Unclear intentions

Marquis Dingyuan clearly stated Emperor Feng's will in the most elegant tone, and the hall of Qi State suddenly fell silent.

All the ministers in the hall held their breath, waiting for Emperor Hong's reaction. Everyone already knew the intention of the Qing Kingdom's envoy, but no one expected him to say it so openly and in such a casual, elegant and calm manner.

After Marquis Dingyuan finished these seemingly trivial remarks, he quietly gazed at Emperor Hong. His demeanor was composed, a smile tucked into the corners of his eyes, but his expression held no trace of provocation. He seemed to be recounting a story that had nothing to do with him, one he hadn't yet grasped, and the significance it posed for his own country and the one he was currently in. This made Emperor Hong, also fixed on him, even more perplexed, unable to discern the significance of his words. Upon reflection, he simply interpreted them as contempt.

Emperor Hong then curled the corners of his lips into a faint smile, then straightened his body and leaned back into the dragon throne. He sighed softly, raised a hand leisurely, scratched his forehead with his index finger, and squinted his eyes lazily, saying, "I thought it was a big deal, but it turned out to be just like this."

The ministers turned to look at Marquis Dingyuan, who also chuckled and lowered his head. He raised his hands and looked up at Emperor Hong with a smile. "What do you think, Your Majesty? Will you choose the former or..." Before he could finish his words, Emperor Hong interrupted him, "Neither! Don't even think about it!"

All the ministers turned their heads to look at Emperor Hong again. His slightly narrowed eyes suddenly opened, and he was staring at Marquis Dingyuan with a stern look.

General Wang's rage, already ignited by Marquis Dingyuan, finally erupted. Like thunder in the hall, he roared, "How dare a tiny country on the outskirts of the borderlands dare to covet our Great Qi territory? If you refuse to submit, come and fight me now. Beg for mercy first, and surrender without a fight! Such despicable deeds are not what our Qi Nation would do! Don't underestimate them!"

The ministers were enraged, their voices blazing in a flurry of fury. The hall immediately erupted into a war of words, their tongues blazing and their mouths spitting. Marquis Dingyuan stood in the center of the besieging crowd, his hands folded and his eyes closed, his face calm and silent, a gesture of righteous sacrifice. Regardless of their position, Zhong Yujing felt a certain sympathy for his predicament. At that moment, she began to believe the rumors that Marquis Dingyuan was disfavored by Emperor Qingfeng, that he was truly being used as a target by the emperor.

Emperor Hong quietly observed the verbal spat from his dragon throne, caressing its handles with his hand, his eyes darting between the people in the hall, silently assessing and judging. Zhong Yujing, on the other hand, watched the commotion and Emperor Hong from the sidelines. Perhaps this was the privilege of the upper echelon: he could easily toss a pebble into the lake, stirring up a thousand waves. The pebble would eventually sink to the bottom, never to see the light of day again. The person who threw the pebble could simply stand by and watch this long-planned dispute unfold as planned, remaining unscathed.

Zhong Yujing suddenly felt as if her heart was being pressed down by a huge stone worth thousands of gold, making it hard for her to breathe. She looked at the distorted faces of the stones in the hall, their eyes bloodshot with resentment. They, the Marquis Dingyuan who was being collectively besieged in the middle, and even herself, were just a sword, a shield, or a chess piece in the hands of the person on the seat. Thinking of the chess pieces, she remembered Yuanyang again. The sad thing was that the chess piece was moved and risked its life to fulfill what he wanted, but in the end it didn't let him know. Would there be a moment when he would feel a trace of pity?

In this light, Dingyuan Hou's indifference seems even more brilliant, a fearlessness born from seeing through everything. What does it matter to him? Why take it so seriously?

In comparison, the ministers who were so excited and enthusiastic seemed even more pathetic and lamentable. They didn't even know that the Great Qi they were so proud of and fighting for had already been internally deficient and no longer had the strength of the great country in their minds.

This complicated world and the disputes among nations are like a grand game filled with smoke. Zhong Yujing, like all those who fight for the country, is just a weapon in the imperial power game, regardless of their stance. If they are used, they are kept in the cabinet, and if they are not used, they are abandoned. It seems that all efforts, maintenance and resistance are meaningless and meaningless.

Zhong Yujing sighed softly, her eyes slowly lowering. So why was she standing here now, doing all this? Her family's mission ran in her blood, destined from birth. She must fight for the Qi Kingdom, without the slightest hesitation or retreat. Fate, this shackle-like imprisonment, ultimately trapped many lives in an inescapable situation, not just hers...

"That's enough." A lazy voice came from the dragon throne beside him, and Zhong Yujing's thoughts were pulled back. The ministers in the hall were also speechless. Dingyuan Hou opened his eyes and continued to look at Emperor Hong, as if the noise just now had nothing to do with him. He just came to bring a message to the person on the dragon throne, and then bring that person's meaning back. As for the rest, he was free to do it.

Everyone who deserved to be scolded had done so, and the anger within the Emperor had largely subsided. Standing up calmly, he said to Marquis Dingyuan, "I believe the young marquis has clearly understood what I and the other ministers mean." He waved his hand at Marquis Dingyuan and said, "If you have nothing else to report, please return."

Marquis Dingyuan still refused to give up, with a kind of silent stubbornness, and said with a smile: "This marquis has come here for this matter. If there is no result today, I will stay in Qi State until Your Majesty gives me a satisfactory answer."

Emperor Hong grinned and said, "I have already given you an answer. What else do you want to hear?"

Marquis Dingyuan also smiled, shook his head slightly, and said helplessly: "I want Your Majesty to choose one of the two: cede territory or surrender."

The Hong Emperor's expression betrayed impatience. "I'll tell you this again. If you want to fight, then engage openly in battle. Don't try to persuade Qi to surrender without a fight. If you think you can achieve your goal of aggression without a single soldier, go back and tell your old Emperor Feng that he's delusional!" He slapped the armrest and stood up angrily. "Eunuch He! Send him away! Dismiss the court!"

Emperor Hong flicked his sleeves and started to walk to the back of the palace. Marquis Dingyuan suddenly chuckled twice, and said calmly: "My Daqing's move is also well-intentioned. The current treasury situation of Daqi... If the two countries really go to war, Yu Qing's country will not suffer much, and Yu Daqi will..." Before Marquis Dingyuan could finish his words, his right arm was grabbed by a hand. He choked back the rest of his words and could only stare at the other party in a daze.

Shangguan Yichen, who had been watching silently and coldly, now grabbed Dingyuan Hou's right arm fiercely, looked at him with murderous eyes, and said: "Don't talk nonsense in the court of the Great Qi Kingdom! Don't think that Qi Kingdom dare not touch you just because you are the envoy of Qing Kingdom. If you dare to speak rudely and disobey your superiors, I will be the first one who will not let you go. Qi Kingdom was not afraid of Qing Kingdom sending troops, let alone you, a mere soldier of Qing Kingdom." As he spoke, he had grabbed Dingyuan Hou's arm until it was ashen, and the lower half was bloodless. Half of his arm was exposed because the sleeve had slipped down, looking quite embarrassed.

Zhong Yujing understood that Shangguan Yichen intended to stop Marquis Dingyuan from revealing the current state of Qi's treasury in the main hall, thereby unsettling the court and demoralizing the army. Marquis Dingyuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "Since that's the case, I will remain in your country for a few more days. Once His Majesty Qi has devised a good plan, we can discuss it with you, allowing me to return home and report. War is costly and arduous, so unless it's absolutely necessary, we should refrain from damaging the peace." His eyes held no aggression. Shangguan Yichen stared at him for a moment, then released his grip.

Emperor Hong turned around, smiled faintly, and said sternly, "Since that's the case, Daqi is a country of etiquette. Visitors are guests, and we absolutely do not treat them poorly." He glanced sideways at Zhong Yujing, who nodded in understanding. Emperor Hong continued, "I will order the Prime Minister of Daqi to take the envoy to the guest embassy for resettlement."

Marquis Dingyuan bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty Qiguo." Emperor Hong held his sleeves and strode away. Marquis Dingyuan followed Zhong Yujing leisurely. The ministers in the hall left the court exhausted and full of anger.

The guest embassy, ​​not far from the Imperial Palace, was dedicated to receiving foreign envoys and state guests. It was a short walk west from the main gate. Eunuch He had already prepared the rooms in advance, and had specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare dishes tailored to the tastes of the Qing state. His Majesty had spoken; a great nation should behave like a great nation, accommodating what others find difficult to accommodate. Tolerance is the essence of greatness!

After getting off the carriage, Zhong Yujing led Marquis Dingyuan into the hall. Zhong Yujing was polite but didn't say much. Marquis Dingyuan suddenly said in a slow voice, "I have heard of Prime Minister Jing's renown for a long time. It is truly a great honor to meet him today."

Zhong Yujing was stunned when she heard this. Unlike the Marquis Dingyuan, who was renowned in her own country, how could he possibly recognize her? Perhaps her stunned expression caught his eye, as she heard the Marquis chuckle as he said, "I have some friends in Qi. Qi has a female prime minister who pacified the Qiang and Rong peoples and secured the southern frontier. She was both resourceful and resourceful, achieving numerous remarkable feats. Known to the people of Qi, her story naturally reached even me, a native of another country."

Zhong Yujing smiled modestly and said, "The people of Qi are kind and generous, and Your Majesty is benevolent. The rumors are somewhat exaggerated. Your Majesty is young and wise, and our country's general is also young and brave. There are many talented and important generals in the court. I am just doing my job, and it cannot be considered a credit."

Dingyuan Hou smiled again and said, "Prime Minister Jing is often modest. I simply feel deeply sorry for him. If he were in our Qing Kingdom, he would surely be given greater importance. Our Great Qing King has always been open-minded and advocates equality between men and women. There are also female officials in important positions in the palace, and women in the common people can work and support their families just like men. Today, I saw Prime Minister Jing, the only female official to participate in government affairs, and I can't help but guess that when she first took office, she must have experienced some struggles and criticisms. This makes me feel even more sad for Prime Minister Jing and for Qing Kingdom."

Zhong Yujing's expression grew solemn upon hearing this, and he said sternly, "Thank you, Marquis Dingyuan, for your appreciation. However, you and I were born in different countries, serve different masters, and have different positions. Please do not say anything that would make me uncomfortable. Since I was born in Qi, serving my motherland is my bounden duty, and I have no intention of changing my ways. I hope Marquis Dingyuan will understand."

Marquis Dingyuan suddenly chuckled and said, "Yes, I was careless and thoughtless. I just spoke on impulse and didn't consider your status or position. I also value talent, so please don't take it to heart, Prime Minister Jing."

Zhong Yujing also smiled comfortably and said, "My Lord, you are too kind."

The two of them had reached the east gate of the hall. After passing the moon gate, they reached the kitchen. Zhong Yujing invited Marquis Dingyuan in. She followed behind him, looking at the figure of the marquis, but she still couldn't figure out his purpose.