Chapter 159 Major Events
"Eunuch Chen, how have you been lately?" Since she would inevitably have to deal with people from the palace in the future, Yuan Hongqu felt that she should be a little more polite. It would be best if this Eunuch Chen was the one she was dealing with, then she would have no trouble at all.
"Mr. Yuan, we've come to you for help. You absolutely must help us with this." Chen Li said urgently.
"Eunuch Chen, how can I help you?" Yuan Hongqu saw that Eunuch Chen looked travel-worn, having come all the way from the palace to the Lin family. It wasn't too far, but for an eunuch like Eunuch Chen, who was extremely particular about his appearance, to be so travel-worn, either he hadn't come from the palace, or he hadn't come by carriage, but on horseback.
Yuan Hongqu was absolutely right; Chen Li had indeed arrived on horseback.
“Mr. Yuan,” Chen Li said very solemnly, “On the twelfth day of the first month, foreign countries came to pay tribute, bringing countless rare and precious treasures. There were various competitions every day, but our dynasty did not win a single game and was defeated in every single one.”
“Eunuch Chen, the world is vast and full of wonders. Our Celestial Empire doesn’t play these fancy games. Losing is losing, what’s the big deal? But to compete with these foreign barbarians in such trivial matters is beneath our dignity.” Upon hearing Eunuch Chen’s words, Yuan Hongqu wondered if such a small matter was really worth Eunuch Chen riding all this way.
Eunuch Chen shook his head. "Mr. Yuan, if it were that simple, it would be fine. Our Celestial Empire, as the host country, naturally has the magnanimity to do so. However, they somehow produced a document, which happens to bear the seal of our Emperor. It says that they had already agreed with the Emperor that for every game lost, a city would be taken. According to the delegation, we have already lost six cities on our border. When they return, they will take the document to take over the cities."
"Is this some kind of joke? Do you think our border troops are pushovers?" Yuan Hongqu raised an eyebrow. They've even started ceding land; it seems they've set a trap all along!
Chen Li looked like he'd just eaten shit. This was a royal scandal, but the matter was urgent, and they could only deal with it after the immediate crisis was over.
The foreign envoys have only presented the documents to their reception team so far. The imperial court is unaware of this matter. If word gets to the court, the emperor may be in jeopardy.
“Mr. Yuan, only a small number of people know about the document. Our border troops are certainly not to be trifled with, but once the war begins, a large amount of money and supplies will have to be sent over. To mobilize the army for such nonsense is really a waste of resources and manpower. It is better not to fight if we can avoid it.”
"Is this your reception team's idea?"
"We learned about the document by chance this afternoon and have already reported it to the Emperor in secret. The Emperor has also found the spies around him. However, this matter must not be spread any further, lest it cause unrest. The only way to resolve this matter quietly now is to defeat the foreign delegation in the upcoming competition."
"Eunuch Chen asked me for help because he trusts me. But what can I possibly do to help?" Yuan Hongqu didn't think she was particularly clever. She didn't even have half the intelligence of Daiyu. At most, she was a bit lucky and favored by the heavens, who gave her a spatial treasure vault.
“Mr. Yuan,” Chen Li sighed, “the things that Prince Xian and Prince Zhongshun sent into the palace all came from your shop. I heard that you have a friend who travels to various foreign countries and even overseas all year round.
Yuan Hongqu glanced at Eunuch Chen warily. "She hasn't shown up for a long time since she came to the capital. I'm afraid I can't help you with this, Eunuch Chen."
“Mr. Yuan, on the night Miss Lin moved, you said that the round spiked club outside the city wasn’t a spiked club, but the fruit of a certain tree.”
"I've only ever seen it in a book," Yuan Hongqu stubbornly insisted. She had carelessly missed collecting two durian shells that day, and the consequences were still fresh in her mind.
Eunuch Chen knew that things were not as simple as Yuan Hongqu had described, but he did not expose her.
“Mr. Yuan, there are many talented people in the capital, but the only one I trust is you.” Eunuch Chen bowed. “Mr. Yuan, if war breaks out, it will be a waste of resources and manpower, and taxes will inevitably increase. Please help us so that millions of people can have more food.”
"I..." Yuan Hongqu could no longer remain calm. Eunuch Chen had placed such a heavy burden on her shoulders, and she was truly feeling somewhat troubled.
“Mr. Yuan, we’ll give you a stick of incense’s time to consider. If you agree, then come with us to the palace. The competition will last for three days, all of which will be held in the palace. You must stay in the palace for these three days.” Eunuch Chen saw Yuan Hongqu’s dilemma and didn’t force her too much.
After all, inviting Yuan Hongqu was a very risky decision, but after thinking it over, what if Yuan Hongqu could resolve this crisis?
It's a bit risky, but worth a try.
"Eunuch Chen, what are they competing in? Is it just a treasure contest?" Yuan Hongqu asked after a moment's thought.
If it were just a contest of treasures, that would be too easy; she has far too many rare "treasures" in her space.
Chen Li was secretly delighted. Had Mr. Yuan agreed to help?
He hurriedly said, "It's not just a contest of treasures, but also a battle of wits. At first, we didn't know what they were up to, so we thought we were just playing along with them, a small foreign country, and didn't take them seriously. Who knew they would come up with such a despicable plan!"
"I wonder if they only got their hands on those documents in the last couple of days?" A thought suddenly popped into Yuan Hongqu's mind.
Chen Li gave a wry smile. "I went to the front district to check the authenticity of the seals on the documents. Judging from the age of the ink, it was definitely no more than three days old. They only came up with this idea after they won against us. It must be because someone was pushing them from behind that they dared to be so audacious."
"Even if we detain envoys from small countries and prevent them from returning home, it's not a big deal," Yuan Hongqu said casually, recalling some books she had read before.
“Mr. Yuan, what you’ve said is the simplest method. But their envoy has already said that their delegation is being escorted to the border by a large army, and the journey will only take a little over a month. If they don’t return by then, that army will come to our country to demand their return.”
Eunuch Chen paused for a moment before continuing, "If it's war, we're naturally not afraid. However, because there's a traitor among our own people, the foreign powers have gained an advantage, and in the end, it's our soldiers and our people who suffer. It's really not worth it!"
Chen Li is not a warmonger, and he doesn't necessarily want to fight, so there's no need to fight. Wouldn't it be better to save our troops for when we have no choice but to fight?
"Granny, go and help Eunuch Chen." The curtain of the side room rustled, and Daiyu walked in.
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