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.

Su Ming on the side seat. The look

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 of life and death over

back down resentfully, muttering something

hall, the

refocused on Xu

He no longer looked at the archives but walked to the center of the hall, his eyes meeting the Northern Barbarian

meaning

every word seeming to be

Dingxiang must be unconditionally returned. The government treasuries, grain and money, weapons and equipment within the cities—not a single needle or thread may

The four years of war have caused our Great

raised three

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

out a number that made

thousand taels of silver. To be

"What?!"

moment. He stood up abruptly, his voice distorted

why doesn't your Great Xing...

the Northern Barbarian, whose national strength was already inferior to Great Xing's and who had just endured four years of brutal war, was

stared coldly

atmosphere in the hall tightened

tense,

eyes closed as if asleep the entire time, slowly opened

Qingquan's movement was

cast a plain, calm glance at the red-faced, almost manic Northern

pressure, and his voice wasn't even loud, like an elder reminding

man will only say

elderly hoarseness, yet it entered the ears of everyone in the hall

National Teacher, the one who could summon the

these words fell, the Northern Barbarian Chancellor's pupils contracted sharply, and

"that vaunted, 'arrow-proof' Undying Iron Cavalry of yours was forged from the souls of your own Northern Barbarian soldiers, using evil cultivation methods. Their

"Boom—"

sentence struck the heads of every Northern Barbarian

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