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

When Wu Zhao's elite troops were almost completely annihilated by the Chu army, and Fu Heng, Lou Shide, and other famous generals of the dynasty were besieging Qingcheng with the remaining thousands of elite troops, He Yong was ordered to meet the Empress in Haizhou.

At this moment, He Yong looked extremely tired compared to before he left the capital.

During this period, he had to summon laborers from various states to transport grain and fodder, and also raise huge sums of money for the war.

The tedious and burdensome administrative duties were almost suffocating him.

Now that I've arrived in Haizhou, my only wish is to meet the Empress and quickly facilitate negotiations to end this seemingly endless war.

But how should he bring it up?

He Yong didn't dare to produce the edict that Li Hong wanted to take the Empress of Great Chu as his concubine and use Haizhou as a dowry to jointly rule the world.

He was keenly aware that this time he was not facing the "tiny state" that the officials had described, but a powerful Eastern nation whose strength far surpassed that of Wu Zhao.

Negotiations with such a powerful nation cannot be conducted based on a tributary relationship.

But how should we talk about it, and how can we steer things in a positive direction?

This will be a severe test of He Yong's diplomatic skills.

With a heart full of trepidation, He Yong drove into Haizhou City.

Ban Dingyuan, who had already received the news, was waiting outside the city gate an hour in advance.

Ban Dingyuan had a fairly good impression of He Yong. Unlike those arrogant Wu Zhao officials, he knew how to assess the situation and could be talked to calmly.

"My lord, it's been a long time."

“Envoy Ban, it has been a year since we last parted. It is truly unexpected that we will meet again in this capacity.”

"Ha, things are unpredictable, my lord, please come with me."

"it is good."

As the carriage traveled through the streets of Haizhou City, He Yong looked out the window.

The familiar streets have become incredibly clean, and the market is no longer as chaotic as before, but rather orderly and well-organized after being planned.

Looking at the people, they seemed to be in much better spirits than before in the past few months, and the sallow complexion on their faces had gradually faded, giving them a vibrant and energetic appearance.

but……

Where are their braids? And why are there hairs growing on their heads?

A chill swept over him, and after looking around carefully, he realized that all the people in the city had lost their braids.

In addition, many people changed their clothing to Chu style, and silk clothes, which were originally forbidden for commoners, were now worn openly.

Even more bizarrely, in the bustling city center, someone openly proclaimed Wu Zhaoguo's crimes, and a large group of residents echoed his sentiments, which was utterly outrageous.

But what does this mean? It means that the State of Chu is determined to make Haizhou its sphere of influence.

"Haizhou... I'm afraid I'll never be able to come back."

He Yong closed his eyes in pain and sighed deeply.

The carriage continued on its way, and after an unknown amount of time, it finally stopped in front of the Governor's Office.

After getting out of the car, Ban Dingyuan and He Yong walked into the hall side by side.

"Envoy Ban, when may I have the opportunity to meet Her Majesty the Empress?"

"Lord He, please don't be in such a hurry. Before we meet Her Majesty the Empress, let's talk about whether your king intends to continue the war or decides to sit down and negotiate properly."

He Yong said, "Envoy Ban, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but right now your country is encroaching on my Wuzhao territory, and it is your country that has initiated this war."

Within the territory of Wu Zhao, all actions of our Wu Zhao army are for the purpose of defending our land. We hope Envoy Ban can understand this.

Ban Dingyuan shook his head: "No, you are wrong. My Chu Kingdom is not invading, but saving the people of this land so that they can get rid of their suffering as soon as possible."

"What did you say?"

He Yong never expected that Ban Dingyuan would say such shameless things.

If he had said that the war was caused by Wu Zhao's refusal to allow trade, it would have been easier to accept than this high-sounding lie.

"Envoy Ban, is this the attitude a envoy of a great power should have when you distort the truth like this? Aggression is aggression, that is an undeniable fact!"

Ban Dingyuan replied, "Lord He, to tell you the truth, the decision for Chu to send troops to your country was not solely the Empress's decision."

This was a unanimous decision made after repeated discussions within the cabinet, and ninety percent of the people of Chu support our war against your country.

As for the reason, as I've already stated, it was launched rashly to relieve the suffering people oppressed by your Wu Zhao high-ranking officials.

He Yong: "This is truly a joke! When did it become your Chu Kingdom's place to interfere in the affairs of the people of my Wu Zhao Kingdom? This is a serious interference in the internal affairs of our dynasty!"

"If that's how you see it, then there's no point in talking," Ban Dingyuan said, standing up abruptly. "Lord He, you can go ask anyone on the street."

"Do they want to remain citizens of Wu Zhao, or do they want to be citizens of my Chu Kingdom?"

"This is different!"

"What's the difference?"

Ban Dingyuan countered, "Lord He, you should understand the situation of Wu Zhao Kingdom better than I do."

Since our Chu Kingdom landed in Haizhou in early November last year, it has only been a full five months.

Yet, in those five months, the temporary law promulgated by the State of Chu surprisingly received unanimous support from the entire city.

Your country ruled for a full four hundred years, so how come the people here are willing to submit to our rule in such a short time?

Why don't you consider your own reasons? If only your Wu Zhao Kingdom could treat ordinary people as human beings...

Would they rather choose us, their foreign enemies, than serve your Wu Zhao Kingdom? Is that even possible?

He Yong remained silent. He knew everything Ban Dingyuan had said, and he also knew that the people of the empire lived like pigs and dogs.

but……

“Envoy Ban, even if what you say is true, you shouldn’t be meddling in the affairs of our Wu Zhao Kingdom.”

"You're wrong. If we don't intervene, the people will likely live under your oppression forever, and they'll take it for granted."

In short, the attitude of the State of Chu is clear: we are ready to fight or make peace at any time.

We will not budge on our terms, and will add another seven million taels of military expenditure, bringing the total to seventy-two million taels of silver.

He Yong wanted to just walk away, but he knew that if he really left, Li Hong would definitely sentence him to a severe punishment.

After composing himself, he said to Yong, "Our dynasty is willing to cede Haizhou and the surrounding waters."

However, Huizhou, Quanzhou, Bozhou, and other places must not be ceded; this is the bottom line.

We agree to your proposed trade plan, but in exchange, your country must help my Wuzhao Kingdom establish a customs office.

Furthermore, I request that your army immediately withdraw from Jiankang City. Also, the amount of compensation is excessive; I urge Envoy Ban to discuss with the Empress whether appropriate reductions or exemptions can be made.

Ban Dingyuan smiled. From He Yong's attitude just now, he already knew that Li Hong's attitude was inclined to compromise, which meant that negotiations could still be carried out.

"I will certainly report your opinion to His Majesty. Lord He, you must be tired after your long journey. I have prepared a guest room for you. Please rest well."

After saying this, the two Chu soldiers led He Yong away from the main hall.