“This Linyuan, the imperial law and state regulations are mere words to you!” Yu Chengxuan waved his fan, the breeze lifting the stray hairs at his temples, adding a glint of malice to his eyes.
However, these words that struck terror into others were like a faint pebble tossed into the sea for Ji Jinmo, causing no ripple whatsoever.
Ji Jinmo stared at Yu Chengxuan, then after a few seconds, he gathered his sleeves and walked past Nan Chaoyin and Yu Chengxuan. The accompanying general behind Yu Chengxuan stepped forward, his hand on his waist, and then paused, remembering he had not brought his weapon to the banquet today.
Ji Jinmo raised his foot. What appeared to be a casual, dismissive kick carried the force of thunder. The general stepped forward to block it but was still sent flying by the single kick. He crashed into a tree about a meter away, then fell heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood with a muffled grunt!
Seeing the general’s miserable state, Ji Fei reckoned that if he, with his build, were to block, it would be only half a kick. However, as a retainer of the Zhang family, he could not stand idly by.
He stepped forward, and a fan was placed in front of him.
Yu Chengxuan blocked Ji Fei, who was about to advance, and watched Ji Jinmo approaching. He continued to wave his fan, the ribs of the fan shimmering with a silvery light under the sun.
“Yu Chengxuan!”
Ji Jinmo’s voice was devoid of emotion. The name Yu Chengxuan, spoken by him, was no different from the name of a stray cat or dog by the roadside; they were all ants, and he was merely a slightly stronger ant.
“Your Highness!”
Yu Chengxuan nodded slightly, responding with a smile.
If one were to ignore the pressure emanating from them, the scene of the two locking eyes was like an exquisite painting meticulously crafted by a master artist.
“Your maternal grandfather, the Zhang family, is a prominent noble clan with deep roots. It is said that when Yuwen Yi was able to seize the throne among the many princes, the Zhang family contributed greatly. Now that Yuwen Yi holds supreme power, he has long wanted to weaken the influence of the noble clans and their maternal relatives, even wishing to eradicate them. Your Highness, as the prince supported by the Zhang family, if you were to die in Linyuan, do you think Yuwen Yi would dispatch troops to conquer Linyuan for you?”
“He would!” Yu Chengxuan replied without hesitation. It was precisely because his father wanted to eradicate the Zhang family that he would be even more inclined to send troops!
His father’s desire to eliminate the Zhang family would surely provoke a backlash from the entire noble clan. Without a foolproof plan for a decisive blow, his father would not act rashly. But if he died in Linyuan, the Zhang family would surely not rest, and the third generation of the Zhang family, skilled in martial arts but not in literature, would certainly lead the troops in battle by his father.
Ji Jinmo nodded. “Yes, and when the Zhang family is annihilated, and your mother consort is hanged with a silk noose in the palace, Yuwen Yi will order the troops to withdraw.”
“You…”
Yu Chengxuan was not angered by Ji Jinmo’s words, but Ji Fei and the envoys behind him were so incensed that their faces turned crimson. If not for Ji Jinmo’s notorious reputation, they would have already stepped forward to argue with him.
“Withdraw?”
“Why withdraw?”
“Your Highness, do you dare to lead the Demon Hunt Army to engage them?”
“Why should I not dare?”
“You dare?”
Upon hearing this response, Yu Chengxuan couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, you are the God of War of Linyuan, and you even led the Demon Hunt Army to slaughter the imperial forces of my Great Li in their entirety back then. But the situation today is vastly different. His Majesty, the Emperor of Linyuan, is no longer the wet-behind-the-ears child he was back then. Your Highness, do you believe that if you dare to lead your troops to engage them, you will never be able to return? You might not die on the battlefield, but you will certainly die by the hands of your own people!”
“Of course you dare, but can you?”
Yu Chengxuan retracted the smile from his eyes, his deep pupils fixed on Ji Jinmo, as if trying to peer directly into his heart through those sharp phoenix eyes.
“Shall we try?” Ji Jinmo did not answer whether he could or not, but a smile appeared inexplicably on his lips.
He spoke, stepping forward again, closing the distance to Yu Chengxuan within a safe range. It was evident that the conflict escalating today could not be resolved peacefully.
Could Yu Chengxuan die?
Of course, he could!
But he could not die within Linyuan’s borders.
The remnants of Miao Jiang had suffered heavy casualties, but the Xiliang and the Changsheng Dao Sect were still lurking in the shadows, watching covetously. If Great Li and Linyuan were to truly go to war, they would certainly take advantage of the situation.
If these rotten bugs hiding in the gutters were to reap the benefits of war between the two countries, then Linyuan and Great Li would become a colossal joke.
Nan Shiying stood up and called out to Ji Jinmo, “Your Highness!”
Her voice was clear and cold, with a unique cadence that, just by listening, made one want to turn around and see what kind of peerless beauty possessed such a voice.
Ji Jinmo turned his head and looked at Nan Shiying.
He remained silent for a second, then ignored Yu Chengxuan. The scene of their direct confrontation and tense standoff seemed to have been an illusion. The moment before Nan Shiying called out to Ji Jinmo, both the people of Linyuan and those of Great Li believed that the matter could not be resolved peacefully and that casualties were inevitable. However, no one expected that it would only take two soft, gentle words to restrain the Regent of Linyuan!
The noble ladies of Linyuan looked at Nan Shiying with eyes filled with awe and admiration, as if gazing up at a towering mountain.
Ji Jinmo stepped into the pavilion, not even glancing at Madam Liu and Nan Yuan’er who were kneeling beside him. He helped Nan Shiying to sit down, and seeing that there was no water left in the teapot on the stone table, he frowned. “Where are the maids? Don’t they know to refill the water?”
How could the maids of the Nan residence dare to say that the tea had been splashed on Qin Yushan by the Princess Consort? Faced with Ji Jinmo, who would casually step on and kill the legitimate daughter of a court minister if they disagreed, if he were to be displeased and wish to kill them, wouldn’t it be as easy as stepping on an ant?
A maid hurried into the pavilion, took the teapot, and trembled as she walked away.
Yu Chengxuan was left standing in place, his expression finally showing a slight change, but this change was fleeting. He suddenly laughed, “The Prince and Princess Consort truly have a deep affection for each other. However, Prime Minister Nan, if I’m not mistaken, the ones kneeling at the Princess Consort’s feet are the Madam and the Young Miss?”