Chapter 32: Fight Him Until He’s Half-Dead
Lu State’s delegation was not small, and they looked travel-worn and dusty.
“His Majesty learned that the envoys have come to our Shangjing, so he specially sent me to welcome you,” Qi Zheng stepped forward and said.
The man leading the Lu delegation looked Qi Zheng over, then cupped his hands and said, “So it is the Second Prince. Thank you for troubling yourself. I am Zuo Qiu of Lu.”
Chen Bai could not help taking an extra look. So this was Zuo Qiu, one of the Four Young Masters of Lu. He looked like an elegant young gentleman.
The State of Lu had been founded by Duke Bo Qin, the younger brother of Emperor Wu of Western Zhou. It was the era when rites, propriety, literature, and education flourished most. For someone so young to be called one of Lu’s Four Young Masters, this refined young man was clearly no simple figure.
“You must all be tired from the long journey. Please,” Qi Zheng continued.
Zuo Qiu could not help sighing. More than tired from the long journey—Lu was currently locked in a great war with Ba. Once people found out that Lu had brought the Secret Records of Duke Lu to Great Qian to exchange for weapons, how could there possibly be few ambushes and assassination attempts along the way?
Only after they entered Great Qian’s borders did things get slightly better. But to make absolutely sure nothing went wrong, they had barely rested on the road.
Qi Zheng continued, “However, before we go to Shangjing, His Majesty has ordered me to first inspect your country’s Secret Records of Duke Lu as a show of sincerity.”
Zuo Qiu froze. Inspect the Secret Records of Duke Lu as a show of sincerity?
He immediately became wary.
Without much expression, Qi Zheng continued, “This is Great Qian’s Grand Scholar Zhaoxue of the Hongwen Pavilion. He will be responsible for verifying it. It will not take much time.”
Chen Bai kept his eyes lowered and his face calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. “The time it takes to drink one cup of tea will be enough.”
Zuo Qiu glanced at Chen Bai. Such a young grand scholar of the Hongwen Pavilion was not common.
One cup of tea?
If it truly was such a short time, being able to memorize the construction of even one device recorded in the Secret Records of Duke Lu would already be extremely impressive. It should not matter.
Although Lu’s Secret Records of Duke Lu was a priceless treasure, asking Great Qian to transfer weapons and armor to them was already an extremely difficult matter.
Besides, to escort the Secret Records of Duke Lu and the weapons and armor they might obtain, they had brought no small number of people this time.
Zuo Qiu glanced at the number of people who had come to welcome them and replied, “Very well.”
In just an instant, he had analyzed the situation clearly.
If the other side truly harbored evil intentions, they could simply have people escort the Secret Records of Duke Lu back.
Although they were now within Great Qian’s territory, roads in ancient times were dangerous and transportation was inconvenient. As long as one slipped into deep mountains and forests, it was not as though having more people meant they could be found.
Zuo Qiu returned to the carriage. When he came out again, he was holding a thick book in his hands.
No wonder he was not afraid of letting others look at it. With a book this thick, what could anyone possibly see in the time it took to drink one cup of tea?
One cup of tea was roughly ten minutes in modern terms.
Chen Bai received the thick book with both hands, then returned to the carriage.
“This…” Zuo Qiu froze.
Qi Zheng said, “It is only one cup of tea.”
Zuo Qiu carefully observed the surroundings. There did not seem to be anywhere they could use any tricks, and the sound of pages turning also came from inside the carriage.
Shua, shua, shua…
The sound of pages turning was not slow. At that speed, he probably could not even memorize the making of the simplest tool.
Inside the carriage, Chen Bai did not dare delay. He took out his phone, opened the camera, set it to silent mode, and began.
Before even one cup of tea had passed, Chen Bai walked out.
Even Qi Zheng could not help showing a surprised expression. So fast?
The Zhao envoys’ hearts also tightened. So fast?
But it seemed the other party had to be in an absolutely quiet, undisturbed environment to possess that photographic memory ability. Last time had been the same. When he competed with their crown prince, he even had to lower a curtain.
Their crown prince seemed to memorize a little slower than the other party, but even in a noisy marketplace, their crown prince would not be affected in the slightest.
Each had their own strengths.
Chen Bai was just about to return the book to Zuo Qiu.
At this moment, one of the Zhao envoys stepped forward. “Young Master Zuo Qiu, may our crown prince also take a look at the Secret Records of Duke Lu? Zhao has long admired Lu’s craftsmanship and is greatly interested. Even if your country and Great Qian fail to reach an agreement, you may also turn toward Zhao. Would it not be better to have an alternative?”
The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth twitched upward. They really were shameless to the extreme. They made it sound so nice, but weren’t they just trying to look at someone else’s Secret Records of Duke Lu?
The Zhao envoy gave Chen Bai’s side a meaningful look.
Qi Zheng shook his head almost imperceptibly. This sort of thing could not be exposed, at least not now. Lu had brought an unusually large escort this time. If they were angered out of shame, though they would not dare do anything to a Great Qian prince, they would have no hesitation killing a grand scholar of the Hongwen Pavilion.
Besides, they had just done the same thing themselves. Once it was exposed, they would not look good either.
Su Dan stepped forward. “How about also limiting it to the time it takes to drink one cup of tea? It will not delay much time, and it gives your country one more choice.”
Zuo Qiu: “…”
Great Qian might not necessarily agree to transfer weapons. Hearing it this way, it did sound like a decent option.
He had already felt these two groups did not seem to be together. Sure enough, they were Zhao envoys in Great Qian.
If used properly, these Zhao envoys could instead become an aid.
Zuo Qiu replied, “Then we shall limit it to one cup of tea.”
His mind had already begun thinking: Great Qian and Zhao had always had conflicts. If he acted as though he was weighing both sides, Great Qian’s king would surely guard against him taking the Secret Records of Duke Lu to Zhao. When the time came, it would instead make things easier for him.
Su Dan accepted the Secret Records of Duke Lu and began flipping through it on the spot. His speed was extremely fast; saying he read ten lines at a glance would not be an exaggeration.
Chen Bai swallowed. This guy was the real fierce one. He was so monstrous he barely seemed human.
Chen Bai had long known that there truly were some people in this world who were different from others. Today, he had finally seen one.
Taking advantage of this gap, Qi Zheng asked quietly, “How is it?”
Chen Bai nodded. “I can write it out from memory. But that book only had half its content. Zuo Qiu must have torn off the remaining half when he took the book.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
He really was cautious. It was clearly only the time to drink one cup of tea. No one could have guessed anyone could pull any trick in such a short time, yet he had still kept a hand back.
One cup of tea really was short.
Su Dan quickly flipped to the end of the book. Looking at the torn, incomplete page edges, he frowned slightly, then returned the book to Zuo Qiu. “It truly is divine craftsmanship. Merely glimpsing a small part of it is enough to see its wonder.”
Zuo Qiu quickly took the book and had someone place it into a box. Then he looked toward Qi Zheng. “Since its authenticity has already been verified, may you immediately introduce us to your country’s Emperor?”
Qi Zheng said, “Of course. You have all traveled far. Please first follow me back to the relay station to rest. I will immediately report this matter to His Majesty.”
Things could be considered smooth, and the people of Lu also breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone returned to their carriages.
When Su Dan passed by Chen Bai, he said quietly, “Sha… shameless.”
Chen Bai laughed. If he had the ability, he should say that without stuttering. This person was rather interesting. Chen Bai replied, “You didn’t look any less just now.”
The two glanced at each other, and only then did they head toward Shangjing.
Qi Zheng went to settle the Lu envoys, while Chen Bai returned directly home.
But the next morning, a group of people came to the entrance of the Court Commandant’s residence and began cursing in the street.
Chen Bai woke up groggily. He climbed out of bed and asked the steward outside, “What’s going on? So early in the morning.”
There were actually people who dared run to the Court Commandant’s residence to curse in the street?
His reputation now was a mix of good and bad, wasn’t it? There should not be anyone who would do this.
The steward’s expression was strange. “Who knows what happened to the people of Lu? Early in the morning, they came and blocked the gate, opening their mouths to curse. Isn’t it said that the people of Lu inherited the traditions of Western Zhou and understand Zhou rites best? From what I see, they are even rougher than us Great Qian people.”
Before he even finished speaking, Chen Bai’s whole body trembled, and his sleepiness completely vanished.
At this moment, Chen Shouye was also frowning and preparing to go out to see the situation. The Court Commandant’s residence had only just started improving, yet someone had come to make trouble again. If they could not give a proper reason, he would directly have them driven away with sticks.
Chen Bai hurriedly stopped him, because he felt that if Chen Shouye went out, he would also be cursed bloody.
He said, “Yesterday, His Majesty had me go outside the city to welcome the Lu envoys and casually verify the authenticity of the Secret Records of Duke Lu they brought.”
Chen Shouye nodded. Had this son of his behaved too wildly and angered the Lu envoys?
But even then, there was no reason for them to block the gate and curse at people early in the morning. Wasn’t that unlucky?
Chen Bai looked embarrassed. “I am currently writing out the Secret Records of Duke Lu from memory.”
Chen Shouye: “…”
He opened his mouth, reacted, and said with a strange expression, “…They… they asked you to verify it? Don’t tell me you just…”
No wonder they came to curse at the door. The fact that they had not come in with knives was probably only because this was Great Qian’s Shangjing.
Chen Bai: “…”
Chen Shouye: “…”
“Close the gate tighter. I might as well go back and sleep for a while,” Chen Shouye said. Fortunately, he had not gone out to see the situation. Otherwise, if they cursed him too, he would have no face to refute it.
Chen Bai asked the steward, “How is the situation at the Zhao relay station?”
“I heard they have been cursed by the people of Lu since morning. Their two relay stations are close to each other.”
Only then did Chen Bai feel a little more comfortable.
Sigh. If he were from Lu, his heart would probably be able to bleed several bowls’ worth of blood, and his intestines would turn green from regret.
Chen Bai prepared not to go out for the next few days. Otherwise, the chances of someone putting a sack over his head, dragging him into an alley, and beating him were too high.
Among them, his younger brother Chen Xiaobu came by several times over the next two days, somewhat unhappy and puffed up with anger.
“Brother, those people from Lu are too rude. We were properly setting up a stall on the street, practicing cupping and acupuncture on people. Those people from Lu probably thought it was strange too, so they came to try it.”
“Then we introduced it to them, saying this was our master Mountain Lord’s unique skill, and that my brother, the dignified Grand Scholar Zhaoxue, was Mountain Lord’s first disciple.”
“But then those people of Lu went crazy for no reason. Not only did they refuse to pay, they even smashed several of our cups. I’m so mad.”
His little face was puffed up angrily.
Chen Bai: “…”
Next time, it would be better not to introduce it that way. Otherwise, they would not merely smash the cups. They might overturn the whole stall.
Chen Bai said, “How many cups did they smash? I’ll replace them for you.”
“Are we not going to do anything about those people of Lu? This is our Shangjing. We are discussing bringing people to smash up their relay station too.”
Chen Bai thought to himself, wasn’t he just feeling guilty?
Chen Bai stayed at home “writing out” the Secret Records of Duke Lu from memory. Since the book had many diagrams in addition to text, he had to draw them as well.
Qi Zheng also came several times. The king had ordered him to see how the memorization was going.
Qi Zheng said, “His Majesty is preparing to hold a banquet to summon the Lu envoys. You are also among those attending this banquet.”
Chen Bai froze. “His Majesty is preparing to see them so soon?”
He had thought the king would leave them hanging for a while. After all, it was Lu that had come to ask Great Qian for help. Leaving them waiting a little longer would create more bargaining chips.
Qi Zheng said, “That Zuo Qiu does indeed have some strategy. He has made the matter known throughout the entire city. Putting this matter out in the open, what was done truly was not very proper. If His Majesty continued dragging his feet and refused to see them, it would be somewhat unreasonable. Besides, they are still hiding the latter half of the Secret Records of Duke Lu.”
Chen Bai: “…”
The last sentence was the real reason, wasn’t it? Otherwise, who would care about the Lu envoys making a scene? This was Great Qian.
As a direct participant in this matter, it was reasonable for him to attend the banquet.
Chen Bai handed the Secret Records of Duke Lu that he had already written out to Qi Zheng. “This matter was His Majesty’s instruction. At the banquet, the people of Lu will definitely look for trouble with me. His Majesty cannot just stand by and do nothing.”
Qi Zheng glanced at Chen Bai. “I will certainly convey these words.”
Chen Bai: “…Say it a little more tactfully.”
Three days later, the grand banquet for the Lu envoys arrived in the blink of an eye.
The banquet was held in Zhengyang Hall within the imperial palace.
Chen Bai was picked up by Qi Zheng.
As soon as he entered Zhengyang Hall, Chen Bai was a little dumbfounded.
He saw the Lu envoys led by Zuo Qiu, each and every one of them wearing a white cloth tied around their forehead, as though they were afraid others would not know they had a headache.
Were they acting? This formation really was meant to let everyone know how badly wronged they had been.
Chen Bai then looked at the Zhao envoys, who had already arrived early. That fellow Su Dan had dragged his table into a corner of the hall. With only a large white dog accompanying him, he huddled there, trying his best to reduce his presence.
The corner of Chen Bai’s mouth twitched.
No, he had to huddle too. Today, he did not want to show off at all.
Although he knew that even if he did not say a word the entire time, someone would probably still come looking for trouble.
So he simply dragged his own table toward the corner as well, forcing someone to swap seats with him, right beside Su Dan.
Su Dan froze, and his expression changed. “Go away. We cannot stay together.”
This was Great Qian’s home ground. Even if the Lu envoys wanted to find trouble, they would be looking for trouble with Chen Bai. He was only an extra by association.
But if Chen Bai sat beside him, then what? The two of them would become the two most obvious targets in the hall. Wouldn’t they be shot full of holes?
Chen Bai thought, no way. They had both done the same thing, so why should he be the only target?
As a result, the two had only just started shoving at each other.
“Don’t tug at my clothes randomly. If you tear them, it’ll be even more embarrassing.”
At that moment, a Lu envoy with a strip of white cloth tied around his forehead came over holding a cup of wine.
Who else could it be but Zuo Qiu?
Chen Bai and Sudan quickly straightened their clothes and sat upright.
Zuo Qiu held the wine and offered a toast before the two of them. “I, Zuo Qiu, became famous at a young age and have never admired anyone. I once thought that even if there were talented scholars in this world who surpassed me, they could not surpass me by much. I never expected that the moment I left Lu… The talents of you two truly make Zuo Qiu admire you. Crown Prince Sudan, Grievance-Clearing Grand Scholar, Zuo Qiu offers this cup to you both.”
Chen Bai and Sudan exchanged a glance. Why did those words sound so awkward? Every sentence sounded like sarcasm.
Zuo Qiu simply looked straight at them without shifting his gaze.
Chen Bai: “…”
It seemed he had no choice but to drink this cup.
He picked up the wine and drained it in one gulp.
Sudan did the same. But this Zuo Qiu probably had not come over specifically to compliment them. The fact that he was not so angry that he was gritting his teeth made him even harder to understand.
Sure enough, Zuo Qiu’s expression suddenly changed. He pointed at the white cloth tied around his forehead.
“Do you two know what this white cloth on my head means in Lu?”
His voice rose abruptly. “This is mourning attire worn only by those whose families have suffered a death. If Lu fails to borrow weapons and armor from Great Qian this time, then that cup of wine just now was offered by me, Zuo Qiu, on behalf of the countless Lu soldiers who died in battle.”
After saying this, he flicked his sleeve and left, returning to his seat.
He left behind complete silence.
Chen Bai’s heart also trembled.
This Zuo Qiu did not curse people, but he was a thousand, ten thousand times more terrifying than someone who cursed.
Sure enough, even Sudan’s expression darkened.
The wars among the states went on endlessly. The smoke and flames of war had never stopped.
After this, the white cloths on the Lu envoys’ foreheads became even more glaring.
This was a banquet held to welcome them, yet they had come wearing mourning attire. The key was that they were even quite justified in doing so.
This banquet was probably going to turn into a huge scene.
Chen Bai quietly said to Sudan, “Do you think they’re all thinking about how to deal with us?”
Holding his dog, Sudan said, “Look at their eyes. Their eyes are practically green as they glare at us. I’m afraid they won’t be able to hold back and will pounce over to bite us.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Not wrong at all.
“I wonder when this banquet will end.”
It had not even begun, and they were already thinking about it ending.
The problem was that Zuo Qiu would even raise his cup from afar from time to time. Wasn’t this specifically meant to block people’s hearts?
They could neither drink nor refuse to drink. According to Zuo Qiu, this was mourning wine.
Fortunately, everyone took their seats, and an attendant raised his voice and announced, “His Majesty arrives.”
“The Empress Dowager arrives.”
Only then did the awkwardness in the hall improve somewhat.
Unexpectedly, even Empress Dowager Zhaosheng had come. It seemed that the Secret Records of Duke Lu truly held great significance for Great Qian.
This was Chen Bai’s first time seeing the Emperor of Great Qian. He was a very dignified middle-aged man.
And there was also that old lady sitting in the chair, still so stern that people did not dare look at her for long.
“It is a blessing for both nations that the envoys of Lu can come to Great Qian. Esteemed envoys, you may as well experience how Great Qian differs from Lu,” the king said formally, then ordered the song and dance to be prepared.
But Zuo Qiu directly picked up the topic. “This is Zuo Qiu’s first time coming to Great Qian, and I have indeed discovered Great Qian’s differences. It is often said that relations between states lie in sincerity and trust. As for Great Qian, it has instead opened up another path, giving us people of Lu quite a bit of insight.”
There was a burst of sharp inhalations. Before things had even begun, they were already confronting each other.
He was saying that Great Qian was neither sincere nor trustworthy.
Below, Gan Xun opened eyelids like dry tree bark. “Why does the Lu envoy say this? In past years, when Great Qian’s envoys went to Lu and met the Emperor of Lu, all goods had to be inspected first. Why is it that now, when it comes to Great Qian, this rule no longer applies?”
“Exactly. You allow Lu to inspect things, but Great Qian is not allowed to do the same? What kind of reasoning is that?”
The people of Lu were so angry they nearly stood up.
How could that be the same? They had clearly stolen half of Lu’s Secret Records of Duke Lu, yet they were still twisting logic.
Zuo Qiu took a deep breath and suddenly said, “That is also reasonable. It is just that after Lu receives your nation’s goods, we always give an answer satisfactory to both sides. Now that your nation has already taken half of Lu’s Secret Records of Duke Lu, should you not also give a satisfactory answer?”
“What are you saying? Is your nation’s Secret Records of Duke Lu not still in your own hands? How can there be any claim that half was taken by someone?”
Weapons and armor were important instruments of the state. How could they be given away casually? Besides, if they gave them to Lu, they would offend Ba, which was currently at war with Lu.
“…”
For a time, the argument went on endlessly.
Chen Bai and Sudan: “…”
Argue. Keep arguing. As long as no one paid attention to them, it was fine.
At this moment, the king spoke. “Qian and Lu have always been harmonious. Today’s banquet was held for the envoys of Lu. It should be a joyful occasion.”
Only then did the arguing stop.
After all, Lu still wanted to secure weapons and armor, so they did not speak again.
The arranged song and dance finally came forward. The sounds of chimes, sheng pipes, and earthen fou instruments rang out, clear and pleasant.
Who knew how many people secretly let out a breath?
Since Great Qian had gained such a large advantage this time, naturally there were people who came forward to offer toasts.
Although the Lu envoys’ expressions were not particularly good, they still drank cup after cup.
They were all naturally cunning people. Perhaps they were life-and-death enemies now, yet they still had to sit together and drink this wine.
Chen Bai, however, was not very happy, because once the people of Lu stopped arguing, their green eyes began glaring toward them again.
Zuo Qiu’s eyes moved, and he said, “This time, apart from wishing to use the Secret Records of Duke Lu to exchange for some weapons and armor, our king has also prepared a heavy gift to present.”
The Secret Records of Duke Lu were already an extraordinary treasure, yet they had been willing to take them out. Now they had prepared another heavy gift. It seemed that the situation in Lu’s war against Ba was probably not optimistic.
But that made sense. No matter how important the Secret Records of Duke Lu were, if the state fell and the family perished, what meaning would they still have?
From the side of the Lu envoys, someone came forward holding a box.
Zuo Qiu opened the box and took out a sword. “This sword is a peerless blade named Fish-Gut.”
As soon as his voice fell, everyone in the hall was full of surprise.
“Could it be that Fish-Gut sword forged by Ou Yezi, the famous swordsmith of Yue?”
“Indeed.”
Chen Bai was also somewhat surprised. It was actually the Fish-Gut Sword. Whether in Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Assassins or Yuejue Shu: Outer Tradition, Records of Treasured Swords, there were records of this peerless treasured sword.
In this era, this sword truly deserved to be called unrivaled in the world, its edge unstoppable.
Zuo Qiu’s tone changed. “However, Zuo Qiu has heard that Great Qian’s swordsmen are famed throughout the states for their courage. If you wish to take this sword, Great Qian must send out a swordsman and defeat our swordsman of Lu first.”
After saying this, he handed the sword to a man dressed as a swordsman behind him. “This is Lu’s swordsman, Cen Jin. This time, he will hold Fish-Gut for the contest and allow everyone to witness Fish-Gut’s sharpness.”
Everyone: “…”
Who gave a gift only after making others compete for it first?
A peerless sword was indeed rare, but Great Qian might not necessarily care about it. However, since the other side had used a swordsman duel as the reason, they had no choice but to accept, because… Great Qian’s swordsmen were famed throughout the states and could not allow anyone to look down on them.
Shang Wangshu spoke. “There is a swordsman in my Ministry of Justice named Nie Zhi, who wields an excellent sword. He is around the same age as this swordsman from your nation, so they can have a fair match.”
A martial contest to liven up the banquet was originally quite ordinary. It was probably only Chen Bai who found it especially interesting.
This Nie Zhi looked somewhat familiar. In his schoolhouse, there was a student who was very good at pulling out cups, and he seemed to have an older brother named Nie Zhi.
A duel between swordsmen was extremely dangerous. Just like the two people on the field now, exchanging attacks back and forth, it looked truly astonishing.
It was worth mentioning that in this kind of duel between swordsmen, the contest was not only between the sword wielders themselves, but also between the insight and judgment of the forces behind those sword wielders…
For example, right now, in the Lu formation, an old man with hands covered in thick calluses and a thin face suddenly opened his eyes, which had been closed all along. A light voice drifted over.
“Step forward three paces and strike directly at the center.”
Someone murmured, “It’s Lu’s Sword Chief Ran Zhi. I hear this man’s swordsmanship is second only to Sword Saint Cao Qiu. He cannot be underestimated.”
“No wonder Lu dared to have Zuo Qiu escort the Secret Records of Duke Lu to Great Qian despite the risk of being chased and killed by Ba all along the way. With Sword Chief Ran Zhi here, even if the mission cannot be completed, even if all the Lu envoys are intercepted and killed, he still has some confidence in bringing the Secret Records of Duke Lu back.”
On Great Qian’s side, the one who spoke was actually Empress Dowager Zhaosheng, seated at the very top. Her voice was as cold as her face.
“Sidestep forward. Attack the shoulder.”
Only after speaking, her brows furrowed slightly.
Because although Lu’s swordsman Cen Jin had stepped forward three paces, he had not followed Ran Zhi’s guidance and struck straight at the center. No one had expected this. With Ran Zhi’s reputation, there was actually someone who did not listen to his advice.
Instead, he used Fish-Gut to slash directly at the sword in Nie Zhi’s hand.
Nie Zhi froze, then reflexively used his sword to block. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to block the opponent’s attack. But at this moment, there was only a clang, and the sword in his hand was cut into two pieces.
Fish-Gut was indeed sharp enough. Everyone present had now witnessed it.
However, without a sword in hand, Nie Zhi found it difficult to respond.
The people of Great Qian frowned and looked toward Lu’s formation.
Chen Bai also understood. It was a feint.
The people of Lu must have discussed this beforehand, giving a hint but not following it. Their purpose was to cut off the opponent’s sword and make it difficult for him to respond.
The people of Great Qian: “…”
They had long heard that Zuo Qiu, one of the Four Young Masters of Lu, was skilled in schemes. Looking at this now was like seeing the whole leopard through a bamboo tube; one could glimpse the truth of it.
But they could not say anything. A contest on the field changed in an instant, and no one had stipulated how others had to use their swords.
A duel between swordsmen was dangerous to begin with. Now that Nie Zhi had lost his sword, he had already suffered quite a few wounds.
Blood flowed continuously.
But Nie Zhi did not seem to intend to stop.
At this point, the contest was no longer about victory or defeat, nor about winning that Fish-Gut Sword. It was about the name of Great Qian’s swordsmen not being humiliated.
Chen Bai frowned slightly. If this continued, Nie Zhi would probably lose his life here. Nie Zhi and Lu’s Cen Jin were originally not very different in strength, but now, the other side held Fish-Gut while he was bare-handed.
Chen Bai frowned. If Nie Zhi died here, that student in his schoolhouse would probably cry his heart out. Why did Chen Bai know that his student had such an older brother? Wasn’t it because that child talked all day long about his older brother with superb swordsmanship?
Chen Bai quietly asked a Great Qian official beside him, “Is there a fixed person designated to give guidance? Are there restrictions on how the guidance may be given?”
“As long as it is someone from Great Qian speaking guidance, it is allowed. This is not originally a contest between just the two of them, but a contest between Lu and Great Qian. It is just that Nie Zhi does not even have a sword anymore, so how can he be guided? As for the content of the guidance, there are no restrictions.”
Quite a few people looked toward Chen Bai.
“Why does the Grievance-Clearing Grand Scholar ask this?”
Chen Bai thought to himself, of course he had to ask the rules clearly. He gave the people around him a look that said, just watch.
Then he opened his mouth.
“Long ago, in Lu, there was an aristocratic family. In that family, there was a young disciple named Cen Jin. His talent in the way of the sword was unparalleled. At a young age, he already stood above all others of his generation…”
“But this Cen Jin suffered ill fortune. His martial arts were completely crippled, and the former genius became a laughingstock…”
Everyone could not help freezing. Whether they were from Lu or Great Qian, they all looked over.
Was he talking about Cen Jin?
Wait. What ill fortune? What martial arts completely crippled? Looking at Cen Jin now, was he not quite powerful?
The people of Lu were even more confused. What was going on?
Chen Bai did not stop. He continued speaking without pause. “Those who once flattered him now spat at him. Those who once tried to curry favor with him now looked down on him…”
He described a life so winding and a fate so full of misfortune that anyone who heard it would shed tears and feel sorrow.
The entire hall no longer even had much attention left for the duel. They were all listening to Chen Bai tell the story. How could there be anyone in the world with such a bizarre experience? It was truly strange.
Chen Bai continued, “Even Cen Jin’s fiancée, who had been engaged to him since childhood, was brought by her family to his door to personally break off the engagement…”
Hiss. How could this be tolerated? After suffering such humiliation, how would Cen Jin face others in the future?
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the field.
“Nonsense! When did I, Cen Jin, ever experience these things?”
Only, as soon as his voice fell, the Fish-Gut Sword in his hand flew out with a smack and embedded itself into a pillar in the hall, shaking continuously.
“Thank you for yielding.”
The hall fell silent.
Cen Jin’s face turned livid. “You…”
The story had been so winding and was even related to him. Even if his ears did not want to listen, he could not plug them, could he? He really could not help refuting it, and as a result, with one moment of carelessness…
Chen Bai did not stop.
“Then, the still-young Cen Jin faced those who shamed him and humiliated him. He suddenly raised his voice and shouted loudly, ‘Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—do not bully a young man for being poor.’” (Note: This famous line comes from Battle Through the Heavens.)
Originally, Cen Jin still wanted to curse Chen Bai for being utterly shameless. But he opened his mouth and was stunned into speechlessness.
On Lu’s side, everyone’s expressions were wonderfully complicated. In the end, the reason he lost was that he had not been focused enough during the contest. That was a mistake a swordsman should not make. Although even they might not have been able to hold back if they had been on the field, who could they blame?
The people of Lu even quietly asked Cen Jin, “Was your swordsmanship really learned from an old man you met after it was crippled? That old man couldn’t have been Sword Saint Cao Qiu, could he? That’s too bizarre.”
Cen Jin’s face turned black.
Chen Bai looked at the gazes being cast at him from all around and smiled shyly. “Not long ago, I was drinking tea at a teahouse and heard a storyteller telling a tale. Wasn’t it about the Lu swordsman Cen Jin? Just now, I couldn’t hold myself back and blurted it out. I truly apologize.”
Sudan glared at Chen Bai. As if he would believe that.
Even the king and the empress dowager seated above could not help glancing at Chen Bai, then at Cen Jin. Was it true or not?
Zuo Qiu snorted. “The storybooks of your noble country are certainly bizarre. They even tell stories about swordsmen from our country.”
Someone laughed. “Speaking of storybooks, not long ago, Great Qian produced a story called The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. If there is time, we can take the Lu envoys to listen to it. I guarantee it is absolutely wonderful.”
Zuo Qiu nearly failed to catch his breath. He said, “If one’s skill is inferior, there is no need to make other excuses. Yuchang was originally something our king prepared to present to your country. Since your noble country values it so highly, then take it.”
Everyone froze. What did he mean by “your noble country values it so highly”?
If Lu had not used deception first, they would not have needed to bring up some storybook to disturb people’s minds.
This Zuo Qiu’s words were truly infuriating.
At this moment, from the high seat above, the old lady suddenly spoke. “Since it is your noble country’s goodwill, Great Qian will accept it. I see that Yuchang is indeed a fine sword. Since it was Grand Scholar Zhaoxue who won it for Great Qian, why not grant it to Grand Scholar Zhaoxue as a trophy? What does Your Majesty think?”
The king gave an indifferent “Mm.”
The whole hall: “…”
Wasn’t it said that Great Qian cared a great deal about this sword?
In the end, without even blinking, they granted it away as a trophy.
Open and hidden struggles, back and forth exchanges—sure enough, this was no less dangerous than the contest just now.
When Nie Zhi carried the sword over and handed it to Chen Bai, Chen Bai had not even reacted yet.
This peerless famous sword was his now?
Heavens, how much money would this be worth?
Chen Bai actually did not care much about how sharp it was. The key point was that its historical significance was extraordinary.
Yuchang was a short sword. It did indeed feel good in the hand.
With the Yuchang sword tucked at his waist, he actually looked somewhat like a swordsman. Only then did he cup his hands and say, “Many thanks to the empress dowager. Many thanks to Your Majesty for the reward.”
Quite a few people revealed envious expressions. This was a peerless famous sword. Chen Zixiu had never been heard to have any outstanding achievements in swordsmanship, yet he had obtained a good sword. But everyone understood in their hearts that Chen Zixiu had won this sword. If it was not granted to him, could it be granted to someone else?
Zuo Qiu frowned slightly. Why did it have to fall into the hands of this Grand Scholar Zhaoxue? Truly infuriating.
As Nie Zhi handed over the sword, he said, “Thank you.”
If Chen Bai had not helped him today, he would probably have died on the spot.
Chen Bai smiled. “Why thank me? I did it because your younger brother studies under the same master as I do.”
Nie Zhi was stunned for a long while before he reacted.
Under Mountain Lord’s teaching—it really was…
The people of Great Qian became happy, raising cups and exchanging toasts. Whenever the people of Lu started to bring something up, someone immediately went forward to offer a toast and suppress the topic.
None of them were easy to deal with.
Sudan suddenly said to Chen Bai, “I’m afraid you’ve offended the Lu envoys completely. Look…”
Chen Bai looked over. Good heavens, every single one of those gazes looked as if they wanted to skin him alive.
He hurriedly pretended nothing was wrong and raised his cup.
The people of Lu froze, then snorted through their noses, picked up their cups, and drank them dry in one gulp. Who knew whether it was from anger or something else.
Suddenly, one of the Lu envoys loudly said, “Boring, utterly boring. Everyone says Great Qian has fierce customs and that its wine is the strongest among all countries. Why does the wine I drink today taste like water? Thin and flavorless.”
The people of Great Qian: “…”
Wasn’t this deliberately picking a fight? The wine they had brought out to entertain the envoys was naturally fine wine.
Then the man from Lu continued, “How about letting everyone taste our Lu country’s fine wine? That way, you will know what strong wine really is.”
Everyone knew that the Lu people were bound to cause trouble today.
So the king’s meaning was that when soldiers came, they would send generals; when water came, they would block it with earth. Whatever tricks the Lu people played, they would simply receive them.
They would make every move of Lu feel as if it had struck water—soft, limp, and powerless.
Only, when the paper seal on the wine jar was torn open and the fragrance of wine drifted out, people could not help frowning slightly.
Judging by the smell, it did indeed seem stronger than Great Qian’s wine.
Great Qian intimidated the other countries through strong soldiers and strong wine. A large portion of Great Qian’s income came from wine sold to various countries.
If they were compared unfavorably, once the news spread, it would probably affect their revenue.
Since the wine had been brought into the hall, it had certainly been inspected already.
Once the wine entered their stomachs, sure enough, it was extremely strong.
For a moment, the hall fell completely silent.
Everyone present had status and face. It was impossible for them to insist with a stiff mouth that someone else’s wine was not stronger than theirs.
“How is it?” Zuo Qiu spoke. “Has my Lu country’s wine surpassed your noble country’s strong wine?”
“…”
Silence.
This person insisted on making them admit it.
At this moment, a voice suddenly rang out. “It is indeed a little bland. Thin and flavorless, just like clear water.”
Everyone: “…”
Had Chen Zixiu misspoken? The cup he was holding now was Lu country’s wine.
Chen Bai had no choice but to speak, because the one responsible for supervising Great Qian’s wine production happened to be the Court of Judicial Review, one of the Nine Ministers’ offices.
The Court of Judicial Review, as a law enforcement and inspection organ, had duties involving the quality of both wine and weapons and armor.
Chen Bai cupped his hands and said, “Recently, I have been studying skills with my master and received quite a few good wines from him. No matter which one, they all seem far stronger than this Lu wine.”
Zuo Qiu frowned. “Empty words are no proof. Why not bring it out and compare?”
Chen Bai looked upward.
The king nodded. “Go, then. Do not keep the Lu envoys waiting.”
Chen Bai did not dare delay and walked outside.
Qi Zheng followed him out, bringing quite a few people with him.
Chen Bai froze and looked at Qi Zheng.
Qi Zheng replied, “Do not underestimate this just because it seems like a small contest. It concerns the dignity of the country and cannot be treated carelessly. We must guard against anyone with crooked intentions.”
Chen Bai truly had not thought of that. This was good too, so he nodded.
With so many people escorting him, nothing happened.
When Chen Bai returned, he was carrying a huge wine jar in his arms.
The wine jar was a commonly used wine jar in this world. As for the wine inside, it was not anything particularly extraordinary either. He had simply poured in erguotou (Chinese white wine).
He had drunk quite a bit of this world’s wine just now. Rather than wine, it was more like a kind of fruit drink. Hadn’t he been drinking it all this time without the slightest drunkenness? Its alcohol content was probably at most eight to twenty percent.
This was limited by the winemaking process. If the process did not improve, even if there was a difference in alcohol concentration, the difference would not be too great.
Chen Bai carried the wine into the hall, but an accident still happened.
A young attendant responsible for arranging the food and drink in the hall suddenly tripped Chen Bai.
Chen Bai had not noticed at all because… the other party was a Great Qian person.
He staggered. Although he did not fall, the huge jar of wine smashed to the floor with a bang.
For a moment, the fragrance of wine spread everywhere, rich beyond everyone’s imagination.
But since it had not entered their mouths, how could the people of Lu possibly admit that this wine was better than theirs?
Chen Bai also looked in surprise at the person who had just tripped him, now trembling on the floor.
The hall was so wide, yet this person had insisted on walking beside him right as he entered. Could he not see that Chen Bai was carrying such a large jar of wine?
“This…”
Other than the king saying, “Drag him out,” no one spoke for a moment.
At this point, Zuo Qiu spoke. “Judging by the smell, it does seem to be good wine. Unfortunately, we do not know how it tastes once drunk. What a pity, what a pity. But I do wonder whether Grand Scholar Zhaoxue was tripped by someone else, or whether you deliberately had someone trip you.”
After saying that, he even raised his wine cup toward Chen Bai.
This really could not be explained clearly. The person who tripped him was from Great Qian.
The expressions of the Great Qian side also looked unpleasant. The contest was right at a tense moment. How had such an accident happened?
Zuo Qiu was indeed quite surprised too. How could there be such a coincidence? Whether it was an accident or something else, this Grand Scholar Zhaoxue would probably have difficulty stepping down now.
In the end, he saw Chen Bai act as if nothing had happened, straightening the wine stains on his clothes. “Prince Zheng is arranging for people to bring in more wine from behind. Everyone need not worry there will be no wine to drink.”
What a coincidence. With so many people here, of course he had not bought only one jar of wine.
There was no reason for so many people to share a single jar.
When Qi Zheng came in with several people carrying wine jars, he saw the current situation.
His brows could not help furrowing. He had only been away from the side for a moment; how had something already happened?
From his seat, Chen Shouye suddenly spoke. “This wine smells quite strong. It must undoubtedly be fine wine. Since there is more wine prepared, why not quickly let His Majesty and the Lu envoys taste it?”
But on Great Qian’s side, Crown Prince Jiao, who had not spoken all this time, suddenly looked darkly toward one official.
That official clenched his teeth hard, but in the end, he still spoke. “There seems to be quite a lot of wine, but Great Qian’s laws clearly state that private individuals are not allowed to brew wine. If I remember correctly, although Mountain Lord is a guest under the Second Prince’s household, he is still nothing more than a commoner without official rank.”
Sudan: “…”
The officials of Great Qian: “…”
Where the f**k did this bastard come from?!
