Key Player
Perhaps Sisi didn’t call for me for two days or send any nobles to visit me out of a considerate whim. My mansion essentially became a desolate island in the middle of the ocean. Veirya didn’t leave. Leah stopped taking lessons after a long time. The elven diplomat did her best to teach Leah everything. Thanks to the diplomat and Leah’s own efforts, Leah was fluent in the elven language in all aspects. Ascillia’s job request as a foreign diplomat was accepted, so she learnt her job on the go while furthering her own studies as a foreign diplomat. I took care of Lilia’s child while imparting Ross necessary with experiences for life and began to delegate some of my work to him.
I didn’t really know what I was in the imperial capital for initially; however, when I saw everything I saw there, I figured out what I needed to do. My family was doing well, had things to do and lived as they liked. Veirya was no longer a soldier and developed an interest in what nobles liked. I didn’t hope for her to change or anything. I just wanted her to be happy and free of stress. If she wasn’t bored, I was fine.
“Count Lin, here is your tea.”
“Thanks.” I took the teacup from the maid and had a nip.
I silently gazed at the flower outside as well as Leah earnestly studying under the elven diplomat while Angelina and Veirya silently kept Leah company. Leah wasn’t our child, but we loved her and cared for her with every fibre of our beings.
“Count Lin, you have a letter from the imperial palace.” Another maid handed me a letter stamped letter.
Sisi sent me a letter just when I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from her. I took the letter off the maid. I could tell Sisi’s lady-in-waiting penned the letter on her behalf from the different handwriting.
In other hands, the letter wasn’t addressed to solely me but all nobles. She merely asked us to attend a conference together. By my estimations, it was to discuss sending businessmen to the South. Unlike me, the nobles probably wanted to go South with Sisi’s hopes and requests to overwatch the South and as military contributors.
Maybe we were being asked to handle resources. That was a meaty chunk of meat for the nobles who wanted to make a massive profit, but I didn’t want any part of it. It was better to leave the juicy meat for the nobles, or people would catch on to my relationship with Sisi. If Veirya started hearing rumours…
“Is the messenger still here?” I inquired.
The maid nodded.:“Yes. All messengers from the imperial palace need to ensure letters have been delivered. Can you write a reply now?”
“There’s no need to write a letter. Just tell the messenger I’m not feeling well, so I can’t make it to the imperial palace.”
“Understood.” The maid looked eager to say something – probably reminding me that it wasn’t wise to brush Sisi off the way I did. Howbeit, she didn’t have the right to nor did I plan to.
Sisi would understand what I implied, so there was no need for me to waste my time explaining. Rather than splitting hairs with nobles, I much preferred watching over Leah as she learnt the elven language from home.
***
“I have been informed of your plight. I will not go back on my word. I will provide assistance. In saying that, I need to go through the nobles to provide you with aforementioned assistance,” Sisi explained from her throne, smiling as she spoke.
Lin Dongqing promised to provide reinforcements, yet it took so much effort to get the promised help when he came to get what he deserved. Sisi first claimed to be ill and then claimed she needed to assign the nobles jobs after finally getting the approval to have an audience with her. As frustrated as he was, the boy had to endure.
“Why was he able to speak to my Queen fearlessly, while I’m speechless against Sisi, who’s smiling no less? I’m more courageous than him, so why can’t I like up at Queen Sisi?” inwardly questioned the boy. “Understood. However, I hope you can make it quickly…”
The boy: I’m angry, yet I’m powerless. This is all I can say.
Sisi patted him on the shoulder and crouched down. She whispered next to his ear, “If you want fast, you shouldn’t be asking me. There’s someone in this imperial capital who’s more suited to addressing the matter, and all the nobles fear him. If you want fast, then you need to see him.”
The boy shuddered. Sisi leaned back and made a “hush” hand gesture while smiling. She turned around. “Sorry, I am still not feeling to well, so I shall leave for today. If you want the nobles to get on the matter, you should go and see him. I am sure he is still enjoying his family’s warmth at home, so you best bring him a present.”
“Did you mean umm… Lin Dongqing?”
“Hehe.” Sisi just giggled and left.
The young boy stood still in place for a few seconds. The meeting with the nobles was scheduled in the evening. The nobles ran the businesses in the imperial capital. Put another way, the issue was their resources. Sisi needed them to offer their resources in order to provide assistance. They might not agree to help, though. As such, the boy needed to have someone who the nobles feared or trusted to support him.
“Feared… or had to trust…” the boy repeated.
Perhaps that man enjoying his cup of hot tea in his armchair, peeking on the maids’ curves through their black and white uniforms…
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