Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Chapter 341 Compare: "Your country is so wealthy now, are you unwilling to contribute some to support your friendly nations?"

Perhaps out of desperation, Zhou Xianwu uttered such shameless words.

After he finished speaking, he realized that what he said was wrong. Seeing the strange looks from Ye Mo and Shen Lang, he hurriedly changed his words.

"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant. The Song Dynasty has suffered enormous losses from years of war and cannot afford such a large sum of money at the moment. We can only offer to pay on credit for now. Is that alright?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Mo seemed to have been prepared, and directly pulled out a stack of receipts and threw them in front of Zhou Xianwu.

"Emperor Song, please take a look for yourself. This is the money and grain that your country owes to my Chu Kingdom."

I have specifically counted the amount; your country's court owes my Chu Kingdom a total of 36 million taels of silver, including principal and interest.

In addition, there is an extra commercial tax levied by your country on merchants from Chu, which is twelve times the original tax.

Although your Ministry of Revenue has promised to refund the overpaid commercial taxes in full, this promise has not yet been fulfilled.

The losses incurred by Chu merchants incurred in commercial tax revenue within the territory of Song have always been borne by the imperial court.

"May I ask, Song envoy, have you heard of the unfair treatment your Song merchants have received within the territory of Chu over the past fifty years?"

Zhou Xianwu lowered his head in shame, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Looking at the thick stack of receipts that the Song Dynasty had signed with the Chu Dynasty but had not yet been fulfilled, he realized that the Song Dynasty had long lost credibility in the Chu court and among the people.

However, the State of Song is now in imminent danger, and even if he has to bite the bullet, he must obtain military support from the State of Chu to solve the immediate crisis.

"Your Majesty, please have faith one more time. After defeating the Jin army, the Great Song will definitely make up for the promises it has owed to the Chu Kingdom all these years."

Jiang Mengxuan was initially wavering on whether to sell the weapons, but the price Shen Lang offered was simply too good to pass up.

But now, the State of Song is shamelessly trying to get its weapons for free. In addition, the State of Song's reputation has been almost negative in recent years, so the idea of ​​selling weapons has been abandoned.

Just as she was about to refuse Zhou Xianwu, a report came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, the Jin envoy is requesting an audience outside the palace."

Zhou Xianwu was taken aback upon hearing this.

The Jin Kingdom has actually sent envoys to Jinling?

What are their goals?

Jiang Mengxuan glanced at Zhou Xianwu: "Summon the Jin envoy to the reception hall and wait a moment. I will arrive shortly after."

Just as Zhou Xianwu was about to say something to the Empress, Shen Lang spoke first: "Your Majesty, allow me to accompany you."

Ye Mo also stood up: "This old minister will accompany Your Majesty."

So the three of them, the emperor and his minister, got up and walked out of the palace together.

Zhou Xianwu was left alone in the hall, feeling uneasy.

He had a bad feeling that the Jin Kingdom's sudden visit to the Chu Kingdom would push the already difficult situation of the Song Dynasty into an even more unpredictable abyss.

……

"Empress of Great Chu, Wanyan Junyue, envoy of the lower kingdom, has come to visit the Kingdom of Chu on the orders of Your Majesty, hoping to establish friendly relations with your country. May the Empress live ten thousand years."

Inside the welcoming hall, Wanyan Junyue, the third prince of the Jin Kingdom, and his entourage performed the most standard state greetings to Jiang Mengxuan, who was seated at the head of the table.

"The Jin envoy has traveled a long way to Jinling, and I imagine he has something to discuss. Please speak frankly. Serve him with a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wanyan Junyue was very respectful and did not sit down immediately after performing the greeting.

"Your Majesty, this is the first time the Jin Kingdom has met with the Great Chu Kingdom, and we have nothing to prepare. His Majesty specially ordered me to bring some small gifts, which Your Majesty is kindly obliged to accept."

After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands.

Soon, a group of Jin warriors who had been waiting for a long time entered the hall. They were divided into pairs, each carrying a box and placing it in the center of the hall.

Upon closer inspection, there were as many as thirty boxes.

Wanyan Junyue opened one of the boxes, and inside were treasures such as jade, emeralds, pearls, and ginseng.

"Your Majesty, the land of Jin is barren, unlike the vast and abundant land of Great Chu, which has everything."

These things are probably not even worth Her Majesty the Empress's attention, but they are still a token of our Jin Kingdom's goodwill.

I hope the Empress will not find it offensive.

People need to make comparisons to distinguish between good and bad.

Looking at the box full of money in front of them, and recalling the stack of banknotes that Zhou Xianwu had taken out earlier, the two sides were at least worlds apart in their attitudes.

"You flatter me, Envoy Jin. I am very pleased with the gift you have given me. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Wanyan Junyue took his seat, he immediately straightened his posture, lowered his head, and said, "Your Majesty, the King has sent me to visit the State of Chu this time..."

Firstly, we wish to establish diplomatic relations with your country; secondly, we would like to purchase a batch of military equipment from your country.

More weapons?

Jiang Mengxuan frowned and glanced at Shen Lang, who was chatting and laughing quietly with Ye Mo.

"Your Majesty, my Jin Kingdom originates from the wild and uncivilized lands beyond the Great Wall, and many of our customs and traditions are incompatible with those of your esteemed country."

If I have offended Your Majesty during our time together, please forgive me.

"Envoy Jin, there's no need for further words. But could you please tell me where your country intends to purchase these weapons?"

"Naturally, it's about dealing with the Song Dynasty." Wanyan Junyue made no attempt to hide his intentions. "Your Majesty should have heard that the Jin and Song Dynasties are practically irreconcilable enemies."

If the Song Dynasty is not destroyed, my Jin Dynasty will find it difficult to survive. I have long heard that the Great Chu and the Song Dynasty have been friends for generations. My Great Jin Dynasty is a newcomer here.

Naturally, they wouldn't dare to propose something as unreasonable as asking the State of Chu to sever ties with the State of Song and instead support the State of Jin.

I merely wish to ask Your Majesty, if it is permissible, that the State of Chu consider cooperating with the State of Bi.

While we Jurchens may not be able to guarantee anything else, when it comes to trustworthiness, we are a hundred times better than those treacherous Song people.

Of course, the Jin state would not interfere in the diplomatic relations between Chu and Song; it only hoped that Chu could provide military support to the Jin state.

As for the price, no matter what price Chu offers, Jin will not haggle. Your Majesty, please consider this carefully.

Jiang Mengxuan: "What if I refuse? What will the Jin Kingdom do then?"

Wanyan Junyue was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Jiang Mengxuan to speak so directly.

But he immediately replied calmly, "Even if Your Majesty refuses, the Jin Kingdom will still adhere to its national policy of maintaining friendly relations with the Chu Kingdom."

In truth, I know that this sudden visit to your country is quite abrupt, and I do not expect to gain Your Majesty's trust in one go.

Therefore, even if Your Majesty refuses, the Jin Kingdom will not change its policy of maintaining friendly relations with the Chu Kingdom.

Jiang Mengxuan thought to herself: Wow, the Jin Kingdom is really good at keeping its composure.

She glanced at Shen Lang and instantly understood why the Jin Kingdom had this attitude.

It should be noted that the Jin Dynasty never paid attention to so-called etiquette or shame.

On the contrary, these foreigners completely disregarded abstract concepts like etiquette and shame.

In their eyes, strength is the key factor that determines everything.

Once they discover you are in a weakened state, they will mercilessly open their blood-red maws and devour you like a ferocious beast, leaving not even a bone behind.

They will show no mercy whatsoever, and will not consider any moral or ethical constraints or norms.

For them, only the strong survive, while the weak are destined to be eliminated.

It is necessary to remain vigilant against such a group of unscrupulous and ruthless enemies and to continuously improve one's own strength; otherwise, a slight misstep could plunge one into an abyss of no return.

The reason why the Jin state was so subservient to the Chu state was because the Chu state's national strength was no longer what it used to be.

Over the years, the Chu army had fought in the north and south and had already earned a great reputation, which is why Wanyan Junyue's attitude was so humble.

If the situation in Chu is similar to that in Song, then the Jin delegation's visit to the capital this time would not be about paying tribute and exchanging greetings, but rather a direct threat of force, and they might even humiliate the empress in the palace.

Strength is the foundation upon which a nation stands.

Jiang Mengxuan once again realized just how important the "power" her husband had offered back then truly was.

"The procurement of arms is a matter of great importance. I must consult with my officials before I can give a reply. Please go to the guesthouse to rest. I will inform you of the decision once it is made."

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now and await Your Majesty's good news."

After performing the proper rites, Wanyan Junyue bowed and withdrew from the welcoming hall.

As soon as he left, Jiang Mengxuan immediately asked Shen Lang, "What are your thoughts on arms procurement?"