Xie Ming

Old Ma was a brute who pulled and dragged the dog, bluffing and cursing at the same time.

When Zeng Ji heard that he was about to cause trouble, he was furious and no longer cared about saving face, so he retorted with sarcastic remarks.

Upon hearing this, Ma Weimin objected.

No sooner had Zeng finished speaking than Old Ma slapped the table with his big hand.

Snapped!
The shaking caused the cups, bowls, plates, and dishes on the table to clang and clatter, tilting and rattling in all directions, creating a chaotic scene.

"His surname is Zeng!"

"Humph!"

"Stop spouting nonsense and trying to impress me with your literary skills."

"What the hell is this talk of divine grace?"

"I am where I am today because the Duke protected me."

"Return the imperial court? Bah!"

As he spoke, Old Ma straightened his back and stood up with his arms crossed.

"What a shame."

"Relying on you? What kind of damned imperial court are you talking about? I, Ma Weimin, would have been played to death by you long ago when I was in office in Jiangning."

"You people are ruthless; you never show any mercy when it comes to discarding someone after they've served their purpose."

"A complete mess, with such a huge hole in the system, how are we supposed to settle this if we don't kill me?"

"Even in this situation, they're still grabbing the back of people's heads and don't know how to restrain themselves."

"Smells something fishy, ​​and the moment you put your mouth on something, you're already trying to make money off me?"

"Grandma!"

"What the hell are you all planning?"

"Do you even have any shame?"

Old Ma went all out, using his usual slang and witty remarks, just like in the old days.

However, it must be said that sometimes, the only way to deal with a cunning and ruthless person like Zeng Ji is to use a roguish and unruly approach.

At present, it is clear that Zeng Ji has already lost the upper hand and can no longer compete with him.

"You! Ma Weimin"

"Fine, okay, fine, you're being foolish, I don't need to argue with you."

Seeing that he was no match for Xiao Lang, Zeng Ji turned his gaze sharply and looked back at Xiao Lang, hoping to salvage the situation.

"My lord, I have given my all from the bottom of my heart. What could I possibly want in return?"

"The inner court and the outer court are both controlled by the Southern Party's Grand Secretary Qiu and Minister Ma, and I..."

He had a complaining and aggrieved look, but he only touched on the points and never let anything slip.

"Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about it, it's better not to talk about it."

"My lord, as the old saying goes, even if you don't respect the monk, you should respect the Buddha."

“I am Zeng Ji, huh? What am I, Zeng Ji, anyway?”

"You're not looking at me, are you?"

“But, think about it, Madam, your entire family has all come to Hangzhou now.”

"I heard that the lady is also six months pregnant."

"You mean, at such a critical juncture, you, right?"

“If it weren’t for the fact that military affairs at the front are so busy, you really should go to Hangzhou and reunite with your family.”

"Of course, the imperial court has its own arrangements in this regard, and we should be considerate of it."

"We can't let the Duke fight bloody battles on the front lines while worrying about the safety of his family."

"Yes or no?"

Zeng Ji was eventually driven to a dead end. After a lot of trouble, he had no choice but to reveal his true colors and his family affairs, hoping that Xiao would have some reservations.

Using this as leverage, they can seize any opportunity to turn the tide.

Moreover, in order to prevent Ma Weimin from interjecting again amid the chaos, they hurriedly made arrangements and decided to make one last desperate attempt.

He then pressed on with a more forceful and direct approach.

"Hehehe, Your Excellency, you..."

"To be honest, Zeng really didn't want to do it this way."

"If it weren't for that old Ma stirring up trouble, how could things have come to this?"

Seeing that it was about time, Minister Zeng moved closer to Xiao Qian and, in front of him, made a gesture as if to casually pull out the imperial edict from his sleeve to intimidate the crowd.

Can!
Unexpectedly, just as he was about to make a move, Xiao Jingchuan suddenly became even more nimble.

The man was quick-witted and agile; he brazenly and without changing his expression, while staring at Zeng Ji, he grabbed Zeng Ji's hand, which he had pulled to his sleeve.

Snapped!
"Hehehe"

"Minister Zeng is prudent and steady. You are very discreet. You even showed the imperial edict and decree before entering the room. I, Xiao Jingchuan, appreciate this favor."

With one hand, he grabbed Zeng Ji's wrist, rendering him unable to move.

His words followed immediately, leaving no room for argument.

Indeed, given the current situation inside the hall, Zeng Xiao was tense, and Xiao Jingchuan understood it even better.

The reason why Minister Zeng had been so patient and unwilling to reveal the imperial edict was because he was afraid that if things got out of hand, he would have no way to maneuver and would be unable to extricate himself.

After all, even if the job went smoothly, he might still manage to extract some of that money.

That didn't even apply to him.

But if he really angered the man in front of him, this god of death, because of this reason, he would be in trouble.

If he loses his temper, he might end up losing his life right here.

Those few dozen guards who came with him were nothing compared to the Xiao family army.

If the dog gets cornered, kill it all, and afterwards make excuses, saying you never saw the messenger.

The imperial court would certainly not seek revenge for him.

In this way, Zeng Jicai truly died in vain.

Therefore, although he was on official duty and had imperial orders in hand, he was truly terrified, especially when Xiao's eyes were wide open in fear.

"Heh, but I'll say it again!"

"Right now, I'm holding the river against the enemy, and their forces are overwhelming. I don't have time to play any tricks with you."

"If the imperial court doesn't distribute grain and salaries soon, the situation could easily spiral out of control."

"Humph!"

"When that time comes, you will all have to pay with your heads for this city, this thousand-mile-long river lock, and all the provinces south of the Yangtze River!"

A stern and intimidating tone.

After Xiao finished speaking, he angrily threw his hand away.

Upon hearing this, Zeng Ji became extremely cautious and dared not cause any more trouble.

Protecting oneself is the most important thing right now.

"Uh, yes, yes."

"Yes, I will bring it. When I return, I will definitely take immediate action."

In his panic, Minister Zeng could only stammer out his agreement.

Seeing that the objective had been achieved, Xiao Jingchuan, not wanting to prolong the matter, decided to issue an order to leave.

"Ha, alright, we've said everything that should and shouldn't have been said."

"Minister Zeng, you must have had a long and tiring journey to Nanjing. Have you had a proper rest yet?"

"If you don't mind, why don't you stay at my place today?"

"In the evening, Mr. Xiao will prepare a banquet to further his hospitality, ah?!" came the official-sounding statement.

"Uh, no, I shouldn't bother you."

How could Zeng Ji not understand what he meant?
He was so busy that he hurriedly waved his hands.

"Hey, Minister Zeng, why are you being so polite?"

"No matter how important the matter is, filling your stomach is always the first priority."

"Well, we need to eat before we set off, right? Hehehe."

These were just playful words; Xiao had completely relaxed by then.

"Ah, this, this, this..."

"I am flattered by the Duke's hospitality. Ah, I am flattered."

"However, as you just mentioned, the military situation and supplies at the front, especially the food and fodder, are extremely urgent."

"I, Zeng, will not stay any longer, I will not stay any longer."

"I will return immediately to oversee the matter."

"It's a matter of great importance, ah, it's a matter of great importance."

With its tail between its legs, Zeng Ji wished it could just tumble and crawl away as fast as it could, it was terrified.

Before he could finish speaking, the man, his back hunched, rose trembling, clasped his hands, and prepared to take his leave.
(End of this chapter)