Since the last time they met with Li Xiangjun, Orchid Investment Development Bank's investments in Yan State have been going smoothly.
In addition, with the recent peace negotiations proving difficult to advance and the peace team busy with verbal battles with little effect, He Yunxiao finally couldn't help but go to see Li Xiangjun again. However, this time, with Ruobao's guidance, He Yunxiao did not rashly go to the Yan Kingdom's palace. Instead, he used the pretext of "thanking" to have Nangong Yu'er arrange a meeting with Li Xiangjun.
Although He Yunxiao and Nangong Yu'er had said that the Yan Emperor's trip didn't need to be a grand affair, the always cautious Yu'er still cleared out the first floor of Tingfeng Tower and assigned several of her master-level bodyguards to guard the key points around the perimeter.
On the middle floor of Tingfeng Tower, the entire food street was occupied only by He Yunxiao and his group, yet every stall was brightly decorated and open for business, which looked rather eerie.
Li Xiangjun arrived as promised, alone, without any subordinates.
Even with He Yunxiao's prior warning, Nangong Yu'er was still stunned when she saw Li Xiangjun.
Is the dignified Emperor Yan really just such a pretty girl?
"You are Nangong Yu'er?" Li Xiangjun asked with a smile after taking her seat.
"This humble woman, Nangong, pays her respects to the Emperor of Yan." Nangong Yu'er hurriedly stood up, but before she could get down, she was stopped by Li Xiangjun.
"Hey, hey, stop all this. We're not in the palace anymore. Get up."
Nangong Yu'er stared blankly at the seemingly easy-going Li Xiangjun for a moment. Whether it was her preconceived notions or the information from her Nangong family's spies in the Yan court, everything told her that the Yan Emperor was not someone to be trifled with. But when she met the Yan Emperor in person, she discovered that not only was his gender wrong, but his personality was also worlds apart.
There is only one truth to this matter; either intelligence or her own eyes must have deceived her.
Although Nangong Yu'er harbored doubts about Li Xiangjun, she did not hesitate to act.
This was in the State of Yan, not the State of Wei. Li Xiangjun told her to kneel, and she knelt; she told her not to kneel, and she didn't. This demonstrates her ability to assess the situation and her remarkable composure.
After giving instructions to Nangong Yu'er, Li Xiangjun turned her attention to He Yunxiao.
Among the four people present, besides Nangong and He Yunxiao, whom she had known for a long time, there was also a girl with extraordinary appearance.
"Is this Miss Du?" Li Xiangjun asked with a smile.
"Qi woman Du Yinyun greets Emperor Yan." Having learned from Nangong's example, Du Yinyun refrained from a grand, elaborate ceremony, instead rising to offer a slight, polite bow.
What a "Qi woman"!
Li Xiangjun's smile remained unchanged, but she pondered inwardly. He Yunxiao, though innocent and adorable, was surrounded by women none of them simple. Nangong Yu'er was shrewd and composed; despite her young age, she handled matters with remarkable maturity and tact, leaving no room for error. Du Yinyun appeared unassuming, yet possessed an arrogant air of defiance, even mentioning the State of Qi in front of the Emperor.
Add to that the shrewd and resourceful Fan Ziruo, and the skilled martial artist Chu Xiaoxiao…
"Miss Li, thank you so much for your help this time." He Yunxiao raised his teacup.
Li Xiangjun covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "When others express their gratitude for a gift, they would drink three cups of wine to show their sincerity. Why is it that when it comes to Young Master He, they have to cut back and not even drink any wine?"
He Yunxiao smiled awkwardly and said, "I can drink, but there are only girls at this table. It would be unseemly to drink too much."
"What's so unseemly about it? There are no outsiders here."
Nangong Yu'er had some reservations about Li Xiangjun's words, but dared not refute them. Good heavens, He Yunxiao, such a grown man, was here, and he said "there are no outsiders." The Emperor of Yan was being far too...
"Bring the wine! We're not leaving until we're drunk tonight!" Li Xiangjun shouted.
With the Soul-Devouring Pill protecting him, He Yunxiao was naturally fearless. He looked at Sister Du. If Yin Yun didn't want to drink it, he would find a reason to thwart Li Xiangjun's idea no matter what.
Du Yinyun nodded to He Yunxiao and said softly, "Young Master, don't forget what your sister said."
He Yunxiao nodded slightly.
The purpose of this meeting with Li Xiangjun was not only to thank the business investors, but more importantly, to elicit the bottom line of the Yan state regarding peace negotiations. If that failed, they would still need to find a way to push for peace talks. For example, they could organize key personnel from both sides to bypass the warmongers from both Qi and Yan, hold a small meeting to discuss the general outcome of the peace negotiations, and then consider how to persuade the pro-war faction, etc.
Unlike Du Yinyun, who "didn't want to drink but for the sake of the bigger picture," Nangong Yu'er "didn't want to drink but was too cowardly." Too much alcohol would make her lose her senses and become unstable, which would be extremely dangerous.
However, since the Emperor of Yan had spoken, Nangong Yu'er could not refuse. She could only serve him rice wine, which was not easy to get drunk, while having someone prepare a hangover soup in advance.
To everyone's surprise, the first person to collapse at the table was neither Du Yinyun, who had been a courtesan, nor Nangong Yu'er, who drank wine and drank hangover soup, nor He Yunxiao, who had maxed out his magic resistance with the Soul-Devouring Pill, but Li Xiangjun, the initiator of the banquet.
He's really bad at the game but loves to play.
Inside the carriage, a drunk Li Xiangjun lay limp, her eyes half-open and glazed, her face flushed, leaning against He Yunxiao. This posture and demeanor naturally reminded He Yunxiao of Mengbao from a certain period of her life.
Du Yinyun was slightly tipsy, but her mind was perfectly clear. The Emperor Yan was now half-drunk and half-awake, making it the perfect time to extract information. She gave He Yunxiao a wink and said, "Young Master He, Yinyun has arrived."
There was still some distance to the Orchid Bank hotel. He Yunxiao understood what Du Meimei meant and said very tacitly, "Please take your time, miss. I'll wait here until you go inside before we leave."
"Thank you, young master."
After Du Yinyun finished speaking, she opened the door and left, leaving He and Li alone.
The carriage paused for a moment, then slowly set off.
"Miss Li, you've had too much to drink."
"What does it matter? Anyway, the power of Yan is in Grandpa's hands. Whether I live or die, nobody cares," Li Xiangjun said drunkenly. He was so drunk that his tongue was swollen and he could not speak clearly.
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