Qin Zijin’s gaze sharpened, yet his smile remained as light as a passing breeze. “The Chief Envoy certainly enjoys a good jest.”
“Since you have traveled from afar, it is only right that we provide proper hospitality.” Before his voice even faded, he raised a hand to signal the attendant procession. “Please, Chief Envoy, Interpreter—into the carriages.”
As he spoke, he cast a sidelong glance at the ranks of military officers behind him.
Don’t these men usually scream for Eastern Liao blood? Why is not a single one of them speaking up now?
Little did he know, the soldiers in formation couldn’t care less about the Eastern Liao at that moment. Several dark-haired heads were huddled close together, their expressions so solemn one might think they were debating a policy that would decide the fate of the empire.
“So, the Lord Chancellor didn’t show his face today. What’s the play?”
“Leaving the Eastern Liao delegation out in the cold? A bit of a warning?”
“You think our Lord Chancellor is like those pretentious civil officials who love putting on airs? A ‘warning’? He’s the head of the government; he shouldn’t be out here welcoming these animals in the first place.”
“So, are we tearing up the peace treaty then?”
“Should we move in now? Just slaughter the lot of them?”
“Are you stupid? That would give Eastern Liao the perfect excuse for war.”
“Then you tell me—what is the Lord Chancellor thinking?”
“That’s what we’re trying to guess!”
Their debate grew heated, their faces flushing as they spoke with the frantic speed of men racing toward their own rebirth.
Old Yan suddenly slapped his thigh. “Pei Jingyi! He’s bound to know what the Lord Chancellor is thinking!”
Just then, the sound of rhythmic hoofbeats approached. Before Pei Jingyi could even dismount, he was surrounded.
“Oh, Jingyi, thank heavens you’re here!”
“Jingyi, good brother, we’re counting on you to hold down the fort.”
Old Yan spoke first, reaching out to clap a hand on Pei’s shoulder, grinning like a weasel that had successfully raided a henhouse.
Another man leaned in close. “Look, the Lord Chancellor didn’t show up today. Is he intentionally snubbing the Eastern Liao, or does he have other plans? We aren’t trying to meddle, we’re just afraid of messing up and making him unhappy.”
Pei Jingyi felt a headache brewing from the cacophony of voices. He gave his shoulder a sharp wrench, shaking off the many hands resting there. “Why do you care?”
The men traded glances, forcing awkward smiles.
Old Yan glanced toward the distant line of civil officials. A few members of the Gu Faction were particularly conspicuous. Lowering his voice, he said, “Jingyi! Those scholars have been with the Lord Chancellor for so long; they can read his mind perfectly. We don’t have those ‘exquisite hearts with seven chambers’ like they do. You know us—we aren’t afraid of dying. We’re just afraid… afraid that the Lord Chancellor has a plan and we’re too stupid to see it, turning ourselves into stumbling blocks.”
Pei Jingyi couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. He had assumed these burly comrades were merely sucking up to power, but listening to them now, he realized they were simply trying, in their own clumsy way, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Gu Huaiyu.
Just as he was about to answer, he felt a sharp, piercing gaze. He turned his head and met a pair of dark, sinister eyes.
It was the Eastern Liao interpreter. Seeing that he had been noticed, the man actually curled his lips into a smirk and gave a shallow, standard grassland bow.
Pei Jingyi narrowed his eyes slowly, offering nothing more than a noncommittal smile.
Among the civil officials, a quiet restlessness was spreading through the silence.
Dong Danyu stood beside Shen Jun, leaning in slightly. His voice was low, yet it reached Shen Jun’s ear with practiced ease. “Lord Shen, the Lord Chancellor did not appear today. Is he concerned about something else?”
Before the words had even settled, several others nearby wordlessly edged a few steps closer. The previously scattered members of the Gu Faction had now formed a tight circle. No one spoke, but every ear was pricked.
Shen Jun looked down, smoothing his sleeves as if he hadn’t noticed. “The Lord Chancellor has his own reasons.”
His tone was tranquil, making it impossible to tell if he was being sincere or evasive.
Someone cleared their throat softly, whispering, “The generals have been heavily favored lately. If we… if we don’t put in some effort soon, I fear we’ll be overshadowed.”
Shen Jun cast a cold, indifferent glance over. The man immediately bowed his head and fell silent.
As Gu Huaiyu’s confidant, Shen Jun wasn’t worried at all. He stood with his hands behind his back. “What is the point of such speculation? If the Lord Chancellor can employ a ‘Third Scholar’ like Dong Danyu, it proves he is a man of vast magnanimity who does not stick to rigid conventions. Instead of guessing his intent, you all should consider this: the Lord Chancellor remembers every detail of those generals’ service records. Do you truly think he would forget the practical work you have done for the imperial court?”
The hesitation in Dong Danyu’s eyes vanished. His expression cleared, and he gave Shen Jun a slight, respectful nod.
Shen Jun’s gaze swept over the gathered officials. “Doing your duty well is better than anything else.”
The Eastern Liao delegation was settled into a guest house meticulously prepared by the Court of State Ceremonies. Since they had promised to “properly entertain” them, certain necessary arrangements could not be omitted.
On the way back, Qin Zijin had already sent men to “invite” a dozen women from the pleasure quarters. Now, they stood trembling in the side hall, their eyes red from recent weeping.
The brutal reputation of the Eastern Liao was enough to make even a three-year-old stop crying. The stories of how those barbarians treated people were enough to fill volumes of horror stories. Who wouldn’t be afraid?
Qin Zijin scanned them. His tone was gentle, yet brook no refusal. “Ladies, you only need to serve our guests from Eastern Liao well tonight. Once the task is done, I will personally arrange for your names to be removed from the slave registers.”
Under normal circumstances, being freed from the slave registers was a dream come true. But these were violent, cruel barbarians. Whether they would even survive the night was a question; who cared about their legal status then?
Soft sobbing broke out in the room, the women weeping like pear blossoms in the rain.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Qin Zijin’s eyes, but his expression remained unchanged. “I know what you are thinking. This is a task for the state; it is not for you to be picky. Take them down.”
He waved them away, but as he turned, he signaled his attendant to keep the two most beautiful ones behind.
