Chapter 66

"Let him in!" Li You entered the inner room to bathe and change into formal attire as an envoy, holding the Han flag, and came to the living room. This meeting represented the official channel of contact between the Han and Loulan, and everything had to be conducted with utmost seriousness.

"I am a minister of the King of Loulan, and I greet the envoy of the Great Han!" Upon entering the living room, a slightly plump middle-aged man with a cunning look in his eyes hurriedly stood up and bowed.

"I am the envoy of the Great Han, Zhang Qian. Please be seated, honored guest!" Zhang Qian slightly clasped his hands in greeting. Nowadays, he did not treat all countries equally, regardless of their size. Li You had to display the grandeur of the Han Empire; being too courteous might make these indecisive small countries have other thoughts.

"Thank you, honored envoy!" The Loulan minister did not mind at all. The envoy of the Xiongnu was much ruder than this Han envoy. In his view, the arrogance of a great nation's envoy towards a small country's minister was to be expected.

After some routine pleasantries, the Loulan minister, who was not as adept at beating around the bush as Li You, could not help but ask, "I wonder what important matters bring the honored envoy to the Western Regions? If it is convenient, perhaps you could share them. Although Loulan is small, we are well-informed about the affairs of the Western Regions and might be able to offer some assistance."

"The Great Han has vast lands spanning thousands of miles, with a population of hundreds of millions, a wealthy and prosperous nation, and countless treasures! We also have an army of a million soldiers and thousands of renowned generals!" Li You said loudly, boasting about the strength of the Han. "Now, the Emperor of the Great Han intends to campaign against the Xiongnu. I have come here to establish contact with the various countries in the Western Regions. If, when our million-strong army arrives, the countries of the Western Regions are willing to join forces with the Great Han to attack the Xiongnu, the Emperor of the Great Han will not hesitate to reward you generously! If you dare to join the Xiongnu in a futile resistance, the day our army arrives will be the day of your nation's destruction!"

The phrases "vast lands," "hundreds of millions of people," and "million-strong army" left the Loulan minister dazed. Before coming, he had inquired about the Han from merchants who had been to Central China, and their accounts were full of praise for this powerful empire. Now, hearing Li You's words, he believed them to be mostly true, and he became even more conflicted about the purpose of his visit. Loulan was a small country struggling to survive between the Western Regions and the Xiongnu. How could it withstand the wrath of the Han?

"Minister, please look!" Li You clapped his hands, and soldiers brought in gifts. From their earlier conversation, Li You learned that this minister's position in Loulan was roughly equivalent to a prime minister in the Han, so he addressed him as such. However, considering that Loulan had a population of only about 40,000, in Li You's modern context, this prime minister was probably more like a deputy township head.

"This is silk from the Great Han!" The deputy township head's eyes widened at the gleaming brocade, filled with admiration and greed.

"Minister, please look at these! The Great Han not only has luxurious items like silk but also various precious swords and knives!" After showcasing the Han's wealth, it was time to demonstrate their military strength. Another soldier brought a tray with a finely crafted iron sword. The Han's smelting technology had advanced rapidly, and iron weapons had completely replaced bronze ones. This allowed them to create longer and sharper swords, far surpassing those of the nomadic tribes and the small countries of the Western Regions.

Li You then had a Xiongnu curved sword brought in and cleanly cut it in half with the iron sword. The deputy township head's greed diminished, and he picked up the broken sword, examining the smooth edge, which was far superior to the weapons used in Loulan. "May I ask, honored envoy, are such divine weapons rare in the Great Han?" he asked hopefully.

However, Li You's response was bound to disappoint him. "Hehe, such weapons are merely what our common soldiers carry. If you don't believe me, you can try their weapons!"

Li You then led the deputy township head out of the living room to the courtyard, where the Han soldiers were training under the leadership of Chen Qingzhi. Every move they made exuded formidable combat power and a palpable aura of killing intent.

"The... soldiers of the Great Han are indeed extraordinary!" The deputy township head wiped the sweat from his forehead, having noticed that the long swords the Han soldiers carried were not much different from the one Li You had shown him. Such soldiers were far beyond what Loulan could match, and even the Xiongnu might not easily win against them.

"Soldiers?" Li You smiled and shook his head. "They are just ordinary people I recruited temporarily when I left Chang'an! The soldiers of the Great Han are far more valiant and skilled! Their armor and weapons are far superior to these!" Since he was boasting, he might as well go all the way. The strength of his current subordinates probably already surpassed most Han forces, perhaps only comparable to those of famous generals like Li Guang and Cheng Bushi.

"Hey!" Just as the deputy township head was in shock, a loud shout came from behind. Turning around, he saw Pan Feng lifting a large stone that had been used as a table in the courtyard! This scene almost made his eyes pop out! Even the bravest general in Loulan could not do this! When Pan Feng wielded his large axe, it frightened him to the point of losing his color. Could such a warrior be human?

"Oh, such warriors are numerous in the Great Han!" Li You said casually, as if reading his thoughts.

After the tour, they returned to the hall, and the deputy township head's arrogance had vanished! He kept muttering to himself that the king's decision was too hasty.

"Minister, what is the purpose of your visit today?" Li You finally asked.

"Oh, I am here on behalf of our king to invite the envoy of the Great Han to visit the palace tomorrow morning! I hope the honored envoy will not decline!" He hesitated for a moment before stating his purpose.

"This time, I am here as an envoy of the Great Han to the Western Regions. Even if you hadn't said so, I would have visited. Tomorrow morning, we will bring gifts and visit the palace!" Recalling how the Xiongnu had entered the Loulan palace, Li You shook his head. It seemed that the Loulan king had set a trap.

"Very well... that is excellent!" If the deputy township head had received this response when he first entered, he would have been delighted. But after witnessing the might of the Han army and Pan Feng's extraordinary martial skills, his thoughts had completely changed. He hoped Li You would refuse, but now he could only take his leave and report back to the Loulan king.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Loulan king will certainly have ambush troops hidden in the palace tomorrow, ready to capture us!" Li You said with a smile to Chen Qingzhi and the others.

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