Chapter 116: The Navy Sails South and Qi Enters the Alliance

Watching his future husband arrange the furniture, Shaoshao began to understand.

"Husband... Your Majesty... do you intend to stay here for a long time?"

Since he had even bought a small courtyard just a few hundred meters from the Zilan Xuan, he clearly intended to stay.

"Yes, we shall reside here for the time being."

The grand story was about to begin; how could Lin Shu miss it?

...

In the State of Qi.

When Jing Ke arrived at the court of the King of Qi, bearing the letters of alliance from five other kingdoms, the entire palace was shaken for days.

"Summon the Chancellor and Ambassador Jing Ke to the palace!"

Soon, Hou Sheng arrived first, having just received an urgent report from the naval forces.

"Hou Sheng, I wish for you to lead the army to meet the Northern forces. Is that possible?"

Hou Sheng panicked and shook his head vigorously.

"Your Majesty, the Northern navy’s great ships are as massive and sturdy as mountains; even the ocean waves cannot overwhelm them! They possess dozens of mechanical war beasts. It would be impossible to contend with them without exhausting the entire strength of our nation!"

After decades of recuperation, the State of Qi had regained most of the strength it once held as the hegemon of the Central Plains. However, the entire state, from top to bottom, feared angering the other six states again and dared not provoke war lightly.

"Chancellor, if we do not fight, then what shall we do? If the states of Yan, Zhao, and Wei send troops, would the State of Qin intervene?" The King of Qi’s hesitation was due to Hou Sheng’s persistent counsel.

Hou Sheng had already accepted payment from the Net, so he naturally had to fulfill his task. Yet, he had not expected the Northern Kingdom to be so serious.

"Your Majesty, distant water cannot quench a nearby thirst! Even if we could defeat their hundred-thousand-strong land and sea forces, it would not be a blessing for Qi!"

"How so?" The King of Qi frowned.

Sighing inwardly, Hou Sheng stood up.

"Qi has a population of four million and four hundred thousand armored soldiers. However, we must guard against the states of Chu and Yan; at most, we can only muster two hundred thousand!"

"Dare I ask, Your Majesty, could our Qi army defeat a combined force of six hundred thousand from Yan, Zhao, and the Xiongnu?"

The King of Qi realized the gravity of the situation and frowned. "Does this mean we can only sign that letter of submission? But doing so would sever our alliance with Qin!"

Hou Sheng regretted painting such a perfect picture earlier, but he had to agree now, or war would be upon them.

"Your Majesty! If we were to repel the Northern army, the enraged Northern King would surely exhaust his nation's strength to march south against us! At that time, Yan would certainly dispatch troops. Though the Qin army is strong, it would be difficult for them to break through a coalition of several states. The Great Qi is now in a state of imminent peril!"

Alas! If the Northern Kingdom marched south with its full strength, Qi would surely be destroyed!

"Very well! Then let us negotiate the migration matter with Jing Ke!"

Hou Sheng secretly rejoiced; he could finally set his mind at ease. What he feared most was being ordered to lead the army. Having seen even renowned generals like Pang Nuan and Yue Jian defeated, he did not consider himself any stronger.

When the King of Qi sent an urgent summons, Jing Ke surmised that the sea and land forces led by Qiu Ji, Wu Yangjing, and Wu Song must have arrived.

Upon entering the palace gates, Hou Sheng greeted him warmly, shedding all his previous arrogance.

"I wonder why the King of Qi has summoned me? I was just planning to pay a visit to the three supreme generals of the Empire."

At this moment, the King of Qi could not allow Jing Ke to reunite with the main army, or it would cause even more trouble.

"Ambassador Jing Ke, after deliberation with my ministers, our State of Qi is also willing to join the alliance. I have already signed this letter!"

Hou Sheng added with a smile, "After decades of peace, our Qi population has recovered to five million. We can relocate three hundred thousand by next spring. I wonder how the Northern Kingdom’s transport capacity fares?"

Jing Ke was not surprised; the State of Qi was no longer the hegemon of the past.

"Our Imperial sea vessels are numerous, but each can only transport two hundred thousand at a time. To make two trips would likely take about ten days!"

Two hundred thousand! Hou Sheng was even more shocked. If the Northern army were to attack Qi, they wouldn't even need to borrow passage through Yan; they could cross the sea directly!

"Yes, ten or fifteen days is quite fast!" The King of Qi was even more alarmed. It was fortunate that the Chancellor had reacted quickly! Otherwise, hundreds of thousands of Northern troops could cross the great bay at any time!

The coastline of Qi was vast; it was impossible to defend everywhere.

After the two copies of the alliance treaty were signed and sealed, Jing Ke discussed some details with the King of Qi, including the matter of sending word to the State of Chu.

Upon mentioning Chu, the King of Qi became interested.

"Our State of Qi can press twenty thousand troops to the border." Since he had to yield, he was not willing to let Chu sit idly by.

The Three Jins had been crippled, and Yan was weak in both people and power; the powerful State of Chu was the true threat to Qi.

"That is excellent! The Qi army need only wait for the outcome of the battle. This Minister will also head south to meet the Chu forces."

With the alliance treaty finalized, Jing Ke was no longer considered a foreign minister.

"Then I wish the Minister a swift and victorious start!"

"Chancellor, you shall go in my stead to reward the Northern army. You must not be negligent!" The treaty was set, but the King of Qi did not want these Northern troops to remain near his capital.

Hou Sheng understood naturally; he also wanted to see them for himself, as hearing of them was not as good as seeing them.

They set off immediately. Several carriages, escorted by a thousand cavalrymen, rushed toward the coast, while many more supply wagons were being prepared to follow.

...

"Whoa! Whoa!"

The young cavalry officer signaled for a halt, as the path ahead was blocked.

*Boom... boom... rumble...*

Hearing the commotion, Hou Sheng stepped out of his carriage.

Dozens of faint black plumes of smoke rose into the air as Type-3 mechs approached step by step.

"So these are the giant mechanical beasts!" The sight of several mechs, nearly ten meters tall, left Hou Sheng in awe.

The remaining ten black tigers and dozens of war chariots, while not as tall as the mechs, were still far more massive than their own chariots.

Qiu Ji was now the Commander of the Navy, and Wu Song was the Deputy Commander.

Of the hundred-thousand-strong army, thirty thousand were naval forces, and the remaining seventy thousand were infantry and cavalry led by the Liaodong Commander, General Wu Yangjing.

Seeing the Minister’s carriage from afar, the three generals immediately stepped forward to welcome him. Although Jing Ke was a civil official, he would be the temporary Chief of Staff, effectively acting as an inspector on behalf of the King.

The mechs, black tigers, and chariots lined up in two rows, led by four siege mechs.

As the mechanical beasts cleared the main road, Hou Sheng was even more astonished!

He saw dozens of even larger mechanical sea spiders along the coast! With these mechanical beasts alone, the hundred thousand Northern troops would be enough to breach the capital!

Even with two hundred thousand troops nearby, the Chancellor had no heart for battle.

"Ambassador Jing Ke, how could you have General Wu and Commander Qiu come out to greet me!" Jing Ke had not expected the three generals to be so gracious.

Wu Song smiled and offered a salute; he did not speak and was not offended that Jing Ke had not mentioned him. He was the son of Wu Yangjing and considered himself a junior compared to Jing Ke. Having a decent relationship with him, there was no need for excessive formality.

Wu Yangjing, as the commander-in-chief, represented the army in welcoming Hou Sheng and his party.

Afterward, having finished touring the flagship, Hou Sheng rushed back to the palace.

"Chancellor, why are you in such a state?" The King of Qi was baffled! The Chancellor looked completely dispirited!

Hou Sheng gave a bitter smile. "Your Majesty, I was arrogant before! Only after truly seeing the Northern army's mechanical armaments do I understand why Yan and Zhao yielded!"

"What does this mean?" The King of Qi was even more confused.

"Your Majesty, I do not speak in vain. The Northern soldiers, clad in full-body armor, could each hold off thirty of our own! And with those hundreds of mechanical weapons, even an army of hundreds of thousands would not dare to block them!"

"Those giant mechs, as tall as city walls, could easily destroy our fortifications! Their iron ships, as large as palaces, can carry thousands of men—and they have over a hundred of them!"

Hou Sheng did not know the power of those 155mm steam cannons, but the mere sight of them was terrifying.

*This bastard! He isn't drunk, is he?* The King of Qi found it hard to believe. According to the Chancellor, their State of Qi couldn't even handle this hundred-thousand-strong force!

"The Northern army is marching south. Whether they are all show or truly powerful, the Chu army will soon put them to the test."

To be honest, the King of Qi still doubted Hou Sheng's words.

The Chancellor smiled faintly and nodded. "This time, the State of Chu will surely reap what it has sown!"