Wu Shilu raised the wine cup in front of him and said flatteringly, "This cup of wine is to thank the general for his promotion and to express my gratitude for his help."

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp, but when he put the cup down, he subconsciously sighed.

Why are you sighing?

"Today is a day of celebration for your promotion, why are you sighing?"

Wang Li and Meng Tian glared at each other, their dislike for Wu Shi Luo growing even stronger.

Despite their current low social status, these two men still come from powerful and prestigious families. It's already an honor that this lowly merchant is allowed to share a table with them, yet this fellow dares to spoil the festive atmosphere?

Realizing she had lost her composure, Wu Shilu's face turned pale with fear and unease.

"Oh, it's alright!"

The wicked man reached out to stop the two of them, and then comforted them, saying, "If you've encountered any difficulties, just tell me."

Wu Shi Luo rose and bowed deeply to the three men, saying apologetically, "Please forgive me, Generals, I was truly preoccupied with something, and the wine..."

Wang Li and Meng Tian were not petty people, so their anger subsided considerably, and they waved their hands to indicate that they should let bygones be bygones.

Wu Shilu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the two were no longer pursuing the matter. Despite their youth, the two men wielded considerable influence; with just a word from them, everything he had would vanish. He simply couldn't afford to offend them.

The more amiable Meng Tian asked, "Brother, you've already told me. What troubles you that could make you lose your composure in this situation?"

Seeing this, Wu Shilu dared not linger and immediately began to slowly recount his troubles, "The three generals may not know this, but ever since our business with the various Quanrong tribes has grown, it has attracted the envy of many."

"Among the Quanrong, there is a tribe called the Huanrong, who are said to be descendants of the most warlike Xianyun people from more than a hundred years ago. Their people are fierce and skilled in battle, but they do not herd horses and sheep and have always liked to plunder everywhere."

“This region is located in the economic and trade center. If we take a detour, we will have to go into the deep mountains and forests, where there are no roads and it is dangerous. If we go through there, we will be robbed.”

At this point, Wu Shilu's face showed even greater anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Muerxiao, the leader of the Huanrong tribe, is treacherous, cunning, cruel and tyrannical. I pay my toll on time every month, but I am still frequently robbed by him."

“Half a month ago, he sent me a message saying that I should pay him an additional 50% of the goods every time he passed through, otherwise the trade caravan would be unable to move an inch.”

"Smack!!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the wicked husband smashed the food table in front of them with a single slap, the loud noise startling them.

"You're from the Huanrong, aren't you? You really don't know the meaning of death, daring to rob the Qin, a land of tigers and wolves?" The wicked man's face was full of murderous intent, and his voice was as cold as ice, making him exceptionally chilling.

The hot-tempered Wang Li cursed, "From the time of Duke Xiang to the time of Duke Wu, the various Quanrong tribes were slaughtered until the corpses were scattered all over the fields. They were completely wiped out during the time of Duke Li and became homeless dogs."

"Now, they've truly forgotten the pain of their past wounds, daring to plunder my Qin state?"

Meng Tian was calm and composed, unlike Wang Li who was impulsive. He pondered for a long time while Wang Li was shouting, and only after Wang Li fell silent did he say, "Wu Shi Luo, let me ask you, how many people are there in the Huan Rong?"

After a moment of contemplation, Wu Shilu spread out his five fingers and said, "If we add up all the men, women, and children, we might just reach 50,000."

"Subtracting the old, weak, sick, disabled, and women, even if there are 30,000 able-bodied men, do they have the guts to provoke the Qin state with such a small force?" Meng Tian asked meaningfully.

After he said that, the three of them seemed to understand something, and the wicked husband asked bluntly, "Are you saying that someone is backing you up?"

Meng Tian nodded. "They can't be fools, can they? Do they think Qin's sword is ineffective?"

"No wonder!"

Wu Shi Luo, who was deep in thought, exclaimed in surprise. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he quickly said, "The Yuezhi land is less than two hundred li to the south of the Huan Rong!"

"Once, when I visited the Huanrong, I saw that Namuerxiao was personally escorting a man out of the camp. Although his clothes and appearance were similar to those of the Huanrong, they were actually quite different. At the time, I didn't think much of it..."

Meng Tian nodded. "It seems to be the Yuezhi. In the last ten years or so, their strength has increased by leaps and bounds, making them one of the more powerful alien races."

"The Donghu are strong, the Yuezhi are prosperous, and they have more than 100,000 archers!" Wang Li said, reciting the names with great familiarity. His family background was no less than that of Meng Tian, ​​and he had heard about this tribe from his elders in the past.

"Yuezhi, Donghu, Xiongnu..."

A cold glint appeared on the villain's lips. Since he had come into this world, he would certainly not let go of these foreign races that were eyeing the land of China with covetousness.

Unexpectedly, before he could even make a move, the other party struck first.

"As the saying goes, wealth moves people's hearts. The Yuezhi must be envious. The things you traded are also priceless in their eyes." Meng Tian sighed, looking at Wu Shi Luo who was sulking, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Wu Shi Luo's mind was filled with mixed thoughts. Her expectant gaze fell on her wicked husband, and her tone was full of pleading, "General, please... think of a way to resolve this matter!"

The wicked man nodded and agreed, "Of course. How can we forgive those who attempt to harm the interests of my Qin state?"

Having said that, he abandoned everyone and left the mansion directly.

Wang Li and Meng Tian exchanged a glance and quickly got up to leave. They knew that the wicked husband must have gone to the palace to see the king, and it wouldn't be long before he mobilized troops and took action.

The scene shifts to the royal palace.

The wicked man walked hurriedly through the palace, his path clear and unobstructed, directly to the place where Ying Zheng usually conducted state affairs.

"Go and inform the King that I have urgent business to discuss," the wicked man said, glancing at the young eunuch standing outside the palace, his voice booming like a loudspeaker.

Before the young eunuch could enter the palace to report, the palace door opened from the inside, and the attending official whispered, "General, please come in. His Majesty is waiting for you inside the palace."

The moment the wicked husband stepped inside, Ying Zheng's voice rang out, "You brat, next time you can just come in directly! Why is your voice so loud? It's hurting my ears!"

There were more than a dozen ministers in the hall. Some of them were familiar to the evil man, while others were not. They all smiled and nodded to him.

The wicked man cupped his hands to the crowd, too lazy to deal with Ying Zheng's teasing, and said in a cold and sharp tone, "Your Majesty, we've been bullied to the point of being out of our depths."

"I have come to ask the king for a decree to immediately gather the brothers and kill them all."

The smiles on Ying Zheng's and his ministers' faces vanished instantly, and their gazes sharpened. For a villain to become so murderous, it must be no ordinary matter.

Ying Zheng asked in a deep voice, "You wicked man, tell me in detail, who is so audacious as to challenge the majesty of my Qin state?"

The evil man took a deep breath and reported the predicament that Wu Shi Luo had encountered to Ying Zheng in detail, from the arrogance of the Huan Rong tribe to the support of the Yuezhi behind them, not daring to miss any detail.

"How dare you!"

"Who gave him the guts?"

"....."

Immediately, a jumble of angry shouts erupted inside the hall, infuriating the ministers who were now bristling with rage.