After watching Li Xin leave, Brack turned his head to the generals behind him and asked, "What do you think of this person?"
"Although he is just an ordinary envoy, his deanor far exceeds that of any previous envoy. At the very least, he showed no trace of fear from start to finish, not even when threatened by Yano Lipu," Hirilah said, slightly admiring Li Xin’s back, guarded by escorts.
"Yano Lipu, I know you have a lot of confusion and anger, but now is not the ti to unleash it. We will inevitably have a battle with the Han Dynasty next, so anything you wish to ask, use your sword to inquire of your enemies before you," Brack said with a smile, seeing Yano Lipu’s displeased expression.
"I will use my sword to inquire of them if they are worth my fighting. Let them co," Yano Lipu said arrogantly, as one of the Kushan Empire’s few ultimate Inner Qi Manifestation masters, he had absolute confidence in his martial force.
"Prepare for war. Since the Han Empire is confident enough to let us choose the ti and place, let’s prepare a grand gift for them," Brack said with a slight smile.
"This isn’t right," Sulapri said, frowning, "Even if the other side lets us choose the ti and place, it’s disgraceful if we go too far."
"There’s no disgrace in war. Since they hold themselves with such high deanor, why not take advantage? Rember when Emperor Yano Gaozhen was defeated at Onion Ridge, why not seize the chance if we have it?" Brack shook his head.
"They gave us the opportunity to choose the ti and place, and within the rules, why not use it? Face ans nothing, let’s talk about victory first," Hirilah said with a light laugh, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"But if we act like this, isn’t it admitting our Kushan is inferior to the Han Dynasty?" Sulapri furrowed his brows, "After all, for over a hundred years, we have almost been undefeated, from nothing to conquering southward from Onion Ridge, becoming a strong dynasty."
"It’s simply that we haven’t faced a truly strong country like before. Look at those around us; which country counts as strong?" Leiblalei shrugged, which imdiately made the nearby generals show dissatisfaction.
"Although this isn’t pleasant for everyone to hear, I still must say, until we truly confront and defeat the Han Empire, we must maintain a sense of awe towards them," Brack said solemnly.
"At least under this heaven, as the once connecting link between east and west for the Royal Clan of Great Yuezhi, from ancient tis to today, we have only witnessed one empire’s demise," Leiblalei said, lightly smiling at the crowd.
"Just one instance is enough for us to rember. The Extre Western Ro has persisted against the Parthian Empire for over a hundred years without clear demise; as strong as the Parthian Empire is, our Kushan has fought them several tis, and apart from Emperor Yano Gaozhen’s initial victory, was there any other? During Parthia’s peak, did they completely annihilate us?" Hirilah calmly explained.
"Yet, centuries ago, the Hun Empire was overwhelmingly fierce, almost destroying our ancestors. Even just the Right Virtuous King’s western division fought all the way, threatening Onion Ridge. Such a strong empire was nearly obliterated by the Han Empire," Hirilah said with cold eyes sweeping over the generals, sending a chill down their spines.
"Enough, stop scaring them, Hirilah. You know these things; your family handles historical records, but don’t need to flaunt them," Brack halted Hirilah as the generals were subdued, fearing a blow to morale.
"Ha," Hirilah casually ceased the intimidation. Coming from a family that has long recorded the nation’s history, Hirilah knows the terrifying truths buried in history, thus holds a deep awe for the Han Empire.
Speaking of which, when Kushan was still in Central Asia, serving as the node for East-West exchanges, they understood the surrounding nations far better than Ro and the Han Dynasty. Consequently, within Hirilah’s family, there were detailed records of these nations.
Even after suffering heavily from the Huns, with lost classics, as compilers of historical accounts, they have an understanding of surrounding nations far deeper than ordinary nobles.
It’s like if Sima Qian had descendants who upheld his legacy, the Sima Family’s knowledge of surrounding nations would surely far surpass that of soone like Li Youu’s limited knowledge, borne from a wealth of family heritage.
"Hirilah, what’s the point of scaring people like this?" Amir, a military general who hadn’t said anything, looked displeased at Hirilah. He hardly fit in with these nobles; being a Dalit, he could only rely on himself to get by.
"Even though I dislike what Hirilah says, if I rember correctly, he’s speaking the truth. The Han Empire is the only super empire to successfully destroy another empire. This achievent is unmatched to date," Sharuk, a nearby military general, remarked slowly, causing the crowd to wear increasingly troubled expressions.
Realistically, the possibility of an empire falling to another country is very slim. The vast territory alone is enough to choke any ambitious country. Supplying a line is a challenge even in modern warfare, let alone in ancient tis.
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