Guo Kai strode into the tent and then cupped his hands, saying, "Guo Kai, Prime Minister of Zhao, greets General Wang."
Wang Jian ignored him and continued eating his rice.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward, and Guo Kai also showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Ahem, General, the Prime Minister of Zhao has arrived," a personal guard beside Wang Jian reminded him.
Wang Jian then looked up at Guo Kai, who was holding a scepter, a scepter representing the state called a "scepter".
A token is a symbol of an envoy's identity and mission, usually bestowed upon the envoy by the ruler, representing the authority and dignity of the state. During the execution of their mission, the envoy needs to carry the token to prove their identity and purpose.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jian raised an eyebrow and had no choice but to stand up, cup his hands in greeting, and say, "Wang Jian greets Envoy Zhao!"
"The King of Zhao has ordered me to go on a mission to the State of Qin. I would be grateful if the general could grant me this favor."
Guo Kai dared not act rashly, after all, Wang Jian had fought his way all the way to the outskirts of Handan, he was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
Wang Jian was too lazy to waste words with this kind of person; he had already heard a lot about Guo Kai's reputation.
Such people betray their masters for personal gain; they are treacherous and wicked, and Wang Jian had no respect for them whatsoever.
"Sir, you already wrote to me saying that I would send a troop to escort you to Xianyang. Let's go."
After saying that, Wang Jian waved his hand and continued eating.
Guo Kai quickly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, General! Farewell!"
After Guo Kai left, one of Wang Jian's personal guards asked, "General, why did the Zhao state send an envoy to our Qin state? Do they want to surrender?"
Wang Jian sneered and said, "Of course not, they're just giving us some compensation to withdraw our troops."
"Now that things have come to this, how could His Majesty possibly withdraw his troops?"
Ying Zheng's goal was to destroy Zhao. No matter what conditions Zhao offered, Qin would never withdraw its troops.
Moreover, there's no need to bother fighting now. Just wait until winter this year, and your Zhao state will surely be in chaos!
When Guo Kai arrived in Xianyang, he was greatly shocked by the state of Qin.
In less than ten years since King Ying Zheng of Qin assumed personal rule, how could Xianyang City have become so prosperous?
Although the Qin state had launched two wars, looking at Xianyang, it didn't look like a country that had waged war.
Street vendors hawked their wares in an endless stream, and the people were all in high spirits.
This was something that hadn't been seen in the Zhao state, or even in the city of Handan, for a very, very long time.
At this moment, Lu Li and Ying Zheng were enjoying tea in the Xianyang Palace.
A subordinate reported, "Your Majesty, Guo Kai has arrived."
Ying Zheng's lips curled up slightly as he said, "Just as you predicted, Guo Kai has indeed come."
"It's actually quite easy to guess. The State of Zhao is now desperate and has no choice but to send an envoy to Qin. However, this person cannot be of too little importance, otherwise we will not see their sincerity. Therefore, Zhao Yan had no choice but to send Guo Kai."
Ying Zheng nodded; the Zhao state was indeed in a desperate situation.
If it weren't for that damned Li Mu, they would have stormed into Handan City long ago!
At this moment, Ying Zheng felt a mixture of hatred and love for Li Mu. He hated him because he had hindered the Qin army's advance, and because such a great general could not be used by him.
Love is because Li Mu is indeed a loyal and righteous man; even though the Zhao state is already in dire straits, he still manages to hold on.
"If Li Mu could surrender, that would be wonderful," Ying Zheng sighed.
Lu Li shook his head and said, "Li Mu is loyal to the Zhao state, just as Meng Tian and Wang Jian are loyal to the king. It is as difficult as climbing to heaven to persuade him to surrender."
Those who value loyalty and righteousness in this era believe that loyalty and righteousness are more important than their own lives.
Otherwise, Mencius would not have said, "Fish is what I desire, and bear's paw is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up fish and take bear's paw."
"Life is what I desire, and righteousness is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up life for righteousness."
Ying Zheng shook his head helplessly. He knew this, of course, but he felt sorry for Li Mu.
"Your Majesty, please meet with Guo Kai."
Lu Li revealed a sinister smile. He had been planning this for so long, all for this final step with Guo Kai!
Ying Zheng stood up and said with a smile, "Alright, let Guo Kai in."
After saying this, Ying Zheng straightened his clothes and sat upright on the throne.
Lu Li sat next to Ying Zheng, a privilege reserved only for him, daring to sit side by side with the King of Qin.
A moment later, Guo Kai strode in, holding the imperial staff, his head held high and chest out.
"Your subject Guo Kai greets the King of Qin!"
Ying Zheng stared straight at Guo Kai, and a powerful aura instantly made Guo Kai swallow hard.
"Why do you not kneel before me?" Ying Zheng asked sternly.
Guo Kai's heart skipped a beat. There were rumors that the King of Qin was a humble man who cherished his subordinates and had even launched a war to attack the State of Han for the sake of Han Fei.
Even if Guo Kai is not the best, he is still the prime minister of Zhao. How could he have such an attitude?
"King of Qin, a foreign subject holding an imperial staff cannot kneel before Your Majesty!" Guo Kai's words were so forceful that Ying Zheng almost thought it wasn't Guo Kai who had come.
Based on the information obtained from the Black Ice Platform, Guo Kai is indeed a blatant scoundrel.
But the next second, Guo Kai handed the staff to the servant behind him and knelt down with a thud.
"Your subject Guo Kai greets the King of Qin!"
The cool factor only lasts three seconds...
This was a word that flashed through Lu Li's mind. He thought that Guo Kai, who came with an imperial insignia, must have some spirit.
To my utter surprise, this guy threw down his banner and immediately knelt down; I had overestimated him.
A look of disgust flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes. How could Zhao not perish with a prime minister like this?
At this moment, he felt even more sorry for Li Mu and the others, thinking it wasn't worth it!
"Rise. Our two countries are currently at war. What brings the Zhao envoy to Qin?"
Ying Zheng asked the question knowingly, but Guo Kai smiled and said, "King Qin, the war between our two countries is truly a misunderstanding!"
"Oh? A misunderstanding?"
Guo Kai straightened his clothes and said confidently, "I, the King of Zhao, received news that the State of Yan was going to attack my State of Zhao, so we struck first."
"Qin State was upholding justice and was in conflict with us in order to aid Yan State. What else could this be but a misunderstanding?"
It must be said that Guo Kai is quite clever; he didn't mention the alliance between Qin and Yan at all.
Moreover, not only did he praise the Qin state, but he also changed the nature of the war.
The Qin army had already reached the doorstep of Zhao, yet Guo Kai described it as a mere conflict. No wonder he was favored by the King of Zhao; his words could plow the field, turning black into white.
"Is what Envoy Zhao said not entirely true? If it is a misunderstanding, why didn't you send an envoy sooner? Now that both sides are on the verge of conflict, this matter will likely be difficult to resolve!"
Ying Zheng was no fool; he wouldn't let Guo Kai succeed.
Guo Kai's face twitched; this King of Qin was truly difficult to deal with.
"King Qin, this foreign envoy has come with the sincerity of the King of Zhao!"
After saying this, Guo Kai waved his hand, and the servants behind him carried out a scroll, which was then laid out flat.
"Our Zhao state is willing to cede a total of seventy-two cities, including Yunzhong and Dai counties, to the Qin army and make peace. What do you say?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
