He looked to the others. "Thank you for coming under these conditions. I know you must have questions."
"It's good to see you alive and well again, Imperian Qiang," a handsome older gentleman said. He was Lord Lu Yen, patriarch of the Yen Family, one of the twenty member families under the Li Family. His family managed the Yen Chai Merchant Alliance, which was practically a household name in the northern provinces, showing how prolific and influential it was. It was one of the top trade organizations in the Li Family!
"Please tell us what happened in the Battle of Liguang. How did you survive?" a middle-aged woman asked. She was Lady Hao Wu, matriarch of the Wu Family. Her moniker was the Rice Queen because her family operated some of the largest rice paddies in the empire. Transported by the Yen Chai Merchant Alliance, they were responsible for feeding an uncountable number of people!
"The Li Family desperately needs your leadership again," a younger man said. He was Lord Meng Tien, patriarch of the Tien Family. Unlike the other two, his family was a scholarly one, serving on the council for one of the most prestigious universities in the north. Nearly every youth dreamed to pass their notorious examinations because they would be guaranteed a smooth and easy life afterwards. It was their chance to leap through the dragon's gate!
The other seven had similar backgrounds and power for ten people in total. Although none of their families could compare to the four main subordinate families like Lord Xai's Shen Family or the prominent Loon Family, they were still heads and shoulders above most people. That was what it meant to serve under the Li Family's wing! They could not be ordinary! And the fact they assembled here under dubious conditions to meet Imperian Qiang reflected their tremendous loyalty to the man. After all, he served as the patriarch of the Li Family for almost a decade. It only made sense that he had deep connections and weight throughout the Xingyuu Empire! It was not something a normal person could imagine!
"Before we start, let me make one thing clear: I have no intentions of starting a coup against Lady Hong-Lan. That's not why I asked you to assemble here today. Rather, I require your assistance in a certain matter. Princess Ming, if you may."
The girl walked up stiffly. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve. "We want to achieve three goals. First, we want to spread the news that we survived the Battle of Liguang, and that we're fully healed. We want everyone to know that we're ready to succeed our father and inherit the throne. Second, we want to publicize the Imperial Council's crimes against us, such as their alliance with a foreign power and their conspiracy to kill us in Liguang. Third, we want to clarify that Empress Mei Li… died of natural causes unrelated to the kingdom. And that the Imperial Council used her death as an excuse to wage war… We want the entire empire to know about these things. Is it possible?"
The ten people looked at one another subtly. Lord Lu then asked, "What does Your Highness intend to do by this? This will undoubtedly cause widespread turmoil throughout the empire. At a time like this, where we're facing a common enemy…" The rest went unsaid since his meaning was obvious. Stirring the pot now would only benefit the kingdom. Why would they do that? Understandably, their gazes turned slightly cautious and hostile.
"Understand that we have no ill intentions towards the Xingyuu Empire or its people. We are acting in the best interests of stopping the Second Great Kingdom War as peacefully and as quickly as possible. This is part of our arrangement with the Alzar Kingdom. That is all I can disclose unfortunately," Ming explained.
Lady Hao shook her head. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I cannot lend my assistance in good faith without understanding the circumstances. This has significant consequences, and I don't wish to endanger my family by accepting."
"Likewise," Lord Meng commented. "Why would we not aid the Li Family or the Imperial Council instead? What are the benefits or drawbacks from committing to this plan? If Your Highness can provide a compelling argument, then we would be happy to listen. Without it, I'm afraid this conversation is over. My apologies to Imperian Qiang for the wasted time."
Imperian Qiang closed his eyes and nodded because he knew how ridiculous it sounded too. They might be loyal, but they were not slaves. He would not force them, nor could he. He had done his part. Now, it was up to Ming to convince them. Meanwhile, the girl hesitated, stuck between a rock and a hard place. She knew it would be next to impossible to convince them without offering an explanation yet exposing too much risked leaking it to the Li Family or the Imperial Council. That would destroy all their hard work and effort they put in these past few months! No matter what, that was a risk she could not permit! Sadly though, these people's cooperation was essential to carry out said plans. She stumbled at the most important step. Just as they reached an impasse, someone unexpected spoke up. It was Xiuying!
"We should trust them, sister. They came all this way on our uncle's request. It'd be rude to ignore their concerns at this point. Let's explain everything from the start."
"…But the risks," Ming was unconvinced.
"With all due respect, Your Highness, but none of us would be willing to provide our support until we understand what we're getting ourselves into. Just as Your Highness talks about risks, we have our own considerations too," Lord Lu emphasized.
The girl sighed. "Very well… I apologize for my previous insensitivity and distrust. This is our agreement with the Alzar Kingdom…" She then explained their arrangement with Elizabeth.
After hearing everything, Lord Meng pointed out the obvious. "There's no guarantee the kingdom will uphold their end of the bargain. We could be damning millions of people for generations to come…" He inhaled sharply. "We could be committing the greatest crime imaginable!"
"We would be at the kingdom's mercy!" Lady Hao paled. "This won't end well for us. Please reconsider, Your Highness."
"Does Imperian Qiang support Her Highnesses?" Lord Lu asked.
"I do."
"Might I ask why? Pardon my saying so, but I hope this isn't a case of blind favoritism."
"It's not. The problem is that our hands are tied. The Imperial Council allied with the Featherwind Sect, and they threaten to upset the balance of powers in the world. The Li Family won't last long under their rule. As for the Li Family itself, it can't stand on this stage anymore. You must have heard about the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf or Liguang. There's also the Sword King fighting against the Featherwind Sect in Guanhuang recently… The Li Family can't contend against a power like that."
"The future is unknown, but the past is proof. We have been at war with the kingdom for over five centuries. We cannot ally with them. The risks are far too high. In my honest opinion, you are being tricked by the kingdom," Lord Meng refuted.
"Who did we make this arrangement with? Is it Queen Samanthie?" Lady Hao questioned.
"…Another person who survived the Battle of Liguang was Princess Elizabeth, the former heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom. Her Highness is our collaborator," Ming said. This made everyone thoroughly doubt their ears. They were working with their father's own murderer? That was the empire's sworn enemy! Everyone was equally stupefied and rendered speechless, wondering if the princesses had gone mad. The ten people exchanged another round of subtle, judgemental gazes.
"Your Highness, I have two final questions… How do we, as the Xingyuu Empire, stand to benefit from this? And most important, how do we, as the Li Family, stand to benefit? Assuming the Imperial Council wins this war and eliminates the Li Family, why should we believe the Alzar Kingdom won't do the same? As I've said before, history is proof of this. We've had over five centuries of conflict with them. Conversely, the Imperial Council might be our enemies temporarily, but we're still the Xingyuu Empire. I fail to believe that allying with the Alzar Kingdom would be more beneficial, or at the very least safer, than allying with the Imperial Council. Could Your Highness answer my concerns?" Lord Meng questioned with a calm and logical tone.