Chapter Twenty-Eight: Choose the Wrong Master Once, and the Treatment Is Worlds Apart

The next day.

True to his word to Jiang Ziqi, Yan Wugou dispatched a diplomatic mission from Great Kang to the Qi Kingdom to negotiate war reparations. Despite suffering two consecutive military defeats, the national strength of Great Kang remained dozens of times that of Qi. Upon hearing of the mission’s arrival, all the officials of the Qi court urged Tian Yueying to receive them with the honors due to distinguished guests.

However, ever since Yang Chuan had begun assisting her, Tian Yueying no longer wished to be so subservient. The Empress of Great Kang was a monarch, and so was she. Why should she treat these people as honored guests simply because they sent a diplomatic envoy? It was absurd.

Yet, to keep her temper in check, Yang Chuan advised her to receive them according to the protocols for a subordinate state, intending to see what conditions the Kang Kingdom would propose first. Adhering to the principle of following Yang Chuan’s guidance in all matters, Tian Yueying finally agreed.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the Qi Kingdom’s song and dance troupe performed in the reception hall to officially welcome the Kang delegation. The leader of the mission was once again Zou Zhiping, the Crown Prince’s Tutor and a disciple of Jiang Ziqi. Although Yan Wugou had not had anyone in her harem for years—let alone a successor—the title of Crown Prince’s Tutor remained, functioning as a mere sinecure. With Jiang Ziqi’s senior disciple, Guo Mingyu, having just been beheaded in Qi, Zou Zhiping had deliberated extensively before volunteering to lead this mission to Qi to demand accountability.

Facing these "distinguished guests" from Kang, the entire Qi court, including the Protector of the State, Sun Xin, treated the delegation with utmost reverence. Wherever Zou Zhiping went, officials rose to offer salutations, vividly illustrating the rigid hierarchy of their society. However, Zou Zhiping had not come to seek validation from these officials. Even as they fawned over him, he met them with cold, distant eyes until he reached the table where Yan Wugou and Yang Chuan were seated.

As the King of Equal Rank in Great Qi, Yang Chuan naturally sat at the same table as the Empress. Watching the obsequious behavior of the Qi officials, he felt a sense of profound disappointment. Adhering to the principle of "out of sight, out of mind," he focused on the food on his plate, not even glancing at Zou Zhiping. The more he ignored him, the more irritated Zou Zhiping became.

Having finished the formalities, Zou Zhiping quickly made his way to the table of the Qi Empress.

"Oh, so this is the Empress of Qi, Tian Yueying?" Zou Zhiping said with a mocking laugh, before pointing at Yang Chuan. "Your Majesty, why does this young scholar beside you look so familiar?"

He feigned a moment of deep thought, stroking his chin, before snapping his fingers in a show of sudden realization. "Ah! I remember now! This is the former Grand Chancellor of Great Kang, Master Yang Chuan!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at the food Master Yang is eating. Think of the delicacies you enjoyed back in Great Kang, and look at what you are eating now. Truly, choosing the wrong master leads to a world of difference in treatment!"

As his sarcastic remarks echoed in the air, Yang Chuan merely smiled to himself and picked up two more pieces of meat. He then casually raised his glass to toast Tian Yueying.

"Your Majesty, it is rare to have such a grand feast today. I shall not hold back—let us eat and drink our fill first!" he said, adding, "After all, one needs to be well-fed to have the strength to deal with rebellious children."

Throughout this, he never once looked at Zou Zhiping, treating him as if he were mere air, entirely unworthy of his attention. Zou Zhiping’s primary goal for this trip had been to crush Yang Chuan’s spirit, but he had failed before he even began. As an envoy of a superior power, he could not tolerate such humiliation. Yang Chuan’s nonchalance caused Zou Zhiping’s face to flush red, yet he could not find the words to retaliate. Yang Chuan’s technique was simple: he regarded others as nothing. No matter how vicious Zou Zhiping’s words were, Yang Chuan focused only on his meal; if the insults could not touch him, they rebounded entirely upon the speaker.

Though lacking in strategic depth, even Zou Zhiping understood this. Since his first goal was unattainable, he decided to get straight to the point regarding the consequences of the recent war. Returning to his seat of honor, he began to speak with a smug air.

"Empress of Qi, our two nations have recently been at war. While both sides suffered losses, my Great Kang is wealthy and powerful, so we shall not hold these trifles against you. However, your minister, Yang Chuan, violated the treaty of war and executed our general on the battlefield. If you do not provide an explanation for this, Great Kang will be forced to mobilize a massive army and continue our campaign against Qi."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chuan did not even swallow the food in his mouth before responding.

"Since your Great Kang is so wealthy and powerful, why care so much about the life of a single military officer?" He continued to chew, displaying total disrespect. "In my view, the lives of Great Kang’s generals are no more than straw dogs. Whether they are burned or killed, you can simply appoint another. After all, your nation is vast; you must have thousands of capable generals, don't you?"

With a slight curl of his lip, he returned to his meal.

This statement left not only Zou Zhiping speechless but also shocked the entire Qi court. Yang Chuan was truly arrogant to the point of madness! When he served as Grand Chancellor in Great Kang, he was known for his blunt tongue, but this was Qi, and he was no longer the powerful figure who stood above ten thousand.

The fact that Great Kang had sent an envoy to discuss reparations clearly indicated they intended to leave Qi a way out. But with these words, he was forcing Qi onto a path of certain destruction! *Yang Chuan, if you want to die, we still want to live!*

Although they had won two consecutive battles, the Qi officials knew well how much luck had played a part. Especially in the second battle—though they had won, the losses were heavy. Even with the nation’s full mobilization, they could barely muster seventy or eighty thousand troops. But what of the Great Kang Empire? Even if they lost another hundred thousand men, their total forces would still dwarf those of Qi. If they provoked further conflict, how could Qi possibly endure?

Finally, a subordinate of the former Grand Marshal Cao Ding could bear it no longer and stood up to rebuke Yang Chuan in public.

"Chancellor Yang! Our Empress bestowed upon you the title of Chancellor and royal rank, not so you could fan the flames and incite war! Today, the envoy from Great Kang has come clearly intending to grant us a reprieve. Whether it be ceding territory or paying reparations, we should comply. Stop acting with such lawlessness!"