latelenovela Chapter 393 Duke Wenguo, Duan Jingyuan
Chapter 393 Duke Wenguo, Duan Jingyuan
They're all worthless things. If he got the recipe for making tofu, then...
Moreover, they have found out quite a lot in the past two weeks, and only Qi Han, that fool, is completely absorbed in the pool of beautiful women.
The prime minister of the Southern Qiang Kingdom narrowed his eyes slightly and watched all this with an expressionless face.
He kept turning a jade pendant in his hand, seemingly pondering something, remaining noncommittal about the dispute.
This jade pendant was brought by His Majesty on behalf of the emperor, and it was also a token he and the crown prince used to negotiate a supplementary treaty with the Eastern Lin Emperor.
He had personally witnessed the multi-season rice cultivation. Since His Majesty and the Yun family had already made such a bold promise, then a ruler's word is law.
If their country had this method of cultivating rice in multiple seasons, then the people of the whole country would never have to go hungry again.
We have food, but there's an excess of it...
The people from the four major families in the martial arts world are all very different.
A swordsman dressed in black leaned against a pillar, closing his eyes to rest, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise, as if everything in the world was irrelevant to him, and he was immersed in his own world.
A few people sat together, talking in hushed tones, occasionally letting out soft laughter, as if they were discussing something interesting.
Completely ignoring the noise, it seemed that such disputes in the imperial court were far less exciting than the grudges and feuds in the martial arts world.
Then look at her cheap father, Prince Dun, sitting leisurely to the side, playing with a wine glass in his hand, his expression calm and composed.
His eyes seemed languid, but in reality, they held a sharp edge. His gaze swept over everyone, subtly observing each person's reaction.
He occasionally took a small sip of wine, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, as if he found the farce before him somewhat amusing, or as if he had already figured everything out and was not worried at all that the situation would get out of control.
In the banquet hall, the military officers were all eager and excited, but the censors, who were usually known for their outspokenness and courage, were completely silent.
This made Dongfang Jin even more confused.
She couldn't help but secretly speculate that the situation in the court was probably far more complex than she had imagined.
Just then, Prime Minister Xie stroked his beard gently, his brows furrowed slightly, and said to the Duke of Zhenguo with a hint of worry in his voice, "Duke, please don't be angry."
The Western Liang have always been known for their barbarity, and their arrival this time is probably not solely for food.
This person went straight to Jiuqu Street. Whether he has ulterior motives or something else, we should be careful in dealing with him.
We are in the open now, while they are in the shadows; we cannot act rashly.
Don't forget, we destroyed a lot of their businesses.
The Duke of Zhenguo was also somewhat annoyed by Prime Minister Xie's words, and before he could speak, he gave up.
Minister Lin could no longer sit still. He stood up abruptly and said indignantly, "What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right. However, how can my Eastern Lin Kingdom swallow such humiliation!"
"Your Majesty is wise and virtuous. We, your subjects, should share your burdens and cannot allow such a madman to act with impunity!"
His voice was impassioned, drawing the attention of many officials around him.
Dongfang Jin...
Is this Lin Wan'er's father?
How did this person become the Minister?
The way they were eavesdropping was so close they were practically lying on the ground.
None of the censors said anything, but this man had sharp ears.
Immediately afterwards, several hot-blooded young officials couldn't help but whisper in agreement, their faces filled with indignation and passion: "Minister Lin is right."
How can our great nation tolerate such trampling of our dignity? We must show them our power!
They leaned forward, their hands unconsciously clenching into fists, as if they were ready to go to the battlefield for the dignity of their country, their young faces full of passion and impulsiveness.
But some veteran officials slowly shook their heads, their eyes filled with worry and composure.
Dongfang Jin...
What's wrong with these people?
Is eavesdropping contagious?
Just then, an old man stood up at the banquet. He was tall and straight, showing no signs of being frail or decrepit.
Dressed in a scarlet court robe, his wide sleeves exuded a composed and dignified air.
The auspicious patterns embroidered with gold thread on his court robes shimmered faintly under the light, much like his illustrious achievements accumulated over the years.
Time has left its mark on his face, with wrinkles on his forehead resembling mountains and valleys.
His face was etched with the vicissitudes and wisdom of life; his temples were white, yet neatly combed, with a few strands of silver hair falling beside his thin cheeks.
His face was thin and rugged, with strong features, as if carved by a knife and axe, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
He exudes authority without anger, and his eyes reveal a clear and profound understanding of the world, as if he can see through the treacherous currents of the court.
His nose was high and straight, below which were firm lips, which he habitually pursed slightly, as if he were carefully considering his words, or as if he were upholding the righteous path in his heart.
His every move was steady and graceful, displaying the demeanor of a great scholar and the majesty and elegance of the head of the civil officials.
"Dongping, who is this old man?"
Dongping glanced at it: "Duke Wenguo."
Dongfang Jin looked at the old man. This was the Duke of Wen, the head of the civil officials.
He coughed lightly, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and looked around at the people from several countries and four forces.
He gently advised, "Gentlemen, please don't be anxious. In relations between two countries, peace is of utmost importance."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady and powerful, as if it had a magical power to calm people down.
This is Duan Jingyuan, the grandfather of my sister-in-law Duan Jing'an.
Duke Wen?
Immediately afterwards, Dongfang Jin heard Duke Wen say, "We should first find out their intentions. We must not provoke trouble out of momentary anger and cause suffering to the people."
After saying that, he slowly walked to the side of the Duke of Zhenguo, gently pressed the Duke's still waving arm, and said earnestly, "Duke of Zhenguo, you have a heart full of passion."
We all see this for the sake of national dignity, but in the heat of the moment, we may act impulsively and make mistakes.
Qi Han is certainly despicable, but he has the backing of Xiliang.
At this point, he subtly turned to the side, straightened his back, and isolated those people behind him. He leaned slightly closer to the Duke of Zhenguo and lowered his voice.
Speaking in a volume barely loud enough for the two of them to hear, he said, "That so-called Prince of Xiliang is nothing more than a descendant of a king of a different surname who was granted the imperial surname by the Emperor of Xiliang."
In Xiliang, he was used to being arrogant and domineering because of his status, and he was also lecherous by nature. He was a good-for-nothing playboy.
In my opinion, we don't need to bother punishing him; he'll get his just desserts.
He paused, his gaze seemingly sweeping across the distance, before continuing, "Don't forget the purpose of their visit."
After speaking, his expression turned serious, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he began to analyze the situation clearly: "Firstly, Your Majesty harbors great ambitions and has a grand wish to recover all the countries, but the forces of these countries are complex and intertwined."
It would be no easy task to retake them all at once; we would need to plan carefully and defeat them one by one.
Secondly, there is the matter of trade. Your Majesty intends to exchange goods and resources with other countries and develop trade relations.
This will both replenish the national treasury and improve people's livelihoods; it is truly a beneficial measure for the country and its people.
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Zhenguo, though still furious, slowly released the arm that the Duke of Wen had been holding down, gave a heavy snort, and turned his head away.
Duke Wen then turned to face Qi Han, bowed slightly, and wore a kind smile: "King Wu has come from afar, presumably with a sincere desire to make peace with both countries."
The brief verbal conflict was all a misunderstanding. Let's sit down and savor the delicious food at our banquet.
"You might make a different discovery." The tone was as gentle as if soothing a sulking child.
Qi Han's rudeness was easily dismissed, treated as a trivial incident.
His words both appeased the anger of the military officers and saved face for Qi Han.
They cleverly transformed a potential conflict into a negotiable dialogue.
His skill in mediating disputes was so masterful that no one present dared to be too forceful, and the storm was quietly quelled.