I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 78 The Yan State's Alliance Strategy Fails

Prince Dan of Yan rushed to the State of Chu and met with King Fu Chu of Chu. King Fu Chu sat upright on the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power, and looked at Prince Dan of Yan with eyes that seemed to see through everything, and asked, "I am well aware of the purpose of your visit, Prince Dan. If the State of Qi is willing to send troops, the State of Chu will certainly send troops to help without hesitation."

When Prince Dan of Yan heard this news, his heart was filled with astonishment and he was overjoyed. If the Prime Minister could successfully persuade the State of Qi, then the alliance between the three states would be a foregone conclusion, and at that time, the State of Qin would be unable to resist them.

Prince Dan of Yan quickly said, "Thank you, King of Chu! Your Majesty is truly a man of great righteousness!"

The King of Chu simply said, "Crown Prince Yan, please go to the detached residence to rest for a while. Once news comes from Qi, Chu will send troops immediately."

After taking his leave, Prince Dan of Yan returned to his residence and silently awaited news from the State of Qi.

Meanwhile, in the Qi Kingdom, at the residence of Prime Minister Hou Sheng, Li You and Hou Sheng were drinking and chatting, having a lively time. Li You exclaimed, "The Prime Minister of Qi is truly a hero of our time. His capacity for alcohol is something I can only dream of."

Hou Sheng, his face flushed from drinking, said, "Li You, your father Li Si is younger than me, so you should respectfully call me uncle, haha."

A barely perceptible glint of killing intent flashed in Li You's eyes, but he still smiled and said, "Prime Minister, please don't make fun of me. My father is my father, and I am me. Our relationship has nothing to do with my father. Come, let me offer you another toast, brother."

Hou Sheng picked up his wine cup and said, "Brother Li You is absolutely right. I like it. Haha, come on." After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing that Hou Sheng had drunk enough, Li You waved for his men to bring up two boxes of glittering gold. He smiled and said, "This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won't refuse, brother."

Looking at the two boxes of glittering gold, Hou Sheng could no longer hide the greed on his face. He said with a big smile, "Then I thank you, brother. If you need any help, just ask, and I will do my best."

Li You's face lit up with joy, and he said with a smile, "I'm sure you know about the trade in papermaking technology in our Great Qin. To be honest, the price seems high, but it's actually negligible. Think about it, how many people can we sell the paper we produce with this papermaking technology? How many scholars can we train? We can easily earn that money back in a year, and with this papermaking technology, we'll have a steady stream of wealth every year."

Hou Sheng, his eyes glazed over, said as if he were half-drunk, "What you say is absolutely right."

Li You continued, "Besides, we have no choice but to set such high prices." After saying this, Li You let out a long sigh.

Hou Sheng, curious, pressed on, "Oh? What do you mean?"

Li You continued, “The State of Wei was the first to come to our Great Qin to purchase the papermaking technology. This was the price they offered. My king originally did not intend to pay such a high price, but Wei insisted on paying so much, and my king could not refuse, so he had to agree. As soon as he agreed, my king regretted it. If Wei offered such a high price, what about the other states? If he asked the other states for a lower price, how would he explain it to Wei? In the end, my king set this price, treating all states equally. Do you understand my king's good intentions, brother?”

Hou Sheng listened, inwardly cursing this as utterly shameless, but looking at the glittering gold before him, he still nodded and said, "What you say is very true, my brother. King Qin is indeed a benevolent ruler. It is the Yan state that is ungrateful. I will certainly persuade my king to reject the Yan state's request for an alliance and have my king send people to Qin to learn papermaking techniques. At that time, my brother, please do not forget my kindness!"

Li You concealed his disdain and said with a forced smile, "Of course, I will remember your kindness, brother. Once things are settled, I will repay you handsomely."

Hou Sheng burst into hearty laughter after hearing this, and then the two began to toast each other again until the rooster crowed. Only then did they reluctantly stop and go back to rest.

The next day, Hou Sheng paid a visit to the King of Qi and said, "Your Majesty, the envoy from the State of Yan will arrive in Yan soon to request an alliance against Qin. I wonder what Your Majesty's plans are?"

King Jian of Qi leaned lazily against the couch and said, "Uncle, what are your thoughts?"

Hou Sheng said, "I think we should never agree to this. Qin and Qi have always kept to themselves, but Yan and Qin have a deep-seated grudge. It would be best if we didn't get involved in this matter."

King Jian of Qi said, "What you say is very true, but how should we deal with the matter of Qin's papermaking technology?"

Hou Sheng said, "Papermaking was Qin's original invention, and paper has many uses. So it's reasonable that the price is a bit high. Besides, Wei has already offered such a high price, so how could the King of Qin offer a lower price to other countries? In my opinion, we can accept it. The benefits of learning papermaking are far more valuable than ten million taels of silver."

King Jian of Qi nodded slightly and said, "Very well, let my uncle decide on this matter."

After Hou Sheng saw that he had successfully persuaded the King of Qi, he bowed and took his leave.

After receiving the reply, Li You was overjoyed. He smiled and said to Hou Sheng, "Brother, I still need to go back and report. When you have time to visit Xianyang, I will definitely clean the courtyard and welcome you with great respect."

Hou Sheng clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Haha, then I'll be eagerly waiting for it."

Li You whispered, "Brother, a batch of treasures will be delivered later. Please remember to check them!"

Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng's eyes lit up, and he said with a beaming smile, "Little brother, you are too kind. Then I will accept your offer without hesitation."

Li You nodded again and said, "Brother, please accept it. I'll take my leave now."

Hou Sheng said, "Alright, then have a safe journey, little brother."

After the two parted, Li You spurred his horse and galloped towards Xianyang City.

After Prime Minister Li Fu of Yan arrived in Qi, the King of Qi refused to let him in, citing illness. Helpless, Li Fu had no choice but to seek out Prime Minister Hou Sheng of Qi. Hou Sheng was very hospitable, taking Li Fu on a tour of the Qi capital, indulging in food, drink, and entertainment. However, when it came to Li Fu's suggestion to jointly attack Qin, Hou Sheng deflected the question, saying that the King should make the decision.

Seeing this, Li Fu requested an audience with the King of Qi again, but the king still claimed illness and refused to see him. Only then did Li Fu realize that the State of Qi had made up its mind not to unite with them against Qin. In the end, Li Fu had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

What no one expected was that Wang Jian was now like a lurking tiger, stationing his troops in the former territory of the Zhongshan State, eyeing the Yan State with predatory intent, ready to invade at any moment.