The Slender Waist-Chapter 364 - 257: Tit for Tat

For a moment, Li Sangruo almost shed tears.

In truth, she didn’t need anyone to tell her why Feng Shi Er Niang was here; the answer was already in her heart.

It was Pei Jue.

Pei Jue kept her by his side, never leaving her for a moment. He provided her with this peace and serenity, allowing her to sit in the side room, sipping tea leisurely, unafraid of storms.

Yet she was pitiable.

Without a husband’s protection, with young children beneath her knees...

Seemingly of utmost nobility, her bearing austere, yet her spine was cold, all an act.

If they could, who wouldn’t want to be like a little bird relying on and staying beside their loved one?

Li Sangruo stared blankly at Feng Yun, her gaze then drifting past the open doors of the main hall, trying to find that tall and straight figure...

Tang Shaogong glanced at her indifferently, then lowered his eyes.

"Your Highness, it’s time. You should go in."

Li Sangruo took two steps after biting her lip in frustration, then turned her head for another look.

"What’s the matter with Ao Qi?"

A woman’s intuition is sharp, and she could see that Ao Qi’s attentiveness to Feng Yun was far beyond that of a nephew to his aunt.

Tang Shaogong cast a glance and replied smoothly, "He has guarded Feng Shi Er Niang for some time, naturally, their affection is different from others."

"What’s more? Their closeness seems like..."

A pair of mandarin ducks.

Li Sangruo did not say it out loud but snorted, "Didn’t Ao Qi just get engaged to Azhi? How can he act so inappropriately?"

Tang Shaogong: "His biological father and uncle are right there. Shouldn’t the Empress Dowager discuss state affairs first?"

Ao Zheng and Pei Jue were there, and seeing Ao Qi behaving in such a way, they did not intervene. What did it have to do with others?

His words were neither salty nor bland, stabbing Li Sangruo right in the chest.

This Tang Shaogong!

Out of respect for her father, she gave him some face, calling him "uncle." And now he truly believed he was her uncle, always wanting to teach her a lesson, completely disregarding her...

If she had someone suitable by her side at this moment, Li Sangruo would not wish to see Tang Shaogong’s face, which looked as if he was there to collect a debt.

But Fang Fucai was better, able to read the room, to please...

Li Sangruo was so frustrated that her teeth itched, but thinking of Fang Fucai imprisoned by Wei Zheng, she deflated a bit.

Right now, she needed Tang Shaogong, so she would endure him.

"I understand now."

-

At this moment, Feng Ying was sitting in the side room not far away.

What the peace talk would involve, what disputes the two countries had, she couldn’t control and wouldn’t think too deeply about.

What she could think about was only what she saw.

She saw the envoys praising Feng Yun for his talent, living up to his name as a child prodigy.

She saw her great-uncle’s smile, her father’s embarrassment.

And there was Xiao Cheng.

When he looked at Feng Yun, it was as if there were flames in his eyes, burning wildly, brilliantly hot, yet his facial expression refused to change, indifferent, pretending as if he truly didn’t care...

She wanted to laugh.

Xiao San had his day, and that was truly unexpected.

All that pretentious demeanor, all that aloof restraint, just because the person before him wasn’t the one in his heart?

Feng Ying closed her eyes slightly, "Ning Xiu, close the windows."

"It’s not fair." Ning Xiu was a petty manager in Fanghua Hall, deeply trusted by Feng Ying, and she whispered, "Shi’er Niang, although a subject’s wife, can strut before others with prominence, and the family head and master treat her with courtesy, even the master has changed, his gaze on her is nothing like before..."

Feng Ying gave her an icy look.

Ning Xiu immediately shut up, seeing the mournful look in her master’s eyes — not angry, yet she pouted again.

"She is a subject’s wife, while madam is the emperor’s wife, whose status is so much more noble. The master and the family head could scold her if they wanted to, why are they biased in being cordial towards her? The madam can only sit here, what gives Shi’er Niang the right to go out and show off..."

It was her husband who gave her that dignity.

Feng Ying’s lips moved, but she swallowed her words back down and said faintly:

"If you don’t talk, no one will think you’re a mute."

Feng Ying reprimanded Ning Xiu, and then let out a soft laugh.

"She’s my elder sister. Her glory reflects on me too."

-

The time had come.

The doors of the main hall firmly closed.

The argument, with each side holding onto their views, dragged on for a long time. Courtesies and pleasantries were exchanged in turns, but no one could convince the other, neither willing to give up Xinzhou.

During this, the servants served tea, and there were moments when people stepped out to change clothes. For a full hour, both parties’ patience was exhausted, and beneath the surface of their words, the sharpness began to show.

"The elite forces of Dajin are with the Beiyong Army, now stationed in Xinzhou. Having already achieved a victory, what fear is there of another battle? If your country disagrees, you are welcome to try again..."

"The Beiyong Army’s fame shakes the world. We admire it greatly. However, I’ve heard that the coffers of the Jin Court are depleted, financial resources are scarce. With public sentiment souring, you face internal and external troubles. Should it truly come to unavoidable combat, under the siege of our fifty thousand strong, I wonder how many days your provisions can last?"

"Hmph! Boasting about a huge army of five hundred thousand, you were utterly defeated in Bingzhou, yet you have the face to accept a challenge? Talking about how our treasury is depleted, have you even managed to patch up the mess left by your Emperor of Yanping?"

"Our land in Daqi is fertile, the people’s hearts are with us, our coffers are full, and our young men despise death. If necessary, we would fight to the bitter end, even if it means the extermination of nine generations..."

"Quite the boast. Among the three kingdoms, Qi Country has the largest population. Millions need to be fed. Are your noble families truly willing to support so many soldiers, and those common soldiers who can’t fill their bellies?"

"You needn’t worry about that. If Qi Country mobilizes its forces to wage a war in the north, you will have no peace either..."

"Think carefully, gentlemen. Another war will be a war of annihilation. My Dajin has taken Anning, taken Andu, taken Xinzhou; do you really think we cannot take down Tai City?"

The envoys from both sides went back and forth, debating the principles behind prosperity and survival, arguing until their faces turned red and their saliva flew, some even standing up in their passion, pointing fingers and cursing at each other, almost coming to blows.

"Gentlemen, may I say a word—" Xiao Cheng suddenly spoke up.

He stood up from the table, facing the Jin envoys, with one hand behind his back, exuding the poise of someone strategizing behind the scenes.

"Mencius said: ’To fight over land ends in the slaughter of people filling the fields; to fight over cities ends in the slaughter of people filling the cities. This is what is called taking land to eat human flesh, a crime unforgivable by death.’"

He then glanced around the room with a detached air.

"War is about emperors vying for their realms. Chaos is the suffering of the common people. When the common folk do evil, one dies. When a ruler does evil, corpses fill the fields. Today we all sit here not to quibble with words, but to aid the world, to rejuvenate it from its dilapidation—not to compete in verbal ability."

The crowd nodded repeatedly.

"Under a overthrown nest, can there be any unbroken eggs? Continuing this war will benefit neither side, honestly, it should not..."

"Since neither party is willing to give way, I have a compromise to suggest."

Above the high platform, the candlelight made Xiao Cheng’s handsome face somewhat pale and blurry, but his voice remained calm and resonant.

"All in this world is bestowed upon us by the common people. Why not ask heaven’s will for both countries? Let’s see how the heavens answer."

All the envoys looked at him.

Ao Zheng clasped his hands and said, "What good strategy might you have, Your Majesty of Qi? Please speak frankly."

Xiao Cheng glanced at Li Sangruo across from him, his tone mild and gentle, speaking at a pace so slow it was agonizing.

"Each side shall bet on three questions. Whoever wins two out of three is considered the victor. How does that sound?"

The crowd was astounded.

The custom of gambling was prevalent in both Jin and Qi courts, from the noble lords and officials down to the common people, spreading like a poison. The greater the chaos in the world, the more gambling peaked. People, unsure of the future, sought instant pleasures, or indulged themselves to avoid the harsh realities...

Xiao Jue, the Emperor of Yanping from Qi Country, was an extreme gambler, foolishly promoting those skilled in gaming, to ridiculous ends.

Xiao Cheng was an upright gentleman who always disdained such things.

After becoming emperor, he even issued an edict forbidding gambling with one’s property, money, wife, or daughters as stakes. Yet today, at this grand meeting of peace between two countries, he was openly proposing "to settle victory or defeat by gambling?"

Xiao Cheng smiled faintly, "This way, we can resolve disputes and establish a friendship between the two countries."

The Qi side was silent.

The Jin side whispered among themselves, some nodding, others shaking their heads.

Feng Jingyao said, "We have always heard that your country has no lack of capable people; surely, this won’t trouble you..."

This was clearly a provocation.

Li Sangruo smiled coyly, "The suggestion from the Qi monarch is excellent, but I would like to modify the rules a bit."

Xiao Cheng chuckled lightly and gestured with his hand, "Please speak, Empress Dowager."

Li Sangruo glanced at her own envoys, her gaze flitting over Pei Jue indiscernibly, and spoke in a light tone:

"No matter the outcome, feelings will inevitably be hurt. How about this instead: the winner gets Xinzhou and the loser may make one request of the winner. As long as it does not involve territory or interfere with state affairs, and is within reason, the winner shall grant it."

It sounded reasonable and fair, allowing both sides to save face.

Pei Jue’s dark pupils shrank slightly as he looked at Xiao Cheng.

Xiao Cheng lowered his eyes and bowed, "The Empress Dowager is merciful."

Such a bold proposal, and both supreme authorities agreed with a smile, setting it. The other envoys murmured a few words of reluctance but felt it improper to object further.

Li Sangruo asked, "Who will propose the questions?"

Xiao Cheng smiled, "For fairness, Jin will propose one question, Qi will propose one, and we shall leave the last to Yunchuan."

Everyone’s gaze settled on Chunyu Yan’s hands.

His face was hidden behind a mask, showing no reaction, but he didn’t oppose either.

Pei Jue sat quietly, appearing as if he were an outsider.

He usually spoke little, and no one thought much of it, as they were all interested in the proposed gamble by Xiao Cheng, discussing it with their own opinions...

Finally, both sides agreed to give each other ample time to consider, and set the betting contest for the following morning.

When the meeting concluded, they clasped hands and said their farewells before leaving the main hall.

Feng Yun was sitting by the window in a side room, watching groups of people discussing in twos and threes. When everyone had left, she noticed that Pei Jue had yet to emerge.

"Where is your uncle?"

Ao Qi frowned, "Let’s go and see."

Feng Yun exchanged a glance with her, gathered her skirt lightly, and walked out of the side room with grace.

Feng Ying came over, standing in the hallway waiting for Xiao Cheng, and upon seeing her, bowed respectfully, then warmly stepped forward to attend to him, inquiring about his comfort with concern.

Xiao Cheng glanced at her, his black eyes deep and inscrutable, but said little.

Feng Yun walked past without a sideways glance, as if she did not see them, following Ao Qi at a leisurely pace.

Unexpectedly, they were stopped by two guards with crossed swords at the door of the main hall.

Tang Shaogong emerged slowly from inside, his countenance cold.

"The Great General is speaking with His Highness; please wait, madam."