The grounds of the Meng manor were beautiful, with serene reflective ponds full of water lilies and floating wooden shrines, lit by pale candles and soft blue ghost-lights. The manor itself was a lovely thing of crystal glass and fine wood with no seams or joins, as if the whole thing were grown rather than built. Meng Dan led Ling Qi along winding paths to an outdoor pavilion just outside the manor's eastern wing, a low porch with a roof overlooking the gardens. There were long tables filling the pavilion and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and It seemed very much like the kind of place where a party would be held.
Now, though, it was quiet - save for the distant strains of music from further inside the mansion.
"Feel free to let your spirits roam," offered Meng Dan, sitting down at one of the tables. The soft orange glow from the lanterns reflected off the polished wood and gave the whole thing a homey glow, as if the pavilion were an island of warmth drifting on a serene sea of mist. "Though I would ask Sir Zhengui to restrain himself."
Yinhui appeared across from him with a rustle like pages being flipped, and settled into a chair. Ling Qi gave a small nod of acknowledgement. The mist hissed and swirled as Zhengui materialized just outside the pavilion, his shell only around two meters wide. Hanyi appeared at Ling Qi's side in a shimmering veil of snowflakes, with her hands on her hips.
"Thank you for your accommodation, Sir Meng." said Ling Qi, finding her own seat in one of the woven wicker chairs nearby. The air of this place was very serene and peaceful.
Sixiang manifested their physical body in the chair beside Yinhui at that moment, and immediately threw an arm around the other moon spirit's childlike shoulders. "Heya, little cuz. And book boy! You miss us?"
"Things have been less exciting, yes," chuckled Meng Dan.
Ling Qi gave Sixiang a look, which the muse responded to with an innocent smile.
"I'm sure you needed the rest," Ling Qi finally said with a sigh. Hanyi climbed onto the arm of her chair and patted her shoulder. At least Hanyi recognized her grievance, even if she probably didn't understand it. That was a kind of progress.
"Most assuredly. I am only a frail scholar, after all." Meng Dan said lightly. "Would you care for refreshments, Baroness?"
Ling Qi stared at Meng Dan. Meng Dan's smile widened.
"If it's no trouble," responded Ling Qi. "It is one thing to hear of Xiangmen, but it is another to approach it."
"It is a wonder, isn't it?" said Meng Dan. He snapped his fingers, the sound echoing loudly in the mist, and Ling Qi sensed the movement of servants in the manor halls. "There are only a few other places in the Empire that can match it, I think. Shuilan, the Mountains of Flowers and Fruit, The Imperial City, and the Living Isle. I should like to see them all one day."
"I wouldn't mind that myself," mused Ling Qi. Even if she had her duties, she definitely felt at least a little tug of wanderlust. "The journey south had its' appeal."
"It is a beautiful land. I am sure you and your lady will do much with it." observed Meng Dan.
"We've located our probable capital."
"The waterfall is huuuuge!" interrupted Hanyi.
"The lake is really nice, and the fires under the earth are good - not like the nasty poison fires," agreed Zhengui, settling on the ground with a thump.
"Has some real goodies tucked away, too," Sixiang chimed in with a grin.
"Wonderful, I'm pleased for you." said Meng Dan. "For my part, it has been most satisfying to be given access to more of the clan library in my study of the tapestry. I know I am only being indulged by the Elders as a treat, but it is truly satisfying to be able to confirm more of my own theories on events."
Ling Qi hummed to herself. "I'm glad for you as well, Meng Dan. Out of curiosity, I've been doing my own kind of research. Have you ever heard of a serious heresy in the old Weilu faith?"
"There have been a number of splits and new sects which were called heresies at the time of formation," interjected Yinhui quietly, somehow maintaining her dignity even while Sixiang played with her hair. "More specificity is needed."
"Yinhui is not wrong," Meng Dan said. "The largest split occurred under the rule of the Xi, which produced my own family's faith and the Pure Way of the Hui."
"It would be something older than that. Maybe not as far back as pre-imperial, but probably First Dynasty," Ling Qi said.
"Mm, records from then are... less accessible." explained Meng Dan, his smile briefly becoming a thoughtful frown. "I assume you aren't speaking of the Mason War split."
"...I don't think so," Ling Qi said after a moment. "Well, it's something I've only touched the edges of myself. Maybe next time we meet I'll be the one who can dispense some history."
Meng Dan put a hand over his heart. "Miss Ling, you must not court my heart so brazenly."
Ling Qi chuckled politely, ignoring Sixiang and their waggling eyebrows. "Being serious though, Meng Dan - what is the Dreaming Way? What great spirit does it revere?"
Meng Dan's smile faded a touch. "It has none. There are a handful of ascended, thought of as teachers and torchbearers showing the way, but reverence isn't really the point."
"Well, what's the purpose then?" Ling Qi asked. "If it's not interceding for the favor of a god?"
"It's…" he trailed off thoughtfully. "Forgive me, Miss Ling, but I am not a monk or a teacher. It is difficult for one of middling devotion to explain properly."
"Ah, I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult position," apologised Ling Qi.
"No, no," he dismissed. "Let us see, I do not want to misrepresent us, but... in the eyes of the Dreaming Way, the material world is merely another layer of the liminal - a dream more solid and difficult to awake from. It is flawed and broken, corrupted from the intent of the Nameless. The Dreaming Way is a path to finding a true awakening - enlightenment, if you prefer. If enough people achieve this the Nameless may be reinvigorated, and their Great Dream made right."
Ling Qi frowned, considering his words. That sounded strange, but not particularly bad, though she supposed that depended on what you saw enlightenment as being.
"Isn't that like, stupid hard though?" Hanyi said. "Most humans are like, super weak, you'll never get enough to ascend."
"The truth of the Way and the truth of an individual cultivator are different things. Supposedly even a mortal can find enlightenment if they live a proper life under the strain my kin follow, but you are right that it is a distant dream at best," Meng Dan chuckled. "As I said, I am not personally devout. Perhaps you may request to speak with one more knowledgeable than I?"
"Of course," Ling Qi said, glancing to Sixiang, who looked thoughtful. "Shall we get to business, then?"
"A statement has been prepared," Yinhui said, sliding her a folded sheaf of paper from across the table.
Ling Qi picked it up gingerly, and felt her eyebrows rise at the number of spirit stones listed there. It was enough to make her personal cultivation expenses irrelevant for years, if focused on just that. But she had peeked into Cai Renxiang's planning, and knew that the costs of building and running early settlements far exceeded those expenses. Even considering that, it was a princely sum.
"Hm, isn't just spirit stones kinda boring?" Hanyi said. "Shouldn't there be like, super cool treasures and stuff?"
"Hanyi," Ling Qi scolded.
"Nah, any of the counts could offer spirit stones," Sixiang drawled. "Squirt is right."
"Both of your spirits are correct," Meng Dan chuckled, steepling his fingers. "The spirit stones are the baseline. My Grandmother and her peers have prepared a raft of other options for you to choose among. These are rather less prosaic options for payment, and I have been given leave to grant you any two of them."
A flick of his wrist brought forth a sheathe of densely written contracts, fanned across the table. "I expect you will wish to read these in full, but if you would like I can give you a summary?"
"Please." sighed Ling Qi, eyeing the legal documents with some resignation.
"First, we offer a number of exclusive texts and melodies from the tradition of Grandmistress Lei. Not her works themselves, unfortunately, but those of musicians in the direct line of her descent - one of which you seemed to have acquired on your own." began Meng Dan.
The Forgotten Vale Melody, long since made a part of her, fueling the Mist of her domain. Ling Qi could think of nothing else that he could be referring to. "I'm surprised at such an offer, given what I know of your clan."
"Oh it was a bit of a fight," Meng Dan said lightly, brushing over it. "Nonetheless, we guarantee no reprisals. There are no complete arts among the offer, but a cultivator of your talent and stage will no doubt find insights among them."
Reading between the lines, these were probably the copied physical notes of other musicians and cultivators from which she could create or modify arts with relative ease. This was likely to give the more consrvative elements of the Meng clan some face in retaining their secrets. She was going to have to work on turning her arts into something wholly her own, though.
"Go on," prompted Ling Qi. It wouldn't do to express interest either way yet.
"Second, we offer the services of a Meng Geomancer for a period of ten years, fully paid for his time," Meng Dan continued. "He will offer aid in constructing settlements and shaping your land. He will also be authorized to share the same level of our knowledge which is granted to our own barons and viscounts, and will tutor up to six individuals in this knowledge."
That was a good offer - without the last part, she might worry that the Meng were intending to make Lady Cai dependent on them for maintenance and expansion. That they would explicitly not be sharing their full knowledge made her trust it more. Zhengui perked up a little at the mention of tutoring too.
"I see, and the others?" Ling Qi asked, gesturing to the remaining three contracts on the table.
"Perhaps a little less personally exciting, we have a trade agreement," Meng Dan said, tapping one of the remaining contracts with his finger. "Under this agreement, all goods originating in your land will be tarif-free for a period of one hundred years, and receive preferential rates on all other tolls and taxes."
"It will probably be quite some time before we are producing anything worth trading." Ling Qi said dubiously.
"Ah, but as far as imperial law is concerned, goods from external polities originate with their first imperial 'buyer', being written with war plunder in mind," Meng Dan said. "A loophole likely to be closed in the future, if things go our way, but for now, useful, no?"
Ling Qi didn't exactly have a head for economics, but yes, she supposed she could see how that could be useful. It would encourage more traders at least, by cutting the costs of importing goods to the bone. It might make any efforts to open up Black Lotus pass again less useful, though, hurting her effort in the central valley. She waved him on.
"Next, I had noticed in our journey that your primary weapon talisman was a bit out of date for your cultivation..." Meng Dan paused as he saw her expression. "...My apologies, is something wrong?"
"It was destroyed recently, and had some sentimental value," Ling Qi said tersely. She let out a breath as Hanyi hugged her arm. "...Please continue. I really should have retired it sooner."
He pursed his lips but gave a small nod. "Well, the Meng clan has a tradition of musicians, as you know. My Grandmother can offer the services of a master craftsmen, one of my great-uncles, who is a sixth realm specialized in instruments. You would need to provide the materials for this, though - Uncle is... eccentric and demands such from all his clients."
"Understandable," What upper realm didn't have eccentricities? She still wasn't sure what she was going to do about her flute, but she supposed this was an option. She had no idea yet what she would do about materials.
"Might be something for our trips," murmured Sixiang in her head.
"Um, maybe something from Momma?" Hanyi offered uncertainly.
"The last one?" Ling Qi said, not visibly acknowledging either. She glanced at the page, and gave a double take, it was largely blank.
"The last is simply a favor from the Meng clan, not one that is wholly unlimited, but you will have the promise that my Grandmother will work to bring the clan around to support you in an endeavor that requires political weight, so long as it is not directly contrary to our interests," Meng Dan said.
Ling Qi looked hard at the blank page, bearing only the seal and heraldry of the Meng clan. Such an open-ended offer could be very powerful… or ineffectual. It all depended on the situation in which she chose to use it. She almost smiled as she imagined accepting and then immediately calling it in for support against the Duchess.
That certainly fell outside the limits of a favor, but perhaps it could be useful on the matter of Black Lotus Pass, or if some difficulty came up during negotiations in the south.
She would have to decide.
[ ] Notes and Writings from Master musicians of the Meng (New options and projects for creating and modifying arts)
[ ] Ten years of service from a Meng Geomancer, for construction and tutoring (Opens special options in fief construction. Zhengui gets ideas)
[ ] One hundred year trade agreement for duty free imports from your fief (More options if trade begins with the foreigners, closer ties with the Meng)
[ ] Access to a Master Craftsmen in constructing a new instrument (Sets down the path to a new weapon talisman, focused on acquiring resonant materials)
[ ] One open ended favor from the Meng clan (Gain alternate option in future events which will bypass or greatly decrease costs or difficulty. Once.)
You may select two of the options, please do not vote as plans, the two options with the highest totals will win.
