Who was Cao Jie?
He was the commander of the Spring Death Army, one of Qi's Nine Legions, and a member of Great Qi's Military Affairs Hall, ranked just below Jiang Mengxiong.
He was one of the true core figures in the military, an absolute high-ranking official of Qi State.
In a sense, his attitude could represent the military's attitude.
And Cao Jie's words... had been far too harsh!
He had practically pointed at Huang Yixing's nose and called him petty, accused him of clinging to old habits, and branded him a fawning sycophant.
Though he hadn't raised his voice, his words had silenced the entire scene.
Huang Yixing's face had gone ashen, and he could only stammer wordlessly. The other officials from Hengyang Prefecture all stared at their shoes, as if their spirits had wandered somewhere beyond the world.
The drums and gongs fell silent, and no one dared set off any more fireworks or firecrackers.
Only the little girl who had brought Cao Jie flowers sensed that something was wrong. But she was too young to understand what the adults were talking about.
She remembered only the instructions she'd been given. Still, she stepped forward timidly and said, "Commander... I brought you flowers."
She'd forgotten the congratulatory speech, after all.
Her lip quivered, and she was almost in tears.
Cao Jie accepted the flowers, reached out to ruffle her hair, and smiled. "Thank you."
The little girl had completed her task, and immediately broke into a smile.
Cao Jie turned to Huang Yixing, his face now free of anger. "Send the children back. The offerings at the Imperial Ancestral Temple must be made at an auspicious hour, so we won't be staying in Hengyang Prefecture."
Huang Yixing came to his senses as if waking from a dream. "Yes,