Chapter 58 - Forestall (1/2)
***MiraiSaesang's Notes: Sorry for the huge delay, yesterday was just a hectic mess ????...Lots of things going on this chapter so Enjoy!!...***
”You want to run away? Coward!!! Who is the weak one now?” The Empress excitedly said as she strangled Lei Xing.
Lei Xing was panicking and was clawing at the hands on her neck, trying to pry them away while attempting to roll over but she couldn't. She wanted to scream but she couldn't get her voice out. Then she caught the metal water basin that had fallen out the side of an eye and stretched a hand trying to grasp it, while the other one was still busy trying to free her neck.
”Your majesty, is everything alright?” Song mama worriedly shouted from outside the doors, they heard the noise of the crash from outside.
”Stay out of it!!” The Empress dowager angrily barked out and then continued through gritted teeth, ”You are always so perfect, aren't you? The most beautiful, the strongest, the most talented, the greatest, now tell me how great are you?! Huh?!”Her eyes were wide and filled with rage, and her hair was falling all over her face, completing the horrific picture as she put all her energy into strangling the life out of her captive.
Lei Xing was completely horrified and in a state of panic, she managed to grab onto the basin and started hitting against the ground to get the attention of the people outside, glancing at the door hoping someone to burst through. ”You can't even save your own self, tell me, how does it feel to be useless? I've always been curious about how it feels for you ”talented” ones falling to the bottom, tell me, does it feel the same?” The Empress dowager sneered.
”Your majesty, are you okay?!” Song mama shouted again, getting more anxious with the abnormal situation.
”I said stay out of it!!” The Empress dowager barked out again. Lei Xing glared at the Empress dowager and then started bashing her head with the basin with all her might.
...GET THE F**CK OFF ME, YOU B**CH!!!!...
Lei Xing was bashing the Empress dowager's head so hard that the Empress dowager's nose started bleeding and a nasty bruise was forming where Lei Xing was repeatedly hitting. Despite all that, the Empress dowager didn't seem phased at all and was intently focused on strangling her. The Empress dowager then stated matter of factly as she tightened her grip, ”Your existence is a problem, so you need to die. You all need to die. I will have you all bow down at my feet and then destroy you, as it should be.”
Lei Xing lost her grip on the basin, and so started using both her hands to claw at the Empress dowager's arms, her vision was getting blurrier and she knew once she lost consciousness that would be the end. She started attacking blindly, clawing and grabbing at whatever she could.
...YOU DIE, B**CH!!!!!....
***
In the royal study, the Emperor was currently in a meeting with Defense minister Lei and Prime minister Zhao. The issue on hand is that the Defense minister has refused to give his approval for Zou Kingdom's tribute list that the Prime minister drafted. Prime minister Zhao had already revised the list twice now but Defense minister Lei still refused to approve it, calling it unfeasible. After receiving his third refusal, Prime minister Zhao became enraged and went to confront Defense minister Lei. One refused to amend to suit the other's requirements and the other refused to agree without amendment, and so they ended up bringing the matter to the Emperor for him to decide on it.
”Your majesty, the list is too extreme. There is no way they will be able to meet the demands.” Defense minister Lei calmly explained.
”That's nonsense!” Prime minister Zhao protested, ”Your majesty, the list is a fair price for the protection they will be receiving by having us an ally. I have looked into their economy extensively, they can definitely meet the demands.”
”Right now as they are they can definitely meet the demands, but amongst the three cities you listed is their biggest gold mine. If they lose that, how do you expect them to pay that amount of yearly tributes after that?”
”There are other ways they can compensate for that.” Prime minister Zhao indignantly replied.
”This is a peace treaty, for it to work it has to, first of all, be feasible.”
”Hmph! Since when did you become an advocate for peace?”
”And what is that supposed to mean?” Defense minister Lei asked with a frown.
Prime minister Zhao cast him a sideways glance and then scoffed, ”You should know your own history better than I do.”
”The tides have changed and one should adapt to the way of the times. I am more skeptical of you who seems to all of sudden be war hungry. I wonder what your motives are...”
Prime minister Zhao frowned, ”It is not about being war hungry, it is about the principle of things. Since there is no natural benefit in becoming their ally, there should at least be some practical benefit, they should make up for their shortcomings. This is why I was against calling off the war, a useless ally is nothing but a burden!”
”The natural benefit is not losing our people in war. It's easier for you to scream war having never been in one yourself...” Defense minister Lei offhandedly replied.
”You-!” Prime minister Zhao took a deep breath, ”My job is to ensure a thriving economy, have you thought about the amount of resources we would expend should our ”ally” need protection?”
”Considering you will be taking all they have, they definitely will be needing protection. Your majesty, please review this matter. The Prime minister's plan is really not sustainable.” Defense minister Lei implored with a bow.
”Your majesty, please review this matter. We have to gain something from this venture to pacify the people.” Prime minister also implored bowing as well.
After that, they both remained in their bowing position waiting for the Emperor's response. After a while of no response, they cast a side glance at each other and then looked up at the Emperor who was busy scrutinizing his left wrist with a frown.
”Your majesty?”
”Your majesty...Your majesty, Emperor?”
The Emperor blinked and looked up, ”Ah, it does seem like it would be hard to fulfill the demands...” Then he twitched and looked down at the wrist again.
...What is this?... There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with it...
Prime minister Zhao knit his brows and said, ”With all due respect Your majesty, we are already making a huge concession on calling off the war. We really cannot make ourselves seem weak by catering to the enemy's needs - ”
”We also cannot make ourselves seem unreasonable either.” Defense minister Lei interjected.