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

Upon hearing Zhang Gui's words, Li Hong's face immediately darkened.

“Every time my Wu Zhao army goes on an expedition, it usually numbers in the tens or hundreds of thousands, but the number of troops that can actually be deployed for frontal combat is very small.”

"Take the Battle of Xuechuan for example, where the rebels relied on the mountain terrain to build fortifications and maneuvered against our royal army."

Actually, those fortresses aren't difficult to breach. Just break through one point, then advance straight in and take the main stronghold.

"But precisely because the number of troops responsible for the assault was so small..."

They could only wear down the rebels with piecemeal tactics, so the war dragged on for over a decade.

"Although the Xuechuan rebels were eventually wiped out, the price paid by my Wuzhao Kingdom was also staggering."

"Then there was the campaign to annihilate the Wadan tribe. Again, due to the scarcity of available troops, we were unable to effectively encircle them and repeatedly missed the best opportunities. It took a whole year to win the battle."

"As for the war to conquer the Tianlang Kingdom, there is no need to mention it. Each time Wu Zhao used troops against the Tianlang Kingdom, the number of troops was at most a few thousand. The victory was entirely achieved by piling up massive amounts of resources."

"Your Majesty, I believe that if Wu Zhao Kingdom wants to continue to exert an effective deterrent effect on the Zhou states, it must adjust its military system."

Zhang Gui's words were heartfelt, but to Li Hong, they sounded incredibly harsh.

He said, "I have also thought about changing this situation, but it's not that easy. My Wuzhao military system was established during the reign of Emperor Taizu and has been passed down to this day."

The system has always been structured with elite forces at its core and local forces playing a supporting role. A hasty change could easily backfire, and the risks involved are too numerous to explain in a few words.

Zhang Gui replied, "His Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler. He has retrained the previously neglected elite troops to be as fierce as wolves and tigers."

However, the current military system and tactics are centuries old and no longer suitable for the scale of modern warfare.

The defeat in this war against the Eastern Barbarians is the best microcosm of the situation; even well-trained warriors and cavalry...

Faced with the superior military strength of a foreign state under unified command, they no longer held a significant advantage.

Li Hong raised his hand: "Zhang Gui, I summoned you here to hear your strategy for conquering the Eastern Yi, not to discuss whether the current military system is appropriate!"

Zhang Gui's disappointment was palpable, but he still forced a smile and replied, "To defeat the Eastern Yi, we must concentrate our forces on one point and take Mangshan first."

"As long as there are no mountains to restrict them, the cavalry of my Wu Zhao Kingdom can roam freely across the plains."

"Yes, I will tell Lou Shide to do as you say."

Li Hong got up and walked to the window.

"In short, no matter the cost, the Eastern Barbarians must be defeated no later than before my birthday in November."

If I cannot accomplish this, I will lose face in front of envoys from all nations!

……

Early February, Wu Zhao Kingdom, Haizhou.

Haizhou City is Wuzhao's only seaport for trade, and thousands of merchant ships from various countries gather here year-round.

The entire Haizhou harbor, from the docks to the near-sea level, was densely packed with merchant ships.

Because of the highly developed maritime trade in Haizhou, the city's commercial scale experienced an almost abnormal prosperity.

Besides the merchants from all over the world, there were also envoys representing their own countries, who were waiting here for news from Shengjing that they were summoned to go north.

Wu Zhao Kingdom has strict regulations for envoys from foreign states; all states must first stop and wait at Haizhou.

Then, the official letter of audience was delivered to the local post station official and forwarded to the capital to await the emperor's approval.

This process can take anywhere from two or three months to one or two years or more.

During this period, foreign envoys were only allowed to move within the designated area of ​​Haizhou City and were prohibited from leaving the Haizhou commercial district to contact local Wuzhao people.

If permission is granted to enter the capital, one must board a Wu Zhao official boat to enter the inland waterway from the outer sea, and then transfer to another official boat to travel north along the designated waterway.

During this period, any physical or verbal communication with the local people of Wuzhao is prohibited, and it is even more forbidden to hire Wuzhao people as laborers.

Traveling north along the river, it would take about a month to reach the capital, and then another month or so to wait for an audience with the emperor.

During their stay in Shengjing, all envoys resided in designated courtyards, where officials from the Imperial Household Department would receive them and provide them with the necessary food, clothing, and lodging.

However, they must face north towards the Forbidden City every day and perform the rites of kneeling before the emperor. Anyone who does not comply will be expelled from the Wuzhao Kingdom and never be allowed to meet the emperor again.

Of course, this rule is now practically meaningless; you can easily get away with it by spending a little money to bribe someone.

Moreover, during their stay in Shengjing, envoys were only allowed to remain in the inner city and were prohibited from entering the outer city to have any interaction with ordinary people.

At this moment, Ban Dingyuan was exchanging ideas at the guesthouse where the Jiang Kingdom envoys were staying.

Sitting in front of Ban Dingyuan was the fourth prince of the Jiang Kingdom, named Jiang Yang, who was also the envoy in charge of paying tribute this time.

He arrived a year later than Ban Dingyuan, and the two quickly became friends after getting to know each other.

Through Jiang Yang's description of the customs and landscape of Xiangjiang Kingdom, Ban Dingyuan quickly sketched out a beautiful picture with pastoral scenery in his mind.

However, with the invasion of the Wu Zhao Kingdom's army, the Jiang Kingdom has not yet fully recovered its strength.

"To be honest, if it weren't for the unity of the people and soldiers of Jiang Kingdom back then, and their determination to fight to the death against Wu Zhao Kingdom, we probably wouldn't have survived until now. Fortunately, Jiang Kingdom held on and finally had a chance to catch our breath."

Even though more than 20 years have passed since the war, Jiang Yang still feels lingering fear when he talks about it.

However, at that time, he was not yet born, and what he knew was all from his father, the local people, and the records in the Jiang Kingdom.

Jiang State, a country with a population of only eight million, managed to withstand four attacks from the world's most powerful nation, ultimately resulting in a draw and forcing Wu Zhao State to withdraw its troops.

This achievement alone is enough to go down in history.

"By the way, Brother Ban, I have a question that I've been struggling to understand. I hope you can answer it for me."

"Your Highness, please don't stand on ceremony. Speak freely."

"Why does your Chu Kingdom travel so far to pay tribute to the Wu Zhao Kingdom?"

"Tribute?"

Ban Dingyuan looked puzzled upon hearing this.

Jiang Yang: "Yes, I've heard Brother Ban's descriptions of the customs and landscape of Chu these past few days. It should be a great power that is no less powerful than Wu Zhao."

I truly don't understand why you've come here to pay tribute. To be honest, Wu Zhao isn't as wonderful as you imagine."

Ban Dingyuan laughed and said, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. I am here on the Emperor's orders."

They never came to pay tribute to the Wu Zhao Kingdom, but simply to conduct trade with it.

"trading?"

Jiang Yang was taken aback at first, then smiled slightly.

"To trade with the Wu Zhao Kingdom, your country must become a tributary state; otherwise, your merchants will be prohibited from entering."

Brother Ban has been here for two years now, so he should be familiar with the rules of Wu Zhao Kingdom.

"That being said, I still intend to give it a try."

"Then I wish you, Brother Ban, a speedy completion of the imperial mission..."

Just as the two continued drinking tea, a guard ran up to Ban Dingyuan and said, "Lord Ban, the Minister of Foreign Affairs from the capital has arrived at the guesthouse."