Jin Feng grinned obsequiously. "Ambassador Dong?"
Dong Si tugged at the corner of his mouth. "What is it?"
Jin Feng let out a couple of awkward chuckles. "About that knife I mentioned last time—would you reconsider?"
Dong Si shot him a sidelong glance. "Didn't I already tell you no?"
Jin Feng refused to give up and urged his horse closer. "Come on, let's talk it over. Name your price—I'm serious."
His request for a blade wasn't something Lu You had put him up to. It was purely his own desire—no military commander could resist the allure of a fine weapon, and he was no exception.
Dong Si spread his hands. "It's not a matter of price—it's a matter of principle. If you really want one, go ask my liege. I don't have the authority."
Jin Feng shrank his neck slightly. That woman looked kind enough, but for some reason she gave him the creeps.
Dong Si cast him another sidelong glance, inwardly thinking: such a coward, how did he ever become a general?
It wasn't until the afternoon of the following day that Jiang Jin arrived at Xinge Wharf in Daqing County. The snow had stopped, but the snowy roads were still treacherous, especially since they were escorting the remains of the fallen soldiers of Jinyang Army.
When she saw Lu You and the others waiting at the dock, Jiang Jin was somewhat surprised. "General of the Left?"
Looking at Jiang Jin on horseback, with Zhou Sui guarding her left side, Lu You felt a flood of mixed emotions—he hardly knew how to face his former superior.
Zhou Sui remained expressionless, dutifully carrying out his role as her protector.
Lu You's face burned with shame. After a moment, he spoke up. "Indeed, it is I. Might you be Princess Jinyang?"
Jiang Jin looked down at him and gave a slight nod. "That's correct."
Lu You's heart sank. A look of shame spread across his face as he bowed to Jiang Jin. "Back then... I failed His Majesty. I failed Yan State."
Jiang Jin stared at him for the space of two breaths before speaking. "That was your choice, wasn't it?"
Lu You's face burned even hotter, and his shame was overwhelming. "I am guilty. At the time, it was for the sake of the people of Daqing that I had to make that choice. When I reach the underworld, I will personally beg His Majesty's forgiveness."
A flash of mockery crossed Jiang Jin's eyes, though she showed nothing on her face. Her voice was cold. "Then go beg my father's forgiveness yourself!"
Silence fell over the scene. The people of Daqing County all looked up at her in shock—none of them expected her to be so blunt in humiliating Lu You.
Jin Feng, who had already dismounted and was standing behind Lu You, had his mouth slightly ajar. The revelation that she was a princess had already shaken him.
He truly had never imagined that woman to be royalty!
Now hearing her speak so unsparingly, his thoughts were in complete turmoil—one moment he thought her unreasonable, the next he thought it entirely justified.
Yan State had collapsed. Now both sides led their own factions, and their status was technically equal.
But on closer reflection—was it truly equal?
No, it wasn't.
As long as Lu You still acknowledged himself as a subject of Yan, then he was a minister.
To the people of Daqing County, his choice back then might have been an impossible dilemma between loyalty and righteousness.
But to the royal family, he was a disloyal, unjust traitor.
His power, his office, were granted by the emperor. His troops, his weapons and equipment were all given by the emperor. Even his military pay came from the emperor's coffers—though those payments were often late.
And yet, when the state fell and the emperor died, he chose to disobey orders.
If he refused to acknowledge himself as a subject of Yan, he would still be a traitor!
Even worse—a traitor who had forgotten his ancestors!
At this moment, the ugly truth that everyone had deliberately ignored was laid bare by Princess Jinyang without mercy.
Lu You was stunned for a moment, his expression shifting unpredictably, barely keeping his composure intact.
After a long pause, he lowered his head. "Your subject is ashamed. In truth, I only acted to protect myself back then."
Jiang Jin curled her lips. "Then stay true to that original intent."
Lu You opened his mouth, then finally bowed. "As you command!"
Li Zan glanced at Lu You's grim expression and sighed inwardly. He bowed to Jiang Jin.
"Greetings, Princess. I am a strategist under the General of the Left of Daqing County. Would Your Highness be interested in trading weapons?"
Jiang Jin's interest was piqued. "Oh? Tell me more."
It was only then that Lu You remembered this matter—his thoughts had been completely thrown into disarray by Princess Jinyang's words. He pointed to a direction. "Princess, shall we discuss it over there?"
Jiang Jin followed his gaze to a pavilion with an open view, where they could see the dock clearly.
She nodded and ordered her Jinyang soldiers behind her: "Board the ships first."
"Yes!" The Jinyang soldiers responded in unison, their voices loud and spirited.
Lu You's eyes flickered. These soldiers seemed... different.
Jiang Jin dismounted and led the way toward the pavilion.
Zhou Sui, Dong Si, and Xia Chanyi followed behind her.
Lu You quickly brought Li Zan and the others to catch up.
The bitter wind howled, and much of the shoreline had frozen over, giving the scene a stark and desolate chill.
Jiang Jin looked at Lu You. "What does the General of the Left wish to trade?"
Lu You had already gathered his thoughts. "Daqing County has no iron mines, so we are short on all kinds of weapons. It depends on what weapons Your Highness has available to exchange."
And while he certainly coveted Jiang Jin's repeating crossbows and tougher blades, he knew she would never part with those.
Jiang Jin smiled. "We recently took Lin County and captured a great deal of weapons, as well as armor."
"But..." she glanced at Lu You. "What will you offer in exchange?"
Her Jinyang Army now used almost exclusively self-forged weapons. As for the weapons she had "scavenged" before, except for the armor, most had been melted down and reforged.
However, Lin County didn't yet have a weapon workshop, and the large haul of weapons picked up from the battlefield was just gathering dust in storage. If she could trade them for something useful, that wasn't out of the question.
Though he knew Jiang Jin would likely offer war spoils, Lu You still felt a tinge of disappointment. "What would Your Highness like?" He quickly adjusted his demeanor.
Jiang Jin said thoughtfully, "Trade for warhorses. My Lin County just happens to need a batch of warhorses."
During Luo Lan's time, Lin County had only a few emergency horses—the rest had been eaten.
She had taken Lin County purely to besiege the city, and Qu Zhao's warhorses had mostly been ridden back by Qu Zhao's troops.
Lu You agreed without hesitation. "Very well."
These were all military supplies—weapons for horses was a fair trade. It was just a matter of how many for how many.
Jiang Jin saw his directness and nodded. "Good. Work out the details later with Qiu Liao in Lin County."
With Qiu Liao's shrewdness, he wouldn't come out on the losing end.
"May I ask how Your Highness plans to proceed next year?" Li Zan suddenly interjected.
Jiang Jin glanced at him and smiled. "Fengzhou is under Qu Zhao's main force, and we of Ze'a Commandery's aristocratic families have had a difficult struggle against them."
"By the spring thaw, Qu Zhao will certainly throw everything at us. That's why I took Lin County out of necessity—I hope to tie down part of Qu Zhao's forces."
"We are both Han people, and Lin County is not far from Daqing County. If we cooperate and coordinate, taking a few counties should not be difficult."
Li Zan shook his head. "What's in it for us? Whether we fight Qu Zhao or the Jiao tribe, it's all the same to us."
Jiang Jin smiled. "The same? If it were the same, how did the Jiao tribe manage to take two prefectures of Yan State?"
"You and I both know full well that there's still a gap between Qu Zhao and the Jiao army. That's precisely why you agreed to cooperate with us—am I right?"
