Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 82

The carriage was already prepared. Song Chuyi boarded it holding the tally and the letter of credence, and Longgu Buwang and Zi Zhao got in after her.

Once the carriage started moving, Song Chuyi looked at the woman beside her who was quietly lowering her eyes, and after a long moment said, “Zi Zhao, do you understand? From the very beginning, you had no way out.”

Zi Zhao pressed her lips together and clutched tightly at the edge of her skirt. “I understand.”

It had nothing to do with Song Chuyi – with looks like hers, even if her family had not fallen, even if the family needed to use a marriage alliance to strengthen itself, she still could not escape the fate of serving others with her beauty. The way out that Song Chuyi had given her was, to her, the best way out in the entire world.

“I will never forget your great kindness and virtue for all eternity.” Zi Zhao turned her body slightly and prostrated herself before Song Chuyi.

“You have not been at my side long, but there is still some affection between us after all. I do not wish to say too many hypocritical words either. Even though the relationship between you and me is built on the foundation of mutual use, I hope you live well.” Song Chuyi’s words were sincere and heartfelt.

Zi Zhao raised her head, tears pouring down like rain.

Song Chuyi smiled gently and drew a handkerchief from her sleeve to hand to her.

Longgu Buwang stared wide-eyed. Was there really such different treatment between men and women? Also, this woman was about to belong to someone else in a moment – did he need to be this gentle?

The carriage stopped in front of the main palace hall.

On the high steps, a eunuch saw Song Chuyi alight and, stretching his shrill voice, called out loudly, “The envoy of Wey has arrived!”

Only Song Chuyi could enter the hall; everyone else was led by eunuchs to the side hall to wait. Zi Zhao, following Song Chuyi’s instructions, covered her face with a veil.

This meeting was of vital importance to Song Chuyi. She looked at the Qin palace amid the swirling heavy snow, took a slight breath of the cold air, and stepped forward to ascend.

“The envoy of Wey has arrived!”

At the hall door, another eunuch announced in a loud voice.

Song Chuyi removed her shoes outside the hall door, held her head high and chest out, and walked calmly into the hall.

Inside the great hall, the rulers and ministers of Qin had just finished deliberating on Shang Yang’s punishment and immediately afterward received the envoy of Wey. They had been holding an ordinary frame of mind, but at the very moment Song Chuyi stepped into the hall, they all widened their eyes in disbelief.

They all said that the land of Wey produced many outstanding talents, and though Wey was weak now, surely it would not stoop to using a young lad of fifteen or sixteen to make up the numbers? The palace was not particularly spacious, but it took black as its primary tone, exuding a solemn and domineering air everywhere. Song Chuyi stared at the man on the main seat and felt a moment of surprise.

Behind the main seat was a massive black metal relief, the head of a gigantic mythical beast fierce and terrifying, with bared fangs and brandished claws, as if it could swallow the heavens and spit out the earth. Before it sat quietly a man in a black robe, brows like hanging swords slanting into his temples, a pair of eyes as sharp and cold as blades, a high straight nose bridge, thin lips perpetually slightly pressed together – features carved as if by a knife and a clear, hard facial contour all gave this young sovereign a maturity beyond his years. Without moving, he naturally emanated an imposing aura of deterrence.

Song Chuyi was surprised, first, because she had never expected the Lord of Qin to be so extraordinarily handsome – not only was his face beyond reproach, but that slender neck and broad shoulders also showed he had a perfect physique; second, because she recognized at a glance that this was the “general” she had encountered on the road here.

So the reason the Lord of Qin had not received envoys these past few days was that he had personally gone to execute Shang Yang? Or was he handling other matters…

“I pay my respects to the Lord of Qin,” Song Chuyi said with a bow.

The cold-eyed man on the main seat gave her a faint glance. “Rise.”

Song Chuyi straightened and held up a metal tube in her hands. “This is the letter of credence from my lord to the Lord of Qin.”

A eunuch at the side came down with a bow, received the letter with both hands, and respectfully presented it before the Lord of Qin.

He slightly lifted his broad sleeve and reached out to take the letter. With one hand he easily pried open the sealed cap of the tube, took out the silk document inside, shook it open before him, and with his hawk-like eyes slightly lowered, swiftly scanned it through.

It had to be said – setting aside his identity as a sovereign, this man alone could make heroes bow and beauties admire him. He was still too young now; in a few more years, he would likely be even more extraordinary. Song Chuyi secretly swallowed and felt a pang of regret. His status destined that she could not lay a finger on him.

“Court dismissed.” After reading the letter, the Lord of Qin spat out only two words.

The assembled ministers looked at one another, but after only a moment they all straightened and cupped their hands, saying in unison, “We take our leave.”

A eunuch came down with a bow before Song Chuyi. “Honored envoy, please follow me.”

Song Chuyi was rendered speechless. She had long heard that the Lord of Qin, Ying Si, was vigorous and decisive in action, cold and sparing with words – and indeed, seeing him was better than hearing of him. As for his way of handling matters, it was not merely clean and efficient; it was so crisp that not even a drop of water could escape – and he treasured his words like gold. Song Chuyi clearly remembered that from the moment she entered until now, he had said only four words, without a single superfluous movement.

The eunuch led Song Chuyi to the rear hall and stood outside the door. “Honored envoy, please enter.”

Song Chuyi lifted her foot and stepped over the threshold. Her foot landed on the cold stone slabs, and she could not help but grimace, cursing inwardly: Damn it, Qin is not poor, yet they cannot even bear to lay down a carpet – are they not afraid of getting chronic leg problems from the cold?

The rear hall was less than half the size of the front hall. More than a dozen bronze oil lamps half a person’s height burned with a light that was not particularly bright. Song Chuyi surveyed the room from the corner of her eye. The interior decoration was grand and simple – so simple that there was not the slightest superfluous ornament.

“Please, sit,” Ying Si said.

Song Chuyi cupped her hands in salute and knelt down on the only mat.

The maids brought tea and refreshments, then all withdrew with bows, pulling the hall door shut behind them.

Ying Si lifted his teacup and took a calm sip, showing no intention whatsoever of speaking first.

Everything Song Chuyi knew about him came from hearsay, supplemented by her own analysis of how he handled matters – she could only guess at his general temperament. Facing him directly like this, with him so utterly unruffled, made him hard to read.

“I have come this time at my lord’s command to discuss with the Lord of Qin the matter of attacking Wei,” Song Chuyi said. Since he preferred things crisp and direct, she stopped beating around the bush and stated her purpose plainly.

Ying Si’s cold hawk-like eyes fixed quietly on Song Chuyi, utterly devoid of emotion, making one feel an immense oppressive force everywhere, impossible to evade. He seemed to be signaling her to continue.

Fine – if you won’t speak, I will. Song Chuyi continued, “I will not belabor the enmity between Qin and Wei. Wei has repeatedly bullied our state, small and weak as it is; this time it has even used shameless means to force the seizure of our territory, its conduct bordering on that of mountain bandits. My lord has already dispatched a special envoy to denounce it to the Son of Heaven; the whole world is enraged, and the states of Zhao and Han have already agreed to my lord’s request to punish Wei on heaven’s behalf.”

Song Chuyi glanced at his handsome face, cursed inwardly, and continued, “These are nothing but high-sounding pretexts. Wei is a piece of fat meat, and now everyone wants a share. We wish to invite the Lord of Qin to the table – do you have any interest?”

“Good,” Ying Si said.

Even though Song Chuyi could keep her joy and anger from showing on her face, at this moment a flicker of surprise still slipped uncontrollably into her eyes. This… this was agreeing far too quickly. She had thought the persuasion process would be extremely difficult and had prepared dozens of draft arguments – how could he not give her the slightest chance to perform?

“Your decisiveness – I admire it,” Song Chuyi said, flattering him from the bottom of her heart.

In an instant she had also figured out why Ying Si had agreed so readily. Now that Shang Yang was dead, the old clans of Qin would certainly lose no time in pressuring him to overturn the new laws. The benefits of the new laws were perfectly clear to him. Killing Shang Yang could both steady the old clans and remove the greatest stumbling block in his path – with such a golden opportunity, he must have hesitated not at all. Yet now that Shang Yang was dead, what he faced next was the pressure of the old clans. Though he now held sovereign power, the strength of the old clans absolutely could not be underestimated. He needed a buffer period of time to cut the old clans’ roots from behind and hold them firmly in the palm of his hand. Thus he needed an excuse to delay any discussion of overturning the new laws – and attacking Wei was the best excuse. No one in all of Qin, high or low, would possibly oppose it.

So no matter how credible Song Chuyi’s words were, no matter whether the other states would actually attack Wei, she had genuinely given Ying Si an excuse. Whether to fight was one matter; for now, let it be taken as her offering a strategy.

“Please, Lord of Qin, tell me the time,” Song Chuyi said.

At last a faint, subtle change appeared on Ying Si’s handsome face, which had until then shown no expression – because Song Chuyi had not discussed with him when to launch the war together, but instead asked him to give a time. This showed that Song Chuyi had seen through his intentions and was willing to assist.

This youth… interesting…

“The evening banquet is about to begin. Allow me one night to consider it; I will reply in the morning.” For the first time ever, Ying Si finally said many words in one breath.

Mother above, it really was not easy. Song Chuyi sighed inwardly.

“Your presence is striking. If you added but a trace of a smile, you would surely turn all living things upside down,” Song Chuyi said with a serious face, flattering him once more, then bowed and asked forgiveness. “I have been bold and reckless. Please forgive me.”

Ying Si rose and looked down at her from his height, coldly tossing out a sentence: “I do not live off my face.”

Song Chuyi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing – she had not expected that such a serious person could actually joke.

“The banquet is ready. Honored envoy, please follow me to the side hall to rest a while,” the maid said, bending her knees before Song Chuyi.

Song Chuyi glanced in the direction Ying Si had departed, the corners of her lips curving slightly, and rose to follow the maid to the side hall.

As soon as Song Chuyi returned, Longgu Buwang and the others could not help straightening up. Ji Yu could not resist asking, “Sir?”

“No need to worry.” Song Chuyi smiled brightly, then turned and took Zi Zhao’s hand. “Zhao, I must tell you – the Lord of Qin is truly most interesting. Though his interestingness is rather subtle, his looks and bearing – I fear few in the world today could match them.”

Seeing that Song Chuyi’s mood was no different from usual, Ji Yu relaxed somewhat.

Zi Zhao’s face flushed slightly, and she felt somewhat embarrassed. Her emotions were complicated; showing joy on her face was not right, and showing worry was even less so. She could only lower her head until it was buried against her chest, evading the topic.

Song Chuyi was in great spirits and said with a lecherous look, “Zhao, though your chest is indeed beautiful, there’s no need for you to be so enamored of it yourself, is there?”

Zi Zhao’s cheeks flushed instantly all the way to the roots of her ears. She turned her head slightly to one side, the picture of moving shame and indignation on the verge of tears.

Longgu Buwang truly could not stand it anymore. He set his teacup down on the table with a clack, suppressed his explosive temper, furrowed his brows, and said, “As a teacher and role model, please conduct yourself with some dignity.”

“Heh heh, Zhao, did you hear that? In the future, when you’re teased, that’s how you should speak righteously.” Song Chuyi stroked her chin, looked Longgu Buwang up and down several times, and clicked her tongue. “How many times must one be teased before one can blurt out such words full of righteous indignation?”