The strength of the Great Liang is beyond doubt; its previous sweep of the Western Regions and its instant annihilation of the Jackal Kingdom already speak volumes.
That's true!
When they arrived, they got a direct feel for the strength of the Great Liang. The Great Liang had a considerable number of troops stationed in the Western Regions, at least over 500,000.
If the Great Liang is determined to unite with the Great West Empire and attack the Frostwest Empire, the Frostwest Empire will still be in danger.
In this way, my mission became clearer.
First, they planned to disrupt the alliance between the Great Liang and the Great West Empire, then intercept their trade relations, then promote a marriage alliance between the two sides, and finally establish an alliance with the Great Liang.
Of course, it would be even better if you could also get some benefits along the way.
Bang!
By this time, Zhang Fei was completely drunk and had collapsed onto the table, snoring loudly.
So sudden?
Abucha was taken aback, sensing something was amiss, and couldn't help but frown, saying, "Minister, I heard Zhang Fei is a very heavy drinker, how come he's drunk so quickly? Could he be faking it?"
This guy is so cooperative! He answers every question the adults ask without hiding anything.
Is it really true that people speak the truth when they're drunk?
"Hmph, does it really matter whether it's true or false?"
Ashley gave Zhang Fei a meaningful look, then glanced at the guards outside, and chuckled, "Whether he's truly drunk or feigning it, the fact that he's given us so much information is a favor in itself."
"We should acknowledge this favor. Introduce my cousin to him tomorrow; it'll be a way of returning the favor."
ah?
Upon hearing this, Abucha was completely bewildered. What was going on? You brought the princess with you, where was this cousin?
He couldn't help but frown and said, "Sir, I don't know your cousin. Please introduce her yourself..."
I don't even know your cousin, what the hell are you giving her? This is ridiculous.
If you're going to deliver it yourself, go ahead and do it. If you mess it up, you'll be in big trouble.
Ashley glanced at him, a cold glint in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Because Brother Zhang Fei and I hit it off immediately, and everyone else is drunk, if I didn't get drunk, wouldn't it embarrass my brother? So, I got drunk too!"
After saying that, he collapsed onto the table with a thud and then began to snore loudly.
Holy crap!
Abucha looked bewildered at the two drunkards on either side of him, their snoring echoing each other in completely different accents, yet surprisingly in sync.
He was starting to doubt his life choices, muttering to himself, "Are these two really drunk, or are they just pretending? Looks like I'm not cut out to be an envoy."
" Cha'er, quickly help the minister up, we need to go back."
"Here I am!"
Without hesitation, the two helped the man back, leaving Zhang Fei snoring loudly behind.
A moment later, Zhang Fei's snoring stopped abruptly, and he was fully awake.
Looking at the courtyard of the Frostwest Empire's envoy, he couldn't help but mutter, "This brother is something else. He actually introduced his cousin to me, Old Zhang. Is he trying to force me to contribute to the peace between our two countries?"
In this way, my sacrifice will be enormous; this is clearly the "handsome man trap" from the Thirty-Six Stratagems mentioned by my lord.
"Vomit!"
A sound of vomiting came from behind the wall, then it was suddenly pushed open, revealing a door behind the curtain, from which Xu You walked out.
He had been watching the two of them from inside, but he never expected to overhear such shameless words; it was simply outrageous.
" Yide, your attempt to seduce us with your handsome man is going a bit too far. You're clearly undermining the peace and friendship between our two countries."
Xu You straightened his clothes, revealing his handsome and refined figure. Coupled with his scholarly air, he was definitely a genuine young master from a prominent family in Great Liang.
If you're going to use your good looks to your advantage, you should do it yourself.
Hahaha!
Hearing his words, Zhang Fei was not angry at all. Instead, he said with a smug look, "You don't know anything. The Emperor told me that the West respects the strong, so they like tough guys like me."
If I went to the West, I'm afraid an entire street would be blocked, and every Western woman would be captivated by me.
At that moment, he remembered his dream of taking on ten opponents, and couldn't help but pat his chest, making a loud thud.
What a Great Han!
The Emperor himself said so, so it must be true; we'll be the coolest guys in the West.
Why should I?!
Xu You, Xu You was tidying his clothes, froze, silently lowered his head, and felt that he was hurt.
He couldn't help but mutter, "Where is justice? This is utterly vulgar, like people eating raw meat and drinking blood, blind to all right and wrong. It's a disgrace to civilization!"
With my frail physique, I'd never be able to find a wife in the West.
Damn it, this evil country must not exist! The Emperor must destroy them!
But thinking about it, it makes sense. What's the use of being handsome between nations if you can't withstand a single sword strike at a crucial moment? No wonder tough guys are so popular.
Zhang Fei rolled his eyes at him; this guy was clearly getting revenge.
He sighed, "This Ashley actually pretended to be drunk too. He's quite tactful; he even knew to save face for me. I'll go easy on him next time."
"Get lost!"
Xu You was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, and said irritably, "You don't really think that someone who's used to drinking wine can down several glasses of 'Hero's Wine ' in a row?"
"So, this kid was faking it too?" Zhang Fei was stunned. That guy's acting was even better than his own.
"That's not necessarily true. Anyway, this guy is probably at his last gasp. This kind of liquor is very strong; most people can't handle it," Xu You sneered.
This "Hero's Wine" is no joke; it's the essence of all wines.
Because it consumes a great deal of grain, the emperor limited the production of "Hero's Wine" to avoid consuming too much grain.
This is something not everyone can withstand.
Ashley's last words, besides being a test, were probably more of a gesture of goodwill, after all, Zhang Fei was a high-ranking official.
"Did the people of the Great West Empire see that?"
Zhang Fei didn't care about that; what he cared about was the reaction of the Great West Empire.
This time, if the Great West Empire isn't a bunch of blind people, they'll know they should raise the stakes when dealing with the drinking party; otherwise, the benefits will belong to the Frostwest Empire.
Xu You nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, they're all in the same courtyard, how could they hide it from each other? Ashley was discovered as soon as he arrived."
They had initially tried to eavesdrop, but ultimately decided against it.
This is the Court of Diplomatic Reception of the Great Liang, where many places are covered with spies. How could their every move be kept from us?
"They're smart to know their place!"
Zhang Fei snorted coldly, his eyes suddenly turning sharp, and said in a deep voice, "The Emperor appointed me as Grand Commander to put pressure on the outside world. You sent someone to secretly pass the message to the people of the Great West Empire."
They wanted to eavesdrop but were too scared, so I'll just tell them myself!
These two countries are sworn enemies; unless they suddenly set aside their nearly century-old hatred, they simply cannot reconcile.
With Great Liang in the middle, it's a situation where the house wins everything. If we don't take them down big time, it would be a disservice to Great Liang's strength.