People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 457 A Small Request
When they stepped into the conference hall, everyone was stunned for a moment. Unlike the palace they had imagined, what appeared before their eyes was just a wide and flat hall.

Although there were carpets on the floor of the conference hall and carved murals on the walls, these things were actually not that luxurious.

The real luxury is the jade, gold, and huge wooden halls in the Qin and Han imperial palaces. Compared with these, a few carpets and carvings are nothing.

Of course, the lack of luxurious decoration does not mean the loss of solemnity and seriousness. At least when many envoys stepped into it, they all felt the tranquility and solemnity of this place.

After just a moment of distraction, they saw a handsome man walking towards them with a smile.

Although it was only their first meeting, they immediately confirmed the identity of the person who came. This was Xu Chen, the actual ruler of Xuanxia.

Even in the foreseeable future, this man will become the new ruler of Chinese civilization. If it comes to this, this man will be the true supreme powerful person in the world.

They all knew that the man in front of them did not need the title of king or emperor to highlight his status. When he represented Chinese civilization, he naturally stood at the highest point.

"You envoys have been visiting for half a year, and I am only meeting you today for the first time. I am afraid I may be a little neglectful, so I hope you will not be offended."

Xu Chen came forward, and as soon as he spoke with a smile, everyone felt refreshed and happy.

It’s not that Xu Chen was born with some magical power, it’s just that when the superior shows kindness, the inferior is naturally flattered.

Many envoys were indeed a little frightened. They had expected the scene today to be a group of humble envoys kneeling on the ground, accepting the gaze of the high and mighty prime minister. However, when they actually saw this man, they did not feel any oppression due to their status and rank.

Is the man in front of me not noble enough?

No one standing here dared to say such words. They had a clear understanding of the strength of their respective countries and tribes. They believed that even if the chiefs and kings of their respective tribes came here in person, in terms of strength, they would probably only be qualified to speak on their knees.

Everyone was filled with fear and bowed in greeting, "We, the overseas envoys, are very lucky to be personally received by the Prime Minister. How dare we be dissatisfied?"

Xu Chen smiled and nodded, then led them back: "That's good, everyone please take a seat."

Afterwards, everyone followed the clerk and sat down one by one, feeling the soft and comfortable chairs beneath them. They couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship of Xuan Xia, that even a chair could be so comfortable to sit on.

Of course, they were more shocked by Xu Chen's friendly attitude.

In this kind of situation, can I even sit down and talk?
The layout of the conference hall is a circular area formed by everyone's seats. Xu Chen is sitting in the main seat. No matter where everyone sits, they all feel like guests.

After all, Xu Chen is not an emperor, and does not need to rely on hierarchical oppression to maintain his own sacredness, so he is not so aggressive towards external envoys.

Of course, this kind of friendliness now also has a prerequisite, that is, the envoys must be obedient.

Most small countries fear power but not virtue, Xu Chen naturally understands this better than anyone else, but Xuan Xia's power has already been demonstrated to them through the country's strength, so there is no need for him to show his power in person, which would only make him inferior.

Today's Xuan Xia must have both the power of the Celestial Empire and the demeanor of an advanced civilization.

After the clerk brought them tea, Xu Chen smiled and said, "You have been traveling in Xuanxia for more than half a year. I wonder what you think of Xuanxia?"

The envoys looked at each other, and finally Nan Shengmi answered: "The Xuantian Empire is a country with outstanding people and beautiful scenery. We are all fascinated after traveling here, and we only regret that we can't stay here for the rest of our lives." Xu Chen didn't react much to this answer, but just smiled and said: "Since it is the Celestial Empire, are the countries and tribes willing to accept it as their suzerain?"

This straightforward remark startled many envoys, but they were mentally prepared and were not panicked at this moment.

Nan Shengmi was about to speak, but Fan Jinsheng answered first: "I am the Supporting Southern Kingdom, and I am willing to respect Xuanxia as my suzerain. From now on, we will pay tribute every year, visit each other every year, sign a tribute treaty, and cultivate eternal friendship."

After these words were spoken, the smile on Xu Chen's face immediately became brighter.

Seeing this, Nan Shengmi cursed in his heart. At this critical moment, Fan Jinsheng took the lead in expressing his opinion. If he had expressed his opinion first, the prime minister in front of him would probably have a better impression of Yamatai.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough. If he couldn't be the first, he could be the second. He immediately spoke out in agreement.

The other envoys also came to their senses when they saw this. For a moment, the quiet and solemn conference hall seemed a little noisy, and the envoys seemed to be rushing to express their opinions.

Xu Chen was not surprised to see this. He brought so many people to Xuan Xia and let them travel around for half a year just to let them see the reality and make a choice.

He didn't believe that these small countries and tribes had the courage to refuse to cooperate now.

"All of you envoys are wise people. Concluding an alliance is a good thing for all countries and tribes. Since Xuanxia is the suzerain country, it is natural for us to lead all countries and tribes to make progress together.

If all countries and tribes are willing to form an alliance, then Xuanxia is also willing to share knowledge and technology with them. Our people can even go to various places in person to help you with production and construction.

In the future, your people can, with our help, grow spices, cotton, grain, and medicinal herbs, and then exchange them for ironware, clothes, and everything else they need from us."

Under Xu Chen's patient guidance, the envoys from various countries slowly immersed themselves in the picture he described. Such a future really sounded wonderful.

Just as the prime minister said, the covenant was not something that was difficult for them to accept, and they could actually benefit from it. To some extent, Xuan Xia's willingness to communicate with them in the form of this covenant could be regarded as a kind act of kindness.

Xuanxia needed these industrial raw materials, and could actually resort to force to directly oppress the indigenous people. If it did so, small countries like Yamatai and Funan would not be able to resist at all, not to mention those tribes that were even inferior to them.

However, Xuan Xia was destined not to make such a choice. Not to mention that Xuan Xia's philosophy did not allow it, even from a realistic perspective, this approach would be a thankless task.

Although Xuanxia is strong, it is still far from breaking through the shackles of agricultural civilization. Expeditionary warfare is still a very difficult task, let alone ocean-going warfare.

If a relationship can be established in the form of interests, there is no need to resort to force. In fact, the cost of establishing an alliance is countless times lower, and the effect can be achieved just the same.

Even if Xuan Xia still covets other people's land, force does not have to be the only means.

Of course, Xu Chen would not be so naive as to pin everything on the credibility of a small overseas country or tribe. When many envoys were surprised, Xu Chen also put forward some requirements with a smile, and the first one was a tough one that could not be refused.

"It's just that my people of Xuanxia have no protection when they go out to sea. In order to ensure their interests, Xuanxia has the obligation to send troops to garrison in various places. I believe that such a small request should not be difficult for the countries and tribes to accept, right?"

(End of this chapter)