Chapter 585: Chapter 585: Calm and Composed

"What?"

Ye Jingyan was taken aback by her sudden mention of those two. After a moment of thought, he shook his head.

"There doesn’t seem to be anything special, just a normal relationship. Why are you suddenly asking about this, Sister?"

Previously, one was the Heir of Duke Zhongyong and the other was the Minister of the Ministry of Justice. No matter how you looked at it, there was no reason for them to have any connection.

Of course, both of their statuses have changed now, so it’s possible they might interact in the future.

Ye Chutang gave a soft laugh.

"If even you say so, then I imagine most people think the same way."

"Sister, are you saying..." Ye Jingyan had an inkling of what she meant, but he found it hard to believe. "That those two share an unspeakable secret? And that secret is related to Wazhen?"

Ye Chutang took a sip of tea and said slowly,

"Xie Anjun can’t practice martial arts, but do you think his status as the Heir of Duke Zhongyong could afford him some advantages in the military?"

"Well..."

Ye Jingyan thought for a moment before nodding in affirmation.

"It could. But his name doesn’t carry as much weight as his father’s."

"Perhaps that’s enough."

Ye Chutang gazed out the window.

"Sometimes, to move a behemoth, all you need is a fulcrum. One gentle push, and you can turn the world upside down."

Ye Jingyan felt her words were alluding to something, but the specifics were still unclear.

There was just too much involved.

After a moment, he said,

"In any case, with Xie Pei gone, both Your Majesty and the Wazhen Mission should get a satisfactory answer, right?"

But a subtle, secretive smile touched the corners of Ye Chutang’s lips.

"Not necessarily."

...

「Imperial Palace, Chongyuan Hall.」

The hall was brightly lit, bustling with figures—a scene of prosperity and excitement.

Chief Cabinet Minister Chen Songshi was seated with several other ministers, all waiting for the Wazhen Mission to arrive.

For today’s New Year’s Eve palace banquet, Emperor Muwu had specially invited them to celebrate the new year together.

The sky had already darkened. By this hour, they should be arriving soon.

However, the mood among the officials was anything but relaxed.

Under the cover of the music from silk strings and bamboo flutes, one of them asked in a low voice, "Elder, His Majesty’s intention is to finalize the agreement with Wazhen today. Do you have a plan, Elder?"

Chen Songshi raised his eyebrows. "A plan? What plan could I have? Aren’t today’s affairs all arranged by the Ministry of Rites?"

Tang Zhongli shot him a speechless glance.

’Chatting idly at a time like this? He really isn’t worried at all.’

"In any case, I am only responsible for drafting and transcribing. As for the specific terms, I’ll have to trouble you gentlemen to handle the negotiations."

The ministers looked at each other in dismay.

"How can that be? Lord Tang, you understand the Wazhen language, so you should take more responsibility. If those people try to pull any tricks with their words, you can warn us ahead of time, can’t you?"

"Exactly! We’ve been going back and forth with the Wazhen people these days, and those barbarians are not easy to deal with! Especially that Crown Prince Ugle—he’s utterly arrogant and rude!"

Hearing this, the other officials nodded in agreement.

Chen Songshi scoffed. "He led his mission thousands of miles to the Capital City. Naturally, he wants to get what he came for so the trip isn’t wasted. His behavior is only to be expected."

The official who had asked the first question couldn’t help but press, "Listening to you, Elder, does that mean we should just let them act so belligerently? They’re asking for the moon! Even though they’ve revised a few terms in the previous rounds, their demands are still far too high! If we can’t settle it today, how will this end? His Majesty has already hinted that we should resolve this matter as soon as possible! Dragging this out won’t do anyone any good!"

Chen Songshi held up a hand, gesturing for them to be patient.

"Gentlemen, there’s no need to be overly concerned. While Ugle has a huge appetite, he also has a brain. He knows that if he truly infuriates us, he won’t get away unscathed. If we both offer each other a way out today and each take a step back, reaching an agreement won’t be difficult."

The officials were skeptical. "Really?"

Chen Songshi glanced in a certain direction.

Shen Yanchuan was also here today.

Unlike the others, he was merely sitting leisurely, sipping his tea in quiet solitude, as if he were in his own garden rather than at a palace banquet.

Chen Songshi’s heart settled considerably. He joked with a smile, "Otherwise? What are they going to do, start another fight on our turf?"

At his words, the other ministers relaxed and began to laugh along with him.

"The Elder is absolutely right!"

These peace talks were initiated by Wazhen in the first place. No matter how brutish that Ugle was, here, he would ultimately have to bow his head! If Wazhen could still afford to wage a war, things would not be like this today!

The group of officials finally set their minds at ease. A short while later, a palace attendant announced in a loud voice that Ugle and the Wazhen Mission had arrived.

Everyone at the banquet perked up and looked toward the entrance of the hall.

Compared to their previous visits, Ugle and his men were much more familiar with the palace this time. And because the two sides had interacted frequently over the past few days, they were all familiar faces to one another.

After the initial polite pleasantries, both sides quickly got down to business.

Chen Songshi listened while sizing up Ugle, who sat opposite him.

It was clear that Ugle also wanted to finalize the peace talks today, but he was stubborn by nature and insisted on fighting for every last inch.

Seeing the negotiations about to reach another stalemate, Emperor Muwu, seated on the high throne, frowned slightly.

The ministers beside Chen Songshi were either sweating profusely or wearing troubled expressions.

If it were anyone else, it probably wouldn’t be this difficult. The key issue was that Ugle was extremely combative, and all their verbal sparring was like scratching an itch through a boot to him.

From the bottom of his heart, he looked down on these negotiating civil servants, and his arrogance was palpable.

Ugle scanned the room, a triumphant glint in his eyes. Finally, he looked toward Emperor Muwu and cupped his hands in a salute.

"Your Majesty, I have brought my men thousands of miles to be here, brimming with sincerity. But these ministers of yours do not seem to share that sentiment. My father, the king, once told me that Your Majesty’s bravery is unmatched, that you are the greatest hero in the world! It’s a pity that these men haven’t learned a single shred of that bravery."

His words caused the expressions of everyone present to change.

"Crown Prince! Watch your words! This is the Capital City, not Wazhen! How dare you be so insolent in His Majesty’s presence!"

Ugle let out a cold laugh.

"What does it matter where we are? Am I not speaking the truth? If anyone is unconvinced, we can go outside and settle it!"

"You!"

"The Crown Prince must be joking," Chen Songshi interjected, signaling the incensed ministers to calm down with a look. He then turned to Ugle with a smile. "You’ve gone to great lengths to come here from Wazhen, braving the ice and snow on treacherous roads, all for the sake of peace on the Northern Border. A man of your vision wouldn’t start a fight with us over a momentary impulse, would he? These are peace talks. If we don’t talk and end up in a brawl instead, wouldn’t we become a laughingstock to the entire world?"

Ugle’s smile froze on his face.

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