You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 352 Xiao Jiang Applyes Maximum Pressure
The delegation wandered aimlessly through the streets, unable to find their way or receive anyone, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

After calming down, Feng Xifan also felt a little regretful.

If this matter ruins the negotiations, the prince will not forgive me when I return.

There was an old man selling salted duck at a roadside stall, so he simply walked over.

"Old man, give me directions. How do I get to the largest government office in Jiangning?"
The old man shook his head.

"Are you dumb?"

The old man looked him up and down, then rubbed his fingers together in a lewd manner.

Feng Xifan suppressed his anger and took out a silver ingot.

"That's it."

"That's enough, that's enough. The roads in Jiangning are very easy to travel. Just walk forward for one mile, turn left and walk half a mile, then turn right and walk two hundred zhang, and you'll reach the Governor-General's Office of Liangjiang."

Feng Xifan strode away.

The old man packed up his stall and quickly made his escape.

……

A quarter and a half minutes later.

Feng Xifan stared at the brothels one after another and the prostitutes waving their handkerchiefs, cursing loudly.

Liu Guoxuan watched coldly from the sidelines.

Still feeling unsatisfied, Feng Xifan snatched a musket from a black slave soldier and fired a shot at the brothel not far away.

bang~
The heavy matchlock gun was so powerful that it terrified the prostitutes, who flocked to the den.

The street quiet effect is amazing!

but.

The next second, something unexpected happened.

A military officer suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his clothes disheveled, looking very angry and indignant.

"Brothers, call for reinforcements and catch the assassin."

Several men dressed as grooms carried copper gongs and banged them loudly, making Feng Xifan's face turn ashen and Liu Guoxuan's face turn as black as a pot.

……

A hundred or so breaths later, hundreds of armored soldiers slowly advanced from both sides of the street, their long spears like a forest, their steps steady, silent and menacing.

The black slave musketeers quickly lined up and lit the matchlock ropes.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

“I am the plenipotentiary envoy of the Prince of Yanping. I advise you to calm down. If you hurt me, your Chief Minister Chiang will not forgive you.”

"I am Zhao Liangdong, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. Why did you fire at me just now?"

"I shot at those bitches."

"I was having a great time when your shot was clearly an attempt to assassinate me."

“Deputy General Zhao, your rank is too low. I have no need to explain to you. Please lead the way. I need to see your chief minister.”

Zhao Liangdong sneered and pressed down with his right hand.

Behind them, armored soldiers with their spears at rest marched forward in orderly steps.

Liu Guoxuan rushed out of the queue.

"Don't fire!"

"Don't fire!"

He knew very well that after his side fired a volley, there would be no time to reload before the enemy soldiers rushed in. Once they opened fire, no one in the delegation would survive.

……

Liu Guoxuan took a few steps forward and sincerely explained, "This is a misunderstanding."

Zhao Liangdong finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Since it's a misunderstanding, then apologize."

"I'm sorry, it was a misunderstanding just now."

"I don't want you to apologize, I want him to apologize, and I want it written down."

Feng Xifan instantly exploded.

“I am the plenipotentiary envoy of the Prince of Yanping. A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. If you have the guts, kill me now, and the Prince of Yanping will avenge me.”

Zhao Liangdong: "..."

The two sides reached a stalemate, neither willing to concede first.

Feng Xifan was also stubborn, so he simply sat between the two armies, adopting a posture that said, "Go ahead and kill me now if you dare."

Zhao Liangdong certainly wouldn't dare kill him, so he could only send a scout back to ask for instructions.

Jiang Qingyun was slightly annoyed because he was researching work on caring for the next generation.

"Let Ma Jixiang go and try to persuade them."

"Yes, what if we still can't persuade them?"

"A standoff, with personnel changing every two hours, keeping the hawks up all night."

...Feng Xifan was surrounded on all sides.

Long spears stood like a forest, and the soldiers remained silent, neither advancing nor retreating, simply blocking the road.

"Borrowed it, borrowed it."

Ma Jixiang emerged from the crowd, straightened his clothes, and swaggered toward Feng Xifan.

Swaggering around is a way of describing an imposing manner.

Feng Xifan stared at the man dressed in the official robes of the Ming Dynasty and asked coldly:
"who are you?"

Ma Jixiang approached a black slave, flicked the barrel of his gun, and exclaimed, "So black!"

Then, he put his hands behind his back, raised his chin, and looked arrogant.

"Lord Feng Xifan, let me introduce myself. I am Ma Jixiang, a Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. Normally, a civil official of your rank is not worthy to see me, but today is an exception."

As he spoke, he took out a scroll of imperial edict.

"By imperial decree of the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty."

Feng Xifan remained completely still.

"With the imperial edict here, it is as if the emperor himself is present. Feng Xifan, you are a subordinate of the Prince of Yanping, who is also a prince personally appointed by His Majesty. So, should you kneel?"

Feng Xifan clenched his fist.

Ma Jixiang spoke clearly and distinctly: "Tell me, is the Prince of Yanping still a subject of the Ming Dynasty? If he is, you should kneel. If not, I'll turn around and leave right now."

Feng Xifan's eyes were slightly red, and he took a deep breath.

He pushed over the mountain of gold and the jade pillar, and knelt down with a thud.

"Your subject, Feng Xifan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

……

Night falls.

Torches were lit in the streets, and the soldiers blocking the streets had changed shifts twice. They were well-fed and not sleepy or tired at all.

But the black slave soldiers could no longer lift matchlock muskets.

Hungry, tired, and thirsty.

Everyone could only sit on the ground, barely managing to keep their guns pointed at the enemy.

Man is made of iron, food is made of steel; if you miss a meal, you'll be starving. Now, they've gone two meals without food, and the black slaves are starving.

"Put your spears level!"

A group of black slave soldiers who tried to force their way through the checkpoint were forced to stop in their tracks by the sharp spears.

"You, kneel down, and I'll give you food."

Zhao Liangdong took out a fried dough stick and gestured repeatedly.

A starving black slave actually understood it and imitated it by gesturing, pointing to his knees, the ground, and his mouth.

"Yes, yes, yes."

Zhao Liangdong was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

The black slave knelt down with a thud and then received the oil cake.

"I know how unpleasant it is to be hungry, especially for big guys like us."

Zhao Liangdong was filled with emotion.

Before long, Feng Xifan rushed over angrily and started punching and kicking the black slave.

"You beast, don't you know anything about propriety, righteousness, and shame?"

"Evil beast."

……

It rained in Jiangning late at night.

The rainy night in October was quite chilly.

The cold raindrops pattered on the faces of the black slaves. The good thing was that they wouldn't die of thirst, but the bad thing was that they would freeze to death.

The matchlock gun was completely soaked!
Everyone was huddled against the wall, enduring the hardship!

The next morning.

Severely feverish, Feng Xifan staggered up to Zhao Liangdong and said, "If you have the guts, then kill me!"

Half a mile away.

The second floor of the restaurant.

Jiang Qingyun observed through the telescope for a while, then suddenly asked Zhou Shao, who was standing next to him.

What do you think of Zhao Liangdong?

"He's ambitious, has good martial arts skills, and doesn't overthink things. He's usable. Grand Secretary, what do you think of the others below?"

"Alright, let's leave it at that. Send someone to arrange food and lodging for them, and have Wu go over to treat Feng Xifan. Make sure he doesn't die in Jiangning."

"Yes, I'll make arrangements right away."

Extreme pressure was a major characteristic of Chiang Kai-shek's politics. Those with weaker wills would choose to give in, but Feng Xifan was clearly a ruthless man.

(End of this chapter)