We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Fengwang Palace.

Li Che held a small bowl full of meat strips in his left hand, and pinched the meat strips between his fingers with his right hand, raising them above his eyebrows.

A white shadow instantly appeared on his shoulder, and its sharp beak accurately picked up the strip of meat.

The Saker Falcon chewed the meat strips in big mouthfuls, enjoying the sweet taste.

Li Che smiled, looked away, and suddenly said:

"Did Qin Jing really say that?"

Qian Bin bowed slightly and said, "I dare not deceive Your Highness. Qin Jing is indeed willing to die for his country."

Li Che touched the Saker Falcon's head and raised his hand to let it fly away.

Looking at the Saker Falcon flapping its wings and landing on the eaves, Li Che sighed softly.

"It does have a bit of the courage to serve others."

Somehow, Li Che suddenly remembered the story of 'Han envoys making great achievements in remote areas'.

The Han people were pioneering and enterprising, and the Han Dynasty was a heroic era.

None of the Han envoys sent to the neighboring countries were cowardly.

Either kill the King of Loulan yourself and bring back his head.

Either [send thirty crossbows to his country], or directly [bring his crown prince Fanqiu to his death and kill him with your own hands].

Just to leave a name in history, the Han envoy died in a way that is beyond your imagination.

The envoys of a country are the external image of that country. Only when the envoys are not afraid of death can they let foreign countries feel the aura of a great power!

Is it to sacrifice one's life for the reputation of the country?

A trace of pity flashed across Li Che's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and said softly, "Then I will obey him."

"Let him choose his own deputy envoys and attendants, grant him flags, staffs, axes, and carriages, and issue him official uniforms, letters of credence, and official seals!"

"In the name of serving the country, an envoy will be sent to Goryeo on a chosen day to express the friendship between the two countries."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Qian Bin bowed and left, leaving Li Che alone sitting on the throne.

The hall became quiet again, and the Saker Falcon was preening its feathers on the beam, making a rustling sound.

Li Che looked at Qian Bin's leaving back and murmured:

"In ancient times, Pang Shiyuan entered the game at Luofengpo and plotted to gain the land of Xichuan."

"If you, Qin Jing, want to be a phoenix cub, I will give you the opportunity to leave your name in history. I will take care of your parents and wife..."

. . . . . .

Soon, all the officials of Feng State were surprised to find that Qin Jing, who everyone thought was going to die, walked out of the prison alive.

Not only did he get out alive, he was also promoted from an ordinary official in the Gongzheng Office to Sima in the Changshi Mansion.

All the officials secretly sighed that their prince had become nostalgic again and was unwilling to kill this loyal minister.

However, a group of officials gradually began to have some ulterior motives.

It turns out that His Highness is not completely upright and there are times when he abuses his power for personal gain.

However, before everyone could figure out the situation, another jaw-dropping piece of news came out in the court:

Qin Jing, the Sima of the Chief Secretary's Office, will be sent to Goryeo as an envoy that same day.

Now the whole city is mobilizing for war, and food has begun to be transported to Liaoyang City. Even the children know that they are going to fight a war with Goryeo.

Why would His Highness send an envoy at a time like this? And why would the envoy be the official who was about to be executed a few days ago?

There were also a few smart people who thought for a long time and remained silent after hearing the news.

No matter what others thought, Qin Jing set off with the diplomatic team after three days of preparation.

Qin Jing stood on the chariot holding a staff, and behind him were hundreds of Fengtian Army cavalrymen wearing black armor and blood-red cloaks.

The royal flag with the word "Feng" written in red on a black background fluttered high and came out of the north gate along the main road in the city.

Wherever he passed, the people all gave way and the soldiers all saluted him by beating their chests.

Qin Jing just turned a blind eye to it, his eyes always glancing towards the palace in the distance.

However, there was no movement in the huge palace, and the middle door was tightly closed.

Hearing Qin Jing sigh softly, Deputy Envoy Zhang Fan beside him looked over curiously:

"What is Lord Qin waiting for?"

Qin Jing shook his head: "Nothing, let's leave the city."

When the delegation left the city, the road was not empty. A large number of civilians were escorting a convoy of grain and fodder, heading eastward.

As the saying goes, before the soldiers and horses move, food and grass go first.

Li Che has made up his mind to conquer Liaodong. Although the army has not yet been dispatched, food and supplies must be delivered to the place closest to the front line as soon as possible.

Qin Jing followed the grain transport team and finally looked back at the Chaoyang City which had become a little blurry.

He turned his head again, with only determination in his eyes.

Although this trip is a dead end for me, it is also a bright future!

When the delegation reached a valley, they suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves in front of them.

"Master Qin, look!" Zhang Fan beside him suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Qin Jing followed Zhang Fan's gaze.

But then I saw a group of people galloping out from the wind and snow. Although they did not raise any flags, the knights in the team were all wearing elite heavy armor and looked energetic.

The leader was wearing a fox fur coat and had a calm expression. He was none other than Prince Feng Li Che.

Qin Jing looked at Li Che stupidly as he stopped his horse in front of him. The flying snowflakes fell on his shoulders and melted instantly.

"Qin Qing, the journey to Goryeo is long, so I have come to see you off."

Li Che's voice was low and warm, as if it could dispel the winter chill.

Qin Jing's nose felt sore, and he quickly dismounted and bowed. A warm feeling welled up in his heart: "Your Highness personally sent me off, and I am overwhelmed. I will definitely live up to Your Highness's trust and do my utmost to complete the mission."

Li Che was silent for a long time, then suddenly sighed: "Now that things have come to this, do you know you are wrong?"

Qin Jing showed regret on his face: "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have ignored the lives of the people for my own selfish thoughts."

Li Che nodded and said, "Don't worry about your family. After I enter the capital this year, I will bring them to Chaoyang City and take good care of them."

After hearing what Li Che said, Qin Jing finally couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Your Highness, I thank you for your great grace."

When Qin Jing stood up again, Li Che had already dismounted and stood in front of him.

He reached out and helped Qin Jing straighten his official uniform.

Suddenly a cold wind blew, making Qin Jing's official robe rustle.

Li Che frowned slightly, his eyes fell on Qin Jing's slightly thin official uniform, and then he took off his fox fur coat.

Seeing this, Qin Jing quickly waved his hand and declined: "Your Highness's health is more important. I am just a humble servant. How dare I let Your Highness suffer from the cold?"

Li Che put the fox fur coat on Qin Jing's shoulders without saying anything, his movements were gentle but unyielding.

The moment the fox fur was draped over his shoulders, Qin Jing felt a warmth spreading from his shoulders to his whole body, as if even the coldness in his heart was dispelled.

He looked down at the fox fur, his heart filled with mixed emotions, his eyes slightly warm.

Li Che said slowly again: "Be smart, you don't have to lose your life there."

"The King of Goryeo detained the envoys of Fengguo, the King of Goryeo insulted the King of Fengguo, and the King of Goryeo refused to accept the mediation of the suzerain state. These are all reasons to send troops. Do you understand?"

Qin Jing looked up, a touch of emotion flashing in his eyes: "Your Majesty...understand."

"Yeah." Li Che patted Qin Jing's shoulder.

Then he took a pot of hot wine from Qiu Bai and handed it to Qin Jing.

"When the weather is cold, drink this cup to warm your body."

Qin Jing took the wine jug, tilted his head back and took a sip. When he looked up again, Li Che had already returned to his horse.

"Go ahead. I'll be waiting for your news in Chaoyang City."

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.

Qin Jing was wearing a white fox fur coat and standing in the snow, not getting up for a long time.

"Lord Qin?" Deputy Envoy Zhang Fan came to Qin Jing's side and called in a low voice.

"Hahahaha!" Qin Jing laughed loudly and handed the pot of hot wine that Li Che had given him to Zhang Fan. "Go, distribute this wine to the soldiers."

After saying this, he strode towards the carriage, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Zhang Fan looked at the wine jug in his hand in surprise, then looked at Qin Jing's back.

For some reason, he always felt that Qin Jing at this moment seemed different from before.

. . . . . .

The delegation traveled eastward, passed through Liaoyang City, and finally set out on the road to Goryeo.

After leaving Fengguo's cement road, the delegation's pace began to slow down.

All they saw along the way was a desolate scene of ice and snow, as if apart from the hundred or so members of the delegation, there was no living creature within a radius of a hundred miles.

However, Qin Jing still ordered the delegation to advance at full speed, leaving the delegation members physically and mentally exhausted.

Zhang Fan had no choice but to bite the bullet and discuss with Qin Jing: "Master Qin, we have been walking for four or five days without a break. The brothers are a little exhausted."

"Why don't we find a place to camp this afternoon so everyone can rest for half a day and get enough rest?"

Qin Jing glanced at him and said with a smile, "I'm not tired of rushing to die, and you guys are tired of going to perform meritorious deeds?"

Zhang Fan was stunned and said, "Ah? What do you mean by committing suicide?"

Deputy Envoy Zhang Fan was just a minor official in Chaoyang City. He was originally a border resident of Goryeo. He was chosen by Qin Jing because he was proficient in Goryeo.

Although he was called deputy envoy, he was actually just an interpreter, so naturally he was not aware of the real purpose of this mission.

"Nothing." Qin Jing shook his head and asked, "I heard that you once followed His Highness in the Northern Expedition and served as a minor official in the army. Do you have the courage?"

Zhang Fan was immediately annoyed when he heard this: "Why do you say that, Lord Qin? Although my abilities are limited, I am not a coward. I have always been loyal to my country."

Qin Jing smiled and said, "This trip is not easy. We need to find out the truth about the civil unrest in Goryeo and also find out the strength of Goryeo's army."

"If the Koreans notice, my life might be in danger."

"I'll die if I die," Zhang Fan said firmly, "Why should I be afraid?"

"Good! This is the integrity that an envoy from Fengguo should have!" Qin Jing replied with a smile, "I will give you a task. Describe the terrain along the way. When you return, report everything you have seen and heard to His Highness."

Zhang Fan asked doubtfully, "You are the official envoy, why don't you inform His Highness in person?"

"Don't worry about it. I just want to ask you, can you do it?"

Zhang Fan nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Lord Qin, I will do my best."

Qin Jing smiled and said, "Okay, this bumpy ride has been tough. Go and inform everyone."

"Let's set up camp and rest early today, and then we'll make every effort to continue our journey tomorrow."

After half a day's rest, the members of the delegation recovered.

Qin Jing did not stop and led the delegation to advance at full speed towards Goryeo.

Two days later, the delegation entered the territory of Goryeo.