Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

"The hatred of our clan's extermination is irreconcilable. Shen Qing, as long as you are willing to help me deal with the Jiu Chi tribe, I, Li Ying, am willing to be a sinner of the Li Yue tribe and serve you wholeheartedly from now on." After thinking of the tragic state of the Li Yue tribe, Li Ying's eyes gradually became firm.

She didn't understand anything about national righteousness or generations of blood feuds; she only wanted to avenge the deaths of the Li Yue people.

Seeing this, Shen Qing remained expressionless, but a sense of satisfaction rose in his heart. Judging from the current situation, Li Ying was truly willing to pay any price for revenge. However, one Li Ying was not enough; more barbarians needed to join. Only when more and more barbarians were willing to pledge allegiance to the Yue King's Mansion could a herd effect be formed.

Shen Qing immediately continued with a stern face, "Li Ying, I'm willing to believe you, but can you represent others? For example, him, can you make him like you?" As Shen Qing spoke, he pointed to Hama, who was bound to the side.

Following the direction Shen Qing pointed, Li Ying looked at Hama beside her, her eyes widening for a moment before being replaced by the appraisal institute.

Li Ying immediately walked up to Hama, knelt down, and said, "Uncle Hama, I hope you can help me..."

"Young leader, are you crazy? You actually believe the nonsense of the Central Plains people?" Hama looked at Li Ying in shock. As an old-fashioned barbarian, Hama had always believed that barbarians and Central Plains people were irreconcilable enemies. Therefore, he would never have, and had never even considered, surrendering to the Central Plains people. At this moment, Li Ying's words were like a thunderbolt, leaving him extremely shocked.

"Uncle Hama, I know this goes against the traditions of the Li Yue tribe, and I will not be forgiven by our ancestors even after death, but I only want to avenge the Li Yue tribe. I want the Jiu Chi tribe to pay for their blood debt. Uncle Hama, I beg you, please promise me..."

"Young leader, I..."

Before Hama could speak, Li Ying interrupted him, saying, "Uncle Hama, don't you want to avenge Brother Hani's family, and your daughter Wusha who has just turned ten? The Li Yue tribe has completely declined. With just us, I'm afraid we won't be able to avenge them in our lifetime. Or do you want to ignore their hatred and live with guilt and pain for the rest of your life?"

Li Ying's words, each one like a sharp arrow, shook Hama's resolve. Hani was his eldest son, who had just married this year, and his wife was three months pregnant; a new life was on the horizon, but with the invasion of the Jiu Chi tribe, everything had vanished. And Wusha was his most beloved youngest daughter, whose melodious voice, like a lark's, had made her famous throughout the tribe; now she, too, had fallen victim to the Jiu Chi tribe's blade.

“Young leader, the people of the Central Plains cannot be trusted. Our Baiyue people have cooperated with the people of the Central Plains in the past, but in the end, they always betrayed us after we were done with them, causing heavy casualties.” Although Hama was very shaken, his generational beliefs still influenced his last bit of rationality.

Seeing this, Shen Qing knew that he needed to step in and be the last straw that broke the camel's back. Hama was clearly wavering, but he was still missing a step forward.

Shen Qing immediately stepped forward and said, “Hama, I don’t know what happened in the history of the Li Yue tribe, and I can’t do anything for you. But I can make a guarantee on behalf of the Yue King’s Mansion: as long as your Li Yue tribe is willing to sincerely join Yuezhou, from now on, I will treat you and the people of Yuezhou the same.”

"Hmph, why should I believe you?" Hama said skeptically.

Shen Qing chuckled upon hearing this, "Right now you are just a group of prisoners. With just one order from me, the Liyue tribe will be wiped out. So if I didn't genuinely want to accept you, why would I go to all this trouble?"

Shen Qing's words left Hama speechless.

"As far as I know, although your Liyue tribe is in a better condition than the average barbarian tribe, you still lack food and clothing on a daily basis. Whenever there is a drought, flood or a cold winter, a large number of people will starve to death."

"What do you want to say?" Hama looked up at Shen Qing.

"As long as your Li-Yue tribe is willing to join Yuezhou, from now on, we will have a unified written language, standardized cart tracks, and people of all races, regardless of whether they are barbarian or from the Central Plains. We will treat everyone equally, allow barbarian people to settle and live in Yuezhou, allow barbarian people to trade in Yuezhou, and even allow you to join the army and become officials..."

"Shen Qing, are you telling the truth?" Li Ying asked excitedly before Hama could answer. Hama was also staring at Shen Qing with shining eyes.

Although the barbarians and the people of the Central Plains had been enemies for generations, the barbarians also envied the lives of the people of the Central Plains. They envied that the barbarians had land to cultivate, food to eat, medicine and doctors when they were sick, and fine clothes and advanced tools.

Those who have never experienced hardship cannot fully comprehend the suffering of living in the wild jungles with slash-and-burn agriculture. The people of the Liyue tribe had to worry about making a living every day they opened their eyes. There was little suitable arable land in the mountains and forests, and coupled with the lack of tools and planting experience, the harvests were often meager. They could not rely on farming to have food like the people of the Central Plains.

Every day, they have to endure the miasma in the mountains and forests, and the poisonous insects, snakes, ants, and wild beasts searching for food in the jungle. Sometimes they are lucky enough to find delicacies such as mushrooms, but more often than not, the effort and reward are disproportionate, and they may even lose their lives in the dangers of the jungle.

Therefore, while the barbarians were hostile to the people of the Central Plains, they also envied their living environment. Even if the land they cultivated was not enough to feed them, they still had the opportunity to go to the city to find a way to survive. In short, it was easier for them to survive than in the mountains and forests.

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Although I, Shen Qing, dare not call myself a gentleman, I am not a person who breaks his promises," Shen Qing said with a slight smile.

“What you say sounds good, but you are just a strategist under the King of Yue. I’m afraid you can’t represent the King of Yue. If we agree to join you, and the King of Yue turns his back on us, who will we complain to?” Hama, as expected of his extensive experience, immediately spotted the flaw in Shen Qing’s words.

No matter how good Shen Qing's promises are, he is not King Zhao Kai of Yue, and things will inevitably change.

“I can vouch for him; what he says is what I mean.” Just then, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out from outside.

The next second, Zhao Kai led Han Shengxuan and strode in from outside the lobby.

"Zhao Kai, you're so unpredictable, you scared me half to death." Shen Qing was startled when he suddenly heard Zhao Kai's voice. He hadn't expected Zhao Kai to appear at this critical moment, which was completely unexpected.

"Brother Shen, I've learned about what happened in Kuaiji City. You've really worked hard. I'll definitely toast you a few more times later." Zhao Kai said, striding over and giving Shen Qing a big hug.

"Damn it, let go of me! I don't have homosexual tendencies." Shen Qing pushed Zhao Kai away with a look of disgust and kept shaking his clothes.

"I am King Zhao Kai of Yue. I can guarantee that I will agree to all the conditions that Brother Shen just mentioned." Zhao Kai ignored Shen Qing's disdain and then looked at Li Ying and Hama with a smile.

"Are you really the King of Yue?" Hama's eyes still held suspicion, feeling that his appearance was too coincidental.

“Of course, I am Zhao Kai, and this is my seal as a vassal king.” Zhao Kai acted casually and did not blame Hama for his rudeness. Instead, he took out the seal of the King of Yue from his pocket and handed it to Li Ying, asking the two of them to carefully distinguish its authenticity.