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

"When did it happen?" Xu Feihong asked.

"Just now, news was delivered urgently from eight hundred miles away." Song Jiayun reported.

"It seems that Beiyan's actions are faster than we thought." Zhou Qing said in a deep voice.

At this moment, someone else came to report: "Your Majesty, the ministers in the court have learned the news and are waiting outside the palace, demanding that we discuss countermeasures immediately."

Xu Feihong had no choice but to summon all the ministers.

Soon, all the civil and military officials gathered in the hall, each with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, the Nanyue army is gathering, clearly intending to harm our Daqian!" the Minister of War said excitedly, "I request that the troops be mobilized immediately to strike first!"

"No!" The Minister of Revenue objected quickly, "Daqian is currently in a difficult period. If we rashly use military force, I'm afraid the gains will outweigh the losses."

"Are we just going to sit back and watch South Vietnam invade?" the Minister of War said angrily.

Xu Feihong looked at the quarreling ministers and felt irritated. She knew that what was needed now was not quarrels, but practical countermeasures.

"My dear ministers, please be quiet for a moment," Xu Feihong said. "The most important thing now is to formulate a strategy, not to argue."

"Your Majesty, I think the troops should be sent immediately." A military general stood up and said.

"I object!" The Minister of Revenue immediately retorted.

Seeing that another argument was about to break out, Zhou Qing stood up and said, "Your Majesty, my Lords, I have a plan."

"Please speak, Lord Zhou." Xu Feihong gestured.

"I believe the most important thing right now is to divide the enemy's alliance," Zhou Qing analyzed. "Northern Yan is so bold because it has the support of South Vietnam. If we can convince South Vietnam to switch sides, Northern Yan's plan will fail."

"How to get South Vietnam to switch sides?" someone asked.

"Bribery," Zhou Qing said simply, "Nanyue betrayed Daqian simply because Beiyan offered better conditions. So we'll offer better conditions."

"But the treasury is empty, where will the money come from?" the Minister of Revenue asked in embarrassment.

"Who says we have to use silver?" Zhou Qing asked, "We can use other things. For example, we can promise South Vietnam priority in certain trade agreements, or provide technical support."

Xu Feihong's eyes lit up: "Lord Zhou, this is a brilliant plan!"

"However, we must also be prepared militarily," Zhou Qing continued. "In case the negotiations fail, we must have a backup plan."

"That makes sense." Xu Feihong nodded. "Then let's do as Minister Zhou Ai said. While sending envoys to negotiate with South Vietnam, we should also make military preparations."

"Your Majesty is wise!" the ministers said in unison.

After leaving the court, Xu Feihong kept Zhou Qing again.

"Minister Zhou, do you have any suggestions for the selection of negotiation envoys?" Xu Feihong asked.

"I think we should send someone who understands diplomacy and has the power to intimidate," Zhou Qing thought for a moment. "How about Minister of Revenue Zheng Jiang? He's both familiar with trade affairs and a prominent official in the court, so he's certainly a force to be reckoned with."

"This is a very good plan." Xu Feihong nodded. "What about military preparations?"

"I suggest mobilizing the border defense troops and making a gesture of launching a large-scale attack to put pressure on South Vietnam," Zhou Qing said.

"Okay, let's do it." Xu Feihong nodded with satisfaction.

Three days later, Zheng Jiang, the Minister of Revenue, went on a diplomatic mission to Nanyue with generous terms. Meanwhile, troops on the Daqian border began to gather, poised for a major offensive.

For a time, the people of Nanyue were in a state of panic. Although the king of Nanyue accepted the conditions of Beiyan, he began to hesitate in the face of the threat from Daqian.

"Your Majesty, the envoy from Daqian requests to see you." The minister of Nanyue reported.

"Let him in." said the King of Nanyue.

Zheng Jiang walked into the hall and saluted with dignity. "Your Highness, Zheng Jiang, the Minister of Revenue of Daqian, greets the King of Nanyue."

"Minister Zheng has come from afar. I wonder if you have any advice for me?" asked the King of Nanyue.

"I am here on the orders of our emperor to discuss trade matters with your country," said Zheng Jiang.

"Trade?" The King of Nanyue sneered. "You, Daqian, can't even take care of yourselves, so what's the point of talking about trade?"

"Your Majesty, this is not true," Zheng Jiang said calmly. "Although Daqian has suffered a disaster, it has a strong foundation. Recovery is only a matter of time. Moreover, His Majesty has specifically asked me to bring you some new proposals."

"What proposal?" The King of Nanyue became interested.

"First, Daqian is willing to offer you the most favorable prices for cotton," Zheng Jiang said. "Second, Daqian is willing to provide you with some advanced agricultural technology to help you increase your grain production."

The King of Nanyue was moved. These conditions were indeed very tempting.

"Third, Daqian is willing to establish a closer military alliance with your country to jointly deal with the threat from Beiyan." Zheng Jiang continued.

"Military alliance?" The King of Nanyue frowned, "But Beiyan has already promised to provide us with weapons and equipment."

"Lord, weapons and equipment are only temporary, but technology and long-term cooperation are fundamental," Zheng Jiang advised. "Besides, Northern Yan's ambitions are obvious. They can help your country today and annex it tomorrow."

The King of Nanyue pondered for a long time and found that Zheng Jiang’s words did make sense.

"Let me think about it." said the King of Nanyue.

"Lord, time is running out. Please make a decision as soon as possible." Zheng Jiang reminded.

At this moment, a minister hurried in and said, "Lord, this is bad! The Daqian army is gathering at the border and it looks like they are about to launch a large-scale attack!"

The King of Nanyue's expression changed and he looked at Zheng Jiang.

"Minister Zheng, what does this mean?"

"Lord, our Daqian has always adopted a policy of courtesy before force," Zheng Jiang said calmly. "If the negotiations are successful, everyone will be happy. If they fail, our Daqian will not sit idly by."

This was an obvious threat, but the ruler of Nanyue did not dare to take it lightly. Although Daqian had suffered a disaster, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. If a war really came to a head, Nanyue would definitely not be a match.

"Your Majesty, I think we should agree to Daqian's conditions." A minister said in a low voice.

"But on the Northern Yan side..." The King of Nanyue hesitated.

"Your Majesty, Beiyan is thousands of miles away, but Daqian is right in front of us." The minister continued to persuade.

The Nanyue King weighed the pros and cons again and again, and finally nodded: "Okay, I agree to resume trade relations with Daqian."

"The Lord is wise!" Zheng Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. "I believe this is the best choice for both countries."

When the news reached Daqian, Xu Feihong and Zhou Qing both breathed a sigh of relief.

"My dear Zhou, your plan really worked." Xu Feihong said happily.

"This is all thanks to the wisdom of Your Majesty. I just offered a small plan." Zhou Qing said modestly.

"However, we still have to guard against Beiyan's counterattack," Xu Feihong reminded.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right." Zhou Qing nodded. "I believe we should seize this opportunity to contact Western Chu and encircle Northern Yan."

"This is a brilliant plan," Xu Feihong praised. "Who should we choose as the envoy?"

"I am willing to go on a diplomatic mission to Western Chu." Zhou Qing volunteered again.

This time Xu Feihong did not refuse: "Okay, but you have to be careful. Western Chu is not like South Vietnam. The situation there is more complicated."

"I understand." Zhou Qing nodded.

Three days later, Zhou Qing set out on another diplomatic mission, this time to Western Chu, with the mission of persuading Western Chu to join forces with Daqian to deal with Northern Yan.