The atmosphere in the Grand Harmony Hall turned tense and strange. The ministers of Taicang stared at their young king in confusion. Just moments ago, he had been calmly soliciting their opinions, yet now he was berating them as if they had committed a grave mistake.
Instinctively, they turned their gazes toward Lu Yu, the Prime Minister and leader of the ministers, who was usually their rock in times of uncertainty. To their surprise, Lu Yu's face was just as dark, his eyes brimming with barely contained disappointment.
"Hmph!"
Lu Yu snorted coldly, his fury evident. "You, as the stewards of Taicang's affairs, cannot even see through such a blatant ploy? How could you disappoint both me and the king so thoroughly?"
The ministers exchanged bewildered looks, their faces shadowed with confusion.
Seeing their blank expressions, Ji Xia's anger flared. He shouted, "Think for once! The Gouquan people are warlike by nature—why would they suddenly propose peace with us? And even suggest a binding Covenant of Lu Fu?"
He continued, his voice full of righteous indignation. "For over a hundred years, Gouquan has sought to overrun our cities, slaughter our soldiers, and enslave our people as livestock! Now, at a time when our Cang Guard Army has been decimated, what reason could they possibly have to seek peace with us?"
A minister tentatively suggested, "Perhaps their lack of resources has driven them to desperation? They rely heavily on imported grain to sustain their livestock..."
Lu Yu shot the minister a sharp look. "Gouquan does not engage in agriculture, true, but they possess unique techniques to keep their livestock alive even during the dark days of solar stillness. Moreover, Gouquan's vast grasslands make their lives far more comfortable than ours in Taicang."
Bo Xian interjected, "Even if their grasslands were to wither overnight, they wouldn't starve. Instead, they would seize this rare opportunity to invade Taicang, plundering both grain and people. Enslaving over 600,000 of our citizens would sustain them for years to come."
The ministers began to grasp the reality of the situation. Indeed, Gouquan had never shown an interest in peace before. This unexpected overture was far too unusual to be taken at face value.
Ji Xia sneered, "I had intended to interrogate the envoy thoroughly, but the sight of your ignorance enraged me. I couldn't help myself and struck him down. How could you fail to see such an obvious trap? Are you truly that foolish, or are you simply too afraid of Gouquan?"
The young king stood before the throne, pointing an accusing finger at his ministers. "Does it make any sense for Gouquan to propose peace now? If their goal were merely to deceive us out of grain, that would be one thing. But to demand a Covenant of Lu Fu? Are their leaders so brainless as to corner themselves with such an agreement?"
Lu Yu sighed and added, "The envoy's arrogant demeanor and their absurd demand of ten million catties of grain were all a smokescreen. Their true aim was to secure the Covenant of Lu Fu."
Ji Xia glanced at the sky beyond the hall. "The negotiations between Gouquan and the Crocodile Horn Tribe must have failed."
A minister immediately pieced it together. "Gouquan fears being attacked on two fronts! They came to Taicang to lure us into signing the Covenant of Lu Fu, ensuring that we wouldn't exploit their war with the Crocodile Horns to launch an offensive!"
The hall erupted in realization.
Meanwhile, Ji Xia's closest advisors, Ji Qianqing and Bo Xian, had remained quiet, their attention fixed on the enraged young king.
"His Majesty's growth is astounding," Bo Xian remarked. "Though this scheme wasn't overly complex, he's under immense pressure and responsibility. Yet, he's seen through it all."
Ji Qianqing, her vibrant red hair tied neatly behind her head, wore a general's scarlet court attire embroidered with a mythical, multicolored bird. Her striking beauty was complemented by her martial bearing.
Nodding in agreement, she replied, "I too initially feared he had fallen into Gouquan's trap. I even planned to discreetly warn him later, to spare his dignity. But he had already seen through it from the start."
She paused, her voice softening. "If Master were still alive, he would be immensely proud of His Majesty. Though he often lamented His Majesty's unruliness in letters, perhaps that phase was simply his way of coping, knowing the former king would always shield him. Now that the burden has shifted to him, he has awakened to his duty."
Bo Xian sipped his wine, adding, "As the late king's bloodline, His Majesty was never dull. His talents were merely hidden, waiting for the right moment. With the former king gone, he has taken up Taicang's mantle."
Ji Qianqing adjusted a strand of hair behind her ear, her stern demeanor momentarily giving way to a rare touch of elegance.
The ministers, realizing their missteps, were deeply ashamed. Faces flushed red, some hid behind their sleeves, unable to meet Ji Xia's gaze. Agricultural scholar Gu Shu, in particular, bowed his head in mortification, sweat beading on his brow.
"General Ji, has the Spring Water of Tai Lai lost its efficacy?" Ji Xia turned his attention to Ji Qianqing, ignoring the humbled ministers.
"Your Majesty," Ji Qianqing responded, "while its effects have mostly faded, the soldiers still have residual benefits in their systems from prolonged use. Their training progress will remain steady for the foreseeable future."
"Good," Ji Xia commanded. "Instruct them to continue their rigorous training and be prepared to deploy at a moment's notice."
"As you command, Your Majesty!" Ji Qianqing bowed.
Ji Xia then turned to Jing Ye. "Relay my orders to the Cang Guard Army. Eliminate every member of the Gouquan envoy stationed outside the city and hang their corpses along the city walls. Post a proclamation for all citizens to see: the revenge for the six Taicang envoys has begun!"
Jing Ye bowed and departed to carry out the order.
The ministers immediately recalled the six envoys. Despite knowing their mission to Gouquan was certain death, these brave souls had volunteered one after another, offering themselves for the slim chance of securing Taicang's survival.
Even after their deaths, six hundred young men and women had knelt before the royal palace, offering themselves as slaves to Gouquan, in hopes of easing tensions. The sacrifices of those envoys, the strain it placed on the former king, and the immense toll Taicang had paid—all of it came flooding back to them.
But today was different.
With the winds of fate now favoring Taicang, the debt of blood owed to those six envoys had begun to be repaid. Their families could finally breathe easier, and the people of Taicang would see that their grievances could and would be avenged.
As for the old adage that envoys should not be harmed in wartime?
"Utter nonsense!"