"There are more methods, more tools to build the Empire and our province than fire and sword. Though our Emerald Seas lacks neither, you will find," Ling Qi said. "My Lady and I aim to prove the viability of these tools, this summit is the opportunity we have been given to do so. The Emerald Seas is building a bulwark, and the infrastructure to support it, whether we succeed or fail. One way or the other, the Duchess will have the southern border secured, and her people protected."
"Humble of ya," Zheng Fu chuckled.
"Naturally we are going to succeed, but I do not begrudge the Lords of the province for making their preparations for what they see as a possibility," Ling Qi said mildly. "Princess Sun. The south is tired of burned villages, of looted manors and lost lives. We are done. My Lady and I both believe that establishing peace with the White Sky is the best method for solving this problem."
"Oh, I don't doubt you believe it. Hey, you might even succeed, without a lord who ties your hands and hobbles your feet," Sun Liling said, picking at her nails.
"With well thought out methods, and reigning in impulsive elements, we believe our allies may succeed, and without stripping their interior bare and leaving their mortals to the mercies of beasts at that. Imagine," Bai Meizhen said acidly.
"Well, it's not like the Duchess has a hankering to keep up the regular cull and keep her lessers in line. That was the other guys, wasn't it," Sun Liling said sweetly.
"Fucks sake, someone take a swing," Zheng Fu grumbled under his breath. She caught his eye and he lowered his head a little chuckling.
No one else had heard him, or even noticed his lips moving.
Well, together with the information about the Sun's infrastructure building,that was certainly a demonstration wasn't it?
"Lady Ling, to remain upon the current. What is thy plan for continued collaboration with this one then?" Xuan Shi spoke up before another barb could be traded.
"Sir Xuan, as you are accompanying me, of course these meetings are excepted," Ling Qi said.
"Huh? You stealing the march, Xuan? I underestimated you," Zheng Fu huffed.
"Yeah, what's this?" Sun Liling drawled.
"Of course, the Xuan being the only ones with meaningful experience on the matter, would offer some aid," Bai Meizhen scoffed.
"Sir Xuan is assisting me with deciphering foreign intent and making sense of our information. He accompanied me to some of our meetings. This is not in his capacity as a ducal observer," Ling Qi said. There was nothing more than that, though it was important to bring up, since it could be a snub otherwise.
Sun Liling gave an acknowledging grunt. Ji Rong furrowed his brow, glanced at Xuan Shi.
"In any case, are there any other questions?" Ling Qi asked?
"I cannot think of anything. I trust that the Baroness and Lady Cai have this in hand," Bai Meizhen said formally.
"I'm good, guess I'll just have to be patient," Zheng Fu chuckled.
Xuan Shi inclined his head.
"Yeah, this is fine for now. I'm up to speed. Guessing we need to talk a little more later though," Sun Liling said.
"If it would please the Princess, I would like to yes," Ling Qi said. "There are some specific matters."
"Yeah, yeah," Sun Liling said. "I already put off getting my own people in order for this. You can talk to Rong, he'll let me know if there's anything I gotta deal with."
As she spoke she clapped him on the back, and he gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "Sure, sure, leave me with the boring crap," he grumbled.
"Course, that's your job," she said, and for the first time since she had seen Liling here, her smirk briefly slipped into something more genuine. Sun Liling pushed herself up. "Unless there's anything else?"
"No, thank you for coming princess Sun," Ling Qi said blandly.
The others traded a few more pleasantries back and forth as well as everyone rose and prepared to go, and the necessary niceties were said, over and over again. Sun Liling was the one to wander off first, and then Xia Anxi was sent ahead. Then Meizhen too, her friend trading a promise to take tea with Cai Renxiang, though Ling Qi knew she was invited as well.
She was rather surprised to see Zheng Fu stay so long, he did seem determined to finish the refreshments.
"Lady Ling," She looked away from Zheng Fu to meet Xuan Shi's eyes. "The plan remains?"
"We'll speak with Emissary Inzha again while touring the work site, yes," Ling Qi said. "Once I get back from Snowblossom."
He nodded his head, glancing over her shoulder with a frown to where Ji Rong still lounged, eyeing Zheng Fu as he too took part in clearing the table. "Pleasing. This one begs that Lady Ling bring this to Sir Zhengui."
She blinked, accepting a thick wooden scroll case, produced from his ring. "And this is…?"
"Diagrams. The shared project," Xuan Shi said.
The shared project? Oh, yes, Zhengui wanted to see if the short flight in the realm of dream could be done in reality. "Yes, thank you. I am glad he is finally warming up to you a little," Ling Qi said.
"Man sounds like your up to some fun stuff," Zheng Fu laughed. She blinked, she hadn;t noticed him rising from the table. Now he was just showing off, looming there behind Xuan Shi.
Xuan Shi looked over his shoulder at the taller man. "Shall the menagerie dash itself upon the stony shore still?"
"Yeah," Zheng Fu said simply. "Okay wine! Great cider. Food wasn't bad either. Thanks for having me! Gonna get going now, but hey, you wanna watch me and the Xuan here flex, you're welcome."
The eyebrow waggling was completely unnecessary.
"Thank you, but I have too much left on my schedule," Ling Qi said. And here Sixiang would probably make a lewd joke.
"Be well, Lady Ling," Xuan Shi said, and together with Zheng Fu, they set off.
Which left only one.
"I am surprised, does the Sun family not feed their retainers?" Ling Qi said. She couldn;t help being a little rude, after Sun Liling had been so blatant.
"I'm fed just fine, but I guess I missed food that doesn't fight in your guts," Ji Rong said, sitting there at the table with his arms crossed over his chest.
Ling Qi considered him. "Despite my words we do not have to work out a schedule right this second. I expect your liege is going to obstruct any information requests I make anyway."
"...Yeah. She's gotten pretty over the top, huh?"
Ling Qi stared at him.
"We ain't playing at the kiddy table anymore. She knows that, Even a dumbass like me knows that," Ji Rong said.
"That is true," Ling Qi said slowly. "But I expected this, she…"
"I don't know whats in your head, but she isn't dumb. She's cocky, full of pride, well earned, but it wasn't like this."
"I will have to take your word for it," Ling Qi said. "What are you doing Ji Rong?"
"I have no damn idea," he said, and she thought he sounded exhausted. "But, you listen yeah? That's your thing. You've got some dream sorcery that lets you weasel out things you shouldn't know."
"You're not exactly being flattering," Ling Qi said, glancing around, the privacy formations surrounding the table were on and no one else was inside them.
He stood up finally, there was an ill contained energy too him, he clenched and unclenched his hands, shifted his balance from foot to foot as he began to pace. "Look you know she's gonna give you the run around right?"
"Obviously."
"Well she trusts me. If I frame it right, I bet I can get her not to cause too much trouble, give you info straight. This is a sideshow for us," Ji Rong said, scoffing. "But it's important for you."
Ling Qi pursed her lips. "That's 'weasel-y' of you. Should she trust you?"
"I'm on her side," Ji Rong said, and there was not a single crack in the conviction she could feel thrumming like lightning through his qi.
"What are you asking for?" Ling Qi said.
"I want you to look, and listen when we set up this meeting," Ji Rong said. "And tell me what you see. There's something off."
"Why do you think that?"
His expression screwed up into a scowl. "There's something fucking wrong in the jungle. Okay. Something nobody there notices, or at least nobody talks about, it's like… like these drums always beating in the back of your head. It doesn't feel bad, it makes your blood pump fast, makes your qi flow smooth, makes you feel like you can fight anything and anyone. It took a long time to even notice it, but it's there, it's always there. And it only gets louder."
He took a deep breath. "And when Liling came back from training with her gramps, came back a whole stage up, she was different…
And it feels like the drums came with her."
Ling Qi frowned. Something about the way his voice dropped… The brash thug of a cultivator she knew Ji Rong to be should not whisper like that. "I won't risk her anger, trying to get inside her head, even if I could. Which I can't."
"That's fine. We ain't friends. I know that. I think you're a prissy faerie high on the station you've clawed yourself into. You think I'm a meatheaded thug, dragging the street around like a prison weight, right?"
"Your words, Baron Ji," Ling Qi said flatly.
"Well this is what all this noble garbage is supposed to be for right, 'aligning interests'. I'll help you, you help me," Ji Rong said, his pacing had finally taken him out in front of the table standing directly in front of her. He was agitated, but the dam that broken earlier seemed to be sealed. His expression had smoothed out.
Ling Qi considered him. She wouldn't risk anything deep in dream with the summit coming, but a light skim, reading the echoes Sun Liling left behind her, without even crossing over. That was… maybe doable, and the visions she had begun to have since her tribulation, they might offer him a hint, something to get started on.
….And he was being sincere. Ji Rong was not hard to read, the politicking, the high realms, war and diplomacy and all of that…. It was above his head. His interests were entirely personal. And she couldn't bring herself to begrudge him that, no matter how much she liked Liling. If he said there was something different… something wrong, she believed that.
"And you keep this shit between us," he said. "I want your word on that."
Ling Qi paused. She was going to do this. The chance to defang the obstruction of the Sun was too good, but…
[ ] Give her word that whatever she saw in Liling, she would only share it with Ji Rong. (+1 Bond with Ji Rong, deal goes forward smoothly information doesn't pass about this deal, including that the request was made at all. Cai Renxiang only knows you've struck a deal to better handle the Sun, no details)
[ ] Refuse, if there is something truly wrong with the Princess of the West, then she might have to share it with her liege (-1 Bond with Ji Rong, deal still goes forward but is strained. Cai Renxiang knows the details of the request and your findings.)
