Chapter 805

First Volume, Chapter 805: The Three Factions of Bei Di

As Qin Feng and Jing Ci broke ties, the surrounding civilians fell silent.

Seeing the two locked in a tense standoff, the crowd realized they had wrongly accused Jing Ci; many faces flushed red with shame, and some timid souls, fearing retribution, slipped away on the spot.

Jing Ci never imagined such a crude double act would actually work.

Her heart churned with mixed emotions—whether to lament the people's ignorance or to thank Qin Feng for his covert aid.

To calm the crowd, Jing Ci had no choice but to continue the performance.

"Cancel the deal? Fine! When the two nations trade, every member of your Qin Family shall be banned from doing business in Da Di—I'll see just how long you can hold out!"

What you fear comes to pass! These words struck Qin Feng right where it hurt.

Qin Feng's heart chilled, but fortunately, Jing Ci had merely improvised—she hadn't meant what she said.

Qin Feng dared not continue the act, fearing the pretense might become reality.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Qin Feng swung his sleeve and walked away without looking back.

After a moment of silence, a deafening cheer erupted.

"Hahaha, Qin Feng, you little scoundrel! You were so bold—yet what can you do now against the Princess His Highness?"

"Hmph! This is Da Di's territory—how dare you act so recklessly!"

"No wonder it's His Highness!"

"Long live the Princess! May she uphold our nation's glory!"

Hearing the cheers from all sides, Jing Ci frowned slightly, watching Qin Feng's retreating back, her heart tangled in conflict.

Had Qin Feng not intervened just now, she would have been utterly ruined.

In matters of state, one misstep could plunge you into an abyss.

Jing Ci deeply appreciated Qin Feng—but the moment she remembered she was Princess of Da Di and he was a top minister of the "enemy state," the gratitude she'd barely felt was drowned in icy hostility.

That performance wasn't just theater—it was a warning bell for Jing Ci.

No matter what, as a Da Di Subject, she must stand opposite Qin Feng, crushing any warmth in her heart before it could take root.

Almost as soon as Qin Feng left the crowd, Zhang Bingguo arrived with Ministry of War officials.

Seeing the commotion had calmed, Zhang Bingguo sighed in relief and bowed deeply to Qin Feng: "Ministry of War Minister Zhang Bingguo, long admired your noble title, Your Grace."

"I have prepared a banquet at the finest Wine House in Wang Du to welcome you and wash away your journey's dust."

Welcome banquet?

Qin Feng sized up Zhang Bingguo, snorted inwardly—no wonder he'd risen to Minister; the man was truly an Old Fox.

He wouldn't mention a word about the earlier chaos!

Qin Feng didn't even bother playing along—he slapped Zhang Bingguo's shoulder and said solemnly: "Your kindness is appreciated, Minister, but the banquet is unnecessary."

"I've already felt the warmth of your Heavenly Son's Subjects; as for the curses and insults, I'll pretend I never heard them—I won't make a fuss over them."

"Please convey to Grand General Chen this message: I will host him tonight—first, to catch up with an old friend, second, to apologize to him."

"Only upon arriving in your Royal Capital did I learn Chen Mou and Chen Li are relatives of Grand General Chen."

Qin Feng gave Zhang Bingguo no chance to reply: "Where is the Yi Guan? After traveling thousands of miles, I'm exhausted—I only wish to rest. Could you guide me there?"

Zhang Bingguo smiled broadly and gestured: "What are you waiting for? Lead the way for Lord Qin!"

Watching Qin Feng depart, Zhang Bingguo's smile vanished instantly.

He glanced at the shoulder Qin Feng had slapped, then brushed it off with disgust and sneered: "Insolent fool!"

The Ministry of War Vice Minister's face was equally grim.

"Your Excellency holds the rank of Minister, a pillar of Da Di—how dare Qin Feng Xiao'er slap your shoulder? Such audacity!"

Zhang Bingguo sneered: "Audacity? That was a Downward Warning!"

"Qin Feng Xiao'er is sharp—he knows full well today's unrest, the gathering crowds, were orchestrated by court officials."

"He didn't hide his meaning—he made it clear: this time we let it slide, but next time, we'll bear the consequences."

"Hah, Grand General Chen was right: this fellow looks like a green melon, but he's long since ripe."

The Vice Minister's face darkened as he stared at the direction Qin Feng had gone, his eyes sharpening.

"He's dared to act so brazenly even within our Da Di Royal Capital—does he not know that beyond our rational officials, there are Madmen who've already set their sights on him?"

"Those Madmen don't care about consequences."

Zhang Bingguo swept his sleeve and turned back, irritably: "Why bother? In this city, there are enough who want to challenge Qin Feng to stretch from Palace Gate to City Gate."

"We need not meddle in such a mess."

Meanwhile, under the Ministry of War officials' guidance, Qin Feng had arrived at the Yi Guan.

The Yi Guan was abuzz with activity—over ten servants panted as they hauled tables and chairs and swept the DaTang.

Seeing this, Ning Hu grumbled: "Last-minute Buddha worship? Why didn't you do this earlier? Brother Qin, they're treating you with zero respect."

Qin Feng smiled: "On the contrary—they're treating me with too much respect."

Ning Hu frowned: "What do you mean?"

Qin Feng pointed to the broken table before them: "This is the Yi Guan of Bei Di Wang Du—built to host foreign dignitaries. Even if it were impoverished, it shouldn't sink to this level."

"These shabby items were likely dragged from every corner of the realm—specifically to humiliate me."

"But now the wind has turned—they fear I'll use war reparations as leverage, so they're scrambling to fix it."

Only after Qin Feng's explanation did Ning Hu finally understand.

He no longer felt anger—only pride.

"Hah! Brother Qin, you haven't even done anything yet, and the Bei Di Royal Capital is already in chaos."

"These bastards want to devour you alive—but when they face you, they're terrified."

Qin Feng didn't rush inside; he leaned against the doorway, waiting for the servants to finish cleaning the Yi Guan.

As for whether the Northern Di officials feared him or not, it actually wasn't important.

Based on Qin Feng's speculation, the Northern Di officials could roughly be divided into three factions.

The first faction was naturally the Dove Faction, single-mindedly working for the follow-up efforts, putting national interests first.

The second faction was the Hawk Faction, looking for ways to finish Qin Feng off.

The third faction was the Madmen; compared to the Hawk Faction, these Madmen were the ones truly worth Qin Feng's wariness.