thefictionvixens Chapter 205 Discussing State Affairs
Chapter 205 Discussing State Affairs
Shen Shixi's hand was sore from being squeezed, and after a slight struggle, he loosened his grip a little.
Li Yuanke couldn't help but laugh. "Is this great monk coming towards me?"
What a joke! Where is his woman? Was she tricked into becoming a nun?
Or should I become a monk in Beisha?
Pei Xiang and the others hurriedly said, "This is absolutely unacceptable!"
[Why are these people in such a hurry? Why should I study Buddhism? Isn't eating meat, drinking alcohol, and sleeping with handsome men better? I haven't slept with Li Yuanke enough yet; that bastard is too easy to sleep with!]
She really wanted to yawn.
Li Yuanke threw her hand away. What was this bastard thinking? However, he couldn't help but feel a secret joy and impulse.
They hadn't slept for days, and he was really craving it.
They actually raised the flag like that.
At a time when the meeting between the two countries is very serious.
The Wolf King of Beisha said, "In Beisha, monks are supreme."
Shen Shixi said disdainfully, "No matter how high his status is, can he be higher than the Wolf King? Since the Grand Monk can understand what I say, he can be considered an enlightened monk. Doesn't he still have to listen to the Wolf King and act accordingly? If the Wolf King doesn't summon the Grand Monk, does he recognize me? Does he care who I am, where I come from, or where I'm going?"
The Wolf King of the Northern Sands said, "The great monk's desire to meet with the Imperial Noble Consort is none of my business. Your Majesty, please don't wrong me."
The monk said, "Amitabha, it is by fate that I was able to meet you, female benefactor, and it has nothing to do with the Khan. Your wisdom is profound, which is a blessing for Buddhism. I hope you will think it over carefully."
"You listened to a few of my Buddhist teachings and then wanted to keep me by your side to guide you. Great monk, someone like you, even if Shakyamuni Buddha were your teacher, it wouldn't be of any use in reaching my level in this lifetime."
Since we are destined to meet, let me offer you a few more words: The Way is everywhere in the world; the Way exists beyond the Five Elements, and even within the mortal realm. The mind is principle; cultivate innate knowledge, and unite knowledge with action. Why then seek the Way outside of the law?
The monk felt enlightened, uttered a Buddhist chant, and then left in shame.
The Wolf King of Beisha was dumbfounded. With just a few words, he had persuaded the helpers he had invited to leave.
These words gave the civil officials of the Great Zhou a new understanding of Shen Shixi. Who said that the Empress was unlearned and incompetent? Who said that the Empress was illiterate? She clearly knew it from birth!
Next, they got down to serious business, but it was all just gossip and stalling.
Who started the last war? What losses did the Great Zhou suffer? How many people died in Beisha? It's all nonsense.
It's like two kids got into a fight, then went to the teacher to reason with each other, and then they started arguing about who hit me first, who hit me later, who hit me harder, who used a brick, and so on.
Shen Shixi found it boring, but this was the usual way of discussing state affairs; as long as people were still alive, there would be no result unless they were exhausted.
Shen Shixi was starving and hadn't eaten lunch.
The Grand Consort invited her to go downstairs to rest and have a meal. Shen Shixi, who was not afraid of death, went with her, and Li Yuanke naturally had someone follow her.
The Queen Dowager was clearly the kind of person who did things very properly. She set up a table and a stove under the willow trees by the river and began to make hand-pulled mutton and brew milk tea.
People on the grasslands eat mutton that's only half-cooked, because it gets tough and dry when the meat gets old.
Hand-held mutton is simply boiled mutton cut into large chunks. You hold a large piece of meat in one hand and cut it yourself with a small curved knife.
Hand-pulled mutton is eaten without any condiments; at most, it's dipped in a bowl of salt water.
Shen Shixi had spent half a year in Beisha, so he was used to eating this.
Then the two of them went horseback riding together for a while. The Queen Dowager was a very generous and magnanimous woman.
"Your Highness, when you came to Beisha last time, you blew up half of the palace. As a Beisha native, I should hate you, but I am grateful to you because you helped me kill my enemy."
Shen Shixi laughed and said, "Is that so? It's a pity. I had no choice that time. The Wolf King was pushing me too hard."
"Yes, you avenged me. Ever since then, I've been determined to see you again, to thank you in person," she said. "My name is Zhuo Yan. You can call me by my name, but I'd like to hear you call me 'sister.' How about I call you 'little sister'?"
Shen Shixi didn't really want to be on friendly terms with the woman of the Wolf King of Beisha, it felt a bit strange, so she said, "Just call me Xixi. I like the name Zhuoyan, so I'll call you Sister Zhuoyan."
"That's wonderful, Xixi!" she said. "I think the Emperor of Great Zhou treats you very well; he must love you very much."
Shen Shixi smiled. "He is a remarkable man and an outstanding monarch."
Zhuo Yan looked at the distant horizon and said, "My former husband was also a very remarkable man. He was Bater Khan of Beisha. Unfortunately, he died by the sword of his younger brother Xu Yu. As for me, I had no choice but to submit to Xu Yu and become his concubine."
"Bater only had me as his primary consort, but Xuyu had three. His other consort killed all my children, all of whom were born to Bater and me. Xuyu wants me to bear his children? He's dreaming."
This is not because the Queen Dowager is too familiar with the people, but because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Shen Shixi knew that her words were not entirely true; she was hiding her youngest child, but she didn't know whether the child was alive or dead.
However, it is undeniable that, as a mother, the safety of her child is of paramount importance.
Shen Shixi said, "I appreciate Sister Zhuoyan's kindness! However, before I came, I promised the Emperor that I would not attack the Wolf King and plunge the people of both countries into war."
Baterhan was a benevolent and peace-loving ruler, and you, as his widow, should also uphold his last wishes.
Zhuo Yan is a conscientious person. "Yes, the people of Beisha have suffered these past few years; life has indeed been difficult. I've always heard that Xixi is intelligent; I wonder what your insights are?"
"This is a matter of state, an ancestral precept of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The empress dowager is not allowed to interfere in politics. I'm too lazy to do anything about it, and I'm too lazy to get involved."
The two rode horses for a while longer before Shen Shixi, wanting to go back for a nap, bid farewell to the Grand Consort.
She slept until she naturally woke up, only to hear that the emperor had summoned her to the imperial tent to discuss matters.
Shen Shixi immediately knew it was about negotiations with Beisha. In the end, there would definitely be a set of rules so that the people below could get things done.
At this time, Tang Zong and his group opposed the emperor summoning the Imperial Concubine for consultation. "Your Majesty, the empress dowager must not interfere in politics. This violates ancestral precepts. Does Your Majesty want our Great Zhou to suffer the same fate as the Han Dynasty, which led to the Lü family's downfall?"
The emperor roared, "I'm still dead! What calamity has this come from? I summoned you all to discuss this, but you haven't come up with anything that satisfies me. Every word you utter misses the mark. What use are you?"
One of the military generals said, "Your Majesty, the Northern Sands are ambitious wolves. They've only wanted to negotiate peace with our Great Zhou because they've had a hard time these past few years. Why not take this opportunity to annihilate them once and for all?"
Shen Shixi overheard this at the door and had the curtain lifted so that someone could enter. "Civil officials die for their principles, and military generals fight to the death. Your Majesty, I congratulate you on having so many loyal ministers and generals. This is a blessing for our Great Zhou!"
Li Yuanke had no idea what she was up to. Before she could even bow, he took her hand and stood up. "We didn't reach an agreement with Beisha today. We argued for most of the day without making any progress. If this continues, when will it be over?"
The current stance agreed upon by both countries is a temporary truce, with trade to be negotiated. I would like to hear the Imperial Noble Consort's opinion.
In fact, he wanted to give the credit to Shen Shixi in front of the court officials.
Shen Shixi understood his meaning, "Your Majesty, I disagree with the trade!"