The preamble finished, they finally got to the main topic.
"Regarding today's events in the great hall, what are your thoughts, Imperial Uncle?" Ji Hong asked.
Ji Jinmo, holding Nan Shiying's hand and fiddling with a coral bracelet, pondered for a moment before replying, "It's rather unusual. A court official dispatched by the Emperor of Da Li shouldn't be so brainlessly and openly mocking me, the Regent of Lin Yuan, in the grand hall!"
"Imperial Uncle thinks it was deliberate?"
Although Ji Hong found it peculiar, if it were intentional, what would be their motive? Could it be that Da Li had obtained some divine treasure or discovered a peerless mineral deposit that could produce armor and weapons in large quantities, thus adopting such a strong stance and intending to provoke a war between the two countries, with the aim of annexing Lin Yuan?
If not for that reason, Ji Hong truly couldn't fathom what benefit the other party would gain from acting this way.
"Actually, we can think about it from a different perspective," Nan Shiying interjected. "Instead of looking from Da Li's court perspective, let's consider Lin Yuan's side."
Ji Hong didn't quite understand. "Lin Yuan's side?"
Nan Shiying pointed to him and Ji Jinmo, briefly mentioning, "The relationship between you two in the eyes of outsiders."
Ji Hong understood. "Imperial Aunt means that because the relationship between Imperial Uncle and me appears to be irreconcilably hostile to outsiders, Yu Chengxuan is absolutely certain that Lin Yuan will not go to war with Da Li?"
Nan Shiying nodded. "Because what Da Li fears is not Lin Yuan, but the Regent of Lin Yuan."
"If Da Li were to go to war with Lin Yuan, and Lin Yuan did not dispatch the Prince, then the cavalry of Da Li would not be intimidated, and they could fight. But if the Prince were dispatched... everyone in Lin Yuan and Da Li knows that the Prince has been at odds with you for a long time, and to avoid any deliberate sabotage, the Prince would certainly not heed your command to go to the battlefield."
"Given this, there are only two possibilities: if they fight, they won't face the Prince; if they don't fight, then what does Da Li have to fear?"
Ji Hong was momentarily speechless. It was indeed true.
Because of the mutual checks and balances between him and his Imperial Uncle, Da Li had no concerns that Lin Yuan would mobilize its troops.
"It seems my and Imperial Uncle's act was quite good," Ji Hong couldn't help but praise himself. Of course, to avoid bothering Ji Jinmo, this old man, he also praised him!
Nan Shiying pursed her lips. She felt a bit bored and wanted to eat something, lest she couldn't control herself and speak her mind. However, after looking around, she couldn't find anything edible in the imperial study.
It was almost lunchtime, and she was hungry!
"Then the matter is simple now," Ji Hong said, pretending not to see Nan Shiying's disdainful glare, and sighed.
Da Li believed Lin Yuan dared not mobilize its troops. However, the reality in Lin Yuan was that not only did they dare to mobilize, but they also had the Demon Hunting Army, and now the Black Armored Army.
If Da Li were to act with great provocation based on the premise that Lin Yuan dared not mobilize, then Lin Yuan would certainly make Da Li understand why flowers can be so red!
However, one point was strange: "Why did Yu Chengxuan propose to Nan Yuan'er?"
Ji Jinmo glanced at Ji Hong and frowned impatiently. "Does that matter?"
Ji Hong thought for a moment. "Alright, it doesn't matter!"
Ji Jinmo grunted. He pulled Nan Shiying and stood up. "Alright, we've analyzed it. We'll be leaving now."
"But..."
Before Ji Hong could say anything, Ji Jinmo opened a hidden door and disappeared from the imperial study amidst Ji Hong's unspoken words.
Ji Hong: "..."
Huian and the rest of the Da Li envoys did not return to the Regent's Mansion but stayed at the courier station.
This was as expected.
Nan Shiying and Ji Jinmo paid no mind. Poison Elder pushed open the study door as it neared mealtime, unceremoniously asking Xuan Thirteen for bowls and chopsticks. While devouring the food, he asked, "The Zhao family still can't be touched?"
The purge of remnants from Miao Jiang had been too thorough before. Now, it was difficult to find a single experimental subject. The only remaining were the Zhao clan. Although Zhao Wuyan had 'committed suicide' in prison, his wife and all members of the Zhao clan were still imprisoned. The Da Li envoys had died in the assassination attempt on Ji Hong. As the perpetrators, the Zhao clan was naturally to be executed in front of the Da Li entourage. However, Ji Hong's plan before Zhao Wuyan's death was to single out one person to bear the blame, clearing Zhao Wuyan and Liu Yuzhi of their crimes and exiling them to Yuzhou Commandery. But with Zhao Wuyan's death, such trouble was no longer necessary.
With the main culprit dead, the male members of the Zhao clan would be beheaded, and their families exiled.
Given the status of Liu Yuzhi's maternal family, they would definitely intervene to bring Liu Yuzhi back to Yuzhou Commandery.
This would also save Ji Hong the trouble of making arrangements.
Apart from Liu Yuzhi, several other members of the Zhao family carried蛊 (gu), the parasitic worms. Aside from those forced victims turned perpetrators, there were one or two who were moles planted by Yuzhou Commandery near Liu Yuzhi.
They could be used for live dissection.
Nan Shiying thought for a moment and said, "Taking away one or two people is still possible. Tomorrow, let the Prince go and speak to Ji Hong about it."
Nan Shiying did not avoid Poison Elder when conversing with Ji Jinmo, so Poison Elder had some inkling about certain matters. Upon hearing this, he said nothing more and continued to shovel meat into his mouth, his face greasy.
"By the way, old man, can you give me a jar of your blood?" Nan Shiying suddenly asked.
Poison Elder did not stop eating and asked, "What do you want my blood for?"
Nan Shiying replied, "To study it. Maybe the蛊 worms in your body can also be stripped away?"
Poison Elder's movements paused slightly. A warmth surged in his heart, but he said verbally, "I think you're dreaming. I know my body. Unless you can precisely extract all the fluid attached to my spine, it's impossible."
As Poison Elder spoke, his mind conjured the movements of her dissection of Yin Si Lan yesterday. Her precise and accurate technique was as pleasing to the eye as carving a work of art. If given enough time, she might be able to achieve it.
Nan Shiying tutted. "Are you going to give it or not?"
What else could Poison Elder do? He had to pamper his own disciple.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Just releasing some blood, what a big deal!
It wasn't until after the meal that Nan Shiying took out a basin-sized jar and handed it to Poison Elder. A myriad of unprecedentedly beautiful Chinese idioms surged in Poison Elder's mind.
He pointed a trembling finger at Nan Shiying's nose, shrinking into a small, helpless, and pitiful ball. "You're simply inhumane!!"
Nan Shiying expressionlessly took out a small bottle from the mouth of the jar, then capped the jar, looking at Poison Elder as if he were an idiot. "This is a jar for small porcelain bottles!"
Poison Elder held the porcelain bottle and was stunned for a good half a minute. Then, he suddenly stood up, flicking his sleeves, and strode out.
"Old man, eat more brain-boosting pills and be happy every day!"
Poison Elder stumbled, almost falling face-first. He turned and roared at Nan Shiying, "Scram!!!"