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

The atmosphere in the court suddenly became tense. Zhou Qing put down his pen, looked up at the civil and military officials, and pondered inwardly. South Vietnam's actions were indeed strange. Unilaterally tearing up the contract at this time was clearly not a well-intentioned act.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is no simple commercial dispute." Minister of War Xu Zhiyuan stepped forward with a serious expression. "I'm afraid the South Vietnamese are trying to take advantage of the disaster in Daqian to profit from it."

"Profit?" Xu Feihong frowned.

"That's right. If South Vietnam really lacks cotton, it could have sent envoys to negotiate or informed us in advance. But now it is secretly contacting other countries to purchase cotton and then suddenly tearing up the contract. This is clearly an attempt to force Daqian to submit." Xu Zhiyuan analyzed.

Minister of Rites Feng Mingde also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, there must be a deeper conspiracy behind Nanyue's actions. Perhaps they are trying to test the bottom line of our Daqian."

Zhou Qing listened to these analyses and nodded inwardly. Although these old foxes were usually scheming against each other, they could see the essence of the problem when facing external enemies.

"Then, according to your opinions, how should we deal with this?" Xu Feihong asked.

"I think we should first send envoys to Nanyue to understand the real situation. If Nanyue is indeed in trouble, we in Daqian will sympathize with it; if there are ulterior motives, we should take precautions early." Zheng Jiang suggested.

"Who is the envoy?"

"I recommend Li Wenchang, the Minister of Rites. He is talented and eloquent, and will surely be able to fulfill his mission," said Feng Mingde.

At this moment, a eunuch hurried into the hall and said, "Your Majesty, the envoy from South Vietnam requests an audience!"

The court was in an uproar. They had just been discussing how to deal with South Vietnam, and now their envoy had arrived. This timing was too coincidental.

"Spread it!" Xu Feihong said in a deep voice.

Soon, a middle-aged man in fine clothes walked into the hall, followed by several followers. He had a dignified appearance, but his eyes revealed a hint of cunning.

"The envoy from Nanyue pays his respects to Her Majesty the Queen of Daqian." The visitor saluted.

"What brings the envoy here?" Xu Feihong asked directly.

"Your Majesty, I'm here to discuss cotton trade," the Nanyue envoy said with a smile. "Upon hearing of the disaster that Daqian has suffered, our ruler expressed deep sympathy and has sent me here to discuss whether the price of cotton can be lowered to help Daqian overcome its difficulties."

As soon as these words came out, the court was in an uproar again. They had just torn up the contract, and now they were talking about lowering the price. What the hell was South Vietnam doing?

Zhou Qing sneered inwardly. The Nanyue envoy's words sounded high-sounding, but in reality, they were just taking advantage of the situation. Lowering the price? It sounded nice, but in reality, they were just trying to take advantage of the disaster in Daqian to drive down cotton prices and reap greater profits.

"I appreciate the envoy's kindness," Xu Feihong said calmly, "but the price of the trade contract between Daqian and Nanyue has already been agreed upon. How can it be changed at will?"

"Your Majesty, Daqian is currently suffering from a disaster and cotton is in short supply. If the price can be lowered, it will benefit both countries." The South Vietnamese envoy continued to lobby.

"The envoy is wrong," Zheng Jiang stepped forward. "The contract is signed, and we must keep our promises. If the price drops today due to a disaster, should we also raise it tomorrow when there's a good harvest?"

The South Vietnamese envoy's expression changed slightly: "Master Zheng, you are too kind. South Vietnam has always been trustworthy..."

"Keeping your word?" Xu Zhiyuan sneered. "If you're keeping your word, why did you suddenly tear up the contract and start sourcing from other countries?"

"This..." The South Vietnamese envoy was speechless for a moment.

Zhou Qing watched the heated exchange, wondering to himself: What was South Vietnam's true motive? Was it simply to drive down cotton prices? Or was there something more?

"Emissary, I ask you, why did South Vietnam unilaterally tear up the contract?" Xu Feihong asked directly.

"Your Majesty, this is really a last resort. Our country suffered a cold disaster this year, and the people need more cotton to keep warm. However, Daqian's supply is insufficient, so our country can only seek other channels." The South Vietnamese envoy explained.

"But as far as I know, South Vietnam has not suffered a serious cold disaster." Xu Feihong's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the vital point.

The South Vietnamese envoy's face changed drastically: "Your Majesty, this news may be wrong..."

"My information has always been accurate." Xu Feihong stood up, full of majesty. "Emissary, I ask you again, what exactly does South Vietnam want?"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, and everyone looked at the South Vietnamese envoy. Zhou Qing also stared at him closely, trying to see something.

The South Vietnamese envoy was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "Your Majesty, I will tell you the truth. South Vietnam does have other requests."

"explain!"

"I, South Vietnam, am willing to purchase cotton at normal prices, but I hope Daqian can provide some additional...special items."

“What special item?”

"Daqian tea, silk, porcelain, and... medical books."

Medical books? Zhou Qing's mind moved. What does Nanyue need medical books for?

"Medical book?" Xu Feihong was also stunned.

"That's right. Our King of Nanyue has heard that Daqian has excellent medical skills and hopes to learn a thing or two to benefit the people." The Nanyue envoy explained.

"That's ridiculous!" Feng Mingde said angrily. "Medical books are the cultural treasures of our Daqian. How can we just pass them on to others?"

"Please calm down, my lord. We, Nanyue, are not taking it for free. We are willing to buy it at a high price."

"No!" Xu Feihong flatly refused. "Medical books are related to people's livelihood and must not be passed on to others!"

The South Vietnamese envoy's face darkened. "Your Majesty, if you do not agree, I am afraid that South Vietnam will have no choice but to seek other partners."

This was a naked threat! The ministers in the court were all furious and angrily rebuked the South Vietnamese envoy.

"Your Excellency is too kind." Xu Feihong sneered, "My Great Qian has never been threatened by anyone!"

Seeing this, the Nanyue envoy knew that today's matter would not be resolved peacefully, so he had to take his leave: "In this case, I will take my leave. However, Your Majesty would be wise to consider the importance of cotton trade to Daqian."

After saying this, the South Vietnamese envoy left the hall with his entourage.

"Your Majesty, the South Vietnamese are clearly trying to take advantage of our misfortune!" Xu Zhiyuan said angrily.

"I know." Xu Feihong said solemnly, "Issue an order to strengthen border defenses and prevent South Vietnam from any illegal activities."

"As you wish!"

After the court meeting, Zhou Qing followed Xu Feihong back to the imperial study. The empress's face was gloomy, and she was obviously very angry about the threat from South Vietnam.

"Your Majesty, what do you think is South Vietnam's real purpose?" Zhou Qing asked.

"The cotton is just a cover. What they really want is my Daqian medical books." Xu Feihong analyzed, "Medical skills are precious everywhere. If South Vietnam wants to obtain them, it must be to learn my Daqian medical skills and use them against us."

Zhou Qing nodded. The Empress's analysis made sense. However, he felt that things were more complicated than that. Nanyue dared to threaten Daqian just for a few medical books? There must be a deeper reason behind this.

"Your Majesty, I think we should send someone to secretly investigate the true situation in South Vietnam."