Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 1530 Blades and Shadows_1

Chapter 1530: Chapter 1530 Blades and Shadows_1

The Empress’s eyelids twitched, what good idea? It certainly wasn’t a good one!

"Since the Turkic envoys have come from afar, naturally, they must experience our Danliang’s songs and dances, to feel the difference in cultures," the Empress hastily interjected to stop Prince Saihan’s words.

But what kind of man was Prince Saihan? Arrogant, barbaric, self-important—would he just give up so easily?

"This prince indeed wishes to experience Danliang culture. I’ve heard that Danliang’s swordsman techniques are unparalleled, and among you, General Jiang’s skills are highly sophisticated. Why not have General Jiang perform a sword dance to enhance the entertainment?" Prince Saihan said, laughing out loud as his dark eyes fixed unflinchingly on Jiang Yichun.

Bai Ruozhu narrowed her eyes—was he comparing her man with those dancing girls? And even suggesting he entertain others for their amusement?

Jiang Yichun gave Prince Saihan a fist-and-palm salute, saying, "Jiang has practiced martial arts to battle enemies on the field, not suited for amusement, lest it inadvertently injures others."

He met Prince Saihan’s stare head-on without hesitation, his eyes also carrying a provocative tint. Once, he was the Deputy Chief Supervisor of the Directorate of Communications, Prince Saihan’s superior. Now he is a third-ranked General, and Prince Saihan, a foreign prince. He had never been afraid of him before, so why would he fear now even a little bit?

"Hah, does General Jiang still hold to mundane etiquettes? Why not have a competition with me instead? Otherwise, I can only continue drinking," Prince Saihan taunted with a sneer, glancing over at Liang Jing.

Liang Jing could no longer keep drinking; all Danliang officials were sweating for him, worrying he might suddenly collapse, in which case Jiang Yichun would have no choice but to accept the challenge.

Jiang Yichun did not reply to Prince Saihan’s words but instead turned to saluted Tang Yin, saying, "Your Majesty, please permit your subject to exchange pointers with Prince Saihan. To avoid accidental injury, I shall use this." He picked up a bamboo chopstick from the table as he spoke.

Bai Ruozhu chuckled to herself; unbeknownst to others, she had already coated the tip of the chopstick with poison.

"Granted," Tang Yin said, his facial expression unchanging, but his eyes gave away a look of pride; clearly, he had great confidence in Jiang Yichun.

The members of the Turkic delegation laughed, "To use chopsticks for a swordsman competition is like child’s play. What’s the point? Could it be that General Jiang is afraid?"

"You! Stop the nonsense!"

"Surely barbarians, utterly clueless about propriety!"

"..."

Whether scholars or warriors, everyone on the Danliang side was infuriated. Today, the Turkic Envoy Group had been far too arrogant, provoking repeatedly—did they really think Danliang was so easy to bully?

Yet, Jiang Yichun did not get angry; instead, he laughed coldly, retorting, "It seems the envoy might not understand swordsman techniques. Once a certain level is reached, the swordsman can combine with the sword—becoming one. At that stage, anything can carry sword intent: a flower, a blade of grass, a peck, a drink. Could it be that the prince’s sword intent is not yet achieved?"

Li Yi squinted his eyes and said, "Good, let’s use this chopstick, but be careful, General Jiang. Blades are blind, and this chopstick can injure as well."

"Prince Saihan speaks truly. No need for a sword, for mere Sword Qi can cause harm. Perhaps even the prince should take care."

Singers and dancers called upon by the Empress had already arrived outside the hall. Seeing that the two men were about to compete, they could only wait outside. The Empress’s face was sheepish, and though she was not very fond of Bai Ruozhu, she still hoped that Jiang Yichun would win.

The two men moved to the center of the court, and after a simple salute, the duel commenced. Prince Saihan’s swordsman techniques were incredibly forceful, brimming with an intense murderous aura, offensive even in defense. And Jiang Yichun moved in a ghostly fashion, his thrusts following a strangely unpredictable path. They looked deceptively simple yet were almost impossible to catch.

This was the Realization Realm of returning to the basics. Prince Saihan’s face revealed shock; he hadn’t expected Jiang Yichun’s martial arts and swordsman techniques to have improved so greatly, prompting a look of solemnity to appear on his face.

Bai Ruozhu was not as nervous as the others, but seemed completely relaxed as she leisurely ate her meal and sipped her wine, convinced that her husband would not lose.

Many people noticed Bai Ruozhu’s relaxed demeanor and couldn’t help but feel somewhat eased.

Last time, Jiang Yichun had unleashed a tremendous potential to save her and later entered the Realization Realm. When he next opened his eyes, his Swordsman Techniques and strength had greatly improved, so she wasn’t worried.

Especially once the fight started, she knew right away that Li Yi’s Swordsman Techniques were fierce, but lacked flexibility, which might work against ordinary people, but against someone accomplished in Swordsman Techniques, flaws would soon become apparent.

Sure enough, Li Yi lunged with his sword, but Jiang Yichun was already behind him, pressing a sword against the back of his neck.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief together, the bamboo chopstick pointing at Prince Saihan’s neck indicated that Jiang Yichun had won. Had it been a real sword in his hand, by now, Prince Saihan’s neck would have a huge hole in it.

Prince Saihan turned around, hatred evident in his eyes, as if he wanted to tear Jiang Yichun to pieces. However, in just an instant, he stepped back, swung a Sword Flower, and retracted his hand, his face replaced with a hearty smile.

"Lord Jiang’s Swordsman Techniques truly live up to their reputation, this prince has had quite the eye-opener today. It’s just a pity that such a talent doesn’t belong to our Turkic Country, what a shame," he said, his insincerity making one sick to their stomach.

"Someone bring this prince’s Treasure Sword to Lord Jiang. ’A sword for a hero,’ as it should be," Prince Saihan joked. "Lord Jiang, you mustn’t refuse this sword. This prince greatly admires those with strength. In the future, whenever you are in need, just come to Turkic and I will do everything in my power to help."

Many people quietly inhaled a cold breath, wondering if the Turkic prince was attempting to win over Jiang Yichun or harm him.

Jiang Yichun looked at the Treasure Sword being offered by Prince Saihan’s servant without refusing. He simply let his companion Jinglei hold on to it with a completely indifferent manner.

Many secretly broke out in a cold sweat for Jiang Yihong, as Jiang Yichun seemed to have not thought much about it, taking Jinglei with him back to his seat.

Bai Ruozhu picked up a slice of Lantern Shadow Beef and placed it on his plate with a smile, "Congratulations, my husband."

Jiang Yichun spoke in a hushed voice, "How could I not win with my wife cheering me on?"

Bai Ruozhu giggled. She hadn’t cheered him on at all; she had been engrossed in her own meal. Was she supposed to eat on his behalf?

Tang Yin at the head seat also smiled and said, "Lord Jiang indeed possesses exceptional Swordsman Techniques. I am immensely gratified. Let the order be passed down to award... "

Jiang Yichun stood up and bowed towards Tang Yin, "This official thanks the emperor for the reward."

Prince Saihan, watching Tang Yin laugh heartily, felt the hatred in his eyes intensify. He returned to his seat and began to drink again.

Liang Jing across from him was on the verge of collapse. Seeing him drink once more almost made him vomit right there. Thankfully, the empress noticed this and quickly called for a performance by the Dancing Girls, redirecting the banquet back on course.

Fortunately, the banquet finally came to an end. The emperor’s appointed officials escorted the Turkic Envoy Group away. Li Yi, upon leaving, didn’t show any sign of drunkenness, still defiantly glancing at Jiang Yichun. And as soon as he left, Liang Jing started to vomit behind himself.

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Some have asked why Mouka decided to create a WeChat Official Account. To put it simply, in this age of information, when discussing publishing or adapting stories into films, companies consider the author’s fame. Thus, the WeChat Official Account is an important aspect for them to assess, making it very important for Mouka. Please take a moment to search for "Qingka" on WeChat and follow it for a bonus story about Little Dengdeng tonight~