Chapter 17

Chapter 17

With Du Ru'an's words, a hushed silence fell upon everyone in the great hall.

It's not that no one had thought of this method; indeed, the practice of combining grace with intimidation has long been a common strategy for the central government to pacify the regions, with countless precedents set by the previous emperor.

The crux of the issue lies in whether the Emperor is willing to treat the bandits of Dingzhou as his own subjects.

To do so would be to admit to a fault during his reign, acknowledging that these once law-abiding citizens were driven to become bandits out of desperation.

That's why the entire court, civil and military alike, argued vehemently over who should suppress the rebels, with no one daring to suggest a more peaceful approach.

The Emperor’s dignity is not something that just anyone dares to challenge.

The Emperor was somewhat taken aback.

He scrutinized Du Ru'an, trying to discern something from his expression.

Du Ru'an, with eyes downcast and standing tall and composed in the center of the hall, awaited the Emperor's verdict on his proposal with equanimity.

Unable to glean anything immediately, the Emperor queried the entire court, "What do my esteemed ministers think?"

He isn’t angry?

The officials in the imperial court were secretly guessing the emperor's thoughts.

Could it be that this was an idea suggested by His Majesty for Du Ru'an to propose?

The more they thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Soon, someone spoke up in agreement: "In my humble opinion, what Master Du has proposed is a sound strategy. With the Yíng Dynasty eying us covetously, it would be imprudent to squander troops and provisions on the bandits of Dingzhou."

"I concur. Moreover, if the Dingzhou rebels are pacified appropriately, it might be wise to offer them amnesty and enlist them into our forces; they could become a formidable squadron of valiant troops."

"I also believe so..."

Those who were previously engaged in endless debates swiftly changed their stance, echoing each other, turning from adversaries with clashing political views into friends and confidants.

Only a few remained silent.

Qin Wuyun couldn't help but glance at Xue Hongwen, wondering if he had anticipated this development.

Unfortunately, Xue Hongwen always wore an expressionless face, and no one could guess his thoughts.

The Prime Minister, leading the civil officials, also kept silent.

This morning session ended without a conclusion, and as the officials left the court and headed home, they murmured among themselves.

"What do you think the emperor is really considering?"

"It's hard to say, but the method proposed by Master Du today does seem to be the best option given the circumstances. Dingzhou is close to the Yíng Dynasty, and they are probably already aware of the chaos; if we were to attack with full force, Yíng might seize the opportunity to strike."

"Yes, indeed, alas..."

They were so worried that they were practically losing their hair over it.

*

"Young Master, look quickly!"

Shaòjǐng entered with high spirits, holding a birdcage: "The porter said it was a gift from a peddler in the flower and bird market."

The bird in the cage, with its splendid feathers and long tail, although only the size of a palm, was incredibly exquisite.

It was brought before Xue Fuguang, and it tilted its head, staring at him with shiny black eyes, as if curious.

Xue Fuguang prodded gently into the cage with a small stick, touching its feathers.

The bird turned around, presenting its tail to him. Its long tail feathers trailed behind, making the bird seem top-heavy.

"Pluck its tail feathers," instructed Xue Fuguang.

Shaòjǐng was puzzled: "?"

He hesitated for a moment before snapping to his senses, hastily capturing the bird from the cage and stripping it of its tail feathers.

The long, brilliant feathers came off easily in Shaòjǐng's hands, having been merely glued onto the bird's tail.

Holding the feathers, Xue Fuguang spotted a few tiny characters carved into the quill.

Du Ru'an was certainly cautious, using such an unexpected method for communication.

He passed the feathers to Shaòjǐng, "Burn these."

Mu Jian Shu entered carrying a bowl of medicinal soup, bringing it over to Xue Fuguang.

He took it and drank in one gulp, as was his custom, and handed back the empty bowl, pondering how to fulfill what Du Ru'an demanded.

Naturally, he couldn’t possibly bring out Xiu Jin so soon.

Moreover, Xiu Jin was an element too difficult to control, and with insufficient manpower at hand, he wasn't about to rashly make a move against Xiu Jin.

But throwing the Crown Prince into disarray over Xiu Jin again was simple enough.

Since Du Ru'an desired Xiu Jin, he would devise a way for Xiu Jin to want to leave the Crown Prince of her own accord.

...Perfect timing, as the fuss over the Crown Prince was dying down, and by his calculations, it was almost time for his elder sister’s matter to come to a head.

If Zuo Tiaohan waited any longer, her condition would not allow it.

That night, the Xue residence received an invitation for a banquet, inviting the three Xue siblings.

The invitation was from the household of the Grand Preceptor Zuo, a high-ranking official, inviting the three Xue siblings.

Yet, in the end, only Xue Fuguang and Xue Wanxi attended, as Xue Hongwen seldom had the leisure for such events.

The Grand Preceptor, a senior official of the third rank, was Zuo Tiaohan's uncle and the most distinguished branch of the Zuo family. Zuo Tiaohan's opportunity to come to the capital relied entirely on her influential uncle.

Even as the legitimate daughter of his uncle's household, she would be considered overreaching in marrying Xue Hongwen due to the disparity in their social standings, let alone Zuo Tiaohan, who hailed from the family of a district magistrate.

If it weren't for the schemes she used to get close to Xue Wanxi, Zuo Tiaohan likely would never have had a chance to meet a man of Xue Hongwen's stature in her life.

After persuading her cousin to arrange this banquet, Zuo Tiaohan spent several days fretting over how to stand out on the day of the event.

She was well aware that someone like Xue Hongwen, who held a noble title, would probably not attend a banquet of this caliber, but as long as Xue Wanxi was present, it wouldn't be a problem.

At that time, if she and Li Ze Feng could coordinate well in their respective seating arrangements, and if she could secure a marriage with the lofty princess, then Xue Hongwen would not seem so unattainable.

With these thoughts, when the day of the banquet arrived and she saw the Xue siblings arrive together without Xue Hongwen, a flicker of disappointment still passed through her eyes.

Xue Wanxi, oblivious to her good sister’s intricate feelings, came forward with joy, taking her hand.

Zuo Tiaohan mentioned offhandedly, “You seem to be at leisure, Wanxi. The other young ladies, despite having received invitations, have not appeared. Perhaps this banquet was ill-timed.”

Xue Wanxi frowned, “Why would that be?”

Just as Zuo Tiaohan was about to take the opportunity to complain, Xue Fuguang, supported gently by Shaòjǐng, softly called out, "Sister."

Xue Wanxi immediately let go of Zuo Tiaohan, reaching out to assist him, her voice tinged with concern, “Tiaohan, let’s go inside. Ah Ru’s leg isn’t fully healed; he shouldn’t stand for too long.”

Zuo Tiaohan had to cut off her own words, attempting to help Xue Wanxi support Xue Fuguang with a forced smile.

Alas, why would Shaòjǐng let go?

He was not even quite comfortable letting Princess Jingrong assist his master.

Without a role to play, Zuo Tiaohan awkwardly withdrew her hand and instead inquired with concern, "How did the young master injure his leg? I hadn’t heard anything about it recently."

Xue Fuguang walked slowly inward, “Thank you for your concern, Miss Zuo. It was just an accident in the night, a cut from a piece of porcelain. It’s nothing serious.”

Zuo Tiaohan immediately followed up, “How could the servants be so negligent, to allow the young master to suffer such an injury so carelessly…”

Her voice trailed off before she could finish.

Shaòjǐng at Xue Fuguang’s side pursed his lips, while Xue Fuguang glanced at her gently, explaining with a smile, “I’m not accustomed to having people in my room while I sleep.”

Zuo Tiaohan fell half a step behind the two, her expression one of chagrin.

She hadn’t expected Xue Fuguang, known as a frivolous youth, to be quite adept at winning over the servants.

Xue Wanxi supported Xue Fuguang to the men's seating area. Xue Fuguang waved her off, "Sister, go ahead to the ladies’ section. I have Shaoying for company here, and the shadow guards are close at hand, so there's no need to worry. If anything arises, remember to call for me."

"Alright then, I'll head over first. Take care of your leg, Aru," Xue Wanxi said, lifting her skirt as she left with her personal maid in tow.

Although the Minister of Rites is indeed a third-ranked official, the feast was initiated by his son, as a host, not by the Minister himself. Most attendees were the younger generation, with the few higher-ranked guests mostly in attendance due to their good relations with the Zuo family, as a courtesy.

As soon as Xue Fuguang took his seat, he was invited to a place of honor, with the legitimate son of the Zuo family personally coming over to offer a toast.

Author's Note: This short chapter is just to say, I'm back! (dog head emoji)

It's been quite a turbulent time lately. First, I resigned from my previous company to join a new one, only to end up exhausted like a dog after a week. Realizing that the new company was even worse, I resigned. Yesterday, I had a good day's sleep at home, and today I went out to celebrate my resignation with friends! For the time being, I won't be looking for a new job. I'm going to try to make a living from writing full-time. Hehehe.

Bubbling greetings to everyone, and a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

A heartfelt thanks to the little angels who gave me Overlord votes or poured nutrient solution for me during the period from September 15, 2021, 23:35:27 to September 21, 2021, 23:43:11~

Thanks to the little angels who poured nutrient solutions: 'Rooftop Fish Breeder' for 30 bottles; 'Artist Who Can't Sell Newspapers' for 8 bottles; 'Spotted Fish Rua' for 5 bottles;

I'm deeply grateful for your support and will continue to do my best!