Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 185 - 172: Shanyue Envoy
The candles within the grand hall flickered slightly. Li Yuanxiu stood askew at the uppermost seat while a Shanyue envoy, draped with beast bones and jade stones, knelt below him, his head pressed tightly against the ground, speaking respectfully:
"This humble one has seen the Young Master. Our great king remembers the friendship between our two families and is concerned for the health and well-being of aunt and uncle. He also holds the alliance between our families in high regard, sending many products from within our borders. Now, the position of Queen remains vacant, and the great king still hopes to marry a noble lady from the Li Family..."
Li Yuanxiu stepped forward from his seat at the top and walked down two steps. Clan soldiers on both sides immediately fixed their gaze on the Shanyue before them. Chen Donghe, standing at the foot of the stairs, also silently went on guard, ready to prevent any sudden outbursts by the man before him.
"The Li Family is located on the eastern side, and we have only heard of uprisings within the Shanyue. All of Mu Jiaoman's kin are no survivors. Envoy, you've traveled far, I wonder if you could clarify this for me."
Li Yuanxiu did not respond to the envoy's words but instead seized upon the details of the Shanyue unrest, causing the Shanyue envoy to stammer and sweat profusely. Although the current Shanyue king, Qi Mu, had followed Mu Jiaoman's orders to slaughter his brothers, such an excuse was already doubted within the Shanyue territory, let alone using it to respond to Li Yuanxiu. The envoy could only say in a trembling voice:
"There has been unrest... it cost the previous king his progeny, and the change of kingship was an inevitable matter... it was not our great king's intent, and by sparing the queen mother, he has made contributions, indeed!"
The queen mother was naturally the noble lady who had been wed to them from the Li Family. Although Mu Jiaoman had given face to the Li Family by accommodating this noble lady in the palace, he acted cautiously and did not have descendants with her. Her status in the palace was quite special, and during the unrest, every faction hastened to send people to protect her.
Li Yuanxiu listened without responding, looking at the trembling Shanyue envoy in front of him, weighing his options, and thought to himself:
"Before Shamo Li breaks through in Qi Cultivation, the main focus should be on pacifying Qi Mu, so as not to arouse any suspicion in him and cause unnecessary requests for help and trouble. Everything else should proceed as usual, to let him be at ease."
"Offering tributes and trade are easy to speak of, merely a matter of issuing another order. However, if a noble lady from our clan were to marry over there, wouldn't she become a widow within a few years? There are currently many young noble ladies in our minor branch, and several clan uncles and elders will inevitably be noisy about it."
The envoy seated below, not understanding the situation, thought Li Yuanxiu was becoming angry and shook like a sieve, sweat pouring out like starch, accumulating into a small pool on the stone floor. Only then did Li Yuanxiu cease his silence and said softly:
"The Shanyue wishes to continue the marital alliance between our two families; the Li Family agrees to this too. The matters of tributes and trade shall follow the old practices and need not change."
"Thank you, great king! Thank you, great king!"
The envoy seated below, as if granted amnesty, repeatedly kowtowed heavily, inadvertently addressing Li Yuanxiu as a great king, not knowing that Li Yuanxiu, with a raised hand and a smiling face, said:
"However, my family cannot simply have a noble lady marry off so readily. Noble ladies from our clan hold significant positions within our family and cannot be married off merely on a whim. My father is currently in seclusion for cultivation, and I, as the Young Master, am not as easy to speak to as my father. There is one more condition for the marital alliance between Shanyue and our family."
"Please speak, great king."
The envoy asked repeatedly, and Li Yuanxiu, with a smile, continued:
"A noble lady from our clan being wedded to the west, how can she not have a fief to demonstrate her might? To the west of Eastern Shanyue, there are several villages. Let Qi Mu conquer a few villages to the west and celebrate my noble lady's marriage."
"This... this..."
The Shanyue envoy had not expected Li Yuanxiu to propose such a demand, and was momentarily stupefied. The notion of fiefs held no real significance for a noble lady who wielded no actual power upon marrying out, its benefit merely increasing the tax collected from the lands. The envoy could only reply:
"Could we choose one or two places from the Eastern Shanyue villages for the fief? Our great king would not be stingy. With the current state of unrest within our borders, it is perhaps unwise to rashly wield the army..."
Li Yuanxiu frowned, interrupting him forcefully before he could finish:
"Is this the extent of sincerity from your great king?"
Shanyue was weak and dependent on the breath of the Li Family for survival. Naturally, the envoy became a soft-foot shrimp, intimidated by Li Yuanxiu's threatening stance and began kowtowing incessantly like pounding garlic, crying out for mercy and hastily saying:
"This humble one will report back to the great king immediately, and a response will arrive within a few days... please, Young Master, forgive me!"
"You may leave."
Li Yuanxiu waved him off, and the envoy hurried away. Then, clan soldiers ushered in another person, who was also in Shanyue attire but bowed on one knee and said in a deep voice:
"Young Master!"
"What news has my clan sister brought back?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Li Yuanxiu looked up and asked, seeing the Shanyue pull out a thick stack of cloth from his bosom, reverently replied:
"The Royal Dowager has documented all of Qi Mu's arrangements since taking power and the distribution and garrisons of the Shanyue cultivators within the kingdom, all recorded in this volume."
Li Pingyi stepped forward to take it, and Li Yuanxiu nodded with a smile, quietly saying:
"When you return, tell my clan sister to play her role as the queen mother well. In the next few years, I will find a way to reunite her and her family."
"Yes."
After expressing gratitude, the individual retreated. Li Yuanxiu took the stack of cloth from the approaching Li Pingyi, spread it out, and read for a while, murmuring:
"Three at the initial stage of Qi Cultivation, one at the Middle Stage, all ordinary Qi cultivators. Shanyue is indeed too weak; no wonder Qi Mu managed to stabilize the country in one breath and did not dare to wait, thus came to rely on us."
While Li Yuanxiu was reading, Li Yuanjiao had long been standing in the courtyard, glancing at the Shanyue messenger bringing the news. Once the man left the courtyard, he then said:
"Brother, although our clan sister is from a lesser branch, she is no easy mark. Mu Jiaoman had been so cautious around her, yet, after his death, she quickly garnered support from influential forces and managed to collect messages in such detail, even placing spies in trade caravans to return. It's no easy feat."
