"Your Majesty, we didn't! We really didn't! We are devoted to our country, how could we possibly be bribed by Qin?!"
The three knelt on the ground and wailed, feeling on the verge of collapse from being falsely accused.
Zhao Yan coldly stared at the three people before him, unmoved. "Crying won't help. Even if Qin didn't bribe you, you still managed to mess up a job that you couldn't refuse. That's a capital offense!"
The three men were struck dumb upon hearing this, their faces turning ashen. They knew that Zhao Yan's decision was irreversible.
Their hearts were filled with despair. Zhao Yan's ruthlessness had completely extinguished their hope. They understood that no matter how they tried to explain, they could not change their fate.
"Your Majesty, I would rather die than bear the name of treason. Now that Qin is powerful, the rulers of the three kingdoms are merely trying to avoid its sharp edge!"
The eldest of the three envoys stood up, let out a mournful cry, and then bowed his head and rushed towards the pillar inside the hall.
With a loud 'bang,' the envoy crashed into the main hall and died instantly.
The scene before them shocked everyone, and even Zhao Yan's eyes flashed with a hint of pity. "Could it be that we really misunderstood them?"
"Your Majesty, take care! My loyalty to the country is as clear as the sun and moon!" Another envoy stood up, shouted, and then rammed his head against a pillar.
"Bang!!"
One person is dying.
The remaining envoy, his face filled with sorrow, sighed softly, slowly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhao Yan in the high seat, and went straight to the pillar without saying a word.
"Bang...."
To die, to perish.
This pillar was really unlucky, being hit by three people in a row, resulting in it being stained with a lot of blood.
The scene before them plunged the hall into a long, silent silence. The officials present couldn't help but feel sorrow at the sight of the three men's miserable state.
"Alas... it seems that the Kingdom of Ifs is doomed to fail!" For no apparent reason, everyone had this thought at the same time.
Zhao Yan's face was pale. The sight of the three people dying before his eyes had a significant impact on him. He noticed the constantly changing expressions of the court officials in the audience out of the corner of his eye, and he was immediately enraged.
The slight guilt he had felt towards the three men completely vanished. He was convinced that they were deliberately trying to sow discord among the court officials and alienate him from their cause.
"Good riddance!"
A beastly roar echoed throughout the hall, making the air seem to freeze.
The courtiers exchanged bewildered glances, none daring to utter a sound, their hearts filled with fear and doubt. Zhao Yan's rage instilled an invisible pressure in everyone, as if a thunderous fury would descend upon them at any moment.
Zhao Yan stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said viciously, "These three are wolves in sheep's clothing. They committed suicide out of fear of punishment, yet they still try to bewitch people?"
"Guards, punish the relatives of these three individuals!"
"Yes, sir!" A loud shout came from outside the hall.
The court officials all lowered their heads, not daring to look Zhao Yan in the eye. They knew that this was not just a tragedy, but also a warning.
The series of misfortunes had driven Zhao Yan's paranoia to an extreme, which would undoubtedly make the atmosphere in the court even more tense and uneasy.
Zhao Yan's gloomy gaze swept over the silent court officials, his anger intensifying. At this moment, no one offered any words of comfort or advice.
Ever since Guo Kaimiao disappeared without a trace, he has always felt a sense of loneliness, which indirectly led to his weariness of the imperial court.
"Court adjourned!"
He angrily shook his royal robe, turned around, and strode away.
"Your Majesty... what should we do about this situation?" The courtiers looked at each other, wanting to do something but not daring to.
...
Western Regions, Kucha.
"Hahaha, we pay our respects to the Grand Commandant!"
"General, you're too kind!"
Outside the royal court of Kucha, Efu and Huan Yi exchanged pleasantries.
"We pay our respects to the General!"
Standing behind Huan Yi, Zhang Han and the other two could no longer contain their excitement. They hadn't seen the wicked husband in a long time, and they were overjoyed.
Even though the villain has now risen to the rank of Grand Commandant, in their hearts he is still the same general with superhuman courage they once knew.
"Use your job title when you're working!" the wicked man joked with a laugh as he listened to the three men's titles. Then, he looked up and carefully examined the three men he hadn't seen in a long time, and remarked, "Not bad, you've gotten stronger and darker."
Upon hearing this, the three men grinned foolishly and said in unison, "General, we three have fulfilled your original military orders."
The wicked man nodded slightly and smiled, "The three of you are almost becoming the nightmare of the three clans. I heard about it in Xianyang. When I return to Xianyang, I will personally ask the king for credit for you."
"Alright, enough with the pleasantries, let's go inside and sit down to talk!" Huan Yi interrupted with a smile, knowing there were still countless soldiers watching.
They entered a palace that was incredibly luxurious, with animal skin carpets on the floor and various jewels used for decoration everywhere.
After the group sat down, Kucha women immediately brought out fruits and wine. Their cautious expressions made people feel sorry for them.
After they left, Zhang Han winked and said, "Grand Commandant, don't say that the brothers don't miss you and the King. We did select quite a few beautiful women and sent them back to Xianyang."
The wicked man was speechless for a moment. He looked at Zhang Han and finally spoke after a long while: "You guys are making trouble for me."
"Grand Commandant, rest assured, these women have all been carefully selected. They are not only beautiful, but also intelligent and quick-witted. They will never cause you or the King any trouble," Zhang Han quickly explained, giving him a knowing look.
"Hmph, you guys..." The wicked man shook his head, but there was no blame in his tone.
"Grand Commandant, what royal decree have you brought with you this time?" Huan Yi interjected.
Seeing that they were getting down to business, the wicked man immediately stopped smiling. "I've come here to develop the market. I've brought the funds, and now all that's left is to wait for the artisans to arrive."
Since the wicked man was unaware of the situation here and had brought a large amount of money with him, he simply did not have the energy to take care of the craftsmen.
Therefore, he went ahead as a scout, while the craftsmen followed.
Huan Yi smiled slightly and raised his hand, saying, "Grand Commandant, this way please!"
The group arrived in front of the huge sand table, and Huan Yi began to introduce the geographical location of Kucha to him.
Much later.
The wicked man laughed and praised, "General, you have not disappointed me. Choosing Kucha as the distribution market is truly a good decision."
Kucha was located in the central part of the Western Regions, and no matter which way you went, you would have to pass through Kucha. This geographical location was very convenient for merchants from various foreign tribes.
"Grand Commandant, I wonder if you have any plans? This sand table was carefully measured by scouts and is exactly the same as the territory of Kucha."
"If needed, this sand table can be used to divide the area, and construction can begin as soon as the craftsmen arrive." Huan Yi's consideration was very thorough.
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