Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The Wuhuan's hawk-like eyes were fixed on the hidden arrow on the young emperor's wrist; he could feel the cold arrowhead aimed directly at his brow.

The young emperor, high on his throne, casually fiddled with the mechanism of the hidden arrow, as if he might casually press the button at any moment to send him on his way.

In an instant, the Wuhuan met the eyes of the young emperor. His dark eyes were filled with the excitement of holding power in his hands and the pleasure of having the power of life and death. He was cold, cruel, and indifferent to life and death.

The puppet emperor, who had been suppressed by powerful ministers for a long time, suddenly grasped power in his hands and was eager to enhance his prestige. He became so crazy that he wanted to prove to the world that he could do whatever he wanted.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from the backs of the Wuhuan people. The Upper Wu tribe wanted to break free from the control of the Yin Dynasty, stop paying tribute, and establish their own autonomous territory. However, they had no intention of being the first to face the final madness of an empire.

No matter how weak this empire has become, it is not something that a small, isolated tributary state can contend with.

Even if one could defend a strategic location, the price to pay would be devastating.

Wu Huan had no doubt that if he did not comply with the emperor's request, the hidden arrow would pierce his head without hesitation.

He raised his hand to remove his felt hat and gave a stiff bow. "This is my first time coming to the Yin Dynasty as an envoy to pay tribute. I am unfamiliar with the Yin Dynasty's etiquette. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

The arrow in the sleeve was aimed at his brow, then his throat, and finally his limbs, causing Wuhuan's throat to tighten.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider," the Duke of Fuguo said with a worried expression, offering a "reminder."

The hidden arrow decisively changed direction, a silver light shooting through the air, shattering the plate in front of the Duke of Fu with a crisp cracking sound, and embedding itself in the table in front of him.

A shard of porcelain flew past the Duke of Fuguo's eyebrows, startling the veteran of three dynasties, who turned ashen-faced and whose white beard trembled uncontrollably.

"Tsk."

A soft scoff came from the throne; the young emperor showed little respect for this old minister.

"A subject should die for his lord. If the Duke of Fuguo had any integrity, he should have killed himself here when the Wuhuan were spouting nonsense in front of me while wearing felt hats, instead of putting on airs as a veteran of three reigns and pointing fingers at me."

"If you wish, I can prepare carriages and horses to send you to Shangwu, and see if Uge will accept you."

These words left no room for embarrassment whatsoever, practically tantamount to saying that the Duke of Fuguo was physically in the Yin Dynasty but his heart was with the Wu Kingdom.

The Duke of Fu swayed, his face ashen, his withered hands trembling violently with grief and indignation. He pointed to the heavens and swore, "If this old minister had such a heart, may I be struck down by heaven and earth and die a horrible death."

The king was not moved in the slightest by the tearful oath.

"There is no place for you here in my court."

"Get out."

As soon as Qin Ji's impatient voice rang out, the imperial guards half-pushed and half-dragged the Duke of Fuguo out.

An elderly man in his seventies or eighties, trembling and staggering, was pushed out of the main hall, his back looking particularly "desolate" in the brilliant lights.

The entire hall fell silent, no one daring to utter a single word lest they incur His Majesty's wrath.

Qin Ji didn't even spare a glance for that veteran minister who had served three dynasties.

He casually leaned against the throne, his cold eyes half-closed as he looked at the Wuhuan, as if dealing with a mere assistant duke was enough to let bygones be bygones. "Wasn't it said that you wouldn't arrive in the capital until tomorrow?"

A chill crept up Wu Huan's spine and onto his head. Wu Huan had a premonition that if he said the wrong thing, His Majesty the Emperor would not let him return to the southwest alive.

He is the younger brother of the leader Ug, and has the keenest intuition. This intuition helped him avoid several life-or-death crises. He sided with Ug early on and became the new leader's most trusted brother.

He could sense that the faint killing intent emanating from His Majesty the Emperor on the throne had not disappeared.

If the Emperor of the Yin Dynasty could be so ruthless towards veteran officials of three reigns, how much more so towards these foreign envoys?

"The weather was damp and cold, and the roads were muddy. The wheels of our caravan got stuck in the mud. We were only able to arrive within two days thanks to a passing caravan that gave us an empty cart." Wu Huan bowed, his words unusually cautious. "When the caravan heard that we were envoys from the Shangwu and Rousang tribes coming to the capital to pay tribute, they helped us without hesitation. This shows that His Majesty's benevolence extends to all corners of the world, and that his people love and respect us."

Both sides were aware of the probing intention, but it could not be made public. The public statement would not allow Yinchao to find fault. This statement explained the reason for the delay and also flattered Yinchao and the emperor, making it extremely respectable and leaving no room for criticism.

Wu Huan clapped his hands to signal his subordinates to present the year-end gift. "This is the spirit of Wuxuan Mountain, which has been worshipped by our tribe for generations. It is said to have the effect of curing all poisons. Before I set off, my elder brother instructed me to present it to His Majesty to express the most sincere respect of the Shangwu tribe."

The Wuhuan people were no fools to be sent as envoys to the capital to pay tribute. They were testing each other while preparing generous gifts, making them a force to be reckoned with, whether they could advance or retreat.

Qin Ji squinted and sized him up.

Wu Huan could feel the hostile gaze lingering on him from the throne.

Clearly, the emperor of the Yin Dynasty had seen countless rare treasures and was not moved by Shangwu's year-end gift. Instead, he was dissatisfied that Shangwu had lost the opportunity to continue his wrath and establish his authority because of Shangwu's tactful behavior.

After a long while, Wu Huan finally felt relieved when he heard a listless command from his superior.

"Please take your seats."

This time, Wu Huan did not object to the seating arrangement again, and he silently returned to his seat by the palace gate.

The banquet continued as usual, with toasts flowing freely, delicacies served, and music playing incessantly, but the envoys each had their own thoughts.

The first encounter between the Wuhuan and the Emperor of the Yin Dynasty allowed them to witness the young emperor's eccentricity and tyranny.

Without Wang Jing's suppression, this emperor, who had been a puppet for ten years, seemed to turn all his past repression into a reckless outburst.

While this temporarily casts a shadow of an unpredictable tyrant over their tribe, it may not necessarily be a bad thing in the long run.

Rather than becoming a scapegoat, it's better to wait patiently for the Yin Dynasty to collapse under the whims of such a capricious, tyrannical, impulsive, and capricious ruler who acts solely on his whims. Internal strife within the Yin Dynasty is just around the corner.

...

The day after the banquet was Bian Yushu's day off.

Qin Ji and Bian Yushu rode out of the palace together in a carriage.

The carriage left the palace and traveled for a while. Then, a corner of the curtain was lifted, and the "charioteer," Biandou, gestured to Qin Ji.

The carriage was being followed.

At this critical juncture, we can only speculate about the tentacles extended by the envoys from those tributary states.

Those who were following him might not have known that Qin Ji was in the carriage, but they certainly knew that it was the carriage used by the emperor's tutor.

Qin Ji scoffed lightly, then looked at Bian Yushu, who didn't understand the lentil gesture, and asked, "Want to go to the gambling den for a bit?"

Bian Yushu was dumbfounded.

He knelt down with a thud, his face full of panic. "I...I've already changed. I haven't gone to be your study companion since then. Today...I did intend to, but...but..."

Qin Ji, who originally intended to mislead the trackers, narrowed his eyes.

You little rascal, I told you to stay home during your day off, and you still wanted to gamble today?

...

Thanks to @ThisIsMyAbstractID for the expert certification.

Thank you very much for your support~