On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month in the first year of Jingxuan, three days before the New Year’s Court Assembly, the envoy from Northern Jian arrived at the guest house in the capital, presenting a state letter to the two departments and requesting an audience. The Emperor sent someone to welcome them at the guest house, deciding to discuss the letter at the Court Assembly.

The Outer Court did not yet know what was written in the letter brought by Northern Jian’s envoy and awaited clarity at the Great Court Assembly. However, within the two departments, waves of concern had already arisen.

Winter days darkened early. Before the hour of You (5-7 p.m.), shadows had fallen everywhere in the imperial city, the blue clouds in the distant sky making the vast expanse of snow appear even more desolate.

Meng Tinghui, wrapped in a thick velvet robe, came trudging through the snow from the southeast, following a young eunuch who carried her book chest as they entered the gate of the Military Council.

The warmth inside instantly melted the fine snow on her cheeks, making her complexion appear even more crystal clear and rosy.

As she removed her robe, she casually brushed her face, walked over to the people in the room with a slight smile, greeted each one respectfully, and then dismissed the eunuch, instructing him to place the book chest on a nearby table.

Over the past half month, she had frequently visited the Military Council and had become familiar with the veteran generals who managed affairs there. She had also gained some understanding of the Council’s various duties. Today, she had officially concluded her miscellaneous tasks at the Ministry of Personnel and had brought all her regular books, ink, brushes, and paper along.

Jiang Ping sat with his arms folded in the innermost part of the room, watching without blinking as the young eunuch took items one by one from the large book chest and arranged them. A playful smile appeared on his face, with wrinkles forming at the corners of his mouth as he loudly said to those beside him: “I say, these jinshi examination graduates are indeed different from us.”

Fang Kai turned around upon hearing this, surveyed the scene, and with a slanted thick eyebrow, replied: “How dare you speak so carelessly! Three days ago, the Emperor sent someone to request dozens of military documents from the northern border from past years. Without her help, could you and those secretaries below have completed the compilation and transcription within half a day?”

Meng Tinghui just smiled with pursed lips, set aside her clothes, dismissed the young eunuch, and came over to bow to Generals Fang and Jiang again, then said: “General Fang has made it so your humble official will be too embarrassed to help in the future. The bravery with which you two generals led armies in those years, and the merit of your conquests—how could your humble official’s literary skills compare? General Jiang’s words just now truly embarrassed me.”

Although she and Jiang Ping both served as Commissioners of the Military Council, she was only a fourth-rank Supervising Censor. Even though she had been granted this high position in the Military Council, she dared not show any less respect to Jiang Ping, who held the rank of Grand General of the second primary rank.

Her words made Jiang Ping beam with joy. He patted the corner of the table beside him and said: “Come here, little Meng!”

Fang Kai’s eyebrow twitched, and he was about to speak when he heard several Secretariat Drafters, Chief Military Secretaries, and Deputy Military Secretaries who were organizing military documents burst into laughter. Finding it hard to suppress his amusement, he still tried to maintain a serious face as he scolded Jiang Ping in a low voice: “She has entered the Military Council by the Emperor’s decree. Among civil officials above the Council rank, who would tolerate such disrespect from you? Do you still think this Military Council is your former military camp?”

Jiang Ping frowned at him impatiently. “What business is it of yours? My youngest daughter is still three years older than her. What’s wrong with me calling her ‘little girl’?”

The group was already laughing uproariously, with some younger officers taking the opportunity to nod toward Meng Tinghui, fearing she might be thin-skinned and truly take offense.

Meng Tinghui’s expression didn’t change at all, and she walked over with a smile on her lips.

She felt that the Department of State Affairs and the Military Council were as different as fire and ice, and these military officials’ straightforward and bold temperaments suited her own. How could she be offended?

Seeing her approach, Jiang Ping picked up a thick dossier from the table and handed it to her, saying: “This was sent over after the Secretariat transcribed Northern Jian’s state letter. You haven’t seen it yet.”

Meng Tinghui carefully accepted it but didn’t dare to look at it immediately. She glanced at Fang Kai nearby, fearing that Jiang Ping might impulsively allow her to read something she wasn’t yet authorized to see.

Fang Kai, however, nodded without hesitation. “Go ahead and take a look. Someone just came from the palace with an imperial message: The emperor will come to the Military Council to discuss matters tonight.”

Jiang Ping seized the opportunity to interject with a cold snort: “Fortunately, the Emperor is coming here. If, like last night, he were to summon high officials from both departments for an audience, I would certainly plead illness.”

Although she had long known of the discord between the two departments, this was the first time she truly felt Jiang Ping’s disdain and dissatisfaction toward the senior officials of the Department of State Affairs.

Knowing that excessive speech would lead to errors, she turned to find a seat, sat down, and quickly began reading the dossier in her hand.

The long transcription of the state letter contained matters she had never encountered before, making it quite difficult for her to understand.

Terms like “fraternal address,” “gestures of goodwill,” “border troop reductions,” “reduced annual tributes,” and “border markets”—item by item, confused her, and she couldn’t discern Northern Jian’s true intentions.

Before she could finish reading, Jiang Ping rose and strode over to her, asking bluntly: “Little Meng, do you think we should attack that dog emperor of Northern Jian?”

Meng Tinghui was startled for a moment and asked in return: “Why should we attack?”

Jiang Ping’s thick, callused fingers moved down to flip through the inner pages of the dossier, pointing forcefully at the ink characters, saying: “Xiang Deqian, that bastard, sends someone to our court for an audience with the Emperor, yet he calls himself ‘brother’ instead of ‘subject’! What nonsense about rituals of goodwill between two countries! Has he forgotten how his father knelt and sued for peace, acknowledging himself as a subject? Our Great Ping Emperor is the Son of Heaven, the supreme sovereign. Even royal princes must present memorials addressing themselves as subjects. How dare Xiang Deqian presume to call himself ‘brother’ in a state letter? What kind of bastard thing is this!”

She was somewhat at a loss after hearing this and lowered her eyes to look at the dossier again.

Earlier, she had only perceived Northern Jian’s expressions of goodwill but had not realized there was such significant nuance. Only now did she understand that these veteran generals of the Military Council were not merely rough men who only knew warfare but rather experienced senior officials well-versed in state and military affairs.

Fang Kai, hearing his vulgar language, couldn’t help but frown as he came over to pull him back, saying sternly: “The Emperor has not yet spoken. Don’t just curse as you please according to your temperament.”

Jiang Ping glared at him and snorted coldly several times, then continued angrily: “Northern Jian even dares to request a reduction in annual tribute? When Xiang Wan acknowledged himself as a subject years ago, his submission agreed to an annual tribute of 100,000 in currency and silk. That was already a special favor granted by the late Emperor and King Ping! How dare Xiang Deqian push his luck now that our Emperor has ascended the throne, even asking to reduce the annual tribute to 30,000?! Tribute? Tribute to his dog-mothered ancestors! The magnificent resources of our Great Ping—how can he just demand what he wants!”

As Fang Kai listened, his face darkened, clearly also displeased with the requests in Northern Jian’s state letter, but as Commissioner of the Military Council, he could not curse openly like Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping turned to face everyone in the room and snorted again: “In my opinion, we should let little Di reorganize the three routes of northern troops this time, advance with our forces, and directly knock on Northern Jian’s border gates, asking Xiang Deqian if he knows shame or not! Does he think our Emperor, being newly enthroned with an unstable foundation, is easy to bully?!”

Everyone in the room heard this and their faces instantly cooled, but no one spoke up.

After a while, Fang Kai finally let out a cold laugh, glaring at Jiang Ping as he said: “You can only speak like this in front of us comrades. If you were in the Great Hall, I doubt you could utter a single word! Let’s not even mention those people in the Secretariat who have always advocated peace over war. Just consider the Emperor—would he be willing to dispatch troops against Northern Jian? When the Emperor arrives later, remember to control that mouth of yours, and don’t provoke the imperial displeasure!”

She couldn’t help but frown slightly.

She had always known the Emperor harbored grand ambitions, and since entering the court, she had always believed the Emperor intended to use military force against Northern Jian. How was it that now, hearing these veteran generals of the Military Council speak, it seemed she had misunderstood all along?

So she smiled tentatively and inquired of Fang Kai: “According to this, the Emperor is unwilling to engage in military actions again? I originally thought the Emperor planned to conquer Northern Jian, and I nearly spoke incorrectly…”

Fang Kai glanced at her. “Do you know how Di Nian is supposed to reorganize the three routes of border troops? He was ordered to reduce the number of soldiers! If there’s anyone in the country who is most unwilling to engage in large-scale military action, it would undoubtedly be the Emperor.”