Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

"Prime Minister?"

Li Ji even momentarily doubted if he had misheard.

The Great Han's previous Prime Minister dated back to the reign of Emperor Ai of Han, nearly two centuries ago.

Where did a Prime Minister come from?

Li Ji placed the teacup in his hand down and looked at the assembled envoys before him, asking, "The Great Han has not appointed a Prime Minister for nearly two hundred years. Who told you I am the Prime Minister?"

As soon as these words came out, the expressions of these envoys changed, and many of them simultaneously looked towards an envoy standing at the front.

Li Ji's gaze also fell upon him.

For a moment, sweat poured from this envoy's forehead, yet he dared not wipe it away, and he hurriedly replied.

"Three hundred years ago, when the Holy Dynasty pacified Nam Viet, my ancestor went as an envoy to pay homage to the Holy Emperor of the Holy Dynasty. There are records in my family that the most powerful person in the world under the Holy Emperor of the Holy Dynasty is the Prime Minister..."

"And after arriving at the Holy Dynasty, I carefully inquired and learned that Mister Zikun is a virtuous man, second only to one and above ten thousand in this land, so I misunderstood, and... and please forgive me."

Although this envoy's accent was slightly strange, Li Ji was still able to understand its meaning.

Immediately, Li Ji took a deep look at this envoy, and a few emotions couldn't help but rise in his heart.

This was the sorrow of a small country.

What they revered was not Li Ji, nor the Holy Dynasty recorded in the classics, but the Han army that destroyed Linyi in three days.

Among the small countries south of Jiaozhou, the Kingdom of Linyi was undoubtedly a rather powerful overlord.

However, such an overlord state was destroyed by the Han army in just three days.

This undoubtedly reawakened the fear hidden in their memories of Emperor Wu of Han's conquest of Nam Viet, the fear of a giant dragon inadvertently crushing a large number of ants with a slight turn of its body.

"Since you were sent to the late Emperor three hundred years ago, why have you not come during these three hundred years?"

Li Ji asked casually, causing the envoy to almost collapse, drenched in sweat.

This... was undoubtedly a question that could cost him his life.

However, even though this was an envoy from a small country, he still had some quick wit.

After a few breaths, the envoy braced himself and carefully replied.

"In truth, our country is small and sparsely populated. Although we have the heart to bathe in the glory of the Holy Emperor and pay tribute to the Holy Dynasty, we are helpless due to the long distance, and it is difficult to reach the Holy Dynasty even with the strength of the entire country."

"Now, fortunately, General Xu Sheng is benevolent and willing to bring us to the Holy Dynasty, so we are fortunate to once again feel the grace of the Holy Dynasty."

Li Ji couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this.

This sudden laughter startled the envoys present, causing them to tremble.

Perhaps, in Li Ji's view, the Great Han had always been a superior country that bestowed virtue upon all directions, and never engaged in barbaric and cruel acts of humiliation.

Unless some small countries disrespected the Great Han, or even dared to commit acts such as killing Han envoys, the Great Han rarely directly slaughtered foreign countries.

Was this not benevolence?

Compared to the scimitars of the steppe barbarians, the Great Han was definitely worthy of the words "benevolence and virtue."

However, from the perspective of these envoys from small countries who were doing their utmost to please the Great Han, it was a horror story.

They woke up and the sky had fallen.

The originally powerful neighbor had not even lasted three days before being directly crushed by the Han army.

If the Kingdom of Linyi could not last even three days, how many days could they last?

Therefore, even if the content of the instructions given by the kings before these envoys set out were somewhat different, the core was almost the same: Use the strength of the entire country to please the Holy Dynasty.

However, Li Ji did not intend to excessively embarrass these envoys from small countries and said.

"First of all, I am not the Prime Minister of the Great Han, but Li Ji, Military Advisor to the Annam General and Marquis of Guoshi, Governor of Wu Commandery, of the Great Han, styled Zikun;"

"Secondly, this place is Yangzhou of the Thirteen Provinces of the Great Han. Because the Kingdom of Linyi擅自 killed Han envoys, my lord, the Governor of Yangzhou, sent troops to quell the rebellion and uphold the might of the Han."

As soon as these words came out, the amount of information revealed was enormous, and the eyes of the envoys couldn't help but widen.

The one who destroyed the Kingdom of Linyi was merely Yangzhou?

And the Great Han had thirteen provinces?

At this moment, the envoys' waists, which were already not straight, bent even lower.

If Yangzhou alone was enough to pacify the Kingdom of Linyi in three days, if they angered the entire Great Han, wouldn't all the countries south of Jiaozhou, even the dogs, be split into four pieces?

Li Ji paused slightly and then continued, "Yangzhou is still thousands of miles away from the capital Luoyang. If you wish to go to Luoyang to pay homage to the Emperor, I will also report to my lord later and dispatch a team of armored soldiers to escort you."

"Thank you, Marquis of Guoshi."

Immediately, the envoys bowed and expressed their gratitude.

Li Ji nodded slightly and asked seemingly casually, "However, you have not paid homage to the Emperor for a long time. I wonder what national gifts you have brought?"

These envoys were naturally not fools, and they quickly understood the meaning.

It was a fact that the Great Han could not be provoked, and Yangzhou was equally unprovocable.

Therefore, the envoys not only took the initiative to submit gift lists but also explained the specific contents of the national gifts they had brought.

Li Ji was naturally not after those small trinkets but wanted to see if there were any good things suitable for planting in the Great Han that would benefit the people.

Unfortunately, the facts proved that luck was not always so good.

With the prestige of the Han army, how dare the envoys of the various countries be perfunctory with the national gifts they brought?

Therefore, most of the national gifts they brought were expensive items such as ivory and jewelry. Many envoys also specially brought some beauties from their countries to offer to the Emperor.

It was just that these things might please the Emperor, and he might be able to hide a little in his private treasury under the pressure of the Empress, or even feel the tenderness in those foreign beauties.

But for Li Ji and the people, it was useless and inevitably disappointing.

Therefore, Li Ji then comforted these envoys a few words, stating that Liu Bei would also meet them in a few days and send someone to escort them to the capital Luoyang to pay homage to the Emperor.

This matter was undoubtedly a great thing for Liu Bei. Li Ji was even pondering how to publicize it widely.

Liu Bei had previously vowed to serve the Han with all his heart, but he had been criticized for Liu Zhang's assassination. This was a good opportunity to prove Liu Bei's heart.

Qu Lian was a rebel, and the Kingdom of Linyi擅自 killed Han envoys...

This had almost violated all the taboos of the Great Han. Liu Bei did not hesitate to send troops to destroy the Kingdom of Linyi from thousands of miles away, which was absolutely politically correct.

Destroying Linyi in three days, tribute from various countries...

Once this matter was publicized, it would not only be of great benefit to Liu Bei's reputation but also inject a strong boost into the hearts of many people who harbored loyalty to the Han Dynasty.

Only a few people truly knew the purpose of Liu Bei's conquest of the Kingdom of Linyi.

It could be said to be: beneficial in every way and without any harm.

After Li Ji sent those envoys away and sent people to arrange their accommodation properly at the post house, the next person who was sent to Li Ji was Qu Lian.

(End of this chapter)