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墨書 Inktalez
It is well known that when the Son of Heaven bestows an official title upon someone, he typically provides them with a Civil Official's ceremonial robe, a Seal, or for military officials, a Sword and Armor. The appointment of Luzi as Prefect by Zhou Tianzi was a spur-of-the-moment decision, leaving no time to forge a Seal or tailor ceremonial robes.
Moreover, Zhou Tianzi's treasury had long been depleted, making it impossible to promptly issue all the necessary credentials that matched Luzi's new Official Position. The only thing King Zhou She could do without any cost was to register Luzi as a Daimyo.
At that time, thanks to King Zhao of Qin, who could not bear to see Zhou Tianzi suffer, he stepped forward to request that Zhou Tianzi allow the Qin State's finances to cover all the credentials for the Lu County Magistrate and other related titles.
Forging a Seal and creating Official Robes require custom work, and since Luzi left Luoyi directly for the Wu Region to find Chunshen Jun, he became so busy that he forgot he was already a Provincial Official. It was only when he heard Huang Yong mention it that he remembered this matter.
Because Luzi left the royal city of Luoyi empty-handed, Sun Thirteen and Li Xin were unaware that Luzi had already become the Lu County Magistrate. They exchanged glances, pondering when this Prefect title had come into play.
Status is not something one can acquire simply with money; it can also be understood as one's standing. Especially in cases like this, where titles are conferred by the Son of Heaven, they are rare throughout the land. This is precisely why many talented individuals aspire to such positions.
"Learn both civil and martial arts; sell your skills to the Imperial Family."
This phrase refers to achieving one's dream of obtaining status through hard work and exceptional effort. As for labeling it as a feudal ruling class's policy of deceiving the masses, it is best not to overstate it.
To get back to the matter at hand.
Luzi warmly invited Huang Yong, who had brought fine wine for the gathering, to take a seat and suggested that any matters could be discussed over drinks. Once seated, they clinked cups and indulged in a feast. During the meal, Huang Yong explained his purpose: two brothers who had gone missing on the night of an incident had yet to return.
Luzi set down his wine bowl and asked, "Does Your Majesty know about this matter?"
"My lord! I have reported truthfully to my family’s Prime Minister! Your Majesty instructed me to find Lu Daren; he said only you can unravel this mystery. He also mentioned that one must see people alive and corpses dead."
Hearing this, Luzi was filled with regret. He had originally planned to rest well for a night and return to Qi State early the next morning. Now, it seemed he couldn't leave after all! However, he couldn't outright refuse at this point, especially since Huang Xie had just helped Qin State immensely. If he ignored this and only thought of himself, it would be embarrassing to seek help from him again in the future.
"General Huang! When are we departing?"
Huang Yong glanced at the food and drink on the table and said, "The Prime Minister wants us to set off early tomorrow. As for where we are going, Your Excellency will have to wait for the orders from the officials."
At that moment, Luzi learned that the two scouts who had been led away that night were officially listed as missing persons, which dampened his mood for drinking. He stood up to see Huang Yong off but was politely declined, so he had no choice but to let Li Xin escort him out.
Seeing Luzi's gloomy face, Sun Thirteen didn't know what to say. If they had left after lunch, they wouldn't have gotten into this situation. There was no point in discussing it now; they had already promised to follow through.
When Li Xin returned, he was also feeling down but kept quiet upon seeing Luzi's expression. Sitting next to Sun Thirteen, he sighed heavily; indeed, one problem followed another!
Sun Thirteen noticed one person sulking in silence while another sighed repeatedly and decided to speak up. "If we want to find the missing personnel, we need to return to the scene of the incident. It seems we must hurry back to where it happened tomorrow and unravel the mystery through the clues left behind."
Though it sounded simple when said like that, it was far from easy. Even if everything went smoothly, solving this case would require a lot of time. This was under the assumption that things went well; if not, it could drag on indefinitely. Leaving without providing an explanation to Chunshen Jun was clearly not an option. However, this meant their trip to Yan State would have to be canceled.
Li Xin looked towards the door and quietly said, "Governor! If we can't go to Yan State, our mission will fail. The consequences of failure are severe; we might even lose our heads. How about... how about we discuss it with their Queen Dowager and simply stay in Qi State instead?"
Thinking he might have a good idea, Sun Thirteen was taken aback by such a suggestion! He shot a cold glance at Li Xin and snapped, "Failing the mission might get us executed at worst, but twenty years later we'd still be heroes! Staying in Qi State would mean rebellion! That would lead to extermination of nine clans! Have you lost your mind?!"
Li Xin wasn't one to back down either; his mood was already sour and hearing someone yell at him only made him angrier. "Just us few people rebelling!? You must be out of your mind! If it weren't for helping Qin State that we came to Chu State, how could we have ended up in this mess? If we don't help Chancellor of Chu find the missing personnel, how can we repay him for such a huge favor?!"
Sun Thirteen knew this was indeed the reality and was momentarily silenced by Li Xin's outburst. He sat down heavily without saying another word. If this persuasion plan failed, the main force of Qin Army would suffer serious damage. They would be held accountable then; being sent to the border would be considered a light punishment. If the king were enraged, execution would be inevitable.
Thinking about fleeing to the Qi State, Sun Thirteen couldn't help but shed tears. The laws of the Qin State were strict, and they would never forgive those who evaded their responsibilities. From now on, it seemed he could never return to his homeland.
"How can one say there is no clothing!? We share the same robes! When the king raises an army, we sharpen our spears and fight together! How can one say there is no clothing!? We share the same fields! When the king raises an army, we sharpen our halberds and work together! How can one say there is no clothing... no... no clothing... we... we share... together...!"
As Sun Thirteen spoke with increasing sorrow, he found himself unable to continue, lowering his head in an attempt to hide his emotions but ultimately choking back tears.
Luzi, who had been silent, stood up and walked over to pat Sun Thirteen's trembling shoulders, sighing, "The next part should be: How can one say there is no clothing!? We share the same garments! When the king raises an army, we sharpen our armor and march together! It's just a poem; can't you even remember it properly?"
With tears streaming down his face, Sun Thirteen stopped his sorrowful cries and said, "My lord! The hundreds of thousands of troops in Shangdang are all comrades! If we fail to complete this mission of persuasion, our brothers! Our brothers will die because of us!"
Li Xin wiped his tears vigorously. "Thirteen is such a disappointment! You're... you're already such a grown man, yet you're still crying!"
Luzi bent down and pulled Sun Thirteen up, commanding, "A man should stand tall!" After that, he turned to look at Li Xin, whose eyes were red from crying, and asked in confusion, "What’s going on? Why are both of you Brothers crying so sadly? Who has died?"
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