"Khan Utjin's face is still glowing, but your guts are much smaller than before. What, are you intimidated by the might of my dynasty's Duke Ding? Are you afraid of even This King?"
His words were full of provocation, and Si Qin immediately frowned. The four officials behind Si Qin also frowned, and one of the more hot-tempered ones even stepped forward to argue.
Who knew that Pang Xiao would suddenly change the topic and laugh, "Khan Utjin, please be at ease. Our Da Zhou dynasty has always been a country of etiquette, and we will not go back on our words. Since we have accepted your Tatan's surrender, we will not take the initiative to start any disputes, and we will not take advantage of the fact that you and the Khatun are on Da Zhou's territory to do whatever you want. Therefore, there is no need for Khan to be afraid."
This sentence clearly pointed out the status of the two countries.
Tatan had been defeated by Da Zhou, and although Si Qin was the Khan, wasn't he the one who had been beaten by Ji Zeyu to the point of crying for his parents?
He should be afraid. How could a defeated opponent like him not be afraid when he saw Da Zhou's God of War, who was as famous as Ji Zeyu?
If he still dared to show off, he shouldn't forget that they were still in Da Zhou's territory!
Pang Xiao's words made Si Qin's face turn ashen.
The people accompanying Da Zhou were all happy, and secretly praised Prince Zhongshun's words. His toughness was just right, and he was indeed someone who had been on the battlefield. When he showed off his abilities, even the Khans of other countries had to be courteous to him.
If he was a yes-man in front of the Tatan Khan, wouldn't he be losing face for Da Zhou?
Si Qin gritted his teeth. He had been in a position of power for a long time, and he was used to not having to worry about being refuted by others. That was why he began to mock him. Who would have thought that this Pang Zhixi would actually retort at such a time?
Just when the awkward atmosphere was about to turn sour, Lu Heng smiled and said, "Da Zhou and Tatan are friends. As the saying goes, 'It's a pleasure to meet a friend from afar'. The posthouse in the city has already been prepared, and the banquet has also been prepared. The weather has not been favorable to us along the way. I believe the Khan, Khatun, and all your officials must be exhausted. Why don't we invite the Khan to the posthouse for a rest?"
With a way out, Si Qin heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. With a sullen face, he replied with a grunt, preserving his dignity as a Khan.
Lu Heng turned around and ordered his men to open a path. He and Pang Xiao opened a path for Si Qin and his men to enter the city.
Pang Xiao looked at Lu Heng with a faint smile.
Lu Heng smiled and said, "After all, they have come from afar, and they have already bowed their heads. It would be bad if things turned sour on the spot. "In other words, he was blaming Pang Xiao for speaking too harshly and almost causing a dispute.
Pang Xiao smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Between the two of us, one of us has to act as the bad guy."
What he meant was that Pang Xiao had given the opportunity to act as the good guy to Lu Heng.
Lu Heng's heart burned with anger, but he maintained a gentle and refined smile on his face. "Wang Ye's intelligence is truly outstanding. This one admires you."
"Zhong Yibo is too courteous."
The two smiled at each other, but their smiles did not reach their eyes. They cupped their hands and returned to their respective carriages. They followed behind Si Qin's carriage and entered the city.
As for the Tatan's entourage, Lu Heng had arranged for people to settle down. Naturally, he would not allow so many Tatan people to enter the city at the same time. He left most of the Tatan people to guard the tributes, and only four Tatan officials followed them through the city gates.
Lu Heng and Pang Xiao sent them to the courier station. Everyone got off the carriage and entered according to their identities.
Lu Heng originally wanted to accompany Pang Xiao to send Si Qin off, but Pang Xiao put his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "Zhong Yibo, please. This King is used to being careless. It would not be good if he accidentally breaks the tables and chairs. "
"Wang Ye has a sense of propriety. How could he be such a careless person?" Lu Heng smiled, "It seems that Wang Ye is afraid of working too hard."
"No, Zhong Yibo, since you have received the edict, quickly go and do your job."
Lu Heng gritted his teeth, and the smile on his face became more and more stiff. If it was not for the fact that he did not want to fall out with Pang Xiao and make a fool of himself in front of the Tatan people, he would have already retorted. Pang Xiao might have known that he could not refute at this time, so he was so unscrupulous!
Lu Heng took a deep breath and suppressed his anger with astonishing willpower. He smiled and said, "Since that is the case, Wang Ye can rest here for a while."
Pang Xiao smiled slightly and did not say anything. He leisurely looked at the scenery around him, as if it was his first time here and it was a novelty.
Lu Heng quickly walked into the room and greeted Si Qin and Ke Dun with a smile.
It was also at this time that he saw Ke Dun's appearance.
She was a young woman who was tall and slightly plump. Her face was like a full moon, and her appearance was not very outstanding. The corners of her eyes and eyebrows had the unique arrogance of a Tatan aristocrat.
The young Ke Dun curiously looked at Lu Heng. She could understand Da Zhou's language, but her pronunciation was a little strange. "You are the head of the Lu family?"
Lu Heng had never seen a woman speak before a man in such a formal setting. However, even a Tatan woman could be a khan, let alone speak in such an occasion.
"Yes. Greetings to Ke Dun. "
"Yes. You know the rules very well. You are better than Prince Zhongshun. "Ke Dun smiled." Are you planning to hold a banquet? "
Lu Heng smiled and replied, "Yes."
"Then I will not drink with you. We women want to drink with other women. "
Lu Heng smiled and said, "My wife will definitely come back to accompany Ke Dun at the banquet."
"My wife? Your woman? No, no, no, I want to see the woman of Prince Zhongshun's family. " Ke Dun sneered. "The sinner who killed the Khan of A Nari, I want to see with my own eyes what kind of evildoer she is!"
When Lu Heng heard Ke Dun's way of speaking, he was momentarily speechless. He rarely dealt with women who spoke so directly. However, the other party was the noble Ke Dun. Moreover, Utejin Khan had been listening to Ke Dun in silence. Obviously, he had acquiesced to her behavior and did not mind Qin Yining appearing at the banquet.
However, he, Qin Yining, and Mu Jinghu knew better than anyone else how the Khan of A Nari had died.
Qin Yining had been the scapegoat for so long that even Si Qin had almost forgotten the truth.
Lu Heng could not bear to see Qin Yining come out and suffer. Ke Dun's status was noble, and now it seemed that she was a proud and ignorant person. He was worried that Qin Yining would be manipulated by Ke Dun.
"Replying to Ke Dun, whether the Prince Zhongshun's consort will come or not will have to be arranged." Although the rejection was tactful, it was clear.
However, Ke Dun could not understand the meaning behind it. "Arrange what? When the time comes, ask your Prince Zhongshun to come as well. Ask him to bring his woman. Everyone will be together. It will be lively. Our Khan is coming. Could it be that your country can't have the noblest local person to accompany him? "
These words were said confidently, but it did not leave any face for Lu Heng, the official in charge of welcoming them.
In Ke Dun's eyes, even if Lu Heng was the head of the Lu family, even if he was a count, his status could not compare to a boorish man who had lost his military power long ago!
Lu Heng was secretly angry, but he had long been used to dealing with people. He had seen all kinds of people, so he would not really take this ignorant woman seriously.
He could not lose his poise, but he was not sure if Pang Xiao would be willing to let Qin Yining come, so it was not good to reject Ke Dun.
Just as he was about to reply tactfully, Ke Dun said unhappily, "Is my request too much?"
Si Qin smiled and said, "It's not considered too much. I think that since Da Zhou and Tatan are friendly neighbors, Zhong Yibo would not reject Ben Khan's small request, right?"
"What are you talking about? Khan's words are too serious. "Lu Heng smiled and responded, but he was alert in his heart.
It seemed that even if Ke Dun did not ask Si Qin to speak, Si Qin was also "interested" in Qin Yining. What, this man killed the Khan of A Nari, and he wanted to see how the woman who took the blame for him was doing?
Lu Heng chatted with him for a while, then asked to be excused for the time being.
When he reached the door, he immediately asked Lu Wenru, "Where is Prince Zhongshun?"
"He is eating tea in the front. Does Count have any orders?"
Lu Heng did not answer, and quickly walked forward without saying a word.
Although Pang Xiao was too lazy to entertain Si Qin, it was not good for her to directly quit. Therefore, she temporarily stayed here in case something happened.
Who knew that just as she poured a cup of tea, Lu Heng would rush in. Before he could even catch his breath, he anxiously said, "Ke Dun proposed to have dinner with the Princess, and Wu Tejin Khan did not object."
When Pang Xiao heard this, she slowly put down the teacup in her hand.
After a moment of silence, Pang Xiao smiled and said, "Is that so? It seems that Ke Dun is a cheerful person. "
Lu Heng did not expect Pang Xiao to say this, and could not help but be annoyed, "Why are you not worried at all?" He moved closer to Pang Xiao and lowered his voice, "That day, the death of the Khan of A Nari had nothing to do with the Princess. Wu Tejin Khan used the Princess as a scapegoat for so long, and now he has brought Xin Ke Dun here. It is obvious that he does not have good intentions. How can you still be so indifferent? Don't forget, who was the reason why the Princess was kidnapped to the Tatan and suffered so much! "
The smile on Pang Xiao's face completely disappeared, and she sneered, "No matter who it was for, it would not be for you. Zhong Yibo, don't you feel that your anxiety is unnecessary? "
Lu Heng had always been calm, but when he heard this, his face could not help but turn red, and his eyes narrowed, "What does Wang Ye mean? This official does not understand."
"Is that so?"
Pang Xiao stood and walked in front of Lu Heng with her hands clasped behind her back.
He was half a head taller than Lu Heng, a person who had crawled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield. When he was unhappy, he did not hide the evil energy around him. His eyes were like sharp blades flashing with cold light under the moonlight. Those who were stared at by him would feel their bodies tremble. That was the instinctive reaction of being stared at by a ferocious beast.
Lu Heng had seen many big scenes, was a calm person, and was not someone who could not stand being frightened. But at this time, he felt every hair on his back stand on end.
But facing someone of Pang Xiao's background, his pride as the di son of an aristocratic family did not allow him to show fear. Also, they were love rivals. If he showed weakness in front of his love rival, then he would completely lose.
"Wang Ye, it is best if you do not speak nonsense. Casually slandering a colleague, I can go to Your Majesty and report you. "
Pang Xiao suddenly laughed loudly. The laughter traveled far, causing Lu Wenru, Huzi, and the others outside the room to look back inside.
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