PROOFREAD BY AFREANA

Chapter 91.1

Yao Kun and other officials urgently discussed the matter of Huo Mingshan’s visit to the capital. Everyone felt this matter was achievable and a great method to stall for time necessary to solve the war crisis. It’s just that everyone had their own ideas on the details.

County Executive Official Xia Zhou just came back from Mao County. He led a group of people from the Court of Judicial Review to pursue the envoys’ assassination case and learned about the situation there. He suggested to inform Shi Pingqing, the governor of Mao County, and ask Mao County to send envoys to visit the South Qin capital together with Pingnan County.

“Mr. Huo holds the South Qin Emperor’s order. The situation is urgent, so we cannot wait for our Emperor to meet with Mr. Huo before deciding whether to send our envoys. We can only let the county officials visit simultaneously and then give a proper explanation, since we will be a head short in rank in terms of envoy’s prestige, which is not in line with etiquette. What’s more, in this matter, the South Qin and East Ling envoys were killed in Mao County. So far, there is no trace of the murderer. The investigation is without any result, those people seem to have fallen from the sky, and after they killed the people, they even spread out and disappeared. Governor Shi is now like ants on a hot pan. Even if he wants to find someone to have his back, no one would want to do it. This matter involves too much. I was there to see Governor Shi discouraged and wanting to brush the matter aside, acting aggressive and unreasonable towards East Ling. Whether the Emperor will blame him is not guaranteed. His heart has the intention to break the pot. He can’t wait to fight a war to shift the focus from himself. If we won, he could make up for the past and escape the disaster.”

Yao Kun was furious when he heard this from Xia Zhou, “That Shi Pingqing has been around for so many years! Why hasn’t he grown up yet? Shirking his responsibility, and when it comes to bad things, it would be someone else’s problem, while he would take all the benefits for himself. When it comes to war, is he the one in charge? Will the ones injured or killed be his family or he? His Mao County has not done very well in these years. This time he tried to grab the credit but caused trouble instead, and now wants to use the war to get out of it. Stupid waste.”

“Sir.” Qian Shixin warmly advised Yao Kun not to lose his words in his rage.

Yao Kun slowed down and asked Xia Zhou: “Did you find out what he said in his report to the capital?”

Xia Zhou showed helplessness: “Just as you expected. Governor Shi naturally pushed the matter to our Pingnan, saying you closed the trade and negotiation channel with South Qin with an iron fist. But South Qin still wanted to negotiate peace, so they had to borrow East Ling’s hand to enter our Great Xiao to ask for an audience. The bandits in Pingnan County are rampant, and the investigation is in progress. But because you have not disposed of the bandits properly and left the remnants, no one knows what else would happen. As for the envoys’ murder in Mao County, the murderer disappeared without a trace. Perhaps he fled to Pingnan County, and the search is still ongoing.”

Yao Kun was so angry that he slapped the table. He received Mao County’s official letter hoping Pingnan County would track down and dispose of the bandits. Within his expectations, Shi Pingqing poured a pot of dirty water into his Pingnan County. Everyone expects peace, but this guy was full of bad water, couldn’t handle the trouble, couldn’t cover up his incompetence and misconduct, and even wanted to use the war and use the blood and tears of the people and soldiers in exchange for a way out.

Shameless!

Xia Zhou understood what Yao Kun thought. He said: “Now Mao County’s side is hastily deploying troops to the border to exert pressure, but this scene is only for East Ling to see. In Dong City, I saw East Ling’s letters being sent to the county government one day at a time. If Governor Shi can’t handle it and then does something stupid, says something inappropriate to East Ling and South Qin, and if East Ling blows the wind, South Qin will surely wave their troops across the river, and we Pingnan will be the ones who will end up unlucky. Sir, if you want to send an envoy to stabilize South Qin, you must also stabilize Governor Shi. Not only tell him that Mr. Huo is going to the capital and things are turning around but also drag him to do things together with you so that Mao County also sends an envoy to go to South Qin. Don’t worry about how to explain it. In short, someone has to go, and sincerity has to be there. Since we will both send envoys, Governor Shi wouldn’t dare to be too presumptuous. He could only wait for the situation to calm down, and we would have a chance to deal with East Ling’s questioning.”

Qian Shixin said, “Lord Xia has a point. Lord Yao has taken the lead in cleaning Mao County’s mess and must be sure not to add more woes. Mr. Huo must be treated as a guest of honor. We must discuss the envoy candidates and the conversations to make Mr. Huo feel that our Great Xiao respects him. Let him write a letter, and our envoy will take it to South Qin. Those lords in the South Qin border counties will give Mr. Huo some face. Present the news to the Emperor of South Qin, and the border situation will surely be eased.”

Yao Kun felt that what everyone said was very reasonable, so he sent Xia Zhou to go to Dong City in Mao County to report this matter to Shi Pingqing quickly, so he could immediately select the envoys and come to Zhonglan City to set off together. “I don’t know whether Shi Pingqing will have any ideas, but it will take some time for him to travel. I’ll have to report this to General Long, and in a few days, when Shi Pingqing’s envoys are arranged, we’ll pick up Mr. Huo and bring him to Zhonglan. This way, we will have some time to prepare.”

“This ……” Qian Shixin wanted to speak but stopped.

Yao Kun asked, “What does Mr. Qian think?”

Qian Shixin said: “Sir, the conditions in the barracks are harsh. Eating, drinking, lavatory matters, and all the inconveniences, where is there the comfort of Zhonglan City? Mr. Huo is getting old. Staying there for one more day is one more day of suffering. General Long must have told Mr. Huo at the barracks that the Governor would receive him into Zhonglan with a great ceremony, but now it is being deferred. We don’t know how long the delay will last. If Governor Shi’s side is overly concerned, or the envoy selection does not go well, when should we fetch Mr. Huo? Are we going to tell the truth when Mr. Huo asks about the reason for the delay? That we are waiting for Mao County to share the blame? How would that make Mr. Huo feel?”

Yao Kun thought about it and felt that it was very reasonable. So, he decided to prepare the carriage to welcome Mr. Huo first. Yao Kun arranged for government guards to wait on the road, informed the Purple Cloud House, and prepared a nice guest room in the Governor’s residence. He also increased the number of patrol guards and rearranged the whole post. After each division received orders, they hastily proceeded to make them happen.