The hall fell into dead silence.
The family soldiers tightened their grip on their blades, but their palms were slick with sweat. The Gefeng soldiers before them felt like wild beasts, as if they would be torn to shreds the moment they moved.
Sheng He stared in shock at the cracked jade floor—this was jade! And in the hands of a girl who seemed little more than a child, it was shattered with just the hilt of a blade!
At that moment, his earlier contempt vanished. He realized Dong Si was right—he had indeed been a frog at the bottom of a well, knowing nothing of heaven and earth.
Now, he found himself devoid of fighting spirit, even feeling a trace of reverence for the Jinyang Army.
Perhaps they had all been wrong. The Jinyang Army’s greatest strength was not their weapons, but their people.
Gefeng—Princess Jinyang!
Sheng Chi also broke out in a cold sweat. Gazing at the dark, gaping crossbow muzzles, he knew in an instant these were the Jinyang Army’s devastating repeating crossbows.
If a fight broke out between them, he had no idea whether the Jinyang Army would ever leave Ze’a County. But one thing was certain: if things went wrong today, he might not make it out alive.
Sheng Chi’s dizziness vanished. His mind, against all odds, grew startlingly clear, his eyes regaining their sharpness.
He shot a glance at Sheng He and Sheng Shang, signaling them.
They two were the only ones who had dealt with the Jinyang Army before, so it was best for them to step forward now.
Sheng He sighed but had no choice but to rise. “Ambassador Dong, what are you so angry about? If it doesn’t suit us, we can always renegotiate.”
Sheng Shang followed, forcing a laugh. “Right, right. Negotiating is like doing business. As the seller, I naturally want the best price, don’t I?”
Even now, he was still bewildered. Wasn’t this just a negotiation?
How had it turned so deadly?
Dong Si sneered. “We came with all sincerity, but all you have are shady schemes. Let me make this clear: the ships are not something we absolutely have to have.”
Sheng He tried to keep his expression neutral as he carefully stepped around Shuangjiang and pulled Dong Si back to his original seat.
He personally poured Dong Si a cup of tea. “Alright, let’s talk properly. Have some tea and cool down.”
Sheng Shang tried to smooth things over. “Ambassador Dong, you’ve come all this way. It wouldn’t be easy for you to report back to Princess Jinyang without at least some results, would it?”
Dong Si acted as if he had been convinced. “I’ll say this first: no repeating crossbows, and no manufacturing methods. If you’re serious, we can continue the talks.”
With a wave of Shuangjiang’s hand, the Dragon Shadow Guards withdrew swiftly without a hint of hesitation.
The family soldiers exchanged glances but, without waiting for Sheng Chi’s order, also retreated.
Shuangjiang then turned and went back to stand behind Dong Si.
Kong Yi glanced at Shuangjiang, composing his expression. “Of course we are sincere. But I need to know: what can Gefeng offer in return?”
Inside, he was sighing. Against a force like Gefeng, what chance did they have?
This was his first real encounter with Princess Jinyang’s people. One round, and they were already at a disadvantage.
Dong Si, seeing his improved attitude, softened his tone and answered directly. “High-yield grain seeds. What do you think?”
Everyone froze. That was not the answer they had expected.
Huo Chun suppressed the panic and humiliation from moments ago, frowning with a cold snort. “If you had high-yield grain seeds, why did you extort so much grain from us?”
Dong Si took offense at that. “What do you mean, extort? Without our Jinyang Army, could you have taken back Dongcheng County?”
Huo Chun was struck speechless for a moment. “The deal was a feigned attack. Hmph, I bet you had plans to attack Shan’guan County all along, right?”
Dong Si shot him a cold look and said in a serious tone what was clearly a joke. “Did you eat too much of something? Where do you get such strange ideas? We had so few people back then. How could we have dared to set our sights on Shan’guan County?”
He snorted, acting like someone misunderstood. “To make the feigned attack convincing, we even rehearsed for days.”
“To draw more of the Quzhao army and split their forces, giving you a chance to counterattack, we naturally had to trade a few blows with them.”
“But who knew the Quzhao army was so fragile? We just gave the gates of Shan’guan County a little push, and they swung open!”
He spread his hands. “When the door’s open, only a fool wouldn’t walk in, right?”
Huo Chun’s heart seized.
Sheng Chi and the others all felt their hearts seize too.
A little push and the gates opened? The city fell?
Then what had their own bitter fighting and heavy losses been for?
But the worst was yet to come. That clear-eyed, bright-toothed figure spoke again, her words now like those of a demon. “What’s this? I heard you paid a heavy price to retake Dongcheng County?”
She clicked her tongue in mock sympathy. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I wonder if it’s your poor command or your poor soldiers. I’d guess it’s both!”
“Otherwise, why didn’t you just knock on the gates? Maybe the Quzhao army would have opened them for you, too?”
“Oh, I see.” Dong Si clapped his hands. “It must be because you were rude, bad-looking, and full of wishful thinking. That’s why the Quzhao army beat you until you couldn’t fight back!”
Sheng He paused mid-sip of his tea, then continued drinking.
If Dong Si had spoken such sharp words before insulting them all so crudely, he would have been shocked. Now, it felt almost reasonable—and even mild.
Such heavy sarcasm and disdain. He dared not lift his head to look at the Family Head. He could imagine clearly how ugly the man’s face must be.
Sheng Chi, who had just felt his mind clearing, almost spat blood. This person was driving a knife straight into his heart!
And yet, she spoke true. They had fought tooth and nail with all their might to reclaim one county, while the Jinyang Army had easily taken two.
The hall fell silent again, the atmosphere unbearable and tense.
Though it was the truth, nobody ever brought it up openly. Now this unpredictable person was rubbing their noses in it over and over.
For a moment, they found no words to retort—actually, they dared not, afraid of hearing even worse remarks.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” A cold glint flashed in Dong Si’s eyes, though his face wore a warm and honest smile.
He held grudges, after all.
He hadn’t wanted to burn bridges, but these people had thrust their faces forward.
Since that was the case, he wouldn’t hesitate to stomp on them.
Zhang Tinghan could no longer contain his rage. He slammed the table. “You insolent brat! You have no manners! How dare you humiliate us noble families like this!”
Dong Si wasn’t angered. “Manners? I see. You noble families must have been so polite to the Quzhao army that you let them beat you to a draw?”
“Your manners are truly impeccable.” He sighed, his face full of admiration as he looked at them.
Then he let out a heavy sigh. “Alas. Our Lord doesn’t quite understand the ways of the world, I’m afraid. When barbarians breach our borders, she always breaks their legs and arms. That’s no good, no good.”
He shook his head. “We should learn from you noble families. Welcome the barbarians into the city. Present them with grain and treasure. Hand over the people. Even offer up your wives and daughters!”
“Then kneel before the barbarians, and use your manners to move them, to make them abandon their plans to invade Yan.”
“Now that’s true noble grace!” Dong Si gave Sheng Chi and the others a thumbs-up. “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. My heartfelt admiration.”
Pfft.
Sheng Chi was so enraged he spat blood.
Everyone was shocked. “Family Head!”
Dong Si: “...”
He hasn't even put much effort into it yet.
