I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

Zhou Qing, however, remained calm and smiled calmly, "Your Majesty, I have misunderstood. I had no such intention. It was just that I was very pleased to see that the people of your country were living and working in peace and contentment. That's why I blurted it out."

This statement was flawless, not only resolving the previous conflict, but also implicitly pointing out the fact that South Vietnam was not affected by the disaster at all.

Li Chengqian's expression eased slightly, but the wariness in his eyes deepened. "Envoy Zhou is very observant and truly a pillar of the Daqian State."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind." Zhou Qing bowed. "Since your country is indeed in trouble, I will not force it. However, our two countries have been friendly for decades. If this creates a rift, I am afraid it will not benefit either side."

"Envoy Zhou is right." Li Chengqian nodded, but there was a hint of impatience in his tone: "How about this, I will give Daqian a favor and reduce the cotton supply by half this year?"

Cut in half? Zhou Qing sneered inwardly. This was clearly a humiliation to Daqian. According to the original contract, Nanyue was required to import 30,000 dan of cotton from Daqian each year. Now that this amount was to be cut in half, one could imagine the blow this would deal to Daqian.

"I appreciate your kindness, my Lord." Zhou Qing remained calm, "But I have one small request."

"What request?"

"I would like to stay in your country for a few more days to experience the customs and culture of South Vietnam. Of course, all expenses will be paid by me."

Li Chengqian frowned, but in front of the entire court, it was difficult for him to refuse directly: "Okay, I will send someone to arrange it."

In this way, Zhou Qing and his companions settled in the capital of Nanyue. On the surface, they were sightseeing, but in fact, Zhou Qing was secretly investigating the true situation in Nanyue.

After several days of visits, Zhou Qing discovered a startling secret: South Vietnam, far from being affected by the disaster, was actually stockpiling food and weapons. Even more suspicious, South Vietnam had actually built a number of fortresses along the border.

These discoveries set Zhou Qing on edge. Nanyue was planning to attack Daqian!

"Sir, we must go back and report to His Majesty." Deputy Envoy Wang Ming also noticed something unusual.

"No rush." ​​Zhou Qing shook his head. "Now that we're here, we have to investigate this matter thoroughly. Nanyue must have something to rely on to dare to attack Daqian. I want to find out their trump card."

Over the next few days, Zhou Qing used the excuse of sightseeing to secretly draw maps of South Vietnam's terrain and military deployments. He discovered that South Vietnam had assembled nearly 100,000 troops on the border, many of whom were unfamiliar faces.

"These people don't look like people from Nanyue," Zhang Wu said after observation. "Judging from their build and attire, they look more like barbarians from the Western Regions."

Zhou Qing's mind stirred: "Western Regions? Could it be that Nanyue has colluded with the countries in the Western Regions?"

If this were true, then the problem would be serious. The Western Regions were known for their bravery and skill in warfare. If they joined forces with Nanyue to attack Daqian, the consequences would be disastrous.

While Zhou Qing was secretly investigating, an unexpected discovery surprised him.

That evening, Zhou Qing was strolling alone on the street when he suddenly heard a familiar accent coming from the restaurant in front of him.

"...That female emperor of Daqian is nothing. When we conquer Daqian, we'll make her pay!"

Zhou Qing quietly approached and looked inside through the window. He saw several South Vietnamese generals drinking. One of them was the border general Fatty Li.

"General Li, you can't say that," another person advised. "After all, Daqian is not someone you want to mess with. Emperor Taizu beat us to a pulp back then."

"That was in the past!" Fatty Li slammed the table. "Now that Daqian has suffered a disaster and its national strength has weakened, this is a good opportunity for us. Besides, we have friends in the Western Regions to help us."

"That's true," the third person nodded. "The prince of the Western Regions has agreed to send 30,000 elite cavalry to aid in the battle. Combined with our 100,000-strong Nanyue army, we should be able to sweep across Daqian."

"Haha, by then all the treasures and beauties of Daqian will be ours!" Fatty Li said with a lewd smile.

Zhou Qing's heart burned with rage, but he remained silent. This information was too important to be brought back intact.

After eavesdropping for a while, Zhou Qing learned that Nanyue planned to launch an attack in a month, first attacking Daqian's border fortress, and then marching straight into Daqian's capital.

"Beasts!" Zhou Qing clenched his fists, wishing he could rush in and kill them all. But reason told him that now was not the time to act rashly.

After quietly leaving the restaurant, Zhou Qing immediately returned to the posthouse and told Wang Ming and Zhang Wu the information he had heard.

"What? South Vietnam dares to have such ambitions!" Wang Ming's face changed drastically.

"Sir, we must go back and report to His Majesty immediately." Zhang Wu said anxiously.

"That's exactly what I meant." Zhou Qing nodded. "I'll say goodbye to Li Chengqian tomorrow morning and tell him I have urgent matters to attend to and need to return home."

However, plans can never keep up with changes. The next morning, just as Zhou Qing and his companions were about to set off, they were stopped by South Vietnamese soldiers.

"Dear envoys, the king has ordered that the border has been unstable recently. For the safety of your envoys, you should not leave the country for the time being." The leading general said politely, but the threat in his tone was obvious.

Zhou Qing cursed inwardly. It seemed like what happened last night had been discovered. South Vietnam was going to put them under house arrest.

"Then when can I leave the country?" Wang Ming asked.

"Well... the king didn't specify a specific time, so please be patient, envoys."

Back at the inn, the three of them looked at each other in surprise.

"Sir, it seems we have been exposed." Zhang Wu whispered.

"Yeah, now I can't leave even if I want to." Wang Ming sighed.

Zhou Qing calmed down and paced around the room, thinking. Since he couldn't leave, he could only think of other ways.

Suddenly, he remembered the system reward he had received at court. Last time, because he volunteered to go on a diplomatic mission to South Vietnam, the system had rewarded him with a special skill—"Avatar Thousand Miles Away"—which allowed him to attach a wisp of his spirit to a flying bird and deliver messages.

"Got it!" A gleam of light flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes.

That night, Zhou Qing quietly came to the backyard and used the system skills to attach a wisp of his soul to a nighthawk.

The nighthawk flapped its wings and flew high, rushing towards Daqian.

The nighthawk flew in the darkness, a strand of Zhou Qing's spirit controlling it as it flew across mountains and rivers toward the capital of Daqian. It was a strange feeling, as if he had truly become a bird, overlooking the earth.

After a night of flying, Nighthawk finally arrived at the capital of Daqian. It was early morning, the sun was just rising, and the palace looked particularly majestic in the morning light.

The nighthawk flew directly to the imperial study. Through the window, Zhou Qing saw Xu Feihong reviewing memorials. She looked tired, obviously having been busy all night with state affairs.

"Your Majesty." Nighthawk suddenly spoke, startling Xu Feihong.

"Who?" Xu Feihong looked around vigilantly.

"It's you, Zhou Qing." Nighthawk landed on the table. "I'm currently trapped in South Vietnam, and this is the only way I can report to Your Majesty."