Chapter 438 The First Clash
The capital city of Da Gan holds a morning court session every ten days, and today is the time for the morning court. Although the King of Lingnan is the only vassal king of Da Gan, he is still a subject of Da Gan. It would be fine if he were not in the capital, but now that he is in the capital, he naturally has to attend the morning court.
Since learning that the imperial court possessed extremely powerful firearms, he decided to lie low until he could develop firearms of the same or even greater power than those used by the court, before resuming his previous plans. This was also the reason he personally came to the capital this time—to ease tensions with the imperial court.
Since he didn't want to confront the court any further, he arrived at the palace gates early in the morning. When he arrived, several ministers were already there, but they were all of relatively low rank. After exchanging greetings, they chatted amongst themselves in small groups, giving him no chance to interject.
Those qualified to attend court, even if of relatively low rank, were at least fifth-rank officials. No one who had climbed their way up to the fifth rank in the capital was foolish; none of them would dare to have the slightest connection with the Prince of Lingnan under the emperor's very nose.
The King of Lingnan's face darkened, and he inwardly snorted coldly. Naturally, he wouldn't lower himself to talk to them, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. After a while, the officials arrived one after another, greeting the King of Lingnan politely before distancing themselves. Although the King of Lingnan was displeased, his expression remained relatively calm.
Just then, someone announced that the Prime Minister had arrived. A group of people straightened their clothes, put on what they considered polite smiles, and bowed slightly in a respectful posture, waiting as if they were soldiers awaiting inspection. When the Prime Minister approached, they bowed even lower and respectfully greeted him, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister."
The Prime Minister exchanged a few pleasantries with those he was close to, and merely nodded slightly to those he wasn't. He was treated like royalty as he walked. When the Prime Minister reached the Prince of Lingnan, their eyes met, and the Prime Minister bowed respectfully to the Prince, saying, "Your Highness."
The King of Lingnan immediately returned the greeting, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister."
Then the two stood about a meter apart, engaging in polite but back-and-forth conversation. This attracted the attention of many, and no one could immediately judge whether the Prime Minister's behavior was right or wrong. If one said he was close to the Prince of Lingnan, the two were still very polite to each other. If one said they weren't close, the two had been talking for half an hour.
"The Duke of Chu has arrived."
A voice rang out, and many people subconsciously looked up. The King of Lingnan also stopped his conversation with the Prime Minister and turned to look back at the way they had come.
Jiang Yu, dressed in a purple robe, walked slowly in the hazy morning light, exuding the noble air of a young master from a prestigious family, yet possessing an air of authority that surpassed even that of a high-ranking official. She walked leisurely, a faint smile playing on her delicate yet spirited face beneath her black veil. Along the way, she frequently exchanged pleasantries with familiar officials, her expression friendly and her tone casual. But wherever she passed, the officials who had been conversing in hushed tones spontaneously fell silent, stepping aside to make way, their movements unconsciously restrained.
Such casualness and naturalness, yet one couldn't help but feel an overwhelming aura emanating from him. The King of Lingnan narrowed his eyes. This was Jiang Yu. His sharpness was hidden in this nonchalant demeanor. Even without displaying official authority, he commanded more respect than anyone else!
The Prince of Lingnan lowered his eyes, concealing the complexity within them. As Jiang Yu approached, he straightened his back, abandoning the polite smile he had worn while conversing with the Prime Minister. The imposing aura of a vassal king instantly emanated from him, awaiting Jiang Yu's arrival for their first confrontation.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Jiang Yu walked over, but seemed not to see him. He cupped his hands in greeting to the Marquis of Jinyang. The Marquis of Jinyang was casual in his actions, but also a cunning old fox. He had already seen the Prince of Lingnan's pompous manner, so he pulled Jiang Yu aside and started chatting: "Duke of Chu, I have good news for you. I'm going to be a grandfather, and it's all thanks to you!"
Jiang Yu: "......"
You're going to be a grandfather, what does that have to do with me?
"Hahahaha..." Marquis Jinyang laughed heartily a few times, looking at Jiang Yu gratefully and saying, "Since Zhengze started working under you, not only has he been more diligent in his work, but he and his wife have also become more harmonious. With the young couple's relationship so good, I'm about to become a grandfather, hahaha..."
Jiang Yu: "...Congratulations, Marquis of Jinyang."
Marquis Jinyang said with a smile, "When my grandson and granddaughter are born, Duke of Chu must come to my mansion for the celebratory feast."
Jiang Yu quickly replied, "Definitely, definitely."
The Marquis of Jinyang beamed with joy as he told Jiang Yu the gossip he had recently heard. Jiang Yu listened intently, occasionally offering a comment. The two chatted animatedly, while the Prince of Lingnan, though maintaining a calm expression, visibly exuded a colder and more imposing aura.
The Prime Minister narrowed his eyes. How could he not know that Jiang Yu was doing this on purpose? The Prince of Lingnan would inevitably attend the morning court session after arriving in the capital, and with the Prince of Lingnan right behind her at this moment, he didn't believe Jiang Yu was unaware. Moreover, he was standing right opposite the Prince of Lingnan.
"Duke of Chu," the Prime Minister raised his voice and called out to Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu turned around upon hearing the voice, and seeing that it was the Prime Minister, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, "Prime Minister."
Her smile was perfectly polite, her gaze fixed on the Prime Minister's face as if the Prince of Lingnan didn't exist. The Prime Minister also wore a perfectly appropriate smile, "Duke of Chu, this is the Prince of Lingnan."
Jiang Yu then looked at the King of Lingnan, a moment of realization flashing across his face, before cupping his hands and saying, "King of Lingnan."
The Prince of Lingnan glanced at Jiang Yu for a moment, then said, "Duke of Chu, I have long admired your name!"
"No, no, not at all," Jiang Yu said politely. "I heard that when the King of Lingnan entered the city yesterday, he happened to see Pu Tong being tortured?"
The King of Lingnan's usually calm expression turned cold for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "I heard that it was the Duke of Chu who meticulously investigated Pu Tonghe's crimes? The Duke of Chu is quite capable!"
Jiang Yu smiled and said politely, "It's just that I'm more meticulous in my work. It's also because I figured out some tricks of reasoning when I was investigating things at home before."
Jiang Yu emphasized the words "family matters" slightly, causing the Prince of Lingnan's eyes to darken slightly. He naturally understood that Jiang Yu was telling him that she knew about what the Prince of Lingnan's mansion had done to the Duke of Chu's mansion.
Due to the current situation, he had decided to avoid conflict with Jiang Yu during his time in the capital, and of course, he didn't want Jiang Yu to look down on him. However, Jiang Yu's current "aggressiveness" was indeed making him unhappy. If he didn't retaliate, he would be looked down upon.
He chuckled, "The late Duke of Chu had no choice but to let the Duke of Chu inherit the title as a woman and enter the court as an official, which saved the Duke of Chu's family."
This was a remark implying that the Duke of Chu's family had no heir, but Jiang Yu's smile remained unchanged. "Grandfather was indeed wise. I am now twenty-two, yet I have still been able to dedicate myself to the family for decades. How old is the Prince of Lingnan now?"
The Prince of Lingnan remained calm and silent. Then Jiang Yu said, "Your Highness is over forty years old, isn't he? I imagine the Prince of Lingnan's heir is a man of both virtue and talent, and will surely be able to carry on Your Highness's aspirations in the future."
In other words, what kind of heir do you think others don't know? The one who truly has no successor is you.
The King of Lingnan narrowed his eyes slightly, "The Duke of Chu has quite the sharp tongue; I've had my fill of that."
Jiang Yu smiled and cupped her hands in greeting, "Your Highness is currently in the capital, so we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future."
The King of Lingnan also raised the corners of his lips, "It is my great honor."
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