Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 352 The Han Envoy in Qin (Part 1)
"Wang Sheng hasn't returned from that country called Egypt yet?"

"That's such a pity!"

In the embassy where they stayed,

Zhang Qian spoke with regret to Qin Dianke, who was in charge of hosting them.

Upon hearing his words, the other party kindly comforted him, saying, "Egypt is adjacent to our Great Qin. With a fast horse, you can travel back and forth between the two countries in half a month."

"If we then travel upstream by boat to the capital, it will take no more than a month, no matter how slow we are."

Zhang Qian then smiled and thanked him for the reminder.

After the pawnbroker left,
His smile vanished instantly.
First, learning from past experiences, they ordered strict security around the embassy to prevent criminals from scaling the wall at night and assassinating them.

Then he said to Tangyifu and the others:
"It seems that the Qin people are very enthusiastic about war no matter where they go."

"I predict that in the next few years, Egypt will be controlled by the tyrannical Qin and will have to submit to it!"

Speaking of which,

Zhang Qian squinted and said with great dissatisfaction, "That's disgusting!"

"They actually forced a foreign country to pay tribute to them!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Yifu couldn't help but look up at Zhang Qian, his gaze clear and bright.

But Zhang Qian understood his unspoken meaning, and with his hands behind his back, he said confidently, "How can the Han Dynasty and the tyrannical Qin Dynasty be compared?"

Although the Great Han Dynasty was at this moment
Under the wise and mighty leadership of His Majesty, an attack will surely be launched against the Xiongnu who have invaded the border.

Under His Majesty's command, troops will inevitably be dispatched to annex and devour the Yelang and other kingdoms in the southwest.
They must have already begun planning, at His Majesty's request, to reclaim Nanyue, the region that was seized by the Central Plains during the chaos of war...

But the Han and Qin dynasties,

They're just different!
Tang Yifu scratched his head, puzzled. These two countries, despite sharing a common origin and engaging in similar activities—with Qin's Xianyang even located near Han's Chang'an—were bewildered.
Why did Zhang Qian have to make such a clear distinction and express his contempt for the Qin people's behavior?

But he simply didn't have the mental capacity to delve into the reason.

He simply picked up a piece of bread and a bowl of soup, filled his empty stomach, and then said to Zhang Qian:
"We've only been in Andu for a short time, how can you be so sure that the Qin state has designs on Egypt?"

Zhang Qian grumbled for a while, then crossed his arms and muttered, "How could I not know what they're thinking?"

As long as one is familiar with the classics of the Chinese civilization...
Anyone could guess the intention behind Qin's frequent dispatch of envoys to Egypt.

After all these years,
The methods used by the virtuous men of the various Xia states to educate and civilize the barbarians were relatively uniform.

Unfortunately, Tangyi Fu didn't know, so Zhang Qian could only explain it to him:
"East of Qin lies the territory of the new Xia."

"These two countries have been sworn brothers for nearly a century, and they will not easily turn against each other and turn their swords against each other."

Moreover, most of the land in between was barren and infertile, and Qin Xia didn't have much affection for that area.

"In that case, the Qin people have no choice but to head west."

Zhang Qian stroked his beard, recalling the stories of foreign lands he had heard on his journey, and squinted at Tang Yifu, saying:
"I have heard that to the west of the sea lies a country called Rome, which is not weak and is skilled in naval warfare. If we were to become enemies with them, it would not be a good thing for the Qin state."

The Qin state can now be described as a place with fertile soil and abundant water.

One is a plain located in the southern part of the two seas.

One is the plain between the two rivers.
The last one is the Xilong Commandery, which was recently established by the Qin people.

Although the area is characterized by dry summers and wet winters, and is surrounded by mountains, it is still possible to cultivate a considerable amount of grain.

However, Xilong County is located next to the sea and is easily disturbed by the sea.

The Qin people had only recently acquired this land, so they dared not risk allowing it the possibility of breaking away.

"Therefore, if the Qin people wanted to expand and seize fertile land, they could only go to Egypt!"

The land, formed by the alluvial deposits of the Nile, is said to be extremely fertile.

As is well known,

The fertile fields would attract the fervent pursuit of many gentlemen from all over China.

Even if the other party's parents strongly oppose the relationship, these gentlemen are destined to persist and pursue their lover relentlessly, determined to "win the heart of the beauty."

"...Wang Sheng is a very vicious and treacherous person!"

"The King of Qin has repeatedly sent him as an envoy to Egypt, surely to disrupt its domestic politics!"

Thus,
This would allow them to exert pressure and force Egypt to become a vassal state of Qin and pay tribute.
Later, as the exchange and integration deepened,
What problem is there in letting the great hands of the virtuous men of the Chinese lands caress the beautiful and mysterious delta of the Nile?

"How vicious!"

Finally, Zhang Qian did not forget to criticize the Qin state in order to show his love and loyalty to the Han Dynasty.

Tangyi Fu slurped his paomo (a type of flatbread soaked in broth), and could only sigh:
"Fortunately, the land beyond the Great Wall only grows grass."

otherwise,

If we trace his lineage back eighteen generations, he no longer needs to be considered a Xiongnu!
They've long been integrated into the Chinese civilization!
……

"So, what's Wang Sheng up to in Egypt all this time?"

On the roof beam,
He Bo and his clone lay on top of it, completely eavesdropping on Zhang Qian's words.

The black bird said, "How would I know?"

"You can't even take the Yangtze River, and you expect me to go to the Nile to get a beating?"

"Why don't you just become my clone after I've refined the Nile River?"

Upon hearing this, He Bo clenched his fists, looking indignant and resentful, as if seeing nothing but rebellion everywhere he looked.
"As expected, you also love coconut-filled buns!"

"I'm going to make that bastard in Anhe stop making this thing!"

Even the clones are unwilling to listen to their original self, and are always plotting to overthrow them.

This is definitely not He Bo's fault!

Therefore,
The problem must lie with the giant tortoise that's been diligently working on the Ancestral Mausoleum Mountain in Xia Kingdom! It's because every clone of his is eating the special Xia Kingdom products he made!

The black bird scoffed and shook its feathers in front of its true form.

Ah,
I love the way you don't like me, but you can't kill me!

Enraged, He Bo left and moved to the vicinity of Ying Zheng and his son Fusu.

at this time,

Four generations of the Ying family were strolling around the Qin royal palace.

Although it was Ying Pijiang's great-grandson who moved to Andu City.

But this did not prevent Ying Pijiang from proudly showing his father and grandfather the achievements he had made over the years, in the manner of a master.

The old man, who looked to be in his sixties, smiled and kept calling out to his father, who looked to be only thirty, and his grandfather, who was only fifty years old by the Chinese age reckoning.

He calmly called out to them, revealing the same carefree smile that Emperor Changsun had worn many years ago, when he would ride a horse in the Xianyang Palace and roam freely in Guanzhong.

Ying Duan, also an old fox, followed cautiously beside his father, stealing glances at him every now and then, and couldn't help but think:
The father's smile and expression,
As his son, I had never seen it before.

Fleeing far beyond the borders,

The pressure and pain of national revival

That caused the boy, who was only ten years old, to die very young.

but now,
Thanks to the power of ghosts and gods,

The eldest grandson of the emperor, Ying Pijiang, has come back to life.

His aged eyes gazed at the person before him, revealing deep affection and longing.

Fusu and his wife, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, held hands and showed their affection for their long-separated son without reservation.

They would touch Ying Pijiang's sideburns, tug at his beard, and laugh as they said he had grown old and ugly.

But she's still as lively and adorable as she was back then.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang watched the family of three interacting, then turned his head away with a calm expression, pretending that the palace decorations next to him were very beautiful and attracted his attention.

Seeing this, Ying Duan quietly moved closer to his great-grandfather.

Ying Zheng did not drive him away. Instead, he put on a stern face and gave this great-grandson, whom he had never met before and whose appearance was even older than his own, a lecture typical of an elder.

For this,

How could He Bo just stand by and watch him bully the old man?
"Can't we learn from Liu Tuan?"

He jumped out and pushed the perpetually awkward Ying Zheng toward Fusu's family.

"Even now, Old Man Liu still hugs Liu Bang and calls him his big son!"

Although he was over ninety years old

The scene of him comforting his sixty-something-year-old son by hugging him and taking his place because the son complained that he had run into his old rival while traveling and was being chased by him is quite absurd.

But they really do say what they mean.

Because some things, if you hold them in for too long, will harm your health!

"I recognized it at a glance!"

"You really want to get along well with your children and grandchildren!"

"You've been pointing out where Ying Duan fell short, but deep down you really admire his achievement in conquering the two rivers, haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Duan looked at his great-grandfather with sparkling eyes.

Ying Zheng was somewhat embarrassed and ignored him, instead forcefully changing the subject and speaking to the ghosts and gods:
What are you doing here all of a sudden?

"If you're bored and want to have some fun, you can go somewhere else."

Don't disturb the precious time your family is having together!

He Bo said, "I do have something I want to ask."

He told Wang Sheng about it.

Upon hearing this, Ying Duan said, "The Qin state has indeed had such intentions recently."

"So you really sent Wang Sheng over there to cause trouble?"

He Bo blinked and said to the Qin rulers, "Aren't you afraid that this Qin envoy will be in danger?"

"What can be done about this?"

"We are merely former rulers; how can we interfere with the current King of Qin's decisions?"

Besides,

If the messenger dies outside...

It might not necessarily be a bad thing!

He Bo understood what he meant and was astonished.

……

at the same time,

King Sheng of Egypt was unaware of this.
His fame, thanks to Zhang Qian and the supernatural, had already reached the ears of the legendary First Emperor and Second Emperor.

He merely drew his sharp sword with a fierce look in his eyes, gathered his thirty-odd men, and charged headlong into the Egyptian palace.

"You barbarian, born evil! I'll show you what the power of education is!"

(End of this chapter)