Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 280 Tribute
According to Yin Yuhe's original intention, he did not want to let Gu Jingnian go to Jusai City. It would be better to put him under house arrest in Yongjing, in case something happened and Gu Jingnian would raise troops in the east to respond to Yin Jinggen.

But he couldn't be kept there. Given Gu Jingnian's extraordinary abilities, forcibly keeping him would only cause enormous damage to Yongjing and even threaten his throne.

Therefore, Yin Yuhe made a decision in a short moment and appointed Gu Jingnian as the Left Guard General, Deputy Marshal of the Valiant Army, and Governor of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

Of course, this string of titles looks impressive, but in reality, it's just a way to reward Gu Jingnian with the military power of the Gu family, while Yongting doesn't contribute a single penny.

Just recently, he had issued an edict appointing Gu Jize as the Grand General of Wuwei, temporarily assuming the position of Marshal of the Xiaoyi Army.

This creates an overlap and conflict in the responsibilities and powers of the Gu brothers. Gu Jingnian is both Gu Jize's deputy and has the power to supervise Gu Jize, making it very easy for them to turn against each other.

Yin Yuhe knew that the two brothers were now inclined to side with Yin Jinggeng, and he only hoped that once a rift developed between them, at least one of them would side with him.

This was the best solution he could think of in a short time.

Although Gu Jingnian saw through the scheme, he said nothing, accepted the imperial decree, expressed his gratitude, and left the palace satisfied, returning to the Chengye Marquis's residence.

When Pei Nian returned from his official duties at nightfall, Gu Jingnian was cultivating in the front yard. Hearing the commotion, he picked up a lantern and opened the door himself.

The side door opened, and Pei Nian was surprised to see Gu Jingnian standing there with the door open.

"Why are you here?"

"And so you go home."

A slight smile involuntarily appeared on Pei Nian's calm expression, but she quickly concealed it.

The two walked side by side, and Gu Jingnian said, "It's very late today."

"The court was supposed to be closed in the afternoon, but I happened to come across a case that I handled and caught a notorious bandit."

"so smart."

"No one can compare to how impressive you are at flying around."

Gu Jingnian said, "I did something today without discussing it with you."

"what?"

“I have asked Emperor Yong to allow me to return to the border city and marry you.”

Pei Nian paused noticeably and said, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"I was worried you'd refuse," Gu Jingnian said with a hint of joking. "I'd feel more at ease if we made it a fait accompli."

In the past, he thought Pei Nian would likely turn hostile.

He understood that she disliked the feeling of being manipulated.

He was prepared to wait until she got angry before telling her why he did it.

The two walked a few more steps forward, and Pei Nian spoke up, saying something in a low voice.

"I never thought of refusing."

"Really?"

"Ah."

Gu Jingnian switched the lantern to his other hand, and led Pei Nian up the stone steps, turning his head to say, "Then let's get married."

"What? Was what you just said not true?"

“What I told Emperor Yong was an excuse,” Gu Jingnian said. “What I told you was the truth.”

Pei Nian lowered her eyelids slightly, her lips parted, and she said, "When I was little, I always thought that I would never get married."

"Why?"

The two did not go inside, but sat down under the eaves and talked intimately.

“My father treated my mother badly. When my mother was pregnant with me, he was always at the border. My mother missed him so much that she fell ill and died in childbirth. When I was old enough to remember things, he happened to return to the capital and took me to the border. What use is it for a woman to marry such a man? He thinks family, country and the world are interesting, so I only care about family, country and the world.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingnian said, "I am not like your father; I don't understand anything about family, country, or the world."

"But you don't seem like the type to want to get married."

“I didn’t learn how to be a husband or a father from my father, so I’ve never thought about it,” Gu Jingnian said.

Pei Nian said, "Then perhaps we can't become a good couple. Do you think we can live in harmony and mutual respect?"

Gu Jingnian smiled, clearly not expecting anything from it.

He did talk about his views on marriage.

“I used to hate the word ‘getting married’. I was young and didn’t understand. I thought that when my older sister got married, she would become closer to her brother-in-law. Later, I gradually realized that it’s not ‘closer’ but a different kind of closeness. And I may also meet a woman and become close to her.”

Pei Nian responded with a joke to deflect Gu Jingnian's seriousness.

She said, "Perhaps not just one woman? Perhaps several women."

"I never knew Pei Ji was so witty."

Upon hearing the words "arrest mission," Pei Nian's expression stiffened slightly. He asked, "Let's get down to business. Besides getting married, you have other purposes for going to Jusai City, right?" "Yes, let's go visit Yin Wanqing together tomorrow."

--------

In the current Yong Kingdom court, Yin Wanqing holds a rather special position.

Although she was a woman, she was a great contributor to Yin Yuhe's ascension to the throne, and she was intelligent and magnanimous, earning the respect of all the officials.

Currently, Emperor Yong and his son, the Crown Prince, are at odds, while Yin Wanqing has a good relationship with her father and brothers, serving as a buffer against the conflicts within the imperial family.

She no longer attends classes at the Yuewei Academy. Her residence is constantly visited by a steady stream of people, and Emperor Yong often makes important decisions during these visits.

It can be said that this princess wielded considerable power.

Since Gu Jingnian and Pei Nian had arrived, Yin Wanqing immediately put aside all other matters and went to meet them in person.

When the three met, there were no feigned formalities; the atmosphere remained that of close friends and fellow students, full of youthful spirit.

"Gu Jingnian, it's rare to see you visit."

Yin Wanqing smiled and said something, then quickly took Pei Nian's hand and whispered a few words to him.

"You two are always together these days..."

After the guests and host were seated and tea was served, Gu Jingnian got straight to the point and started talking about business.

"What is the princess's opinion on the peace talks with the Kingdom of Rui?"

Yin Wanqing stopped smiling and said, "Peace talks are possible, but paying tribute is not."

Gu Jingnian said, "But as far as I know, His Majesty has already promised Shen Jichi that he would provide Rui Kingdom with grain, gold and silk, as well as exotic people and treasures."

"Shen Jichi? Is he in the capital?"

"The princess is unaware of this; it seems she is somewhat out of touch with the world."

Yin Wanqing knew that Gu Jingnian was saying this on purpose to provoke her. But in this matter, it was true that Yin Yuhe had kept it from her.

She remained calm and said, "Why don't you be frank and tell me exactly what happened and what you want?"

Talking to smart people is simple, so Gu Jingnian briefly explained what had happened.

Finally, he said, "What I want is very simple: get rid of Shen Jichi."

Yin Wanqing asked, "What do you want me to do today?"

Gu Jingnian said, "To get rid of Shen Jichi, I need to lure him to Jusai City."

Yin Wanqing said, "To lure him to Jusai City, you need to have something he wants."

Gu Jingnian said, "That's right. The grain, gold, silk, and exotic treasures that His Majesty promised to Rui Kingdom will all be escorted by me. What do you think?"

Yin Wanqing said, "What if you take him to Jusai City and detain him?"

“It’s better than being taken to Switzerland.” Gu Jingnian said, “If the peace talks fail and Shen Jichi dies, Switzerland will definitely retaliate. I will take full responsibility.”

This was indeed a very open and honest negotiation, with both sides' gains and losses, and the consequences of the matter, all clearly explained.

Yin Wanqing lowered her head and pondered for a long time.

To secure his throne, her father was determined to make peace. If he couldn't stop her, he would have to watch Yong pay tribute. Agreeing to Gu Jingnian's request would allow Gu to use the Gu family's strength to resist Rui, which would actually benefit Yong. However, this move was extremely contrary to his wishes.

"Give me a few days to think it over," Yin Wanqing said. "I will give you an answer then."

“Alright.” Gu Jingnian said, “If the princess wants to persuade His Majesty to rescind his order, I’m afraid she won’t be able to… We will wait for news from the princess.”

……

Sure enough, a few days later, Yin Wanqing went to the Chengye Marquis's residence to find Pei Nian and had another talk with Gu Jingnian.

"I promise you."

"The princess's move was wise."

“My father has ordered a general to escort a batch of extraordinary people and treasures to Rui Kingdom, and I cannot stop him,” Yin Wanqing said. “All I can do is secretly arrange to send this batch of extraordinary people and treasures to Jusai City.”

Gu Jingnian asked, "Is Zhao Boheng among them?"

In fact, he had already made contact with Zhao Boheng and knew about the transport of extraordinary people and treasures. Asking this question was still a test of Yin Wanqing's power in the court.

“Yes,” Yin Wanqing said, “but I haven’t found Shen Jichi’s whereabouts.”

"It's good that we haven't found him yet. He's like a dragon that appears only briefly and never fully emerges; that's the real him."

"That's good. With him gone, we have a chance to get the goods into Jusei City."

With this agreement reached, Gu Jing prepared to head to Jusai City, but before that, he needed to send a message to Han Youxin.

(End of this chapter)