Threads 330-Dukes 4

It was the better part of half an hour later when she finished. The refreshments on the table were depleted, mostly by Zheng Fu.

“And that concludes what I can tell you of our guests at the moment. I would like to thank Sir Xuan for helping me make sense of and organize this information.”

Xuan Shi tilted his chin down in acknowledgement. He had been helpful to talk to, as the other person who had visited that fragment of their great spirits with her.

“Huh.” Zheng Fu scratched his chin. “Sounds like there’s some interesting ideas there.”

“Baffling ones,” Bai Meizhen judged. “I wonder that they can accomplish anything organized as you describe, though it is not as if the empire has never seen barbarians build structures.”

“Yeah, they can do some pretty sturdy work.” Sun Liling smirked. “Course, we can do it better, but it’s only these southern tribes that wander around doing nothing with themselves.”

Bai Meizhen scowled in distaste at Sun Liling.

“I believe Lady Bai merely meant that the baroness’ account is credible and matches physical evidence,” Xia Anxi clarified. “And even the wastrel tribes of the cloud were occasionally known to hold an agreement for time, unlike other blood-mad savages.”

“Just so,” Bai Meizhen supported. “I see no reason to doubt that this endeavor may come to success, if Lady Cai and her retainers continue to put forth such effort.”

“Dunno about all that, but I’d like to see what happens,” Zheng Fu shrugged. “And I really wanna chat with that crow again now.”

“So much for the pride of ancient clans,” Sun Liling said. “But yeah sure, I doubt our soldiers want to freeze their shorthairs off in an icy desert, easier if they bring their goods up and we buy it off for cheap crap, least till the Wall is settled.

“No point picking empty fights,” Ji Rong grunted, speaking up for the first time.

Sun Liling tilted her head toward him. “Going soft on me?”

“Ain’t no shortage of things that need to be punched closer to home,” he replied.

The corner of Sun LIling’s lips curled up. “Heh, wisdom.”

“Hear, hear!” Zheng Fu cheered.

“Are there any other matters which need to be settled?” Bai Meizhen cut in.

“No,” Ling Qi said. “Unless anyone has any further questions?”

“I might have one,” Sun Liling answered.

Ling Qi inclined her head.

“I want to hear your own words. What do you want out of this? And don’t give me any runaround about the short-term reasoning. What’s the Emerald Seas doing down here long-term?”

Ling Qi pressed her lips together. There were any number of ways such words spoken aloud could be used against her.

“There are more methods to build the empire and our province than fire and sword. While you will find that our Emerald Seas lacks neither of the latter, my lady and I aim to prove the viability of the former. This summit is the opportunity we have been given to do so. The Emerald Seas is building a bulwark and the infrastructure to support it, whether we succeed or fail. One way or the other, the duchess will have the southern border secured and her people protected.”

“Humble of ya,” Zheng Fu commented.

“Naturally, we are going to succeed, but I do not begrudge the lords of the province for making their preparations for what they see as a possibility,” Ling Qi said mildly. “Princess Sun, the south is tired of burned villages, looted manors, and lost lives. We are done. My lady and I both believe that establishing peace with the White Sky is the best method for solving this problem.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you believe it. Hey, you might even succeed without a lord who ties your hands and hobbles your feet,” Sun Liling sniped, picking at her nails pointedly.

Bai Meizhen retorted, “With well thought-out methods and reigning in of impulsive elements, we believe our allies may succeed, and they can do so without stripping their interior bare and leaving their mortals to the mercies of beasts at that. Imagine that.”

“Well, it’s not like the duchess has a hankering to keep up the regular cull and keep her lessers in line. Oh, wait. That was the other guys, wasn’t it?” Sun Liling asked sweetly.

“Fuck’s sake, someone just take a swing,” Zheng Fu grumbled under his breath.

Ling Qi caught his eyes, and he lowered his head, chuckling. No one else had heard him or even noticed his lips moving.

Together with the information revealed earlier about the Sun’s infrastructure building, the Zheng were certainly making a demonstration.

Xuan Shi spoke up before more barbs could be traded between the Bai and the Sun. “Lady Ling, to remain upon the current, what is thy plan for continued collaboration with this one then?”

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“Sir Xuan, as you are accompanying me, of course those meetings are excepted,” Ling Qi said.

Zheng Fu huffed. “You stealing the march, Xuan? I underestimated you.”

“Yeah, what’s this?” Sun Liling drawled.

“Of course,” Bai Meizhen scoffed. “The Xuan are the only ones with meaningful experience on the matter.”

“Sir Xuan is assisting me with deciphering foreign intent and making sense of our information. He accompanied me to some of our meetings. This is not in his capacity as a ducal observer,” Ling Qi explained.

There was nothing more than that, though it was important to bring up, since it could be a snub otherwise.

Sun Liling gave an acknowledging grunt. Ji Rong furrowed his brow, glancing at Xuan Shi.

“Are there any other questions?” Ling Qi repeated to her ducal guests.

“I cannot think of anything. I trust that the baroness and Lady Cai have this in hand,” Bai Meizhen said formally.

“I’m good,” Zheng Fu said lazily. “Guess I’ll just have to be patient.”

Xuan Shi inclined his head.