Chapter 135 Duel

Chapter 135: The Duel

Cheng Ge glanced at Zhou Yinyun and, seeing that he was safe and sound, breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked around; surrounded by officials, he figured this matter was not his to handle.

He silently retreated several steps and, bending slightly, returned to his seat.

His backside had barely touched the stool when a young eunuch quietly approached him, holding a small porcelain pot.

Cheng Ge looked up at him with some confusion. "What's this?"

The eunuch set the pot before Cheng Ge and said with a smile, "His Majesty, out of concern for Lord Cheng's recent labors, specifically ordered this for you."

Cheng Ge's eyes lit up. Such good fortune? Had the Dog Emperor suddenly grown a conscience?

At that thought, he couldn't help turning his head to look in Zhou Mingqi's direction.

Zhou Mingqi's gaze was fixed on the empty field; his face bore little expression, but his inherent majesty remained undiminished.

Cheng Ge lifted the lid of the pot, and the aroma of Five-Fresh Soup rushed into his nostrils.

Steam still rose from the soup's surface; it must have been freshly cooked.

Tsk... When you looked at him this way, His Majesty actually seemed somewhat amiable.

Cheng Ge immediately felt pleased, picked up the spoon, and took a light sip.

The moment the rich soup touched his lips, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt he might float away with joy.

Delicious! As expected of royal fare; the craftsmanship was superb.

"Lord Cheng, living the good life, aren't you?" Yang Guanlan's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

Cheng Ge picked up a piece of mushroom, put it in his mouth, turned to look at Yang Guanlan, and quickly straightened his back.

"Lord Yang, what are you saying? This is His Majesty's kindness; I'm merely benefiting from His Majesty's favor."

Cheng Ge replied with a smile, shaking his head lightly, looking quite smug.

Yang Guanlan gave a helpless, cold smile, picked up a jujube, put it in his mouth, and chewed forcefully. "Lord Cheng is truly blessed."

"Of course, with a face like mine, I'm destined for boundless good fortune."

With that, he scooped another spoonful of soup in front of Yang Guanlan and put it in his mouth. "Ah... so good."

That smug and irritating demeanor made one's teeth itch.

Yang Guanlan: "..."

Yang Guanlan looked at him twice, then suddenly remembered something and moved closer to him.

"Lord Cheng, just now... in the woods, was it you making out with the Third Prince?"

"Cough, cough, cough!!!" Cheng Ge choked violently on the soup, his face turning bright red.

He looked around anxiously, made sure no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice and snapped, "Old Yang, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Yang Guanlan looked at Cheng Ge with a half-smile. "Lord Cheng, you're quite audacious, making out with the Third Prince in the woods... tsk tsk, if this gets out, it'll be a big deal."

Without a second thought, Cheng Ge immediately shoved a large jujube into his mouth. "Shut up now!"

Yang Guanlan swallowed the jujube and said with a grin, "There are two pieces of the pastry left from the Crown Prince. Give them to me..."

"Fuck you, dream on! Don't even think about it." Cheng Ge refused without a second thought.

"Oh... fine. I guess I'm getting old; if I don't get enough to eat, I tend to talk nonsense."

"Tsk~ Here! Take it! Satisfied?" Cheng Ge, very reluctantly, slapped the pastry down in front of Yang Guanlan.

Yang Guanlan took the pastry, looking fully content, and turned his gaze to the crowd still arguing down below.

The tense atmosphere below the stage grew even thicker, full of gunpowder.

Just then, Alutai, the chief of the Northern Di envoy, suddenly stepped on the wounded sika deer, letting out a piercing cry.

"Great Zhou claims to be the Celestial Empire, yet can't even kill a deer?" Alutai spoke in stiff official language, his eyes flashing with contempt.

He grimaced, drew the wolf-tooth-inlaid curved saber from his waist, wiped the blade on his shoulder guard, and said, "Afraid you're all cowards?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the Great Zhou people present instantly changed; this was a blatant provocation.

"Moreover, although this deer has a Great Zhou arrow stuck in it, it was our Northern Di warriors who captured it first, so it rightfully belongs to us!"

Zhou Yinyun was livid, his face turning ashen, and he squeezed his longbow until it creaked. "Bullshit! It was you who startled my quarry!"

"Hahaha..." Alutai suddenly burst into wild laughter, tore open his lapel, revealing a body covered in scars.

He twirled the curved saber in his hand, then abruptly stopped and pointed it toward Zhou Mingqi, his chin raised, his expression growing even more arrogant.

"I've heard... that in the Central Plains there is a saying, 'All heroes chase the deer.' It seems this deer will ultimately fall into the hands of a true hero."

The dozen or so Northern Di warriors behind him all burst into arrogant laughter, the curved sabers at their waists glinting coldly in the sunlight.

The Minister of Rites was so angry that his beard trembled. "How dare you! This is clearly our prince's quarry. The arrow is even engraved with the character 'Zhou'!"

"Oh?" Alutai suddenly drew his dagger and, in full view of everyone, cut off the mark on the arrow's nock. "What about now?"

"You!" Zhou Yinyun flew into a rage, drawing his longsword half an inch from its scabbard with a clang, but Crown Prince Zhou Zhan grabbed his wrist.

Cheng Ge watched clearly from his seat; now he forgot about his soup, craning his neck and leaning forward.

"Hey! Are they going to fight?" Cheng Ge asked with a gossipy look, patting Yang Guanlan with his paw.

Yang Guanlan stood on tiptoe, swaying left and right, but unfortunately he was still half a head shorter than Cheng Ge. "I can't see clearly, but it seems swords have been drawn."

"You dare draw your sword? Can you even hold it steady?" Alutai stepped forward, clenched his right fist, and punched Zhou Yinyun twice on the shoulder.

Zhou Yinyun staggered back, his face turning crimson; no one had ever dared to humiliate him like this.

Unable to bear it any longer, he drew his sword with a clang and was about to stab Alutai.

At this critical moment, Zhou Mingqi suddenly slammed the table, stood up, his eyes blazing with anger, and roared, "How dare you!"

This shout exploded like thunder across the field, startling everyone.

Zhou Yinyun's hand stopped in midair; though his eyes were still full of rage, he slowly sheathed his sword.

Alutai narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Zhou Mingqi, a hint of provocation in his gaze, but he also restrained some of his arrogance.

Zhou Mingqi's face was as black as a thundercloud, and he cast a cold glance at Alutai: "Prince Alutai, what is the meaning of this?"

Alutai curled his lips into a mocking smile but still performed a perfunctory bow to Zhou Mingqi: "Your Majesty, I merely seek justice. As for who this deer belongs to, I ask for Your Majesty's fair ruling."

Zhou Mingqi looked at him, his expression slightly darkening, and asked in return: "Then what does the Prince think should be done?"

Alutai glanced around, then directly looked at Zhou Mingqi: "Since each insists on his own view, why not follow our steppe custom—the victor takes all!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was taken aback.

The Beidi people are tall and mighty, each one brave and skilled in battle.

In contrast, for decades, the Great Zhou has prioritized civil arts over military might; thus, if it comes to a test of force, their odds of winning are slim indeed.

Yang Guanlan frowned and said with concern: "If we lose this contest, we'll lose face completely."

That was true; after all, the Great Zhou was the host of this hunting event.

If they lost to a foreign tribe on their own turf, they'd surely become the laughingstock of the world.

But if they refused to fight, the Beidi people would certainly become more aggressive and provoke them at will in the future.

Surrendering without a fight would sap the nation's morale entirely, and in the end, they would become a laughingstock.

When Alutai proposed a martial contest, he had already left the Great Zhou no room for refusal—a knife at their throat—they had no choice but to fight!

Zhou Mingqi's gaze swept over the people present, and then he slowly spoke: "Very well, I accept the challenge."