Cai Wei laughed uproariously without any consideration for politeness, so hard that she nearly shed tears.
"Great Khan, all your women undergo the cutting ritual. Such maimed women are only treasured by you. In our Great Jin, only the disabled and old bachelors who can’t find a wife would want them. Rest assured, no one covets your women. As for the cattle and sheep, the capital of Great Jin is thousands of miles from here. It wouldn’t even cover the travel expenses, so nobody would take yours. Once you surrender, everything will be the same as before; you’ll live as you always have, with no one enslaving you. Not only that, but I’ve also thought of an excellent way to help the People of the Meng Slaves become wealthy!"
Tuoba Kui sneered, "Woman, why should I believe you?"
Cai Wei raised her hand, and suddenly, a square object appeared in it; this thing was thin, only slightly thicker than a sheet of paper, yet more crystalline and transparent than crystal. When looked at from one side to the other, there was absolutely no visual impediment.
She stepped forward, handing over the item in her hand to Tuoba Kui, and even kindly warned, "Be careful of the edges; they can cut your hands!"
Tuoba Kui stared at the miraculous thing in his hands, stunned for a moment, "What is this?"
Cai Wei smiled and said, "I will teach you how to craft glass. I’ll purchase each piece of glass for one ounce of silver. The raw materials needed to make this stuff are found everywhere in the land of the Meng Slaves, and you won’t need to spend a penny on them. So, you don’t have to worry about the cost of raw materials; just focus on crafting these objects. Moreover, I guarantee that no matter how much you make, I will buy all of it. Great Khan, what do you think of this deal?"
Tuoba Kui looked at the glass in his hand for a while, then lifted his head to ask, "How long does it take to make a piece of glass?"
Cai Wei held up a finger, her smile brilliant and lovely, "Great Khan, a fit Meng slave can burn at least ten pieces of glass daily!"
Tuoba Kui’s eyes flickered, his expression dark and indecisive, as if he couldn’t accept her proposal right away.
Cai Wei said, "Please make your decision soon, Great Khan. If you decide to surrender today, we can proceed as I mentioned earlier. But if you refuse to surrender, once King Qin captures Du Wang City, you and the people of the Meng Slaves will become prisoners of war, and all those decisions will be overturned. At that point, forget getting silver for burning glass. Even if these prisoners of war were made to work for nothing, would you dare resist?"
She smiled and casually added, "I have only given the Great Khan ten days to decide. If the Great Khan still hasn’t surrendered after ten days, I will have no choice but to take your life!"
The combination of kindness and severity in her words had shattered Tuoba Kui’s last line of psychological defense. He was human, not a deity, and like all ordinary people, he feared death and longed to live. The original determination to fight to the death was due to the fear of his clan members being enslaved by the people of Great Jin. Now, seeing a glimmer of hope that the Meng people would not be oppressed or enslaved, and that they could even live well, surrendering didn’t seem like such a bad option after all!
After a long contemplation, he finally lifted his head and said in a deep voice, "Can your words represent the Great Jin Nation?"
Knowing that she alone could not convince him, Cai Wei laughed and said, "If the Great Khan doesn’t trust me, that’s alright. Tomorrow morning, King Qin will send someone to discuss the surrender with the Great Khan. Once you sign and seal the agreement, you’ll naturally believe."
Tuoba Kui closed his eyes, and after a long pause, he said, "Good, I shall await the envoy from Great Jin tomorrow!"
Seeing him agree, Cai Wei’s mood immediately soared. She smiled brightly and said, "Now that the Great Khan has agreed, please ensure you keep your word and do not welcome the envoy from the Jin Kingdom as you did me today."
Tuoba Kui, upon hearing this, replied with a displeased expression, "Men of the Meng Slaves always keep their word, unlike you people from Great Jin who are deceitful. Once the Meng Slaves make a promise, we will surely keep it!"
These words greatly pleased Cai Wei. She beamed, reassuring Tuoba Kui a few more times before rising to take her leave.
Tuoba Kui watched her ride off on the white-furred tiger, swift as a bolt of lightning, and helplessly closed his eyes. Now, he truly made up his mind.
The white-furred tiger ran rapidly, and the woman on its back was presently feeling a slight thrill. Tuoba Kui had finally agreed to surrender, the men would soon celebrate their victory, and they could return to court. She would soon see the dawn of a new relationship with them!