“You’re already set on divorcing Chu Chenyi and have no feelings for him, so why worry if they’re just pretending and it becomes real?”
Feng Jin said this intentionally to gauge Lin Yuwei's true reaction.
Suddenly rendered speechless, Lin Yuwei's eyes flickered as she found an excuse to perfunctory: “I… I’m just worried that if he can’t control himself, gets infatuated with the Xiliang princess’s beauty, and impulsively goes to Xiliang to become a consort, all our long-planned efforts will be in vain.”
“You will be divorced then, and it won’t involve you or the Pingyang Marquis’s estate. No need to worry.”
Feng Jin knew that wasn’t what Lin Yuwei meant, but she deliberately went along with her words.
“I… I…” Lin Yuwei was anxiously pacing, her words caught in her throat, difficult to utter.
Amused by her impatient demeanor, Feng Jin struggled to suppress her laughter.
“Sister Feng Jin, you’re deliberately teasing me!” Lin Yuwei finally realized.
“I just wanted to see your genuine reaction.”
Feng Jin took a deep breath and sat beside Lin Yuwei, “Don’t you want to see how deep Chu Chenyi’s feelings for you are?”
Lin Yuwei lowered her head and was silent for a moment. After a long pause, she looked up and said, “If he doesn’t say it, how can I know?”
“Aren’t you worried he’ll marry the Xiliang princess? Then let’s see if he actually marries her. Chu Chenyi wants to sow discord between you two, so let’s play along, let him think he's succeeding and reveal his true colors. This way, we can both grasp Chu Chenyi’s weakness and test his sincerity towards you. It’s killing two birds with one stone, what do you think?”
“Whatever my wife says.” Ling Mohan obeyed unconditionally.
“Then… let’s give it a try,” Lin Yuwei said after some hesitation.
…
“Your Highness, His Majesty has decreed that you go and welcome the Xiliang envoys.”
“I’m not going, get out!” Chu Chenyi shouted angrily, hurling the wine bottle in his hand. The bottle shattered in mid-air before it even hit the ground.
Ling Mohan retracted his hand that had flicked a pebble and calmly walked up to the drunken Chu Chenyi. He frowned and said, “Someone, bring a basin of cold water and sober up Prince Jing.”
Ling Mohan watched with a stern face as a servant poured a basin of cold water over Chu Chenyi, who remained unmoved.
Startled by the icy water, Chu Chenyi shivered, his alcohol-induced stupor clearing.
“Since you’re awake, stop playing dead. Get up and come with me to receive the Xiliang envoys.”
Ling Mohan dropped these words and turned to leave.
Chu Chenyi steadied himself for a moment, then stumbled to his feet, changed into clean clothes, and followed.
Although spring had arrived, the cold water made Chu Chenyi sneeze a few times.
“Drink some medicine and then we’ll go,” Ling Mohan’s tone carried a hint of displeasure. He didn’t want to go out with someone half-dead, especially if he faltered at a crucial moment.
“If you hadn’t splashed me with cold water, I wouldn’t be like this.”
“If I hadn’t splashed you with cold water, you still wouldn’t be awake.”
He didn’t know there was an important matter today and still dared to drink himself into such a state. If it reached the Emperor's ears and was exaggerated, he'd be in trouble. Why couldn't he learn his lesson?
Chu Chenyi, knowing he was in the wrong, sheepishly touched his nose. After drinking the medicine, he quickly headed to the city gate to welcome the Xiliang envoys.
The Xiliang delegation entered the city gate in a grand procession. The lead Xiliang envoy dismounted and approached Ling Mohan, appraising him, “General Ling, it has been a long time. I heard General Ling was poisoned, but I didn’t expect you to recover.”
“Thank you, General Baili, for your concern. I am simply more resilient than General Baili might wish, and I ask for your understanding.”
Ling Mohan, as expected of someone who had excelled in the imperial examinations and served as an imperial tutor, was as sharp-tongued as ever.
Baili Xi, a mere military general accustomed to battlefield victories, was outmatched in verbal sparring and left speechless.
“You…”
“General Baili, no need for rudeness. We have traveled a long distance, and General Ling has gone to great lengths to greet us. General Ling has worked hard. I was unaware of General Ling’s recent marriage and have specifically brought fine wines from Dongchu to celebrate General Ling’s nuptials.”
A clear voice emanated from the carriage, drawing the attention of everyone present.
Ling Mohan glanced at the gifts presented by the Xiliang envoy, “Thank you, Princess. Lu Shi, please accept these and distribute them to the soldiers so they too can taste the flavor of Xiliang’s fine wine.”
“Yes, General.”
“Ling Mohan, you are truly arrogant. This was bestowed upon you by our princess. To give it to the soldiers is to disregard Xiliang!”
Baili Han, with his fiery temper, immediately lost all reason, determined to seek justice.
“I am distributing the wine among the soldiers so they too can feel the princess’s kind gesture.”
“General Ling, you misunderstand. Since the item was gifted to General Ling, how he disposes of it is his affair.”
The Xiliang princess’s voice carried through the heavy curtains.
“The guesthouses have been prepared. Please rest for a while, and a banquet will be held in the palace tonight to entertain you.”
Ling Mohan, not wanting to engage in further banter, concluded his statement and walked away directly. Had Emperor Xuanwen not ordered him to accompany the welcoming party, he would never have come. He wanted to finish quickly and return to cuddle with his wife for a second sleep.
“Everyone, please!” Chu Chenyi said perfunctorily.
Upon arriving at the guesthouse, Baili Xi complained loudly, “This guesthouse is so simple, and our princess, who is of noble birth, cannot reside here. Such is Dongchu’s hospitality! I will report this truthfully to my Emperor.”
“General Baili, we are here for peace negotiations, not for enjoyment.” The Xiliang princess gracefully emerged from the carriage, her red, gold-embroidered robe making her even more radiant and captivating.
“Princess, this place is extremely basic and utterly uninhabitable. You must arrange new accommodations for them!”
“If you don’t change the accommodation, we will leave Dongchu immediately!” Baili Xi insisted.
“The preparations were rushed, and new accommodations have not yet been organized. Please make do here for tonight. Tomorrow, everything will be arranged properly.”
Chu Chenyi hurriedly tried to placate them. The task of welcoming the Xiliang envoys had fallen to him, and any slight mistake would result in severe consequences.
“You have one day. If things are not arranged properly tomorrow, we will return to Xiliang immediately!”
Baili Xi’s attitude was unyielding. They had come for peace talks and intended to maintain the upper hand, not be dictated to by the Dongchu people.
“We appreciate the efforts of General Ling and Your Highness.” The Xiliang princess’s voice was as gentle as water, her gaze fixed intently on Ling Mohan, not shifting even slightly.
Ling Mohan seemed to sense this, his expression darkening considerably, his face filled with a chilling coldness, giving off an aura of unapproachability.