"My lord is not a prophet; he cannot foresee the intentions of those talented men he chooses to invite. Even men of worth can harbor evil intent," the guard captain said gregariously. "Meng Yun invited the very men who rebelled against him into his halls. Laoxin knows that precariousness will help ensure his safety in a land of decaying morals and values. Keep that in mind," he said sharply, then opening the envelope and seeing the letter he expected to see. "And it's pronounced protocol. Are you going to agree to the search, or not?"Jin Shi wrote:Huixi Zhe smiled and shook his head.
"If Zhao wants me enough to send me a letter, why should I have to be searched? Are you saying that your lord is mad enough to invite someone to murder him? Over my head, this whole business."
He made a blowing noise, and passed his hand over his head.
"And you should check that letter, shouldn't you? That could just be what I used for a napkin this morning. This is mostly true. Lacking such protocal, my boy."
He chuckled.
"Correct, though I pay at the start of the month instead of the end. A bit risky, I know, but a dealt salary stolen isn't much of a loss," he said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "My tax policy works fine," Zhao Yue then said, apparently bringing an end to that subject. Policies were to be discussed with civil officials, not generals or warriors. "In every stone, there is a crack. It should be relatively easy to find the crack in Yan's armor considering their lackluster performance in terms of civility, what with attacking every inanimate object that could be called a territory without a certain amount of intricate planning beforehand. A kingdom that expands too quickly is a kingdom that is bound to fall. Not to say that Fei Lak is a King quite yet."jiangbao wrote:Jiang Bao nodded and said "So if I disband my men, we technically get nothing cause only myself and Lan Kai here will join you. We will only get that after one month of service. Is that correct?"
He continued "As for taxation, I assume every city has its own taxation methods. A singular tax will have high burden cost wouldn't it? But I am not politician, basically in the view of the working population."
Turning the attention to something of more interest to him, he said "When you unify Wei, I understand that Wei is relatively near Yan. And no doubt the fighting in Yan is about to end as unification is about to be complete. They will soon pour into Changshan and then Wei. How will you deal with it? One of the 5 legends, Liang Feng is the Champion of the Yan Coalition army. I am not match for him in a duel, although my other brothers are. Have you ever seek out the other brothers of mine? Liang Feng included of course."
"Though we could be allies as well. It all depends on how events unfold in the coming months, and as I alluded to before it is difficult to foresee how certain men will act in certain situations with certain circumstances. Foreign policy will evolve in due time."
"Two-hundred able fighters rallied to my cause after my speech on that auspicious night, and they were able to ensure security after Meng Yun was disposed. I am lucky that my 'eloquence' as you said was able to inspire such passion in those I consider my own brothers," Laoxin said in a rare moment of gratitude. "But my ability to calculate potential chain-reactions has served me well this far. As my territories grow, it is my hope that I will win over more able advisers to help make these calculations and hopefully they will have a different view on the world so they can bring more options to the table. Regardless, I know that your input will be extremely valuable if you are able to show such intelligence today, and it is with gratitude that I welcome you to Shangdang."In Ferro Veritas wrote:The woman chuckled slightly at the man's continued insistence on his own superiority. It was refreshing to see a man do something other than hide behind his rank for a change.
"Seizing the city without a single soldier? Intriguing. I would've seen to it that I had an army waiting to occupy the city in the aftermath, however, to... 'expunge' the less than desirables. Your humble origins are both your strength and weakness; the masses will identify with you, and the nobles will dismiss you as weak because of it. A terrible foe you would be to those reactionaries who refuse to adapt to the times."
Xiao Jing paused again, pondering the situation. She was not yet convinced she should fear the man, but was still unsure of how benevolent a man he would be to his underlings.
"If you desire to plan every potential pitfall on your route to domination," she continued abruptly, "you'll be gray and old long before you move to realize your plans. One cannot plan for the reactions of others while life moves on and their positions change -- even more so if they are replaced by a new official. The dynamics of the rapidly rising and falling governors and managers further east would only serve to complicate your plan.
"I offer my skills and knowledge, such as they are, to you in your path to conquest," she stared at him, at the enigma. "All that I am and all that I will ever be is yours to command."
Xiao Jing has been accepted into the ranks of Shangdang!
(OI in mah thread please, and you can help occupy my lonely PH!
)"Do you have anything else to discuss with me? If you're ready to leave, my attendants can show you to your temporary quarters, and you may choose a permanent suite at your leisure. Thank you for opening my eyes a little bit today, Lady Xiao," he said with a small smile.