The Demon Lords

Chapter 444 52 Qian Emperor_4

"In my view, this matter is indeed a serious one."

"Your Majesty, this subject is rather shy."

"We are men; let's chat freely. When it comes to women—be they voluptuous or slender, beautiful externally and wise internally—what kind does Zheng, my dear subject, truly prefer?"

"Basically, I don't dislike any who are good-looking."

"Vulgar!"

"Yes, this subject is vulgar."

"Base!"

"Yes, this subject is base."

"Candid, at least. In truth, that's just the way of things. Human desire is endless, much like that of your Yan State."

"Your Majesty, weren't we discussing serious matters?"

Weren't we talking about women?

I'm still waiting for you to continue the conversation and then tell me you'll gift me...

"Are matters of state not serious?"

"They are serious."

"Precisely. Honestly, if your Yan State were behaving as it did in the past, merely wanting some benefits or a slight increase in the annual tribute, my Qian Empire would have granted it. After all, my Qian State is rich and vast.

To be frank, I could even understand if you Yan people had come south this time to plunder what you could and then retreat. Everyone knows Yan State is poor. Your lives have only slightly improved in recent years due to the so-called Silk Road, but only marginally so.

If a poor neighbor comes to your house scrounging for some rice and flour to make a meal, given that they are your neighbor and you hope to maintain good relations, there's no reason not to lend them some, wouldn't you agree?

But this time, that poor neighbor has overstepped. They actually want to occupy more than half of the house... TSK, TSK, TSK..."

Zheng Fan then said, "Because this neighbor is too cowardly."

The Qian Emperor was silent.

"Your Majesty, this subject misspoke and uttered the truth."

The Qian Emperor nodded and said, "The truth is often the most hurtful. My Qian is indeed plagued with problems now. Each year, the national treasury must allocate funds to support nearly a million non-existent soldiers. That single expense consumes a vast amount of the people's hard-earned resources!

If we had an additional million soldiers from the Zu family army, or another million from the West Army Division, then even if Yan's cavalry is the best in the world, would they dare to venture south?

What a pity. I have no Li Liangting by my side, much less a Tian Wujing."

"Your Majesty, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?"

It takes a Yan Emperor of great talent and strategy to attract such lords. Only then would these two lords willingly stand by such a Yan Emperor.

"Yes, yes, I indeed cannot compare to him, Ji Runhao. To tell you the truth, Ji Runhao is a better emperor than I am. Most of the time, I'm more concerned with how to enjoy myself.

For instance, that Silver Armored Guard outside—do you know she has a husband?"

Zheng Fan remained silent.

"TSK, TSK, TSK." The Qian Emperor seemed lost in self-admiration.

"Your Majesty, you seem to be in high spirits."

"The pleasure in this is not something to be shared with outsiders."

"Yes, yes, indeed."

This Qian Emperor seemed somewhat eccentric, his train of thought far from ordinary. Having just spoken about a married woman, he immediately pointed to the document he had previously tossed aside and asked, "Do you know why I didn't bother to read this document?"

"Your Majesty, you just said it was because you found it insincere."

"Yes, it truly lacks sincerity. It undoubtedly proposes ceding territory, paying reparations, and sending a prince as a hostage—terms I certainly cannot accept. Am I wrong?"

Zheng Fan paused for a moment.

The Qian Emperor laughed. "Even among common folk, when conducting business, sincerity is paramount. If you genuinely want to buy, and I genuinely want to sell, then there's a basis for the transaction to proceed. Otherwise, isn't it just a waste of everyone's time?"

Zheng Fan frowned slightly.

"Alas, life in your Yan State isn't easy these days, is it? The two major clans of Jin State are already sharpening their knives, likely preparing to dispatch troops soon. And the Desert Royal Court, I presume, won't miss this once-in-a-century opportunity either."

"Your Majesty, my Yan State is confident in its ability to deal with this."

"Confidence? Yes, I am aware."

The Qian Emperor suddenly sat up straight, looked at Zheng Fan, and said slowly, "Do you know what my reaction was when I learned that over two hundred thousand of your Yan cavalry were heading south?"

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "This subject does not know."

"I was scared; truly, I was terrified. Then, I immediately issued two edicts. The first was to command all troops across the land to converge on the capital to protect the throne.

Do you know what the other one was?"

Zheng Fan took a deep breath.

The Qian Emperor smiled slightly and continued, "The second Imperial Edict was this: a strict order prohibiting even a single soldier from the three border commands from turning south to provide reinforcements!"