Chapter Eleven: Faint Voices from the Daqing Hall
Since that "meeting" where the information network was initially woven that night, Shang Jiuya felt as if the speed of time had changed. No longer was she passively waiting for misfortune to strike, but instead began to spend each of the Demon Realm's gloomy days and dark "nights" with anxious anticipation and secret preparation.
Bai Yu and Li Yue continued to collect fragments of information flowing deep within the Demon Palace, each in their own way. The authenticity of these fragments remained uncertain, but after Shang Jiuya attempted to organize them using a relationship diagram, certain threads seemed to gradually become clearer.
There is indeed a close relationship between You Chi and Ao Li, but they do not seem to be a united front, and occasional disagreements over the distribution of benefits have been reported.
Guan Shanyue's collusion with Gong Liang became even closer, with one providing domestic intelligence and influence, and the other providing resource support, both aiming for higher authority.
Jiang Zhengze is like a cold, venomous snake, entrenched in the realm of law, seemingly plotting something based on some ancient rules, and also having a vague connection with Guan Shanyue.
Qi Mu continues to cause trouble on the border. His tyranny and expansionist desires have drawn much criticism, but have also attracted some warlike demons to his cause.
Shiyi Niang's little schemes continued unabated. After her illusion trap failed, she seemed to have quieted down for a few days, but according to gossip Bai Yu overheard from other maids, she seemed to be devising some new "game".
This information made Shang Jiuya even more certain that the enemy was not monolithic; there was also suspicion, competition, and even potential conflict among them. This might be the gap she could exploit.
The opportunity soon presented itself again. A parchment scroll, delivered in advance by a servant to the Purple Light Palace, informed them that the Great Celebration Palace Elders' Meeting would be held again the following day, and one of the topics to be discussed was the decision regarding the affiliation of a small, marginal tribe called the "Shadowwood Clan." A certain magical plant native to this tribe's habitat was an important ingredient in the forging of some low- to mid-level magical artifacts.
In the past, when Shang Jiuya saw this kind of topic, she would only feel a headache and bewilderment, and then choose to remain silent throughout the meeting, praying that it would end as soon as possible. But this time, her heart was beating slightly faster.
“Shadowwood Clan…” she murmured the name, quickly searching her mind for fragments of information provided by Bai Yu and Li Yue recently.
“Bai Yu,” she immediately summoned Bai Yu, “a few days ago, did you mention that a legion under the Fifth Elder Chang Dong is stationed in the Western Border year-round, and the Shadowwood Clan’s habitat seems to be on the edge of the Western Border?”
Bai Yu tried hard to recall, then her eyes lit up: "Yes! I remember now! There's a kitchen helper from the Western Border who complained a few days ago that things weren't peaceful back home. Apparently, a few small tribes near the Shadowwood Clan had a few minor conflicts over resources, which even alarmed the Fifth Elder's border troops to mediate!"
“Li Yue,” Shang Jiuya turned to the guard who stood guard by the door like a shadow. When he was on duty, he would “just happen” to be in a position where he could hear the slightest movement in the inner hall. “Did you notice the information about the transportation route of the demonic plants in the Western Regions before?”
Li Yue was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Last month, there was an undisclosed robbery case. A batch of magical plants being transported to the Third Elder Gongliang Workshop was robbed in Black Wind Gorge, not far from the Shadowwood Clan's territory. The scene was cleaned up very well, but the patrol team reported that they sensed residual fire-type magical energy fluctuations, which seemed to... match the attributes of a certain team under the Sixth Prince's command."
Fragments of information, like scattered puzzle pieces, rapidly assembled in Shang Jiuya's mind.
Shadowwood Clan (Resources) -> Western Territory (Changdong's Influence) -> Tribal Conflict (Changdong's Intervention) -> Transportation Route (Black Wind Gorge Robbery) -> Fire-type Magic Essence (Suspected to be Qi Mu's Subordinates) -> Final Destination of Magical Plants (Gongliang Workshop) -> Gongliang's Cooperation with Guan Shanyue...
A vague but possible picture emerges: Gongliang and Guanshanyue behind him need the resources of the Yingmu tribe, but the transportation route may be harassed by the Qimu forces, and Changdong, who is responsible for the stability of the western border, will inevitably be dissatisfied with such disruptive behavior.
Shang Jiuya immediately realized that this might be an opportunity for her.
That night, Shang Jiuya barely slept. She repeatedly rehearsed the possible scenarios for the next day in her mind, considering how she should speak, what she should say, and how to strike the right balance. She even asked Bai Yu to find some ancient rules and regulations concerning the management of demon tribes and the mediation of small-scale conflicts, and hastily memorized a few phrases that might be useful.
Sitting in the cold carriage on the way to Daqing Palace for the second time, Shang Jiuya's feelings were different from any other time before.
The Grand Hall remained magnificent and solemn, exuding a heavy aura. The figures seated on the thrones of the nine elders still possessed profound presences and unfathomable gazes. Guan Shanyue had come in person today, while Ao Li and Qi Mu had sent their trusted generals.
The meeting proceeded as planned, but when the topic turned to the ownership of the Shadowwood Clan, the expected argument immediately erupted.
One of Gong Liang's civil officials spoke first, speaking eloquently about the importance of the Shadowwood Clan's special magical plants to the forging of magical artifacts, emphasizing that they should be included in "unified management," implying that they should be taken over by a force closely connected with the workshop (i.e., themselves).
Guan Shanyue added with a smile, implying that only when managed by those "skilled in management" could resources be "made to be," directly targeting military forces like Ao Li and Qi Mu who "only know how to destroy."
Aoli's representative immediately retorted, accusing Gong Liang of being greedy and embezzling, and claiming that His Highness Aoli had a responsibility to "protect" these marginal tribes from "unjust exploitation".
The generals sent by Qi Mu were even more aggressive, directly claiming that the Shadowwood tribe's territory was close to their patrol area and should be "supervised" by them, and that anyone who dared to disobey would be beaten until they submitted.
The parties argued incessantly, their words sharp and confrontational, neither willing to yield. You Chi kept his eyes half-closed, seemingly resting. Chang Dong frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the border conflict and disorder involved in the argument, but did not speak immediately. Xing Yuan watched the arguing parties thoughtfully.
Shang Jiuya sat high on the throne, her palms drenched in cold sweat. The power struggle below was intense and complex; she needed to find the right opportunity…
Just as the debate reached a stalemate, and the voices of all sides gradually subsided, awaiting a verdict from Youchi or some other high-ranking elder—
Shang Jiuya took a deep breath, the sound of which seemed somewhat abrupt in the silent hall.
All eyes were fixed on her, filled with surprise, disdain, scrutiny, amusement… a variety of gazes, as if trying to pierce her frail body. The immense pressure almost suffocated her, and the words she had prepared instantly stuck in her throat.
She saw You Chi slowly open his eyes, his unfathomable gaze falling upon her with a hint of inquiry. A flicker of surprise crossed Guan Shanyue's beautiful eyes, quickly turning into cold mockery. Gong Liang scoffed, as if he had witnessed something utterly ridiculous.
Shang Jiuya's fingernails dug deeply into her palm. The pain brought a moment of clarity to her confused mind.
We cannot back down! Absolutely not!
She tried to ignore the piercing gazes and forced herself to look at the center of the argument. "Elders...representatives of brothers and sisters," she began, her opening remarks stammering and revealing great nervousness, "may I...have a word to say?"
Everyone looked as if they had witnessed something unbelievable. This puppet... actually spoke?
Shang Jiuya's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would explode. She dared not pause, and before she could catch her breath, she continued, following her deductions from the previous night: "Regarding the Shadowwood Clan… I… I believe that they are located on the western border, adjacent to the defense zone of the legions under the Five Elders. Recently, I've heard of frequent conflicts there, which have disturbed the peace of the border…"
She mentioned Changdong and hinted at the chaos in the area.
Chang Dong's gaze sharpened instantly as he looked at her, his expression one of obvious surprise and scrutiny. Xing Yuan also raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The Demon Realm... the Demon Realm is newly established, and the most important thing is to maintain order and stability." Shang Jiuya quoted the rules and regulations she had memorized last night with difficulty. "Instead of arguing about ownership, it would be more appropriate... it would be more appropriate to have the forces responsible for the security of this area assist the Shadowwood Clan in stabilizing the situation and resuming production. Once order is restored, we can then discuss ownership and resource allocation methods. Is that more suitable?"
She proposed a seemingly neutral, even somewhat biased, solution, temporarily passing the buck to Changdong, who was in charge of the western border defense. This served Changdong's interests while temporarily setting aside the struggle between Gongliang, Guanshanyue, Aoli, and Qimu.
The main hall remained silent.
Yu Chi's gaze deepened, and his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the armrest.
Gong Liang's fat face twitched, clearly extremely dissatisfied with the suggestion that delayed his acquisition of resources, but he couldn't find a direct reason to refute it, after all, the other party was using the banner of "□□".
Guan Shanyue's smile faded, and his eyes turned somewhat cold.
Aoli's representative and the generals of Qimu also frowned, seemingly feeling that the proposal limited their expansion or intervention.
Chang Dong gave Shang Jiuya a deep look, his gaze complex, as if he were reassessing this "Demon Lord" who had been consistently overlooked. He spoke slowly, his voice loud and steady: "What Your Excellency says is not without reason. Peace in the Western Territory is indeed of paramount importance. I second this proposal, that the border troops should first intervene to mediate the disputes surrounding the Shadowwood Clan and restore order."
His statement instantly made the situation delicate.
Xing Yuan seemed to find it amusing and chuckled softly: "Hmm, it's safer to stop the fighting first and then discuss other things."
You Chi finally spoke, "In that case, we shall follow Your Excellency's words. The affairs of the Shadowwood Clan shall be temporarily handled by the Fifth Elder to stabilize the situation. The matter of affiliation will be discussed later."
The meeting continued. But this incident left a faint ripple in the hearts of all the participants.
Exhausted, Shang Jiuya leaned back on the throne. She didn't even dare to look at the reactions of the people below the stage. She just lowered her eyelids and tried to calm her heart, which was about to leap out of her chest.
She did it… She really made a sound in the Daqing Hall. Though faint, at least… she was no longer that completely transparent shadow.
After the meeting, Shang Jiuya almost instinctively and stiffly stepped down from the throne and walked towards the palace gate.
As they passed near Youchi's seat, the unfathomable elder suddenly turned his head slightly and said in a low voice:
"Your Majesty seems to be quite concerned about state affairs lately, which is a blessing for the Demon Realm. I hope you will take care of your health and not overwork yourself."
The words, seemingly caring, were actually a warning. Like a bucket of ice water, they instantly extinguished the excitement and warmth that had just risen in Shang Jiuya's heart.
She paused, gave a mumbled reply, and then hurried away from Daqing Palace as if fleeing.
Back in the Purple Light Palace, after dismissing everyone around her, she sat alone in the dimly lit inner room, her lingering fear intertwined with a faint sense of accomplishment, making her tremble all over.
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