"Okay, okay, where is Li Xin? If anything happens to him, I in the North will not let you Dongli people off easily!" Li Lianggu pointed at Jiang Zhuo's nose and shouted impatiently.
His rugged features flushed crimson with anger as he roared, his voice booming like a bell.
"Li Xin is certainly very good, but I also have a question that I would like your Excellency to answer."
Jiang Zhuo sat there calmly, his posture upright but seemingly unhurried, in stark contrast to the irritable Li Lianggu.
"Hurry up and speak." Li Lianggu stared at Jiang Zhuo and spoke impatiently. His bad attitude made Changfeng so angry that his teeth itched.
"Why is Li Xin in my Dongli territory? He also organized the people to riot and tried to disrupt the security of the capital. Are the leaders of the northern land aware of all this?" Jiang Zhuo's voice was neither hurried nor slow, but every word was clear, like a heavy hammer hitting people's hearts.
Li Lianggu's eyes were a little vague. He pursed his lips and his brain quickly thought of how to respond.
"How should I know? Didn't you capture Li Xin? We don't know anything about organizing the riots. Anyway, within your Dongli territory, whatever you say is what counts."
He tried to cover up his guilty conscience with a tough attitude.
Jiang Zhuo held a fan in his hand and gently waved it. The swing of the fan seemed to carry an invisible rhythm, controlling the entire situation.
"Since they are within our Dongli territory, we must deal with those who cause trouble according to Dongli law. Furthermore, Dongli has always had a clear order prohibiting people from the North from entering Dongli. Anyone found sneaking in will be executed."
"The people of the North are well aware of these laws, and they haven't objected to them. So even if we kill Li Xin, it wouldn't be excessive."
Jiang Zhuo's gaze shot towards Li Lianggu like a sharp sword, making him dare not look directly at him.
Li Lianggu was a bit lost for Jiang Zhuo. How could he have known that this seemingly weak Dongli censor would be so difficult to deal with? He had thought that he could just intimidate him with his imposing manner!
"But Li Xin is our deputy leader in the North. Furthermore, the decree was established during Murong Sheng's reign. Didn't you Dongli have a new woman as emperor?"
"If the emperor breaks the law, he will be punished just like the common people. The new emperor did not abolish the original laws after ascending the throne. So, when was the Dongli law formulated by you northerners?" Jiang Zhuo's words were so sharp that Li Lianggu was speechless for a moment.
Li Lianggu angrily slammed the table, shattering the teacup and sending tea splattering everywhere. "You Dongli people are always sharp-tongued, and I can't argue with you. But this Dongli kingdom belongs to the Murong family, and Li Xin is a Murong family member! That Shen guy just doesn't have the right to rule!"
Jiang Zhuo chuckled when he heard this, leaving Li Lianggu puzzled.
"What are you laughing at?" Li Lianggu roared in anger.
"So, Li Xin is still from Dongli?" Jiang Zhuo's tone was full of ridicule.
"Of course! Pure royal blood." Li Lianggu didn't understand why, but responded with some pride.
"Then this person should be under the jurisdiction of Dongli. There is no reason to give him to you in the north." Jiang Zhuo's words were like a string of cannons, leaving Li Lianggu overwhelmed.
Also a fool.
Li Lianggu was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He angrily drew his knife and rushed forward, trying to chop Jiang Zhuo in half.
Jiang Zhuo raised his fan and waved it, blocking his knife. The fan looked light, but it was powerful enough to easily neutralize Li Lianggu's powerful blow.
"You don't have to worry. I am here on the orders of the emperor to negotiate with you. We can return Li Xin to you, but there are three rules." Jiang Zhuo said slowly.
Li Lianggu no longer wanted to talk. He just wanted to kill Jiang Zhuo and replace Dongli with a less intelligent censor.
"Die!" He roared, swinging his sword towards Jiang Zhuo again.
Jiang Zhuo flipped his wrist lightly, and instantly grasped the soft sword in his hand. His eyes were cold, and he held the long sword with the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, and his whole body exuded a fierce momentum.
Li Lianggu's eyes flashed with ferocity. He didn't expect Jiang Zhuo to be able to dodge! He shouted loudly, wielding his broadsword and slashing at Jiang Zhuo fiercely. The blade flashed with a cold light and was full of momentum.
Jiang Zhuo dodged sideways, easily avoiding the devastating blow. Li Lianggu's broadsword passed by him, but didn't even touch the edge of his clothes.
Li Lianggu's strike missed, and he followed it up with a sweeping blow, his broadsword whirring towards Jiang Zhuo's waist. Jiang Zhuo tapped the ground lightly with his toes, leaped back several feet, and dodged again. His movements were smooth and fluid, without a trace of panic.
"Even if you kill me, you still can't achieve what you want." Jiang Zhuo's voice was still clearly audible in the fierce fight.
"Shut up, you little brat!" Li Lianggu was so angry that his attacks became more and more crazy and he completely lost his composure.
Jiang Zhuo raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed that he had to take him down first. Taking advantage of the gap between Li Lianggu's attacks, Jiang Zhuo suddenly thrust out a sword, aiming straight at Li Lianggu's chest.
Li Lianggu reacted quickly, blocking the sword with his broadsword. But Jiang Zhuo's attacks were continuous and uninterrupted, each one aimed at Li Lianggu's vital points.
Li Lianggu began to panic, his breathing becoming rapid and beads of sweat covering his forehead. Jiang Zhuo, seizing the perfect moment, leaped up, swirling his sword in mid-air, striking Li Lianggu in the face. Li Lianggu hurriedly raised his head to avoid the blow, leaving a faint bloody streak on his cheek.
Li Lianggu wiped the blood off his face and stared at Jiang Zhuo angrily, "You're looking for death!"
He swung his broadsword without any rhyme or reason at Jiang Zhuo. Li Lianggu, enraged, attacked with ferocity, though his moves were full of flaws.
Jiang Zhuo chose to avoid the enemy's attack and maneuvered skillfully.
Finally, Li Lianggu's strength gradually faded. Jiang Zhuo found Li Lianggu's weakness and thrust his sword forward, piercing his wrist. Li Lianggu felt the pain and his sword slipped out of his hand. Jiang Zhuo then kicked Li Lianggu in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
Li Lianggu collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with resentment. Jiang Zhuo sheathed his sword, looked at him coldly, and said, "If the Northland wants to provoke a war, I, Dongli, will fight to the end!"
"But the new emperor is kind and understands the hardships of life in the north, so he ordered me to come to you to reach an agreement. I hope your country will not be ungrateful." There was a hint of warning in Jiang Zhuo's eyes.
"Is this your attitude for peace talks? Do you believe that I will send troops to Dongli immediately?" Li Lianggu struggled to get up from the ground, still being stubborn.
"Go back and tell your leader that if you want a fight, come anytime. If you want to negotiate, send someone with brains here again in three days."
Jiang Zhuo turned around and led his men on horseback to leave, leaving Li Lianggu alone there, roaring angrily and slashing at the pillar of the pavilion with a knife to vent his anger.
"Young Master, will this anger Li Lianggu?" Changfeng followed Jiang Zhuo and asked in confusion.
"He didn't want to talk today, he just wanted to test us. If we are too soft, he will easily take advantage of us. If we are tougher, they won't dare to act rashly." Jiang Zhuo rode on his horse, looking into the distance, as if thinking about something.
The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away across the empty wilderness, leaving only Li Lianggu and the ruined pavilion.
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