Chapter 61: Acting at the Level of a Best Actor

The foreign giant below was riding a sturdy white horse; the horse was tall, its four hooves kicking up dust, neighing incessantly, revealing its master's violent temperament.

The foreigner's face was covered in dirty beard, his hair disheveled, and he radiated a beast-like odor.

He held a long blade inlaid with exquisite patterns; the blade's edge reflected cold, ruthless light in the sun as he laughed heartily: "You coward, you're at least sensible."

"As long as I get the urgently needed grain and fodder, Grandpa will consider sparing your little life. Open the gate quickly."

A burly man with equally messy hair beside him whispered: "Commander, do you really intend to let them go?"

The man called Commander scoffed: "First trick them into opening the city gate; once that's done, we can do whatever we want. These pigs of the Great Feng Kingdom are wasting grain just by living. As soon as the gate opens, charge immediately and kill them all. The grain and women in the city will be ours; we can have a happy winter!"

After speaking, he wiped his beard and ordered his subordinates: "Once the gate opens, kill without restraint. Tell the lads to plunder to their heart's content and gorge on meat!"

At the same time, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had just given the order to open the city gate from the city tower when Lord Lord Murong Murong Yunhai sharply stopped him: "Wait! What are you doing? If you let their cavalry enter the city, won't Shangmu suffer the same fate again?"

"The people's lives cannot be guaranteed; even you will be cut to pieces! Handing Shangmu over to them like this, we will be pointed at and mocked for the rest of our lives; it is a living shame!"

"You actually believe their lies that they will spare your life? That is sheer wishful thinking! This matter is too critical; under no circumstances must this city gate be opened!"

Lord Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's narrow eyes were filled with contempt and anger toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu's decision.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu choose to open the gate and surrender under the foreigner's threat, the others on the city wall revealed expressions of disappointment and contempt.

Li Goudan, who was usually silent and reserved, now had eyes filled with deep disdain.

Earlier, seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's stance of "if the person is on the wall, the wall remains," he had felt quite encouraged; now it seemed that was all a facade put on for others to see.

What is this?

Li Goudan looked coldly at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, thinking that the so-called hope was nothing but a joke; if he had known this person was so despicable and shameless, even if beaten to death, he would never have served as a Yamen Runner for such a dog official.

Death was a small matter to Li Goudan, but losing human dignity was unbearable. Spit!

He spat a mouthful of saliva fiercely to show his contempt for Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Yet Jiang Jiang Mingyu maintained that calm and composed appearance, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, seeming very impatient with everyone's doubts; he said coldly: "This official has his own considerations; say no more."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stamped his feet in anxiety and commanded in a low voice: "If you want revenge, do as I say. You two go find Xiao Qi immediately, or Shangmu will truly be finished!"

Lord Lord Murong Murong Yunhai pressed: "Brother Jiang Xingqiu, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was so anxious he could barely speak: "Go quickly, there is no ti..."

Before he could finish, the man below shouted again: "Damn it, what are you dawdling about?"

"If you don't open the gate, we'll assault the city right now; where our great army goes, not a single piece of armor will remain."

After driving the two bewildered men down from the city tower, Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally smiled ingratiatingly at the man below: "Coming, coming."

Then, he jogged down from the city and, with great effort, pulled open the heavy city gate.

Seeing that only Jiang Jiang Mingyu had come out, the foreign commander was momentarily stunned: "Boy, you finally came out."

"I thought you were just playing with us, determined to be a turtle hiding its head, too afraid to come out."

Facing such a massive display, even though Jiang Jiang Mingyu had a plan beforehand, cold sweat still soaked his palms.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu took a deep breath, forced a beaming smile, and stepped forward: "My good sir, you are joking; this humble one was so terrified by you that my soul nearly left my body, causing the delay; I am truly sorry."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's mind raced, thinking quickly of the next countermeasure.

Thus, Jiang Jiang Mingyu added: "Forgive my boldness; the fact that you brought men to Shangmu shows you value this humble one, which has already given Shangmu enough face. This humble one personally opening the gate is precisely to show my utmost respect for you, is that not so?" He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, displaying the demeanor of a lackey.

The foreign commander laughed proudly: "I didn't expect you coward to be so good at talking. Get out of the way; we men keep our word, so I won't kill you for now."

Immediately, he turned and whistled to the hundred or so cavalrymen behind him: "Lads, charge into Shangmu."

Seeing the foreign commander about to order the assault at a single command, Jiang Jiang Mingyu anxiously waved his hands to stop him and spoke extremely quickly: "My lord, please wait! Shangmu has long been so poor it rings like a bell; we simply cannot produce the grain and fodder you demand."

The commander asked sternly: "What do you mean?" His brows were tightly furrowed, clearly somewhat angered.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu apologized with a beaming smile: "This humble one means that the common people are indeed destitute, but this humble one himself possesses quite a bit of silver. Having only been in office for a few days, I have stored over a hundred thousand taels of silver in the yamen; all of it can be offered to my lord. As long as you spare this humble one's life, you may take and use all this silver."

After speaking, he hurriedly added: "In addition, this humble one has already ordered the secret selection of over a hundred young and beautiful girls in the city; please also accept them for your use, my lord."

While speaking with utmost reverence, Jiang Jiang Mingyu bent and bowed, deliberately wriggling his hips to please.

His sycophantic smile stretched almost to his ears, making him look utterly humble and pitiful.

The foreign commander sized Jiang Jiang Mingyu up and down, clearly won over by the abundant wealth and beauties before him.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had his hands clasped together, looking completely submissive, waiting for the commander's final decision.

The foreign commander's brows gradually relaxed: "Is everything you said true?"

Hearing "one hundred thousand taels of silver," the foreign commander's tightly furrowed brows naturally loosened.

This was an astronomical sum in Shangmu; even if one dug through the entire city, one could not find so much.

Seeing that Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not seem to be bluffing, the commander's expression clearly softened.

Seeing the situation, Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately bent lower, his tone even more respectful: "This humble one would never dare to deceive any of my lords; this is the truth. My lords have traveled from afar and must already be starving. This humble one has already prepared a banquet in the yamen; please honor us with your presence to dine."

The foreigners, already short on grain, immediately perked up upon hearing there would be wine and food to entertain them.

The commander waved his hand and said heroically: "Good boy; having a filial son like you, we won't stand on ceremony. Let's talk about some things after we are full and warm. Brothers, enter the city!"

Seeing the foreign commander wavering, Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately seized the opportunity and stepped forward.

Then, Jiang Jiang Mingyu presented the reins with both hands as if offering a treasure, while constantly praising the commander's majestic and heroic appearance.

He bent his back, practically shrinking into a sycophantic worm, wishing to utter every possible flattery.

"This humble one will lead your horse into the city immediately; please!" His tone was full of flattery and humility, short only of lifting the commander straight to the heavens.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, bent over, led the foreign commander and his group through the empty, silent streets.

While loudly and obsequiously shouting, he exaggeratedly gestured toward the broken houses and walls along the roadside: "My lord, take a look; this place has long been dead poor. Not a single person can be seen on the entire street; we simply cannot produce the military grain you demand."

The smile at the corners of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's mouth stretched almost to the back of his ears; his eyebrows twisted into various angles as he used exaggerated expressions and gestures to flatter the foreign commander.

"If this humble one had not saved some private money, your trip would have been in vain. My lord, we agreed; I will offer all this silver to you. Please, I beg you, show mercy and do not kill this humble one." Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone was filled with fear and pleading.

The foreign commander snorted coldly, glanced at him disdainfully, and said: "We shall see based on your performance."

A tightness seized Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart; he still forced a sycophantic smile on his face, yet inwardly he was not at all panicked.

He understood the commander might turn ruthless at any moment; at this moment, he could only rely on flattery to survive, but later...

Before the main gate of the county yamen, Jiang Jiang Mingyu bent over with a beaming smile and said, "My lords, please come in, please come in."

His smiling face was squashed almost to his ears.

After leading the foreigners into the county yamen, Jiang Jiang Mingyu hurriedly asked Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, who had already been preparing in the hall, "Are the wine and dishes ready?"

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, who had just been fuming, immediately put on a sycophantic smile and said enthusiastically, "It's almost ready. My lords, please come in, please come in, right ahead." His sycophantic look was even more exaggerated than Jiang Jiang Mingyu's.

At the wine banquet that could hardly be called lavish, Jiang Jiang Mingyu raised his wine cup: "My lords have arrived unexpectedly; this humble one is unprepared, please forgive me."

"These are all things unworthy of the table; please drink freely. This humble one will first toast you all. Please drink to your heart's content; after three rounds of wine, this humble one will immediately present the silver."

The foreigners had long been eager to feast and did not need him to say much more.

After all, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had only these few men under him, so there was no need to worry about him running away, and the silver certainly wouldn't fly away.

The wine jars on the table were soon empty, but the hundred-odd foreigners were far from satisfied.

At the banquet, the foreign commander drained his wine cup, looked at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, and said dissatisfied, "Damn it, why isn't the wine served yet?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately coughed fiercely at Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, seeming very dissatisfied with his slowness: "Hurry up, what are you waiting for? Disturbing my lord's pleasure, just wait to see how I'll deal with you!"

Soon, Lord Murong Murong Yunhai and others brought up several new jars of wine. Jiang Jiang Mingyu cheerfully filled the wine cups for the foreigners and flattered them: "Please, my lords, drink to your heart's content!"

Seeing the foreigners drain their cups in one gulp, a sinister smile slowly appeared on Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face. He raised the wine cup in his hand high: "Come, let us drink another cup! After this cup, this humble one will go fetch the banknotes."

Upon hearing the words "banknotes," the foreign commander, who had already drunk quite a bit, became even happier: "Good, you pups, finish it!"

Seeing everyone drain their cups in one gulp, a deep, unfathomable smile slowly appeared on Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face.

Immediately, someone began to vomit blood, followed by a second, then a third...