Chapter 331

Chapter 331

Head throbbing from the influx of Sendings, Yuzhen closed her mind off and bowed her head, praying this First Imperial Grand Conference would end without conflict. It was an unreasonable request in light of the circumstances, but Yuzhen figured it couldnt hurt to ask. Gazing out her bedroom window at the floating platform being assembled in the bay, her lips stretched into a wry smile at the absurdity of it all, trying to make sense of the Legates baffling decisions. This was his plan all along, it had to be. Those rafts didnt build themselves overnight, floating in on the river running through Nan Ping and out into the bay to join the rest of their kin in a sprawling mass of wood and twine. By holding the Conference over the waters and not inside the Palace, the entire city would be invited to watch instead of limiting the audience to the elites of the Empire. At the same time, it was a slap in the face to all the nobles and merchants whod bought property in the inner city or insisted on being accommodated inside the Palace, the majority of whom were now far from the action instead of sitting on the sidelines. It even rewarded those factions whod thought theyd been snubbed, had been bullied away from the city, or like the Bekhai, had chosen camp convenience over proximity to the city, with the beach now the second most optimal vantage point to watch over the entire conference.

A clever move, though not something Yuzhen could appreciate. Taking a deep breath, she called her people in and set to putting out fires as tempers flared and violence threatened to break out between the factions of the north. The more powerful factions like the Society were clamoring for her to fix this mess while the weaker factions were banding together to hold their ground, balking at the prospect of being displaced once more. The Situ Patriarch even had the gall to accuse her of withholding this vital information and swindling him out of a fortune for the inner-city manor shed graciously helped him purchase not three days past.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

While its true Yuzhens advice helped the seller obtain the best value for his property, it was the Situ Patriarchs fault for treating her like his personal steward. She was the Marshal of the North, not some cowering administrator for him to bully.

So instead of practicing her speech or double checking if everything was in place, Yuzhen spent the last few hours before the Conference securing places for uppity nobles and self-important merchants to sit. At times, her job was like dealing with spoiled, arrogant children. This noble wanted to be seated close to that one but refused to be anywhere near a third. Another noble demanded she remove a row of shacks belonging to peasants and fisherfolk, claiming the shabby dwellings were ruining the Conferences ambiance. A third fop wanted her to somehow convince the Legate to change his silly plans and move the whole thing into the Palace, as if she had the power to do so.

With so many things to deal with, Yuzhen hardly had time to consider the news of Rains discovery at the Canston Trading Groups winery. A copper vessel filled with a vile fluid, one which corroded metal, stone, and flesh when exposed to sunlight, it was almost too absurd to believe, especially when the source was Hangman Jorani. Yuzhen still remembered the first time shed laid eyes on the scrawny, pinched-faced half-rat, shivering as he fawned over Rain in Sanshu, hardly the most intimidating bandit shed ever laid eyes on. Worse, it was hardly the most damning of evidence. While Rain claimed the vile fluid had a stench of Demons about it, this wasnt something he could publicly attest to, not without bringing up too many unwanted questions. Lacking his testimony, all they had was evidence that the Canston Trading Group was making weapons instead of wine, hardly a crime worthy of punishment.

Still, there was something about this whole story which tickled her brain, something vital which shed yet to piece together. What was she missing? This news was important, but she wasnt quite sure why

Throwing the whole matter to the back of her mind, she requested a meeting with the Legate at his convenience and went back to wrangling her spoiled charges, praying for whoever planned this event to be crucified and burned alive. Even Yuzhens closest allies werent helping much, with Akanai and Rain acting more stubborn and cantankerous than usual. Having claimed the shoreline so their quins and the Divine Turtle would have easy access to the bay, the Bekhai now had a perfect, unobstructed view of the platform, second only to the view from the east wing of the Palace, where, Nian Zu, Akanai, and Yuzhen had been given accommodations. Theirs werent the only rooms overlooking the bay, but Yuzhen knew her neighbors werent exactly people of importance, with the most influential dignitaries choosing to live in the west wing, closest to the audience room and overlooking the courtyard where most assumed the Conference would take place.

Despite all their political capital, Akanai and Rain both refused to use this to their advantage and woo old enemies to their side. Akanai was in no mood to make nice with the Society or any other factions for that matter, inviting only her closest allies like the Magistrates Tong Da Hai and Chu Tongzu to sit with her in the Palace, while Rains reply was even less ideal. Like Akanai, the cheeky rascal was happy to find room on the beach for Lieutenant Colonel Chun Yimu and the Warrant Officers hed fought alongside in Sanshu, but also made mention of Zians ravishing and elegant mother, an invitation Yuzhen did not deign to pass along.

The damned brat, whats so good about an old crone like Jia Ying? Its not that Yuzhen was jealous, she had her handsome, heroic Gerel to satisfy her needs, but a girl still liked to be appreciated from time to time...

With a little diplomacy, a lot of compromise, and the Legates Decree forbidding forced entry into another factions territory, Yuzhen managed to secure adequate arrangements for the most important members of the North before the Conference began. Seated on her balcony with her betrothed, her guards, and a number of important dignitaries shed invited, Yuzhen watched the Legates procession make its way down to the docks, nodding along as the Crier waxed on about the glory of the Imperial Clan. It was a most formidable sight, with thousands of Royal Guardians in their resplendent red and gold armour, brandishing their Spiritual Weapons. Mounted atop their long-anticipated black-maned lions, they marched in step to the thunderous drum line, the regal creatures making Rains wildcats look like mangy, malnourished kittens. Each one as tall as a horse and almost half again as wide, they were intimidating creatures of fang and muscle and Yuzhen idly wondered how they would fare against quins.

Supporting the Royal Guardians on foot were tens of thousands of Imperial Death Corps who were every bit as intimidating, their intense devotion and focused gazes making up for their lacklustre armour and weaponry. Enslaved from birth, raised on an intensive and gruelling training regimen, and wholly devoted to the Imperial Clan, every last one of those warriors would gladly die to keep the Legate safe or give up their lives to avenge him. Stories of their ferocity and fearlessness were legendary, and woe to he who drew their ire, for the Imperial Death Corps would not rest until their foe was brought to justice.

No matter the cost.

Interspersed throughout the procession were three massive, resplendent palanquins, each one large enough to comfortably seat two dozen and carried by a hundred porters. Made from Zhengui rosewood, the lumber was more commonly known as golden silk wood, named for its golden sheen when polished and varnished. A costly extravagance reserved only for the higher echelons of the Imperial Family, for the Legate to have one such palanquin was already a surprise, but to use two more as mere decoys meant the Legate was far more important than anyone previously realized. Who was this Shen Zhenwu? Could he be a favoured son of the Empire, or even the heir apparent? Or perhaps he was a monstrously talented scion blessed by the Mother and duly rewarded? Thus far, the Legates tactics confounded Yuzhen, unable to make heads or tails of this too-young and mysterious Imperial Scion. He kept the Southern delegates at arms lengths and ruled over the Central nobles with an iron fist, but fawned over Falling Rain and the Bekhai while disregarding all other delegates of the North.

Hell, if he said it again, Yuzhen would hack Huong apart herself.

As host of the events, Marshal Yo Jeong-Hun was given the honour of presenting his gifts first, the most eye catching of which was a gargantuan pearl the size of a melon. Marshal Huong went next, presenting a silken pouch of saffron worth a hundred times its weight in gold alongside a box of rare and precious Spiritual Herbs Yuzhen had never heard of. When her turn came, she gave a short speech which was repeated to the rest of Nan Ping by the Crier, attesting to the practical and pragmatic mindset of the North before presenting her gift: dozens of ships laden with seasoned lumber, processed ore, dyed cloth, and tanned leather, all resources sorely needed for the war efforts to come. While they were all basic resources without too much individual value, the sheer quantity involved meant her gift was easily the most costly of her peers, one advantage of controlling the most lucrative city in the North.

Of course, she wasnt foolish enough to cheat the Legate of a personal gift. Presenting him a rolled up scroll, she smiled in victory when the Legate unfurled it and gasped, revealing One Hundred Horses to the people of Nan Ping, the crowning masterpiece of famed painter Lang Shining. Believed to have been lost a hundred and fifty years ago, she had Rain to thank for this, insisting she accept something from Yo Lings treasure stash since her foolish betrothed declined his fair share. All Gerel wanted was another Spiritual Weapon, likely because Rain would soon have his third and her sweet, competitive betrothed didnt want to fall behind.

Silly man, he should know better than that. Quality over quantity, and skill over size were what mattered most, in combat and in... other pursuits.

Having earned much face for the North, Yuzhen felt like skipping back to her horse until the Crier summoned the next group to the stage. Falling Rain, the five members of the Hwarang, and three famed young warriors from the South. Nine hotheaded, glory-seeking youths, each one standing at the forefront of their peers, called to take the stage together, and Rain without an ally beside him.

If Yuzhen didnt know any better, shed think the Legate wanted to start a brawl.

Racing back to her room, she arrived in time to see Rain riding along the shore while the Guardian Turtle swam through the bay, with one of his soldiers flying his banner, a white flag bearing the side-profile of a bunny in a bow-tie. According to Gerel, were one to Watch carefully, they would also see Rains pet cloud chaser hare perched on the banners crossbeam, head held high in regal pride as if displaying its adorable silken bow-tie. Rains other pets were mercifully absent, especially the discordant Laughing Birds he so fawned upon, and Yuzhen thanked the Mother for small favours.

Three of the Hwarang had already reached the stage before Rain and were waiting for the rest of their peers before setting foot on the stage, a show of solidarity they copied from the three preceding Marshals. As the highest ranked youth among them, Rains retinue was five time larger than the others, even if only at half strength. Unfortunately, Rains retinue also looked highly disjointed at first glance, lacking a neat, uniformed appearance like the professional soldiers of the Hwarang. Being mounted on a mix of quins and horses wasnt even the worst of it, Rains retinue was made up of thieves, cutthroats, slaves, and woodsmen, and they all looked the part. Ripped sleeves and exposed midriffs, piercings and tattoos aplenty, yet the former bandits still looked better than the shabby, half-dressed woodsmen of the Protectorate. Much to her chagrin, she noted that the best dressed members of Rains retinue were the slaves, Dastan and his former cronies from the Coalition.

Rain himself wasnt much better. Wearing standard leather Sentinel armour, he looked no different from any other properly dressed soldier under his command. In fact, were it not for his three Spiritual Weapons and the banner flying behind him, Yuzhen doubted anyone would pick out such an unremarkable and ordinary looking youth as the Undying Savage.

Well, at least he wasnt slouching. Small victories.

Ignoring his peers waiting for everyone to arrive, Rain trotted onto the floating stage alone, soon followed by the Guardian Turtle and his retinue. Rude and perhaps an unintended slight, but that was what Rain did. Spying the wagons containing his gifts, Yuzhen closed her eyes and regretted not working harder to change his mind. Why couldnt he just pick out a nice vase or a jade sculpture to give away, a simple, safe, and all but free gift? Even if its origins were traced back to stolen goods, he could claim it was a gift from her, something shed found among the Golden Highland Coalitions goods like the painting shed gifted. Besides, who would dare demand the Legate return a gift?

Too late worrying about it now. Rains fate lay in the hands of the Mother, and Yuzhen could only pray he emerged unscathed.

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