Xie Ming

Old Ma wouldn't take the bait, and Xiao Jiang was helpless. I had to deal with it myself, so Zeng Ji had to take matters into my own hands.

To silence them and obstruct their actions, they forcibly moved military supplies and provisions, hoping to cover up their past misdeeds.

However, it was clear that Zeng Ji was a soft knife that was easy to sharpen, and he was able to go around in circles, not giving Xiao Lang a chance to lose his temper and stop talking.

"Hehehe, Your Excellency, please calm down, please calm down."

"There's no need for that, why bother?"

"It was all just angry talk."

"You care about all the soldiers and the war situation, and it's understandable that you might get angry at the moment."

"Alas, the army's advance is exhausting and difficult to sustain. It is difficult, indeed it is difficult."

"When the nation is in peril, he props up the collapsing edifice and saves the people from dire straits."

"The imperial court cannot be without you, Duke Jingguo, for even a day."

Amidst the compromises and flattery, Zeng Ji suddenly changed his tone, revealing his final trump card.

"Uh"

"Oh yes."

"Before coming here, hehe, I only heard about it."

"Well... I heard from Liu Hou of the Imperial Guards that when you led your troops south to suppress the rebellious barbarians, you happened to be in Tianmu Mountain and actually saved the life of Consort Hui in the palace." He suddenly glanced at Xiao Jiang.

"Oh dear, God have mercy on us."

"Consort Hui was fortunate to meet the Duke and has now safely returned to Hangzhou."

"Only then can the imperial lineage of our Great Ming be preserved."

"The Duke of Jingguo is an unparalleled pillar of the state, but, uh, I heard that after your trip to Tianmu Mountain, you also suffered some serious injuries."

"Hoo Hoo Hoo"

At this point in the conversation, Zeng Ji, without any sense of incongruity, slowly raised himself up, forced a smile, took a few steps, approached the small bamboo armchair under the eaves of the corridor, picked up the red paper gift box-like object on it with both hands, and then returned to the table by the same route.

The reason why he acted so freely here was that, in fact, as soon as the three of them sat down at the banquet, Xiao had already sent all the other servants in the hall away.

They are all currently detained in a remote part of the front yard and cannot return without being summoned.

Even Old Feng, who had come here with Zeng Ji, was now looking this way expectantly from under the distant corridor.

Because of the distance, those on either side could not hear what was being said.

"Roar roar roar roar."

"The Duke has worked tirelessly for the court and the Ming Dynasty, always leading by example."

"His name of loyalty and bravery in protecting the country shines as brightly as the sun and moon."

"I once thought I could catch up with him, but I could only admire him greatly."

As he spoke, he tore open the red paper package near the table, revealing a sandalwood box inside. He then unlocked it and carefully lifted out a long, slender, sealed jar, the contents of which were not visible from the outside.

"Uh"

"Hehe, to be honest, Duke, this is a treasure passed down from my ancestors."

"The people of the Five Dynasties, ah, those things that the Five Dynasties could no longer tolerate, ho ho."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan glanced sideways, raised an eyebrow, and asked with a question in his mind.

"Oh?"

"Minister Zeng, what is this?" Xiao Xun asked.

"Hehe, ginseng!" Zeng said in a low voice, as if he were speaking in secret.

"Top-grade Shangdang purple ginseng."

"This treasure, well, even if it were to be sent to the palace, it would be considered the finest among tribute items."

"A genuine divine object brought from Zituan Mountain in Shangdang."

There will never be another like it in the world.

"Hehehe, Duke, this time I came here because I was following the Emperor's orders and it was difficult for me to do so. I was also in a difficult position with those around me."

“But if we’re talking about personal matters, I, Zeng Ji, am also a subject of the Ming Dynasty, receiving a salary from the emperor.”

"Having accepted this position at such a critical and perilous time."

As the saying goes, "Those in a position must fulfill their responsibilities."

“We may not be able to control what other people do, what they do is corrupt and unsavory.”

“But no matter how unbearable my past was, I can still see one thing clearly.”

"That's right. Without you, Duke Jingguo, what court, what country, would all be gone by now?"

"I dare not speak recklessly in front of a true person."

"Lord Duke, these are my heartfelt thoughts and sincere feelings, and there is absolutely no pretense behind them!"

"Alas, I am of low rank and position, and have no authority in the court." "Outside the court, I am weak and feeble, and truly unfit to fight on the battlefield."

"Now that I have heard that the Duke is unwell, my first thought is to take advantage of this mission to bring this ginseng."

"If this item could be used on Your Excellency, it would help regulate your breathing, replenish your energy, and strengthen your body."

"Then it wouldn't have been in vain to have come to this world, would it? Hehehe."

What a silver tongue!

Zeng Ji made a move, performed a grand ceremony, and then used his eloquent words to embellish the scene, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

Looking around, seeing that Xiao was not standing, the man felt there was a chance, and hurriedly added some more firewood.

"Hey, come here, Your Excellency, take a look."

While showing off, he leaned closer to Xiao Jingchuan and carefully unsealed the long jar, revealing the true appearance of the inner chamber.

"Hehehe, this ginseng has been preserved for over a hundred years."

"The conventional methods of sun-drying and maintaining the plant are not feasible."

"Look, the thick, sticky stuff inside is top-quality osmanthus honey."

"This is called the honey-preserving method."

"Ginseng is soaked in it, and honey is durable and will not spoil even after a hundred years, so it helps to isolate it from the possibility of mold growth."

"This method is said to be able to preserve health for a thousand years."

"Of course, if he is the Duke, then he must be a man of great experience and knowledge."

"As you know, this ginseng was already extremely rare back in the reign of Emperor Hongwu."

"After that, it was almost extinct."

"If one manages to find even a single plant or two, it is considered a divine object."

"You simply can't find it on the market."

"Hoo Hoo Hoo"

"Of course, that's another story."

"A good horse deserves a good saddle, and fine gifts are offered to the immortals."

"My lord, you are the true immortal in my heart, hahaha!"

"No matter how rare or precious this item may be, if it can have even the slightest effect on the Duke's healing and nourishment, then it is only right and proper."

"Hey, I'm not flattering you, and I'm not trying to curry favor or give gifts."

"I am offering this ancestral treasure for the sake of our Great Ming Dynasty, for the 100,000 soldiers who have shed their blood on the front lines, and for the safety of the people in the provinces south of the Yangtze River."

"You absolutely, absolutely must not decline."

"You must accept this token of your appreciation, ah, hehehe."

Wear it a thousand times, but flattery never wears it.

Zeng Ji's silver tongue and worldly flattery were truly remarkable.

Xiao Jingchuan was caught off guard and couldn't take his eyes off the treasure being touted as a priceless gem.

It happened in a short while.

Just as Zeng Ji was fawning and staring intently, Xiao Zhong suddenly came back to life, regained his composure, and returned to reason.

His mind was clear; since the other party had brought up the matter of offering treasures, he might as well use it as an excuse to make a fuss.

"Uh, hehehe."

"I appreciate Minister Zeng's kind intentions."

"However, since this ginseng is such a divine object, perhaps His Majesty's health needs it more."

"I, Xiao, would never dare to accept this. Rather, I would like to use it as a gift and send it to the palace."

"If this can cure His Majesty's chronic illness, then Minister Zeng has truly done a great service to our Ming Dynasty!"

By subtly shifting the focus and using the subject matter directly, Xiao's words here reveal a deep cunning and can be described as quite sophisticated.

After speaking, he looked at Zeng Ji's face. Although there was a hint of surprise, Zeng Ji seemed familiar with the situation and was not afraid. He then flattered Zeng Ji and continued speaking.

"Oh, I understand the Duke's loyalty to His Majesty."

"Well, Your Majesty, His Majesty suffers from a long-term illness and is weak."

"In our current state, we absolutely cannot tolerate such nourishment."

"This ginseng is truly too much for Your Majesty's health to handle."

"Lord Duke, please don't refuse."

"This divine object is truly only fit for you!" Zeng said.

(End of this chapter)