I switched allegiance to Zhang Han and rebuilt the Qin Dynasty; Liu Bang was heartbroken.

Is the effect of the arrest warrant so immediate? It's only been two days since it was issued, and the envoy from Hengshan Kingdom has already arrived.

On second thought, it's impossible to get the news so quickly in this era.

If that's the case, then Wu Rui sent people over in advance.

"what are you laughing at?"

Zhao Long looked up and saw Zhao Ben with a big smile on his face, which reminded him of what had happened when they talked about Yu Ji.

"Your Majesty, the General has sent word that the King of Hengshan has sent envoys to Qin, and they have brought his two daughters, who are said to be born of the same mother. Your Majesty will surely be very pleased."

"I am delighted!"

"..."

Zhao Long suspected that Zhao Ben had drunk fake wine. Before the envoy from Hengshan arrived, he saw Zhang Han's message.

"Interesting. Did Wu Rui decide to send an envoy to Qin immediately after news of the Qin army's capture of Xingyang spread?"

This person's will to resist was not firm.

The historical records, with their few brief mentions, cannot fully capture the essence of this southern overlord's thoughts.

The Baiyue people in the south revered him, Ying Bu had long been his son-in-law, and Wu Rui himself was deeply loved by the people, with many civil and military officials under his command.

Wu Rui is undoubtedly the overlord of the south. If he has any ambitions, even Xiang Yu would dare to challenge him.

However, throughout history, as a vanguard against Qin and later as a key figure in the anti-Chu movement, Wu Rui never showed any ambition.

With such great power at his disposal, it all benefited Liu Bang.

He was one of the few princes in the early Han Dynasty who died a natural death.

Zhao Long's mind was racing; he knew he had to see the envoy from the King of Hengshan first.

Soon, a middle-aged man walked over.

"Wu Gang greets Your Majesty!"

The visitor bowed very respectfully, behaving completely unlike a foreign official.

Zhao Long narrowed his eyes: "Get up and speak."

"King Hengshan was once an official of the Great Qin Dynasty. When the world was in chaos, King Hengshan was forced to protect himself. He gathered up the remnants of his army and guarded the region. He was a rare benevolent king among the rebels of the world."

"Is the King of Hengshan now planning to return to the Qin state?"

Wu Gang was immediately stunned.

Why didn't anyone tell him before he came that the King of Qin was the kind of person who opened the door like this?

He had just arrived and hadn't said a word before bowing, and the King of Qin went straight to the point.

I can't figure out how to deal with Wu Gang.

The prepared plan he had prepared to test the King of Qin was now useless.

On the contrary, the problems raised by the King of Qin were extremely fatal.

A poor answer could very well affect the situation in Hengshan Kingdom.

He pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "Your Majesty, the King of Hengshan has always been a subject of Great Qin."

"When the world was in chaos, the King of Hengshan stabilized the people and quelled the rebellious army in Poyang."

"After Xiang Yu was made a king, the King of Hengshan knew that Xiang Yu was too powerful to resist. In order to preserve more of the Qin dynasty's power, he appointed a large number of Qin civil and military officials and trained them in Hengshan!"

"When the Qin Dynasty rose again, the King of Hengshan was so happy that he could not sleep at night. However, the Xiang bandits were too powerful, including in the outer areas of Hengshan. In order to preserve more strength, the King of Hengshan did not dare to make any moves."

"Now that Your Majesty has defeated Yan and destroyed Zhao, the opportunity to rebuild the Qin Empire is right before our eyes. Xiang Yu is exhausted and running for his life. Hengshan Kingdom has finally found an opportunity to return to the royal army!"

Wu Gang's words implied that Xiang Yu was the villain who had been blocking Wu Rui from returning to Qin.

Hengshan State has always been a loyal subject of Qin!

It's not that Hengshan Kingdom didn't want to return to Qin, it's just that the opportunity only came now.

"So, how does the Kingdom of Hengshan intend to submit to the royal army?"

"Your Majesty, the bandit Xiang sent an order to send 100,000 troops from Hengshan to attack Nanyang."

"King Hengshan knew his opportunity had arrived. As long as Nanyang could hold off the Chu army, the Hengshan army could assist the Qin army in defeating the Chu rebels and bringing several southern counties back into the embrace of Qin!"

After Zhao Long spoke with the envoy for a while, the list of gifts surprised even Zhao Long.

Not only Wu Rui's twin daughters, but also ten cartloads of jewels and valuables were presented as gifts to the King of Qin.

However, regarding the matter of returning to Qin, the envoy implied that it depended on the situation in Nanyang.

Zhao Long scoffed, "Old fox."

Zhao Ben scratched his head in confusion: "Why does Your Majesty say that? Wu Rui has sent so many gifts; doesn't that mean she intends to submit to Qin?"

This is a good thing. Is there some other conspiracy?

"If Wu Rui wants to surrender, why doesn't he do what the King of Henan did back then—directly become an ally of Qin and be willing to help Qin win!"

"But Wu Rui wanted to wait until the Qin army blocked the Chu army in Nanyang before completely surrendering..."

Zhao Ben immediately understood: "Once the Qin army stops the Chu bandits in Nanyang, it means that the Qin army can launch attacks all the way in Hebei and Xingyang, and the situation of the world will be completely in the hands of the Qin army."

"He wants to wait until the situation becomes clearer before deciding whether to submit to Qin."

"But why is he sending so many gifts now?"

As Zhao Ben spoke, he seemed somewhat puzzled again.

Zhao Long chuckled in a deep voice, "Betting on both sides."

"He needs to start currying favor with Qin now, so that if the Qin army wins, he can rightfully submit to Qin."

"If the Chu army wins, the area surrounding Hengshan will still be under Chu control. In that case, he will not admit to having been an envoy to Qin, but will continue to be allies with Xiang Yu!"

Zhao Ben took a deep breath, dumbfounded.

What benefit would he gain from doing this?

Betting on both sides may result in pleasing neither side.

"There's no benefit, but it's safer and more secure. No matter which side wins, they can't just kill Wu Rui directly."

“He is deeply loved by the local people and has tens of thousands of elite soldiers under his command. There are still many places where he can be of use.”

"Beting on both sides may not yield as much benefit as gambling on a single bet, but it won't be fatal!"

"The key point is that he adopted a very humble attitude, coming to give me advance notice and test my abilities while simultaneously arranging an escape route for the Hengshan Kingdom..."

"smart people!"

They could either return to Qin or remain united around Chu.

Zhao Ben finally understood what Zhao Long meant: "He really is an old fox."

This person was able to weather the storms of a chaotic world and ultimately die a peaceful death; he was no ordinary person.

If you've done a good job of putting on a good show, even if your underhanded tactics make you angry, you're not really guilty of anything serious.

He does everything according to the rules, and is even quite proactive in doing so.

His powerful influence is the source of his confidence. He bets on both sides and ultimately chooses the winning side, so he will not be treated unfairly.

At this moment, Zhao Ben started laughing strangely again.

"Hehe, Wu Rui had better surrender voluntarily, otherwise he will definitely regret it. Our Qin soldiers are eager to gain more military merits. Hesitation will only make him pay an unbearable price!"

"If all else fails, Your Majesty, if you wish to take revenge on Wu Rui, you can marry several of his daughters and have them have several children to help Your Majesty raise the kids!"

"Wu Rui is so angry!"