Chapter 43

But who was Ji Weiqiu? He had been scolded by Ji Su since childhood and was used to it. A mere two words couldn't possibly break through his defenses, but he couldn't just suffer a loss for nothing.

He summoned Xiao Zhuo and asked, "Did Prime Minister Liu leave the palace today?"

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo wasn't sure. He only asked Ji Weiqiu to return to the side hall to rest first. He sent someone to inquire, and by the time Ji Weiqiu was halfway through a bowl of tea, the palace attendant had returned with the message that Prime Minister Liu had not left the palace today.

'Probably because of the memorials?'

Ji Weiqiu, with a gentle and mild demeanor, said to Xiao Zhuo, "Prime Minister Liu has taken good care of me, and I am grateful. Prime Minister Liu is old and likes a bit of excitement..."

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo played along, "The chrysanthemums in the palace are in full bloom. Shall this servant go to the Bureau of Parks and Gardens tomorrow to pick out fifty pots of tribute chrysanthemums to send to Lord Prime Minister Liu? I guarantee they will be a riot of color, lively and festive."

Ji Weiqiu shot him a sideways glance. "What's the point of sending chrysanthemums? If you're going to send something, send something that makes noise!"

Having been glared at, inspiration struck Eunuch Xiao Zhuo. This wasn't about giving a reward! This was a difficult matter to handle, but if he didn't do it, how could he show his capability? His Highness was only living in the palace, and his master had used an excuse to send him to serve by His Highness's side. He heard that the injuries of Mian Li, who served His Highness, were almost healed. When Brother Mian Li returned, what would be left for him to do? Besides, although Prime Minister Liu was a Grand Secretary, the Grand Secretary managed the outer court and couldn't control the eunuchs of the inner palace.

Still, he had to weigh the matter carefully in his mind.

Eunuch Xiao Zhuo immediately said, "This servant understands. This servant will see to it right away."

Ji Weiqiu was satisfied. Once he decided to do something, he did it. As long as he controlled the scale of it, Ji Su wouldn't scold him for it. He felt a bit regretful; if he had known earlier, he would have let Mian Li enter the palace. Mian Li was the best at handling such matters.

That night, for some unknown reason, several feral cats came to Xihua Hall where Prime Minister Liu resided. Their caterwauling, as shrill as a baby's cry, kept the Prime Minister from getting a good night's sleep.

The next day, Ji Weiqiu saw Prime Minister Liu's rather haggard expression and feigned concern for him with a few words.

Yes, he arrived early today! He didn't oversleep! He even left ahead of schedule!

Ji Weiqiu felt he had truly made progress.

There were benefits to arriving early. The palace attendants in Taihe Hall had placed a screen in a corner, with a small table and an official's hat chair set up behind it. Ji Weiqiu hid inside to eat his breakfast. When he was almost finished, it was nearly time for court to begin. The screen and stool were removed, and he took his place among the court officials, feeling quite comfortable.

Today, Ji Weiqiu didn't ask Prime Minister Gu and the others if they had eaten.

The court today was even livelier than yesterday. The moment Ji Su threw down the memorial, the entire court erupted. The crowd was furious. "Your Majesty, this subject has never seen such a shameless person! After harassing our borders, they now dare to demand five hundred thousand taels of silver. Do they think our Nanzhu has no one?!"

"Not only that, the Tujue are insolent, demanding that the Emperor address the Tujue Khan as uncle. This kind of perverse action must never be agreed to!"

"They also want the two prefectures of Longquan and Huaijian. The fool is dreaming!"

Ji Weiqiu was also holding a memorial and reading it. Yesterday, Ji Su had only stated the conclusion, not the details. He was dumbfounded as he read. 'The Tujue must be sick, right?' This kind of peace negotiation couldn't be called diplomacy between two nations for peaceful development; rather, it should be translated as 'I'm giving you a chance to call me daddy. From now on, behave and scrape by under my rule!'

This was the kind of state letter that was usually sent after a war had been fought and won. The fighting hadn't even started yet. It would be a miracle if Ji Su agreed!

A thought suddenly flashed through Ji Weiqiu's mind. 'Wait! This isn't a peace negotiation at all, it's a provocation to war! They could have just started the war directly, why send a state letter?'

Ji Su's eyes were like frost. He said, "The arrival of the Tujue's state letter is peculiar."

The court instantly fell silent. Prime Minister Gu stepped forward and said, "This subject believes the Tujue must have other motives."

Ji Weiqiu also found it strange. It wasn't that they couldn't fight now, but war wasn't something you could start on a whim. The matter, simply put, was whether to fight or not.

If they didn't fight, the state letter had already been sent. It was a contest of who wanted to avoid war more. Since the other side had sent such a self-righteous state letter, a strong Nanzhu should just fight back directly. If they tolerated even this, it would mean Nanzhu would have to make concessions on the terms, and it would just be a matter of how much to give.

If they fought, as the saying goes, an army marches on its stomach... There was a drought in Jiangnan. Although other places didn't suffer a complete crop failure like Yunzhou, their harvests were also reduced to some extent. It was destined that this year's harvest would not be as good as previous years. Could it be that the Tujue had set their sights on this?

If they really had set their sights on this, then a question arose: the trouble in Yunzhou had only reached the capital two days ago. How did the Tujue, thousands of miles away, know about it? Had the great families become so deranged? Did they deliberately pass on the information, so the Tujue, certain that Ji Su had reservations, sent the state letter to gain some benefit?

There's an old saying in China: if you have money and don't use it for the military, are you waiting to cede territory and pay indemnities?!

It must be known that Nanzhu had only started to recover in recent years!

They had to fight, but not just because the other side wanted to.

Ji Weiqiu wasn't sure whether to speak up. He waited patiently and continued to listen. Sure enough, after most of the court officials had finished their tirades, someone came forward to say that peace negotiations were not a bad strategy either, as the country needed to rest and recuperate, and starting a war at this time was not the best course of action.

Naturally, some cursed this person as a traitor, a treacherous sycophant, but the facts were before them and had to be carefully considered. Seeing that the officials would not yield to each other, they argued until nearly noon without reaching a conclusion. Ji Su called for the court to be dismissed. Ji Weiqiu followed Ji Su towards Qingning Hall, studying him. By now, Ji Su no longer looked angry, appearing as detached and elegant as usual, as if all was at peace in the world.

Ji Weiqiu would bet his entire fortune that Ji Su was furious. He only appeared calm and unruffled because he had to adhere to the rule of not letting his emotions show on his face.

After finishing the meal, Ji Su leisurely went for his afternoon nap. Ji Weiqiu, who was all prepared to go to Wenyuan Pavilion and the Grand Secretariat for a meeting immediately, was left speechless: "...?"

'Seriously, how can you be so calm?!'

Ji Weiqiu quietly called Eunuch Qingxi over and asked, "Did Imperial Elder Brother not sleep well yesterday?"

Eunuch Qingxi was somewhat surprised. "Why does Your Highness ask such a thing?"

"Isn't it because of what happened in court?" Ji Weiqiu said in a low voice. "I'm worried Imperial Elder Brother is furious."

Eunuch Qingxi hadn't yet spoken when he suddenly heard Ji Su call from inside, "Come in."

Ji Weiqiu subconsciously shrank back. He knew without thinking that the call was directed at him. He had no choice but to enter the Green Gauze Alcove. Passing around a screen, he saw Ji Su sitting up, wrapped in a quilt, his expression normal. Ji Weiqiu felt a little intimidated, but he still braced himself and went over. "Your subject brother greets Imperial Elder Brother... Did I disturb Imperial Elder Brother?"

Ji Su simply said, "What was all the commotion outside?"

Ji Weiqiu hesitated for a moment. Ji Su must have heard him; it wouldn't be good if he didn't say anything. "I was just a little worried Imperial Elder Brother was angered by the Tujue."

Ji Su's expression softened slightly. He patted the edge of the bed. Ji Weiqiu, taking the hint, sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. Ji Su said, "I was not."

"...Why?" Ji Weiqiu asked subconsciously.

Ji Su looked at him as if he had said something strange. He said, "For no reason."

Ji Weiqiu asked cautiously, "...May I ask?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ji Weiqiu knew he had asked a foolish question. If he couldn't ask, Ji Su wouldn't have had him sit on the edge of the bed, postured as if to speak with him. Ji Weiqiu quickly continued, "That state letter makes me angry just looking at it. How does Imperial Elder Brother plan to handle it? Are we really going to war?"

Ji Su's words were brief and to the point: "Not now."

After speaking, he seemed to think of something and added, "Set the state letter aside."

Ji Weiqiu was stunned for a moment. "...Huh? We can do that?"

Ji Su's meaning was clear: ignore the state letter, pretend they hadn't seen it, and give the Tujue no response. They would fight, but not now. It would depend on the situation... In a word: stall.

The longer they stalled, the more advantageous it would be for Nanzhu.

Ji Su summoned a palace attendant and ordered, "Bring Heaven's Word, Number 25."

The palace attendants acknowledged the order. Ji Su also got up. Draping an outer robe over his shoulders, he led Ji Weiqiu to the arhat bed. Four strong eunuchs carried in a camphorwood chest. When opened, it was filled to the brim with bound volumes.

After this was done, the palace attendants all withdrew. Ji Su cupped a teacup with both hands and said lazily, "See for yourself."

Ji Weiqiu had sharp eyes and spotted the volume on the very top. Although the book had no title, its edges were the most worn, showing that someone had frequently thumbed through it. He picked up this one. As he read line by line, he discovered that it recorded the climate changes of the Tujue over the past decade.

Ji Su said languidly, "The Tujue gather in tribes, and each tribe lives by herding. For the last three years, the climate on the grasslands has been favorable, so their provisions are abundant. It is not an opportune time to start a war."

It was indeed so. Even if the seasons hadn't been favorable for the past three years, it was currently autumn, a time when the sheep were fat and the horses were strong. It really wasn't a good time to start a fight.

As he read, Ji Weiqiu asked, "But if we drag this out, what if their accumulated resources become even more abundant?"

Ji Su said, "The Tujue Khan is old."

Ji Weiqiu looked up abruptly. So this was Ji Su's plan? The reason Ji Su wasn't worried was because the Tujue Khan was old. If they delayed for a few more years, the various princes would inevitably begin to fight for the succession, and their power would be invisibly fractured?

Ji Weiqiu always felt something was missing. Everything Ji Su said was reasonable, yet he felt something was lacking, but if asked what it was, he couldn't say.

He stared at Ji Su in a daze, not speaking. Ji Su suddenly reached out a hand and pressed his shoulder. "One must not act on impulse for momentary satisfaction."

Ji Weiqiu suddenly understood. That was the missing piece—that breath of indignation. He said, "I know the reasoning... I just can't stomach it. Why should they be allowed to cause trouble on our border while we have to wait?"

Ji Su withdrew his hand, a peculiar look in his eyes. "If it were you... what would you want to do?"

"Isn't it just about playing dirty?! We care about our reputation, but that doesn't mean we don't know how!" Ji Weiqiu gave a cold laugh. "The villages on our border are all fixed. If anything happens, we know just by going to look. On their side, however, they follow the grass and water. Even if one or two tribes were to quietly disappear, they probably wouldn't even notice, would they?"

"Why can't we also send people to their side to stir up trouble?"—flowering branches swayed, and fragmented sunlight reflected in Ji Weiqiu's eyes, searingly bright—"They want to negotiate, so we'll negotiate with them. Slowly. On the border, we'll do as we please. If they ask, just say, what do bandits on their grasslands have to do with my Nanzhu!"

A faint smile appeared in Ji Su's eyes. "You don't feel pity for the Tujue commoners at a time like this?"

Ji Weiqiu retorted, "Then should my Nanzhu present a letter of surrender right now? Should Imperial Elder Brother go and kowtow to acknowledge an uncle for me? Acknowledge an ancestor for my Nanzhu?"

Speaking to this point, Ji Weiqiu added in a small voice, "Do we have someone capable of taking the Tujue's royal tent with a lone force? I don't think so, right? Besides, when I say stir up trouble, I don't mean real chaos..."