Chapter 846 Welcome Banquet
Inside the Qiming Hall, musicians played lively tunes, while dancers in the middle of the dance floor swayed their flowing sleeves and danced gracefully.
The envoys from various countries sat on either side, with tables laden with delicacies and wine swirling in their cups, creating a scene of great joy.
Grand Tutor Pan and Grand Tutor Jiang, along with other important officials, were also seated, seemingly celebrating the Emperor and Empress's wedding with toasts and drinks.
The envoys from various countries were astonished by the grand banquet, marveling at the wealth and prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Jiang Huai had a high alcohol tolerance, and he was in charge of toasting the envoys, one cup after another. The envoys were almost unable to keep up, not expecting that the wine of the Great Zhou Kingdom was so strong.
Xie Shang sat high in the main seat, his bright yellow dragon robe gleaming under the lamplight. He wanted all the nations to see the strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty and not dare to easily attack it.
These people all came together wanting a share of the pie from the Great Zhou Dynasty. There must be someone instigating or plotting behind them, otherwise they wouldn't dare to easily oppose the Great Zhou.
Jiang Fenghua sat gracefully beside him, and she also drank some wine with Xie Shang. She had a smile on her face and looked elegant and noble.
She looked in the direction of Sang Yupianpian and saw her sitting down next to Jiang Jinyan, clinking glasses with him. She wondered what her older brother and she had been talking about in private, but the two seemed to get along quite well.
She was certain that Sang Yupianpian had come for her older brother. Would this affect the relationship between her older brother and Zhang Yumo?
The concubines and ministers' families did not attend the welcoming banquet; only the ministers and vice ministers of the six ministries accompanied them.
The envoy from the Northern Xiao Kingdom, Dada, suddenly stood up, his rough voice echoing in the hall, "Your Majesty."
Xie Shang looked at him and raised his hand to signal the musicians to stop.
The music in the hall stopped abruptly, and everyone put down their wine cups and looked in Dada's direction. What was he planning to do now?
Xie Shang asked, "What business does the Dada envoy have?"
Dada said, "Such fine wine and delicacies, wouldn't it be a pity if there were no martial arts competition to enhance the enjoyment? I remember that the generals of your Great Zhou Kingdom said they wanted to have a martial arts contest. I wonder if that still counts."
His tone was full of provocation.
A sharp glint flashed in Xie Shang's eyes, but he smiled faintly. "Since the Dada envoy has such an interest, I will gladly grant it. However, it is somewhat inappropriate for the Dada envoy to call it a competition. The Great Zhou and the Northern Xiao Kingdom are allies. The two countries can sit together and learn from each other. The final outcome is not important. What matters is having fun. There is no need to compete and determine who is better."
Dada was speechless. When did the Northern Owl Kingdom and the Great Zhou Kingdom become allies?
He didn't give the Emperor of Great Zhou any face either, "If we're going to have a competition, we have to find a winner and a loser, and determine who is superior. Otherwise, what kind of competition is it? You people of Great Zhou are so hypocritical. You clearly want to win, but you still have to say some high-sounding and polite things to save face."
This was the first time in Xie Shang's life that he had been challenged. As the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he couldn't even refute Xie Shang's words and punish him for disrespect.
A cold glint flashed in Xie Shang's eyes. "Since the Dada envoy has such an interest, I shall grant it."
A sly glint flashed in Jiang Fenghua's eyes. She suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, our Great Zhou has always treated all envoys with courtesy. How can we really resort to real swords and spears? In my opinion, it would be better to have a contest with wooden swords and stop when the point is reached."
Her words were suspected of showing weakness, making Dada think that the people of the Great Zhou Kingdom were all weak. Dada was tall and strong, and she couldn't tell how good this person's martial arts were.
When Jiang Fenghua said this, Dada almost burst out laughing, feeling that each member of the Great Zhou was weaker than the last.
He suddenly stepped into the main hall, revealing a muscular body and a ferocious, terrifying expression on his face. He drew a curved sword from his waist, the blade gleaming coldly under the lamplight, sending chills down one's spine.
The ministers and foreign envoys in the hall were both angry and afraid upon seeing this.
Dada said, "Your Majesty, are you afraid? We men of Beixiao never use children's toys! Your Majesty need not worry, the scimitars of the men of Beixiao can never be held to a woman's neck."
Xie Shang sneered and addressed the crowd, "Who will step forward to compete with the envoy from the Northern Owl Kingdom?"
Looking at the group of ministers from the Great Zhou Dynasty, all of them were so bookish and refined, and he said with disdain, "Couldn't Your Majesty find a few military generals to compete with us..."
Just then, several clear voices rang out at the same time. Jiang Jinyan and General Peng Fei stepped forward simultaneously, saying, "Your Majesty, we are willing to compete with the Dada envoy."
When Dada saw Jiang Jinyan and Shangguan Liqing's handsome appearance, he laughed again. He pointed at Peng Fei and said, "Him it is! I don't compete with weak scholars."
However, before Peng Fei could agree, Shangguan Li, holding a large sword, leaped into the hall and said in a deep voice, "Why should General Peng take the initiative to compete with the Dada envoy? This humble servant is willing to spar with General Bei Xiao."
He had long disliked Dada and had wanted to test his skills for a long time.
Everyone looked at Shangguan Li, who was dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a red tassel was tied to the sword in his hand, as if someone had deliberately tied it on for him.
Jiang Fenghua stared at Shangguan Li and thought to herself, "He does have backbone. He was humiliated in the Golden Palace. Whether he can get his revenge depends on his ability."
Xie Shang had not expected Shangguan Li to suddenly step forward.
Xie Shang nodded slightly. "Granted."
Unexpectedly, Shangguan Li suddenly handed the knife in his hand to the guard next to him and said to another guard, "Bring me a wooden sword."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. What was Shangguan Li going to do? Why was he confronting Dada's curved knife with a wooden sword?
Everyone was on edge. Shangguan Li, holding a wooden sword, walked towards the center of the hall. Compared to the ruggedness of the people of Beixiao Kingdom, Shangguan Li appeared exceptionally thin and frail.
Dada grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Little kid, it's not too late to admit defeat now."
Shangguan Li did not answer, but simply made a hand gesture.
The next moment, Dada pounced on Shangguan Li like a tiger, his curved blade flashing coldly...
Jiang Fenghua's heart clenched as she watched. Shangguan Li moved with the grace of a willow catkin, deftly dodging his curved blade. The blade grazed his clothes several times, but never managed to touch him.
Jiang Fenghua exclaimed in a low voice, "Shangguan Li's footwork..."
Xie Shang turned slightly to the side and explained, "General Shangguan followed my grandfather in battles across the country and made great contributions. Shangguan Li is General Shangguan's grandson. He has been learning martial arts since childhood and can be considered to have inherited his grandfather's mantle."
Jiang Fenghua said, "Such a talented person, why would the Emperor keep him in the palace as a member of the Imperial Guard?"
Xie Shang explained, "Anyone who can enter the palace to serve as an Imperial Guard is no ordinary person. Their families all have some merit. Shangguan Li has only been in the palace for two years. He is staying here to gain experience first. If there is an opportunity in the future, he will definitely be sent to the battlefield."
What Jiang Fenghua didn't know was that in his previous life, Shangguan Li had also defeated many powerful enemies for Xie Shang and made great contributions.
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