kingnovel Chapter 1189 Raising the Price
Chapter 1189 Raising the Price
Ying Zheng was very annoyed by the Zhou Dynasty's delay.
For this reason, he even considered declaring an all-out war with the Zhou Dynasty.
Baili Xi was unable to persuade him, so he had to go down and pass on the order.
By the time Zhang Yi received the letter, three days had passed.
Di Ying was going to bring people into the palace two days later to introduce him to Wu Zhao.
But Wu Zhao refused on the grounds of poor health.
Now that he had received Ying Zheng's letter, Zhang Yi knew that Ying Zheng was getting anxious.
If this matter is not dealt with quickly, given Ying Zheng's temper, he might really call back the troops to resist the barbarians.
By then, the barbarians will march with their troops and the world will be devastated.
For this reason, Zhang Yi came to the palace again today with Ying Zheng's letter, despite being rejected by Wu Zetian yesterday.
Outside the Lizheng Hall.
Shangguan Qing'er looked at Zhang Yi who came to see her again, and showed impatience on her face:
"Why is it you again? His Majesty rejected you yesterday. Don't you understand what His Majesty is thinking?"
There were some things she couldn't say, but she could hint at.
She had known the Empress and Chu Ning's plan for a long time, so she also wanted to help delay time.
But Zhang Yi had a cold expression on his face and said in a deep voice: "I have received a letter from your majesty. If peace talks are hopeless, our dynasty will recall the troops to resist the barbarians."
Shangguan Qing'er's face changed slightly when she heard this, and she was shocked.
The strength of the Qin State is certainly not as simple as it appears on the surface. Many of its elite troops are used to resist the barbarians.
If these elite troops were called back, not to mention the Zhou Dynasty, even the now powerful Chu State would not be a match.
However, she would not lose the battle, so she would not show her weakness at this moment.
"Humph, I don't believe what you Qin people say!"
Shangguan Qing'er snorted coldly: "However, since you are the Prime Minister of Qin, I can pass the message to you."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the hall.
……
"Oh? The Emperor of Qin wants to call back his troops to start a full-scale war with our dynasty?"
Inside the Li Zheng Hall.
After listening to Shangguan Qing'er's report, Wu Zhao's face showed a solemn expression.
Although she looked down on any man except Chu Ning, Ying Zheng was not an ordinary man.
If we provoke the other party, they might really call back their troops to destroy the Zhou Dynasty first.
This matter should not be underestimated.
Whether she wanted to continue delaying time or did not want Qin and Zhou to go to war, she had to meet Zhang Yi.
Thinking of this, Wu Zhao put down the memorial in her hand and said in a deep voice: "In this case, let Zhang Yi come in. I want to see whether what he said is true or not!"
"Yes!" Shangguan Qing'er responded and took the initiative to step out.
After a while, Zhang Yi, who had received permission, slowly walked into the hall and bowed:
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress of the Great Zhou!"
"No need to be so polite, Prime Minister Zhang. Come, take a seat!"
To show her sincerity, Wu Zhao took the initiative to ask her maid to bring a chair and motioned Zhang Yi to sit down and talk.
After all, we have left each other alone for a few days, and it is time to ease the relationship between the two sides.
After all, Zhang Yi came here on behalf of the Qin State, and it is impossible that the Zhou Dynasty did not have the means to entertain guests.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Yi was not polite and actually sat down after returning the gift.
It’s even on display!
Wu Zhao sneered in her heart.
She was just pretending to give him the seat, but Zhang Yi actually dared to sit down.
It seems that this person has been holding a grudge these days, otherwise he wouldn't be like this.
Or maybe, Zhang Yi, relying on the letter from the Emperor of Qin in his hand, wanted to deliberately give her a hard time!
Thinking of this, Wu Zhao was not polite and said calmly:
"Prime Minister Zhang, I originally wanted to refuse your request for peace talks, but since you are an envoy, I did not embarrass you. Why do you insist on coming to me today?"
Zhang Yi didn't expect that he would get straight to the point as soon as he opened his mouth.
However, Zhang Yi reacted quickly, and immediately responded, taking advantage of the situation, and said seriously:
"Does Her Majesty the Queen of the Great Zhou really think that you are sure to win?"
"Is not it?"
Wu Zhao sneered and said, "My Great Zhou army has now besieged your Qin army of 50,000. What awaits them is only destruction!"
"With such an advantage, why should I negotiate peace with your Qin State?"
In peace talks, one must have the upper hand from the beginning, otherwise it is not called peace talks but being coerced.
Zhang Yi sensed Wu Zhao's intention and couldn't help but sneer: "It seems that the Queen of Great Zhou has not yet realized the seriousness of the matter."
"Although you are temporarily in an advantageous position, do you dare to say that you will always be in an advantageous position?"
"Our dynasty is strong in military power and the most powerful country in the world. If we really want to destroy your Zhou Dynasty at all costs, Your Majesty should know what the consequences will be, right?"
"Your Majesty did not recall the elite troops to fight against the barbarians for the sake of the common people. Otherwise, the world would have been unified long ago!"
"Now, the Queen of Great Zhou, under the instigation of the Crown Prince of Chu, dares to go to war with our dynasty. If you don't turn back in time, your soldiers and horses of Great Zhou will be the first to taste the blade of our elite army."
These words were magnificent and full of condescending contempt.
How dare a mere Prime Minister of the Great Qin be so presumptuous towards the Empress of the Great Zhou!
Wu Zhao's face suddenly changed. She slammed the table and stood up and angrily shouted, "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you really think I dare not kill you?"
But Zhang Yi was not to be outdone. He stood up and looked Wu Zhao in the face, and said in a cold voice: "Now that His Majesty has decided to recall the troops, if I die here today, it will be a good reason for my dynasty to send troops."
Faced with the empress's strength, Zhang Yi was not afraid at all and looked like he was ready to die.
This scene made Wu Zhao's face change slightly, and she felt a little surprised.
If Zhang Yi didn't have the confidence, he probably wouldn't dare to contradict her in person.
It seems that Ying is really anxious this time and is preparing to call back the elite troops to destroy the Great Zhou.
No, this matter must be delayed. Only if Chu Ning destroys Li Xing's 50,000 troops first, will the Great Zhou be safer in the future.
As for Ying Zheng recalling his elite troops and preparing for an all-out war...
At worst, the Great Zhou could join forces with the Great Chu to fight against the State of Qin.
Now that the Great Zhou has the upper hand, it is impossible to compromise!
The best way to delay time at this moment is to pretend to compromise, raise the price, and buy time for Chu Ning.
Thinking of this, Wu Zhao narrowed her eyes and sneered: "Zhang Yi, you are really brave!"
"However, since you are an envoy, I can let you off the hook."
"As for the peace talks you mentioned, I can agree to them, but Qin must agree to my terms!"
"First, cede ten cities!"
"Second, compensate our army for the losses in this battle, including material losses, as well as pensions for the soldiers who died in the battle."
"Third, all the horses of Li Xing's cavalry must stay!"
"If any of the above three points cannot be achieved, then let's go to war."
"Someone, send Zhang Xiang out!"
After saying this, without waiting for Zhang Yi to bargain, he directly ordered the imperial guards to come into the hall and ask Zhang Yi to leave.
Four imperial guards surrounded Zhang Yi and gestured, "Please come in!"
Zhang Yi glanced at Wu Zhao, frowned and said, "For such an important matter, I would like to consult your Majesty."
Wu Zhao sneered: "I am not in a hurry, you can take your time to ask for instructions."
Anyway, the longer it drags on, the more beneficial it will be for the Zhou Dynasty.