Nightwatcher-Chapter 434: The Barbarian Delegation

# 434. The Barbarian Delegation

To conceal his identity, Xu Qi’an did not ride the little mare. After all, a steed as magnificent as her was easily recognisable.

Amid the torrential rain, he took the Xu family’s carriage, its wheels rolling steadily towards the imperial city.

At the city gate, the carriage was stopped. The guards, seeing the character "Xu" emblazoned on the carriage, did not dare to be careless and stepped forward to inspect it.

In the entire capital, there was only one Xu family eligible to enter the imperial city. And within this Xu family, one man had slain a national duke and offended the imperial clan, nobility, and meritorious families.

He absolutely could not be allowed into the imperial city.

Xu Qi’an lifted the curtain and handed over an official plaque.

The guards examined it carefully but still refused entry, summoning a Baihu capitain of the Imperial Guards.

Braving the downpour, the Baihu arrived swiftly, took the plaque, scrutinised it for a moment, then turned his gaze to the handsome young man seated inside the carriage. He studied his face for a while before asking,

“Is Sir Xu on leave today?”

Xu Qi’an was dressed in plain clothes rather than Xu Xinnian’s official robes.

Xu Xinnian was a Bachelor scholar at the Hanlin Academy, which was within the imperial city, granting him entry rights. But since today was a rest day, the Baihu sought confirmati*on.*

*The guards are highly wary of our family. I’m certain that if it were me personally, I wouldn’t be allowed in even with Huaiqing or Lin’an accompanying me. This is the aftermath of cursing at the Meridian Gate and abducting two national dukes…*

He maintained Xu Xinnian’s tone and said calmly,

“This official is here to visit the Prime Minister.”

The Baihu scrutinised him once more before finally nodding. “Let Sir Xu through.”

The carriage rolled through the city gates, entering the imperial city and heading in the direction of the Prime Minister Wang’s residence.

From atop the walls, the Imperial Guards watched the carriage depart. The direction was correct.

After a quarter-hour of travel, Xu Qi’an said, “Turn left.”

The coachman complied, altering their route. Under Xu Qi’an’s guidance, despite having never been to the imperial city before, he relied on his excellent driving skills to successfully deliver Xu Dalang to Lingbao Temple.

Xu Qi’an stepped out, opened an umbrella, and, after informing the young Daoist guarding the entrance, as expected, was easily granted entry.

He also made sure to have the carriage enter through the side gate rather than park conspicuously at the temple’s main entrance.

If that old bastard Emperor Yuanjing happened to come for his Daoist cultivation and saw the carriage, things could turn ugly.

Passing through halls, courtyards, and shrines dedicated to the Human Sect’s patriarchs, he arrived at the temple’s inner depths, where in a secluded courtyard, within a meditation chamber, he met the breathtakingly beautiful National Teacher.

Her expression was serene, her aura cool and untouched by the mundane world, exuding a quiet elegance like a celestial being.

Huaiqing, too, was a proud and aloof beauty, but hers was a noble arrogance, whereas Luo Yuheng’s ethereal coolness, combined with her attire and the vivid cinnabar mark between her brows, projected divinity and an immortal presence.

At this moment, as he beheld the National Teacher’s peerless face again, Xu Qi’an found his mindset had subtly shifted.

Now, what came to mind was: she is a woman I would cherish even in bed, never daring to profane her.

His next thought: Good thing she doesn’t know the Buddhist Mind-Reading Art, or I might die on the spot.

Luo Yuheng sat cross-legged by the table, where two cups of steaming tea were already set.

Xu Qi’an took his seat as if by tacit understanding, lifted the tea, and took a sip. His eyes instantly brightened. “Excellent tea!”

The initial taste was slightly bitter, but after three seconds, a lingering sweetness blossomed. As it flowed down his throat, its aftertaste lingered, refusing to dissipate.

“What a pity.”

Luo Yuheng shook her head and sighed.

“What’s a pity?” Xu Qi’an asked instinctively.

“This tea was grown by a friend of mine, only one pound is produced per year. I receive merely three to four taels of it. But she has been missing for a long time, her whereabouts unknown.”

*Little Auntie, why do I feel like your words have deeper meaning?*

*Hmm… This tea was grown by the Princess Consort… I’ve discovered yet another of her talents. In the future, I could lock her up in a little black room and refuse to feed her unless she cultivates tea for me…*

Xu Qi’an maintained an impassive face and merely lamented, “That is truly a pity.”

Luo Yuheng glanced at him lightly and said in an even tone, devoid of emotion, “What brings you here?”

“I wish to ask about the previous Daoist Leader of the Human Sect and the late emperor,” Xu Qi’an replied.

“My father and the late emperor?” Luo Yuheng’s response carried a hint of surprise.

“I have examined the late emperor’s diary. While he never formally cultivated Daoism, he was greatly interested in the methods of longevity. I wish to know—did he ever cultivate?” Xu Qi’an asked bluntly.

Luo Yuheng pondered for a moment before saying, “My father perished in a heavenly tribulation.”

*And what does that have to do with my question…?*

“He should not have died, but the Jianzheng refused to allow the Human Sect to move into the imperial city. This led to my father being consumed by karmic fire, perishing under the heavenly tribulation.” Luo Yuheng continued impassively,

“Thus, the late emperor never cultivated Daoism.”

*The late emperor never cultivated Daoism…* Xu Qi’an frowned slightly.

“How goes your investigation into Yuanjing?” Luo Yuheng asked, her gaze steady.

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Xu Qi’an hesitated for a few seconds before steeling himself and asking gravely, “National Teacher, do you know that one who possesses fortune cannot attain immortality?”

Luo Yuheng looked at him.

Only at this moment did Xu Qi’an feel that the National Teacher was truly seeing him, truly looking at him.

“To be precise, one with fortune upon them cannot attain immortality,” she corrected.

*Luo Yuheng does know about this… Then she wouldn’t find it strange that Emperor Yuanjing is obsessed with cultivating Daoism?* Xu Qi’an expressed his doubts.

“There are always those who indulge in unrealistic fantasies. Among the countless cultivators in this world, most have dreamed of becoming a Rank One master, or even surpassing all ranks.”

Luo Yuheng said indifferently, “Perhaps Yuanjing thought he saw a chance. Perhaps there is some hidden truth. But to me, whatever his schemes are, what do they have to do with me? I cultivate my Dao, and he pursues his longevity.”

*She knows Yuanjing might have secrets, but she hasn’t delved into them. She borrows the Great Feng’s fortune for her cultivation, and her relationship with Yuanjing is one of cooperation. Probing into a partner’s secrets would only lead to estrangement or even hostility…* Xu Qi’an understood the implications of her words.

After a moment of contemplation, he set aside this line of inquiry and instead asked, “I used the talisman sword in Jianzhou. How should I contact you in the future?”

Subtext: Hurry up and give me another talisman sword.

The talisman sword carried a strike of Luo Yuheng’s full power. Crafting one was extremely difficult, it could not be made on a whim.

Precisely because of this, Xu Qi’an still asked for one. This was a test.

Hearing this, Luo Yuheng furrowed her brows. “Crafting a talisman sword is exceedingly difficult and takes considerable time…”

After a pause, she continued in an indifferent tone, “I just happen to have another. It is of no use to me.”

With a flick of her sleeve, a talisman sword landed quietly on the table.

*She really gave it to me…* Xu Qi’an looked at the talisman sword with complicated emotions.

…

The Imperial Garden.

On a pavilion, the viewing platform.

Emperor Yuanjing stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the Imperial Garden in the torrential rain, and said with a smile, “The flowers in my palace may compete in splendour, dazzling beyond compare, but alas, they are too delicate to withstand the wind and rain.”

Amid the curtain of rain, clusters of bright flowers bent under the downpour, their petals drifting away with the water.

Behind him, Wei Yuan held a cup of tea, taking small sips. He said indifferently, “Flowers exist to please their master. The softer they are, the more their master favours them. Since Your Majesty loves their fragility, it is quite unreasonable to mock them for being unable to withstand hardship.”

Emperor Yuanjing, still facing away from Wei Yuan, had a sharp glint in his eyes. He chuckled and said, “For us, it is enough to cherish only the most beautiful flower. Lord Wei, what do you think?”

Wei Yuan curled his lips into a smile that did not reach his eyes.

Emperor Yuanjing continued watching the rain and sighed:

“After the turmoil in Chuzhou, King Huai perished in battle, Jili Zhigu fell, and Zhujiu was also severely wounded. The northern frontier is now vulnerable. The Church of the Warlock God comes in force this time. If the northern barbarian territories fall, the entire northern and eastern borders of the Great Feng will be surrounded by them.

“Lord Wei, you are a grandmaster of military strategy. What is your opinion?”

Wei Yuan did not hesitate and replied, “The court must, of course, send troops to reinforce the northeast, but we must not forgo the benefits due to us. The northern barbarians have harassed our borders for years—this time, it is the Great Feng’s turn to carve flesh from them.”

Emperor Yuanjing smiled. “The Hanlin Academy is compiling military texts. I have read them, revision after revision, yet nothing new. When the barbarian envoys arrive in the capital, they will surely mock us. Lord Wei, you are a rare military genius. Why not go to the Hanlin Academy and offer some guidance?”

Military texts were part of the Great Feng’s display of national strength to the barbarian envoys. The more books, the more it proved the nation’s wealth of military strategists. Their significance was second only to the artillery demonstrations.

The military strategies currently in use were still those left behind by the scholars of Cloud Deer Academy, along with _The Six Treatises of Warfare_ written by the present-day great military scholar Zhang Shen.

Yet, Wei Yuan, a universally acknowledged peerless commander, had never left a single written word behind.

Wei Yuan shook his head.

Emperor Yuanjing showed no displeasure and said,

“The Imperial Academy originally planned to hold a literary gathering at Reed Lake today, but the heavy rain disrupted the event. I intend for them to host it again once the barbarian envoys arrive in the capital. When the time comes, Lord Wei, you should attend.”

Only then did Wei Yuan nod.

…

Over the next two days, news of the northern war and the barbarian envoys’ role in court discussions spread throughout the capital. It first circulated among the scholar-officials before reaching the merchants and common folk.

For a time, the officialdom, scholarly circles, academies, teahouses, taverns, theatres, and the Jiaofangsi were all abuzz with heated debate, a frenzy like a tidal wave.

The common folk bore deep resentment toward the barbarian envoys and strongly opposed the Great Feng’s plan to send troops to aid them.

The love and hatred of the people were straightforward—they cared nothing for the grand scheme. All they knew was that the northern barbarians were the Great Feng’s sworn enemies. Since the founding of the dynasty six hundred years ago, wars had been unceasing.

Setting aside distant history, even in recent months, before and after the Chuzhou massacre, the northern barbarians had ceaselessly harassed the borders, pillaging and slaughtering.

The aristocratic class, on the other hand, had a broader vision and remained more rational and objective. The pro-war faction and the cautious observer faction clashed fiercely, unlike the common folk, who were almost unanimously opposed.

In truth, this was not limited to the capital. When the court decided to send troops, the decree was immediately dispatched to all provinces. It would not take long before local officials began promoting the pro-war stance on a wider scale.

Amidst this nationwide fervour, a diplomatic envoy from the north arrived at the capital’s docks aboard an official vessel, travelling down the Grand Canal.

This barbarian delegation was composed of elites from the twelve barbarian tribes and experts from the six yao clans.

Their leaders, however, were two young people.

One of them was a young man with white hair, his handsome features an anomaly among the barbarians. His face bore a constant smile, his eyes always narrowed.

Peiman Xilou, eldest son of the chieftain of the White-Head Clan, one of the twelve great barbarian tribes.

The White-Head Clan was famed for its intellect, an exception among the barbarians. Peiman Xilou, in turn, was an exception even among them.

He had studied the Central Plains culture extensively. When the barbarians raided the Chuzhou borders, they plundered women and grain. But he? He wanted neither grain nor beauties, only books.

The Four Books and Five Classics, literati biographies, and even trivial storybooks of no scholarly value, he collected them all, voracious in his thirst for knowledge.

The other leader was the princess of the yao Fox Clan, Huang Xian’er. She wore a northern-style leather dress, with a skirt barely reaching her knees, revealing her slender, straight legs.

Her attire covered only what was necessary, exposing her tanned skin, rounded shoulders, and taut, toned abdomen, exuding a wild beauty.

Yet, her face was enchantingly delicate. Every smile and glance brimmed with an alluring charm, contrasting with her seductive physique to form an intoxicating blend of temptation.

The women of the Fox Clan were the most bewitching of all the yao.

Standing on the deck, the two gazed at the Great Feng soldiers waiting at the docks.

Huang Xian’er giggled, “Bookworm, if we return empty-handed and fail to secure reinforcements, we’re doomed.”

Peiman Xilou faced the river wind and replied calmly, “Whether we secure reinforcements depends only on how much we are willing to offer.”

He looked toward the capital, narrowed his eyes, and smiled:

“The capital holds Cloud Deer Academy, founded by the first disciple of the Confucian Sage. Two hundred years ago, in Confucianism’s golden age, all lands submitted. Not just our divine race — even the Western Buddhist nations had to endure Confucian treachery, their traditions driven back to the Western Regions.

“The capital has the Imperial Academy. It does not adhere to Confucian cultivation, and precisely because of that, its scholars have more time and energy to explore various fields — astronomy, geography, agriculture, commerce. If I could move the Imperial Academy’s library to the north, I’d never have to come south again in my lifetime.

“The capital has Wei Yuan, hailed as one of the greatest military strategists in the Great Feng’s six-hundred-year history. In Year Six of Yuanjing, when General Dugu, the northern frontier commander, passed away, our divine race sent over a hundred thousand cavalry south to raid. In just three months, Wei Yuan crushed them utterly. Twenty years ago, in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, if not for him, the entire history of Jiuzhou would have been rewritten.

“The capital has the Jianzheng, who has watched over the Central Plains for five centuries. His mind is as unfathomable as Heaven’s secrets.

“The capital has the laureate of poetry, hailed as the greatest poet of the past two centuries, one whom even the Great Feng of two hundred years ago could not have matched.

“The capital… I have long yearned to see it.”

Peiman Xilou exhaled slowly and smiled. “A capital filled with extraordinary talents. Finally, my knowledge will meet its match.”

*What a Bookworm…* Huang Xian’er pursed her lips and smiled seductively. “Debating scholars is your affair. As for us Fox Clan women, our task is to conquer the men of the Great Feng in bed.”

The delegation included fifty Fox Clan beauties, all of stunning appearance and graceful figures. Among them, three possessed innate charm, making them natural “cauldrons”.

It was well known that Emperor Yuanjing practised Daoism and sought immortality. Though he had abstained from women for years, surely he would not refuse a cauldron delivered to his door.

Just then, Huang Xian’er’s eyes flickered in surprise. “Oh? What a handsome young human.”

A young man in azure official robes stood at the dock. His fair skin, radiant eyes, and rosy lips made him an exceedingly rare beauty.

Peiman Xilou narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable. “Azure robes. Stream Commissioner, a seventh-rank minor official.”

As the official vessel docked and the barbarian delegation disembarked, the handsome young man stepped forward and declared in a clear voice, “This official is Xu Xinnian, on royal order to receive the delegation.”