Adachi Manya knelt on both knees, kowtowed in salute, and said in Japanese, “Daimyo, the merchant from Southern Yan has been brought here.”

Ishikawa Minao raised his eyebrows as he scrutinized Qin Yining, asking casually, “Oh? Is the silk she brought really that good?”

“Yes. How would I dare deceive the daimyo?”

Adachi Manya snapped his paper fan. “I think her silk may not be so good. You’ve taken a fancy to her silk-like skin, haven’t you?”

At these words, all the seated guests burst into laughter. Even the noble ladies covered their mouths and giggled, looking at Qin Yining as if viewing some curious novelty.

Adachi Manya’s heart stirred with desire as he quickly smiled and said, “That’s not the case. I truly want to introduce silk to the daimyo.” His tone paused slightly, then he joked, “Though sooner or later I’ll find out whether her skin is really like silk.”

This sentence again caused everyone to roar with laughter.

Gao Delai was quite angry. He moved close to Qin Yining’s ear and quietly translated their conversation for her.

Qin Yining’s hand in her sleeve clenched, and she suddenly lost all patience.

Her purpose was to meet Ishikawa Minao. Now that she had seen him, Adachi Manya had lost his usefulness. This lustful, evil little man had impure motives from the beginning. Qin Yining had already endured to her limit. She had come to handle serious business, not to provide entertainment for this group of people!

Seeing everyone laughing, and their expressions being too explicit, Adachi Manya feared causing the beauty discomfort. He turned back with a smile and said in the Southern Yan language, “Later you can sit beside me. I’ll definitely recommend your silk to all the nobles.”

He had expected to receive a grateful smile from the beauty, but who knew that the woman who had always been gentle and shy was now looking at him with a completely unfamiliar gaze.

Adachi Manya was stunned. Even though he knew the other party couldn’t understand Japanese, he also knew what he and the daimyo had just said, and couldn’t help feeling somewhat guilty.

“Madam Yao, you…”

Qin Yining smiled as she looked toward Ishikawa Minao, who immediately noticed the change in her gaze and aura.

“Brother Gao, translate my words to him. I’ll say one sentence, you translate one sentence.”

Gao Delai was already grinding his teeth in anger. At this moment, he accepted with suppressed fury, his voice several degrees louder than usual.

“Ishikawa Daimyo, I am the daughter of Great Zhou nobility. Today Master Adachi kindly introduced me, and I’m fortunate to meet you—truly a blessing of three lifetimes. I wonder if Ishikawa Daimyo still remembers Sakurai Hideaki?”

Adachi Manya’s face changed drastically, looking at Qin Yining with eyes full of disbelief. “What are you saying! Aren’t you the wife of a merchant family? How are you nobility?”

Qin Yining raised an eyebrow and smiled. Having been with Pang Xiao for so long, she had naturally learned some of his disdainful bearing. At this moment her aura was intimidating, with no trace of a merchant’s manner.

No explanation was needed; just looking at her, one could see through her identity.

Ishikawa Minao leaned forward, pointing at Adachi Manya with his paper fan. “Do you know who she is?”

Adachi Manya hurriedly knelt in salute. “Daimyo, this woman told me she was a merchant! She… she used me!” At this point, if Adachi Manya still couldn’t see that he had been used, he would truly be utterly foolish.

Qin Yining paid no heed to his murderous glare, smiled slightly, and said, “Ishikawa Daimyo doesn’t answer—could it be you don’t remember someone named Sakurai Hideaki?”

Gao Delai loudly repeated Qin Yining’s words in Japanese. The entire hall fell so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Adachi Manya was covered in cold sweat.

Ishikawa Minao’s forehead veins bulged. “You woman, where exactly do you come from? Guards, throw her out!”

As his words fell, warriors on both sides were about to surge forward.

Qin Yining remained unmoved. “Ishikawa Daimyo’s brave reputation spreads far and wide. I never imagined he would fear a few words from a small woman.”

The situation was urgent. Gao Delai didn’t wait for Qin Yining to finish all her words before beginning to translate, yet he translated without missing a single detail.

Qin Yining continued, “Sakurai Hideaki served the daimyo loyally for many years, ultimately bearing a bad reputation for the daimyo’s sake and dying in a foreign land across the ocean. I am his good friend and should naturally bring him back to his homeland. Last time I arranged for my subordinates to bring him here, but the daimyo drove my people away and wouldn’t allow Sakurai to be buried in his homeland. So this time I’ve come personally to speak with the daimyo face to face. Before so many nobles and warriors, if the daimyo avoids discussing Sakurai’s matter, it inevitably raises suspicions of guilty conscience.”

As Qin Yining’s words fell, Gao Delai also finished translating.

Ishikawa Minao’s face was iron-blue, his sharp eyes cutting like knives across Qin Yining’s face and body. But seeing this woman’s magnificent clothing and imposing aura, knowing she was nobility from the Great Zhou, he felt somewhat intimidated for the moment and couldn’t directly make a move.

But if he didn’t face the matter of Sakurai head-on, the nobles present were all craning their necks to watch.

Ishikawa Minao sternly rebuked, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re referring to Sakurai Hideaki, he was a traitor to our Mizusawa Kingdom who nearly brought war upon us. If you want to bury him, it would only be possible if his past betrayal of the Mizusawa Kingdom had never happened! I will absolutely never allow him to be buried in the Mizusawa Kingdom!”

As Ishikawa Minao’s words fell, everyone around responded in unison, the men chattering and scolding in a language Qin Yining couldn’t understand, making her feel irritated and confused.

Without evidence at hand, she couldn’t make everyone believe her words, so there was no need for argument.

Thinking of this, Qin Yining coldly smiled. “I ask one last time—Ishikawa Daimyo truly won’t permit Sakurai to be buried?”

“Absolutely not!” Ishikawa Minao angrily stood up.

Everyone also rose with his movement, glaring fiercely at Qin Yining.

Behind Qin Yining, Ji Yun and Gao Delai’s muscles tensed, worried they might directly pounce. Xiao Xue and Jingzhe, who had been waiting at the door, rushed in even faster, protecting Qin Yining from behind.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Qin Yining waved her hand, indicating that Xiao Xue and Jingzhe needn’t be nervous. Her expression became solemn as she said, “Since Ishikawa Daimyo won’t permit it, then please accept this small woman’s challenge to battle. Let us resolve the question of whether Sakurai Hideaki can be buried in his homeland through a duel. If you win, I’ll submit to whatever treatment you decide. If I win, please immediately tell the truth about what happened years ago, clear Sakurai’s name, and let him be buried in his homeland!”

Ishikawa Minao glared furiously and shouted, “I won’t accept your challenge to battle. I’ll kill you right now!”

Gao Delai’s forehead broke out in sweat as he quickly whispered in Qin Yining’s ear. Qin Yining smiled. “So Ishikawa Daimyo’s bravery is nothing but self-aggrandizement—the rumors are false. You don’t even dare accept a challenge from a small woman like me. I greatly doubt whether the Mizusawa Kingdom can develop and grow strong in the hands of such a cowardly wretch as you!”

After Gao Delai finished translating, Ishikawa Minao flew into a rage, kicking over the low table and armrest in front of him. “I’ll kill you right now!”

“That would only show you don’t dare accept the challenge—the behavior of a coward!”