Gu Yun shook his head: "It's said that they are polite and tentative, but their attitude was ambiguous. As soon as the messengers wanted to talk about business, the person in charge would avoid meeting, finding a group of white-faced dancers to accompany them. Dong Ying people have their own calculation in mind. If the foreigners can take root in our country, they will be able to eat a piece of rotten meat. But if the Western warships are defeated, they will still be our neighbor in the future. Therefore, they are not willing to offend us completely."

Shen Yi frowned and said, "Trying to please both sides. What kind of character is this."

"The good kind." Gu Yun said with a smile, "As long as they are indecisive, I can rest assured. It's of great use, just wait and see."

Shen Yi shook his head. "We can't wait anymore. The front line of the south is too long. Ziliujin is too tight. Even if you deploy it, there will come a time when the supply will no longer be able to keep up. I'm afraid that if we fight like this, there will be talks in the court."

Gu Yun's face faded.

Shen Yi also reminded: "I heard the court thought that fighting head-on is moronic, we should 'hit once with a stick then reward with an apple'. Recently, a new group of foreign affairs envoys is being set up. If these people are really coming with a stick to reward the apple then it's fine, I only fear they come to cause trouble."

Gu Yun pondered for a moment: "When will they arrive?"

"They must be ready to depart soon," Shen Yi replied. "No more than ten days — Zi Xi, what do you want to do?"

https://www.northwestflower.net/sha-po-lang/book-3/chapter-15-conclusion/15-vi

The Western and Great Liang armies had been locked in battle for a very long time in the frontline, neither of them yielding. They fought countless battles both large and small. Generally speaking, they were almost equal in strength and talent, neither could do anything to the other.

On the 16th day of January, a group of Great Liang's sea jiao warships set out in the early hours of the morning, leaving the port without anyone knowing. Under the situation that the materials had begun to stretch taut, they once again divided their troops and left quietly along the river.

At that time, before dawn, Shen Yi said to Gu Yun in the dark, "You are too adventurous."

Gu Yun did not pay attention to him, giving an unrelated response, "Tell someone to make me a bowl of noodles in the morning, remember to drop an egg in."

Shen Yi was too dizzy from having his hands full, he could not understand for a moment; after a while, he remembered what day it was and muttered, "You're still quite free."