Fang Yun's words set the blood of the Jing officials present boiling. They glared at Guan Yi, while the Qing officials looked ashamed and had no answer.
Guan Yi argued, "The article I wrote was not intended to force Jing Kingdom to surrender territory. Besides, I could not do that even if I wanted to. My article merely proposed one possible solution to stabilize the border between the two kingdoms. That was still advice and counsel. If I am punished, then I am being convicted for my words."
"Counsel? Then let me tell you: as a citizen of Jing Kingdom, your proposals count as counsel only if they preserve the integrity of our territory! Someone who makes others retreat at a loss is vile. Someone who makes the nation surrender its territory is a ****!"
Guan Yi cried, "I am wronged, Governor-General! Since I am a citizen of Jing Kingdom, since I am one of its people, I have the right to express my views on its land. As you said, only someone who forces others to retreat at a loss is vile. I am not forcing everyone to yield three feet. I am saying that I personally am willing to yield three feet! Divide the borderlands into several hundred million shares according to Jing Kingdom's population. For peace between the two kingdoms, I am willing to give my own share to Qing Kingdom! I am not vile. I am worthy-or at the very least, kind!"
The officials present were stunned by Guan Yi's shamelessness. Even the Qing officials had not expected him to say such a thing. Yet his words sounded quite reasonable and completely rebutted Fang Yun's position. Guan Yi had deftly transformed himself from "vile" to "kind."
Dong Wencong looked helplessly at Guan Yi. Before becoming the