Ban Bu shook his head. "Even with all your confidence, you cannot wager our nation's territory!"
"Then I'll sweeten the bet!"
Yun Zheng smiled faintly. "If I cannot solve it within the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea, you can have my head! Do you dare?"
Boom!
As Yun Zheng's words fell, everyone was startled.
He was wagering his life?
Yet soon, they came to their senses.
If Yun Zheng lost, death was certain.
Since he was going to die anyway, what did it matter if he handed his head to the Beihuan delegation?
This good-for-nothing was certainly carefree!
Ban Bu pondered.
Taking back the head of Emperor Wen's son would be a monumental achievement!
For the Da Qian Dynasty, it would also be a supreme humiliation!
"Very well!"
Ban Bu readily agreed, laughing aloud, "This Grand Preceptor will claim the Sixth Prince's head! Rest assured, Sixth Prince, your head shall hang on the banks of the Baishui River!"
"It's a deal!"
With that, Yun Zheng walked straight out and picked up the Rubik's cube.
Emperor Wen had no wish to watch further and turned his back entirely.
Under everyone's gaze, Yun Zheng observed the Rubik's cube for a moment, then his hands moved in unison...
Before anyone could recover their senses, Yun Zheng had already stopped.
Amidst the bewildered gazes of the crowd, Yun Zheng raised the Rubik's cube high.
Ban Bu's pupils contracted sharply. He stared blankly at the Rubik's cube in Yun Zheng's hand, utterly unable to believe his eyes.
Impossible!
How could it be so fast?
Looking at the Rubik's cube in Yun Zheng's hand, the people of Da Qian were also completely dumbfounded.
Just like that... it was solved?
Everyone rubbed their eyes vigorously, completely unable to believe the scene before them.
Yet the Rubik's cube remained the Rubik's cube.
Only the colors of all six faces were now uniform.
It really was solved!
It hadn't taken anything close to the half a cup of tea's time Yun Zheng spoke of!
In the span of just a few breaths, it was solved!
Yun Li and the other princes were utterly dumbfounded.
How could this be?
They had tinkered with it for ages, and at most, they had only solved a single face!
How could this good-for-nothing solve the thing so quickly?
Damnable!
What on earth was going on here?
"Congratulations, Holy Majesty! Heaven bless Da Qian!"
Suddenly, Grand Academician Zhang Huai dropped to his knees abruptly, crying tears of old age as he shouted aloud.
"Congratulations, Holy Majesty!"
"Heaven bless Da Qian!"
In an instant, the assembled officials knelt one after another.
Xu Shifu and Yun Li hated it to the core, but they had no choice except to obediently kneel along with them.
This was a momentous occasion of recovering lost territory!
Anyone who dared not kneel and offer congratulations was simply asking to be beaten.
At that moment, Emperor Wen still had his back to the crowd, not daring to look at the result.
These abrupt shouts left even Emperor Wen completely bewildered.
Emperor Wen whipped his head around, looking somewhat dazed as he gazed at the crowd.
"Holy Majesty, the Sixth Highness has won!"
Zhang Huai pointed at the Rubik's cube with tears streaming down his face, trembling all over from excitement, "The territory our dynasty lost five years ago is back!"
Zhang Huai was a staunch member of the peace faction.
Yet he did not wish to sell out his country; he merely desired peace and prosperity for Da Qian, sparing the common people the suffering of the ravages of war.
Now that the territory lost five years ago had been miraculously recovered, how could he not be stirred with emotion?
"Won... won?"
Emperor Wen's face twitched slightly as he struggled to control his emotions, disbelief filling his eyes.
The next moment, discarding all imperial etiquette, Emperor Wen hurried over from his throne, snatched the Rubik's cube from Yun Zheng's hand, and inspected it with a trembling frame.
All six faces were completely restored!
It was solved!
It was genuinely solved!
Sixth Prince had won!
"Splendid! Splendid indeed!"
"Heaven bless Da Qian! Heaven bless our Da Qian!"
Emperor Wen could no longer contain his emotions, his lips quivering with excitement as his eyes grew slightly moist.
Territory lost for five years had actually been reclaimed in such a manner?
Without expending a single soldier or blade?
Emperor Wen had never dreamed he would ever recover that patch of land.
At that very moment, Xiao Wanchou strode up to Yun Zheng, bringing a heavy palm down upon Yun Zheng's shoulder that nearly caused him to sink a notch lower.
With a dark expression, Yun Zheng was about to speak when Xiao Wanchou said with immense emotion, "The Sixth Highness has recovered lost territory for our dynasty with the resolve of certain death, washing away the shame of our million soldiers! Please accept this bow from this old minister!"
With that, Xiao Wanchou actually dropped to his knees.
"You mustn't!"
Yun Zheng hurriedly reached out to support Xiao Wanchou. "The Duke of Yuguo flatters me too much! I merely happened to play with this object by coincidence and knew the method to solve it—"
"Impossible!" Ban Bu recovered his wits, his face turning ashen as he snapped, "I created this object myself! There is no way such a thing existed in Da Qian before!"
He had crafted this item with his own hands!
How could Yun Zheng possibly have played with it before?
"Grand Preceptor, you are far too ill-informed!"
Yun Zheng shook his head with a smile. "Do you know what this thing is called?"
"This thing is called the Jade Linglong!"
Ban Bu shouted loudly, "I invented this object on a whim while observing the night sky, and today is the first time it appears before the world!"
Jade Linglong?
My foot is a Jade Linglong!
Observing the night sky, my ass!
You'd be more believable if you claimed you transmigrated here!
Cursing furiously in his heart, Yun Zheng shook his head again. "No, this object is called a Rubik's cube!"
"Rubik's cube?"
Ban Bu furrowed his brows.
This was clearly the Jade Linglong he had crafted himself!
Yun Zheng smiled. "To not keep it from the Grand Preceptor, when I was ten years old, I saw this object in an ancient text from our dynasty, and when I was bored, I even carved one out of wooden blocks!"
"Furthermore, the Rubik's cube I played with had sixteen squares on every single face!"
"Far more complicated than this toy of yours!"
He was just making it up on the spot!
Anyway, the palace maids and guards of Bibo Courtyard had all been dealt with.
No matter what he fabricated, there was no one left to verify it.
Wasn't it just a matter of saying whatever he pleased?
Listening to Yun Zheng's words, Ban Bu's aged face twitched uncontrollably.
Sixteen squares on each face?
He had made a sixteen-square Jade Linglong when he was ten?
How could that possibly be!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
With bloodshot eyes and gritted teeth, Ban Bu growled, "You just got lucky!"
"Is that so?"
Yun Zheng shook his head with a smile, his gaze falling once more upon the saber at Ban Bu's waist.
The civil and military officials of the Da Qian Dynasty were not permitted to bring weapons into the palace.
Yet Ban Bu and his delegation, as envoys, were not subject to this restriction.
"Grand Preceptor, the saber you are wearing looks rather fine."
Yun Zheng suddenly came out with such a remark that it left even Ban Bu somewhat dazed.
After a brief moment of distraction, Ban Bu stated proudly, "This is a precious saber personally bestowed by our Beihuan Great Chanyu. Not only is it fine to look at, but it is also incomparably sharp!"
"Oh?"
A thought stirred within Yun Zheng, and he smiled blandly once more. "Grand Preceptor, let us use this saber as a stake and wager on one more round, shall we?"
Another wager?
Hearing Yun Zheng's words, Emperor Wen immediately frowned and looked toward him. "Sixth Prince, today's banquet is held to welcome the various envoys of Beihuan, and matters have already been delayed for so long. Do not delay everyone's time any further! Step back!"
Emperor Wen understood well the principle of knowing when to stop while ahead.
Although he did not know what else Yun Zheng intended to wager, if they continued, there was a real possibility of losing.
They had already secured sufficient benefits; there was no need to gamble further.
"Emperor of Da Qian, as a prince, surely the Sixth Highness is not going to break his word?"
Ban Bu sneered, dragging out those words once again.
Emperor Wen choked slightly, nearly sending a kick toward Yun Zheng.
This scoundrel!
Did he not understand when to quit while ahead?
Did he truly believe that because he had solved one Jade Linglong, he could act as though no one else mattered?
"Very well, then let it be as the Grand Preceptor wishes!"
Suppressing his anger, Emperor Wen cast a warning glare at Yun Zheng. "Sixth Prince, you had better wager properly with the Grand Preceptor!"
At that moment, Yun Zheng seemed to hear Emperor Wen's unspoken subtext.
If you dare to use affairs of state as a wager, I will have your head!
"This subject obeys."
Yun Zheng bowed slightly.
"Sixth Highness, how do you wish to wager?"
Ban Bu looked at Yun Zheng with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
He was just looking to salvage his pride!
And Yun Zheng was actually handing him the opportunity?
Yun Zheng looked toward Emperor Wen. "Imperial Father, this son requests to borrow this Rubik's cube once more."
Giving him an irritated glare, Emperor Wen handed the Rubik's cube in his hand over to Yun Zheng.
Yun Zheng turned his gaze to Ban Bu, smiling. "Since the Grand Preceptor claims this Highness relied merely on luck to solve the Rubik's cube, let us wager with it once more!"
"This time, I shall close my eyes and solve the Rubik's cube within the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea!"
"Should this Highness prevail, the sabers of the Grand Preceptor and all the envoys shall remain behind!"
"Should this Highness fail, the Grand Preceptor may take my head as he pleases!"
As Yun Zheng's words fell, the hall instantly plunged into dead silence...
Closing his eyes!
And still solving the thing within the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea?
He was mad!
Yun Zheng must have lost his mind!
This coward had gotten lucky and won a wager once, and now he had completely lost his head from arrogance!
Emperor Wen trembled with rage, glaring at Yun Zheng with eyes breathing fire.
At least Yun Zheng hadn't wagered on matters of state!
He was still using his own head as the stake!
And he wanted to solve the Rubik's cube with his eyes closed?
Why didn't he claim he could solve the Rubik's cube with immortal magic?
This bastard, did he want to die that badly?
Emperor Wen's anger flared up; had he not wished to avoid losing face before the Beihuan delegation, he would have sent a kick flying into him long ago.
Shen Luoyan was likewise furious beyond measure.
Originally, Yun Zheng had helped Da Qian recover its lost territory through a wager—a monumental achievement.
Yet this ignorant and audacious bastard actually wanted to gamble again with the Beihuan Grand Preceptor?
And he was staking his head on it!
Wasn't he courting death?
Solving this contraption with closed eyes? Just thinking about it was impossible!
Forget it, forget it!
Since this bastard was determined to court death, let him have his way!
Once he was dead, she would at least be spared from marrying him!
At that moment, the happiest people of all were Yun Li and his faction.
Originally, they had been worried that since Yun Zheng had accomplished such a great feat, he would henceforth curry favor with Emperor Wen!
As it turned out, Yun Zheng was courting death of his own accord.
Ha!
Now there was a good show to watch!
"Very well!"
After a brief moment of distraction, Ban Bu readily agreed without hesitation. "Since the Sixth Highness wishes to wager, this Preceptor will naturally accompany him!"
With that, Ban Bu could not help bursting into a hearty laugh.
Waging their spare sabers against the head of a Da Qian prince—they weren't losing on this deal!
Yun Zheng had ruined his plans, and he had been aching to get rid of him anyway!
Hearing Ban Bu's laughter, the members of the Beihuan delegation burst into laughter as well.
"Splendid! Then it's a deal."
Yun Zheng handed the Rubik's cube over to Ban Bu. "Grand Preceptor, you scramble it, lest you claim later that this Highness cheated."
"No problem!"
Ban Bu laughed loudly. "The Sixth Highness is truly a gentleman!"
A gentleman?
More like a fool!
Shen Luoyan hummed softly to herself.
Amidst their exchange, Ban Bu quickly scrambled the Rubik's cube and handed it back to Yun Zheng.
"Sixth Prince!"
Emperor Wen suddenly spoke up, stopping Yun Zheng just as he was about to begin restoring the Rubik's cube. With a face as cold as frost, he declared, "If you retract your words now, in light of your previous merit, I shall neither reward nor punish you!"
The warning in Emperor Wen's eyes was exceptionally intense.
"Sixth Highness, you mustn't be overconfident!"
"Sixth Brother, enough is enough!"
"Indeed, this is no time for you to be showing off..."
The officials, having recovered their wits, also spoke up one after another to dissuade him.
"Imperial Father, rest assured. Whatever those Beihuan barbarians have studied is nothing more than skin-deep!"
Unmoved, Yun Zheng committed the state to memory for a brief moment before abruptly closing his eyes. "Grand Preceptor, you may begin timing!"
As his words fell, Yun Zheng's hands were already moving swiftly.
"Splendid, splendid!"
Ban Bu laughed heartily, fixing his gaze dead on Yun Zheng's eyes to prevent him from opening them to cheat.
Yun Li desperately fought down the urge to laugh out loud, cursing Yun Zheng inwardly as a self-important idiot.
He was so desperate to show off he had lost his mind!
He didn't even know what his own name was anymore!
Just as Yun Li was laughing inwardly, Yun Zheng's hands came to a halt, and he raised the Rubik's cube high once more.
Gazing at the Rubik's cube in Yun Zheng's hand, Ban Bu's expression transformed drastically, nearly causing him to topple headfirst to the ground.
The assembled throng of Da Qian fell silent in shock once more.
One person after another rubbed their eyes vigorously, wishing to check whether they were dreaming.
Yet everything before their eyes told them clearly that they were not dreaming.
Shen Luoyan stared with wide-open eyes, looking at Yun Zheng in utter disbelief.
Solved!
It was solved again!
Good heavens!
Although the speed this time was slightly slower than before, it was definitely well under the time it took to burn half a stick of incense!
To solve this object so quickly even with his eyes closed?
Just how practiced was he at this?!
"Grand Preceptor, do you believe this Highness's words now?"
Yun Zheng opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "I imagine the Grand Preceptor must have stolen these techniques from our dynasty, yet failed to realize you had only learned the superficialities, am I right?"
Hearing Yun Zheng's words, Ban Bu's face flashed between shades of green and white, as though he had just been dealt a fierce, resounding slap across the cheek.
He desperately wanted to retort, but had no way to do so.
The facts were laid bare before them!
Even with his eyes closed, Yun Zheng had solved the very item he created faster than he could!
Who would believe him if he claimed he hadn't stolen the technique?
"Haha..."
A heroic burst of laughter startled the stunned crowd back to their senses.
Fixing his gaze on Ban Bu, Xiao Wanchou laughed aloud. "Grand Preceptor, if you stole those superficial tricks from our dynasty and then came here to brandish the Rubik's cube before us, wouldn't you say you've made a laughingstock of yourselves?"
Hearing Xiao Wanchou's remark, the crowd paused slightly before bursting into uproarious laughter.
"The Duke of Yuguo speaks the absolute truth!"
"For a student to attempt testing his master, how could it not be a laughingstock?"
"Grand Preceptor, Beihuan still has much to learn!"
"What the Duke of Yuguo says is entirely reasonable..."
With Yun Zheng securing yet another victory in the wager, everyone was brimming with high spirits.
Only Yun Li and his faction wore gloomy expressions while forcefully squeezing out smiles.
Damnable!
This fool could actually restore it with his eyes closed?
Faced with the jeers of the crowd, Ban Bu felt a rage boiling uncontrollably within him, roaring furiously in his heart.
Laugh! Go on and laugh!
There will come a time when you are crying!
Did they really think Beihuan would spit out meat once it was inside their mouths?
Keep dreaming!
If you have the ability, come and retake your lost territory!
Let them enjoy themselves today!
Once we achieve our objectives, we'll see you weep!
"Enough, enough!"
Emperor Wen raised a hand to silence the crowd, casting an annoyed glare at Yun Zheng before turning a smile that wasn't quite a smile toward Ban Bu. "Grand Preceptor, are you willing to accept defeat as per our wager?"
Ban Bu choked slightly, gritting his teeth as he said, "The men of Beihuan have always honored their word. Since I made a wager with the Sixth Prince, naturally I accept defeat!"
With that, Ban Bu unbuckled his own saber and motioned for his followers to remove theirs as well.
Although the members of the Beihuan delegation were unwilling, since Ban Bu had spoken, they had no other choice and could only obediently untie their sabers.
Seeing their actions, the crowd instantly rejoiced.
They had been worried beforehand that Ban Bu might renege on the debt!
As long as he honored the wager, all was well!
Honoring the wager meant Da Qian could reclaim its lost territory without shedding a single drop of blood!
Heaven bless Da Qian!
Before long, the members of the Beihuan delegation had all removed their sabers, and the palace guards hurriedly stepped forward to collect the weapons from their hands.
"Wait!"
Emperor Wen stopped the guard who was taking Ban Bu's saber. "Bring it here to me!"
Acknowledging the command, the guard respectfully presented Ban Bu's saber before Emperor Wen.
"Clang..."
Emperor Wen drew Ban Bu's saber to take a look, then scoffed dismissively, "A prized Beihuan saber, and it's nothing special!"
With that, Emperor Wen handed it over to Yun Zheng. "I see you seem rather fond of this blade. Very well, I shall bestow this saber upon you!"
"Thank you, Imperial Father!"
Overjoyed, Yun Zheng received the curved saber.
Ha, he had actually wanted this saber to begin with!
Who would have thought that before he even had to ask, his cheap old man would hand it straight to him?
Absolute bliss!
The utility of this saber wasn't meant for hacking people down!
It was essentially equivalent to Ban Bu's personal token of authority!
Once he traveled north to Shuobei, this saber would likely come in very handy!
"Very well!"
Suppressing his urge to laugh out loud, Emperor Wen waved his hand toward the officials and imperial relatives. "Since so much time has been wasted, it is time to receive the audience of the Beihuan delegation!"
With that, Emperor Wen patted Yun Zheng heavily on the shoulder and returned swiftly to his throne.
As Emperor Wen took his seat, the crowd likewise returned to their respective places.
Though elated, Yun Zheng felt a lingering thread of anxiety.
He had certainly stolen the spotlight today!
Yet trouble would follow hard upon its heels!
Yun Li and the Beihuan people were likely both eager to be rid of him by any means necessary.
He needed to devise a countermeasure in advance!
"The Beihuan delegation seeks an audience with the Emperor of Da Qian!"
At that moment, the Grand Ceremonial Eunuch shouted in a clear, practiced voice.
The crowd looked toward Ban Bu and the Beihuan delegation.
So much for trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used as bait, weren't they?
Ban Bu's face twitched slightly as he took a deep, forced breath, gritted his teeth, and dropped to his knees. "Ban Bu, Grand Preceptor of Beihuan, leading the Beihuan delegation, pays respects to the Emperor of Da Qian!"
Following Ban Bu's lead, the rest of the Beihuan delegation dropped to their knees as well.
No matter how reluctant they felt, they had no choice but to kneel now.
If they reneged on their debts here, there would be no need to discuss grain assistance any further.
Looking out at the sea of kneeling Beihuan figures, Emperor Wen was filled with boundless delight.
Five years!
The Beihuan Grand Preceptor who had nearly caused him to be captured five years ago was finally kneeling before him!
In a way, this vented the pent-up rage of those five long years!
Crucially, the lost territory had been recovered!
Even if he were to die now, he would be able to face his ancestors with a clear conscience.
In the history books of future generations, no one would ever dare call him a sovereign who lost national territory!
Waves of emotion surged within Emperor Wen. Deliberately delaying for a moment, he slowly raised a hand and said, "Envoys, rise! Someone, grant them seats!"
"Thank you, Emperor of Da Qian!"
The Beihuan figures slowly stood to their feet, none of their expressions looking particularly pleasant.
Ban Bu, in particular, shot Yun Zheng a look fraught with murderous intent.
Yun Zheng curled his lip, cursing him as an old dog in his heart.
I'll wipe out you Beihuan sooner or later!
Let's see if you still dare glare at me like that!
As the members of the Beihuan delegation took their seats, Emperor Wen, whose spirits were exceptionally high, immediately ordered wine and dishes to be served.
With today's joyous occasion, the atmosphere of the banquet was entirely different.
While the Beihuan contingent wore gloomy expressions, the people of Da Qian were brimming with exceptional cheer.
Even a portion of the Third Prince's faction joined in the celebration.