Qi Shan is about to draft one.

Hearing Shen Tang's words, he looked up and asked with his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me, Yuanliang? Haven't you made yourself clear enough?"

"That's quite clear, but shouldn't Your Majesty embellish it a bit?"

Sending wreaths to a funeral isn't a big problem. Even if the two countries are at war, sending an envoy to a funeral is still a matter of courtesy and etiquette. Wu Xian, no matter how crazy, wouldn't kill someone. But it's blatantly saying that they attacked the Northern Desert and then attacked Wu Xian—wouldn't that infuriate him?

If Wu Xian gets so angry he dies, it'll save us a lot of trouble.

But the lord's reputation in history books is a different story.

Shen Tang glanced at the court attendant who was scribbling in the corner, and her lips twitched slightly: "What are you polishing? Just give me the original words."

I wonder how those previous rulers could tolerate the imperial scribe.

On second thought, she understood.

The official recorder was more stubborn and unyielding than a rock in a latrine; if he didn't allow the other party to record things truthfully, they would willingly stick out their necks and wait to die. Of course, it was also possible to privately revise historical records and write unofficial histories. Official history wasn't necessarily serious, but unofficial history was always wild and unrestrained.

Qi Shan replied, "Yes."

Shen Tang's smile carried a hint of malice.

She was somewhat looking forward to Wu Xian's contorted face.

"Hopefully we can make it in time."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there should be enough time.

Nowadays, customs haven't changed, and burial is still common in almost every place. The body is kept in state for at least seven days before burial, and wealthy families keep it in state for two or three sevens, which is fourteen or twenty-one days.

If scholars and warriors could be found to help preserve the body and slow down the decomposition process, the body could remain in state for a longer period. This was true for ordinary people, and even more so for royalty and nobility. Some bodies even had to wait for the completion of a luxurious mausoleum or for their spouse to die peacefully and be buried together.

The body may remain in state for several years or even more than a decade.

I heard the longest record is thirty-seven years.

Wu Xian had just lost his wife and two sons, so the funeral arrangements naturally had to be extravagant. Lady Mi was quite puzzled by this. The day Wu Xian rushed to the mourning hall with a knife, although he didn't do anything drastic and was eventually persuaded to stop, she still harbored resentment and didn't appear in public for several days afterward. Having served Wu Xian for so many years, she could tell that he was completely enraged.

His affection for the mother and her two children was shattered after the complete falling out between the Gao and Kang kingdoms. Even if a sliver of affection remained, the remaining seven parts were undoubtedly resentment. Given this, why did he still order such elaborate arrangements for their funerals?

Is Wu Xian really that magnanimous?

"Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger..."

Organizing a funeral, especially one for the late Queen and the two Queens' sons, is incredibly demanding. Furthermore, Lady Mi was the most powerful concubine in the inner palace, and many eyes were watching her every move.

These days, she walks on thin ice, trembling with fear.

His performance during the day was impeccable.

He was exhausted as soon as he returned to his palace.

"My dear sister is clever; have you noticed anything?"

The sisters, separated for many years, were finally reunited. Wu Xian specially granted Lady Mi's younger sister permission to stay in the side palace to accompany her, and did not restrict her from entering or leaving the palace. This honor was unique to him.

My younger sister took a sip of tea.

"The country is in great mourning, and there is war abroad."

The extravagant funeral arrangements for the three queens were not because Wu Xian was particularly sentimental or nostalgic—though outsiders certainly praised him for his magnanimity, his love for his wife and children, and his compassionate fatherly heart. He even forgave his son's plot to murder his father. Who could say that Wu Xian didn't love his wife and son? The real reason he disregarded past grievances and arranged a magnificent funeral for the three was because of the war.

Lady Mi, having lived in the deep palace for a long time, did not quite understand the connection between the two: "This... I don't understand. Isn't it because of the war outside that we need to tighten our belts, reduce expenses, and use the saved money and grain to support the soldiers? Why waste it on funerals?"

In the past, when Wu Xian was fighting in the war, the Queen would do this.

Led by the Queen, the women were encouraged to live frugally, keeping their food, clothing, and shelter simple. The saved cloth, money, and grain were to be used to support the wives, children, and elderly mothers of fallen soldiers, or to purchase supplies to send to the front lines to comfort the soldiers. It was nothing more than a token of their goodwill.

Lady Mi disliked extravagance, yet she always responded enthusiastically.

Before Wu Xian ascended the throne, Lady Mi had always assisted the Queen, following her around every day and learning a great deal about housekeeping and cooking skills through observation and experience. Otherwise, even if Wu Xian had entrusted her with the power of the Empress after establishing the country, she would not have been able to manage it well.

What my sister said was different from what I had previously thought.

The younger sister patiently explained, "Sister, don't overcomplicate the war between the two countries. Just think of it as a conflict between two families. The Wu family has lost their wife and son and is holding a funeral, with everyone in mourning. The Shen family next door comes up and wants to smash up the mourning hall. Is that something they can just do?"

In the past, there was an unwritten rule that one could not raise an army during a major funeral.

The rules aren't as strict now, but the principle remains the same.

The family whose funeral hall was vandalized will not be discouraged; instead, they will hate the intruders and unleash a powerful force to drive out and kill the shameless scoundrels who vandalized the funeral hall!

Wu Xian wasn't after fame, he was after prestige!

Compared to the grandeur of the event, the money spent on a funeral is negligible.

Lady Mi nodded thoughtfully.

I never knew there was such a trick to it.

"But—" Lady Mi carefully observed her surroundings, making sure no one was listening, before whispering, "When two countries go to war, aren't we in the wrong? Would this situation still work?"

It seems that Gao attacked the border of Heyin County first, and then killed the envoy who was holding them accountable the next day. Regardless of whether Gao was in mourning or not, it is justifiable for them to come and smash the mourning hall.

The younger sister smiled and asked, "Do the common people know the truth?"

Lady Mi shook her head: "They probably don't know."

Most ordinary people are so busy making a living that they have no time or means to learn about these things.

“Yes, the common people don’t know. Since they don’t know, then what the truth is, isn’t it up to the court to say?” The younger sister smiled mockingly. “The common people don’t know why the two countries suddenly became enemies, but they do know that at the critical moment when the Queen Mother passed away and the whole country was in mourning, the neighboring country disregarded time and feelings and launched an invasion. Anyone with a shred of blood left would not have allowed Kang’s evil deeds to succeed.”

Thus, Wu Xian achieved his goal.

At the same time, he also took a jab at Shen Tang from the neighboring country.

What kind of good person would launch an invasion under the pretext of a neighboring country's national mourning? From beginning to end, Wu Xian was nothing more than a pitiful middle-aged man who had lost his wife and children. One wave subsided only for another to rise; before he could recover from his grief, he was betrayed by his closest relative, Shen Tang!

Folklore suggests that Shen Tang and Wu Xiantang were deeply in love.

We are born as brothers and sisters, why must we be blood relatives?

Now he's been betrayed; who wouldn't feel sorry for him after hearing about this?

Lady Mi opened her mouth, unable to process what she was saying for a long time. Her expression clearly conveyed the words, "How could they distort the truth like this?" Then, belatedly realizing she was Wu Xian's woman, she looked embarrassed and said, "After all, it's fake. Aren't you afraid of being exposed?"

What is fake can never become real, and what is real can never become fake.

"People's perceptions are not so easily changed."

Just like the prejudice against women in this world, it's deeply ingrained and not so easy to correct. Especially among ordinary people, once this group has preconceived that Wu Xian is the victim, getting them to admit that Shen Tang is the victim and Wu Xian is the perpetrator, or even a hypocritical one, is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Lady Mi pondered these words with a complex expression.

With her in charge, Wu Xian can simply wash his hands of the business.

They only show up when necessary, putting on a full performance.

His intentions were just as his sister had guessed.

Lady Mi's expression remained unchanged, but a chill suddenly ran through her heart.

Lying in the coffin are his first wife and two sons. The former had accompanied him through the most agonizing years. They had been husband and wife since childhood, for more than twenty years. In the end, even his funeral arrangements became a bargaining chip for his political show. How could he have been truly sincere? How tragic.

Lady Mi's sorrow deepened.

But during special times, one can only force oneself to be alert and cope.

Two days later, an envoy from Kangguo came to attend the funeral.

When Lady Mi heard the news, her hand trembled.

He asked again and again, "Who did you say came?"

Is coming at this critical juncture just adding fuel to the fire?

The palace maid said, "An envoy from Kang Kingdom."

The women of noble birth, who were keeping vigil in shifts inside the mourning hall, looked at each other in bewilderment.

They mistakenly believed they were hallucinating.

In fact, the envoy from Kang Kingdom arrived in the capital of Gao Kingdom the day before yesterday, but was refused an audience with Wu Xian and was left waiting for a day or two before being allowed to come and offer condolences today. Lady Mi rushed over, and a group of noblewomen were arranged to go to the side hall, while the main hall was filled with court officials.

Wu Xian looked even more haggard than he had a few days ago.

"What brings the messenger here?"

The messenger was respectful and courteous: "To offer condolences."

Lady Mi carefully examined the envoy's appearance.

The envoy was dressed simply and appropriately, and his appearance was strikingly beautiful and captivating. However, when he nodded and smiled at Wu Xian, a sinister and treacherous air inexplicably emanated from him. Accompanying the envoy was a young scholar with a frail face and bluish eyes.

"Mourning? Is it a genuine mourning or is there another motive?" Before Wu Xian could speak, a court official stepped forward to mock him.

Messenger: "Of course it's true."

Wu Xian replied coldly and perfunctorily, "Your Majesty is very kind."

Relations between the two countries were tense, but out of respect for the deceased, the scene at the funeral hall was kept quiet. Therefore, the court officials did not cause much trouble, only staring intently as the two men offered three sticks of incense to the queen and her two companions. The envoy then bowed to the three coffins, and overheard someone humming below, "A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken..."

Who knows what An's intentions are?

As it turned out, the messenger did not have good intentions.

After offering incense, the messenger took out a letter and gave it to Wu Xian.

You can tell who wrote it without even looking at the signature.

Wu Xian knew that Shen Tang couldn't say anything nice, but he was still so angry when he opened the letter that he almost had a heart attack. He snorted and tore the letter to shreds, his fierce gaze sweeping over the two messengers: "You two are quite bold!"

We just beheaded an envoy.

Aren't they afraid of losing their heads too?

The envoy smiled calmly: "The King of Wu would not do that."

Wu Xian sneered three times, his killing intent fully revealed: "Does the envoy know what's written in this letter? Such outrageous and insane words are a great disgrace to me. Even if I kill you two here today, the history books will not have anything to say about it!"

Despite his pampered life and infrequent use of force over the years, as the ruler of the country, his aura was no weaker than ever. The entire mourning hall was shrouded in a terrifying pressure, yet the messenger remained unmoved and composed: "Does the King of Wu truly intend to splatter blood in the mourning hall?"

Wu Xian countered, "Why not?"

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but I wonder if the King of Wu recognizes this?” The envoy calmly and collectedly pulled out a jet-black token from his sleeve, with a strange yellow mark in the center. The moment this object appeared, Wu Xian’s aura abruptly froze.

"It seems that the King of Wu recognizes it." The envoy Liao smiled as he put the item away. Although he disliked the Gods' Assembly, he had to admit that it was really enjoyable to borrow the power of the powerful. "It's good that he recognizes it. If he doesn't, I, Liao, will have died here in vain today."

Wu Xian squinted slightly.

He was also puzzled as to why the messenger who came to attend the funeral was so important, since even the rare beauty had sent such a large number of people. It turned out that they were confident in their abilities.

Killing one of the few beauties is no big deal.

But after a person dies, there are also many troubles.

The trouble wasn't just because of Shen Youli; compared to that, the mysterious and vastly complex network of the Gods was what he feared most. The only thing that reassured him was whether the Gods would personally build their own power; they preferred to act as intermediaries.

However, if a key member of the Pantheon is killed, that's a different story.

Wu Xian did not want to take any risks.

He said, "I trouble you, messenger, to take a message back with you."

Liao Jia listened attentively: "Please speak, King of Wu."

"If she wants war, then let it be war!" Wu Xian's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, his imposing aura so intense that no one dared to look him in the eye. "I await her!"

His words were full of heroic spirit.

Liao Jia wanted to applaud Wu Xian in his heart.

Learn from this; this is a textbook example of turning the tables!

"I will convey Wu Guoguo's words verbatim to you." His smile widened, his once handsome face now replaced by an unconcealable air of treachery, as if he were about to pull out a dagger and assassinate someone at any moment. "And please, Wu Guoguo, do not regret this."

Gao Guochao's ministers felt an itch to punch Liao Jia when they saw his smile.

Why would someone like Shen Youli come here specifically to disgust people?

Standing in the mourning hall, he looked like he had ill intentions.

The taunting effect is off the charts.

After Liao Jia and his companion took their leave, some court officials became restless.

"My lord, why not kill them both? One is Liao Shaomei, and the other is Gu Wangchao. Both are pillars of Kangguo. If their heads can be taken down and displayed as a warning, Kangguo's morale will surely decline!" Since we've already torn off all pretense, what's there to hold back? Kill as many as you can!

Some people in the court also recognized the design on the token.

They all remained silent.

Wu Xian countered, "Are you sure they can be killed?"

Knowing it's a dangerous place, wouldn't these two renowned scholars have a backup plan? If they were to actually attack them, the news would immediately spread throughout Kang Kingdom, which would be detrimental to both Wu Xian and Gao Kingdom. Most importantly, Wu Xian doesn't want to clashed with the Gods' Guild.

He could kill ordinary commune members without consequence, but it wasn't like he hadn't killed before.

But if you mess with their high-ranking members, will the Gods Society let it go?

Wu Xian: "There's no need to say more about this matter."

How deep is Shen Youli's relationship with the Gods Society?

Could it be that her smooth sailing over the years was also orchestrated by the Gods? Or has the Gods finally grown tired of being just a middleman and want to cultivate Shen Tang as a puppet to extend their reach into the mortal world?

Liao Jia and his companion swaggered away from the Gao Kingdom's court.

Liao Jia: "Have you found anything?"

Qi Shan wanted to find the members of the Southwest Branch infiltrated in Gao Kingdom. Knowing the enemy and oneself was crucial, which is why Liao Jia made this trip. That scoundrel is truly despicable! The head of the Northwest Branch, when he needs to order people around, he uses his colleagues as scapegoats, and the King even indulges him. Humph, what a corrupt official!

Gu Chi nodded and said, "Yes, it's an unexpected surprise."

His approach to scholarship works every time, except for a very few who are immune to it, and this time is no exception; he has made some progress.

ヾ(ゞ)

I was planning to start writing earlier today and add an extra chapter, but all the author and reader groups are frantically forwarding that screenshot. I've been going around eating gossip about the cheating scandal all day, but I still don't understand it. I always feel like there's a barrier between the circle I'm in and others.

Or perhaps they have a dedicated gossip group.

Why are other people always so quick to get the scoop on the gossip?