“Master, you can’t hide any longer.”
Hongmei’s voice came from outside the door.
Li An lay in bed, covering his head with the blanket, motionless.
“I’m not hiding. I’m sick.”
He said weakly.
“Very sick, almost dying—cannot see visitors.”
Hongmei pushed the door open and was met with this dead-dog scene.
“Master, the Northern Yan delegation has been here for three days already.”
She lowered her voice.
“The Ninth Princess sends people every day to ask when you, Master Li, are available for an audience.”
“Then tell them I’m unavailable.”
Li An pulled the blanket tighter.
“Unavailable… forever.”
Hongmei sighed.
“Master, hiding like this isn’t a solution.”
“Not a solution?”
Li An threw back the blanket and sat up, looking utterly dejected.
“I am now a disgraced official under house arrest. Why should I meet a Northern Yan delegation?”
“Let them go find the Emperor, the Prime Minister, or the Grand Commandant—just don’t come to me.”
“But…”
Hongmei hesitated.
“But what?”
“The Ninth Princess said…”
Her expression turned subtle.
“She said if Master Li refuses to see her, she’ll personally come to the Scholar-General’s residence.”
Li An’s face instantly changed.
“What?!”
“Is she insane?!”
He jumped out of bed.
“She’s a Northern Yan princess, running over to the house of an official under house arrest—what kind of propriety is this?”
“If this gets out, won’t it prove I’m colluding with an enemy state? Will I even have a life left?”
Hongmei nodded.
“That’s why I advise you, Master, to go see her proactively.”
“At least… the meeting can be at the Reception Hall, so it won’t draw too much attention.”
Li An irritably scratched his head.
“This crazy woman…”
He knew exactly what kind of person Murong Xue was.
She could do whatever she said she would.
If she really came to his residence, it would be quite the scene.
“Fine, fine…”
He waved helplessly.
“Get ready. I’ll go see her.”
No sooner had he spoken than a commotion arose outside the door.
“Imperial edict!”
Li An froze.
Hongmei also looked surprised.
An edict? At this hour?
…
A moment later.
Main hall of the Scholar-General’s residence.
An elderly eunuch in official attire stood in the center, holding a bright yellow edict, reading aloud in a shrill voice:
“By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees…”
“Though Li An is currently under house arrest, his talent in diplomacy is well known to Me…”
“Now that the Northern Yan delegation has arrived, Li An is specially permitted to leave confinement temporarily to receive them at the Reception Hall…”
“By imperial order!”
Li An knelt, but his expression grew even more dejected.
The Emperor… specifically allowed him to meet the Northern Yan delegation?
Was this to protect him or to put him in danger?
“Master Li, please accept the edict.”
The elderly eunuch smiled at him.
“The Emperor personally said, Master Li is the most skilled in dealing with the people of Northern Yan.”
“This delegation’s visit cannot do without Master Li!”
Li An forced a smile.
“I… accept the edict.”
He took the edict with both hands, while mentally going wild.
Skilled with the people of Northern Yan? That’s because I’m originally from Northern Yan!
“Th… thank you for your gracious favor, Your Majesty.”
He forced himself to stand.
The eunuch nodded approvingly.
“Then this humble servant will return to report.”
“Master Li must hurry. The Ninth Princess has been waiting several days already!”
With that, he turned and left.
Li An stood in place, feeling worse than ever.
Hongmei approached quietly.
“Master, now there’s really no way to hide.”
“I know…”
Li An took a deep breath.
“Let’s go.”
“To the Reception Hall.”
…
Reception Hall.
A luxurious annex built specifically for foreign delegations.
Crimson gates, carved beams, painted eaves, a courtyard with rockeries and flowing water, pavilions and towers.
Li An stepped down from the sedan chair at the entrance and straightened his attire.
Before he could move further, a maid approached.
“Master Li!”
She smiled brightly.
“Our Princess has been waiting for you for quite some time!”
“Please, follow me.”
Li An followed her through the corridors into an elegant side room.
The door opened.
The air was fragrant, curtains swayed gently.
On the soft couch in the center sat an extraordinarily beautiful woman.
She wore a white Northern Yan palace dress, her skin as pale as snow.
Her long black hair was styled in a high bun, slanted with a white jade hairpin.
Her phoenix-like eyes sparkled with a smile, full of life.
It was none other than the Ninth Princess of Northern Yan, Murong Xue.
“Master Li!”
She rose immediately at the sight of him, her smile blooming like a flower.
“I’ve been waiting for you for three whole days!”
Li An hurriedly bowed.
“Your Highness, the honor of your presence… I failed to welcome you properly. Forgive my negligence.”
Murong Xue smiled lightly.
“Neglect? Of what?”
She stepped closer, her tone playful.
“You’re under house arrest, aren’t you?”
“I personally requested the Emperor of Great Qi to release you!”
Li An finally understood.
So that was it.
The Emperor’s edict—this crazy woman had instigated it.
“You’ve gone to so much trouble, Your Highness.”
He accompanied his words with a smile.
“May I ask, what brings Your Highness this time?”
Murong Xue blinked.
“Guess.”
“I dare not presume.”
“How boring.”
She pouted, then waved her hand.
“You all may leave. I want to speak with Master Li alone.”
The maids filed out in order.
The doors closed.
Inside, only Li An and Murong Xue remained.
Li An’s heart immediately tightened.
Alone? What is this woman plotting now?
“Master Li, please sit.”
Murong Xue gestured to the chair opposite her.
“No need to be so formal.”
Li An cautiously sat down, barely touching the edge of the chair with his backside.
Seeing his demeanor, Murong Xue couldn’t help but laugh quietly into her hand.
“Why are you so nervous, Master Li?”
“I won’t eat you. I lost a bet before and promised to become your concubine! Why are you so afraid of me?”
Li An let out an awkward laugh.
“Your Highness jokes. That bet was just a game! I nearly… inadvertently ruined Your Highness’s honor for no reason.”
Murong Xue immediately sobered, lowering her voice to speak:
“Master Li, actually this visit is at the request of my father, to ask personally…”
“How has Lone Wolf been recently?”
Hearing his undercover codename, Li An’s face instantly changed.
He glanced sharply around, confirming the doors and windows were closed and no one was eavesdropping.
“Your Highness!”
“You’ll get me killed if you’re careless!”
“How can you speak so freely? My identity must remain secret!”
Murong Xue, however, smiled leisurely.
“Don’t worry.”
She lounged on the couch.
“Everyone around here is my person.”
“And this side room was specially selected by me; the soundproofing is excellent.”
“Even if you were slaughtering pigs in here, no one outside would hear.”
Li An: “…”
Slaughtering pigs? Is that really an appropriate metaphor?
“Anyway…”
Li An continued helplessly:
“Your Highness, just speak plainly. I’m listening.”
Murong Xue nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s more like it.”
She straightened, her expression turning serious.
“My father asked me to come mainly for two things.”
“First, to ask about the progress of your plan to weaken the country.”
Weaken the country…
Mentioning this, Li An’s mind spun.
“Uh… progress… going… fairly well, I guess.”
He answered bravely. Yes!
This cycle, he had been optimistic. But now…
Although the national fortune hadn’t yet increased, it seemed within reach.
“The Great Qi court is in turmoil.”
“The border troops have also lost supply lines.”
“The Six Ministries have completely turned into a mess.”
Li An reported methodically.
“I know all that… It’s your achievement! But because of it, you exposed yourself too much and were impeached by the officials, which is why you’re now under house arrest.”
Murong Xue nodded, then added:
“Father said that this time, you did quite well. You’ve put the pressure and threat of our Northern Yan army on Great Qi’s borders to an unprecedented level!”
“So…”
A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. “Father intends to negotiate peace with Great Qi.”
Li An couldn’t believe it and froze at those words.
“Negotiate peace?”
“Yes.”
Murong Xue smiled sweetly. “Of course, it’s only for show.”
“To sign a treaty favorable to us while Great Qi is beset with internal and external troubles.”
“To buy time, lull them into a false sense of security.”
“And when the time is right, strike all at once!”
Li An listened, but in his mind, he was frantically critiquing.
Isn’t this just a delaying tactic?
That old fox, the Emperor of Northern Yan, just wants a little advantage, going around in circles.
With such a perfect situation, shouldn’t they just march south immediately and have the iron cavalry storm Great Qi’s capital?
After all the conditions I’ve painstakingly prepared for them, they don’t launch a full-scale attack?
Waiting for the right moment? And when exactly would that be?!
“So…”
Li An felt helpless but couldn’t speak it outright, so he tentatively asked:
“What role am I supposed to play in all this?”
Murong Xue gave a sly smile. “Father hopes… that Lord Li will act as the envoy for these peace negotiations.”
Li An’s face turned green at her words.
“What?!”
“Peace envoy?”
“Me?”
Murong Xue blinked her big, bright eyes and nodded:
“Yes.”
“Isn’t Lord Li a capable diplomat of Great Qi?”
“You handled the Expo brilliantly, and the world knows it.”
“Having you act as the peace envoy couldn’t be more suitable.”
Li An was completely dumbfounded.
A peace envoy…
This is just shoving me right into the spotlight again!
And he, a Northern Yan spy undercover in Great Qi, is supposed to be the envoy for peace negotiations with Great Qi—only the Emperor of Northern Yan could come up with this.
“Your Highness…”
“This… might not be very appropriate, right?”
“I’m currently under house arrest for my mistakes…”
Li An tried to decline.
“It’s fine.”
Murong Xue waved her hand decisively.
“I’ll request that the Great Qi emperor restore your official position.”
“After all, a matter as important as a peace negotiation is enough for Lord Li to redeem himself!”
Li An: “…”
He realized he couldn’t argue with this woman at all.
Every escape route was blocked.
“Your Highness…”
He made a final attempt.
“I’m really not skilled in negotiations…”
“It’s fine if you’re not, I’ll teach you.”
Murong Xue blinked.
“Besides, I’ll be participating in the negotiations too.”
“So we can coordinate perfectly, and negotiate however we want, right?”
She leaned close to Li An, lowering her voice.
“Don’t worry, this is all Father’s plan.”
“You just need to cooperate.”
Li An looked at her flawless face, close enough to touch, smelling her faint fragrance, yet he couldn’t feel happy at all.
This woman…
Was way too difficult!
Now he finally understood what a “gentle trap” really meant.
…
Half an hour later.
Li An came out of the guest hall, completely dazed.
He had no idea how he had walked out.
He only knew that it seemed Murong Xue had completely outmaneuvered him.
Peace envoy…
This hot potato really seemed about to land on his head.
Ding!
【Detected that the host is about to obtain the position of “Peace Envoy”…】
【Expected Impact:】
【If peace is successful: Great Qi gains breathing room, national fortune +10,000~30,000】
【If peace fails: Host becomes a scapegoat, personal risk +100%】
【Suggestion: Quickly find a way to sabotage the negotiation while protecting yourself】
Li An stared at the prompt, feeling miserable.
Sabotage the peace talks?
Wouldn’t that defy the Emperor of Northern Yan?
The problem was, that crazy Murong Xue was watching him closely!
She knew his “Lone Wolf” identity!
If he deliberately sabotaged it, Murong Xue would definitely question his loyalty and motives!
Then the Emperor of Northern Yan would also be difficult to explain things to…
Moreover, Great Qi was probably eager to negotiate with Northern Yan right now, even if it meant paying a price.
If he messed it up, Great Qi’s emperor wouldn’t let him off either.
Wow!
Neither side is going to be easy on him!
“Master, you don’t look well.”
Hongmei whispered from the side.
“Could I?”
Li An gave a bitter smile.
“I really might not get out of this one.”
He looked up at the sky—it was already evening.
The sunset cast its golden glow over the streets of the capital, coating everything in gold.
But Li An had no mood to appreciate it.
His mind was full of Murong Xue’s words from earlier.
“Peace envoy…”
“What exactly is this woman scheming? And what’s holding Northern Yan back from launching an attack?”
Hongmei, seeing his worry, thought for a moment and said quietly:
“Master, I think… the Ninth Princess genuinely wants to help you.”
“Help me?”
Li An sneered.
“Her way of helping me is pushing me into the fire?”
“What I mean is…”
Hongmei chose her words carefully.
“If you really become the peace envoy, your status in court will be very different.”
“The punishment of house arrest would be lifted naturally.”
“Moreover, as the envoy, you can legitimately interact with Northern Yan. You could better help them, gradually draining Great Qi’s national strength… After all, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse! The Northern Yan army is strong, but they are cautious…”
Li An paused.
He hadn’t thought about it from this angle.
Hongmei was right.
If he became the envoy, he could openly deal with Northern Yan.
He wouldn’t need to sneak around for any future schemes.
But the problem is…
“What if the peace talks succeed?”
Hongmei hesitated.
“Then… just make sure they don’t succeed?”
Li An shook his head bitterly.
“Easier said than done.”
“That crazy Murong Xue said she’ll be involved the whole time.”
“With her watching, I won’t even get a chance to sabotage anything.”
“Besides…”
“The Emperor of Northern Yan definitely has his own plan.”
“This so-called negotiation is probably just a delaying tactic.”
“Their real goal is to sign an unequal treaty while Great Qi is weak.”
“Forget it, I’ll take it step by step.”
Li An sighed.
“Let’s go back to the mansion.”
As he prepared to get into his carriage, he suddenly heard a strange sound from afar.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A rhythmic sound of hammering.
Li An frowned.
Was that… coming from the Ministry of Works’ armaments bureau?
Why was anyone still working at this hour?
And the noise… it was at least ten times louder than usual.
He listened carefully.
The hammering was so rhythmic it almost sounded like a song.
Clang… bang… clang… bang…
The beats were distinct, rising and falling.
This was definitely not a few craftsmen working.
This was… a large group hammering in unison?
“Let’s go see.”
He instinctively changed direction.
Hongmei hurried to follow.
“Master, that’s the Ministry of Works…”
“I know.”
Li An’s eyes gleamed.
He recalled what Jin Daya had said that night.
Overtime in the Ministry, assembly lines, production surge…
“I just want to see what those people are up to now.”
At the armaments bureau, flames leapt high, and voices roared.
A surge of unprecedented energy was erupting from there.
And when Li An arrived, he saw…
Jin Daya standing in the courtyard, hands on his hips, shouting at a group of craftsmen:
“Brothers! Even though Lord Li has been suspended, we can’t let his efforts go to waste!”
“Work! Give it all you’ve got!”
“Whoever produces the most tonight, I’ll reward them ten taels of silver!”
“Yes! Lord Jin!”
The craftsmen shouted in unison.
What they didn’t know was that the “Lord Li” they were talking about was outside in the shadows, watching all this, his face as green as if he had swallowed a pound of flies.
The assembly line and scale of weapon production before him were far greater than what he had seen that night…
Wow!
Li An just didn’t understand!
Other people traveling to ancient times found the locals naive; just spouting some industrial theory could awe them, far beyond their current skill level.
But why…
In this damn Great Qi I ended up in, there were so many “hidden masters among the common folk”?
A random blacksmith taking an exam had independently figured out assembly line methods, and all in such a short time, making it look so proper and professional?
And Jin Daya, this one of the Four Great Disasters—what a disaster he really is!
When you were goofing off before, were you ever this dedicated?
Why is it that when it comes to causing trouble for others—or themselves—they suddenly become superhuman?
…
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