This matter needed to be properly discussed – a force of ten million soldiers was not to be looked down on. Great Qin absolutely could not make the first move; otherwise, if the four sides attacked simultaneously, Great Qin would be in a very dire position.
However, as Great Qin cleared out Hundred Bamboo, they started to feel more and more restless and started to have ideas about attacking Great Qin first.
Zhao Fu gathered all of his Generals and conducted a meeting. When they heard about a force of ten million soldiers, everyone’s expressions became quite serious. Great Qin only had a total population of roughly ten million, and they definitely would not be able to defeat them.
Since they could not win in a direct fight, they had to think of subtler means. Great Qin did not lack people who were skilled at strategies and plots, such as Wei Liao, Li Si, and Shang Yang.
“Your Majesty, Great Qin should not attack in this situation, and we should instead try to pacify the four sides,” Wei Liao said as he cupped his hands.
Everyone else agreed; since they could not defeat all of the allied regions, they could only try to settle for peace.
After some more detailed discussion, they went about carrying out their plan.
Zhao Fu sent three people out as ambassadors, taking with them 50,000 pieces of Yin Bone China, 500 kilograms of spices, 10,000 bottles of medicinal pills, 10,000 pieces of equipment, and many other items, and he sent them out to the west, south, and north so as to express their friendly intentions.
The eastern side had 3.1 million soldiers, the western side had 2.6 million soldiers, the southern side had 2.6 million soldiers, and the northern side had 2.1 million soldiers. The eastern side was the strongest, while the western, southern, and northern sides were weaker.
However, the ones that Zhao Fu delivered presents to were the three weaker sides, and he did not send any presents to the strongest side. He had no intentions of doing this.
If the four sides only fended for themselves, Great Qin would be able to deal with each of them one at a time. However, Zhao Fu was worried that as soon as he started to attack one side, the other sides would also attack Great Qin.
Facing enemies from four sides, Great Qin would definitely lose, so Zhao Fu had to pacify at least three sides first. The reason he chose the three weaker sides was simple: ordinarily, people would pacify the stronger ones first before attacking the weaker ones.
After all, the weaker ones would be easier to get rid of, and after getting rid of one of them, there would be three left, resulting in less pressure. Anyone would be able to guess what Great Qin’s intentions were. If that was the case, they might not accept Zhao Fu’s presents and would instead choose to work with the other sides to destroy Great Qin first. After all, the biggest threat was Great Qin.
As such, Zhao Fu decided to do the opposite: pacify the three weaker sides and challenge the strongest one. Because those three sides were relatively weaker, they would not have as much confidence, especially the northern side, which was the weakest. Because they were the weakest, they might be Great Qin’s first target.
As such, if Zhao Fu expressed his goodwill to these three sides, it would be quite easy for them to accept that goodwill because they did not have too much confidence in facing Great Qin with their strength.
At the same time, they would all want to see Great Qin and the eastern side fight it out and receive heavy casualties. That way, the danger they faced would be negligible, and they would be able to take down Great Qin without much effort.
Zhao Fu’s three ambassadors reached the three sides, and hearing that Great Qin had taken the initiative to express their goodwill, the three sides were all extremely surprised and shocked.
The ambassadors not only took out presents and gifted them to the various factions, but they also conveyed Zhao Fu’s words that he wanted to get along with them and wanted a truce. They could also sign a high-grade Contract to prove Great Qin’s goodwill and that they did not intend to invade their territory.
If they liked these presents, Great Qin could send them every year in greater quantities. Currently, Great Qin was acting incredibly harmonious, and Great Qin didn’t have a hint of killing intent.
The northern side was the happiest, and ten or so City Lords sat together and discussed.
A chubby man said, “What do you all think about this? I’m of the opinion that we can sign a Contract with them. Our side is the weakest, and we would otherwise be the first side to be attacked. If we sign a Contract with them, we won’t have to worry about them in the future, and we can return to doing our own thing!”
An ordinary-looking young man said, “I agree. I heard from an esper that Great Qin was the creator of many of those abnormal signs and is incredibly terrifying. Our side is the weakest, so it’s best that we sign a Contract with them. With a high-grade Contract, we can all rest easy.”
“Ai! Let’s just sign a Contract with them then. With their strength, we simply can’t defend against them, and having peace right now would be the best. No one wants their city to be conquered,” a ruddy-faced elderly man said as he sighed.
Hearing this, the others all nodded and agreed to sign a Contract.
At the southern side, a red-faced big man laughed as he said, “Looks like Great Qin isn’t so powerful after all, and it’s gone soft and sent over so many presents, hoping that we can have peace. We were all worried for nothing! As I said, we didn’t even need to ally together; they wouldn’t dare to attack us anyway!”
“They’ve sent so many presents and even offered to sign a Contract; this proves that they really are thinking of peace. Their attitude is quite good, so there’s no need for us to sacrifice a large number of soldiers to attack them,” a pretty-looking woman said.
“I don’t mind that. I personally don’t like fighting. I just want my city to not be invaded and to live with my residents and soldiers peacefully. If we can resolve this peacefully, that would be for the best,” a scholarly middle-aged man said.
After some discussions, the southern side also decided to sign a Contract with Great Qin.
In the western side, there were many people who Zhao Fu was familiar with. Back when he had unleashed the Undead Disaster, many City Lords had been threatened, and many of them had now allied together.
“I feel that we can consider working together. Given how bloodthirsty Great Qin is, it’s best to be at peace with them. If they start up another Undead Disaster, we won’t be able to defend against it!” a middle-aged man with some stubble said.
“I disagree. With how evil and cruel Great Qin is, I believe we should get rid of it to prevent any disasters in the future. I heard that the other sides want to attack him as well, so I think that this is the best opportunity to get rid of him!” someone said. The one who spoke was that peerlessly beautiful woman in white.
However, another beautiful-looking woman said, “I think their attitude is quite good this time. They’ve sent gifts and said such courteous words. They have expressed their goodwill. Moreover, can’t we sign a Contract? Last time, we signed a half-year Contract, and everything was fine. I think we should sign another Contract!”