The Prodigal Son

Over the next two days, a fierce debate erupted in the imperial court over whether it was necessary to wage this war of attrition.

With the Empress Dowager also opposing this war of attrition, Lü Chunqiu, who had originally stood with Qin Yu and his group, quickly led several ministers to defect.

This led to the two sides arguing even more fiercely.

That day, taking advantage of Jiang Ci's visit to the Qin family again, Qin Yu secretly sent someone to deliver a message to Xue Chengdao.

At noon, they were having hotpot in Qin Yu's courtyard when Qin Xiong rushed over, "Thirteenth Young Master, Lord Xue has barged in! He looks a bit off, you'd better be careful!"

"Be careful my ass! He's not going to eat me, is he?"

Qin Yu pursed his lips and instructed Luo Qingyi and the others, "You guys keep eating, I'll go out and take a look!"

After saying that, Qin Yu got up and walked out.

As a result, before he could even step out of the courtyard, Xue Chengdao rushed over in a flurry of activity.

"Hey, Grandpa Xue, you have a really good nose! You came right over by the smell."

Qin Yu greeted Xue Chengdao with a smile.

"Stop joking around with this old man!"

Xue Chengdao's face was almost as black as charcoal, and his sharp gaze swept over Luo Qingyi and the others who had stood up to bow.

"Thirteenth Young Master, you should talk to Lord Xue first! I'll take my leave!"

Luo Qingyi bowed respectfully, then secretly gave Nan Que'er and Jiang Ci a wink.

The two women understood and quickly took their leave.

Qin Yu was speechless. "Grandpa Xue, what are you doing? I don't think I've offended you, have I?"

Xue Chengdao stared at him coldly and said sharply, "Don't try to fool me. You know what I'm after!"

"Grandpa Xue, that's not very interesting."

Qin Yu's smile faded. "In the imperial court, we are all ministers. It's fine to argue about differing political views! But you've gone too far by coming to my home to argue with me, a junior."

"Did you pass?"

Xue Chengdao suddenly raised his voice, "This concerns the lives of so many people, have you told me about it?"

Qin Yu's face suddenly turned cold, and his voice rose: "Grandpa Xue, we've already argued enough in the court! I don't want to argue with you again in the manor! I don't care how many lives are at stake; I only know that this matter concerns the eternal foundation of my Great Ning!"

"Bullshit!"

Xue Chengdao glared at Qin Yu: "If you truly care about the eternal prosperity of Great Ning, you shouldn't be encouraging His Majesty to wage this meaningless war of attrition!"

"How do you know it's pointless if we don't fight?" Qin Yu immediately retorted. "We're going to lose people, but won't Bei Qi lose people too? You keep talking about the future, but what if we don't even have the chance to fight a war of attrition in the future?"

Soon, the two started arguing in Qin Yu's courtyard.

Nan Que'er and the others were too far away to hear the specifics of their argument clearly, but they knew they were arguing.

Nan Que'er listened intently, then cast a questioning glance at Luo Qingyi, "Should we move closer and listen?"

A hint of interest flashed across Luo Qingyi's face, but after a moment's hesitation, she gently shook her head: "Forget it! Matters of state are not for us to meddle in."

"Alright!"

Nan Que'er sniffed, then said to Xue Cheng with dissatisfaction, "He's just taking advantage of his age! Qin Yu doesn't owe him anything, so why is he being so mean to Qin Yu?"

"Alright, that's enough!"

Luo Qingyi gently patted Nan Que'er, "This isn't a personal grudge between them, let them argue! They'll figure it out eventually!"

"Yes! They just disagree, they don't have any deep-seated hatred for each other."

Jiang Ci nodded in agreement, but her face showed a hint of worry.

In the courtyard, the argument between Qin Yu and Xue Chengdao continued to escalate.

The two argued for a long time without giving in.

Finally, Xue Chengdao left, fuming with anger and cursing.

When Nan Que'er and the others re-entered the courtyard, they found it in a complete mess.

The table where they were eating was overturned, and soup and other liquids were spilled all over the floor.

Even the flowers and plants that Sun Ma and Wu Ma had carefully tended were damaged.

Nan Que'er quickly stepped forward, "You... you've started fighting?"

"no."

Qin Yu smiled calmly, "That old man can't argue with me, so he can only throw a tantrum like a shrew! Alright, let's get something else to eat!"

Although Qin Yu had a smile on his face, anyone could tell that his smile was somewhat forced.

Nan Que'er was worried and wanted to ask again, but she saw Luo Qingyi quietly shake her head, signaling her not to ask any more questions.

Nan Que'er had no choice but to shut up.

Before long, Aunt Sun and Aunt Wu prepared a few simple dishes for them again.

However, Qin Yu was in a bad mood and lost his appetite after eating only a little.

Seeing that Qin Yu was in a bad mood, Jiang Ci didn't linger. After chatting with Nan Que'er and the others for a few minutes after the meal, she said goodbye and left.

As soon as Jiang Ci left, the worry on Qin Yu's face quickly disappeared.

"You guys are really going too far! You're even putting on a show in my home!"

Nan Que'er stepped forward and gently pinched Qin Yu.

She understood perfectly well that Qin Yu and Xue Chengdao were deliberately putting on an act for Jiang Ci.

It's just a pity about the flowers and plants that Aunt Sun and Aunt Wu have been so carefully tending.

Qin Yu laughed heartily, winked, and asked, "How was our acting?"

"Great! Absolutely fantastic!"

Nan Que'er rolled her eyes at him. "How much longer are you going to act?"

Qin Yu shook his head and smiled, "That's enough! Any more and it'll be overdone!"

Hearing Qin Yu say this, Nan Que'er and Luo Qingyi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

That's good!

If they keep acting like this, they're both afraid they'll burst out laughing one day.

……

The next day, the arguments in the court continued.

Just as everyone was arguing heatedly, Su Yu suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty must be quite annoyed by your colleagues' quarrels. This old minister has recently learned a piece of opera; why don't I sing it for Your Majesty and your colleagues to relieve their boredom?"

Performing opera?

As soon as Su Yu said this, everyone turned to look.

What on earth is this old guy doing?

This is the imperial court!

"OK!"

Zhao Luan nodded in agreement, staring at Su Yu with a forced smile, "Old Su, sing whatever you want! Old Su is the literary champion of our Great Ning, and in this whole world, there are probably very few people who have the good fortune to hear Old Su sing!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Su Yu bowed slightly, paused for a moment, and then began to sing at the top of her lungs.

Autumn winds sweep across the land, smoke signals rise, and the ruins of the homeland are covered in dust.

Countless brave men, sacrificing their youth, went to the frontier.

A thousand miles of desert, cold and desolate; ten thousand iron cavalrymen, stubborn and unyielding.

The brave warriors who led the charge perished on the battlefield, their blood soaking the old land.

One falls, another fights; layers of white bones build the fortress.

The vanguard perished in despair, while the rear guard wielded their weapons to overcome all dangers.

Armor worn through, blood spilled dry, the rest of their lives devoted to the flames of war.

All the soldiers in the city died in battle, and no one returned home to cross the river...

Su Yu continued singing in a soft, guttural voice.

His voice was old and mournful.

The vast expanse of yellow sand and the battlefield of clashing swords and galloping horses seem to be right before my eyes.

The minister who listened to the play's verses inexplicably had tears welling up in his eyes.

On the throne, Zhao Luan slowly turned her head, trying hard to hold back the tears in her eyes...