GBP Chapter 342 The Rongdi's Surrender
Chapter 342 The Rongdi's Surrender
“Yes, it’s not enough.” Shen Li couldn’t bear to watch any longer, and sighed before gathering her strength: “Let’s march quickly, perhaps the front lines will need us too.”
Lin Wan'er shook her head slightly: "No, we have captured their prince and queen, and they will send a letter of surrender and ransom to end this war."
"But in my opinion, the Rong and Di people are wild and untamed, and they may not necessarily surrender."
"How can a politician like you be so naive?" Lin Wan'er was quite surprised by her idea.
"In any case, we need to go and take a look as soon as possible. I am a civil official, so even if the reward is reduced, I can still get more money," Shen Li insisted.
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
The two quickly arrived at Langya Pass. Since the main generals were all outside the city, they went straight out of the city and headed straight for Xiao Qi's camp.
"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. The general is currently receiving envoys from the Rong and Di tribes." The guards stopped the two men.
"What a coincidence?" Shen Li revealed her gold medal: "Excuse me."
"Please, Your Excellency." Upon seeing the gold plaque, the guard quickly lifted the curtain.
Xiao Qi frowned when he saw someone enter, but when he saw Shen Li leading Lin Wan'er in, he immediately dropped the messenger in front of him and went to greet them.
"Cousin, Wan'er, are you alright? Are you injured?" He looked them up and down as he spoke, and was relieved to see that they looked well.
"Okay, you can ask Wan'er." Shen Li tactfully stepped aside to examine the envoy standing in the middle of the tent.
When the envoy saw the two armored women enter, his eyes blazed with fury. These were the two women who had shattered the royal court and utterly humiliated the Rong and Di tribes.
"I am an imperial censor sent by His Majesty to oversee all military and political affairs. If you have any questions, please speak with me." As Shen Li spoke, she stood opposite the envoy.
Peony immediately brought a chair and placed it behind Shen Li, helping her sit down.
The envoy, Tuotuo'er, was fluent in Chinese. Although he was angry, he had to prioritize the overall situation and composed himself, becoming neither humble nor arrogant.
Xiao Qi quietly tugged at Lin Wan'er's hand, his eyes filled with her, completely forgetting that there was an envoy present. He only rushed over when he heard the sound.
Lin Wan'er pulled him tightly and whispered, "Give it to her."
"They've come to offer a letter of surrender and sue for peace. We should treat them with respect." Xiao Qi felt annoyed at the mention of this, but he had no choice but to accept the letter of surrender.
He was unwilling to stop the war when the situation was so favorable, seeing that he could not avenge the massacre and plunder of the city.
However, this is how it is when two countries are at war: if one side is willing to make concessions, then they can only talk; otherwise, it would be unbecoming of a great power.
"She's more suitable than you," Lin Wan'er advised again, her voice gentle and tender, her eyes unwilling to leave his face.
“That’s true, she’s a civil official, she knows better than me how to conduct herself.” Xiao Qi asked her somewhat awkwardly, “Shall we talk about our own things?”
Lin Wan'er nodded slightly.
The two had only exchanged a few words when Shen Li's voice rose: "You mean you want to surrender to my Great Zhao?"
Tuotuo looked down on Shen Li's arrogance and suppressed his anger before saying, "This is a letter of surrender. Please take a look, sir."
Shen Li then received a parchment scroll with both Chinese characters and Rong and Di scripts written on it, and it was also stamped with the seal of the Chanyu Huyan Lie.
She scrutinized the parchment scroll with a critical eye, and after a moment said with dissatisfaction, "The handwriting is so-so. Who wrote it?"
"It was written by the Chanyu himself!" Tuotuo'er could hardly remain calm and said angrily, "We grassland men are not like those in the Central Plains who love literature and calligraphy, but are more skilled in riding and archery."
“Your archery and horsemanship are even worse. I fought my way from the pass to the royal court and didn’t encounter a single one who could fight me.” Shen Li shook her head even more upon hearing this, showing great disdain.
"You..." Tuotuo felt her blood rush to her head, and if she hadn't been rational, she would have rushed up and hit him.
He considered himself to have good self-control, but Shen Li's words were so infuriating that he found it hard to hold back.
"Oh? You're going to make a move?" Shen Li casually tossed the surrender document on the ground, raising an eyebrow slightly. "So, is this a surrender document or a declaration of war?"
Xiao Qi swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He had never seen such disrespect for an envoy.
"Does she really know her limits?" He was a little skeptical.
"I think so." Lin Wan'er's lips curled up slightly as she reassured Xiao Qi, "Don't you trust her to handle things?"
“I used to be quite at ease with him…” Xiao Qi felt that the atmosphere was a bit off this time.
"How dare you throw the surrender document on the ground? Does your Great Zhao not accept surrender? This is simply outrageous!" Tuotuo'er's face turned red with anger.
“Yes, but your Chanyu must come in person, kneel on the ground and beg us to accept his surrender as a sign of sincerity.” Shen Li spoke these words clearly and distinctly.
Xiao Qi wanted to step forward, but Lin Wan'er stopped him.
"You scoundrel! How dare you insult the Chanyu like this? Aren't you afraid of my Rongdi cavalry?"
"Once you've said enough, go back and pass on the message."
"You just wait... my Rongdi cavalry will surely crush the Central Plains."
"Bluster, I bet you don't dare say it out loud. Get out." Shen Li sat there leisurely, her voice full of mockery.
At this moment, Lian Qiao had already lifted the curtain at Shen Li's signal.
"How could I not dare? My Rongdi people will fight the Great Zhao to the death! My Rongdi cavalry will surely crush the Central Plains! And kill your Central Plains emperor!" Tuotuo'er was so angry that he lost his mind.
The words were spoken loudly, and the soldiers outside could hear them clearly. They were all eager to fight.
I never expected the Rongdi to be so defiant at this time; it seems a major battle is inevitable.
"How dare you speak so rudely! Men, tie him up!" Shen Li waved her hand.
Tuotuo was taken aback. Wasn't he supposed to leave? And what about the agreement that envoys should not be killed during war between two dynasties?
"Gag him and take him away," Shen Li ordered.
After everyone was led away, Shen Li, seeing that there was no one else in the tent, said to Xiao Qi, "Cousin, pass down the order that the army be rewarded tonight, with all kinds of music and singing arranged to celebrate the great victory."
"Isn't it a bit early? And what you're saying doesn't mean you're accepting their surrender." Xiao Qi's mind hadn't quite caught on.
“My silly cousin, you wouldn’t even know you’d been tricked if I hadn’t come. Although you’re temporarily in charge, Governor Li is the real commander. Accepting the surrender is, at the very least, overstepping your bounds, and at worst, it’s like raising an enemy to enhance your own power. You could easily lose your head,” Shen Li warned.
Xiao Qi broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this; he had never expected the Rongdi people to be so cunning.
"Why not just send him to General Li? Why detain him?" he asked again.
"He came to deliver a challenge to provoke our Great Zhao, shouldn't he be punished?" Shen Li retorted.
"What book?" Xiao Qi asked, doubting his ears.
"Do as I say, and I guarantee you'll fight a good battle and keep your head."
Xiao Qi's eyes lit up, and he strode out of the military tent to order the lighting of bonfires, a good dinner, singing and dancing, and the beating of war drums to add to the festivities.
Inside the main tent, Shen Li had a sheepskin prepared and found a merchant who could write Rong and Di characters. In this way, a war letter handwritten by Chanyu Huyan Lie appeared, and a stone was used to forge a seal and stamp it on.
Lin Wan'er compared the handwriting and nodded repeatedly: "If your family runs out of money in the future, you can become rich and powerful by forging documents."
Along the way, she almost forgot that Shen Li was a refined young lady who had been immersed in calligraphy and painting since childhood. Her skill was so superb that even the Chanyu himself might not have been able to tell the difference.
"Looks like it's going to work." Shen Li tightened her grip on the stone, and it shattered into pieces.
The fabricated evidence was gone just like that.
Lin Wan'er involuntarily swallowed. Sending her to the battlefield shouldn't be because her family was worried, but because the enemy couldn't sleep.