Zhou Leng nodded honestly. “Naturally. I’ll put it plainly: before long, Quzhao will come looking for you. When that happens, you can hear what they have to say.”
The strategist Qu Lin sneered. “Even if Quzhao really is as powerless as you claim, do you think your Jinyang Army can still put up a fight against us and Quzhao together?”
“If the Ji Army and Quzhao join forces, the question won’t be whether Quzhao retreats. It will be how many soldiers of the Jinyang Army we kill.”
Zhou Leng laughed. “Do you know how long it took my lord to take the entire Donghu Commandery?”
“A few days. Only a few days, and he seized the whole of Donghu Commandery from Quzhao’s general, Tang Tishou.”
“And do you know how long it took my lord to take Feng’an County in Ze’a Commandery? Half a day. Just half a day, and he took Feng’an from Quzhao’s grand general, Qu Shilang.”
“And do you know what became of Qu Shilang? One of our Jinyang Army’s junior commanders cut him in half at the waist, and his head was displayed throughout the city!”
“Do you know how many troops each side had? My lord brought only three thousand elite soldiers, while Qu Shilang had tens of thousands of Quzhao troops.”
“After hearing that, do you still think that the combined forces of Shangjing Commandery and Quzhao can easily defeat the Jinyang Army?”
Everyone from the Ji tribe drew a sharp breath.
An entire city taken in half a day?!
An entire commandery taken in a few days?!
Quzhao’s grand general had actually been defeated by a junior commander of the Jinyang Army?
Zhou Leng did not continue arguing with them. Instead, he went on, “I came here this time only to offer a warning. I’m doing this for the good of the Ji Army, not because I’m afraid of you.”
“If you stay out of the conflict between the Jinyang Army and Quzhao, I can promise you this: even if Quzhao retreats toward Chongzhou, the Jinyang Army will find a way to stop them and keep the Ji Army from being dragged into a war caused by Quzhao.”
“Otherwise, don’t blame us for showing no mercy and driving Quzhao straight into Chongzhou.”
Rong Hei’s face flushed with anger. “How arrogant! Do you really think your Jinyang Army can withstand the combined forces of the Ji Army and Quzhao?”
“Besides the Ji Army, there is also the Jiao Army. You insignificant Han Chinese actually want to suffer the pain of your homeland’s destruction all over again?”
Zhou Leng remained neither servile nor overbearing. “The Jiao Army? You probably don’t know this yet, but they are completely tied down in Sizhou. Where would they find the troops to fight alongside you?”
“If they truly had that kind of strength, they wouldn’t have spent two years failing to take even a small commandery from Daqing.”
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. The Jinyang Army has already allied with Daqing, and we are practically family with Sizhou. When we took Ze’a Commandery, the Sizhou Army contributed as well.”
“The situation now is that we Han Chinese have surrounded your three tribes from north and south—not that you are on the verge of destroying the Han Chinese realm. What fantasy are you living in?”
Ji Yuzhu’s expression turned grave. He was about to speak when a soldier hurried in and whispered a few words into his ear.
Ji Yuzhu frowned slightly and cast an obscure glance at Zhou Leng and the others. Only after a moment did the soldier withdraw.
“You have come a long way. Why don’t you go downstairs and rest for now?” he said to Zhou Leng.
A flicker passed through Zhou Leng’s eyes, but he did not press the matter. “Very well.”
Two servants immediately led them to the quarters arranged by the Ji tribe.
As soon as they left the council hall, they saw several people hurrying toward it along the corridor opposite them.
They were from Quzhao!
A flicker of understanding crossed Zhou Leng’s eyes, while inwardly he relaxed.
Yan Ke and the others also noticed the Quzhao envoys, but none of them spoke. They stayed close behind Zhou Leng.
He Xin saw Zhou Leng as well. His steps faltered, but he quickly resumed walking.
Yet his heart tightened.
Han Chinese?
The Ji tribe treated the Jinyang Army with a measure of courtesy. The quarters they had arranged were the former embassy of Yanguo, though the building was now completely different from before—dilapidated and in ruins.
Meng Chong was responsible for protecting them.
After Jiang Jin captured Donghu Commandery and Ze’a Commandery, his next targets were Chun’nan Commandery and Ningding Commandery, making Lin County especially important.
As a result, several more military commanders had been stationed there. Meng Chong was among them, and he had now risen to the rank of battalion commander.
Meng Chong led his men in inspecting every inch of the compound, inside and out, and arranged guards around the perimeter.
Only after confirming that everything was secure did Meng Chong nod at Zhou Leng.
Yan Ke and the others let out a breath of relief. This was their first diplomatic mission. They were surrounded by wolves and tigers, facing the threat of death at any moment. It would have been a lie to say they were not nervous.
“The Quzhao people have arrived too. Will that put us at a disadvantage in the negotiations?” Yan Ke asked worriedly.
Zhou Leng smiled. “This is a good thing.”
It truly was. They had no evidence beyond their own words, and it was difficult for the Ji Army to understand how formidable the Jinyang Army was.
Now that the Quzhao people had come of their own accord to serve as witnesses, they would undoubtedly describe the Jinyang Army’s strength honestly in order to make the Ji Army take the threat seriously. They might even exaggerate it.
Only after truly feeling the pressure exerted by the Jinyang Army would the Ji Army make the choice most beneficial to itself.
Yan Ke and the others immediately understood Zhou Leng’s meaning. Their faces brightened, and they secretly marveled at his foresight while feeling ashamed of their own shortcomings.
Everything unfolded exactly as Zhou Leng had predicted. At that moment, He Xin was indeed describing the Jinyang Army as overwhelmingly powerful and urging the Ji Army to ally with Quzhao against them.
Ji Yuzhu’s brows drew tighter and tighter. Once He Xin had finished speaking, he asked, “Is the Jinyang Army truly that powerful?”
He Xin nodded solemnly. “That’s right. And that isn’t all. The Jinyang Army also possesses a type of hidden weapon. We call it ‘Heaven’s Punishment.’ It can cause a person’s entire body to shatter for no apparent reason.”
A chorus of sharp gasps rang through the hall.
After a long moment, Rong Hei spoke. “Don’t try to frighten us. How could such a weapon exist in this world?”
He Xin shook his head, grief filling his face. “Several of Quzhao’s military commanders have already died to this ‘Heaven’s Punishment.’ And it wasn’t only our Quzhao commanders—even the grand general of the Jiao Army, Jiao Liang, was killed by it.”
His gaze swept across the room before he continued, “You should have heard about what happened to Jiao Liang, shouldn’t you? He, too, died to ‘Heaven’s Punishment.’”
The hall erupted in another uproar.
Liang City was not far from Chongzhou. At that time, the Ji tribe had not yet become so isolated, so they knew about what had happened to Jiao Liang.
Ji Yuzhu and Xi Yang exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other’s thoughts.
He cleared his throat and said, “This is a matter between Quzhao and the Jinyang Army. It would not be appropriate for us to interfere.”
With a sigh, he continued, “You know that our Grand Chanyu has no desire to expand outward. All he wants is to remain in Chongzhou and live peacefully.”
To be honest, Ji Yuzhu himself was quite content with their current way of life.
Han slaves cultivated their crops, Han slaves spun their cloth, and whenever they craved meat, there were Han slaves to eat. Their lives were far better than they had been back in the grasslands.
So, speaking from his personal standpoint, he was unwilling to go to war again.
He Xin frowned inwardly and sighed. If he were in the Ji Army’s position, he would not want to become entangled in this conflict either. But he had to win the Ji Army over. Otherwise, Quzhao would truly have nowhere to flee.
“Have you ever considered this?” he asked. “How could an army as powerful as the Jinyang Army possibly stop at Fengzhou? Once they defeat us and seize Fengzhou, their next target will be Chongzhou.”
