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

"Oh?" Zhou Qing pretended not to know. "I wonder what Master Li is referring to?"

"This is what was discussed in the court today. I have some business in Nanyue. If Daqian stops cotton exports, my business will be ruined. I would like to ask Lord Zhou to help intercede."

Zhou Qing sneered, "Mr. Li, that's easy to say, but from what I understand, it was Nanyue who unilaterally broke the contract, and now they want Daqian to make concessions?"

Li Mingxuan's face changed, but he still forced a smile and said, "Master Zhou, there is some misunderstanding. South Vietnam has indeed suffered a cold disaster, and we have no choice but to do this. If Master Zhou is willing to help, I am willing to offer you a thousand taels of gold."

"You are bribing an official of the imperial court!" Zhou Qing shouted sternly, "Come here, arrest this man!"

Li Mingxuan's expression changed drastically when he saw the truth: "Zhou Qing, just wait! You're not the only one who has the final say in this capital!"

After saying this, he glared at Zhou Qing fiercely and left with his entourage.

Zhou Qing watched their backs, his heart growing even more alert. It seemed that Nanyue's actions were faster and more direct than he had imagined.

The next morning, Zhou Qing went to the imperial study as usual. As soon as he reached the door, he heard a quarrel coming from inside.

"Your Majesty, I think Zhou Qing is too reckless and is not conducive to the overall diplomatic situation of Daqian." This was Zhang Wenhua's voice.

"Why do you think so?" Xu Feihong asked coldly.

"Last night, Zhou Qing rejected the South Vietnamese businessman's request for reconciliation and even made harsh remarks. This matter has reached the South Vietnamese delegation, and they are very dissatisfied with it."

Zhou Qing listened outside the door and sneered inwardly. This Zhang Wenhua was indeed colluding with South Vietnam.

"My dear Zhou, come in." Xu Feihong's voice came.

Zhou Qing pushed the door open and saw Zhang Wenhua standing there with a smug smile on his face.

"Minister Zhou, Minister Zhang said that you rejected the reconciliation request of the South Vietnamese merchants last night. Is this true?" Xu Feihong asked.

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the case," Zhou Qing answered truthfully. "Last night, a man named Li Mingxuan, claiming to be a Nanyue merchant, came to me and wanted me to speak well of Nanyue in front of Your Majesty. He even offered me a thousand taels of gold as a bribe. I refused and drove him away."

"What!" Xu Feihong exclaimed angrily, "Nanyue actually dared to bribe an official appointed by the imperial court!"

Zhang Wenhua's expression changed, and he quickly said, "Your Majesty, there may be a misunderstanding. Li Mingxuan may just want to resolve the trade dispute and has no malicious intent."

"My dear Zhang, how do you know about this?" Xu Feihong looked at Zhang Wenhua sharply.

Zhang Wenhua was stunned and stammered, "This...this is what I heard."

"Who told you that?" Xu Feihong pressed on.

Zhang Wenhua's forehead began to sweat, and he stammered and couldn't speak.

"Zhang Aiqing, it seems you know a lot about South Vietnam." Xu Feihong's tone became even colder. "Could it be that you have some special relationship with South Vietnam?"

"I…I absolutely did not do this!" Zhang Wenhua knelt down hastily. "I am loyal to Daqian, as the sun and the moon can attest!"

"Really?" Xu Feihong sneered, "Come here, take Zhang Wenhua away and investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Soon, the imperial guards rushed in and took Zhang Wenhua away. As he was being taken away, Zhang Wenhua kept shouting, "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

After everyone left, Xu Feihong breathed a sigh of relief: "Lord Zhou, you did the right thing. I have suspected Zhang Wenhua for a long time."

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhou Qing said respectfully.

"However, I am worried that Nanyue will not give up. Since they dare to bribe the court officials, it means they are ready to break off relations with my Daqian." Xu Feihong said worriedly.

"Your Majesty, I think we can ask the Embroidered Uniform Guard to strengthen surveillance of South Vietnamese personnel in Beijing to prevent them from taking further action," Zhou Qing suggested.

"Very good." Xu Feihong nodded in agreement.

As he was speaking, Song Jiayun hurried in: "Your Majesty, this is bad! I just received news that the South Vietnamese delegation has arrived outside the capital and demands an immediate audience!"

Xu Feihong frowned. "They came so quickly? It seems they really came prepared."

"Your Majesty, I don't think you should receive me immediately," Zhou Qing said. "According to etiquette, foreign envoys arriving in the capital should rest at the post station before choosing a day to see me. Their eagerness may indicate ill intentions."

"You're right." Xu Feihong nodded. "Issue an order to allow the South Vietnamese delegation to rest at the post station and return for an audience in three days."

"Yes, sir." Song Jiayun responded and left.

Zhou Qing looked at the empress's exhausted expression, feeling both moved and worried. Such a good emperor who worked so hard for the country and the people had to face so many internal and external troubles.

"Your Majesty, you need to have a good rest." Zhou Qing said with concern.

"With state affairs like this, there's no time to rest." Xu Feihong said with a wry smile, "South Vietnam's actions have made the already difficult situation even more complicated."

At this moment, Wang Meng, the commander of the imperial guards, rushed in. "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The South Vietnamese delegation has brought 300 guards with them and is now camped outside the city gates, claiming they are there to protect the delegation."

"Three hundred guards?" Xu Feihong was furious. "This isn't an embassy, ​​it's clearly a provocation!"

Zhou Qing was also shocked. What was Nanyue trying to do? Bringing so many armed personnel into the capital of Daqian was no longer diplomacy, but a threat.

"Your Majesty, I think we should mobilize the imperial guards immediately and make preparations," Wang Meng said seriously.

"No." Xu Feihong shook his head. "If we mobilize a large army, it will give South Vietnam an excuse to accuse Daqian of not observing diplomatic etiquette."

"But Your Majesty, they brought three hundred armed men with them, and it is obvious that they have come with ill intentions." Wang Meng said worriedly.

Zhou Qing was thinking on the side, and suddenly thought of something: "Your Majesty, I have an idea."

"tell me the story."

"Since South Vietnam is playing this game, we should play along. We can have the Imperial Guards increase patrols around the post station in the name of protecting the capital. At the same time, we can have the Jinyiwei infiltrate the area and monitor the South Vietnamese delegation's every move."

Xu Feihong's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea. It can ensure our safety and won't give South Vietnam an excuse."

"One more point," Zhou Qing continued, "I believe we should have the Ministry of Rites receive the Nanyue delegation according to the highest standards of etiquette. The more we do this, the more we can demonstrate the great power of Daqian and prevent Nanyue from finding any reason to cause trouble."

"Great!" Xu Feihong praised, "Let's do as you say."

Wang Meng took the order and quickly arranged all matters.

In the afternoon, the South Vietnamese delegation officially entered the capital. Zhou Qing stood at the window of the imperial study, watching the team in the distance, his heart secretly alert.

The South Vietnamese delegation was quite large, and besides the normal envoys, the 300 guards were indeed very conspicuous. They wore uniform armor, held weapons, and looked well-trained.

"It seems that South Vietnam has invested heavily this time." Xu Feihong also walked to the window. "These 300 people are definitely not ordinary guards."