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After sending off Wei Country Young Master, King Jian of Qi inquired with the palace attendants whether Wei Wujie had left Qi King's Palace directly. The answer he received was that Wei Wujie had walked out of the side hall and left the palace immediately.
Upon receiving this answer, King Jian of Qi squinted and glanced outside the hall, smiling faintly without making a comment. He then asked where Luzi had gone, and the attendant reported that Lu the Shopkeeper had gone to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
King Jian of Qi nodded to himself, a barely noticeable smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. In his view, compared to the Wuji Young Master, who only cared about who held power, it was the knowledgeable and sensible Luzi who was more likable. He waved his hand to dismiss this loyal attendant and then got up to return to his quarters for some rest.
The Prosperity Record's meticulous intelligence system had evidently failed once again, as it was completely unaware of Wei Wujie's secret entry into Linzi, the capital of Qi State. In light of the completed persuasion of the Allied Forces, the intelligence personnel stationed within Qi King's Palace were even oblivious to the fact that Wei Wujie had already met with King Jian of Qi.
Unbeknownst to him, Luzi did not leave Qi King's Palace after brushing past his enemy; instead, he took a detour to visit the Queen Dowager. This was actually a customary etiquette for visiting lords—first seeing King Qi and then paying respects to the Queen was part of the protocol.
What Luzi did not realize was that it was precisely due to his adherence to etiquette that the Qin Army, facing extreme crisis, began to show signs of instability again. This illustrates that having rules can often lead to unexpected rewards.
However, at this moment, Luzi did not feel any sense of ease; in his dictionary, there was no word for "possibility." Everything required effort before facing results more realistically.
The Queen Dowager, upon receiving a visit from an old acquaintance, also dressed herself up seriously. After all, as Empress Dowager, she had her status to uphold. Just as she ordered her attendants to tidy her attire, she heard that Luzi was already waiting outside and instructed a maid to hurry out and ask Lu the Shopkeeper to wait a moment.
Luzi, clearly not in a hurry, expressed his gratitude to the maid Sister who came out with a few bamboo slips from Prosperity Record as a small gift for several Sisters around the Empress Dowager. He quietly told her that they could directly exchange for their favorite items at Prosperity Record whenever they had time—anything would do!
Although Lu the Shopkeeper rarely visited Qi King's Palace, he always brought surprises with him. The palace's wages were significantly higher than those outside; thus, refusing external gifts would be foolish.
The maid who received the gift immediately broke into a smile and instructed someone to brew tea for Lu the Shopkeeper while asking him to wait a moment. After saying this and giving a slight bow, she turned and left.
Luzi made a gesture of thanks towards Sister and settled down comfortably while waiting for that final answer to appear.
It was unclear how much time passed when the sound of jade ornaments jingling came from outside. Luzi quickly got up in anticipation. As the sounds of acknowledgment rang out, a resplendent Queen Dowager adorned in jewels appeared before him.
"Scoundrel! Lu Ziquan! I pay my respects to Empress Dowager!"
"Get up!"
“Empress Xie!” Luzi finished his pledge and stepped aside to make way.
Queen Dowager waved her hand, lightly moving with grace to sit in the main seat. She signaled for a palace maid to bring a chair for Luzi, then instructed everyone else to withdraw.
Standing aside, Luzi heard the sound of the door closing behind him, and only then did he timidly take a seat. Before he could speak, he heard someone stifling laughter, causing his face to turn bright red.
Queen Dowager smirked slightly. “Some people are regressing more and more! Is this still the same Luzi who once guided the Unity of the Realm!?”
Upon hearing this, Luzi sighed deeply. “The Empress Dowager in charge of the State and Nation may not know that the world outside is fraught with danger! Just yesterday I was sleeping at home until I woke naturally; perhaps tonight I will be unable to sleep at all.”
“Oh!? Is that so? In my Qi State, is there anyone who dares to trouble you, Lu the Shopkeeper? Please tell me about it.”
Luzi did not immediately disclose the matter but turned to glance outside. When he confirmed that no one dared eavesdrop from Outside, he finally revealed his purpose for coming to Qi State. He had received orders from King Qin while in the Shangdang War Zone, urging Qi State not to follow the crowd blindly and especially not to send troops into that contentious area.
Queen Dowager listened quietly until Luzi finished speaking, then picked up her teacup and took a small sip. “Alas! Luzi, your visit to discuss state affairs will likely end in vain!”
Hearing such words from an old acquaintance, Luzi was immediately puzzled. “Oh!? What do you mean by that?”
Queen Dowager smiled faintly. “I am in agreement with my lord husband; we will send two hundred thousand elite Qi Army troops to Shangdang to support the Zhao Army in battle!”
Upon hearing this answer, the seated Luzi quickly stood up and bowed. “Empress Dowager! For the sake of our past friendship, please retract your command! If the Scoundrel fails this mission, he will have no face to return and see my lord husband!”
Queen Dowager set down her teacup and replied with a smile, “You can ask me to retract my command, but first you must go kill that little vixen from Ten Li Fragrant Restaurant!”
What on earth is going on!?
Luzi wiped the sweat forming on his forehead and said, “Empress Dowager, you are already esteemed as a mother of a nation; why must you hold a grudge against a mere hotel keeper!? You are magnanimous...”
Queen Dowager snorted coldly. “This is the only condition under which I will allow my Qi Army to return to their respective posts! How about it!? If you are unwilling, then General Lu may take his leave!”
If these words came from King Qi, Luzi would naturally not dare to retort on the spot. He would only agree to think it over and then find another way. After all, there was still a chance here because of the trump card that was Queen Dowager. However, if these words came from Queen Dowager, there would be no room for negotiation.
Luzi, who had not expressed his stance, looked up at the smiling Queen Dowager and suddenly said, "I would never harm the innocent for my own purposes. If Empress Dowager believes that the Qin Army is made of dough, she can let the Qi Army try it out. If anything happens then, don't blame Scoundrel for not reminding you!"
Upon hearing this, Queen Dowager's expression changed immediately as she slammed her hand on the table. "Luzi, who claims to care for the country and its people, is indeed a hypocrite! To prioritize a mere woman over the greater good of the nation! I will say this once today: kill her and I will allow my two hundred thousand Qi Army to withdraw! Otherwise, everything is off the table!"
Kneeling on the ground, Luzi did not hesitate and stood up to dust off his pants, which were not dirty at all. "What of two hundred thousand Qi Army!? Empress Dowager might as well send out all the troops of Qi State!"
Seeing Luzi preparing to leave, Queen Dowager waved her hand indicating that he could think it over. If he agreed, he could come back to Qi King's Palace after this matter was settled. If he disagreed, there was no need to return because this was a prerequisite for an audience.
"Then we shall meet on the battlefield!"
After saying this, Luzi clasped his fists in salute and turned to leave. As he reached the door and did not hear any summons from behind him, his heart sank. Turning back to look at the still-smiling Queen Dowager, he squeezed out a few tears seeking help.
"Merciful Empress Dowager! How can you bear to watch hundreds of thousands of soldiers spill their blood on the battlefield!? For the sake of those lives, please retract your order!"
Knowing that Luzi would never leave just like that, Queen Dowager stood up and said, "The deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers are all your fault, Luzi! I cannot understand it now! What is so difficult about killing that little vixen for someone like you who claims to care for all living beings!?"
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