Chapter 17: How Urgent Is The Border Situation?
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“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!”
“General Qing Lin, please return. His Majesty is not in the palace.”
“General Xiao, please quickly inform His Majesty. It’s a trap, it’s a trap set by the Yunshuang Kingdom!”
“Please calm down. His Majesty is currently in the Peace Pavilion. Please do not disturb the tranquility of the palace.”
“No, we can’t wait any longer. If we mobilize troops to the south, we’ll fall into the trap of the Yunshuang Kingdom.”
The people outside were very agitated, and even though Xiao Zhipei told them that the King was not inside, they continued to mutter incomprehensible words.
Liu Yu Zhen emerged holding the rabbit, separated from the main hall by three layers of golden silk. He stood behind the silk and called out, “Xiao Pei, what’s going on?”
General Qing Lin paused, surprised. It should have been His Majesty standing behind the curtains, so who dared to appear in the King’s chambers?
“This is none of your concern. Go back.”
“Let me hear it, maybe I have an idea. That scoundrel King Yan is probably lost in his own world of indulgence. He wouldn’t bother with this matter.”
General Qing Lin seemed to recognize the voice, roaring, “Could it be Prime Minister Liu inside?!”
Damn it! Even with three layers of silk, he considered General Qing Lin a lump of something – no distinction between humans and animals. The fact that this person could recognize his identity just by the voice meant they were familiar. He wished he hadn’t come out to invite trouble.
Xiao Zipei acted swiftly, drawing his longsword threateningly. “This matter is not to be spoken of.”
“The fact that Prime Minister Liu has been invited into Yan Kingdom is well-known. What’s not clear is why he’s stuck in the King’s chambers…” General Qing Lin finally regained some composure, seated in the inner hall. When he looked up and saw Liu Yu Zhen’s appearance, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. “You’re Prime Minister Liu?”
“Oh, yeah.” Liu Yu Zhen set the rabbit down and took a seat across from him. “So, what’s the matter?”
Everyone knew Prime Minister Liu was exceptionally handsome, truly unparalleled. Seeing him in person confirmed this. However, it was widely known that Prime Minister Liu never meddled in Yan Kingdom’s affairs. Even if he was willing to help, Yan Kingdom would still have reservations. Therefore, General Qing Lin felt quite embarrassed. He had been brought in to see the “secret” of the King’s chambers, but now that Prime Minister Liu was speaking about handling political matters, it might not be such a good thing after all.
Seeing General Qing Lin hesitating to speak, Liu Yu Zhen could probably guess his intentions. He poured himself a drink and took a sip. “If you find it difficult to speak here, wouldn’t it be better to calm down and go to the Peace Pavilion to see King Yan? I’ve been imprisoned here, and King Yan hasn’t visited.”
“I see!” General Qing Lin, though appearing rough and simple, was in his thirties and mature enough to realize that time was of the essence. As his emotions stabilized, he suddenly sensed a military aura emanating from Liu Yu Zhen.
He had heard that Prime Minister Liu was a refined scholar, elegant and noble, but he had never heard of Liu Yu Zhen possessing a military demeanor!
However, it was unusual for the Prime Minister to adopt such a commanding posture. Liu Yu Zhen set down his teacup, spread his legs apart, crossed his arms under his chin, elbows resting on the chair’s armrests, his eyes shining. This was his usual pose when he focused during small meetings, and for larger ones, he would appear more formal.
“Cough, um,” Xiao Zipeicleared his throat, signaling to speak.
During this time, he treated Liu Yu Zhen as a different person. Although Liu Yu Zhen denied it, he still provided detailed explanations about Prime Minister Liu’s character, the palace’s etiquette, and the state affairs, filling in the gaps in Liu Yu Zhen’s mind.
“I wonder if the Prime Minister has heard that recently, Yunshuang Kingdom trespassed our borders. We captured a Yunshuang spy, leading us to believe that Yunshuang was conspiring with Zhao Country to encircle Great Yan. Consequently, King Yan mobilized troops from the west to move south. After finally securing financial support, it turns out that the orders were false! We only learned through interrogating the prisoner that it was a ploy by Yunshuang Kingdom.”
After listening, Liu Yu Zhen felt somewhat pleased. The man didn’t seem as stubborn as he appeared, at least he was willing to listen to him speak, which meant he probably wouldn’t reveal his situation. With Yunshuang to the northwest and Zhao to the south, and with the lack of military control in the east and political instability, it was impossible to deploy eastern troops. Therefore, they chose to address the immediate threat, hence reallocating troops from the west to the south.
“If we attack the southern Zhao Country, we’ll be playing right into Yunshuang’s hands! Not only will Zhao be at war with us, but the northern Qin Kingdom is also renowned for its military prowess. But now that the troops have been deployed, Zhao Kingdom already knows about our military movements!” General Qing Lin was evidently prone to getting worked up, becoming increasingly agitated as he spoke.
Upon hearing him out, Liu Yu Zhen responded, “General, do you know that this southern campaign doesn’t necessarily have to lead to war? It could also be an opportunity for reconciliation. I’ve heard that since the new king ascended the throne in Great Yan and stabilized the political situation, there’s been a chance for diplomacy. Surely, the people of this country aren’t so bellicose as to engage in constant warfare when their political stability is still fragile? I doubt King Yan would act in such a manner.”
“Ah!” General Qing Lin suddenly stood up, his face filled with a look of enlightenment. “Prime Minister Liu is truly brilliant! King Yan had indeed intended to reconcile with the Zhao Kingdom as soon as possible. It’s just that I, as a humble servant, fell into the trap of treacherous individuals, almost causing our nation to fall into peril.”
“You should dispatch a small group to the north immediately to spread the word that reconciliation has been achieved in the south. Otherwise, if we wait for the Zhao Kingdom’s response, it will be too late. the Qin Kingdom will surely take advantage of the situation. At the same time, you can also send troops disguised as Qin soldiers to invade the territory of Yunshuang from the north. This will make them believe they are being invaded by the Qin Kingdom from the south, prompting them to counterattack.”
General Qing Lin’s mouth slowly formed an “O” shape, quite amusingly. He vigorously patted his own head, as if afraid he might forget what had just been said. Liu Yu Zhen was genuinely worried that he might slap away the words he had just spoken, so he quickly added, “You should still consult with King Yan about this.”
“I won’t go, it’s too late! Oh no, King Yan will definitely agree to this idea! It’s foolproof, absolutely foolproof!!” With that, he was about to rush out, but was stopped by Xiao Zipei.
Liu Yu Zhen reminded him again, “Please don’t mention my presence in King Yan’s palace to anyone.”
“Of course! Of course not! You are the secret weapon of King Yan! You are the treasure of our Great Yan in the struggle for hegemony!” Liu Yu Zhen was speechless. Was it really that serious? He thought it was just a minor matter. However, the idea that Yan Kingdom would want to dominate the world was indeed an eternal topic from ancient times to the present.
After General Qing Lin left, Liu Yu Zhen suddenly felt his hands empty. Oh no! Where did the bunny that Yue Lan gave him go?
“Xiao Pei, have you seen my goddess? It’s a big, white one…” Liu Yu Zhen gestured anxiously. This bunny was a relic from the late Prime Minister Liu, but that wasn’t the point. The point was if Yue Lan found out he lost the bunny, would she suspect his identity or think him cruel? “Quick, help me find it! Move!”
Liu Yu Zhen searched frantically, but there was no sign of the bunny anywhere. Just as he was about to leave the palace, he suddenly heard voices outside the palace gate.
“Mingge, even if you stand at the palace gate, it’s meaningless. The King is in the Peace Pavilion.”
“I just like looking at this place. It looks a lot like the palaces in the Luo Yue Kingdom, doesn’t it? One day, I will leave this wretched palace of King Yan and return to my own country.”
Liu Yu Zhen hid behind the wall, knowing that this consort wouldn’t come in, which eased his mind. It was obvious that the King favored Young Master Ning Xiang, leaving this consort feeling irresistibly neglected. How could there be such a king with such a distorted sexual orientation?
Just now, sneaking a glance, that consort was truly exquisite, like a celestial being descended to earth. I really don’t understand why King Yan would be so interested in Young Master Ning Xiang’s effeminate demeanor.
Heh heh! Lately, with all this practice, I’m feeling a bit restless. Why not go and give that consort a hand, teach someone a lesson?
Huge shoutout to @denkoumaru on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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