Han Mo really couldn't hold back his laughter, and with a snort, he let out a chuckle. The old fellow was clearly doing it on purpose.
However, watching him make a spectacle of himself, Han Mo was happy to be an onlooker.
After all, it was free entertainment, and it wouldn't hurt to watch. For this golden man to be so arrogant and overbearing in the Kaifeng Prefecture was clearly him asking for trouble.
After all, at this time, neither side had truly clashed.
Although the Jin army had routed the Liao army, they had not yet witnessed the combat effectiveness of the Song army.
Furthermore, although these Jin people had strong military power, the Jin dynasty had only recently been established.
The Song people looked down on the Liao envoys, feeling superior to them. How could they possibly not look down on the Jin people, who were even inferior to the Liao?
If not for the fact that the two countries were discussing a joint campaign against Liao, these Jin people probably wouldn't even have been allowed into the city of Bianliang.
Nie Shan's concern was always about how to account for things to the two prefectures, not how to account for them to these Jin people.
Since that fellow didn't give him face, he wouldn't give that fellow face either.
"You!"
Li Shanqing looked grimly at Nie Shan and Han Mo. The guards standing beside him looked even more displeased.
His right hand had already rested on the hilt of his sword, clearly indicating that he was ready to draw his sword at any moment.
"What? Envoy, are your subordinates preparing to brandish their weapons in the city of Bianliang?"
Zhang Shaoyou said with a cold laugh and waved his hand. Immediately, a pair of fully armed archers walked in from outside.
The Kaifeng Prefecture had six hundred officials, who were merely daily civil servants.
The entire Kaifeng Prefecture administered 18 counties and 24 towns, with a population of no less than a million military and civilians. If these six hundred people were solely responsible for maintaining order, even if they all worked themselves to death, it would still be impossible to achieve.
Therefore, the Kaifeng Prefecture also had subordinate archers responsible for apprehending bandits and pacifying the region. There were over two thousand archers currently on the payroll.
Of course, in case of an emergency, if they were unable to cope, they could directly memorialize their superiors and request the deployment of the Imperial Guards to assist.
Now that they were in their own stronghold, how could Zhang Shaoyou and the others fear a few Jin people?
"What are you doing? Lord Nie, are you trying to show favoritism to this villain? Don't you forget, the two countries are currently forging an alliance. If this is your attitude, I think this alliance is better left unmade!"
Li Shanqing was extremely furious, gritting his teeth and threatening.
"Lord Li, is it? You cannot discuss the matter of the alliance between the two countries with me. I am merely a minor official of the Kaifeng Prefecture, responsible only for the matters within my jurisdiction! You say that the young man beside you injured the guards of your Great Jin envoy? Do you have any evidence?"
Seeing that the arrogance of the Jin people had finally been suppressed, Nie Shan took another sip of tea and asked with a smile.
"Evidence? Are their current appearances not enough evidence?"
Looking at the three Jin soldiers who were on the verge of death, Li Shanqing said with a cold laugh.
"I heard that your Great Jin soldiers are skilled in battle and are all invincible warriors. Is that true?"
Nie Shan gave a dry cough and asked again.
"Of course! Our Great Jin soldiers, with just tens of thousands of men, routed the Liao army. Is that not enough proof?"
Li Shanqing said proudly.
"So that's how it is. Then, according to you, are all your Great Jin soldiers capable of fighting ten enemies at once?"
Although Li Shanqing spoke unreasonably, Nie Shan did not seem angry at all and asked again.
"Fighting ten at once? Our Great Jin soldiers are all capable of fighting a hundred at once!"
Before Li Shanqing could speak, several Jin soldiers behind him could not help but say proudly.
"Envoy, take a good look. The young man sitting beside you, allow me to formally introduce him. This is the most talented scholar in Bianliang, young official Han Mo!"
"His writings shook the capital, and his literary fame spread throughout the land! Do you believe that such a person could defeat three soldiers of your Great Jin, and remain unharmed himself? Lord Li, do you believe these words yourself?"
After Nie Shan finished speaking, Li Shanqing was stunned on the spot.
If it was a one-on-one fight, it could still be said that he was ambushed and fought three against one. If you still insisted that he was ambushed by a scholar who could not even lift a chicken, then this would be a truly humiliating loss.
"I wonder how your Great Jin envoy's guards are selected? Are they specifically chosen from the old, weak, sick, and disabled in the army? I don't think you all look like the old, weak, sick, and disabled!"
As Nie Shan said this, his eyes were filled with smugness.
These Jin people were good at wielding swords and spears, but when it came to playing with words, they were no match for these officials.
With just a few simple sentences, they had dug a deep pit for them.
"This..."
Li Shanqing looked at the three useless men on the ground again, wishing he could strangle them with his own hands.
Even if they had injured or killed someone in Bianliang city, it would have been a better situation than this.
Being taken down by a scholar in a one-on-three fight, and the scholar remaining unharmed. This loss of face seemed too great.
He didn't even know how to answer this question now. If he insisted that Han Mo had injured them, then the soldiers of the Great Jin could not even defeat a scholar who could not lift a chicken. How could they talk about an alliance between the two countries?
If he dared to say that the perpetrators were someone else, Nie Shan wouldn't even need to speak. He knew that in the Kaifeng Prefecture's dungeon, there would immediately be a shortage of death row prisoners.
"What is this? Lord Li, what exactly do you want to say? By the way, let me remind you, this is the main hall of the Kaifeng Prefecture. Everything you say will be recorded by a dedicated person. You should think carefully before you speak!"
Seeing Li Shanqing's ashen face, Nie Shan let out a few cold laughs.
"My lord, these three criminals openly harassed civilian women and profaned royal dignity in the Shenxiao Palace. Thousands of Bianliang elders present can testify for me. I request my lord to bring justice for this student!"
Li Shanqing fell silent, but this did not mean that Han Mo wanted Nie Shan to gloss over the matter.
"Young official Han, please sit aside for now!"
Nie Shan's face was a little awkward. This was a case of one problem after another. Just as he had dealt with the Jin people, this小子 (kid) popped up again.
If this continued, he might really be brought down by this小子 today.
"Lord Li, speak up. You just heard it. Do you have any explanation? How should I deal with these three people?"
Nie Shan sneered and looked at Li Shanqing again.