Chapter 134 Seeking Help from Guoyuan

Seeing Meng Di agree so readily, a smile immediately appeared on Tian Chang's face.

"The matter is very simple. I only ask that when Meng Zi meets Prime Minister Gao this time, you must put on a show of being determined to take the state of Ju no matter what. As long as Meng Zi can accomplish this, my Tian clan will definitely assist you with all our might."

"I have heard that recently, Meng Zi issued the Tian Reward Decree, and the number of commoners going to seek refuge with Meng Di is increasing by the day. Even some people from my state of Qi have gone to pledge allegiance. Under such circumstances, Meng Zi must be facing a shortage of funds and grain."

"My Tian clan has prepared a batch of wealth and grain to present to Meng Zi free of charge, as a demonstration of our sincerity. I wonder what Meng Zi thinks of my proposal just now?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Di inwardly cursed. True to form, the Tian clan would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They were planning to use him as a pawn, deliberately worsening his relations with Gao Zhang so that they could defeat the Qi army in the future and further undermine Gao Zhang's prestige within Qi.

If Meng Di managed to win, the Marquis of Qi would inevitably become dissatisfied with Gao Zhang. If he lost, the state of Qi would simply have one less rival, while the Tian clan would merely have lost some funds and grain. Thinking of this, a look of hesitation crossed his face.

"Isn't Young Master Tian somewhat overestimating Meng? The only reason I was able to defeat the Qi army last time was pure luck. If Qi dispatches a large army to invade Lu this time, Meng has no confidence in being able to resist."

Hearing this, Tian Chang knew at once that Meng Di was bargaining; otherwise, he would have directly refused and not left his words so ambiguous. Therefore, the smile on his face remained unchanged as he offered another condition.

"If Meng Zi can achieve this, then when Meng Zi attacks the state of Ju in the future, the Tian clan will lend you a helping hand and divide the state of Ju equally with you. What do you think of that?"

Hearing this, Meng Di's heart stirred. It seemed the Tian clan was making a heavy investment this time and had full confidence in him. Since that was the case, he certainly had to seize this opportunity to make exorbitant demands, or he would fail to justify the risks he was taking.

With this thought in mind, he hesitated no longer and spoke directly.

"Since Young Master Tian is so sincere, and since Meng has enjoyed the goodwill of the Tian clan for so long, it is only natural that I reciprocate. However, Mengyi is currently lacking in everything. If the Tian clan can sponsor a batch of horses, bronze, and base metals,"

"so that Meng can train a new army in a short period of time, forge farming tools, and pacify the hearts of the people, then when the Qi army attacks in the future, Meng will also have the confidence to resist."

Hearing this condition, Tian Chang frowned in contemplation for a moment. Horses were relatively easy to provide, but bronze was the raw material for forging weapons. As for base metals, they were heavy and brittle, suitable only for making farm implements. After considering the matter for a while, he said,

"I can provide Meng Zi with several thousand horses. As for bronze, it is too sensitive a material, and since Qi is currently preparing for war, I cannot give you very much. As for base metals, that is easy; I can give you a larger quantity. However, this material is extremely heavy and rather inconvenient to transport. We must find a way to handle it."

Upon hearing Tian Chang's agreement, Meng Di was overjoyed. He already had enough horses to equip thirty thousand men, so he was not in urgent need of them for the time being. Bronze was merely a cover, whereas iron was what he needed most. Therefore, he immediately stated,

"That is easily settled. The Tian clan can dispatch men to transport the goods from Langya directly to the vicinity of Ju, and Meng will send men to meet them there. In this way, not only can we avoid the prying eyes within Qi, but the supplies can also be delivered stealthily without anyone noticing."

With these matters settled, Tian Chang left in satisfaction. Meng Di, however, sat quietly, sighing inwardly. The Tian clan was truly ambitious, conspiring for private gain at every turn even in times like these.

If the Tian clan were to seize power in Qi in the future, the state would inevitably gradually transform into something resembling the present state of Jin. Especially when thinking of the Tian clan's eventual rebellion against Qi, Meng Di felt that time was running out for him.

Resuming his journey, he entered Linzi. After resting briefly, a soldier came forward to report.

"Reporting to the lord, Young Master Guo has come to pay a visit."

Meng Di hurriedly rose. Along the way, he had already considered the matter: whether he could successfully leave the state of Qi this time depended heavily on Guo Yuan as a crucial figure. A clan like the Tian clan, which calculated for its own interests at every turn, was completely untrustworthy.

Through his understanding of the internal situation in Qi over this period, Guo Xia was a cautious and steady man who considered matters from the perspective of the greater picture—precisely what Meng Di needed right now.

Furthermore, since he had already promised the Tian clan to make an enemy of Gao Zhang, his only remaining variable lay with the Guo clan.

After leading Guo Yuan into the main hall and dismissing the attendants, Meng Di spoke with a worried expression,

"Young Master Guo, to tell you the truth, my purpose in coming to Qi on this diplomatic mission is to ease the tensions between our two states. I was planning to visit your estate shortly, but I never expected Young Master Guo to come first. This is truly a meeting of minds."

"At present, Jin suffers from troubles both internal and external, while Lu and Qi have been at war for many years, harboring deep grievances against each other. What worries me is that if there should be turmoil in Jin in the future, what path should Lu follow? That is why I took on this arduous task to act as an envoy to Qi."

"Since Young Master Guo is here, I must ask: what is your esteemed father's view on the current situation?"

Guo Yuan first let out a sigh, and without concealing anything, spoke directly and frankly.

"My father still believes that maintaining Qi's hegemony should be the primary objective, and he does not advocate launching a massive military campaign against Lu. If Lu is willing to ally with Qi at this juncture, both states can be spared the scourge of war."

"Meng Zi's prestige within Lu grows day by day. I wonder if you might find a way to persuade the Marquis of Lu to ally with Qi? Fan Yang, the commander of the central army of Jin, is greedy and devoid of propriety; he actually went so far as to detain the envoy of Song for his own selfish reasons. Where is the demeanor of a great state in that?"

"To be frank, many feudal states have already dispatched envoys to Qi, wishing for the Marquis of Qi to uphold justice. Meng Zi is a wise man, so you should understand what this implies. With Jin now surrounded by crises, Lu ought to make plans early."

Hearing this, Meng Di shook his head somewhat helplessly, speaking in a tone full of emotion.

"The governance of Lu at present is entirely controlled by Yang Hu. Even if Meng wished to accomplish something, my hands would be tied. Just like this journey, I had to exhaust every scheme and maneuver to finally make Yang Hu agree to let me serve as an envoy to Qi."

"In my view, Yang Hu is still sitting on the fence. The future path of Lu depends primarily on what actions Jin takes hereafter. I believe Young Master Guo understands the reason behind this; for a small state, governance must follow the lead of the great states—this is a helpless reality."