Chapter 276 – Envoy from the Northern Border (2)
Feng Jin was originally grimacing in pain, but upon hearing Jiang Pengji’s arrogant entrance declaration, his hand stopped hurting—now his stomach was in knots.
If this were in Hejian County, her arrogance wouldn’t matter; at least Liu Zhi could back her up.
But now, this was the capital, right under the Emperor’s feet. She didn’t have the local powerhouse advantage, yet she was still so brazen.
Thinking back to his previous humility and retreat, only to receive such humiliation along with a knife wound to his arm, he suddenly felt that being arrogant was actually the better option.
“Lan Ting, be careful; these people don’t come with good intentions.” Feng Jin pressed his left hand against the injury, bright red blood seeping through his fingers, his face pale from pain and blood loss, even his voice was weak. “Envoys from the Northern Border…”
Jiang Pengji glanced at the few burly men facing off against her in the courtyard. Each one sported long black hair, intricately braided, wearing floral headscarves, with thick brows merging into their hairlines. Their features were deep and rugged, unmistakably of foreign descent.
They stood bare-chested, sporting strange and intricate tattoos on their shoulders and chests, vaguely resembling fierce beasts. Their muscular bodies bulged like stone, with one arm thicker than Feng Jin’s thigh, their skin oiled and gleaming.
“Ha! Envoys from the Northern Border?” Jiang Pengji sneered coldly, stepping forward as the crowd parted for her. “Feng Jin, are you really going to let yourself get bullied like this at your age? The son of a prestigious chancellor getting pushed around by a few mere watchdogs? They’re not even descendants of the Northern Border Royal Court, and yet you ended up like this. You’re really embarrassing your father.”
Feng Jin’s expression changed—not out of anger at Jiang Pengji’s harsh words, but because the truth was undeniable.
The son of a chancellor, getting slapped in the face at the Tangquan Pavilion under Changshou Wang, and on top of that, injuring his important right arm.
In just a few days, he might not even be able to participate in the upcoming assessment because of this injury.
“Who are you calling a watchdog?”
Jiang Pengji stood before Feng Jin, her gaze landing on the one who spoke. Other students were watching, some wanting to step in to help, but they were unarmed and looking at the towering, knife-wielding men, they knew they were no match.
Feng Jin was the most unfortunate—injured and humiliated, while the others were merely disheveled with a few scrapes.
“Tsk, which dog stole his sister-in-law? That’s the dog I’m accusing.” Jiang Pengji, feeling feisty, had no qualms dishing out insults, the moment someone approached her looking for a fight, she didn’t hold back. “Isn’t the Northern Border divided into ranks? Besides the royal family being of the highest rank, the rest are all second-rate trash. Calling you watchdogs is a compliment, showcasing the friendship between our two nations.”
Feng Jin had never seen such a bold Jiang Pengji, and for a moment, he even forgot the pain.
Those burly men were momentarily taken aback by her relentless barrage of insults. The leader, fierce in appearance, wasn’t particularly skilled with words.
They thought those scholars were weaklings, spewing nonsense, their limbs puny compared to their arms. During this sensitive time, even if they humiliated these ‘white chickens,’ the Dongqing royal family wouldn’t do anything to them.
“W-What do you mean someone stole my sister-in-law?”
The leader’s face flickered with panic as he stepped forward, closing the distance with Jiang Pengji, menacingly brandishing his knife.
Jiang Pengji chuckled, grinning with a flash of white teeth. “You even stole your father’s mistress, didn’t you?”
Feng Jin knew Jiang Pengji wouldn’t throw around empty accusations; what she said likely held some truth, as the brute’s reaction was too intense… Suddenly, he recalled that night in the bandit stronghold when Jiang Pengji revealed the truth.
“Huaiyu, which dog hurt you?”
Jiang Pengji dismissed these burly men entirely, ready to fight. In arguments, she never lost, and in fights, she couldn’t possibly lose.
“Lan Ting, Dongqing is a land of etiquette…” Feng Jin secretly chuckled, “Oh right, it was the one with the green headscarf that hit me.”
He felt a thrill at Jiang Pengji standing up for him but also knew they had to be mindful of the diplomatic consequences.
“Speak like a person because people understand human language. Speak like a dog because dogs can’t comprehend human talk. See? When you talk to them as people, they don’t get it. But when I speak like this, don’t they understand?” Jiang Pengji snapped her fingers, “For foreign friends, you should adapt and actively eliminate language barriers; this is the correct approach to diplomacy…”
Everyone knew Jiang Pengji was just rambling, yet some felt they were being brainwashed.
This twisted logic really did seem somewhat clever.
These Northern Border men were originally here to stir trouble and found it easy to bully those weak scholars, but facing off against such sharp-tongued Jiang Pengji, they were now furious; if they couldn’t win with words, they’d just fight. After all, as long as nobody died, what’s the big deal?
Dongqing had weighted literature over martial prowess for years, and those from the Northern Border were hardened warriors. Despite their small numbers, they seemed like human harvesters in battle.
They flaunted their strength, boasting that all the ‘white chickens’ in the yard combined wouldn’t be enough to match them, much less this petite figure in front of them!
It soon proved they had bumped into a fake weakling, a real powerhouse!
Bang—
Jiang Pengji’s small stature gave her a lithe advantage, and her strength had nothing to do with her appearance.
Thinking it would be easy to take her down, she surprised them by slipping away like an eel.
In a flash, she disarmed one man, gripping his wrist, forcing him to drop the knife, then spinning into his arms, pulling him forward while delivering a fierce elbow strike to his throat.
In the blink of an eye, she caught the falling knife handle and struck upwards with her knee.
Those nearby could even hear a bag bursting and liquid splattering.
Everyone: “…”
Wait, that position…
Feng Jin stumbled back a step, his legs trembling slightly.
Using the brute’s body as a shield, Jiang Pengji intercepted a knife aimed at her back, twisting her wrist as the blade changed direction.
Her back seemed to have eyes, the blade dancing past the assailant’s face, blood spraying, making everyone flinch. But she wasn’t done; after discarding her ‘shield,’ she clawed at his throat, pulling him to the ground.
Face-down, and to top it off, the force from Jiang Pengji compounded with gravity, turning his face into a mushy mess.
Clearly, it was a dozen burly men beating one person, yet it looked as if Jiang Pengji was the one overwhelming them all!
Feng Jin knew Jiang Pengji could fight, but he had no idea she could fight to this degree, taking on anyone who dared cross her.
Those robust men were seasoned veterans, few in number, but in battle, they acted like a machine of death.
“Tell me, which dog paw hurt Huaiyu?”
The opponent’s face was pressed to the ground, contorted and motionless, as if a mountain was pressing down on him.
