Chapter 46: The Eloquent Schemer! |
Niu You Dao said, feigning surprise: "It's all here, does the Lord not see it?"
Feng Lin Bo replied indifferently: "Stop beating around the bush. Where is the gift? Only once you produce it will I consider whether to give my daughter to the Prince."
How could Niu You Dao not understand the hidden meaning in these words? Once he produced the items, they would be forgotten!
"Not 'consider,' but 'give.' Your daughter... my Prince intends to take her as his wife!"
Feng Lin Bo even sneered coldly: "How bold you are to speak like that! You come to my domain and still dare to dictate that I 'give' her in marriage, not 'consider'?"
Niu You Dao gestured towards the doors and said resonantly: "Should the Lord merely step outside and announce that a mere Prince, who commands a hundred thousand strong Crows army, is handing it over to you just like that, they would arrive instantly and for free. However, you might also invite danger upon yourself!"
Inside, everyone was immediately astonished. A hundred-thousand strong army? Did Shang Chao Zong command a hundred-thousand strong Crows army? Some were even frightened. Could this truly be the gift?
Feng Lin Bo shrewdly looked at Niu You Dao. What did he mean by this? Yet, if he were to speak of it, of course he wouldn't dare announce to everyone that a hundred-thousand strong army would be handed to him.
Niu You Dao turned and asked: "Does the Lord dare? I presume to ask, will the Lord do so?"
Niu You Dao dismissively waved his hand and calmly replied: "Would the Prince truly allow me to depart so unprepared? Even if we do not leave Kuangai County, so what? Should the Lord act rashly, everyone will learn of the hundred-thousand strong army. And what then will become of this piece of land? Not just the Yan Kingdom, but most likely the Zhao Kingdom will march through Qingshan County and destroy Kuangai County. I fear then, the provincial ruler will hold onto nothing. What brave gentlemen would merely stand by and watch a powerful County Lord fall?"
Feng Lin Bo understood that Niu You Dao knew he wouldn't dare. He was already contemplating whether to arrest Shang Chao Zong. Feng Lin Bo said in a gloomy tone: "If you do not hand over the gift to me, why would I give you my daughter?"
Niu You Dao calmly replied: "Regarding the gift, I will be frank, I will not deceive the Lord, nor would I succeed in doing so. The Prince does not yet possess this army."
"WHAT?!" Peng Yu Lan's eyes widened. Were they playing a joke with her daughter? She was now enraged and cried out: "You came without a gift, and you still dare to trifle with us?"
Niu You Dao cupped his hands and signaled for them to calm down:
"'Yet' means temporarily! Sooner or later, he will possess this army."
Feng Lin Bo said with a strained smile:
"A master of glib talk! How dare you present something non-existent as my daughter's bridal gift! Do you take us for fools? I'll see what other tricks you have up your sleeve!" Feng Lin Bo was already glaring at them with malice.
"Glib talk?" Niu You Dao feigned surprise. And then, resolutely, he posed a question in return:
"Does the Lord take us for fools? Ning Wang perished, and why did schemes suddenly begin against the Prince? With the Lord's ears and eyes, you must know the true reason! Obviously, they feared Ning Wang's past might. That's why they decided to 'mow the grass completely'! But have you not wondered why the Prince was kept imprisoned for so many years yet not killed? Could it be that their hearts had turned benevolent? And why was the Prince suddenly freed? Was it perhaps due to familial ties? Has the Lord truly not considered all of this?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall fell into thought. Peng Yu Lan remained silent. Feng Lin Bo continuously stroked his beard.
Yuan Gang stood calmly, observing the eloquent Niu You Dao. He no longer worried about their venture in the slightest.
Niu You Dao took two steps and approached Peng Yu Lan. He pointed at the door and said, feigning distress:
"It's not because the imperial house didn't want to kill him. Nor is it because their hearts had turned kind. Even less did the imperial house consider blood ties. It is because they knew of the former Ning Wang's surviving hundred-thousand strong army. Thanks to the hundred-thousand strong Crows army!"
He then quickly approached Feng Lin Bo and said:
"How could the Prince easily bring forth this army? He knows that as soon as he does, it will be certain death! During these years he spent in prison, he was questioned about the army every single day. Yet, the Prince never revealed it! However, Heaven is just. The Emperor himself caused these troubles and is now reaping the consequences. He purged the old veterans and has now achieved a precarious position within the country. This led to the emergence of independent counties like yours. This is why neighboring states eye us predatorily. One old enemy like the Han Kingdom is already enough. The Emperor even married off princesses to neighboring kingdoms to maintain some semblance of peace! So why did the Emperor release the Prince? Because he desires the hundred-thousand strong army for himself! The Prince himself understands that if he acts rashly, he will simply hand a gift to the Emperor! The Emperor is trying to provoke him, hoping that in his last gasp, he will unleash the hundred-thousand strong army. But the Prince does not wish to dance to his tune. That is why he offered the army to the Lord, and does not want the army to fall into the Emperor's hands! Why does the Prince wish to take the Lord's daughter as his wife? Because your daughter is a pearl in your palm. And after he hands the army over to you, you will not dare to kill him. And a strong bridge will be built between you. Are these causes and effects not clear? I don't know why the Lord has such doubts? Does he truly believe the Prince simply wishes to deceive you? If so, does that not seem absurd to you! The Prince's motives are pure and sincere. What is there to doubt!?"
Niu You Dao's words pressed down on the listeners like thunder. He stirred everyone, leaving few willing to object to anything he said.
Silence fell inside. Many became lost in thought. They had not yet fully recovered from what was said when a clamor erupted outside:
"Scoundrel! I'll kill you!"
Everyone immediately looked out to see Feng Ru Nan in armor, a spear in hand, charging in with murderous intent. Her other warriors, of course, dared not behave so brazenly inside the County Lord's palace. Only Feng Ru Nan could act this way here.
Without a word, Feng Ru Nan headed straight for Niu You Dao. He had borrowed money from her, and with that very money, he bought bridal gifts to take her as the Prince's wife. Never before had anyone insulted her so profoundly! Especially when he had extorted money from her through deceit. Now, if she didn't kill him, she wouldn't rest easy!
Holding the spear, she had already aimed it at Niu You Dao, while the others seemed to pay it no mind.
Feng Lin Bo and Peng Yu Lan wanted to see how strong Niu You Dao was.
But Yuan Gang would not let them enjoy Niu You Dao's skills. He quickly blocked the path to Niu You Dao. He gripped the spear tightly with his bare hands.
"Arghhh..." Feng Ru Nan screamed wildly, gripping the spear with both hands, trying to push it forward. Her face even turned red.
Yet, Yuan Gang held her dead still, looking askance. It was as if he was evaluating how much more strength she could exert.
Everyone around looked at Yuan Gang in surprise. Feng Ru Nan had, after all, trained in martial arts since childhood. Few men could rival her in strength. Furthermore, she was naturally strong. Yet, Yuan Gang restrained her with such ease. And he wasn't even a cultivator. Such powerful men were rare nowadays!
Niu You Dao was also surprised. Yuan Gang had been able to withstand Cheng Gui Shuo, and now he was holding Feng Ru Nan. It seemed his Hard Qigong had advanced quite well.
Feng Lin Bo's eyes sparkled. He had already decided to himself that this young man was one of those valiant generals who could become famous in war. The fame surrounding Ning Wang was not baseless after all, if he commanded such subordinates. No wonder everyone praised the Yinyang and Wuli Guards!
However, he had been informed that Yuan Gang was not from those Guards.
Seeing that her daughter couldn't reach Niu You Dao, Peng Yu Lan turned and nodded her head.
Then, a white-haired old man standing to the side flashed forth. He slapped the spear with his palm. Yuan Gang's hands trembled, and unable to withstand the force, he was forced to step back!
Meanwhile, the old man took the spear from Feng Ru Nan and pressed down on her shoulder, holding her in place.
Niu You Dao also acted. He supported Yuan Gang's body. He felt that Qi was surging within Yuan Gang. He took two steps back with him before finally stopping.
Niu You Dao turned his head and looked at the old man. The old man had apparently intended to teach Yuan Gang a lesson. It seemed like a light tap on Yuan Gang, but in reality, his slap contained a force that could kill an ordinary man. Niu You Dao glared at him fiercely:
"Old man, have you grown tired of living?"
Such a fierce tone immediately drew everyone's attention.
The old man also looked at Yuan Gang in surprise. Although he hadn't used his full strength in that palm strike, Yuan Gang should still have coughed up blood. Who would have thought Yuan Gang could endure it like that? People usually train their bodies and muscles. But had Yuan Gang perhaps trained his internal organs as well?
Yuan Gang caught his breath slightly, relaxed his arms, and gradually everything in his body stabilized. He whispered to Niu You Dao: "Lord Dao, I am fine!"
Niu You Dao immediately smiled, and looking kindly at the old man, said: "Old man, I will remember that palm strike. Later, when the opportunity arises, I will let you experience my palm strike!"
The old man also bowed kindly:
"This old servant will await."
"Good!" Niu You Dao nodded to him cheerfully, as if nothing had transpired between them.