"Your Majesty the Emperor of Qin!" the envoy said in broken Chinese. "I have come on the orders of the King of India to extend my highest respects to your esteemed country and to offer a small gift as a token of my gratitude."
Ying Zheng sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression majestic: "You have come from afar, and you must be tired. On behalf of the Great Qin, I accept your respect and gifts. I wonder if your king has any further words to convey to me?"
The envoy respectfully said, "My king has learned that your country has conquered the Western Regions, Kangju, Bactria, and Parthia, and your fame has spread far and wide. Although our country is far from yours, we hope to establish friendly relations, exchange goods, and share peace."
Ying Zheng nodded slightly: "This is a good thing. I also hope to maintain friendly relations with India."
He turned to the wicked man: "Grand Commandant, what is your opinion on this?"
The wicked man stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I believe that since the King of Sindhu is willing to befriend our Great Qin, then they should accept our investiture and become a vassal state of Great Qin. They should pay tribute regularly each year to show their sincerity."
The Sindhu envoy's expression changed: "This..."
"What?" the wicked man said coldly, "You've come from afar to express your respect for my Great Qin, haven't you? In that case, what's wrong with becoming a vassal state?"
The envoy's forehead was beaded with cold sweat: "This... I'm afraid I need to return and report to my king... before I can make a decision and give you an answer!"
"Alright!" Ying Zheng interrupted the conversation. "In that case, you go back and tell your king that Great Qin can accept tribute from the Kingdom of Sindhu and is willing to befriend you."
"But the prerequisite is that you must acknowledge the Qin Dynasty's status as the suzerain state!"
"Three months. I'm only giving you three months. I want to see your king's reply."
"Otherwise, you should prepare to face the iron hooves of the Great Qin—the destruction of your nation and the extermination of your people!"
"Your subject... Your subject obeys!" The envoy quickly agreed and left the hall.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
