Chapter 409: Definitely taking liberties (2/2)
“Sir Long, it’s easy to get drunk off these sweets. Why didn’t you remind her?” the tea servant couldn’t help asking.
“If she likes them, she should do as she likes. She’ll be sober once she wakes,” Long Feiye said mildly.
After placing a cloak over Han Yunxi, Long Feiye resumed drinking his tea, enjoying himself as one would enjoy a cup of wine as he lost himself in his solitary world. He really had no motive today beyond taking Han Yunxi out to drive away their cares. Whatever she liked, he indulged. It was good as long as she was happy.
The tea servant stopped asking questions and silently stood on standby. The entire courtyard was silent and still but for the steam rising from the tea. It was an atmosphere filled with contentment.
Unexpectedly, the sleeping Han Yunxi suddenly started muttering to herself.
“Your Highness… Your Highness…”
Long Feiye quickly put down his teacup as if he wanted to hear her clearly. But all Han Yunxi did was mutter ‘Your Highness’ over and over again, her voice gentle enough to melt one’s heart.
“Your Highness… Your Highness… …Yunxi really likes you.”
Long Feiye started minutely. It took him awhile to recover as he quietly looked at Han Yunxi. His eyes subconsciously took on a soft gaze for the first time. He settled next to her and picked up a few strands of her hair to look at her flushed cheeks and charmingly drunken appearance. As he stared at her, his heart inexplicably ached.
Han Yunxi, the fact that you met your lordship…was it right? Or wrong?
Long Feiye had Han Yunxi settled into the guest room of the courtyard before he went to sit outside the building by himself. All he did was go sightseeing, but work found him all the same.
Soon enough, a guard came to report, “Your Highness, Northern Li’s imperial clan wrote a letter to His Majesty to reprimand General Baili for mobilizing the navy to trap Jun Yixie. They’re pressuring His Majesty to release the man or prepare for war. His Majesty then immediately summoned General Baili to the capital.”
Emperor Tianhui was smart enough to summon General Baili instead of finding trouble with Long Feiye. Naturally, Long Feiye had long predicted this, but he still didn’t know which part of Jun Yixie had piqued the Northern Li emperor’s interest in the first place. Even Jun Yixie’s collaboration with Duanmu Yao back in Medical City hadn’t hurt his standing in the Northern Li emperor’s eyes.
“Your Highness, General Bail is urgently waiting for your reply!” the guard was rather anxious.
Long Feiye only replied with one line, “Military forces stationed to fight have no need to acknowledge imperial summons!”2
“Your Highness, this…”
In truth, many of Long Feiye’s own subordinates disapproved of his decision to mobilize the naval forces against Fishery Island. After all, it was an action motivated by a private grudge that affected relations between two entire countries. Tianning Country’s strength was gradually declining and its political chessboard was unstable. Starting a war with Northern Li at a time like this would be disadvantageous to both sides.
“When did you learn to speak unnecessary words?” Long Feiye said coldly.
“This subordinate obeys the command!” the guard quickly assented before he fled the scene.
—
By the time Han Yunxi woke up, they were already back at Jiangnan’s Plum Blossom Sea. When she found out how she’d gotten drunk, she was left speechless.
Long Feiye, you’re such a wicked man!
As soon as she left her quarters, the young guard Xu Donglin informed her about Northern Li’s threat against Emperor Tianhui. Although Han Yunxi felt that Emperor Tianhui was a weakling to begin with, she was aware that Tianning and Northern Li’s power were greatly mismatched.
Pushing open the study doors, she said, “Your Highness, Tianhui could accuse you of trying to raise an armed rebellion! Moreover, you’ll be labeled a criminal once war really breaks out.”
Long Feiye casually hid away his volume of Records of the Seven Clans and asked, “How about you make a bet with your lordship?”
“What are we betting on?” Han Yunxi didn’t understand.
“We’re betting on whether Northern Li dares to wage war at all,” Long Feiye replied, before adding, “If ever!”
Han Yunxi was astonished. Although Long Feiye kept his tone light, she knew that he’d never make empty claims. Northern Li was the strongest party in Cloud Realm Continent’s Three-Way Battlefield. Where did Long Feiye get his confidence from? And why ‘if ever?’
Just what kind of trap has he laid on the chessboard?
1. Tipsy Leaf Teashop (茗酊大醉茶庄) – mingding dazui chazhuang, in which mingding refers to the “hue of tender tea leaves,” and dazui refers to “great drunkenness.” Creative license was used to shorten the name in English.
2. Military forces…no need to acknowledge imperial summons (有所不受) – yousuobushou, historically speaking, generals and other military troops have the right to disregard orders from the sovereign when on the battlefield, depending on the situation.