These words were naked threats.
The faces of the former Liang officials showed even greater anger. Though they had long anticipated that with Great Liang’s collapse, Southern Chen wouldn’t be polite, they hadn’t expected them to be so discourteous.
Chen Wei’s face remained relatively composed as he clasped his hands: “What does the envoy mean by this? We merely sympathize with the envoy’s arduous journey and wish to host the envoy in the city for a few days to welcome and refresh you. The envoy speaks so brazenly, harming the harmony between our two nations. If word spreads, people will think Southern Chen is the one wanting to break the engagement!”
The Southern Chen military commander fetching the bride snorted with laughter: “Harmony between two nations? What two nations? Or are you saying that Great Liang, now occupying this one province and one commandery at the southern frontier, also counts as establishing its own nation?”
His curved riding whip pointed toward Pingzhou’s several-zhang-high city gate: “If not for the Queen Dowager’s mercy, specially commanding our king to honor the promise, gates like these—this general could topple ten in a single day!”
Fan Yuan immediately shouted: “Insolent!”
The soldiers behind him leveled their spears outward in unison, clearly meaning that if the other side spoke more wild words, they would go to war right then and there.
Chen Wei also darkened his expression: “It seems your Southern Chen truly has no intention of this marriage alliance!”
That Southern Chen military commander had no intention of restraining himself, mocking: “It’s not that our Southern Chen has no intention of marriage alliance, but that you dogs of a fallen nation have been driven to this place, barely clinging to life, needing our Southern Chen’s protection to have a foothold, yet still presume to maintain your former airs—truly laughable!”
He laughed and said nastily: “Or is it that with the Wen imperial clan slaughtered, your Hanyang Wengzhu considers herself a rare commodity and is therefore putting on airs?”
The former Liang officials were so angered by these words their faces turned iron blue, furiously shouting: “Barbarian! Barbarian! To be so discourteous—truly, having been driven to the southern border for years, you’ve assimilated with the surrounding barbarian tribes and can’t see even half a trace of the old Chen clan of Pingyang’s legacy!”
The Southern Chen royal family, going back several generations, had also once been a prestigious Central Plains clan, their ancestral land Pingyang. Because they couldn’t defeat the Wang clan of Zhongshan when they seized the throne, they were forced to migrate south and had resided in the south for over a hundred years.
Later, when the Wen clan dominated the Central Plains and opened trade between Pingzhou and Southern Chen, exchanges between the two places became increasingly close.
When the old Chen King was alive, he already had thoughts of returning to the Central Plains and repeatedly showed goodwill toward Great Liang.
Back then, when the Queen Dowager sought to marry Wen Yu for her son, how humble and subservient were the envoys sent to lobby at Prince Changxian’s residence?
Today they dared speak so brazenly—truly, everything changes with circumstances.
Xiao Li’s cold gaze swept over that Southern Chen military commander as he clasped his fists toward Chen Wei: “My lord, this subordinate is willing to go capture this person.”
Chen Wei didn’t speak. A messenger from within the city gate hurried over on horseback and whispered something in his ear. He nodded slightly and waved the messenger away.
Fan Yuan saw this and said in a low voice to Xiao Li: “Wait a moment—that’s the person who went to report to the Wengzhu returning.”
Xiao Li’s gaze swept past the departing messenger. He slightly lowered his chin, temporarily suppressing the hostility that was already uncontrollably overflowing from him.
Chen Wei seemed to laugh, speaking unhurriedly: “Dogs of a fallen nation? Driven to the south? Barely clinging to life? Needing others’ protection to have a foothold?”
Under the Southern Chen military commander’s arrogant expression, he said with great incomprehension: “Why would the envoy debase himself so? Though Southern Chen has resided in the south for over a hundred years without establishing a stable foundation, and two years ago when invaded by surrounding barbarian tribes, begged our Great Liang to send troops for protection to preserve your dynastic succession, our Great Liang has always been benevolent and has never viewed you all as stray dogs.”
The former Liang officials, who had been quite angered, hearing this immediately burst into jeering laughter.
“So this barbarian was cursing himself!”
“Saying Pingzhou relies on Southern Chen’s protection for today—where does he get the face? From guarding against Xinzhou to conquering Tao Commandery, has Pingzhou ever borrowed a single soldier from Southern Chen?”
“Daring to humiliate our lord like this—do you really think no one remembers how your Chen King wept bitterly and kowtowed begging for the marriage at Prince Changxian’s residence?”
“Such petty behavior is truly offensive! The Chen clan of Pingyang hasn’t been in the Central Plains for so long, they’ve forgotten all about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame!”
That Southern Chen military commander’s tongue wasn’t as sharp as Chen Wei’s. After being turned against, listening to the many mocking and jeering words, the arrogance on his face could no longer be maintained. Only burning with shame and anger, he sneered coldly: “What a sharp tongue! But I wonder when Pei Song captured Fengyang, how many axes and blades this sharp tongue of you Liang ministers took. Since you Great Liang are determined today to break the engagement, I’ll return to Southern Chen immediately to inform our king and the Queen Dowager!”
After again hitting the Liang ministers’ sore spot, he turned his horse’s head and commanded coldly: “Let’s go!”
The wedding soldiers accompanying him hadn’t all yet turned around when they heard the sound of crossbows being loaded behind them.
That Southern Chen military commander looked back to see both sides of the city gate and atop the tower—two rows of Pingzhou soldiers holding crossbows had already taken position, the cold gleaming short arrows on the crossbows pointed directly at them.
At this distance, they were precisely within firing range. With just one command, everyone would be shot into sieves.
That Southern Chen military commander narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t expected that Pingzhou, forced into a corner by Pei Song, would actually dare be so proud as to tear all pretenses with them. He said coldly: “Do you know who this general is? If you dare harm this general in the slightest, tomorrow Southern Chen’s army’s iron hooves can trample your Pingzhou flat!”
Chen Wei stood with hands behind his back: “Does the envoy also know that this is Pingzhou territory, not Southern Chen outside the pass?”
His voice suddenly turned cold: “Captain Xiao, capture this person alive.”
The armor on Xiao Li’s body gleamed brilliantly under the sun. He spurred his horse forward, staring at the person not far away with lazy yet icy eyes, replying: “As commanded.”
This confrontation—Xiao Li won with almost no suspense.
When that Southern Chen military commander was knocked from horseback after just a few blade strikes, spitting fresh blood, his face still showed complete defiance as he sneered and threatened sternly: “If you have the guts, kill this general, then see how you’ll explain to Southern Chen!”
Xiao Li’s black boot pressed down on his hand bones. Looking down from above at this thing beneath his feet, cold frost and intent spilled from beneath his slightly lowered black lashes: “Kill you? That would be letting you off too easily.”
He applied force with his foot. Only a faint “crack” sound was heard—like bones shattering. The Southern Chen military commander lying on the ground immediately arched up in pain, letting out heart-rending screams.
Xiao Li continued to lock eyes with that Southern Chen military commander, his voice cold and gloomy: “Remember this—forget about trash like you, even your Chen King, on our Great Liang’s territory, must tuck his tail and behave!”
That military commander’s entire face turned deathly pale from pain, sweat pouring like syrup, yet his eyes still stared fixedly at Xiao Li—as if hating him to the extreme.
The Pingzhou soldiers behind Xiao Li, seeing his victory, all cheered without exception. Those Southern Chen wedding soldiers being pointed at by crossbows showed some panic on their faces.
But among the crowd, there were also a dozen or so people who, compared to the ordinary soldiers around them, seemed extraordinarily calm, coldly observing Xiao Li’s confrontation with their general from beginning to end.
A scrutinizing gaze that made Xiao Li feel like thorns in his back came from that direction. When he glanced sideways, he only saw countless panicked faces—as if the previous scrutinizing observation was merely his illusion.
Xiao Li imperceptibly frowned.
From another side of the wedding party, an old man dressed as an ordinary servant walked out, clasping his hands: “Please show mercy, young general. My family’s general is young and hot-blooded. Hearing that Pingzhou has many fierce generals, his hands itched momentarily with desire to spar, and fearing the generals would hold back, he deliberately spoke wild words to anger everyone. Where there was discourtesy, this old man apologizes on his behalf.”
Xiao Li glanced sideways, coldly asking: “Who are you?”
That old man announced his identity: “This old man is Southern Chen’s Policy Advisor.”
Xiao Li had been in the army for only a short time. He only knew military ranks and positions, not yet knowing how court officials were ranked. At this moment, he didn’t know what kind of official this Policy Advisor the old man spoke of was, but it sounded quite high-ranking.
However, this excuse was far too clumsy.
They’d trampled Great Liang’s dignity beneath their feet, yet now said it was only their military commander presumptuously wanting to spar—did they take all Liang people for fools?
Xiao Li stared coldly at that old man. The force beneath his foot increased another degree. The Southern Chen military commander, already no different from a dead dog, screamed out again.
This was his answer to the other party’s explanation.
That old man’s expression changed slightly: “What does the young general mean by this?”
Chen Wei laughed coldly: “The great matter of marriage alliance between two nations—is this how casual your Southern Chen is? You all dare humiliate Great Liang like this—this alliance, we might as well not form!”
The old man exclaimed: “Please calm your anger, lords! The great matter of alliance—how can it be abandoned because of a youngster’s willfulness? Wait until this old man reports back to the Chen King and Queen Dowager—they will naturally decide his punishment!”
Fan Yuan had a straightforward temper and immediately mocked: “Right! That thing courting death was willful, and you old thing are also willful? Still saying you’re a Policy Advisor? Which family’s Policy Advisor would disguise themselves as wedding servants to participate in this act together? You’ve really opened my eyes—is your entire Southern Chen running theater troupes?”
These words came crashing down. The old man’s face inevitably turned green, then red, then white in succession.
Chen Wei shouted: “Seize them—throw them all in prison!”
The old man shouted: “This old man hopes you’ll all think thrice! Using such absurd actions to test Great Liang’s strength was this old man’s fault. This old man is willing to bear all responsibility alone. But Great Liang and Southern Chen have been on good terms for a long time. Now the Central Plains is surrounded by powerful enemies on all sides. Great Liang and Southern Chen—only by forming an alliance can we jointly face powerful enemies. If you lords, because of this momentary anger, want to completely turn weapons against Southern Chen, Southern Chen’s tens of thousands of troops are just outside the pass. This old man’s death is insignificant, but can you lords bear to see the living beings within the pass suffer devastation? After Great Liang and Southern Chen fight like snipe and clam, let Pei Song or Wei Qishan be the fisherman who benefits?”
Fan Yuan muttered to Xiao Li: “This old bastard’s mouth can really talk. He damn well understands all the reasoning, but just had to step on us first to give that show of force, really damn shameless!”
Xiao Li didn’t speak, only silently watched the two sides’ confronting forces.
Today’s farce was actually also a game of strategy.
Southern Chen wanted to test Great Liang’s bottom line. If Great Liang hadn’t been so unyielding, then in the future Southern Chen would only become more presumptuous.
Great Liang countered them with forceful means, so they turned to speaking of the big picture.
Xiao Li tried to put himself in Wen Yu’s position to consider—whether to preserve strength or to avoid the people of Pingzhou and Tao Commandery suffering war again, going to war with Southern Chen wasn’t a good choice.
Then, all that remained was to seize Southern Chen’s error and gain as much benefit from Southern Chen as possible.
Perhaps because he saw this situation extremely clearly, even though the advantage had now shifted to their side, Xiao Li couldn’t feel the slightest bit happy.
He still didn’t have the slightest way to prevent Wen Yu from marrying into Southern Chen.
Knowing it was a pit of fire, knowing wolves circled it on all sides, he could only watch her continue walking down that path.
What Wen Yu bore, what Wen Yu wanted to protect—the current him still couldn’t shoulder any of it for her.
The only thing he could do was accompany her in continuing to seek skin from tigers.
When Chen Wei had people bind that Southern Chen Policy Advisor and turned to return to the residence to see Wen Yu, Fan Yuan rode alongside Xiao Li. Seeing his expression still somewhat gloomy, he bumped his elbow and laughed: “Is Brother Xiao still angry at those bastards?”
Xiao Li pulled up the reins in his hands, raised his eyes to look at the sky and said: “No, just thinking about when we can step back on these bastards’ heads.”
—
Pingzhou Administration Office.
Wen Yu sat behind the sandalwood desk. After listening to Chen Wei report all the matters that occurred at the city gate, before she could speak, Li Yao had already cursed in anger: “Disgraceful to scholars! Disgraceful to scholars! A barbarian land villain dares insult our Great Liang to this extent?”
Chen Wei clasped his hands: “That Policy Advisor is now outside the courtyard. Does the Wengzhu wish to see him?”
The incense thread in the Boshan censer had grown thin—about to burn out. Wen Yu’s slender white fingers lifted the lid and added some incense inside as she answered: “No.”
Chen Wei couldn’t fathom Wen Yu’s thoughts and could only exchange a glance with Li Xun standing to the side.
Li Xun said carefully: “That Southern Chen dared use such a foolish move—it’s truly bullying people too much. But what that Policy Advisor said also has some reason. If we go to war with Southern Chen, Southern Chen indeed won’t gain anything good, but Pingzhou and Tao Commandery… might be gone.”
“When did I ever say we’d go to war?” Wen Yu raised her eyes from behind the desk. The hand resting on the desk was proportioned and fair, nearly the same color as jade.
Li Xun asked: “Then the Wengzhu’s meaning is…”
Wen Yu’s long fingers pressed on a marriage annulment document that had long been drafted on the desk, pushing it forward two inches: “Deliver this annulment letter to Southern Chen.”
Li Xun and Chen Wei exchanged glances, both greatly shocked.
Li Yao pondered for a moment, but said: “Acceptable.”