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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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[X] The future changes with every step, never be certain you know what is coming

One of the great issues higher realms run into when trying to push beyond their current cultivation level is that one's way becomes steadily more rigid when getting closer to ascension. It's this lack of flexibility and adaptibility that causes progress to stall and ways to end in conflict with themselves. Actively engraving adaptibilty into Ling Qi's way to circumvent this issue honestly seems so good it almost feels like a cheat.
 
Unseelie said:
...just how large is this world? On earth that would be two fifths of the circumference.
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Using the space between two fingers as a measuring device, assuming the Empire is 9,000 km wide, I got about 90,000 km circumference. This lines up with the "ten thousand miles" southward journey, assuming they use the same miles we do. But this means they travelled pretty far south, almost to the southernmost edge of the continent.
 
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yrsillar said:
There was silence for a moment, and then Ling Qi felt the pressure shift away as Cai Shenhua turned her gaze on Diao Linqin. "Darling, remind me, which one of the vermin was that, you have a better memory for these things."

"There were four living Hui Peng's at the time of your ascension," Diao Linqin said demurely. "Three were accounted for, which would make this one… the Duke's herald. I believe he announced your first suite to the court."

No one spoke while the minister was speaking, nor in the aftermath as Shenhua pondered the answer. Then, the Duchess began to chuckle. It was not a happy sound, to be frank, it sent a chill down the back of her neck. Going from the faint unease rising from the court, they didn't care for it either.

Thankfully the Duchess' humor faded quickly. "Rotting a hole for two centuries, how very fitting. I might be cross that you put him out of his misery, young lady."

"I-that is-" Xia Lin stuttered, undoubtedly pressured by her grace's gaze.

"I am not of course. You did well in cleansing such a lingering pustule. He was surely too mad to suffer further by this point," The Duchess said dismissively.

Despite the dismissal, Ling Qi still felt a frisson of discomfort. The tinge of scorn and cruelty in Cai Shenhua's tone felt foreign compared to her previous experiences with the Duchess. Even with everything she had experienced through Renxiang, such emotion did not suit the Duchess.
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Looks like Shenhua had history with this particular Hui, and boy does she show how much she absolutely hates them. Even the whole court seem disturbed. Poor Xia Lin started getting real nervous.

yrsillar said:
"Yes, I intend to aid the baroness and the sergeant in seeing an auction organized, that the artifacts may find worthy owners," Meng Dan agreed.

Ling Qi was glad for that, some of the considering looks she had felt falling upon her and Xia Lin were less than friendly. She knew well enough that even if she wanted all the historical junk, it would be a bad idea to try and keep it all.
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I'm guessing had we went with the other choice of going back and arriving with the entourage, we'd see less disapproving looks like these.

yrsillar said:
"But most importantly, I was able to find historical records which confirmed that in the past, the Weilu and the people of the southlands had intermarried at least once in their royal lines and otherwise interacted. This proved most useful in our negotiations," Meng Dan said proudly. "Although it is distant, both the Meng and Diao clans have some small measure of blood connection to one of the great clans of the southlands."

The reactions of the people around them were mixed. Meng Diu looked pleased, but some of the other meng with her looked ambivalent. So it was with the Diao as well, some of the more scholarly types in their clique looked intrigued, but there was little interest otherwise. Some of the more imperial aligned courtiers looked faintly repulsed.
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This sounds to me like the Meng and Diao have a complicated relationship. Note how while Meng Diu's faction are pretty happy about it, other Meng are more ambivalent. While they're more open to liking Ling Qi due to her Weilu-ness, some might've not like the idea of being related to the Diao. At least that's how I'm reading it.

Meanwhile, the Diao Imperials are more open in their distaste.

yrsillar said:
"You say that the lights in the sky affected your minds, despite you never leaving the mountains?" Asked a scholarly looking man from among the court clans. He wore an elaborate silvery robe and headdress, with a single glass lens over his right eye.

"It did. It had the effect of a paralyzing fear, not unlike a higher realm beasts ire. Our hosts did not speak much on the subject, but regarded the lights as a hazard as well. Speaking of a weakness in the sky wrought by the sun and moons absence for large portions of the year."

'Is that a plausible theory?" Cai Shenhua asked, her attention leaving Gan Guangli to look upon the man. "Astronomer Wu?"

"According to certain theories, your grace, the rotational path of the solar and lunar sphere's should leave the furthest north and south poles of the terrestrial sphere without light for around half a year. There have been many thought exercises on the effects this would have," the astronomer said, bowing his head low. He seemed pleased, Ling Qi supposed that he must have been a believer of said theory.
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Well this one's interesting. Looks like we got more info on that Aurora Borealis. Seems like the Ice Ladies don't like them as well.

Also that Wu guy. I wonder if he's from the same clan as Wu Jing (the guy who was in the Luo party and dissed us)

yrsillar said:
"Fortune can truly be strange," Cai Shenhua said, her gaze burning on the back of Ling Qi's neck. Sweat gathered on her brow. "But then again, one needs a certain good fortune to advance as you have."

"The baroness is indeed fortunate," Meng Diu spoke up. "It seems likely that the Great Spirits have their plans."

Several of the other Meng gave her sidelong looks, but none gainsaid her. Some of the more traditionally garbed among the courtiers and clan attaches were looking at her assessingly.

"Plan's in line with my efforts no less," the Duchess chuckled. "Will wonders never cease. Continue then, how did the initial negotiations go."
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Traditionalist like that, so does Shenhua apparently.

yrsillar said:
Several individuals looked indignant at being spoken over, but Cai Shenhua's warm laughter silenced any retort. Ling Qi squeezed her eyes shut as the pounding in her head grew with the light shining from the throne, and she shuddered to remember the half dreamed glimpse of that radiance unmasked.
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Interesting choice of words here. "Warm laughter" from Shenhua, huh....

yrsillar said:
"I will not speak in defense of the tribes which have brought pain and ruin to the people of the Emerald Seas since time immemorial," Renxiang said. "But these are not those people. You have heard the breadth of our journey, more than ten thousand miles through mountains, valleys and spirits. These tribes were not among the hosts of Ogodei. It is as foolish to judge them by their kin as it is to judge any of the great clans by the bonds of blood they share with the hated Hui. I will not say that our hosts methods are perfect, but from what I was able to observe they have found security, expansion and profit together from this integration. The tribes have safety and civilization, and the Confederation of White Sky have found a great pool of warriors and hunters with which to tame their hinterlands. We must be watchful for certain, but to dismiss a nation because of this is something I cannot countenance, your grace."

That… had not been wholly planned. Ling Qi could hear bits and pieces of their planned speech in there, but the composition was off the cuff.

"Passionately said, my daughter," Cai Shenhua said as the last echo of the words faded, the inhuman reverberations gone from her voice. "As a matter of principle, I agree, hasty judgement in a matter of this magnitude is… unacceptable."
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God, I love that Renxiang manage to express her whole honest desire here, especially towards her mother. Most importantly, Shenhua very much approves.

yrsillar said:
"We used this matter to discover something of what materials the White Sky values, and as it happens, what they value most is quality wood, their request for ten wagonloads of hardwood and six of soft. You can see why we agreed to this so easily," Ling Qi finished.

"Interesting," Coughed the Bao man who had spoken before, breaking the tense silence of the court. "Did you happen to discern what they have in abundance, Baroness."
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Bao don't care anything else but that dough money :V

yrsillar said:
"Tell me, my daughter, what boon will aid you in continuing to succeed so?" Cai Shenhua said, sinking back into her throne to resume her more languid pose.

"I wish for myself and my immediate retainers to maintain a central role in the diplomacy to come," Cai Renxiang said.

There was silence from the courtiers, and above, Diao Linqin frowned at them, while Cai Shenhua simply tilted her head, very slowly to the side, making their shadows dance.

"You are young, and have other commitments beside, my daughter," Cai Shenhua said, her words did not feel a rebuke, but a simple reminder.

"I know your grace, but it is my heartfelt belief that I will advance the interests of the Cai and the province more effectively ensuring that this matter ends productively than continuing to simply act as a student," Cai Renxiang replied. She did not raise her head.

The Duchess let out a thoughtful hum that made Ling Qi's ears ring, letting them stew in silence for nearly a minute. "If this is your true desire, I will allow it, although by accepting this responsibility, you must be prepared for greater consequences."

"I understand," Cai Renxiang said, pressing her forehead to the rich carpet.
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I really love how this turned out. Going this path really paid dividends.

Not voting yet, I wanna see more arguments about the insight, especially since we have a limited slot
 
Yun said:
[] To journey and seek knowledge is virtue unto itself
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This seems like an external pressure that can incrementally leading to your Way being built around your job/duty.
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The problem I have with this is that, when one day her job in diplomacy with the wall ends and Ling Qi wants to settle, will her way being built around a job that has already finished not lead to a lot of problems?
 
[X] To journey and seek knowledge is virtue unto itself

More journeys and expeditions would be nice, it also have nice synergy with our FVM and SCS insights.
 
[X] The future changes with every step, never be certain you know what is coming

I like both insights but I don't feel the 2nd one really fits Ling Qi
 
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