Chapter 139: Argument
Seeing the Emperor's fury, the ministers held their breaths, not daring to make the faintest sound for fear of they, themselves, becoming the chicken that would be killed.
Jiang Changbai swept a cold glance over She Qiang, and asked, "You say troops shouldn't be mobilised—then, what of the common people at the border?"
"An envoy could be—"
She Qiang had only spoken a few words before she realised she'd misspoken and hurriedly stopped speaking, cold sweat rising along her spine.
"Xie-daren was the Envoy!" Xu Shuqiao grasped onto the subject, not letting go, and when she raised her head to glare at She Qiang, her eyes were violently bloodshot. "Going upright and coming back laying down—She-daren, do you mean we should send another few living people to lose their lives for nothing?"
She Qiang's face flushed red; in the past, she'd never gotten into an argument during court, needing only to stand behind Xie Qianbing. When Xie Qianbing was still here, she'd frequently say to her the common people needed to be cared for, and that, as an official, she needed to remain benevolent. But only now did She Qiang find that, without Xie Qianbing, she could only widen her eyes and stare at her colleagues.
"Shejin is voraciously ambitious," Chi Caiying shifted forward on her knees, "Bixia, this minister requests to be the vanguard; I'm willing to give the military order, and in only three months—"
"With what will you give the military order?" Yin Zhengqing interrupted, "the dikes in the South have only just been resolves—how much of the provisions have been lost to the waters!"
Jiang Changbai laughed, sudden and quiet, startling the ministers into silence. Her voice fluttered lightly in the air. "We weren't discussing it with you."
"Your majesty," Lin Yingqing crossed over the crowd, kneeling before the stairs. "The provisions in the treasury at the moment would last for about four months. If all the monies are exchanged for provisions, they would last for another two months."
Song Juguang spoke suddenly, her voice precious as gold and jade. "This minister begs Bixia to dispatch the army!"
The court fell into a raucous uproar, and Yin Zhengqing hurriedly straightened. "Wangjun!"
"In the military report from two months prior, the Agile Cavalry General Wei Xiren led cavalry to kill dozens of Shejin bandits, and recently, nine of the trading caravans travelling between the Great Li and Shejin have been robbed," Song Juguang stared coldly at Yin Zhengqing, "being provoked by Shejin like this, must we jump at every shadow still?!"
Chi Caiying suddenly raised her head. "Wangjun's right—Bixia, please dispatch the army!"
A number of military officers kowtowed along with Chi Caiying, and the senior ministers who'd originally wanted to hunch in on themselves and not make a sound could only kneel. The cries for a war to be started were loud enough to overturn the heavens and earth, and seeing this, a faint smile rose on Jiang Changbai's face; she'd just intended to say "alright" when she saw Song Juguang fall to her knees.
"Bixia," Song Juguang made an obeisance that had rarely been seen in the recent years, her expression entirely serious, "this minister requests to travel to the Western border."
"Nonsense!" Jiang Changbai practically blurted out, before suddenly realising her loss of composure. "You're the Regent; naturally you ought to remain with Us to guard the core."
"Bixia—"
"Alright, enough," Jiang Changbai, seemingly unwilling to struggle with her further, furrowed her brows and waved her hand. "Since you all are so staunch, We will not cower from making the decision for war. The Ministry of War will, this very day, begin the examination of the three armies, and send troops to Shejin."
The maid from the Bureau of Ceremonies had already grown skilled at estimating the Emperor's intentions, and seeing this bearing of Jiang Changbai's, she knew what she had to do. So, she called out, as usual, "Court is adjourned—"
Though Xu Shuqiao wasn't willing to face it, she had to return home eventually. Before she'd even come close, she found her mother waiting at the door, peering about, black bags under her eyes. Seeing Xu Shuqiao returning, she hurried forward to greet her.
"Goodness gracious," Mother Xu called out, and once she saw the wretched state Xu Shuqiao was in properly, the worry on her face increased. "What river did you fall into?"
Mother Xu reached out a trembling had to touch her daughter's face, and then seeing the white cloth wrapped around her wrists, couldn't help but furrow her brows. "Didn't you say you were just taking over someone's duty?"
In fact, as the rains had increased the night before, before she'd gone to Tonghe River, Xu Shuqiao had intentionally sent word back home, claiming that she was taking over someone's duty, and couldn't return home. But no one in the world knew anyone better than a mother knew her daughter, so how could Mother Xu not have guessed that Xu Shuqiao was going to go do? So, these words were half reprimand, half interrogation.
Xu Shuqiao turned her head, avoiding her mother's hand, and said, "Mother, you needn't worry; the matters at the Ministry of Works are numerous; I've come back to rest for a bit, and after lunch, I'll leave."
At the moment, the sun was already hung high in the heavens, and it was only a shichen away from lunch. Mother Xu's brows furrowed tightly. "Is it that you only pay official matters any mind, and don't have any room in your mind for this mother of yours?"
As she spoke, she suddenly began to cough, using a handkerchief to cover her mouth. Only now did Xu Shuqiao see that there was quite a bit of white at her mother's temples; she'd practically spent all her time at the Ministry of Works lately, and it was largely Xu Shuyi who stayed home with their mother.
But now—
Xu Shuqiao didn't dare to tell her mother that Xu Shuyi had disappeared, and more than that, she wasn't willing to face it all. So, she retreated in a panic, using the excuse of exhaustion to hide in her quarters. Only Mother Xu remained at the doorway, staring dazedly after Xu Shuqiao's retreating figure, her mind full of frustration and disappointment.
These past few days, her heart had been filled with panic; she'd wanted to take advantage of Xu Shuqiao's return home to ask whether or not there'd been news of the diplomatic delegation, but seeing her exhausted state, she wasn't willing to chase after her.
"Never mind," Mother Xu suddenly smiled broadly, muttering to herself, "each has their own fate."
Xu Shuyi was young and clever and had travelled all about for years, and with someone as steady as Xie Qianbing there to look over her, how could anything happen to her?
From the time court had ended, Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang had been enveloped in a delicate atmosphere. Though the two walked together as usual, neither paid the other any attention, nor did either of them speak.
Once they returned to the imperial study, Jiang Changbai didn't need to mind her temper as she had during morning court, and, expression stormy, she began to review memorials. Song Juguang stood by her side, wanting to speak, yet swallowing it all back.
Until the kitchen maids brought lunch in, the imperial study was silent.
"Bixia," Song Juguang said, finally, "the current situation likely emerged due to Qin Zhixun."
Jiang Changbai shot her a glance, and scoffed. "We know. Back when Liang Jiwen left the capital, she was still ignorant; she wouldn't have been able to learn such sorcery."
"In the end, Qin Zhixun is this minister's shimei," Song Juguang said, as she looked at Jiang Changbai, her gaze carrying a probing to it. "So, if troops are to be sent to Shejin, it ought to be this minister who leads them into battle."
She'd only just spoken when, with a bang, Jiang Changbai threw what had been in her hand at Song Juguang. The ink drenching the tip of the brush flew as well, marring the plain white of Song Juguang's clothing.
Jiang Changbai glared at her for a long, long while, and then finally gritted out four words: "She is a sorcerer."
"But she's this minister's shimei," Song Juguang's expression was equally concentrated, "as she's treading the heterodox path, as her shijie, I naturally must deal with her."
Actually, when she'd been at the sect, Song Juguang truly hadn't had any impression of Qin Zhixun. As the eldest shijie, when their Shizun was in closed cultivation, she'd been responsible for teaching all her shimeis. Qin Zhixun had only been one among a countless crowd; Song Juguang had known about her, and could recognise she was her shimei, but even so, the two weren't close in the slightest.
But she'd guessed as well that this sorcery of Qin Zhixun's was likely because of the two's conflict earlier. This matter had started because of her, and naturally needed to be ended by her.
Her mission was to protect the peace and happiness of the common people, and so regardless of if she were the Regent of the Great Li or Qin Zhixun's shijie, or even Song Juguang herself, she had to stop Qin Zhixun.
"Shimei, shimei!" Hearing this, though, Jiang Changbai inexplicably grew infuriated; she glared at Song Juguang fixedly, her eyes growing slightly red. "Before she departed, Xie Qianbing said she'd made a promise to Ling Jiwen."
As she spoke, Jiang Changbai's voice began to tremble slightly; she paused, and then said, "She said she wanted to keep that promise, and asked Us to send her as Envoy. We thought that, as there was a friendship between them, she would be safer than others, and so We agreed.
"But in the end, she remains entirely in Shejin, without having even left behind an intact corpse."
Jiang Changbai's expression as she spoke these words was full of fury, and the joints of her fingers cracked from her clenching. Song Juguang wanted to say something, but she swallowed it all back.
Now, she really wasn't Qin Zhixun's adversary; if the two were to truly come to blows, she couldn't guarantee that she'd escape unscathed.
Jiang Changbai, seeing Song Juguang's hesitance, took a step towards her. "I wasn't able to stop Xie Qianbing, but I can't not stop you, too."
As she spoke, a teardrop fell as well. The tear rolled down her cheek and to her neck, leaving a silver trail on Jiang Changbai's skin. Song Juguang felt a pain as if a needle had stabbed her heart; she'd come to aid Jiang Changbai, but now, she'd overreached while trying to be clever.
Actually, thinking about it carefully, the time Xie Qianbing had spent by Jiang Changbai's side had been longer than Song Juguang had. Song Juguang knew that Jiang Changbai was grieving, and she knew that, at this moment, speaking more wouldn't be enough to comfort her; she could only come over to her, and press her forehead against Jiang Changbai's.
"Go ahead and cry," Song Juguang said softly, "this minister will be with you."
Jiang Changbai, though, didn't let her vulnerable side show as Song Juguang had expected. Rather, she retreated a step, wiping away the remaining undried tears at the corners of her eyes with her hand.
Perhaps it could be said that Jiang Changbai had always been like this, her intellect always outpacing her emotion. Even if she were grieving, even if she were on edge, the strings in her mind were always taut.
"Tears are no use," Jiang Changbai said lightly, as if the person who'd been overcome with emotion just now hadn't been her, "tears can't get retribution for Qianbing.
Song Juguang pressed her lips together, not saying anything further.
Jiang Changbai clearly didn't have the intent to continue the topic, her gaze sweeping over to the maid standing outside and trembling faintly. "Go on and bring lunch in."
So, only once the maids had brought the delicacies in had fled like fish in a stream did Jiang Changbai say, "Back then, I was the one who was wrong."
Of course Song Juguang knew what Jiang Changbai wanted to say. Back then, Liang Jiwen had asked Jiang Changbai permission to return to Shejin, and Song Juguang had gone to all lengths to try and stop her, but in the end, she hadn't been able to stop Liang Jiwen from leaving the capital.
"At the time, I thought that, if Liang Jiwen were to become the new King of Shejin, the pressure from the Western border would grow smaller, and the Ministry of revenue could expend less in salaries for soldiers, and common people wouldn't have to keep fleeing their hometowns; reflecting on it now, I was wrong."
Jiang Changbai wasn't hesitant about being honest with her own mistakes; looking at it now, if she had kept Liang Jiwen restricted in the capital, the current matters wouldn't have occurred. Song Juguang naturally regretted as well—regretted that she hadn't been more vicious back then, and eliminated Liang Jiwen on the way completely, like destroying the roots of weeds.
But Song Juguang knew full well that, if Liang Jiwen truly were the other Emperor Star, then even if she'd gone to all lengths, she wouldn't have been able to impact her in the slightest.
"It wasn't your mistake," Song Juguang said. "It was Liang Jiwen; as this minister sees it, she's on the verge of being swallowed by ambition."
Jiang Changbai didn't say any more, but mechanically brought food to her mouth. In truth, the flavour of the food was nowhere near what was made in restaurants outside; this food was made and then left heating on the stove, and had long since been stewed to a mush.
Suddenly thinking of something, she looked at Song Juguang, and asked, "In a bit, send someone out to ask about how much, exactly, Honghailou sold during its auction. Have all of Chen Xun's merchant caravans halted in the vicinity of the capital—don't let a single person go."
When Liang Jiwen had been in the capital, she'd taken a great deal of silver from Chen Xun, and in the past few years, Honghailou's trade caravans had been consistently travelling between the Great Li and Shejin. Chen Xun had assumed she'd hidden these dealings of hers quite well, but what she didn't know was that Jiang Changbai had long since known about them.
But in the past, she'd not paid them any mind, or, rather, hadn't thought to pay them any mind. Viewing the Great Li broadly, there was only this one restaurant which hung a sign written by her own imperial hand, and to keep face, she couldn't very well go against her. But now that the two states were on the verge of war, she naturally needed to discipline her.
Song Juguang nodded and made a sound of assent. But she'd only just spoken when Qing Huai came in to report, "Bixia, He-daren, He Leyong, has sent a missive in, saying she wishes to see you."
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