Chapter 62

Yue Shi Gong, however, chuckled softly and said, "Ha ha, Chief Dugu, what sharp eyes and a sharp tongue you have!"

Liu Kun gently patted Liu Yan's shoulder, signaling him to step back, and said, "Chief Dugu, the current state of the world is in chaos, and there's no need to beat around the bush. However, although the court is weak, it is still the legitimate authority; Jinyang may be small, but it still has tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Regardless of whether the Tuoba Xianbei tribe sends troops to assist, we are determined to stand against the Xiongnu and eliminate the wicked, fighting to the death."

Liu Kun glanced around the hall at the clearly agitated Han officials and said firmly, "What do I rely on? Nothing more than the people's desire for revenge and the spirit of unity against our enemies! Chief Dugu, your subordinates' crimes are clear. If I were to release the murderers, would it not dishearten our soldiers?"

Dugu Zhe's face turned ashen, and he remained silent. He knew that the current situation had exceeded his initial expectations. Liu Kun's firm stance clearly indicated that he would not compromise just because he needed the Xianbei's military support. If he did not hand over the murderers today, the situation would be difficult to control. If this affected the Tuoba Xianbei's plan to infiltrate Central China, how could he face that ruthless leader of the western Tuoba Xianbei?

Moreover, if the situation had reached this point, why hadn't that leader stepped in? Why hadn't he stepped in??

Dugu Zhe was not a particularly cunning person, and no matter how he thought about it, he had no solution.

Liu Kun glared at Dugu Zhe without speaking. His attitude was already clear; he only needed to wait for the Xianbei chief to make a decision. Dugu Zhe's expression grew increasingly conflicted, and his originally straight posture gradually slumped.

"Liu Governor has his own considerations, and Chief Dugu has his own difficulties. Why should the two of you quarrel over such a trivial matter?" A voice suddenly sounded beside him. It was one of the Xianbei nobles sitting at the end of the table who suddenly spoke up. This man was about thirty years old, with a large head, a broad chin, a thick beard, and incredibly muscular shoulders and chest. Standing there, he resembled the stump of an ancient tree. Among the Xianbei nobles present, he was the most silent, drinking and eating without a care, but now he suddenly interjected.

Most of the tribal chiefs from the frontier regions could speak Han, and many, like Dugu Zhe, could communicate in Han. However, they often spoke with poor pronunciation, making it difficult to understand. This man, however, spoke fluent and pure Han, with the accent of Luoyang, the so-called "correct pronunciation." His deep, resonant voice was very persuasive.

The man bowed to Liu Kun and said, "Governor Liu, you are a high-ranking official of the court, and your words represent the court's will. Who among us, mere tribal chiefs living a hard life on the grasslands, would dare to disobey? The reason Chief Dugu hesitates is not because he disregards the court's laws, but because he is bound by Xianbei traditions and is unwilling to see these brave warriors, who should die on the battlefield, executed. Allow me to suggest a method that will satisfy you and not embarrass Chief Dugu."

Liu Kun looked the man up and down with interest and said, "What method? Speak!"

"Jinyang is under the jurisdiction of the court. Since our Xianbei warriors killed someone in Jinyang, they should be dealt with by you. However, our Xianbei people revere brave warriors and no one wishes to be a coward who submits to execution. If Governor Liu insists on dealing with them, I beg you to grant them the honor of dying in battle!"

"The honor of dying in battle?" Liu Kun stroked his beard, asking subconsciously.

"Exactly, the honor of dying in battle!" the man shouted loudly. Before he finished speaking, he leaped up and strode out of the hall. As he walked, the Xianbei warriors in the side halls all stood up solemnly. He raised his arms and shouted in Xianbei, immediately inciting the Xianbei warriors to cheer and shout, throwing down their food and drink, gathering behind him, their murderous intent as fierce as a pack of demons.

The man spread his arms wide and grinned at Liu Kun, "Governor Liu, I have long heard that you are a hero among the Han, and your brave soldiers have fought many battles and are renowned far and wide. Now, thirty Xianbei warriors are here, willing to fight to the death with your soldiers. If your soldiers win, you can cut off their heads on the spot, and I guarantee that no one will have a word to say. If your soldiers lose... heh heh..."

The man shook his head, "Governor Liu, we Xianbei warriors are only thirty in number. If you feel you don't have the confidence to win, you can send more soldiers to fight. If thirty soldiers are not enough, send a hundred; if a hundred are not enough, send three hundred... as long as you send more soldiers, I believe your soldiers will not lose."

After causing a disturbance and killing people, they now dared to repeatedly challenge the governor of Bingzhou and the protector of the Xiongnu, Liu Kun... These Xianbei people were truly arrogant and overbearing! The officials and generals present all cursed them in their hearts.

Lu Yao, however, thought to himself: This Xianbei man, who appears rough and tough, is actually very eloquent and cunning. With just a few words, he deftly shifted the focus from demanding the Xianbei murderers to surrender to the need for the Jinyang army to take down these thirty fierce warriors themselves. His final words also forced Yue Shi Gong to not use too many troops, or else the Xianbei would mock them.

Three years ago, Dongying Gong invited the Xianbei cavalry to help suppress the Xiongnu, and Lu Yao had personally witnessed the ferocity of the Xianbei. At that time, the Bingzhou army was not a match for the Xianbei in equal numbers, let alone the Xianbei's significant advantage in cavalry over infantry.

The difference in combat capability was not just in fighting skills and military discipline, but more importantly, the Xianbei's willingness to risk their lives, which far exceeded the limits of any Han army. Given the ferocity of the Xianbei warriors, unless Yue Shi Gong used elite troops like Ding Miao's or Lin Jian's guards, it might really take three hundred ordinary soldiers to take them down...

Thinking this, Lu Yao involuntarily clenched his fists.

How dare these barbarians be so rampant? Do they really think Jinyang has no brave men? Just thirty warriors, I will personally lead my elite troops and give them a painful lesson!

With this resolve, he moved his feet slightly.

Just as he was about to request permission from Yue Shi Gong to engage in battle, he noticed Wen Qiao watching him from the opposite side, raising his right hand in a gesture to stop him. Lu Yao was taken aback and then saw Wen Qiao rise from his seat and leisurely walk to the back hall.

Lu Yao, unsure of Wen Qiao's intentions, could only suppress his impatience and continue to observe the situation.

Liu Kun indeed seemed to be provoked by the man's words. His face gradually darkened, "They say the Xianbei are newly civilized, with a straightforward and rough character. I didn't expect there to be someone as cunning as you, who can turn a simple matter into such a complex scheme."

"Under the guise of serving the court and fighting the Xiongnu, you repeatedly test the court's limits... What do you take the great Jin for? Do you really think the court can be deceived?" Liu Kun shook his head, chuckled coldly, and slowly descended the steps, approaching the man.

******

Thank you all for your support. I am grateful for the guidance and encouragement from readers like Kris Pan, Su Zhiwo, Jinghu Liu, Yin Yang Hehe, Wuma de Gaoqing, Wangran Guxing 12, Lin 1230123, Tieshou Wqing, and others. I am especially grateful for the generous donation from reader yy67382183, you are truly a big spender...

There are still about 230,000 words in the backlog. Considering this is a work expected to be 1.8 million words long, the backlog is decreasing a bit too quickly... Starting this week, I will update once a day. If you find it hard to wait, please bear with me and enjoy the story as it develops.

Crab bows deeply again.