AUBTN -Chapter 346 Envoy’s Provocation

The banquet hall was filled with clinking cups and plates, music from silk and bamboo instruments flowing without end. Dancers in flowing sleeves twirled gracefully across the hall, painting a scene of peace and prosperity.

Shen Jue sat in a crimson python robe, positioned at the lower seat on the left closest to the imperial throne.

His slender fingers idly toyed with a white jade wine cup.

His deep, dark, and predatory eyes were half-lidded, yet he took in everyone in the hall.

On the opposite side of the hall, Lu Yan stood armed with his embroidered spring blade at his waist, equally on high alert.

Su Hewan and Yu Qing were attending today in their official roles as princess consorts, naturally dressed in full ceremonial splendor, seated among the women’s banquet.

“Wow, Wanwan, this setup is insane! What a grand scene!”

Yu Qing leaned in with half her head poking over, eyes sparkling as she whispered excitedly into Su Hewan’s ear.

Su Hewan, however, remained far calmer. Her gaze swept quickly across the entire hall.

“When prosperity reaches its peak, decline is never far behind. Beneath this surface of harmony, there’s usually a blade hidden. This banquet may look peaceful, but the air is full of gunpowder. Behave yourself,” she reminded softly.

“Got it!” Yu Qing replied with a grin.

Just as the music and dance reached their peak, a sudden disturbance came from the Northern Barbarian席.

The Second Prince abruptly stood up and shoved away the maid pouring wine beside him.

The force of it was so great that he knocked over the bronze wine vessel on the table.

The zither music stopped instantly.

The dancers paled in fright and quickly withdrew.

The entire hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“I’ve heard that Great Wei’s martial arts are unmatched in the world. My Northern Barbarian warriors admire them greatly!”

The Second Prince strode into the center of the hall. His Han Chinese was broken and rough, and his appearance equally crude.

He sneered and fixed his gaze directly on the young emperor seated at the high throne, scanning him up and down with undisguised contempt.

“I wonder if Your Majesty would permit one of your warriors to spar with me, so that us rough folk from the borderlands can… broaden our horizons!”

He emphasized the last four words heavily.

His tone carried a clear and deliberate mockery—openly ridiculing the young emperor’s inexperience and lack of exposure to real combat.

The moment he finished speaking, the faces of all court officials darkened.

This was no friendly spar.

It was a blatant provocation.

An attempt to humiliate Great Wei in front of all foreign envoys, exploiting the fact that the new emperor had only just ascended the throne.

The young emperor took a deep breath, his sharp gaze sweeping across the hall.

“Great Wei has hidden talents in abundance. Which of my ministers is willing to step forward and uphold our nation’s honor?”

Silence.

The civil officials lowered their heads, staring at their shoes, wishing they could bury themselves into the floor.

The military generals exchanged uneasy glances, cold sweat forming on their brows.

It wasn’t that they lacked patriotism.

It was that the Second Prince of the Northern Barbarians was rumored to possess monstrous strength—he had allegedly beaten a mad bull to death with his bare hands just days earlier in the streets.

No one dared to step forward at such a moment.

Winning was expected. Losing meant bringing shame upon the entire Great Wei—death for nine generations would not be enough to atone.

The Second Prince burst into loud laughter, about to mock the court for its cowardice—

【Damn it, damn it, damn it! These freeloading old men!】

Yu Qing screamed internally, her temper exploding.

【They can argue endlessly in court every day, criticizing this and impeaching that, but now they all turn into turtles with their heads tucked in! What “pillars of the empire”? They’re just foam bricks inside load-bearing walls!】

【Lu Yan! Go! Beat him up! Show him why flowers are so red!】

Lu Yan’s temples throbbed violently from the sudden flood of inner thoughts.

Yet that distorted, slightly broken “Lu Yan, go!” somehow softened the edges of his usually cold eyes.

“Your servant is willing to try.”

A voice as cold as frost suddenly cut through the stagnant silence.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Lu Yan stepped forward.

Facing the young emperor, Lu Yan cupped his fists and bowed, his voice steady. “Since the Northern Barbarian prince is so interested, I, Lu Yan, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, am willing to demonstrate three moves for the prince.”

He used his official title from before, without mentioning his identity as a prince!

The moment those words fell, the entire hall erupted in commotion.

The Northern Barbarian prince laughed in furious scorn.

Only three moves and he thought he could defeat him?

This was outright humiliation to the Northern Barbarians!

“What arrogance! Today I’ll show you the martial arts of the Northern Barbarians!” the Second Prince roared, turning and snatching up his spear.

He stomped hard on the ground and lunged at Lu Yan. The spear turned into a flash of cold light, stabbing straight for Lu Yan’s throat!

Some timid civil officials had already shut their eyes in fear.

But Lu Yan did not retreat—he advanced instead.

His scabbard struck precisely at the weakest point of the spear shaft. With this effortless-looking strike that turned great force aside with minimal effort, the Second Prince’s tiger’s mouth split instantly, blood gushing out.

Without giving him any chance to recover, Lu Yan swept his right leg, kicking hard into the back of the prince’s knee.

The massive body lost its balance and buckled downward.

Then, with a twist of his wrist, the scabbard came crashing down like a thunderbolt, smashing heavily onto the spear shaft.

The tremendous rebound force made the Second Prince lose his grip completely.

The spear flew out of his hands, arcing through the air before crashing with a loud “clang” into a jade pillar of the grand hall!

Magnificent momentum, seamless execution!

Just three moves—and the entire hall was stunned into silence!

Lu Yan stepped back, his robes fluttering, landing without a speck of dust.

He looked down coldly at the Northern Barbarian prince, now kneeling on the ground, and gave a slight nod.

“You’ve conceded.”

The Second Prince’s face turned red, humiliation and fury choking him into silence.

He stared at the spear on the ground, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

After a brief deathly silence, thunderous cheers erupted from the seats of the Great Wei officials.

“Well done! The Prince is divine in might!”

“The Prince is mighty! Great Wei is mighty!”

On the dragon throne, the young emperor’s tense shoulders finally relaxed. Looking at Lu Yan standing in the center of the hall like a war god, a faint approving smile appeared on his lips.

【Ahhhhhh! Did you see that? That’s my husband! So cool, so handsome!】

Yu Qing was so excited she nearly jumped up, gripping Su Hewan’s arm tightly as she screamed internally.

Lu Yan’s cold, composed expression twitched almost imperceptibly, a hint of amusement appearing on his face.

Su Hewan rubbed her sore arm and laughed along.

Her gaze crossed the crowd and landed on Shen Jue sitting on the other side.

Shen Jue seemed to sense it, and their eyes met in midair.

They exchanged a knowing smile.

Just as the entire hall was filled with celebration, approval, and relief from the emperor and ministers—

From the envoy seats, an untimely cold voice slowly rang out again.

“The martial strength of Great Wei is truly as renowned as its reputation. After seeing it today, one cannot help but feel admiration.”

The speaker was the chief envoy of the Eastern Island delegation, Xiang Du.

A man in his forties, wearing a wide dark-blue scholar’s robe of Eastern Island style, a tall hat, and a thin mustache.

He slowly stood and bowed toward the dragon throne, appearing respectful—but his eyes gleamed with cunning.

“Martial prowess is indeed admirable and enough to stabilize a nation. But governance requires greater wisdom to break through deadlocks and rule over the masses. I wonder—aside from swords and spears, does Great Wei also stand supreme in mechanisms, ingenuity, and strategic craftsmanship?”

As his words fell, the previously cheerful expressions of the Great Wei court officials instantly darkened, brows furrowing in unison.