Lan failed to find his brothers and father at night. Father was busy with his wife, and two brothers had something to do outside their separate rooms.
"Second Prince, it is rare to find you here." Prime Minister Cao, an older man already on his eighteen. He served Kun for two generations. He stood at the curved way, clouded by a shadow.
It was customary for Lan to bow before a senior official like him. "Master Cao."
"Is there anything you want to do, young one?"
"Not really. I mean, I should tell them at the meeting tomorrow. Please, excuse me, Master." Lan again bowed, then snailed away from the pavilion.
"Is there anything to do with your meeting with Yan Liang, Prince?"
His legs stumbled, and he turned to Cao. How he possibly knew about that meeting? He never told anyone or let someone follow him. "What does Master mean by that?"
A rusted older man's laugh was heated, Cao. "Every wall has an ear and eye, dear Prince. You gave him a fan, and you asked something. May I know what you are asking from him?"
"It's just a small matter. Excuse me, Master. The night is already up. It would be better if we prepared for the next meeting."
"Just to make sure you are clear. I'm again helping Han. Please don't make it hard for an old man like me, dear Prince."
Lan didn't stop or slow his pace. Now he was realized, the crown already being factionated. The Prime Minister supported Lan's young brother and Grand General Muku with Bian.
What did Lan have now? No one supported him, not even a single minister, nor official, or even a lowly soldier. He had nothing in the capital. But it didn't shake him. He was sure what he did was for the benefit of Kun.
The morning ray lit the night.
Lan dashed to the throne room, expecting to catch his brothers and father before the other officials and generals came. But it seems he was the one who came late.
Eunuch announced his name on the throne. And everyone was already there.
"Now, everyone is already here. We should hear what Duke's decision is." Prime Minister Cao said, bowing to the Duke on the throne.
Lan dashed out to the center of the room and bowed deeply to the Prime Minister, Grand General, and at last, to Duke. "Please, allow me to speak my mind here. I had a proposal to benefit Kun from those two dukedom offers."
"Go ahead."
"Hmmph!" Kun Bian raised his voice. "We already decided yesterday. What, you want to claim it as your sole idea?"
Bian being Bian. Lan knew his brother's temperament too well. "Please, brother, let me finish my word."
Duke ordered, "Go on, my Son. Bian, let him speak."
"Both Han dan Ning gave a beneficial offer for our Kun. But it is unwise to waste our limited workforce. We should decline both of them."
"Sure, your idea is so original. No one thought about it thoroughly before!" Kun Quan speaks in a sarcastic tone, but the Prime Minister holds his sleeves tight.
Lan continued. "But instead of blatantly refusing both proposals, how about doing a counter-proposal?"
It miraculously took everyone's attention. No one dared to speak this time, and they were awaiting Lan to continue.
"We ask Han to give us five cities. If they refuse, we tell them we will send our troops to the Ning side. We also do the same with Ning and ask for the money and trade agreement they propose to use early. If they refuse, we will join an alliance with Han instead. But, in reality, we never send anything to them."
"Good proposal. What happens if both of them refuse?" asked Prime Minister Cao.
"It reminds me of how we bargain on the market. When we try to reduce the price of something and the seller doesn't want to lower the price of his goods, we have to show our determination. We pretend to go to another merchant. We place our troops on Dayang Hill and oversee the battlefield. Raise many flags and await their response. We pretend we didn't bluff. But once more, the Duke decides to accept it."
Everyone was astonished and started whispering to each other. It seems they watched Lan on a different level. Many of them bowed slightly to Lan and began to smile at him. Even one of the generals, Li Bi. A veteran of many wars gave Lan an approved look.
"We are Kun, famous for our chivalry. If we implement this plan, what will the whole world say about us?"
"Chivalry alone cannot bring our Kun advanced," said Lan, clearly to everyone's ears. "Please forgive me for being blunt. We are lagging for every dukedom. They didn't see our chivalry but saw us as a loaf. As a fool. A sidekick of the empire. How many times has bullying targeted us?"
Grand General Mulu bulwarked in. "Like the founding of our dukedom even said, Kun was born from chivalry. We defended the northern land of the Ahn Empire, and the Emperor bestowed a right to govern this land to our ancestors. Thanks to our chivalry, but when we forget who we were, what would we do when we met our ancestors on the other side?"
"Then was then, now is. Han, Ning, Sun, Bing, those four dukedoms are the nearest, and not a single one sends an emissary to our Duke on his birthday, not even a congratulatory note because we are nothing in their eyes. Enough about chivalry that comes later when we become strong."
"I'm with Prince Lan," Li Bi stood forward. "Empty drum makes a loud sound. That is our Kun. It is our chance to fill the empty drum with meaning."
Many ministers, officials, and generals stood forward and bowed. Even Prime Minister Cao dan, surprisingly, Kun Quan. With this Grand General, Muku and Bian had nothing to say.
At the high of the day, Duke Kuan appointed Li Bi as general to oversee 3000 troops to stand firm and make a camp at Dayang Hill.
"At your service, my Duke!" Li Bi and many generals bowed down.
"Lan, Bian, and Quan accompanied general Li Bi and ensured everything was on track."
"At once!" said those three.
Duke Kuan was pleased. "Alright then, it has been decided. Call the Han envoy first."
At the end of the meeting, Bian stormed out, ditching Quan and Lan, mumbling, "I'm still crown prince, you bitches ...."
But everyone could see how red-glowed Muku was after the meeting. Everyone knew too well his temperament was in the same class as Bian's.
****