree on a time, set up our armies on the battlefield, and have a life-or-death battle? The losing side will withdraw from Yun County."

"What does the old general think?"

To be honest, Xiong Zhao was somewhat tempted when he heard the suggestion.

For the Chu Kingdom, Yun County was the gateway to the Great Zhou Dynasty. If they could obtain it, they could then plot against the other counties of the Great Zhou.

But thinking about it carefully, there might be a huge pitfall here!

He knew Lu Xiao wouldn't be so kind as to hand over Yun County to someone else, so he jokingly said with a smile:

"If Your Excellency truly agrees to this bet with me, aren't you afraid that after defeat, your Great Zhou Emperor will punish you and send you back to the north to fight against the barbarians?"

"I've heard that the border region between the Great Zhou and the Northern Hu is extremely harsh. Could it be that you, Marquis, couldn't bear the environment there, which is why you requested His Majesty the Emperor to send you there?"

"General, the Northern Barbarians are history now. Why do you say you fear the bitter cold of the North?"

Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhao was instantly stunned.

He secretly mocked Lu Xiao for going south because he couldn't stand the bitter cold, hoping to find out some information about the Great Zhou. He never expected the truth to be like this.

While he was still in shock, Lu Xiao casually said:

"To be honest, as early as around March of this year, I had already crippled the Northern Hu army and invited the Hu king and their sorcerer to the capital of my Great Zhou as guests."

"Before heading south, the Great Zhou and the Northern Hu had already signed an alliance, with both sides promising never to invade again."

"General, I came south because there was no war in the north, not because, as you believe, that."

For a long time, Xiong Zhao was speechless.

Although their Chu state did not border the Northern Hu, they had accumulated knowledge of the Northern Hu's basic situation over the years.

Those were nomadic tribes whose strength was comparable to that of the Great Zhou. The two sides had fought for countless years without a clear victor. How come the Northern Hu suddenly became so easy to defeat when they came into Lu Xiao's hands?

"If the old general does not believe me, he can send anyone to my Great Zhou to inquire. I will definitely guarantee that person's safety."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Xiao smiled and said:

"In fact, after defeating the Northern Hu, I was prepared to lead my troops westward to fight the Western Rong. Unfortunately, General Qian had already requested assistance from the court, so I had no choice but to head south to provide aid."

"After all... those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. The Northern Hu and Western Rong are already on my kill list. On the contrary, they have the idea of ​​merging with your Chu Kingdom."

"General, why don't you accept my suggestion and engage in a decisive battle with my Great Zhou?"

Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhao finally came to his senses and shook his head solemnly, saying:

"The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war."

"Although after victory or defeat, both of us can indeed enjoy Yun County alone, as the Marquis said, I, as the General of the North appointed by the Emperor, cannot treat the fate of the nation as a child's game."

"I have heard that corruption is rampant among the officials of your Great Zhou, especially the governor of Yun County, who often withholds military rations, leaving the soldiers of Ze Meng Camp hungry and forcing them to pay for it themselves."

"Since the Great Zhou is so decadent, and you, Marquis, possess such talent for governing the world, why not come directly to my Chu Kingdom?"

He extended the invitation with a smile:

"With your abilities, Lord Marquis, you will surely be appreciated by the Emperor when you arrive in my Chu Kingdom."

"Besides this title of Marquis of Champion, Your Excellency could also become a General of the Cavalry or even a Grand General!"

Lu Xiao didn't answer but asked a question instead:

"Then why is the old general so determined to defend the State of Chu to the death, risking his life for your Emperor?"

"As far as I know, the old general is practically synonymous with invincibility in your Chu state. He has spent most of his life fighting in the north and south, and has made countless contributions to the Chu state."

"Given the old general's strength and seniority, he should have been promoted to Grand General long ago."

"But your Chu emperor, because of a rumor from back then, directly exiled the old general to this barren land to guard the border, which prevented the old general from being promoted for decades."

His smile grew wider and wider:

"The officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty is indeed a mess, but my emperor has the ability to recognize talent and is never stingy with those who have made contributions. Otherwise, I would not be where I am today."

"General, there are ways to deal with a minister's debauchery, after all, His Majesty is the ruler of the country, and there is no shortage of capable ministers. But if the ruler of a country is incompetent, like General, what use is his talent for governing the world?"

"..."

After hearing this, Xiong Zhao was left speechless.

He sighed heavily in his heart, realizing that what Lu Xiao said was true, which was why he couldn't refute it.

After a long silence, he shook his head helplessly and smiled:

"I am fed by the emperor and I should bear his worries. I was promoted by the emperor himself. No matter what my situation is now, I should be loyal to the emperor."

"Since the Marquis is unwilling to come to my Chu Kingdom, I also do not wish to go to your Zhou Kingdom. Let us settle our differences on the battlefield."