"So, according to you, the annihilation of 200,000 troops was everyone else's fault, while you only have the crime of negligence?"
Upon hearing Sakhozi's description of the situation, the Parthian king, still furious, questioned him further.
"No... I dare not. This battle was entirely due to my eagerness for quick success, and I dare not shirk my responsibility!"
Sakqi hurriedly kowtowed and begged for forgiveness. He didn't know if his emperor had seen through his thoughts or wanted to take the opportunity to reprimand him, but he knew that if he dared to shirk responsibility, he would probably lose his life immediately.
"Hmph, good to know!"
The Parthian king gave a soft snort, then pointed to the ropes binding Sakki: "Untie him!"
"yes!"
A guard agreed and then untied the ropes binding Sakqi.
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty!"
Feeling his body relax, Sakqi quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude.
"Alright, let's not talk about that now!" The Parthian king waved his hand, then asked with a solemn expression, "I ask you, what is the situation with the Han army? How did they manage to organize an army of 130,000?"
"Your Majesty, among the Han army, there are 10,000 elite soldiers. These soldiers are tall and well-equipped. Not only are they all wearing iron armor, but they also possess a crossbow that can fire ten arrows at once and has a range of over 300 paces."
On the main battlefield, they had 10,000 men fighting against our 50,000 soldiers, and in the end, they annihilated our 50,000 troops with fewer than 200 casualties.
As for their 130,000-strong army, it included 30,000 sailors who accompanied them, over 30,000 able-bodied men from Camorai, 30,000 rebels from Daruk, and some of the able-bodied men they had recruited…!
"What? The Han army is this terrifying?"
Upon hearing Sakhozi's description, the Parthian king exclaimed in surprise, and all the ministers in the hall changed their expressions.
"Your Majesty, everything I have said is true, and I would never dare to utter a single falsehood!"
When talking about the fighting power of the Han army, Sakoqi couldn't help but show a hint of fear on his face.
"So, even if I mobilize the remaining 200,000 border troops, it's not certain we'll be able to defeat the Han army?" the Parthian king asked, clinging to his last glimmer of hope.
Sakqi shook his head: "It's difficult. The crossbows they have alone are beyond what manpower can withstand. If we were to engage in a head-on conflict, our army would probably lose its will to fight before even getting close to them!"
As Sakki finished speaking, everyone in the hall, including the Parthian king, showed a hint of fear.
The Parthian king steadied himself and then said, "Do you know why the Han Dynasty sent an army of 130,000 to invade my Parthian territory?"
In his view, the conflict between Parthia and the Han Dynasty originated simply from the Parthian navy harassing the Han fleet.
But now that the Parthian navy has surrendered, the southern seas have been occupied by the Han army, and the 200,000-strong Parthian army that went on the expedition has also been defeated by the Han army, the Han army should be negotiating next, there is no reason for them to continue sending troops.
Surely the Han army couldn't possibly think of occupying and ruling the entire Parthian Empire with just a few tens of thousands of men? That's simply a pipe dream.
"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the Han army intends to capture the capital, overthrow the Parthian rule, and plunge Parthia into turmoil."
In this way, no one will pay attention to the southern seas anymore. Perhaps some people, in order to seize power, will even cooperate with the Han army and cede the southern seas entirely to the Han army. In this way, the Han army will no longer have any worries about its rear..."
While speaking, Sarkozy also emphasized the intentions of "certain people".
Upon hearing Sakhozi's words, the Parthian king narrowed his eyes and his face instantly turned gloomy.
He knew perfectly well that the "certain people" that Sakkim was referring to were the Persians in the north and east.
Over the years, the Persians have never been peaceful. Although each rebellion was small in scale, it still caused considerable trouble for Parthia.
The restoration of their kingdom seems to have become an obsession for the Persians.
If the Han army really breaks through the capital, those Persians will definitely be the first to jump out.
Therefore, the Parthian king had every reason to believe that the Persians would stop at nothing to restore their kingdom, and it was not impossible that they would even cede territory, taking only half of the country.
"So, do you think we can get them to withdraw if we negotiate with the Han army?"
"this……"
Upon hearing the Parthian king's question, Sakqi hesitated for a moment: "It's not impossible to get the Han army to withdraw, but the price would likely be higher than imagined. Ceding the southern seas would only be the Han army's most basic condition. As for other conditions, I dare not say more..."
"Hmph~, I rest in peace. Since the founding of my kingdom, I have treated the Persians with great kindness."
For so many years, instead of being grateful, they have harbored wolfish ambitions and attempted to overthrow the Parthians.
"I would rather cede territory than let those Persians succeed."
In the end, a hint of madness appeared on the face of the Parthian king.
I would rather give to friendly nations than to my own slaves.
In the eyes of the Parthian king, if Parthian rule was overthrown, what was the point of having Parthia?
Then, the Parthian king glanced at his ministers and said, "Tell me your thoughts, should we negotiate with the Han army? Can we agree to their demands?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that our army is no longer capable of waging war on the southern seas. Even if we don't cede them, we won't be able to take them back. So we might as well do a favor!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the southern seas are important, but the capital is even more important. Everything should prioritize the capital!"
"As long as we can protect the capital and prevent those Persians from having a chance, we will eventually be able to stabilize the internal situation and then drive the Han army out..."
The ministers also expressed their agreement to exchange territorial concessions for their own stability.
In their view, as long as they could preserve Parthian rule, they would have plenty of opportunities to deal with the Persians and the Han army.
Territory ceded can be taken back one day, but if one's rule is overthrown, then everything is lost.
"Alright, in that case, who should be assigned to handle the negotiations?"
Upon hearing the Parthian king's question, all the courtiers in the hall immediately fell silent.
This negotiation is different from the past. He is at a complete disadvantage. If the Han army is unhappy, it is not impossible for them to kill him.
Naturally, no one would be willing to do something so dangerous.
Seeing the ministers' attitude, the Parthian king was furious.
It is said that loyalty is revealed in times of national crisis, but now Parthia is on the verge of destruction, and not a single one of these guys dares to stand up. Anyone in their position would be tempted to kill someone.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to go on a diplomatic mission to negotiate, so as to atone for my sins!"
Just as the Parthian king was about to explode, Sakki's resolute voice reached his ears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
