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The first to learn that the Qin Envoy Group was approaching Handan City was the Plain King, who pondered over his tea bowl for a long time without coming to any conclusion. Rubbing his temples, swollen from lack of sleep, he searched his memory to see if he had ever sent an invitation to the Qin State.
Could they be preparing to join the anti-Qin alliance as well?
Ever since he began worrying about this resistance alliance, he had been suffering from insomnia almost every night. He initially thought that sleeping during the day would help him recover somewhat, but it turned out to be ineffective. Not only did it leave him unfocused, but his memory also noticeably declined. He wouldn’t say he was forgetful, but reminders were definitely necessary.
As the Selection drew to a close, he suddenly realized that things were becoming increasingly complicated as time went on. With the remaining four contenders being so intricately connected, how could he control the final victor? Thankfully, due to King Zhao's concern, they still had three-quarters of a result left.
Just as the Plain King grasped King Zhao's intentions, he also formed a preliminary plan in his mind. Considering various relationships and face-saving issues, he tentatively decided that the Star Picking Tower of Qi State should emerge victorious. After all, Huang Xie and Wei Wujie were both old friends. He believed they would understand if the Star Picking Tower took the lead. As Chancellor Housheng of Qi State, he knew he was a narrow-minded person.
There is an ancient saying that it is better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel, and it has its origins. Moreover, this time their strong support could be seen as giving face to the Plain King. After all, the Plain King did not particularly like Housheng, which is why they had never developed a close relationship. Even when visiting old friends in Qi State, the Plain King only made symbolic visits. Sometimes, if things were too rushed, he would skip even those visits.
Birds of a feather flock together; naturally, the Plain King, who always considered himself a gentleman, would not take kindly to Housheng. What if Housheng held the title of Chancellor? It wasn’t just Housheng’s profit-driven nature; ultimately, it stemmed from the fact that Qi State's legitimacy was a deeply entangled issue he did not wish to discuss.
“Your Majesty!” Official Family Zhao Dafuk saw that the Plain King was sitting there in silence and had no choice but to remind him: “General Liang Guang from the Capital Military Office is still waiting outside.”
Realizing he had zoned out again, the Plain King responded and stood up to head outside but found he was still holding his tea bowl. He handed it to Zhao Dafuk and hurriedly went out to bring Liang Guang along to meet King Zhao in the palace. Such an important matter required no impulsive decisions on his part.
Zhao Wang Dan was just about to have palace attendants accompany him in playing war games when he received news of the Qin Envoy Group's arrival. Unlike others who might be shocked into disarray at such news, he slapped his thigh and hurried toward Qinzheng Hall. If his guess was correct, Uncle Wang would arrive shortly.
As expected, before he could even settle down in his seat, he heard news of the Plain King's request for an audience. Just as he had been waiting for! Announce him!
The Plain King entered the hall with the Capital Military Office and knelt down to pay his respects before rising to explain this utterly unexpected outcome. No matter who came, even if it were a deity descending from heaven, it could be accepted. Yet it was precisely people from the Qin State; these troublemaking Qin Barbarians had no intention of letting the world settle down!
"Your Majesty! The Qin Envoy Group is less than ten miles from the capital. We hope you can come up with a decision soon." Liang Guang, seeing Uncle Wang jumping around and cursing, could only remind him, "If they reach the city gate and cannot enter, we will be in a passive position."
Zhao Wang Dan agreed with this perspective and suddenly said, "The Zhao and Qin states are at war, yet they dare to recklessly enter Zhao territory. In my opinion, we should send the Charioteer Camp to ambush them on the way!"
Cursing a few times might be satisfying, but actually resorting to violence was out of the question. Moreover, it was customary not to harm envoys during wartime. The Plain King wiped the sweat from his forehead and calmed himself, saying, "Your Majesty must not be so rash! Since we have received news, I believe the various Feudal States in the city are also aware of the Qin Envoy Group's arrival. This is the perfect time for our Zhao state to demonstrate magnanimity and for Your Majesty to show that you can tolerate what others cannot."
Liang Guang also bowed and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right! These Feudal States are waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves! If we directly kill the Qin Envoy Group, that news cannot be hidden; it will soon spread throughout the Vast River South and North. The Qin State is a Scoundrel Nation, while we are a Gentleman Nation. If we deal with Scoundrels using their own methods, it would tarnish Your Majesty's reputation as a Sage known for benevolence."
It felt almost like swallowing a fly!
Zhao Wang Dan and the Plain King exchanged glances, both reading the same answer in each other's eyes. It seemed that the Qin State was relying on this very tactic; it was utterly shameless! But now was not the time for anger; reality was at hand! Thus, it was decided that the Plain King would personally go out to welcome them, showcasing Zhao state's spirit of Embracing All Rivers.
Now that this matter was settled, preparations needed to be made quickly!
So they busied themselves once again. Fortunately, the decorations in the capital had not been taken down yet; they only needed a simple inspection and some repairs. By the time the city gate officer announced that the Qin Envoy Group had appeared, all the streets and alleys prepared for their passage were already in order.
The Plain King tidied his attire and hurriedly set off from his residence in a carriage. He also informed the Capital Guard Corps to set up defenses along the route to control the situation; after all, Zhao people were aware that two states were at war. This was an opportunity to showcase national character; they could not afford to lose face here!
Some might wonder why other Feudal States did not have such an arrangement when sending their envoys while the Qin State did. This matter deserves some explanation. The Envoy Groups sent by other Feudal States were nominally participating in competitions as part of a Beauty Team, which was essentially a civilian organization. The official channels would not intervene in exchanges among amateur civilian activities.
However, at this moment, the Qin Envoy Group was different; they were coming under official auspices to visit Handan for observation and learning. Since they were not a civilian organization, Zhao state naturally could not ignore them. According to relevant reception protocols based on status, it became essential for an Official Delegation to handle their reception.
This was a matter of national etiquette that could not be taken lightly.
Luzi's decision was also based on safety considerations. If the troublemaking group led by Li Xin appeared as civilians, Zhao would secretly send troops to ambush them on the way, leaving no evidence behind. If that were to happen, they would only be left with silent suffering. By making a grand appearance now, the situation could be reversed. The larger the show of force, the safer they would be; it's as simple as that.
When he heard that inspections were starting for the repair of damaged decorative lights in the streets, he knew the plan had succeeded. He couldn't help but let out a sigh, thinking that only the state of Zi Zhi could execute such a scheme. If they tried this tactic with barbarians, they would be wiped out along the way. Since that was the case, joining in on the excitement wouldn't hurt! At that moment, upon hearing Sun Thirteen call out the signal, he gathered everyone to head towards the city gate.
As everyone saw people dressed in various national costumes flocking towards the west city gate, they couldn't help but smile at each other. News of the Qin Envoy Group's imminent arrival had been relayed to all national teams early in the morning; it would indeed be strange if anyone stayed indoors and didn't go to see the spectacle!
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