Chapter 539: Chapter 541: A No-Loss Deal

’He really didn’t know what was wrong with the Deputy and the Minister of Communication’s eyes. How could they find a way to praise just a few crooked, squiggly lines?’

He Gaofei: "..." ’No wonder the civil servants and military generals at court can’t see eye to eye...’

Wu Yichen: "..." ’Is it really okay for Vice General Wang to be this adorably clueless?’

Wu Yichen said, "General Wang, what do you think of this painting? If you were to try, do you think you’d have a chance of winning?"

Gu Wenheng: "..." ’Can I say that under my leadership, these three are getting better and better at coordinating?’

Vice General Wang replied, "Just a few strokes like that? If I had known, I would have brought my daughter. She could have at least added a few more lines."

Gu Wenheng and the others could barely hold back their laughter. Everyone knew that the daughter Vice General Wang was talking about had just turned one year old; they had all attended her birthday banquet just a few days ago.

"We concede defeat," He Gaofei said with a smile and a nod. "Next time, remember to bring our little niece over for a competition."

Vice General Wang puffed out his chest, looking smug. "Your Excellencies shouldn’t be so envious of my little girl. You should hurry up and write family letters, have your Madams come here to be with you. Who knows, you might have two children in three years."

...

Fan Changxi stared at the artwork before him, his expression inscrutable. "The painting is finished?"

Prince Zuo Tengshang rose from the floor and said arrogantly, "It is finished."

Fan Changxi looked down at the bandit before him. ’So what if he holds his head high? A dwarf is still a dwarf.’

Receiving yet another look of contempt, Prince Zuo Tengshang secretly clenched his fists. He had seen too many such gazes these past few days. ’I really want to gouge all their eyes out.’

But when he looked up at Gu Wenheng and Zhou Shixiong, seated high above, his expression returned to one of calmness.

Gu Wenheng let out two dry laughs. "Who can understand this monstrosity?

"Perhaps I should proclaim this image to the world? Let everyone have a go at deciphering it,"

Prince Zuo Tengshang: "..."

Zhou Shixiong said, "I may not be a man of letters, but I’m not easily fooled. Even a toddler crawling on the floor probably couldn’t draw something this bad.

"With just these few crooked strokes, can you make anything out of it, Brother Gu?"

Gu Wenheng: "..." ’I miscalculated. I didn’t expect him to be such an incompetent prince. Judging by the direction and force of these lines, I can tell just how half-hearted this drawing is.’

Gu Wenheng picked up a brush and paper from the side and sketched a few strokes. "Take this to the Prince of the Eastern Yi. Tell him I have also drawn a map. Have him take a good look. If he can understand it, I’ll give him a handsome reward."

Fan Changxi nearly lost his composure. It looked just like an ink-stained caterpillar.

Evidently, Prince Zuo Tengshang thought the same. "What is this? I cannot understand it."

Gu Wenheng walked over and placed the sea chart the prince had previously submitted side-by-side with his own drawing on the small table. "Take another look. What’s the difference between these two papers?

"The positions, the turns... they’re all very similar. Even now, you’re still trying to deceive us. Isn’t that a bit dishonorable?

"Don’t forget, you’re the one asking for our help right now. You’d best stop playing these little games with me. General Zhou’s time and mine are not for you to waste like this."

Prince Zuo Tengshang retorted, "I’ve told you before, my painting skills are poor."

Gu Wenheng added a few more strokes to the paper. "Your painting skills may be poor, but is the route connecting the two shores supposed to be this far off track?"

Watching the coastline begin to take shape, Prince Zuo Tengshang’s eyes widened in shock. "How do you..."

.bg-ssp-10081{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;}

"So, you’d best not play any tricks. Even if you don’t provide the sea chart, it’s only a matter of time before we find your den."

"If you already know, then why bother making me draw it?"

Gu Wenheng replied, "I just wanted to see if you were sincere. As expected, one can’t place too much hope in your kind."

...

At this, Zhou Shixiong stood up. "Since you have no intention of cooperating..."

"No! I sincerely wish to cooperate with you! And I already signed some promises a few days ago. I will not go back on my word!"

Prince Zuo grew anxious, regretting his earlier burst of temper.

After catching a look from Gu Wenheng, Zhou Shixiong said, "I have no trust left in you. The terms we agreed upon before are, in my view, nothing but empty words. I’ll have to add a few more conditions on top of those.

"If you agree, we can discuss it. Otherwise, I have patrols to inspect and no time to watch you put on a show."

"General Zhou, it’s all because my painting skills are poor! If you don’t believe me, I can have one of my men come over and draw a more detailed one.

"As for the conditions you mentioned, I will agree to anything within my power." At this point, Prince Zuo Tengshang knew the initiative was no longer his. No matter how he schemed, he wouldn’t gain any advantage and might even end up losing more.

Zhou Shixiong snorted, walked to the desk, and wrote with a flourish of his brush. "If you agree to these conditions, press your handprint and personal seal on this."

Prince Zuo Tengshang felt his vision go dark. He had previously thought Prefect Gu was pushing his luck, but now he saw that the truly black-hearted one was here.

This time, when he returned, he could only bring a few confidants; all his crew and men had to be soldiers of the Rong Dynasty.

In the years to come, without the permission of the Emperor of the Rong Dynasty, no citizen of the Eastern Yi would be allowed to set foot on this land. Any who did would be enslaved.

Even more outrageous was the tribute. As long as he remained a Prince of the Eastern Yi, he and his descendants would have to pay tribute to the Emperor of the Rong Dynasty every year, and so on.

These harsh conditions were far more excessive than what Prefect Gu had proposed earlier.

Compared to material compensation, these articles were a true humiliation.

"Still need to think about it?"

A smile played on Gu Wenheng’s lips, showing he was in a good mood, yet Prince Zuo Tengshang did not dare to relax in the slightest.

’It was this very person before me who, without my realizing it, made me underestimate my opponent, causing me to be completely unprepared today and suffer such a great loss.’

’Even making me draw the so-called sea chart today was probably a premeditated scheme.’

’All of it was just to find an opportunity to lash out and force me to agree to these unreasonable demands, one after another.’

Circumstances were against him; he no longer had a choice. He took out his personal seal from his robes, only to see that the other party had already placed the ink pad beside it, waiting.

Looking at the bright red seal and handprint on the Xuan paper, Zhou Shixiong nodded in satisfaction and handed the document to Vice General Wang at his side.

"When do we depart?"

"In a hurry?" Vice General Wang asked as he folded the paper and put it away safely.

Prince Zuo Tengshang replied, "If you want these articles to be honored, the sooner we depart, the greater the chance of success.

"Otherwise, by the time a new Prince Zuo secures his position, all your scheming will have been for nothing."

Wu Yichen interjected, "Your Highness is mistaken. If that happens, our nation’s soldiers won’t have to risk venturing out to sea.

"If you fail to become Prince Zuo, our farmsteads on the wastelands will gain another laborer. It’s a deal we can’t lose either way."

.bg-ssp-10016{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} #dl-banner-300x250 { max-height: 0 !important; overflow: hidden !important; }

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.