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

After a long silence, Wanyan Lie spoke first: "Alright, stop being mute, tell me, what are your thoughts on the arms provided by Chu?"

Wanyan Zongqing: "Your Majesty, the firearms of the Chu Kingdom are indeed formidable. If all the warriors of my Great Jin could be equipped with them..."

Such a powerful weapon, let alone the Song state, even the Murong clan of Northern Yan would no longer need to take it seriously.

Yin Shuke: "Indeed, Chu's military equipment is as powerful as rumored. Our Great Jin should purchase more military equipment from Chu to strengthen our military capabilities."

Both men were highly respected in the army, and upon hearing their opinions, they both felt that the procurement of military supplies from the State of Chu should be increased.

However, Wanyan Loushi offered a different opinion: "Your Majesty, while the Chu firearms are indeed formidable, they may not be suitable for our Jurchen people."

The reason our Jurchens can roam the world is because of their skill in archery and horsemanship. If the entire army were to be equipped with Chu weapons, it wouldn't be long before...

The army is surely in disarray and incapable of fighting on horseback. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider.

Wanyan Loushi was a relative of Wanyan Lie, and his bravery was no less than that of Murong Ba of Northern Yan. He could be considered a military god of the Jin Dynasty.

His words immediately garnered support from a large number of traditional and conservative forces.

"General Lou Shi is right. Our Great Jin conquered the world on horseback, while the weapons provided by the Chu army are mostly used by infantry. If this continues, the advantage of our Great Jin cavalry will surely disappear."

"I urge Your Majesty to reconsider. Moreover, Chu's military equipment is expensive, and large-scale procurement will inevitably affect the military might of my Great Jin cavalry."

For a time, the question of whether or not to procure military equipment was placed before Wanyan Lie.

Both sides held their own views, and neither could convince the other.

Seeing that the two sides were about to come to blows, Wanyan Lie immediately stopped the farce.

"Alright, stop arguing. The Chu army has powerful weaponry. If we don't purchase it, what if other forces buy it and use it against us?"

"I believe that we should increase arms trade with the State of Chu to solidify the current position of our Great Jin."

Wanyan Loushi: "But Your Majesty, our Jin warriors are used to fighting on horseback. Once they start operating these firearms, they may find it difficult to adapt."

Wanyan Lie: "What you said makes some sense, but I will only procure some military equipment for one new battalion."

The rest of the military structure will remain unchanged for the time being, so that our Great Jin soldiers will not be greatly affected in their mounted combat.

Upon hearing this, the generals felt it was a compromise.

"I have made a decision. Tonight at the banquet, I will discuss expanding the arms trade with the Duke of Zhenguo again. I intend to purchase another three thousand rifles."

Thirty Gatling guns, five mountain guns, and corresponding ammunition were provided, in preparation for any eventuality.

Wanyan Zongqing: "Your Majesty is wise, but we are worried that if the Song Dynasty also purchases such weapons, what should we do?"

This statement caused everyone to fall into deep thought once again.

Yes, the Song state is a hundred times richer than the Jin state. If they purchase Chu weapons to fight against us, the Jin state would be no match for them even if they sold their underwear.

"Why don't we mention to the Duke of Zhenguo that we shouldn't sell weapons to the Song Kingdom?" someone suggested.

But this suggestion was quickly refuted: "Why don't you go and talk to him? The Duke of Zhenguo made it very clear at the meeting that no one can restrain Chu's foreign arms trade."

Wanyan Lie thought for a moment, then said to Wanyan Zongqing, "Here's what we'll do: you go and inform Wanyan Wo that when the Duke of Zhenguo returns to Bianzhou tomorrow..."

Let him go to Tangsong again, and take Zhao Zhen and his family with him as well. Tell that dog emperor that he is forbidden from purchasing weapons from Chu.

"If he agrees, then my Great Jin will honor the previously signed agreement and withdraw our troops back to the capital."

Yin Shuke was shocked upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, we have already driven the Song Kingdom to this point, and you're just going to withdraw your troops like this?"

Wanyan Lie sneered: "Do you think I don't want to? The current situation doesn't allow it, after all, the attitudes between Chu and Song are not very clear."

If this situation provokes the State of Chu, and they send troops to aid the State of Song, then my Great Jin will be in danger. After all, you have already witnessed the power of Chu's firearms.

"I imagine you wouldn't want to fight against such a fully-strength army, would you?"

The generals fell silent. If they had looked down on the strength of the Chu state before today, their mindset had completely changed after the arms demonstration. They felt inferior to the Chu people.

Wanyan Lie continued, "Secondly, spring has arrived, and the men of my Great Jin should be returning home to busy themselves with farm work. If we continue to linger here, the military pay we've brought won't be enough to sustain us any longer."

Third, the Song army, which had come to the aid of the emperor from various directions, had also arrived near Bianzhou. Continuing to drag this out would be detrimental to us in every way.

Finally, we must also pay attention to the current situation of the Murong clan. Although the Tianlang Kingdom is currently invading and the Yan Kingdom is preoccupied with its own affairs,

However, the rear of my Great Jin is also completely vulnerable, and Murong Ke is so intelligent he's almost demonic, so we must also be wary of him.

After listening to Yan Lie's analysis of the current situation, all the generals felt that it made sense.

"Damn it, this time the dog emperor of the Song Kingdom has benefited again."

Wanyan Zongqing was very unwilling.

Wanyan Lie, however, did not take it to heart: "Alright, the Song Kingdom is just a bunch of sheep who call themselves wolves. If we don't destroy them today, we can destroy them tomorrow. Why bother fighting for this moment?"

When the autumn air is crisp and clear, we will surely march on Bianzhou, capture the Song emperor, and bring him to the capital for the "sheep-leading ceremony."

"Hahaha……"

Wanyan Lie truly lived up to his reputation as a great ruler of the Jin Dynasty; with just a few words, he made all the generals laugh with relief.

……

The next morning, Wanyan Lie personally escorted Shen Lang out of the camp.

"Duke Zhenguo, please go back and make sure to tell the Empress that our Great Jin is determined to accept the teachings of the Kingly Way and truly wants to befriend the Chu Kingdom."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly convey your message. Please stay and do not see me off."

Only after witnessing Shen Lang board the ship did Wanyan Lie shake his head helplessly.

Last night, when Shen Lang went to sleep, he personally selected three beautiful and virgin Hu women to serve him.

As a result, the three Hu women were thrown out of the tent completely naked.

Upon investigation, it was found that Shen Lang had never touched the three women. When he learned that they wanted to climb into his bed for a buffet in the middle of the night, he was furious and immediately kicked each of them out.

"He is indifferent to women and has a very indifferent attitude towards wealth. This Emperor of Great Chu is indeed formidable."

Wanyan Lie sighed sincerely.

……

When they returned to Bianzhou Prefecture, it was already past noon. Shen Lang immediately took Zhao Fujin to the official residence and planned to set off for Jinling after dawn.

After showing concern for Shen Lang and his entourage, Wanyan Wo immediately changed his attitude and escorted Zhao Zhen and the others into the palace to see Zhao Ji.

Upon learning that the Jin army intended to withdraw, Zhao Ji and his ministers all breathed a sigh of relief.

Especially after seeing Zhao Zhen released, he praised the Jurchens for keeping their word, completely unaware of the numb expression on his younger brother's face.

Upon hearing the Jin state's exorbitant demands, Zhao Ji immediately presented the previously agreed-upon plan to cede territory.

This time, Wanyan Wo did not make things difficult for Zhao Ji and his men, and readily accepted the list and documents ceding the territory.

As for the condition that the State of Song prohibits the State of Chu from purchasing weapons from the State of Jin, the State of Song did not raise any objections, which greatly surprised Wanyan Wo, but it was exactly what he wanted.

With the agreement signed, both the Song and Jin dynasties were delighted.

On March 15th, Shen Lang boarded a boat and left Bianjing, heading towards Jinling.

The external threats from the Song-Jin and Yan-Lang regions can be put on hold for now, and it's also a good time to take advantage of the fact that there are no major domestic issues to directly remove that cancerous tumor in the Shu region.