Chapter 8 Negotiations and Confrontations

Chapter 8: Negotiations and Confrontations

Shui Yun, a woman of twenty-eight, possessed a soft and melodious voice. Word by word, she recited the lines echoing in her mind: "Fine wine in golden cups costs a fortune, delicacies on jade plates are worth as much."

With just a few words, a scene of a grand and extravagant banquet was painted. This single line alone revealed the extraordinary talent of the poet.

"Marvelous!" An Wuji’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Qin Zhaoyang also furrowed his brow slightly.

Shui Yun continued reciting: "I lay down my cup and chopsticks, unable to eat; I draw my sword and look around, my heart filled with bewilderment..."

"Leisurely, I fish by the green stream; suddenly, I dream of sailing to the edge of the sun..."

The melancholy evoked by the earlier lines dissipated somewhat at this point.

Finally, Shui Yun recited her favorite line, which was also the last: "A time will come to ride the wind and break through the waves; I’ll hoist my cloud-white sail and cross the vast ocean."

Her originally soft and pleasant voice became passionate and powerful as she spoke this line.

"Excellent!" An Wuji stood up abruptly, pacing excitedly. "What a magnificent poem! This Immortal Poet Li Bai is truly a genius—no wonder he became an immortal!"

He personally believed in the supernatural, and after Chu Jiubian accurately predicted the weather twice, he no longer doubted his divine identity, genuinely regarding him as a celestial who descended to earth.

Especially after hearing this poem, he became even more convinced of the existence of an immortal realm and a bold "Immortal Poet."

Qin Zhaoyang, being more composed and steady than An Wuji, was equally moved after hearing the poem.

Could such poetic talent and grandeur truly come from an ordinary person?

Could it be that the Immortal Poet truly exists?

He glanced at Qin Xiao, who was seated at the head, slightly frowning as if lost in thought.

An Wuji took no notice of the reactions of the other two. After his excitement subsided, he turned eagerly to Shui Yun and said, "What about the other poem? Quickly recite the one by the female poet Li Qingzhao."

Shui Yun complied.

In truth, compared to the previous poem, she personally preferred the female poet’s lyrics.

In her mind, a slender, graceful figure seemed to emerge, blurred in hazy immortal mist.

"The fragrance of red lotus fades, autumn chills the mat of jade. My silk robe doffed, I float alone in an orchid boat." The young maiden’s melodious voice was perfectly suited to reciting such lines. Even An Wuji, still excited, quieted down and returned to his seat.

"...Flowers fall and water flows of their own accord; one kind of longing, two places of lingering sorrow."

Qin Xiao slightly narrowed his eyes.

An Wuji couldn’t help but exchange glances with Qin Zhaoyang before both turned their gazes to Qin Xiao.

"This feeling cannot be eliminated; no sooner does it leave my eyebrows than it occupies my heart." As Shui Yun recited the final line, she couldn’t help but marvel once again at the sheer beauty of the verse.

An Wuji, though a straightforward man, could still appreciate the beauty of the poem and the moving emotions it conveyed.

However... this was a romantic poem.

He couldn’t help but recall the "love tribulation" that Chu Jiubian had mentioned during the coronation ceremony the day before.

Even if he didn’t fully understand the meaning of "love tribulation," the two words alone were easy to interpret—clearly, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao shared feelings, but their love was marked by hardships and trials.

He had brushed it off yesterday, not taking it to heart.

But now, with this poem expressing longing, the term "love tribulation" stuck in his mind.

Could it be that Chu Jiubian intentionally shared this with Lord Prince Ning?

The more he thought about it, the more his imagination ran away with him. He could almost picture Chu Jiubian, with his pale and beautiful face, standing there gaunt atop the clouds, longing so deeply for Lord Prince Ning that he leaped from the heavens and threw himself into their lord’s embrace...

Qin Zhaoyang, not having An Wuji’s vivid imagination, was concerned with another matter.

He asked Shui Yun, "Is this female poet Li Qingzhao a woman?"

Judging by the lyrics, it seemed only a woman could possess such refined and beautiful sentiments.

Sure enough, Shui Yun nodded and replied, "The gentleman said that this female poet is a woman, and she is one of the renowned poetic immortals in their celestial realm."

One of them.

That meant there were many more immortals like her.

Qin Zhaoyang said, "Understood. You're dismissed now."

After Shui Yun withdrew, Qin Zhaoyang immediately turned to Qin Xiao and said, "My lord, these two poems could not have been written by the same person, so it’s unlikely the young master composed them himself."

"Moreover, the men I sent have investigated everything they could but found no clues about the young master’s identity. Instead, they discovered that other forces are also secretly investigating him."

He looked at Qin Xiao’s indifferent expression and hesitated to say more.

Qin Xiao gave a light chuckle. "Do you also believe he is truly an immortal?"

"I simply can't figure it out," Qin Zhaoyang said, frowning. "Anyone capable of writing such poems could not possibly be unknown. Yet, after considering all the famous talented scholars, I cannot guess who among them possesses such poetic talent."

An Wuji, finally pulling himself out of his thoughts, interjected, "What if he is a recluse from the deep mountains?"

Although he was already convinced that Chu Jiubian was an immortal, he didn't dare openly contradict Qin Xiao, who remained skeptical.

Qin Zhaoyang’s expression grew even more solemn. "If such a recluse truly exists, then the young master may be backed by a force we have never encountered."

Moreover, since other factions also seemed unaware of Chu Jiubian’s identity, how powerful must this hidden force be to remain so well hidden?

How many more individuals like the Immortal Poet and the female poet might there be?

Qin Xiao’s thoughts were similar to his.

If such a force truly existed, what was their goal?

Could the power that took control of his body yesterday also be related to this mysterious faction?

An Wuji looked back and forth between Qin Zhaoyang and Qin Xiao, puzzled. "Why are you both so tense?"

"Of course we are tense," Qin Zhaoyang explained. "If such a force truly exists, we don’t know if it will interfere with our plans."

Their ultimate goal was to suppress the vassal princes and noble families until they could no longer cause trouble, creating a prosperous era for the young emperor of Great Ning.

Therefore, every move they made had to be cautious.

However, after hearing his explanation, An Wuji not only failed to share his anxiety but instead kept giving strange looks at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao glanced at him indifferently.

An Wuji quickly furrowed his brow, pretending to ponder deeply.

Qin Xiao said, "Go on."

An Wuji's expression froze momentarily, then he looked up and gave a dry laugh. "Actually, I don't think there's need for concern."

"Why?" Qin Zhaoyang, thinking he had some good idea, quickly asked.

An Wuji replied as if stating the obvious, "The young master clearly has feelings for our Lord, and he’s currently in our hands. As long as the Lord treats him well, he and the forces behind him will surely align with us."

Isn’t that how political marriages among nobility work?

Qin Zhaoyang was dumbfounded from the moment he heard the first sentence.

After An Wuji finished speaking, the room fell into a prolonged silence.

An Wuji, feeling that what he said was perfectly reasonable, added, "My Lord, isn’t what I said correct?"

The smile on Qin Xiao’s lips remained unchanged. He repeated An Wuji’s words with amused interest: "That person has feelings for me."

"That's right," An Wuji nodded. "This love poem was clearly written for you to see, hoping you would keep him company."

Qin Zhaoyang quietly minimized his presence.

As a former covert guard, his presence was already incredibly unobtrusive, and now, deliberately trying to fade away, he almost virtually disappeared from the room.

Qin Xiao gave a low chuckle and said, "An Wuji, it seems you have quite a talent in this area. I'm assigning you a task."

An Wuji didn’t understand what talent he had besides fighting and martial arts, but upon hearing there was a task, he immediately stood up and cupped his hands in salute. "Please give your orders, my Lord."

"Spread these two poems far and wide. The more widely they’re known, the better."

An Wuji often indulged in fanciful ideas, but when it came to official duties, he never hesitated or asked unnecessary questions.

So, after accepting the task, he immediately turned and left the room.

Once he was gone, Qin Zhaoyang said, "Once these two poems are spread, those people will be restless."

If they could guess that there was a vast and mysterious force behind Chu Jiubian, others would naturally guess the same.

If it were just Chu Jiubian alone, perhaps these people wouldn’t easily move against their hidden operatives, but if there was a powerful force behind him, no one would be able to remain inactive.

Qin Xiao laughed softly, picked up the piece of saltpeter, stood up, and walked out. "Since he misses your prince, it’s time to go see him."

Well, it seemed their Lord couldn’t sit still either.

Meanwhile, Chu Jiubian, who reportedly had a "powerful force" behind him, was aimlessly pacing around the courtyard.

He had originally planned to write only "Hard Is the Way," but fearing others might mistake it for his own work, he added "A Twig of Mume Blossoms."

Two poems with vastly different styles made it clear they couldn’t have been written by the same person.

With such excellent poetry and the lofty pseudonyms of "Immortal Poet" and "Yi'an Jushi," someone was bound to believe he was an "immortal."

For example, the five eunuchs and maids in his courtyard now looked at him with eyes shining with admiration.

Another example was his Faith Points, which had jumped up by five points!

Chu Jiubian was in an exceptionally good mood.

Even if Qin Xiao withheld his poems from being spread, he wasn’t worried, because he was confident those two poems would draw Qin Xiao in.

As long as Qin Xiao came, he could negotiate.

According to the original story, at this time, the national treasury was empty, and funds were needed everywhere. With the heavy rain these past few days, repairing the embankments was especially urgent, so Qin Xiao was likely beset by financial troubles.

Negotiation and trade were all about understanding the other party’s mindset and identifying what they needed most.

Now, Qin Xiao needed money, and Chu Jiubian happened to have a method to generate revenue quickly. Meanwhile, Chu Jiubian needed the freedom to interact with more people within the palace, and Qin Xiao could provide that.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and Qin Xiao wouldn’t refuse.

Chu Jiubian looked at his Faith Points, wondering who he would choose as his believer once he reached the first hundred points.

Suddenly, greetings echoed from the courtyard gate: "Greetings, my Lord."

"Young master," Xiao Xiangzi quickly said to Chu Jiubian, "Prince Ning is here."

Chu Jiubian turned to look toward the courtyard gate.

The man approaching was slender and tall, with an elegant bearing, thin lips carrying a faint smile, and dark eyes hiding a smoldering intensity.

Everyone in the courtyard prostrated themselves, and Qin Xiao’s gaze immediately fell on the only figure standing upright.

The young man had freshened himself up and changed into a dark blue robe, but his unconventionally cut hair still looked strange.

Qin Xiao walked slowly to stand before the young man, glanced at the bruise on his neck, and asked in a familiar tone, "Feeling better?"

You’re quite the familiar one, aren’t you?

Chu Jiubian thought to himself but calmly replied, "Much better."

"Good," Qin Xiao said with a smile. "Shall we talk inside?"

Chu Jiubian led the way into the outer room and took a seat at the main position behind the desk.

Qin Xiao followed him in, glanced around the room, and said, "If you need anything, just tell Xiao Xiangzi. Don’t hesitate to ask."

Chu Jiubian looked up at him. "How very considerate of you, my Lord."

"Of course," Qin Xiao said, taking a seat in a chair nearby. "You went through great hardship to come down to earth for me. Naturally, I should treat you well."

His tone was teasing, and there was not a trace of reverence in his expression—clearly, he still didn’t believe in Chu Jiubian’s "celestial" identity.

Chu Jiubian didn’t respond, sitting quietly.

Since he remained silent, Qin Xiao said nothing as well.

In the silence, Shuiqing Shuiyun brought in tea and quietly withdrew.

Chu Jiubian picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then set it back on the table. His every movement was graceful, on par with the most etiquette-conscious scions of aristocratic families.

Qin Xiao rubbed the ring on his finger, then stood up and walked to the desk. He took out the handkerchief-wrapped saltpeter from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"The thing you asked for," Qin Xiao said, crossing his arms as he stood before the desk, his eyes never leaving Chu Jiubian’s face, watching for any slight change in expression.

Chu Jiubian took the handkerchief, unfolded it, and revealed a mottled white stone.

It was saltpeter, but in its natural ore form.

If you want pure potassium nitrate, it needs further processing.

But with a piece this small, there will be even less left after refining and purification.

Chu Jiubian looked up at the man, a smile curling his lips as he said, "Is Prince Ning that strapped for cash?"

Qin Xiao replied frankly, "What can I do? The national treasury is empty."

After saying that, he smiled again and added, "Why not ask this celestial gentleman to help me out?"

"Sure," Chu Jiubian agreed right away.

Qin Xiao paused.

Chu Jiubian's smile deepened as he looked up at Qin Xiao and said, "I'll help you make money, and you let me leave this courtyard. How about that?"

"Pocket change won't put out a fire this urgent," Qin Xiao said.

"Rest assured," Chu Jiubian said slowly, enunciating each word, "It will be enough for you to build the dam."

Vice Minister Xiao had proposed building the dam during the morning court session that day. Chu Jiubian, who had been under watch the whole time, absolutely had no way of knowing about it, yet he deliberately mentioned it to make Qin Xiao let his imagination run wild.

The more things like this happened, the sooner the other would believe he was a god.

A shadow passed over Qin Xiao's eyes for a moment, then returned to normal as he said, "Deal."

For the other things needed, Chu Jiubian only had to tell Xiao Xiangzi and have him take care of it.

Having nothing more to say, Qin Xiao prepared to leave.

But just before stepping out, he paused and turned back to ask, "Your name?"

Chu Jiubian was momentarily stunned, then said, "Chu Jiubian."

"Bian as in 'debate'?"

"Yes."

"Chu Jiubian," Qin Xiao murmured before letting out an unexplainable chuckle.

Watching his departing figure, Chu Jiubian silently muttered, "Weirdo."