When Yuan Shao suddenly asked such a question, the banquet fell silent once again.
Everyone looked at Yuan Shao with strange eyes. No one expected that this seemingly serious Han envoy would ask such an unbecoming question.
Many Japanese nobles who admired the Queen were seething with hatred, but dared not speak out.
Himiko blushed slightly and whispered, "The Han envoy may not know, but according to the rules of the Yamatai Kingdom, as a queen, I am forbidden from marrying for the rest of my life!"
"Oh dear, Your Majesty, you are mistaken!"
Yuan Shao waved his hand and said seriously, "Rules are made by people, and they can be made and changed, don't you think?"
“What the angel says is true, but our country is currently in a state of division and suffering. I am concerned about the affairs of the country and have no such thoughts for the time being!”
Himiko was quite clever in response to Yuan Shao's words; instead of responding directly, she used other reasons to deflect the question.
Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, do not worry. I have come here to help you solve these problems. As long as Your Majesty agrees to the conditions of the Han Dynasty, everything will be fine."
Himiko bowed with a pleased expression: "I am deeply grateful for the angel's kind words! If it is truly so, I will be eternally grateful!"
"Haha~, very well, in that case, Your Majesty, how about we choose a time to discuss this in detail?"
Yuan Shao chuckled and, with great poise, inquired about Himiko's opinion.
Himiko: "How about tomorrow? The angels have come a long way and are tired; let them rest well tonight!"
"Okay, then let's do it tomorrow!"
Yuan Shao readily agreed to Himiko's suggestion.
That night, after the banquet ended, Yuan Shao returned to the inn and began writing a letter to Liu Bei.
The letter was brief, mainly describing Himiko's appearance so that Liu Bei would be prepared.
June 1st, the sixth year of Jianning.
Inside the Yamatai Palace, Yuan Shao, as an envoy of the Han Dynasty, sat at the negotiating table.
Himiko and a group of Japanese nobles knelt opposite Yuan Shao.
After exchanging pleasantries, Yuan Shao went straight to the point: "Queen Himiko, I have come here with three conditions. If your tribe agrees, then your tribe and my Han Dynasty can live in peace!"
Himiko nodded slightly: "Please speak, angel!"
Yuan Shao smiled slightly, "First, your tribe must submit a letter of surrender to my Great Han and compensate for all the losses incurred in this conflict."
Secondly, your tribe will be required to pay the Han Dynasty an annual tribute of four million taels of silver and sixty thousand slaves.
The third one....."
Yuan Shao paused for a moment, then raised his voice: "Thirdly, to show your sincerity, your tribe needs to send someone to marry into our Han Dynasty. That person is you!"
"Aren't these conditions from the angel a bit too much?"
Himiko frowned upon hearing the three conditions proposed by Yuan Shao.
"Is there?"
Yuan Shao smiled slightly, "To be honest, before coming to your tribe, I went to the Guishan Valley tribe, and they agreed to all of our Han's conditions."
"What do a few coins and slaves matter in the face of the survival of the tribe? Don't you think so?"
Yuan Shao looked at Himiko with a friendly expression, but his words were full of threat.
Himiko paused for a moment upon hearing this, then turned her head and looked at the group of Japanese nobles behind her with a questioning gaze.
Upon seeing this, some of the nobles nodded slightly, while others turned their heads away, not daring to express their opinion.
The might of the Han Dynasty had already instilled fear in these people from the bottom of their hearts. Now that Guishan Valley had submitted, they were even less likely to be able to withstand the Han Dynasty's attack.
Upon seeing this, Himiko felt a deep sense of sorrow.
If the Han dynasty hadn't suddenly arrived, Himiko was very confident that she could unify the Yamatai Kingdom.
But now it has turned out like this, and I have become a bargaining chip in negotiations.
It wasn't that I lacked ability, but rather that the Han Dynasty was simply too powerful; no matter how capable a person was, they could not contend with it.
Thinking of all this, Himiko couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"We can agree to the first two conditions proposed by the angel, but could you please choose someone else for the marriage? As the queen of a nation, it is really not appropriate for me to marry a foreigner!"
Himiko looked at Yuan Shao with a sincere expression, hoping that she could stay and remain as his queen.
"The first two conditions are negotiable, but the matter of a marriage alliance is non-negotiable!"
Yuan Shao smiled and shook his head, directly rejecting Himiko's request.
Just kidding, he's a comrade-in-arms who's shared life and death with her, and the woman he's always been thinking about. He has to bring her back to him no matter what.
"As I have said before, the rule in our country is that the Queen cannot marry, so why is the angel being so aggressive?"
Seeing Yuan Shao's resolute attitude, Himiko couldn't help but show a hint of displeasure.
"Heh, as I have said before, rules can be changed."
Yuan Shao chuckled and continued, "Besides, you won't be queen for much longer, so why be so stubborn?"
"Wouldn't it be better to marry into the Han Dynasty and use you to save the lives of your people?"
What does the angel mean by that?
Himiko's expression shifted, and she looked at Yuan Shao with a puzzled expression.
Yuan Shao didn't reply, but turned to look outside the palace: "Judging by the time, it should be about time, right?"
One of the Han soldiers following behind Yuan Shao replied, "Reporting to the Imperial Envoy, they should have arrived by now!"
Listening to the inexplicable conversation between Yuan Shao and the guard, Himiko couldn't help but turn her head to look outside, a sense of unease rising in her heart.
Just then, a Japanese guard rushed in, carrying a piece of silk cloth in his hand.
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