I mean I'm pretty sure that Renxiang would be all for it really. Getting more buy-in and engagement from the Meng is the kind of thing she really really wants. This is a fantastic opportunity that validates some of her earlier more controversial decisions.
Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
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I feel like not passing on this offer would be dishonest. I also feel like The Meng being allowed to come meddle in foreign policy would cause us future headaches. And that's before we get into the possibility of their guy being accepted as a retainer, which would be plain bad for us.
If the Meng get a retainer, they don't need to talk to Ling Qi anymore, they can just talk to their guy. Plus every other Count house will want something to counter balance him, causing us more headaches.
If the Meng get a retainer, they don't need to talk to Ling Qi anymore, they can just talk to their guy. Plus every other Count house will want something to counter balance him, causing us more headaches.
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- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- She/They
Hmmm. I think this is positive: The Meng are looking to bind themselves more publicly to the (current) Cai heiress, due to us and our obvious sympathies towards spirits and outsiders, and the way that despite those viewpoints we are the heiress's left hand. This lets them push forward disagreement with some of the Cai duchess's current policies in a way that is entirely supportive of the duchess, so a good win for them.
I read the lady as tacitly supporting our viewpoints, both about the Bai and about Hanyi, so I'm trying to figure out how much her grandson is a tacit statement of support for us and how much this is trying to use us to create a gap between the duchess and the heiress.
I read the lady as tacitly supporting our viewpoints, both about the Bai and about Hanyi, so I'm trying to figure out how much her grandson is a tacit statement of support for us and how much this is trying to use us to create a gap between the duchess and the heiress.
It depends on what exactly this Grandson knows and studies. If he's a historian that studies the hill tribes, then he wouldn't need much explanation on what's going on, but if he was being groomed for a position in the Heavenly Peaks he might not be super useful.
NoxOfUmbra
Shadow of the night
- Location
- Colombia, South América
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] Accept the offer, you can convince Renxiang and sponsorship from even a faction of a count house is a valuable thing.
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He's going to be useful. The whole point of this is giving him a chance to prove his usefulness. Sending someone useless would be a giant waste.
- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
This is also something that sets a precedent. This is our first real political action in our role as the head of Clan Qi, instead of just Ling Qi the person. Saying yes here not only firms up who our clan will be on good terms with, but also how people will think to interact with us diplomatically. Are we someone to be bargained with and kept track of, or are we someone to be plotted around, figured into plans as an obstacle instead of a potential actor on the political stage?
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- He/They
I say we accept.
Rennie is a big girl, she can say no.
We won't gonna break anything.
I'm slightly worried that we surprised her with keeping the meeting secret from the sect before a court meeting(three hours prep time is a surprise in CRX headspacr) and then follow up with this in short succession, though.
Rennie is a big girl, she can say no.
We won't gonna break anything.
I'm slightly worried that we surprised her with keeping the meeting secret from the sect before a court meeting(three hours prep time is a surprise in CRX headspacr) and then follow up with this in short succession, though.
You do realize they are trying to install a permanent bypass so they can ignore us right? That's their ultimate goal, since if CRX got a Meng retainer the Meng would never have to talk to us again. So making a deal with us once is nothing compared to all the future deals it'll save them if it goes right.
- Location
- UK
On one hand I'm really excited for co-workers, on the other this is terrible timing for an unknown element D:
I'm leaning towards accept for now but still worried about the consequences. I'm sure every angle of this vote will be analysed over next few hours though.
Thinking less stressfully, I wonder what the Meng would consider as Cai retainer material. The most immediate thing that comes to mind for traditional Emerald Seas clan suiting Cai would be a Sun cultivator, but considering we work for Renxiang it could be anything... Kinda still like the idea of having a Sun cultivator colleague though. Six being moody would be great too.
Also, if this goes through it occurs CRX would nearly have an advisor/representative for each of Emerald Seas factions in her circle, between Traditionalist Meng retainer, GG being more commoner focused and LQ being on the spirit side of things, we would just be missing an Imperial leaning retainer and we would have just about all viewpoints. Neat.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
That's not how this work.
In theory you are correct. But in practice, relationships between humans arent so easy. If the guy does not mesh well with Cai, LQ is easily going to be a favored retainer over him. And even if both become valued retainers in their own right, trusts and credits with each other and other such things still play a part.
Besides, the Meng having influence on CRX means she has influence on them. Its a two way street. And if you want the Alliance with the Bai to work, influence on the Meng is important. Having a Meng Retainer means there is a middle man who can allow CRX and the Meng Clan leadership to communicate behind the scenes, and the same applies for LQ and the Meng Clan. Which is well worth its way in Starstone.
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[] Accept the offer, you can convince Renxiang and sponsorship from even a faction of a count house is a valuable thing.
We cannot succeed by avoiding building bridges. Immense respect has been shown us by having an Indigo make a blunt request. I think it would benefit us to accept.
We cannot succeed by avoiding building bridges. Immense respect has been shown us by having an Indigo make a blunt request. I think it would benefit us to accept.
Ah, could you explain to me what the bribe is in this situation?
As best I can tell Meng Diu's offer and request are the same, that Ling Qi convince CRX to take a particular individual along as a show of support from the Meng for CRX. I haven't noticed anything else being offered. It's a little sketchy to ask Ling Qi to convince CRX instead of merely putting the name in question forward, but it's also needed to be done through a back channel to get the point across that this is intended as a show of support rather than an attempt at finding a cushy job for a relative.
Is there something I missed?
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- Location
- US
- Location
- Canada
To add on to this, the real prize here for the Meng is a retainer position with CRX, and Ling Qi is NOT saying she'll get this for them. What she is doing is arranging what amounts to a tryout for the Meng, so CRX can see his strengths and abilities under pressure. If he does not meet her high standards, he will not be joining us as a retainer, and if he does, well, useful side character get.
He's going to be useful to Renxiang, as a member of her retinue, not necessarily to Ling Qi in the upcoming mission. Of course context suggests this grandson has some kind of diplomatic training, or relevant scholarly knowledge that will help Ling Qi, but that's not the same thing.
- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
I don't think this is a problem. Even opening up the isolationist Meng is a pretty strong politic statement. Getting the Meng involved with more Cai projects will really only strengthen the Cai.
- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- She/They
That seems like a strong assumption, that CRX is going to end up trusting whomever the Meng send more than us. I'd see it as more advantageous for them to build up Clan Ling as much as they can: we are representing a lot of the same controversial ideas that they want to see pushed, so allowing us to take point gives them cover and allows them to exploit the openings we make. They'll want us to be 'loud' enough to be the faction face at court, because we are shielded by CRX, so if we do self-destruct over things they support then they can divorce themselves form it- a single-generation baronial clan is not an asset for the long-term, even if the connection to the heiress is present.
So I see this as the Meng recruiting an expendable ally of convenience, but with the implication that they are willing to back us up with resources such that we can't be ignored at court, because they agree with our perspectives.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
Or its the first step of building a stable communication channels between CRX and LQ with the Meng Clan leadership.
What you think that the Meng Clan will just try to fuck with the Heiress' trusted retainer? Perhaps as we all grow older one day they will outmaneuver us and it will happen. But that's many years in the future, and does nothing to diminish the value of having contact with the Meng right now in a mutually beneficial set up.
Where the Meng are apprehensive of the Bai Alliance, while we are for the Bai Alliance, so this is a compromise. They get a say in the Alliance, so that if we prove them wrong, we can all move out, and if the Bai proves them right, they can deal with the damage. Its very reasonable.
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NoxOfUmbra
Shadow of the night
- Location
- Colombia, South América
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Hoka Inumuta..... that's all i'm going to say
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
The big downside I can see to accepting is that it may be seen as Ling Qi favoring the Meng, which could be taken poorly by other factions. OTOH, Ling Qi is intended by CRX to link with the Weilu types, if we take some rep hits in other areas it may not matter terribly much.
Also the Meng being in ideal position to screw up the alliance with the Bai, and their dislike of the Bai, means they're a potential problem. A route to resolving that problem or at least keeping it from blowing up would really be handy for the Cai...
Also the Meng being in ideal position to screw up the alliance with the Bai, and their dislike of the Bai, means they're a potential problem. A route to resolving that problem or at least keeping it from blowing up would really be handy for the Cai...
- Location
- foraging for beans
I mean, there's retainers and there's retainers, you know. LQ is almost certainly going to be far more trusted by CRX than any Meng retainer, for the simple reason that LQ has no feudal loyalties towards any clan other than the Cai.
And by the looks of it, CRX is going to need to get some count level retainers to get a few of those clans behind her anyway. Especially if she wants to reform the entire Imperial justice system. May as well have one of those retainers owe LQ his position, and be generally aligned with her social and political goals.
- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
I fully expect for the Diao or one of the other imperial leaning clans to push hard for a retainer after this deal goes public.
No, if CRX picks up a retainer from a Count clan suddenly all the count clans will aggressively move to get her to pick up retainers from them, at which point refusing to pick up one from any of them will be a snub to that clan regardless of the actual reason, and create enmity out of proportion with the benefits of the accepted retainers.
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- Location
- foraging for beans
I mean, they're already moving aggressively to get her to take on count retainers. What else would you call this proposition? Better to pick a few and gain some allies than to piss them all off by refusing any count retainers. That's politics eh.
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