Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 454: All Settled

Xu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but every word was crisp and clear, like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of everyone in the hall, one blow after another.

Each time he read out a line, he flipped a page of the archives. The rustling sound of the pages turning, in the silent great hall, actually seemed somewhat piercing.

"In the spring of the twenty-second year of Yongtai, Dingxiang City..."

"In the summer of the twenty-third year of Yongtai, the Battle of Blackwater River..."

"..."

One shocking battle report after another, strings of blood-soaked numbers, were recited from Xu Qing's mouth.

The expressions of the Northern Barbarian delegation gradually turned ugly. The Northern Barbarian Chancellor, in particular, had his composure completely shattered.

This list was far too detailed.

When Xu Qing reached "In the twenty-fourth year of Yongtai, refugees fleeing the three northern prefectures due to the war totaled three hundred and seventy thousand households, over one million two hundred thousand people," he finally stopped.

He closed the archives, raised his head, and once again looked at the ashen-faced Northern Barbarian Chancellor."Lord Chancellor, do you still think that having your dynasty return the three cities is not caring for the people and would cause them to be displaced and homeless?"

"That... that's a battlefield!"

Before the Northern Barbarian Chancellor could respond, the hot-tempered Deputy Envoy beneath him, Grand Marshal Batu, suddenly slammed the table and stood up.

"On the battlefield, swords and blades have no eyes, how can there not be casualties?" Batu glared with eyes as round as bronze bells, his voice like a great bell, trying to overwhelm everything with sheer momentum. "Do you think your Great Xing's army has killed few people?!"

His roar was filled with brutish logic.

Yet, Xu Qing remained unmoved.

Just then.

On the imperial throne, the Great Xing Emperor, who had remained silent all along, suddenly let out a light cough.

"Cough."

The sound wasn't loud, even a little weak.

But he didn't speak.

the side seat. The look seemed to be confirming

Marshal Batu, upon hearing the Emperor's cough, had his arrogance immediately deflated by half. He might not fear a Minister of Revenue, but he absolutely wouldn't dare to ignore this earthly sovereign who held the power

down resentfully, muttering something

great hall, the suffocating

gaze refocused on

walked to the center of the

Majesty's meaning is

every

be unconditionally returned. The government treasuries, grain and

our Great Xing

raised three

Lord Chancellor. Soldier's pensions, resettlement of the people, city reconstruction... all things considered, not a bit more,

spat out a number that made every member of the Northern Barbarian delegation

of silver. To be

"What?!"

this moment. He

taels?! Minister Xu, why doesn't your Great Xing... just

national strength was already inferior to Great Xing's and who

stared coldly

in the hall

tense,

the side seat, Elder Qingquan, who had kept his eyes

movement

simply opened his eyes and cast a plain, calm glance

earth-shattering pressure, and his voice wasn't even loud,

will only say

it entered the ears of everyone in the hall

who could summon

Chancellor's pupils contracted sharply, and most

yours was forged from the souls of your own Northern

"Boom—"

Northern Barbarian

particular, seemed struck by lightning, frozen stiff in his seat, his face pale as paper, his lips trembling violently, unable to utter a