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Zhao Ji, accustomed to his tyrannical ways in Wu State, had never received such treatment! His brows immediately furrowed, and he clenched h
Zhao Ji, accustomed to his tyrannical ways in Wu State, had never received such treatment! His brows immediately furrowed, and he clenched his fist, ready to overturn the table, but Sun Shiyi quickly grabbed his arm. Sun Shiyi could endure other things, but only with disturbing the Yang Residence did he have to muster the courage to dissuade Zhao Ji. After all, if the diplomatic mission failed, he, as the head of the delegation, would certainly bear the greatest responsibility!
"Officer Zhao! This is the capital, not Wudu!" Sun Shiyi quickly whispered into Zhao Ji's ear, "Please, don't be impulsive!" Although Zhao Ji was arrogant, he wasn't a fool. Persuaded by Sun Shiyi, he actually calmed down.
"What just happened was indeed my oversight!" Thinking this, Zhao Ji actually cupped his hands towards Wei Tingyu and said, "However, today is an internal matter of our Wu State delegation. The spies we are looking for have nothing to do with your esteemed nation! I ask the Marquis and everyone else not to interfere!"
"Since the Yang Residence dislikes bloodshed, we will take these spies outside the city to execute them!"
"Farewell!" After speaking, Zhao Ji immediately rose, cupped his hands towards Wei Tingyu, and intended to leave with the dancers. The dancers immediately began begging for mercy again. Being taken outside the city to be killed simply meant living a little longer, but it was still a dead end for them.
"You guys..." Yang Xian was utterly helpless. Why do you people insist on killing these beautiful dancing ladies? They're just dancing; they haven't provoked you in any way. Why are you so relentless? But before he could speak, Wei Tingyu raised his hand and clapped twice. Immediately, four Golden Shadow Guards walked in from outside and directly blocked the doorway.
"Without the Marquis's command! No one can leave here today!" The leading Golden Shadow Guard said, looking at the Six Gates Bureau warriors standing in front of him.
"What does the Marquis mean by this?" Zhao Ji was stunned. He thought he had already taken a step back by not causing trouble in the Yang Residence, but he hadn't expected Wei Tingyu to become relentless instead. He actually sent four guards to stand at the door, clearly trying to bully him!
"Intruding on the banquet, smashing the feast, seizing gifts, ruining the mood!" Wei Tingyu sneered, finally saying, "Most importantly, you snatched the woman I fancy..."
"Officer Zhao thinks he can come and go as he pleases?"
"Don't you have too little regard for me?!"
"You..." Zhao Ji was also bewildered. He admitted to the first few points, because he had indeed done them! But the last point about snatching a woman he fancied? That left him completely baffled! And not just Zhao Ji, everyone present was bewildered! Especially the Yang family patriarch, who kept scrutinizing the dancers, wondering which one Wei Tingyu referred to as the woman he fancied. Of course, the only exception was Yang Xian; this kid was now smug, because he knew this secret.
Ren Ruyi was also bewildered, because she knew Wei Tingyu was referring to her! She hadn't expected this man to be quite sentimental; his earlier words about wanting to take her into the Marquis's residence now seemed to be true. At least the fact that he was willing to offend a foreign envoy to protect her sparked a peculiar feeling in Ren Ruyi's heart. Because since childhood, she had never been valued by anyone! This was truly the first time!
"Then, what does the Marquis mean..." Zhao Ji narrowed his eyes, staring at Wei Tingyu, and asked. According to his old temper, he would have drawn his sword and killed his way out long ago! Even this so-called Marquis would have been chopped into seven or eight pieces in an instant to satisfy his hatred! But now he knew this wasn't Wudu!
"Leave the woman this Marquis fancies!" Wei Tingyu sneered, then said expressionlessly, "The one this Marquis fancies must be brought into my residence!" For Zhao Ji, this was the first time someone had tried to snatch a person from him! Although these women were useless to him and were all going to be killed, Wei Tingyu's actions were clearly an attempt to snatch food from a tiger's mouth!
"This is easy to handle!" However, Zhao Ji clenched his fist tightly, endured it once more, and said to Wei Tingyu with a smile, "If the Marquis has taken a liking to any woman, feel free to take her!" Originally, these women weren't spies; everyone knew that. Therefore, for Zhao Ji, letting one or two of them go caused no psychological pressure; the only issue was losing face. He could simply report that all the dancers were spies and had been executed; he assumed no Wu State official here, including Sun Shiyi, would dare to say anything.
As soon as Zhao Ji spoke, these dancers all looked at Wei Tingyu, their eyes filled with anticipation. Everyone had been dancing here just now, so no one knew which one this Marquis had taken a fancy to. But no matter who he fancied, wouldn't that lucky girl be saved? And she might even enjoy a life of luxury in the Marquis's residence, no longer having to live humbly in the Bureau of Music!
However, Zhao Ji's face was as cold and dark as the bottom of a pot! If Wei Tingyu wanted to take one or two of them, he could simply pretend not to see it, close one eye and let it go. It would save face for the other party and give him an out. But this fellow immediately asked to take all seven dancers? Wouldn't his earlier actions just make him a clown in a play? If he agreed to this, and word of today's events spread back to Wu State through the mouths of these Wu State officials, would he still have a place in the Wu State court in the future? Wouldn't everyone secretly mock him relentlessly?
"The Marquis is joking!" Zhao Ji's mouth twitched, and he forced an awkward smile onto his face, but his eyes were fiercely glaring at Wei Tingyu, saying, "It's just that I am from the military, and I cannot take jokes..."
"Who's joking with you?" Wei Tingyu blinked, looked at Zhao Ji, and said, "This Marquis is very serious!" Serious? Seriously trying to make me lose face, are you?! Zhao Ji thought fiercely. If only Wei Tingyu would give him an out, even if it was just leaving one woman behind, he could at least save some face. Especially now, seeing Wei Tingyu's gaze clearly carrying a mischievous meaning, clearly indicating that he was toying with him!
At this moment, Yang Xian also dared not be as arrogant as before; he had shrunk his neck. Because he clearly felt that Wei Tingyu wasn't trying to calm things down, but rather seemed intent on making a bigger fuss. Even Yang Xian understood, and the old foxes of Wu State, of course, also understood the current situation, but their gazes were all concentrated on Zhao Ji, wondering how he would respond next.
"Kill all these spies!" Zhao Ji felt everyone's gaze on him at this moment. He immediately hardened his heart, turned directly to his Six Gates Bureau subordinates, and ordered, "Don't let them leave this banquet hall!" He was now in a difficult position; the choices he could make were either to hand all these women over to Wei Tingyu, which would be like letting Wei Tingyu slap him hard across the face! If he returned to Wu State later, he wouldn't be able to hold his head up in court! At the same time, having lost so much face, the Wu State emperor probably wouldn't favor him anymore! Or the second path was to directly kill these dancers and solidify their status as spies. Anyway, no one could prove they weren't spies! This way, although it would displease the Yang family, he was still a member of a foreign diplomatic mission, and he was killing dancers brought by Wu State itself. At most, he would be admonished by the Central Plains court and then expelled from the country. Upon returning to Wu State, he could even claim that he was eliminating traitors for the country and thus suffered this treatment, allowing him to maintain a relatively good image in front of the emperor. The Wu State emperor might even value him more for being such a loyal person who served the country faithfully!
"Yes!" The Six Gates Bureau warriors received the order and, without a word, drew their swords and slashed at the dancers they were escorting! It was clear that these warriors often killed people, as their movements were extremely swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, and every strike aimed for a fatal spot. If these sword strikes landed, even Hua Tuo would not be able to save the lives of these dancers! The dancers hadn't expected things to change so drastically and immediately shrieked, their pretty faces turning ashen white with fear.
Ren Ruyi and Linglong, having martial arts, naturally stomped their feet and prepared to resist! Even if they were exposed in broad daylight, it was better than being hacked to death! And others, including Yang Xian, instinctively closed their eyes, unable to bear the tragic scene of beauties perishing before their eyes. At the same time, they were all cursing Zhao Ji, that bastard!! Seven beauties! Just wasted like that?!
No sooner said than done, at this critical juncture, Wei Tingyu didn't utter a single word, merely gave a look, and the four Golden Shadow Guards blocking the door simultaneously drew their swords and charged in! There was a brief sound of bodies swaying and clanging weapons, and then silence returned in about two or three breaths!
Those who had closed their eyes in fear now looked towards the dancers who were surrounded and about to be killed, their faces blank with confusion, only to find that the situation had drastically changed! Five of the seven dancers were still sitting on the ground, huddled together, their bodies limp with fear. Their faces were filled with terror and shock. It was not surprising, as, according to their understanding, shouldn't they have been hacked to death by now? Only two dancers, the most outstanding among them, were still standing, but their expressions were also bewildered. Clearly, they hadn't quite grasped what had just happened! The four of Wei Tingyu's guards stood in front of the dancers, guarding the four directions. They had already sheathed their swords, their faces expressionless, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with them! And the six Six Gates Bureau warriors stood on the outer perimeter, each staring at their own arms with shocked expressions. Because at this moment, their sword-wielding right hands were severed at the wrist, and the wrists holding the sword hilts lay at their respective feet.
Logically, this was a rather horrifying scene, but no one screamed. The entire banquet hall was enveloped in an eerily quiet atmosphere. And after a full few seconds, these six Six Gates Bureau warriors, whose wrists had been severed, felt agonizing pain surge into their brains from their severed wrists. They screamed and collapsed to the ground, their faces covered in a mixture of sweat and tears, even large drops falling to the ground, forming small puddles. This agonizing pain was unbearable even for these bloodthirsty warriors. They desperately rolled and struggled, their legs incessantly rubbing against the ground, as if that could alleviate some of the pain. However, it was clear that this method seemed ineffective.
And upon hearing their painful wails, the dancers' faces immediately turned even paler. After all, those blades had just barely missed them!
Zhao Ji stared dumbfounded as his six subordinates were all crippled, unable to even hold a sword from now on! But at this moment, he felt no anger whatsoever, only fear and panic! Large beads of sweat ran down his cheeks, wetting his collar! Just looking at him, it seemed he was suffering even more intense pain than his subordinates whose wrists had been severed. His martial arts weren't low, so he had barely managed to make out what had happened. He hadn't expected Wei Tingyu's four guards to be so skilled in martial arts! Despite being outnumbered, a few mere sword strokes from them had blocked all the blades his subordinates swung at the dancers, and then they seized the fleeting opportunity to perform a sword flourish and sever his subordinates' wrists. The entire process was as smooth as flowing water; Zhao Ji, asking himself honestly, didn't even possess such skill!
Ren Ruyi and Linglong were even more shocked; they had been in the middle of the dancers and thus had the clearest view. Ren Ruyi's heart was pounding fiercely at this moment. She had never dreamed that Wei Tingyu would have subordinates with such skill! She had always been very confident in her own martial arts, believing there was no place in this world she couldn't conquer! But now, the Marquis of Jining's residence was definitely a forbidden zone! One-on-one, to defeat just one of Wei Tingyu's guards... Ren Ruyi had no confidence! And she didn't know how many more such guards he had in his residence! As for Linglong, her martial arts were already a notch below Ren Ruyi's, so she hadn't seen as clearly! However, precisely because of this, she felt an even deeper sense of unfathomable depth about Wei Tingyu's Marquis of Jining's residence.
"Brother-in-law... you..." Yang Xian's mouth twitched, then he quietly asked Wei Tingyu. But as soon as the words reached his lips, he swallowed the rest back! At this point, it was too late to say anything more! However, Wei Tingyu had said earlier that he didn't want blood spilled in the Yang Residence, but now, this blood was brought by Wei Tingyu's guards. The Yang family members were also shrinking their heads, staying silent. Although bloodshed was inauspicious, it was better to be quiet and obedient now. And at this moment, they truly understood Wei Tingyu's terrifying power! They also secretly rejoiced, Concubine Mother was right; provoking this Wei Tingyu really won't end well! Even the Yang family patriarch couldn't help but gently caress his chest; his heart was filled with lingering fear at this moment. In the future, if any gossipmonger in his family dared to speak ill of Wei Tingyu in front of him and tell him to deal with him, he would immediately slap them twice without a word!
"Everyone saw it!" Wei Tingyu, on the other hand, shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and said, "It was their Six Gates Bureau who first drew their blades!"
"That's right!" At this moment, Yang Xian was the first to react, quickly nodding and saying, "I saw it clearly! It was the Wu State Six Gates Bureau trying to kill people in our Yang family residence!"
"This accident happened because the Marquis stepped in to stop it!"
"I will write to the imperial court tomorrow! I will ask the Ministry of Rites to properly question how the Wu State diplomatic mission dared to be so presumptuous!" Yang Xian's face even showed a righteous expression after saying this.
Wei Tingyu was speechless. You, this kid, are going to write to the imperial court? Do you have that authority? What position do you hold? What title? However, at this moment, he certainly wouldn't directly undermine Yang Xian's face. Instead, he gave him an approving look; at least this kid was pretty good at playing along!