Chapter 98: Envoy
The early autumn afternoon was still hot, the sun hung high in the heavens, but it was, in the end, clearly in slight decline. Xie Qianbing's residence wasn't much more luxurious than Lin Yingqing's, and in the courtyard, not even an ornamental Taihu boulder could be found.
Liu Zihe had been shackled and jailed, and Xie Qianbing took the position of Minister of Appointments without need for doubt. In this time, it could even be said that the Xie residence's door was as busy as a marketplace, every person with some power extending their hands.
But she wouldn't see a single one.
Those people gradually realised that she was an impassable road, and withdrew their cordiality. But the Xie residence had only been peaceful for a few days when another unexpected guest visited.
"How is it that Dianxia has the time to find me today?" Xie Qianbing was a bit puzzled, but she still courteously poured a cup of tea for Liang Jiwen.
Liang Jiwen didn't have a title of nobility in the Great Li at all, and though everyone respectfully called her "Dianxia", to be precise, she was no more than the commonest of people. Liang Jiwen was aware of this as well, and had never demanded anything in terms of address.
"This is a tribute wine from Shejin," Liang Jiwen said as she placed the jar of wine on the table, "a few days ago, her majesty gifted me a jar, but drinking alone is dreary, so I thought to come look for Xie-daren, and, as you people of the Great Li say, drink and talk merrily."
But Xie Qianbing's expression, seeing the wine, immediately chilled, and with a ping, she set the teapot down on the table. "If Dianxia has some other motive, please change your tactics as soon as possible. I won't do anything for you at all."
"Ah, what are you thinking?" Liang Jiwen smiled, "you think I'm like those people, don't you?"
Xie Qianbing didn't say anything, but the coldness in her gaze clearly indicated her thoughts.
Liang Jiwen raised her head and swallowed the tea in a single mouthful, and, minding herself, opened the jar of wine, pouring the wine into the teacup. The fragrance of the wine filled the entire room in an instant. "You fear I have some request, and if you don't drink, that'll be it. When others call on you, they're only thinking of moving more easily in the official sphere, but what could I request? With this identity of mine, could I be an official in the Great Li?"
Xie Qianbing remained standing with her hands behind her back. "When selecting officials, the Great Li doesn't ask about origins; those able to will."
"Those able to will." Hearing this, Liang Jiwen laughed at herself; even if she looked more unrestricted, she could only return to the Palace every night. Even if Jiang Changbai were more open-minded, she likely wouldn't permit a minister who lived in the Rear Court. But though she thought so, she couldn't say it. Liang Jiwen cleared her throat, and said, "I can only barely speak the Great Li's language clearly, and if I wanted to earn a jinshi, I fear studying for ten more years wouldn't be enough. In drinking a pot of my wine today, does Xie-daren need to be so guarded?"
Xie Qianbing stood still with her hands behind her, yet the doubt on her face increased a bit. The teacher who taught in the Rear Court was one she'd recommended, and thinking on it carefully, the two of them had the faint ties of eighth degree relatives. They'd spoken before, and with Liang Jiwen's abilities, if she wanted to earn a jinshi, she really would have a long road to walk.
Having thought to this point, Xie Qianbing's gaze couldn't help but fall on Liang Jiwen, and she saw the fragrance bag hung at her waist, the one that she herself had gifted her before entering the imperial exams.
Liang Jiwen placidly raised her gaze to look at her, and suppressed the smirk in her heart. "Today, I didn't come for anything else; I merely wanted you to taste the flavour of my homeland."
Even if Xie Qianbing didn't pay her any attention, Liang Jiwen continued to pour wine into the cups before her.
"The people of Shejin rely on nomadic husbandry to live, and in a year, not much grain is planted. In the past, we relied on robbery, and now, we rely on trade with the Great Li, and in the end, we didn't allow this art to die out. The production is incredibly low; when I was in the Shejin Royal Palace, I was hardly ever able to drink it.
"Though I didn't pass the exams, in that time, you helped me a lot. As you know, I don't have many friends in the Great Li; you're one of them."
Xie Qianbing, in the end, did sit down, but she didn't drink the wine that Liang Jiwen passed her. "I still have business in the afternoon, so I won't drink the wine. Dianxia, don't keep acting; having not seen each other for so long, if you'd really thought of me, you'd have long since come to see me. If you have some matter, just go ahead and say it, but there's one thing—I don't have any shortcuts for you."
The cup Liang Jiwen was raising paused in mid-air, and she raised her gaze to look insistently at Xie Qianbing. "For Xie-daren, this is merely a minor matter."
The incense in the imperial study was still heavy, and, hands behind her back, Jiang Changbai stood before a painting hung on the wall, her brows furrowed tightly. The envoy from Shejin had arrived in the capital a few days ago, and had offered a not insignificant amount of things as tribute, only asking for a single medicinal ingredient from the Great Li.
The medicinal ingredient was rare, and the state treasury had been looted by Emperor Tai before she'd ascended the throne, and for a time, it hadn't been found. Luckily, the Great Li's territory was vast and its resources abundant, and with an imperial edict carried by a horse at full speed, it was found in Jiangnan.
But this medicinal ingredient had yet to be brought to the capital when the envoy fell ill. The envoy was said to be severely ill, coughing without stop day and night, even having lost a deal of weight. But a number of physicians had been found, and none of them could discover a reason for it.
The matter of an envoy alone falling ill wasn't a major one, but if this illness were to spread, then to the citizens of the capital, it wouldn't be a dangerous matter.
"Bixia, the Minister of Rites, Sheng Yunxing, requests an audience," Qing Huai suddenly approached Jiang Changbai's side and said in a low tone.
"Let her in, then, We were just wishing to see her."
"Understood."
Stepping into the imperial study once more, Shen Yunxing was in higher spirits. Now, in the important positions of the court, not many members of the previous court remained. The previous Minister of Rites had been implicated along with Liu Zihe, and now, he was accompanying him in the Imperial Prison.
Many of those who'd been selected during the keju had been born in humble families, and those who'd come from Prince Ling's residence along with Jiang Changbai hadn't studied rites either, and the only one who'd been qualified for the position of Minister of Rites was Shen Yunxing, who'd been born into an aristocratic family.
Shen Yunxing's title as a woman of talent had spread in the capital for over a dozen years, and now, she was only around thirty years of age. It was said that age never withered beauties, and the time of these years had left no traces on Shen Yunxing's face.
Jiang Changbai looked at her, her tone unconsciously softening a few degrees. "We arrested your family members—do you resent Us?"
Yet Shen Yunxing shook her head, puzzled. "What is your majesty saying? This minister's mother and younger sister are currently living perfectly well in this minister's home."
The two locked gazes, and smiled at the same time.
Shen Yunxing's father had been implicated with Liu Zihe as well, and to say nothing of losing his official position, he'd caused his relatives within three degrees to be demoted to commoners. Jiang Changbai, having appreciation for talent, had given a special pardon to Shen Yunxing's mother and her younger sister.
As for Shen Yunxing, she'd long since severed relationships with her family, and hadn't suffered the slightest bit of implication.
"You're not wrong," Jiang Changbai smiled, "we ought to speak of proper matters; is that Shejin envoy still alive?"
"Replying to Bixia," Shen Yunxing said, making reverential obeisance, "this minister came precisely about this matter; Zhao-taiyi and the Board of Astronomy's Qin-daren both went, and said that the envoy was in quite good health."
"In good health again," Jiang Changbai scoffed, "then let Lin Yingqing go take a look, and see whether or not the envoy is using the same method."
Seeing the anger on Jiang Changbai's face, Shen Yunxing was a bit helpless. But before she could gather up the right words to say, she heard Song Juguang's voice come closer from a distance.
"The books Lin-daren read were the classics; she wouldn't be able to tell that. If Bixia is uneasy, then it would be best for this minister to go take a look."
Jiang Changbai looked at Song Juguang, and without even thinking, refused. "You may not go."
Yet Song Juguang, hearing this, wasn't angered, merely put on an expression of defiance. "Even that child, Qin Anhe, can go, so why can't this minister?"
When she finished speaking, Song Juguang was standing right before Jiang Changbai's desk. Not paying any mind to Shen Yunxing, who was making obeisance to her, she continued, "Does Bixia wish to take a guess why this Shejin envoy has come?"
"What do We care why he's come," Jiang Changbai said, disdainfully, "he's merely a prince."
"She is and she isn't," Song Juguang said, raising a brow, and only now looked at Shen Yunxing. "Shen-daren has met that envoy; how have you not explained to Bixia?"
"Bixia is busy with countless matters a day, such a small matter—" Shen Yunxing said, somewhat hesitantly, but before she could finish speaking, she was cut off by Jiang Changbai.
"Since the Regent wishes to say it, then go ahead and speak."
"The one who came is a princess," Song Juguang said, levelly, "to speak of it, she's Liang Jiwen's older sister."
"They also—"
Before Jiang Changbai finished asking, she saw Song Juguang shake her head. "The King of Shejin is severely ill, and the various princes are vying fiercely for the throne. Those princes and ministers are all occupied with infighting, none of them willing to come, fearing that the instant they leave, the situation in Shejin will shift. Only so did they send a princess."
"How do you know so clearly?" Jiang Changbai asked without thinking.
Song Juguang, hearing this, didn't have the slightest displeasure of being suspected, but rather smiled. "In order to express good faith, Shejin brought its prisoners of war back. This minister heard it from them."
Jiang Changbai nodded, and didn't keep pressing. After Wu Dongmu had been imprisoned, Meng Daosheng had taken the military might that had been under his control, but the majority of the military power was still in Song Juguang's hands. Song Juguang had been responsible for the war with Shejin during the previous emperor's time, and that she'd gone to see them when the prisoners of war had returned wasn't anything rare, either.
"A princess," Jiang Changbai muttered, "but a princess can't always feign illness. With the envoy sick the entire time, this banquet has no way to be laid out."
"This minister said she'd go take a look, but Bixia won't allow it." Song Juguang shrugged, her expression one of helplessness.
Jiang Changbai merely smiled. "In all of Shejin's borders, who doesn't know your name? If you went, even those who aren't ill might be scared to illness by you."
"Is this minister that frightening, as Bixia sees it?"
Song Juguang didn't get Jiang Changbai's response, because the next moment, Jiang Changbai looked at Shen Yunxing. "Have another physician go take a look; even if it takes acupuncture, she ought to be pricked brought back to health."
"I can't help you; I don't know either." In the Xie residence, Xie Qianbing rejected Liang Jiwen with a cold expression. "If Dianxia only came for this matter, then please, leave."
"Why!" Liang Jiwen's eyes widened, "how do you not know!"
"The matters the Ministry of Rites is responsible, what relationship do they have with my Ministry of Appointments?" Xie Qianbing cast her a glance. "If I weren't to ask intentionally, how would I be able to know?"
"Just treat it as me begging you," Liang Jiwen said, the rims of her eyes reddening, "ask about for me. You know that I've been away from my homeland for more than three years, and in these three years, I haven't seen a single person from Shejin."
Seeing this, Xie Qianbing froze, and even if she were to reject more coldly, she couldn't help but pass Liang Jiwen a handkerchief. "In matters I have no weight in, even if I were to ask, it would cross boundaries. But in this world, there is someone who has weight in all matters. In comparison to begging me here, it would be better to go ask her. If you're given permission by her, Dianxia can properly enter the relay station."
"I—I…" Liang Jiwen's throat was a bit choked, and she stammered, unable to speak.
Xie Qianbing, seeing her shakenness, was pleased, and continued, "Her majesty is fair and reasonable; in this time, Dianxia ought to have seen it clearly as well. Living as a guest in a foreign land and longing for your home is natural. Go ask her majesty for a favour, and perhaps she'll allow you to see your old friend."
"But—but her majesty is busy with countless matters a day, and I—I'm afraid…" The rims of Liang Jiwen's eyes were still red, as if in the next moment, tears were about to spill out.
"It's better than wasting your time here," Xie Qianbing sighed, and reached out, dabbing at the tears at the corners of her eyes for her.
Liang Jiwen didn't know how she'd returned to Rongfan Palace; she only knew that the chair she'd sat on hadn't even warmed yet when she saw Qing Huai, who waited by her majesty's side, stand before her, and say, "Dianxia, her majesty wishes to see you."
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