Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 186 Taking Advantage of the Situation (Part 2)

Jiang Xia gritted her teeth and said, "What you said makes sense. How about this, I'll lend you two hundred chariots, three thousand armors, and also give you twenty carts of medicine. What do you think?"

Seeing that Jiang Xia had actually agreed to lend half of the armory, Wu Wenhe's eyes suddenly gleamed. He bowed deeply and said in a long voice, "Jiao Bo's actions are truly a timely help. The entire Xu Kingdom regards Jiao Kingdom as its pillar of support. Whenever there is a mission, the people of Xu will be fully armed and ready to serve as the vanguard for Jiao Kingdom."

Jiang Xia stood with his hands behind his back, glanced at Wu Wenhe, and said, "Who asked you to don armor and lead the vanguard for Jiao State? Prime Minister Wu, you speak well. What I want is not empty words, but to keep the Ji State outside Xiaohan Pass."

"Uncle Jiao, don't worry,"

Wu Wenhe replied, "As long as Xu Guo exists, Xiaohan will be as solid as iron and bronze. Even with thousands of troops, the Ji clans will not be able to cross it."

Jiang Xia looked at Wu Wenhe and finally chuckled softly, saying, "I have taken your words to heart, Prime Minister Wu."

Wu Wenhe said in a low voice, "Jiao Boming illuminates thousands of miles; the entire nation will surely honor his promise even unto death."

"However, besides that, I have another request, which I will not presume to make,"

Seeing that Wu Wenhe was still not satisfied, Jiang Xia was taken aback, her face darkening slightly. She said indifferently, "What else do you want?"

Wu Wenhe thought for a moment and said solemnly, "The Ji clan is powerful. Xu State only has the aid of Jiao State, which is still not enough to support it alone. I have long heard that the states in the western part of Henan have always looked to Jiao State for guidance. Although Xu State has received weapons and armor from Jiao Bohou, it still needs to make more alliances with other states."

"If Jiao Bo is willing to act as guarantor for the State of Xu and write to the states of Dongliang, Xia, and Xi, explaining that the State of Xu is a bulwark in the western corner and hoping that the states can temporarily lend armor, chariots, and medicine to help with the emergency, this would also be a form of assistance."

He paused slightly at this point, then continued, "Jiao State is the elder state of the western region, with extremely high prestige. With Jiao Bojin's promise before us, all the other states will surely understand the principle of interdependence."

"If the State of Xu can gather the strength of the western corner, what is there to fear from the invasion of the Ji clan in the east? When the war eases down in the future, even if the State of Xu exhausts its treasury, it will surely pay off all debts."

Wu Wenhe's meaning was clear: he not only wanted Jiao's aid, but also wanted the western states to join in helping Xu.

Although Jiao is wealthy, it is difficult for it to support Xu several times with its own strength.

The situation was different for the states in the western corner. Each of these states provided Xu with some aid, which amounted to an astonishing sum of supplies and military equipment.

With these, Xu Guo's overall strength will surely experience explosive growth.

Under normal circumstances, Wu Wenhe would never have asked for help, but the current turbulent situation and the growing power of the Ji family have given Wu Wenhe the opportunity.

This is also why Lü Shang chose to expand eastward rather than westward.

With the threat posed by the Ji clan, the western lords naturally did not hesitate to provide some support to the State of Xu.

The candlelight flickered in the Mingtang Hall. Jiang Xia walked to the window with her hands behind her back. After a long while, she said slowly, "Prime Minister Wu is truly cunning."

"Very well, I may write to the western states and explain the matter of Xu's resistance against Ji. Whether Prime Minister Wu can obtain their assistance depends on how he persuades them."

Upon hearing this, Wu Wenhe was overjoyed and quickly bowed deeply again, saying loudly, "The great kindness of Uncle Jiao will never be forgotten by the people of Xu."

Jiang Xia waved his hand, signaling a palace servant to bring pen, ink, and bamboo slips. He tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Don't rush to thank me. The western states each have their own agendas. That old scoundrel from Dongliang has always been at odds with me, and Xia and Xi are notoriously stingy."

He looked at Wu Wenhe with a half-smile and said, "If Prime Minister Wu wants to borrow something from them, he'll have to use some persuasion."

Wu Wenhe stroked his beard and said solemnly, "Jiao Boken's act of speaking on our behalf is already a tremendous help. As for how to persuade the various states,"

His gaze darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice, "As a foreign subject serving as the mouthpiece of Xu State, I should explain the advantages and disadvantages to them and move them with the idea of ​​survival. I believe that among the states in the western corner, there must be some insightful people who understand the current critical situation."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow, picked up a wolf-hair brush, and quickly wrote several lines on the bamboo slip. Before the ink was dry, he threw it on the table and said, "In this letter, I only say that the State of Xu is fighting against the Ji clan states and needs assistance, but I will not force you to do so. Whether it succeeds or not depends entirely on your ability."

"I am already deeply grateful that Jiao Bo was willing to speak up for the State of Xu," Wu Wenhe said, quickly taking the bamboo slip, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
He read the bamboo slips quickly, then held them up with both hands, bowed solemnly to Jiang Xia, and said, "Your subject will depart for Dongliang tomorrow, and will certainly not disappoint Jiao Bo."

"Go ahead,"

Jiang Xia waved her hand, signaling the palace servants to lead Ling Wuwen out of the palace.

After carefully tucking the bamboo slips into his sleeve, Wu Wenhe bowed his head and bowed again before following the palace attendants out of the Mingtang.

The night wind tinkled the copper bells on the eaves, and Wu Wenhe slowly walked through the corridor.

A palace servant led the way with a lantern, the light and shadow flickering on Wu Wenhe's face, casting a shadow on his brow bone. He lowered his eyes and stared at the blue bricks under his feet, his steps flowing smoothly.

After glancing at the night sky, Wu Wenhe immediately said, "Back to the inn."

It is unrealistic to go to Dongliang and other states to beg for money right now.

After all, at this hour, all four gates of Jiaodu were closed. Unless Wu Wen and a foreign envoy received an order from Jiao Bo to open the four gates of Jiaodu, they could only wait until dawn to travel.

Before the palace gate, the driver waited quietly for Wu Wenhe, while the horses of the bronze chariot impatiently pawed at each other, and the bronze bells jingled softly.

"drive,"

After Wu Wenhe helped himself into the carriage and sat down, the driver gently shook the reins, and the bronze carriage's horse neighed softly, its hooves striking the stone road and sending up a few sparks.

"With this letter, the western kingdoms, apart from the four great regional governors, will all give me some face, more or less,"

Wu Wenhe leaned against the carriage curtains, closed his eyes to rest, and amidst the soft clatter of the bronze carriage wheels rolling over the gravel road, he silently counted the reserves of the Jiao Kingdom's armory and the temperaments of the rulers of the western states.

When we arrived at the gate of the inn, the lanterns under the eaves were still swaying in the night wind.

The driver bent down and said, "Minister Wu, we have arrived at the post station."

"Um,"

Wu Wenhe raised his hand to rub his temples, stepped into the main gate of the post station, and the night watchmen hurriedly lit the candles.

"Bring the map,"

Upon arriving at the inn, he untied the jade pendant from his waist and placed it on the table, the candlelight casting its shadow on the mud wall.

"Minister Wu, map,"

As soon as Wu Wenhe finished speaking, a servant unfolded a yellowed map on the table.

He looked at the map and lightly tapped along the ancient Xiaohan Road. The territories of the western states were like stars on a chessboard on the map, with Jiao State in the center, Dongliang in the north, Xia State and Xi State in the southwest, and more than ten other small and medium-sized states surrounding it like stars around the moon.

Wu Wenhe's fingertips traced the border of the Eastern Liang Kingdom, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He held a brush and ink, writing and drawing on the picture, nodding from time to time.

Before he knew it, a night had passed. As he put down his pen, the first rays of dawn were already streaming through the window. Wu Wenhe rubbed his sore eyes and suddenly heard the neighing of horses outside the post station. The driver was feeding the horses, and the copper bells vibrated with the horses' hooves.

(End of this chapter)