The various dukes in Jinluan Hall had long since received the news, so they were not surprised by what they heard. Prime Minister Qian Qingshu stepped forward without hesitation to give his opinion:
“This is most likely a delaying tactic by the rebels, Your Majesty, please consider carefully.”
Before Emperor Yongxing could speak, someone immediately stood up to refute him:
“Since when did Prime Minister Qian and Administrator Yang become so in tune with each other?”
It was a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War speaking, one of the leading ‘contrarians’ in court.
Qian Qingshu frowned, looked at the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War, and said calmly:
“Sir Yan, what is your wise opinion then?”
The Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War answered loudly:
“Your Majesty, since the autumn harvest, a hundred thousand troops were lost under Wei Yuan at Mount Jing City. After winter set in, nearly sixty thousand more elite soldiers have perished in Qingzhou. If this goes on, the soldiers of our Great Feng will surely be exhausted.
“Refugees are running rampant everywhere, and troop numbers are insufficient. The Ministry of War can no longer deploy reinforcements to Yongzhou. Your servant thinks that seeking peace is the correct course, as it will relieve the pressing crisis facing the court.”
The Minister of War wanted to speak, but after sighing, chose to remain silent.
“To relieve a pressing crisis?”
Right Censor-in-Chief Zhang Xingying snorted coldly:
“If you want to negotiate peace, the rebels will surely make exorbitant demands. I fear that afterwards, the court will be even less able to resist them. Do you not understand the principle of ‘bleeding slowly with a blunt sabre’, Sir Yan?”
At this moment, the Minister of Revenue stepped out and said in a deep voice:
“Since Censor Zhang sees the situation so clearly, why don’t I let you take my position as Minister of Revenue…?”
After he spoke, he gave a cold laugh, bowed to Emperor Yongxing, and loudly said:
“Your Majesty, the treasury is empty. If the court continues to fight the Yunzhou rebels, we will sooner or later be dragged down by the war. The Spring Sacrifice is approaching, the earth will soon be waking, and what we need is time. Negotiating peace can buy us this time and help us survive the winter disasters.”
The pro-war and pro-peace factions immediately began arguing fiercely.
Every time the situation verged on losing control, Zhao Xuanzhen would crack his whip and shout, “Silence!”
Emperor Yongxing silently observed the ministers’ debate. As more and more people voiced their opinions, and the pro-peace faction gradually gained the upper hand, he finally looked at Zhao Xuanzhen and signalled with his eyes.
Crack!
Zhao Xuanzhen cracked his whip again, producing a crisp sound on the polished floor, quickly quieting the palace.
Emperor Yongxing glanced around at the crowd and said slowly,
“We are mindful of the officers and the people and cannot bear to wage reckless war any longer. The matter of negotiating peace is thus decided.”
…
Imperial city, Wang Manor.
A luxurious carriage stopped outside the Wang residence. Supported by his attendant, Qian Qingshu stepped down using a small stool. The guards outside the residence, aware of his status, did not stop him.
He entered unimpeded, paused for a moment in the inner hall, then was led by the steward into the inner courtyard and into the Prime Minister Wang’s bedchamber.
For someone as dignified as Prime Minister Wang to receive guests not in his study, but his bedchamber, showed how grave his illness was.
A fire of Shoujin Coal burned warmly. The doors and windows were tightly shut. Two maidservants stood in the outer and inner rooms respectively.
Prime Minister Wang sat propped up, his back and waist supported by soft pillows.
He was so thin as to be almost skeletal, his face haggard with signs of age, yet his eyes remained bright and spirited.
“Alas!”
Qian Qingshu sighed. “How is it your illness shows no improvement?”
As he spoke, he waved his hand, dismissing the maidservants.
“Perhaps the end has come.” Wang Zhenwen smiled,
“When a man grows old, illness overcomes him like a mountain, no immortal can save him. As they say, ‘At fifty, one knows the will of heaven.’ If this is the will of heaven, then let it take its course.”
Qian Qingshu pondered for a moment and said,
“I really shouldn’t trouble you. What’s most important is that you rest and recover. It’s just…”
Wang Zhenwen raised his hand to interrupt, pointing at the window, and said,
“Open the window for me first.”
Qian Qingshu frowned:
“It’s bitterly cold outside. Will your body cope with the chill if the window’s opened?”
Wang Zhenwen waved dismissively:
“This suffocating air in the room makes me feel worse. Am I not more likely to get sick? Enough talk, just open it.”
Qian Qingshu hesitated, then walked to the window and opened it just a right amount, letting a cold but fresh breeze into the room.
He returned to the bedside and sat down on a stool, composing his words,
“Qingzhou has fallen.”
Seeing Wang Zhenwen remain silent, he too fell quiet. After a while, Wang Zhenwen spoke in a low voice,
“Continue…”
“The Jianzheng died in Qingzhou. The rebels now occupy Qingzhou, and are facing off against Yang Gong at the border with Yongzhou… Yesterday, Yongzhou’s Prefect Yao Hong submitted a memorial, Yunzhou wishes to send an envoy to negotiate peace…”
Silent, Wang Zhenwen listened without moving, his gaze frozen.
When Qian Qingshu finished, his eyes flickered, showing signs of life again:
“His Majesty agreed?”
His tone was filled with deep disappointment.
Qian Qingshu nodded gently:
“There was no other choice. The Great Feng has lost the Jianzheng, and now lacks beyond-mortal power. It is like a flock of sheep without a leader, sooner or later, unity will collapse. What use is there in continuing to fight?
“If I were in his place, I fear I’d make the same…”
Suddenly realising his words bordered on lese-majeste, he sighed and changed his phrasing,
“If any other prince was in his place, it would be the same.”
Wang Zhenwen nodded slowly:
“They have clearly calculated this, so only now, when certain of victory, have they offered to negotiate.”
Qian Qingshu gave a wry smile:
“There are plenty of clever people, but all are pretending to be fools. Who doesn’t see the truth? Yet what can be done? These days, the capital is gripped by fear. The various lords force themselves to remain calm, but in truth, they are already terrified, some even think the fall of the Great Feng is only a matter of time.
“The fact that they have not sought other ways out is already a sign of loyalty.
“His Majesty also knows that negotiation is only slowly bleeding the country. But what else can he do? It is his only hope, and he will cling to it at all costs, telling himself it is just to buy time and survive the winter calamities.”
Wang Zhenwen was silent for a long time. Finally, he said,
“Enough of that. Try to find a way to let Xu Qi’an come see me.”
“Him?”
Qian Qingshu shook his head with a bitter smile:
“Who can keep track of that man? I don’t even know where he is.”
“He’s definitely in the capital, he must be in the capital now.” Wang Zhenwen clutched his mouth, coughing violently. “With the Jianzheng dead, he will certainly return. Hah, as for whether Yunzhou’s rebels can negotiate, that depends on whether he agrees.”
Qian Qingshu stood up, strode to the window, closed it, and said:
“Do you think Silver Gong Xu can resolve this crisis?”
Wang Zhenwen was silent. After a long time, he answered in a low voice,
“Even if Wei Yuan were resurrected, he could not revive this dead game.”
…
Sitianjian.
On the seventh floor medicine chamber, Xu Qi’an had come straight to find Song Qing, not even returning home first.
“I have gathered all the materials for the soul-summoning banner, but there is still one auxiliary ingredient.”
Xu Qi’an took out an Earth Book fragment, then produced two jade bottles emitting chilling yin energy, a stone riddled with honeycomb-like holes, and a clump of pitch-black, poisonous silkworm silk.
Song Qing immediately swallowed a detoxification pill, covered his mouth and nose with a silk cloth soaked in medicinal solution, then pulled open the wooden stopper of the porcelain bottles to confirm the materials.
Inside the porcelain bottles were, respectively, fingernails from an ancient corpse, and pitch-black corpse fluid extracted from the carotid artery.
Once he had verified the Sounding Stone and the hell silkworm silk, Song Qing said,
“The last ingredient is flesh from Wei Yuan’s body to use as a locator, but since Wei Yuan’s body was destroyed at Mount Jing City, there’s no way to retrieve it.”
In reality, Wei Yuan’s corpse had been devoured by Zhende, a detail Song Qing did not know.
“So, what now?” Xu Qi’an asked.
“The bloodline of a descendant can serve as a substitute,” Song Qing said slowly.
Duke Wei hasn’t been able to produce heirs for a long time… Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly and replied in a low tone,
“There must be another method to substitute, otherwise the Jianzheng would not have asked me to search for the magic tool to forge the soul-summoning banner.”
Song Qing stared at him:
“Wei Yuan had no descendants, but you advanced to the third rank with his Blood Pill. In a sense, you could be regarded as his descendant.
“So, next, you will have to refine a Blood Pill. You don’t need much, just the size of a fingernail. This won’t affect your cultivation.
“Then, you’ll have to help me remove the toxicity from the Hell Silkworm Silk. The poison of a true god or demon descendant is beyond my means to purify.”
Xu Qi’an glanced over the Hell Silkworm Silk:
“To refine a Blood Pill and purge its toxicity will take at least three days.
“This is not the problem. The real issue is, for a powerful magic artefact like the soul-summoning banner, can you manage it?”
The Jianzheng was no longer here, Sun Xuanji was recovering from his injuries, Yang Qianhuan was also absent from the capital, so Song Qing was currently of the highest status in Sitianjian.
But Song Qing was only a sixth-rank Master of ALchemy.
As a formidable figure in the field of alchemy, Song Qing understood himself well and held deep reverence for his craft; he would never act recklessly. He shook his head decisively:
“I can’t!
“Metal like Sounding Stone cannot be melted with ordinary fire, you must gather fire spirits using the fire-forming array to melt it.
“Hmm, I can raise the temperature with some special combustables, but that would require building a new furnace, and the combustable materials are my own invention. The Sitianjian has none in reserve.
“Just this step alone would take half a month.”
After years at a bottleneck in his cultivation and deep immersion in alchemy, Song Qing had devised many ways to replace formations, but these were definitely not as convenient as just setting up an array directly.
“That’s why I’ll need you to use your qi to replace the combustables and melt the Sounding Stone, refining the pole of the soul-summoning banner. As for the banner cloth itself, we can only wait until Senior Brother Sun’s injuries heal, because the weaving process requires continuous infusion with formations.”
Xu Qi’an patiently listened, then said:
“Once the soul-summoning banner is finished, can Duke Wei be awakened?”
Song Qing shook his head:
“Next, you have to engrave the Grand Yin Gathering Array, and wait for one of the three times of greatest yin in the year. Only then can you summon Wei Yuan’s soul.”
Xu Qi’an frowned:
“When is the closest occasion?”
Song Qing answered without hesitation:
“Spring Sacrifice!”
About a month… Xu Qi’an exhaled, thinking this was acceptable.
…
On this day, a long boat wreathed in mist ploughed through the sea of clouds and slowly descended on the borders of the capital.
The Wind-riding Boat, this magical artifact originally belonging to Dongfang Wanrong, but after the battle in Jianzhou, it had fallen into Ji Xuan’s hands. The boat could travel a thousand miles a day, making it an exceptionally rare large-scale transportation tool.
Three people stood at the prow of the boat. The one in the centre was a young man in splendid robes, handsome and elegant, holding a small silver-bone fan.
He resembled Ji Xuan by four or five points but their auras differed completely. Ji Xuan was more masculine, his sharpness hidden beneath the surface.
This young man, however, exuded the righteousness of a scholar and a pride bred from deep learning.
On each side were Xu Yuanhuai, a young man dressed in black, and Xu Yuanshuang, a cold and graceful young woman.
These three were the core members of the diplomatic delegation. Besides them, there were sixteen steady, experienced scholars forming the negotiating team, as well as a hundred skilled and elite guards.
“The capital…”
Ji Yuan spun his silver-bone fan a few times and smiled:
“I have long heard of its fame and long admired it. Yuanhuai, Yuanshuang, are you not excited?”
Both Xu Yuanhuai and Xu Yuanshuang were antisocial in temperament, one cold, the other indifferent, a result of their upbringing.
But they could not bring themselves to be happy, and anyone could see their father had sent them to the capital to negotiate with a specific target in mind.
“I heard that outside Yongzhou City, Xu Qi’an showed you two mercy and didn’t strike to kill. Once in the capital, you must protect me.” Ji Yuan smiled slyly, “He could never bring himself to kill a younger brother or sister, but as for killing me, his cousin, he probably wouldn’t blink.”
Seeing his cousins’ indifferent faces, he sensed it was pointless to continue and sighed:
“This trip to the capital serves, first, to secure greater interests for Qianlong City. Second, to earn merit. Seventh Brother is already a beyond-mortal expert, but I have achieved nothing yet. If I handle this task brilliantly, Father will value us brothers more and Seventh Brother’s position will be all the more secure.
“And third, to test the current strength of the Great Feng. Your big brother is the person I must probe first. Tsk tsk, do you think he is even considering negotiation?”
Xu Yuanshuang replied coolly:
“He will not!
“He is someone who would rather break than bend.”
Ji Yuan nodded, then said:
“Having an unyielding nature doesn’t mean being inflexible. If he agrees to peace talks, it must be a delaying tactic, it would mean the Great Feng still has a hidden trump card.”
As he spoke, the Wind-riding Boat slowly docked outside the capital.
The offices responsible for welcoming the Yunzhou mission were the Court of State Ceremony and the Messenger’s Office. The one in charge was the Minister of State Ceremony, a third-rank official, a great honour to Yunzhou.
The Minister of Court of State Ceremony was a middle-aged, thin-faced man with a goatee, deep crow’s feet, and a perpetual smile.
Well-versed in social dealings and smooth in his conduct.
He led his staff to welcome the envoys, waiting for the Yunzhou group to disembark.
But they waited and waited; the Wind-riding Boat remained silent, with no sign of movement nor a ramp being put down.
A quarter of an hour later, a guard poked his head out over the gunwale and called out loudly:
“May I ask who you are, sir?”
The Minister of Court of State Ceremony put on his professional smile and bowed:
“This official is the Minister of Court of State Ceremony.”
The guard gave an “oh,” pulled his head back, and after a dozen breaths, poked his head out again and said coolly:
“My young master says, your status is not high enough. Please leave.”
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