Xin Zizhao felt quite puzzled. Why would the Qiangfeng Kingdom send envoys at this time? What on earth were they up to? As far as Xin Zizhao knew, the people of the Qiangfeng Kingdom were extremely cunning. Wasn't the incident of General Weitu a good example?
“...First, let the envoys wait for me in the Full - Moon Pavilion. Treat them well. I'll come out soon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Xin Zizhao changed his clothes in the inner room of the imperial study before heading to the Full - Moon Pavilion to meet the envoys of the Qiangfeng Kingdom. The Full - Moon Pavilion had always been the place in the Yulong Kingdom for entertaining envoys from various countries.
“When on earth will your emperor of the Yulong Kingdom come out to see me?” The envoy sent by the Qiangfeng Kingdom was a short and somewhat sleazy - looking man. Behind him stood a servant with an eye patch over his left eye. He looked quite handsome.
“Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. His Majesty is changing his clothes and will come out to meet you soon.”
Xiao Gaozi replied politely. However, the man showed a look of disdain, which Xiao Gaozi noticed and silently remembered.
After waiting for a few incense sticks' time, the man finally couldn't hold back his impatience and shouted at Xiao Gaozi, “Is your new emperor such a slow - moving person? He even goes to change his clothes before the meeting. It's just...”
Just as the man was about to blurt out the following words, the servant with the eye patch who had been standing behind him pressed his shoulder, and the man immediately shut his mouth. Then the servant smiled at Xiao Gaozi, “We're really sorry. My master doesn't understand the rules. This is his first time as an envoy to your country. So, please forgive us if there are any offenses.”
Xiao Gaozi was not an unreasonable person. He returned a polite smile to the eye - patched servant, “It doesn't matter. His Majesty will arrive soon. Please be patient and wait a little longer.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Just as the eye - patched servant finished speaking, they heard the eunuch outside shout, “His Majesty is coming!”
Xin Zizhao, wearing a magnificent bright - yellow robe, appeared outside the Full - Moon Pavilion, exuding an aura of royalty. His cold and handsome face carried an unignorable sense of majesty.
The maids and eunuchs standing on both sides bowed to him one after another. Xin Zizhao walked straight to the main seat in the Full - Moon Pavilion, sat down, and looked at the short man and his eye - patched servant. “I'm sorry, envoys of the Qiangfeng Kingdom. I'm late. I wonder if my people have taken good care of you?”
Just as the short man was about to flare up at Xin Zizhao, the eye - patched servant quickly poked him in the back. The anger that had been burning in the man's eyes was instantly suppressed. He put on a smile that he thought was very kind, “Of course not. The servants of your Majesty of the Yulong Kingdom are very polite. I feel very comfortable.”
“Really?” How could Xin Zizhao not notice the slightest change in the short man's eyes? However, he didn't expose them and just left them a bit of face.
“Of course!” The short man nodded repeatedly.
The eye - patched servant had already seen that Xin Zizhao had seen through the short man's dissatisfaction with him. His mood suddenly became complicated. He regretted bringing this man as an envoy. Not only would the matter not progress, but it might also ruin everything.
The eye - patched servant stepped forward voluntarily, placed his hand on his left chest, and knelt on one knee in front of Xin Zizhao. “We're really sorry, Your Majesty of the Yulong Kingdom. My master is so unreasonable. Please forgive him. Master, don't you apologize to His Majesty of the Yulong Kingdom?”
Just as the short man was about to say something, he was suddenly frightened by the eye - patched servant's look. He quickly slid off the chair and knelt down. “I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Xin Zizhao looked at the short man. He already had a plan in mind. He smiled, “Of course. If I don't forgive your rudeness, wouldn't it make me seem stingy? Get up. Now, could you tell me the purpose of your visit to my Yulong Kingdom?”
Seeing that the short man didn't say a word, the eye - patched servant had to step forward and answer Xin Zizhao's question, “We're naturally here to establish good relations with your country.”
“If the real envoy of the Qiangfeng Kingdom can reveal his identity to me, I might consider establishing good relations with your country. If not, there's no need to continue this conversation.”
The eye - patched servant smiled. The corner of his right eye tilted up at a certain angle. A look of admiration appeared on his handsome face. “Your Majesty of the Yulong Kingdom is really amazing. You can even see through this.”
“It's just that your play is too clumsy.”
Xin Zizhao smiled faintly, with a hint of annoyance in his eyes.
“It must be that my servant didn't act well,” the eye - patched man turned around and looked at the short man, with a strong killing intent in his eyes. “You're so out of line! I'll deal with you properly when we get back!”
The short man knew that he had messed up his master's business. Hearing his master scold him, he didn't dare to say a word and just lowered his head.
“Why did you put on this play for me?” Xin Zizhao asked the eye - patched man directly.
“Our king knows that the former emperor of your country has abdicated and a new emperor has ascended the throne. After the previous battles, our king is also well aware of the strength of your country. So, after the new emperor's accession, he sent us here to establish good relations with the Yulong Kingdom and resolve the long - standing conflicts.”
“Since your king has this intention, I'm naturally willing to accept your request for good relations,” Xin Zizhao also wanted to know what these people from the Qiangfeng Kingdom were up to, so he readily agreed to their request. “If your country and my Yulong Kingdom decide to establish good relations, then it's not too much for me to ask you to withdraw your troops from the border immediately, right?”
“Of course. Regarding the troop withdrawal, after I go back and discuss it with our king, I'll give your country a reply. Is that okay?” The eye - patched man didn't directly agree to Xin Zizhao's condition.
Xin Zizhao just smiled. He seemed to have expected their rejection. “Of course. However, I hope the envoys of the Qiangfeng Kingdom understand this. If your country is not willing to withdraw its troops, the Yulong Kingdom won't either.”
Xin Zizhao didn't give in to the envoys of the Qiangfeng Kingdom at all. He always believed that if others showed him respect, he would return it tenfold.
“To show our king's sincerity, our king has specially sent a precious gift to your country. This is a treasure from the spiritual land of our Qiangfeng Kingdom.”