In the days that followed, Sima Yi also brought in several medical students to train Zhou Cang, instructing him in various skills that could kill with a single blow.

Zhou Cang was also utterly shocked. He never imagined that the medical students who usually saved lives would be so skilled at killing.

During this period, Sima Yi selected more than ten brave warriors from the army and adventurers through a tournament to train with Zhou Cang.

One of them was a fellow named Liao Hua, who was also exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

After several encounters, Zhou Cang and Liao Hua developed a mutual respect and became friends.

Sima Yi then entrusted the task of killing the King of Anxi to the two men.

In addition, Sima Yi also found two beautiful wives for each of these selected people, urging them to train and also to leave offspring as soon as possible.

Of course, Sima Yi's idea was not as simple as Liu Cheng's—to leave them an heir—but rather to use this to coerce them into completing their mission more effectively.

...

September of the 26th year of the Kaiyuan era.

After several months of training, Zhou Cang and the others had all mastered various skills, and their wives and concubines had all become pregnant.

Meanwhile, the spies on the Parthian side sent back a message saying that everything was arranged properly.

Subsequently, Liu Cheng bestowed titles upon Zhou Cang and Liao Hua, appointing them as Chief Secretaries of the Crown Prince's Palace, and then ordered them to lead a delegation carrying the letter from the Han Dynasty to Parthia.

Besides Zhou Cang, Liao Hua, and fifteen others, there were also one hundred Imperial Guard soldiers who followed them on their journey to Parthia.

On the city wall overlooking the sea, Liu Cheng watched the group of people gradually disappear into the distance, and couldn't help but recall the line: "The wind is howling, the Yi River is cold, the brave warriors go forth, never to return."

"The Han people have many brave warriors. It is because of you that the glory of our great Han Dynasty shines in all directions. Take care!"

Only after Zhou Cang and his group had completely disappeared did Liu Cheng turn around and descend the city wall.

As soon as he returned to the palace, Chu Qian came to him with a list.

"Your Highness, this is my preliminary plan for providing military supplies to the Persians. Please take a look!"

"No need to look anymore. I trust Minister Chu to handle things. Just tell me the amount!"

Liu Cheng waved his hand, not even glancing at the list in Chu Qian's hand.

Chu Qian rose from a humble scholar at the beginning of his father's reign to a first-class marquis and powerful regional official, all thanks to his solid achievements. Even Crown Prince Liu Cheng had to treat him with respect.

"Your Highness, this batch of military equipment consists of defective products that I transferred from the military factory. It includes 3,000 suits of armor, 10,000 swords, 10,000 spears, 500 crossbows, and 50,000 arrows..."

Of course, these weapons are defective to us, but in Parthia, they are top-quality weapons, and only the five thousand personal guards under the Parthian king are qualified to be equipped with them.

Liu Cheng nodded in satisfaction: "Good, arrange for carriages and horses as soon as possible to deliver this batch of weapons to the Persians, and then urge them to start an uprising as soon as possible, so as to divert the Parthians' attention!"

"Here you go!"

Chu Qian agreed, then asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, how should we discuss the cost of this batch of military equipment?"

Liu Cheng thought for a moment, "The Persians are so poor they're almost starving. Let them use it for now, and we'll pay them back in installments once they've taken the money and grain from the Parthians."

This way, we'll have an excuse to subdue them in the future.

"Your Highness is wise!"

Hearing that Liu Cheng's instructions coincided with his own thoughts, Chu Qian immediately offered a compliment, then bowed and withdrew.

Soon, a caravan left Linhai City and headed towards the Persian settlement.

October 1st, Parthian City.

The news that the Crown Prince of the Great Han had arrived in Linhai City and sent envoys also reached the ears of the Parthian King.

The Parthian king clearly attached great importance to the arrival of the Han envoy. He ordered people to clean the inn and sent his trusted officials to greet him.

Although Parthia lost its southern territory to the Han Dynasty, Parthia's main source of income now comes entirely from trade with the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, although he hated the Han Dynasty to the core, the Parthian king had no choice but to bow his head in order to maintain his rule.

After a month of travel, Zhou Cang and his party finally arrived in Parthia in November.

During their rest at the inn, Zhou Cang remembered what Sima Yi had told them before they set off and contacted the spies who were lurking in the capital.

After five days of preparation, Zhou Cang and Liao Hua discussed the matter and sent someone to submit a request for a meeting to the King of Parthia.

On the morning of that day, Zhou Cang, Liao Hua, and thirteen other men in the inn all put on close-fitting chainmail, and then put on loose-fitting Han-style clothing.

Outside the inn, a hundred Imperial Guard soldiers were also fully equipped and ready to go.

The only weapon they were allowed to bring into the palace was a personal military knife; bows, arrows, crossbows, and other similar weapons were not permitted.

Just as everyone had finished making all the preparations, the officials sent by the Parthian king to welcome them arrived outside the guesthouse.

"Set off!"

Seeing the Parthian officials coming to greet him, Zhou Cang also mounted his horse with his staff in hand, and then led his troops slowly toward the Parthian palace.

Pedestrians on the street stopped and stared in amazement at the delegation from the Eastern Empire.

These people didn't know much about the Han Dynasty; they only knew that this distant Eastern empire was a powerful and domineering nation.

Looking at those Han Chinese dressed in black finery, each with a robust physique, the passersby couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

Compared to the powerful and wealthy Han Dynasty, life in Anxi today is really not that great.

Although the Han Dynasty had seized control of the southern territory of Parthia, the people there did not harbor much hatred towards the Han Dynasty.

Many people, however, secretly hoped that the Han Dynasty would one day take over this place so that they could also live the same life as the people of Yizhou.

Clearly, in recent years, the Parthian king has been increasing taxes to pay war reparations, which has made the people deeply resentful of him.

Before long, the group crossed the street and arrived in front of the palace.

The general in charge of guarding the palace only symbolically searched Zhou Cang for any long-range weapons before letting them into the palace.

They didn't ask any questions about the military knives on Zhou Cang and the others.

After all, it is common knowledge that the Han people value martial prowess, and Parthia is currently weak and its army is exhausted, so they dare not set rules for them.

The saying "a weak nation has no diplomatic relations" holds true in any era.

Of course, apart from the guards inside the palace, no one would have guessed that this "mission" had come to Parthia for its true purpose.