What’s the benefit of building rapport with your superior? When someone slanders you, your superior will choose to doubt it a little rather than believe it right away.
Take now, for instance—the curious emperor, dressed in ordinary clothes, strode into the Prime Minister’s residence.
The moment Hua Chun saw the person entering through the gate, she nearly burst into tears, wanting nothing more than to rush over and hug his leg and cry, “Big brother!”
However, her own composure and cultivation stopped her from doing so. She merely fixed him with a pair of innocent eyes, then glanced at Ling Niang, who was still dancing in the center of the hall.
This young woman had been dancing tirelessly for half an hour now, refusing to stop no matter what unless Hua Chun nodded in approval. Such stamina, such nerve—it was truly admirable.
“This subject greets Your Majesty,” Hua Chun knelt and called out loudly.
The dancer stopped. The Western Xia people around her turned pale with fright, staring at Yuwen Jie in disbelief.
An emperor, of all people—how could he suddenly leave the palace and come to the Prime Minister’s residence? No one had any warning at all!
Envoy Yang knelt as well, and everyone else followed suit, foreheads pressed to the floor, not daring to lift them even slightly.
Yuwen Jie swept his gaze across the room, then walked over to Hua Chun and said, “Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
The moment she saw him, Hua Chun’s heart settled considerably, a smile appearing on her face as she cupped her hands. “What brings Your Majesty here to the Prime Minister’s residence?”
Wasn’t it you who begged me to come? —Yuwen Jie’s eyes seemed to spell out exactly that.
It was indeed her who had asked, but given the current situation, couldn’t he play along a little? Hua Chun glared.
Fine. The emperor said with a solemn expression, “I was touring incognito to observe the people’s conditions, and happened to pass by. I hadn’t expected the Prime Minister’s residence to be so lively.”
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward the Western Xia envoys who had just stood up.
At that look, the men’s legs went weak, nearly buckling back to their knees. “Your Majesty, please understand—this subject and the others merely came to pay a visit to the Prime Minister.”
“Oh?” Glancing at the dancer standing in the middle of the room, Yuwen Jie asked flatly, “Is this how you Western Xia people pay a visit?”
“Please allow this subject to explain,” Yang Yuanchen said, wiping sweat from his face, glancing at Ling Niang beside him. “This is Western Xia’s foremost beauty. This subject originally intended to present her to Your Majesty, but feared Your Majesty might not favor her, and so sent her to the Prime Minister first, hoping the Prime Minister could assess her suitability, so…”
Hua Chun looked at him in astonishment.
To tell such a bald-faced lie right in front of her—the man’s nerve was truly impressive. Did he assume she wouldn’t expose him?
But thinking it over, there really was no way to expose him. She could hardly want this dancer for herself, so wasn’t claiming the gift was meant for the emperor the only option? But then, the emperor hadn’t seemed all that indulgent in women lately, so surely he wouldn’t…
“Lift your head and let me see,” Yuwen Jie said with evident interest.
Hua Chun: “…”
The moment of being slapped in the face had come far too quickly, catching her off guard.
Ling Niang, trembling, lifted her head at the words. A pair of autumn-water eyes shimmered with light; a single glance seemed as if it could steal a person’s very soul away.
The emperor paused slightly, something unreadable stirring in his eyes—something Hua Chun couldn’t decipher. After a moment he said, “A face and figure fit for heaven.”
The envoy was overjoyed. Hearing the emperor’s tone, he knew at once His Majesty was pleased, and hurried to say, “To earn Your Majesty’s favor is Ling Niang’s great fortune.”
“Mm, come back to the palace with me later,” Yuwen Jie said. “Consider it one of Western Xia’s tribute gifts.”
“Long live Your Majesty!” The group of Western Xia envoys kowtowed repeatedly, each face lit with a joy as if the emperor himself had bestowed favor upon them personally.
Hua Chun pressed her lips together, glanced at Yuwen Jie’s expression, and felt deep contempt in her heart.
So he really was a lecher who fell for any woman he saw! It was only toward her, disguised as a man, that he showed no interest—everyone else, however humble their origin, he never once looked down upon.
Not even afraid of ruining his health!
“Prime Minister?” the emperor called out to her.
Snapping back to attention, Hua Chun asked with a smile, “What are Your Majesty’s orders?”
“Come into the palace with me later and arrange a residence for Ling Niang.”
That was the eunuch superintendent’s job! Hua Chun was furious, baring her fangs internally. Even if she wasn’t really a man, he couldn’t treat her like some palace eunuch!
Sensing the unfriendly look aimed at him, Yuwen Jie glanced over at her. In an instant, her fierce expression smoothed away into a smile. “This subject obeys.”
The emperor couldn’t help but raise a hand to cover his mouth, pretending to cough.
Originally meant to serve the Prime Minister, the dancer Ling Niang instead found herself about to serve the emperor directly—she was overjoyed, her eyes full of light, standing carefully to one side to maintain her poise.
But for some reason, after the emperor praised her, he never once glanced her way again, instead talking with the Prime Minister the entire time. Curious, Ling Niang boldly stole a glance at the emperor.
She happened to catch him turning his head to look at the Prime Minister, just as the Prime Minister was looking at Lord Yang. The emperor’s gaze held so much within it—like the deep blue sea, or the dark of night. Impossible to read what it contained, yet it always seemed gentle somehow.
A little strange, wasn’t it…
“According to my original plan, I intended to accept the ten gold mines Western Xia offered,” the emperor said unhurriedly. “But now that Western Xia has shown such sincerity in presenting such a beauty, I won’t ask for so much. Western Xia need only cede the two large gold mines on the border to Great Liang.”
The corner of Yang Yuanchen’s mouth twitched.
Taking the woman and still wanting the gold mines?
Someone behind him, whose brain hadn’t quite caught up, stepped forward and bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Thank you, my foot! He kicked the man in frustration, wishing he could knock some sense into him. How were they supposed to hand over two gold mines? Why should they hand them over at all? There was still no word from the Western Xia king—how many heads did he have to spare to agree to this?
The man he’d kicked looked at him innocently, whispering, “My lord, trading one Ling Niang for eight gold mines saved—isn’t that quite a bargain?”
Hearing this, Yang Yuanchen paused and thought it over—wait, that actually was quite a bargain? One Ling Niang had saved them eight gold mines.
No, that wasn’t right! They’d never agreed to give up any gold mines in the first place! Furious, he stomped hard on the man’s foot and was about to cup his hands to try to salvage the situation when he saw the emperor rise and say, “I had originally felt Western Xia’s sincerity this time was somewhat lacking, bordering on provocation. But given such a beauty, I’ll let it go. Let us return to the palace.”
Yang Yuanchen stood stunned, hands still cupped uselessly, watching the emperor lead Ling Niang past him.
Hua Chun sighed deeply, following behind, and said as she passed, “Since His Majesty favors Ling Niang so much, this official has nothing more to say. I only hope Western Xia will honor everything you’ve committed to.”
Committed to what? Yang Yuanchen nearly broke down. They hadn’t said a single word of commitment this entire time—why did it feel as though they’d already promised the gold mines?
And the emperor and the Prime Minister were walking so fast, they didn’t even give them a chance to explain!
Was it really necessary for Great Liang’s ruler and minister to play the rogue together, even in something like this?!