Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 28

The entire hall fell silent. This was already asking for a great deal – what more could they demand? More importantly, what else could Wey even offer?

“Him.” Tao Ding looked at Min Chi and said, “Have the envoy send word to the Marquis of Wey that our State of Song wants Song Huaijin.”

“Uh…” Song Chuyi raised her hand to her brow. A message could indeed be sent, and she was not afraid of being exposed – after all, it was to help Wey, not to harm them. But there was really no need for it; she could make the decision herself and agree. Yet staying in Song was not what she desired either. This body was that of a citizen of Song, and judging by the wedding dress, its owner was no lowly person. If she were recognized, it would cause some trouble.

Moreover, among the various states, Song placed the greatest emphasis on rites and law. If they discovered she was a woman, they would certainly not tolerate it. It was by no means suitable for her to remain long.

Lord Ti Cheng of Song greatly admired that Song Chuyi possessed such insight at such a young age. “What? Why aren’t you speaking – is it that you are unwilling to come to Song?”

The meaning of his words was that he agreed with Tao Ding’s proposal: as long as the Marquis of Wey was willing to give up Song Chuyi, Song would agree to make peace.

Song Chuyi had always stayed in the small city of Yangcheng in the past. This time, however, she discovered that she actually had a promising future. “To be frank, although I serve the Marquis of Wey in counsel, I have never held an official post in Wey. I come and go freely. It is only that there is one thing I must say – if I do, Your Lordship will certainly punish me.” Song Chuyi said with clasped hands.

When Lord Ti Cheng of Song heard that she had not held office in Wey, he was greatly pleased and said, “You may speak. I will not blame you.”

Having obtained Lord Ti Cheng of Song’s assurance, Song Chuyi only then carefully chose her words and asked, “Has Your Lordship ever considered why men like Shang Yang were unwilling to pursue their careers in their home state?”

These words seemed to strike a sore spot for everyone. No one in the hall spoke, yet the atmosphere grew heavy.

Lord Ti Cheng of Song, however, did not mind. After all, it was not under his rule that Song had declined from one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period to its current state. He had seized the throne of Song by usurpation, and aside from seeking pleasure, he also wanted to demonstrate that he was wiser than the previous ruler. So he said, “Our State of Song cannot match Qi, Chu, Han, Zhao, Qin, Wei, or Yan in strength. Those of great ability have great aspirations; Song naturally cannot hold them.”

“Not so.” Song Chuyi looked around, and all eyes concentrated on her. “Before Duke Mu of Qin, Qin had already endured four generations of chaotic rule. By the time of Duke Mu of Qin, it was again engaged in years of war with Wei, surviving only by sustaining war through war. By the time of Duke Xiao of Qin, all that remained was a broken and devastated land. How much stronger was it than Song? Yet Shang Yang unwaveringly took root in Qin, because Qin had the resolve to change and the courage to accept new laws.”

Song Chuyi’s words were impassioned and vehement. Having said her piece, she moderated her tone and said, “One who can aid Song must possess the talent for reform like Shang Yang. I do not have such ability. If I remain in Song, I fear I will accomplish nothing in the future and disappoint Your Lordship.”

“Qin is nothing but a barbarian tribe. Our Song has been known throughout the land for its laws since the Spring and Autumn period,” someone snorted discontentedly.

Song Chuyi smiled and offered no judgment. The speaker was certainly from Song’s old aristocratic clans. They knew perfectly well how much Shang Yang’s reforms had harmed the interests of Qin’s old clans – how could they be willing to let the likes of Shang Yang come and harm their interests?

“The methods of strengthening a state are twofold: military reform and political reform. Which of today’s powerful states has not undergone both? Now that the general situation under heaven has begun to take shape, the era of military reform has passed. To strengthen national power, political reform is the only viable path.” In truth, Song Chuyi had never intended for Lord Ti Cheng of Song to truly agree to reform. Since the time of Duke Xiang of Song, Song had been permeated with a pedantic atmosphere, and the thinking of the old aristocratic clans was extremely stubborn.

Just as the meaning behind that person’s earlier words suggested, the common people of Song had been educated and molded, unlike the common people of Qin who could more easily accept new laws.

“Your Lordship, this man does not answer the question. He only knows how to show off his learning – he is certainly unfit for great use.” Finally, someone could not hold back and jumped out to speak.

Song Chuyi stood with hands clasped behind her back. Upon hearing this, her eyebrow arched almost imperceptibly.

Min Chi, however, saw it clearly. Sudden understanding dawned in his heart: her words about reform had never been meant to truly persuade Lord Ti Cheng of Song to enact reforms, but rather to provoke a sense of crisis among the old aristocratic clans. Even though she said she lacked the talent for reform, that did not mean she would not advise Lord Ti Cheng of Song to carry out reforms.

The old clans feared that if she stayed, she would continue to incite reform and harm their interests, so they would certainly prevent her from remaining in Song.

Although quite a few people had their suspicions, every word she had spoken was true. If Song wished to become strong, reform truly was the only path. Had Min Chi not been only a step away from her and seen that subtle movement, he would never have known whether she was sincere or feigning.

Min Chi had not expected that on his first mission to another state, he would encounter such a formidable character.

Once the opposing words were spoken, many quickly echoed them.

Tao Ding sighed softly. He, too, came from an old aristocratic clan. Even though he did not oppose reform, if he truly supported it openly, his clan would certainly expel him. Having been steeped in Confucian learning since childhood, he held strong clan loyalties. He did not possess that kind of courage.

Lord Ti Cheng of Song also had a headache. He greatly desired reform to strengthen the state, but he too came from an old aristocratic clan – even his own clan would not support him.

“What is your specialty?” Lord Ti Cheng of Song could only start from another angle, seeking sufficient reason to keep Song Chuyi.

Song Chuyi thought briefly, then answered, “War.”

The hall fell silent again. Lord Ti Cheng of Song was astonished. He had thought Song Chuyi would say “diplomacy.” Diplomacy – that is, interstate relations.

Song Chuyi clasped her hands and said, “I am untalented, but what I excel at most is strategic warfare.”

Taken literally, she excelled at winning wars through strategy.

Song did not urgently need this kind of talent, because Song produced many scholars. Once Song was attacked, scholars would travel among the various states, either persuading the attacking army to withdraw or persuading other states to send troops to assist. Generally, wars would not break out. Therefore, even though Song’s military was weak, it did not absolutely require talents skilled in military strategy.

But the Military School said: The highest excellence in warfare is to attack by strategy. The highest realm of using troops is to use strategy to defeat the enemy.

The “strategic warfare” Song Chuyi spoke of came from an event during the Spring and Autumn period. “Duke Ping of Jin wished to attack Qi,” and so sent the senior officer Fan Zhao to observe whether Qi could be attacked. In the end, the Grand Tutor of Qi and Yanzi easily defused the situation, averting a war.

Therefore, strategic warfare could also mean subduing the enemy without fighting.

Many people could think of this, but because of what Song Chuyi had said earlier about reform, everyone was very hesitant. Yet after weighing the matter repeatedly, Song’s old aristocratic clans still chose to be conservative. After all, Song was not in great danger for the time being, and they could certainly find a talented person who did not advocate reform.

” You two go to the post station and rest for a night. Allow Us to carefully consider the matter.” Lord Ti Cheng of Song could only say this for the time being.

If these thirty thousand troops remained stationed here any longer, there would not be much of Wei’s territory left. Although Min Chi was anxious, he also knew he could not say more. So he and Song Chuyi withdrew from the hall.

As the two were about to board their respective carriages, Min Chi paused and questioned, “Since you serve Wey in counsel, how can you, for personal gain, delay Wey’s affairs?”

Had it not been for this matter with Song Chuyi, he was confident that Lord Ti Cheng of Song would have agreed on the spot to make peace. If Song Chuyi had agreed to remain in Song, the matter would also have been settled. Yet she had to pull this stunt – how was staying in Song inferior to staying in Wey?

“Ah.” Song Chuyi paused, looked up, and patted her smooth forehead, as if remembering something. “I recall… I only promised certain people to rescue thirty thousand soldiers. I did not promise anything else.”

Having said that, Song Chuyi grinned at him, and with not the slightest sincerity said, “For delaying your prospects, I am truly filled with guilt.”