It wasn't that the envoys from the small countries were spineless, but that they were truly frightened.
It was one thing for Earth-rank Fu-lu to bombard indiscriminately, and it wasn't a big deal for unheard of pill dao attacks. It was possible to find flaws in a joint attack formation, but who had ever seen a wall covered with Heaven-rank Fu-lu just for people to admire?
That was a precious Heaven-rank Fu-lu, not some cabbage.
Before coming to the Great Zhou, they had come to the conclusion that the Great Zhou was going to fall.
After visiting the Great Zhou's Department of Offerings, they deeply realized that the Great Zhou was the absolute king of the Zu Continent.
They began to panic.
…
Not long after Li Mu returned to the palace, the Ministry of Rites sent over a report.
Just now, after the envoys from the small countries finished visiting the Department of Offerings, they immediately sent the list of tributes to the Ministry of Rites. These small countries were different from the other six countries. No matter how much the Great Zhou declined, it wasn't something they could contend against. The reason they didn't immediately offer tributes was because they were observing the other countries.
After witnessing the power of the Great Zhou with their own eyes, they all put away their hesitation.
In the Chamberlain of Dependencies, the envoys from the other countries gathered together, their hearts particularly complicated.
The envoy from Liang sighed deeply and said, "I originally thought that the invasion of the Great Zhou was the beginning of its decline. I didn't expect that this would be their chance to rise again …"
The envoy from Yu said helplessly, "The Great Zhou is indeed the Great Zhou. Fortunately, we made sufficient preparations. Otherwise, it's very likely that we would have fallen to the same fate as the Shen Kingdom."
After some hesitation, the envoys from Jiang and Jing also spoke up.
"The tributes cannot be cut off."
"Not only must they not be cut off, but they must be restored to their former state. We must satisfy the Great Zhou …"
…
Only an hour later, Li Mu received another message. Liang, Yu, Jing, Jiang, and Yong had also sent a list of tributes to the Ministry of Rites. They indicated that this was only the first batch of tributes, and that the second batch would arrive within half a year.
In the Changle Palace, the Empress, who was reading a book while reclining on her dragon throne, snorted coldly and said, "Have the Ministry of Rites send the items back. The Great Zhou does not lack this bit of tribute, nor do we need them to pay tribute."
Li Mu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Please reconsider. Do you still want to grow flowers and plants as soon as possible?"
Although Zhou Yi disdained to pay attention to the capricious people of the other countries, what Li Mu said was what she cared about the most. Accepting tributes from the other countries was good for rallying the people's hearts. She picked up the book again and waved her hand. "Forget it, I don't care anymore. You decide."
Li Mu said, "Then I will accept their tributes on behalf of Your Majesty."
Although the tributes from the other countries didn't make much of a difference to the national treasury, it made a big difference to the people of the Great Zhou.
Who didn't want their motherland to be strong? Accepting tributes from the other countries could strengthen the cohesion of the people, increase the happiness of the people, and increase their psychokinesis and speed up the condensation of imperial qi?
If the Empress wanted to retire from her position as empress soon and spend her old age with Li Mu, it was best not to be willful.
Li Mu had just finished drafting the edict when Mr. Mei walked in and said, "Your Majesty, an envoy from the Yong Kingdom is outside the palace, requesting an audience."
Zhou Yi put down her book and sat up from her dragon throne. "What is the Yong Kingdom doing here?" she asked.
Mr. Mei shook his head. "I don't know. Does Your Majesty wish to see them?"
Zhou Yi thought for a moment, then said, "Have them wait outside the imperial study."
The Changle Palace was her sleeping quarters. She generally didn't receive foreign officials here. Zhou Yi stood up, glanced at Li Mu, and said, "Come with Us."
Among the six countries, the Yong Kingdom wasn't the strongest, but it had the most prospects.
The four countries of Liang, Yu, Jiang, and Jing relied on the support of the four Daoist sects. Without the four Daoist sects, the Yong Kingdom would immediately be reduced to a low-tier country.
The Shen Kingdom was the birthplace of Buddhism. It wasn't small and had a large population. However, there were too many internal problems, and the quality of the people was generally low. The Great Zhou had once thought the Shen Kingdom to be very powerful, but after fighting it once, they discovered that the Shen Kingdom was only strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
Only the Yong Kingdom's strength was truly powerful.
Disregarding everything else, a country with less than a tenth of the Great Zhou's population had condensed three strands of Emperor's Qi within fifty years, creating three Transcending Mortality experts for the Yong Kingdom.
The Great Zhou had ten times the population of the Yong Kingdom and was known as the strongest country on the Zu Continent. Yet, in the same amount of time, it had barely managed to condense one strand of Emperor's Qi. Just based on this, the Great Zhou's previous emperor and the previous emperor would be ashamed even if they were lying in their coffins.
It wasn't hard to guess how condensed the Yong Kingdom's people's Qi was.
A single country had produced five generations of wise emperors. If he hadn't transmigrated, it wasn't impossible for the Yong Kingdom to defeat the Great Zhou and unify the Zu Continent several decades later.
The imperial study.
This was the place where the Empress received foreign officials outside of the morning court session. The layout was very similar to the Ziwei Palace. The Empress stood behind a curtain, while Li Mu stood in the middle of the hall. Before long, Mr. Mei led two people into the study.
One was a middle-aged man, and the other was a young man. They were the envoys sent by the Yong Kingdom.
The middle-aged man cupped his hands and bowed to the Empress, saying, "Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty, the Empress of the Great Zhou."
The Empress asked from behind the curtain, "Envoys from the Yong Kingdom, what business do you have with Us?"
The middle-aged man replied, "Before this subject came to the Great Zhou, I was ordered by the Emperor to request a mutual waiver of tariffs between the Great Zhou and the Yong Kingdom in order to promote friendly trade between the two countries …"
The Empress's voice quickly reached Li Mu's ears, "What do you think?"
Mutual waiver of tariffs between the two countries had both advantages and disadvantages. If they retained their advantages and curbed their disadvantages, it would be a good thing for the people of both countries. The Yong Kingdom's monarch clearly had foresight that others didn't possess.
Li Mu stepped forward and said, "This matter still needs to be discussed in detail. I will give you an answer in a few days."
The middle-aged man cupped his hands and said, "This is a matter that will benefit the people of both countries. I hope Your Imperial Majesty will be able to judge this matter clearly. We will quietly await the good news."
Not long after, the two men withdrew from the imperial study. The Empress walked out from behind the curtain and said, "This matter …"
Li Mu replied, "Leave this matter to this subject …"
The Empress looked at Li Mu with satisfaction before finding Xiao Bai, Wanwan, and the others to play mahjong. Li Mu remained in the imperial study, pondering over the matter that the Yong Kingdom's envoy had just spoken of.
At the very least, the removal of trade barriers between the two countries was beneficial to the common people. They could use cheaper prices to purchase goods from the other country. However, if they didn't control it well, it would be a devastating blow to the merchants of their own country. Which goods should have their tariffs reduced? Which goods should have their tariffs reduced? How to reduce them? How to reduce them? How to reduce them?
Li Mu first went to the Ministry of Revenue. After spending a few days doing his homework, he already had some ideas.
He arrived at the Chamberlain of Dependencies and knocked on a courtyard door.
The one who opened the door was the young man from the Yong Kingdom's envoy. When he saw Li Mu, his expression froze, appearing somewhat flustered.
Li Mu strolled into the courtyard. Glancing around, he saw an easel propped up in the courtyard.
On the canvas, a painting was nearly completed. It depicted an extremely handsome man, about as handsome as Li Mu. When he looked again, wasn't the man in the painting himself?
After staring blankly for a moment, Li Mu seemed to have thought of something. Turning around, he stared at the young man and asked in an unfriendly tone, "Why did you draw this official's portrait? Are you planning to find an assassin to assassinate this official after returning to your country?"
If not for Li Mu, the other countries would have been able to laugh at the ridiculousness of the Great Zhou, especially Great Yong. In the future, Great Yong would have the possibility of unifying the Zu Continent. If one had to say who they hated the most, it would naturally be him.
The Yong Kingdom's envoy had drawn his portrait for no apparent reason. Li Mu had enough reason to suspect that this person harbored evil intentions.
Hearing his words, the young man became even more flustered. Promptly shaking his head, he said, "No, no, I drew it casually …"
"Casually drew it?"
Li Mu glanced at the painting again. The painting had both form and spirit, and it was extremely lifelike. In particular, the expression in the eyes was no different from that of a real person. It gave one the impression that the person in the painting would walk out of the painting at any moment.
If this was called a casual drawing, then what were Li Mu's recent paintings called?
At this moment, Li Mu felt that he had been insulted.
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