Diqin Designer

Chapter 550 Qin State Must Be Taught a Lesson

If Guan Ying knew that the leading knight regarded them as barbarians, he would definitely retort sarcastically: "You dare to call the Qin Dynasty barbarians?"

Leaving aside the local Seleucid inhabitants, the Macedonians were always regarded as barbarians by the Greeks in classical times. When Alexander I, the early King of Macedon, wanted to participate in the Olympics, the Greeks questioned whether he was of Greek descent.

This guy claimed that his bloodline came from Argos and that he was a descendant of Heracles. He was only allowed to participate in the competition after a court composed of judges from Elis, Greece, ruled that his bloodline was genuine and valid.

However, in the eyes of many Greeks, Macedonia was still a backward and barbaric country.

Even after ancient Greece was conquered by Macedon, some Greeks still held this view and looked down on these Macedonian barbarians.

The Greeks even harbored some animosity towards the Macedonians because Macedonia conquered ancient Greece.

Who says we're related to you Macedonians? You bunch of bumpkins and barbarians, don't even try to associate with us!

The Macedonian barbarians, whom the ancient Greeks looked down upon, now actually regard the Qin Dynasty as barbarians.

Seleucus's knights gripped their weapons, and Guan Ying and the others also placed their hands on their weapons, instantly creating a tense atmosphere: If it's war, then let it be war. At worst, we'll fail in our mission and die here, but Great Qin cannot be humiliated.

They are envoys of the Qin Dynasty, representing the Qin Dynasty. Their mission may not be successful, but they cannot lose face for the Qin Dynasty!
Moreover, Guan Ying and the others believed that even if they died here, the Great Qin would avenge them in the future!

The Seleucid cavalry and Wang Ling, who were watching the two groups make contact from a distance, realized that something was wrong and immediately prepared for battle.

When the leading knight saw that the barbarians also gripped their weapons after he did, he realized that if he dared to draw his sword, they would dare to draw theirs too, and they were not afraid of him at all.

The lead knight loosened his grip on his weapon, and his expression softened. Seeing this, the other knight also loosened his grip on his weapon.

Seeing this, the leading knight concluded in his heart: these barbarians are not afraid of them at all. These barbarians are not ignorant of the great Alexander; on the contrary, they know a lot about the great Alexander.

This made the lead knight even more curious: What kind of country was Qin, from which these barbarians came? How could they know about the great Alexander the Great?

Curiosity aside, the lead knight was still furious that these barbarians dared to insult the great Alexander.

The great Alexander is the pride of the Macedonians, and even though he has been dead for a hundred years, he is still the most respected king of the Macedonians!

The lead knight suppressed his anger for the time being, wanting to find out the origins of these barbarians.

The lead knight didn't mention Alexander again, but instead asked, "So, you've come to our country as envoys?"

Guan Ying said, "As I said before, we are here on a mission sent by His Majesty the Emperor of Qin!"

Upon hearing this, the lead knight glanced at Guan Ying, beckoned another knight closer, and whispered something in the knight's ear. The knight nodded, then turned his horse and headed towards the Seleucid cavalry.

After the knight left, the leading knight looked at Guan Ying and said, "You have come here on a diplomatic mission. This matter is not something I can decide. I have sent someone back to ask for instructions. You can wait here for a reply."

Without even needing a translator, just by looking at the tone and expression of the leading knight, Guan Ying knew that the other party did not take them, or rather, the Great Qin, seriously.

As expected, after the translator relayed the other party's words, although the words no longer insulted Qin as before, there wasn't a single polite word like "please" or "thank you" in the other party's speech.

They were envoys from afar. Even if you secretly looked down on them, you should at least be polite to them on the surface. But this Seleucid knight didn't even bother with a superficial politeness.

Normally, one would say, "This is such a big matter that I cannot make the decision. I have already sent someone back to ask for instructions. Please wait here for the time being," rather than, "I have already sent someone back to ask for instructions. Please wait here for a reply."

The latter sounded like an order. The Qin delegation did not seem like envoys from other countries, but rather like their Seleucus subordinates, beggars who had come to Seleucus's door to ask for alms.

The Qin Dynasty never did this to countries that came to send envoys. Even if they did not welcome certain countries, they would still maintain proper etiquette.

Well, in the eyes of the Seleucids, the Qin Dynasty really was a bunch of barbarians and beggars.

Therefore, when the Qin Dynasty took the initiative to send an envoy, the leading knight did not feel that this was an honorable and respectable thing for the Seleucids. A group of barbarians came to send an envoy. The barbarians themselves might feel honored, but the Seleucids, who were sent as envoys by barbarians, did not. They even felt as if they had been tainted by something dirty.

Simply put, given the difference in status between your Qin state and our Seleucid state, even if you were to send an envoy to us Seleucids, you should come kneeling before them.

What, you expect to be treated politely?
We Seleucus did not invite you here, and besides, we Seleucus do not need a bunch of barbarians to be our envoys. We are already being lenient by not expelling you directly, yet you still want this and that.

Guan Ying gave a wink to the knight accompanying him. Judging from the attitude shown by this Seleucid knight, this mission to Seleucid would probably not go smoothly.

In the distance, Wang Ling and his companions saw through their binoculars that a Seleucid knight suddenly left and headed towards the Seleucid cavalry. Wang Ling said to Cao Can beside him, "General Cao, prepare for battle. The Seleucids may have ill intentions."

Meanwhile, the Seleucid knight had returned to the Seleucid cavalry.

Upon his return, the Seleucid general leading the cavalry unit immediately asked, "Where did those people come from? What are they doing here?"

The Seleucid knight replied, "General, those people claim to be from the Qin state. They come from the Qin state in the east and are here on the orders of their king."

"The Qin state? They've come on a diplomatic mission?"

The Seleucid general raised an eyebrow: "I don't recall there being a country called 'Qin' to the east."

Seleucus shrugged and replied with a smile, "Yes, General, I don't recall there being a country called 'Qin' to the east, but according to those people, Qin is located northeast of the Peacock Kingdom, further east."

The Seleucid general asked, "A country located northeast of the Mauryan Empire, further east? A place the great Alexander never visited?"

Seleucus nodded and said, "Just now, Chief Releshev (the lead knight) also mentioned the great Alexander to those people..."

At this point, the Seleucus knight stopped and did not continue.

Seeing him stop, the Seleucid general said, "That brat Relesh mentioned the great Alexander to those people? Go on!"

The Seleucus knight then continued: "After hearing those people say they came from the East, Chief Releshev said that their Qin state was very lucky because the great Alexander did not continue his eastward expedition, otherwise their Qin state would also have been conquered by the great Alexander."

Upon hearing the words of this Seleucid knight, the other Seleucid knights nearby all wore expressions of "it's only natural." Isn't this just common sense? What's the problem?
If the great Alexander continued his eastward conquests, who could stop him? If the Qin state were on Alexander's path, it would only become another country conquered by Alexander.

The people of Qin should thank the great Alexander for not continuing his eastward campaign, thus preventing their conquest.

The Seleucid knight continued, "But the leading Qin general said it wasn't Qin's good fortune, but the good fortune of the great Alexander..."

At this point, the Seleucid knight's voice was filled with anger, for these Macedonians were the most devoted to the great Alexander.

Especially after the collapse of the Macedonian Empire, the Seleucids considered themselves the legitimate successors of the Macedonian Empire, and their worship of Alexander intensified.

The rightful heir to the empire lies with the Seleucids, and they shall inherit the legacy of the great Alexander!
Before the Seleucid knight had even finished speaking, the expressions of the many knights had already darkened, and their anger was clearly visible.

They didn't even need the Seleucid knight to finish speaking; they already knew what the Qin general had said.

Those damned country bumpkins, those stupid savages who came from who-knows-where, how dare they insult their great Alexander!

Do you know how great Alexander was? Do you know how strong Alexander was?

Oh, a bunch of barbarians from the east. Well, that's alright. They probably don't know about Alexander's glorious and great deeds.

However, despite the ignorance, filth, and stupidity of these barbarians, they are still unforgivable, and the great Alexander cannot be insulted!

Some indignant Seleucid knights were already asking the Seleucid generals to let them teach those ignorant Qin people a lesson.

But the Seleucid general raised his hand to stop them, letting the Seleucid knight continue: "What exactly did the Qin general say?"

Seleucus said, "He said that if the great Alexander were to conquer the Qin Dynasty, I'm afraid his great name would be tarnished."

"They also say that the great Alexander never conquered the Mauryan Empire. It's not that the great Alexander didn't want to continue his eastward expedition, but that he couldn't."

"They also say that if the great Alexander was wise and brilliant, why did Macedonia quickly fall apart after his death?"

Upon hearing this, one of the Seleucid knights could no longer contain himself and roared, "How dare you!"

The other Seleucid knights were also furious. Those damned Qin people dared to insult the great Alexander!
Another Seleucid knight retorted angrily, "The great Alexander conquered the Mauryan Empire, that is a certainty. How can you say he never conquered it? What does the division of the empire have to do with the great Alexander?"

"The empire has been divided, but can that overshadow the wisdom and brilliance of the great Alexander? If the great Alexander had been given more time, the empire would not have been divided!"

Alexander died too young, a regret for many Macedonians. They firmly believed that if the great Alexander had been given more time, he would have been able to solve the empire's various problems and ensure its longevity.

Perhaps the great Alexander was too powerful, and the gods did not allow him to live on in the world.

Another Seleucid knight said, "These Qin people are indeed barbarians, ignorant and foolish. How could they possibly understand the greatness of Alexander? They have certainly never had a king as great as Alexander!"

A Seleucid knight chimed in, "How could a bunch of barbarians possibly have a king as great as Alexander? They probably couldn't even imagine it!"

These words resonated with many Seleucid knights, who believed that the Qin people, a group of ignorant and foolish barbarians, could not possibly understand the greatness of Alexander.

Ignorance and foolishness are not excuses; insulting the great Alexander is a crime!

A Seleucid knight volunteered, "General, please allow us to teach those Qin people a lesson!"

Other Seleucid knights also spoke out, demanding that those ignorant Qin barbarians be taught a lesson and made to know the consequences of insulting the great Alexander.

Even if those Qin people were envoys sent to represent the Qin state, so what?

They didn't invite any Qin people to come as envoys, nor did they care whether this would offend the Qin people.

Why should we care about a foreign country we've never heard of? What if we offend it? Does the Qin state dare to retaliate?
Even if they retaliate, they are not afraid. The Seleucid Empire is a top-tier power in the world, while the Qin Kingdom is a weak and barbarian state whose location is unknown. If the Qin Kingdom dares to retaliate, they will make sure that the Qin Kingdom never returns.

The Seleucid general did not immediately grant the Seleucid knights' request for battle, saying, "The Qin people are here on diplomatic missions; it is not appropriate to directly engage them in war!"

The word "not good" rather than "cannot" means that as long as there is sufficient reason, it is permissible to wage war against the Qin people.

The Seleucid general narrowed his eyes, then changed the subject: "But if the Qin people enter our country, then we must follow our rules. We must send someone to make them lay down their weapons and undergo inspection. If they do not lay down their weapons and refuse inspection, we have reason to suspect that they are not truly here on a diplomatic mission, but are using it as a pretext..."

Before he finished speaking, the Seleucid knights understood his meaning, and smiles appeared on everyone's faces.

It was the general's wisdom that made the Qin people accept the request. Then they could take the opportunity to confiscate the Qin people's weapons. Without their weapons, the Qin people would be at their mercy.

If the Qin people do not accept this demand, they can accuse the Qin people of not being sincere in their mission, but of using the mission as a pretext to plot something nefarious, which would give them a perfect excuse to start a war!

With pitfalls on both sides, the Qin people had no choice but to jump into the pits they had dug!

As for whether Qin would be a powerful nation, and whether their actions might drag Seleucus into a trap, no one considered these questions.

Because they didn't think Qin was a powerful country at all, and even if it had some strength, it couldn't compare to their Seleucus.

The Seleucid Empire was the legitimate successor to the throne, and one of the strongest nations in the world after the empire's split. Apart from a few countries like Ptolemy and Rome, no other country could compare to them.

If it weren't for the damned rebellion of Theodotus and Arsark, and even the "one of" could be removed, the Seleucid Empire would have been the strongest nation in the world.

Dealing with a small Qin state would be a piece of cake.
Seleucus sent several knights with the knight who had returned with the message back to the lead knight, so that the lead knight could convey his orders to the Qin people.

After hearing the orders brought back by the messenger knight, the lead knight, Relesh, looked at Guan Ying with a look of anticipation in his eyes.

These damned barbarians are about to get what they deserve!

(End of this chapter)