Ave Xia Rem Y

~~~

Lady Dai Jie flows into the room.

Unlike the Wandering Wind, who always seems to be floating one or two inches above the ground, Lady Dai Jie’s stride holds no unnatural quality. Her elegance is one that has been refined through countless hours of practice to the point each of her steps seamlessly flows into the next, enhancing what is already an impressive sight.

Much like Big Sister Bai Wen, Lady Dai Jie wears a veil to hide her face. However, no heavy cloak or rags covers her body. Instead, she is dressed in blue robes with white snowflake patterns. The robes are made of a thick yet soft-looking material and do not expose Lady Dai Jie’s skin. It is a decidedly conservative outfit, yet it somehow manages to cling to Lady Dai Jie’s body in just the right ways to accentuate her figure.

Liu Jin makes a conscious effort not to stare.

Lord Feng Gui does not.

“I greet Emperor Qing Jin and Lord Feng Gui, next Patriarch of the Eternal Flame Clan.” Lady Dai Jie’s bow is without flaw, neither too deep nor too shallow. Her voice has a melodic quality that makes it easy to listen to. “I thank you for welcoming me under your roof.”

“I am never one to turn away a beautiful woman, Lady Dai Jie,” Lord Feng Gui says, smiling as he underplays the magnitude of his actions.

For a member of the Divine Frozen Palace to be allowed inside the Eternal Flame Clan is no small thing, especially one of the Five Fairies. Officially, Lady Dai Jie is the first outsider to set foot in the Eternal Flame Clan in nearly a century. People will be talking about this nonstop in the weeks and months to come.

And yet, it could not have been any other way. Had Lord Feng Gui turned Lady Dai Jie away, she would have simply waited until Liu Jin left the compound. Only by welcoming her can he moderate her interactions with Liu Jin.

“Sit with us,” Lord Feng Gui says, gesturing at the food. “Eat. Drink. This feast is far too much for the two of us, and food always tastes better when accompanied by a beautiful woman.”

A group of servants enters as Lord Feng Gui speaks. They set up a chair, plates, and eating utensils for Lady Dai Jie. Though they are all female, likely because all the males are too stunned by Lady Dai Jie’s presence, they still end up staring and blushing around the woman. Only fear of what might happen if they mess up keeps them from dropping any plates.

“I believe the last time we met was five Crimson Cloud Tournaments ago. My Divine Frozen Palace came just a tad short during that one,” Lady Dai Jie says, sitting at the table. Her gaze, hidden by her veil, moves over to Liu Jin. “However, this is my first time meeting you, Emperor Qing Jin. It is a pleasure.”

“Likewise, Lady Dai Jie,” Liu Jin replies, inclining his head lightly. “The reputation of the Five Fairies of the Divine Frozen Palace is known far and wide.”

“Considering your youth, your reputation is not lacking compared to ours. I have heard many things about you before today,” Lady Dai Jie says before adding, “Little Xiao Shuang sends her regards. She is quite anxious to see you.”

Liu Jin reflexively smiles.

“I considered visiting her several times, but I was unsure whether I would be welcomed in the Divine Frozen Palace.”

“A sensible assumption,” Lord Feng Gui says, dipping a slice of duck in some sauce. “The Divine Frozen Palace tends not to welcome many people, and Lady Meng Yue, in particular, is the furthest thing from welcoming.”

Lady Dai Jie does not answer right away. Though he cannot see her face, Liu Jin can easily picture her delicately grimacing.

“Sister Meng Yue is not particularly… approachable,” Lady Dai Jie says diplomatically. “I understand how meeting her first might have colored your impression of us.”

“Oh?” Lord Feng Gui smirks. “Are you saying you would have welcomed him with open arms had he gone to you before he was Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire? Truly?”

“Hard as this might be to believe, yes,” Lady Dai Jie replies, some steel entering her voice. “Meng Yue insisted that Xiao Shuang’s marriage to Emperor Qing Jin be respected, even before his background was known. The rest of the Divine Frozen Palace agreed.”

Liu Jin blinks. “Lady Meng Yue did?”

“My sister is not the best at communicating her thoughts, feelings, or ideas,” Lady Dai Jie says, somehow managing to make such a damning defect sound like a minor flaw. “She is often misunderstood because of it, but she means well.”

Lord Feng Gui laughs loudly

“Those must be the kindest words anyone has ever spoken of Lady Meng Yue. The woman is a maniac.”

“You should not be so quick to speak ill of others when so many unkind things could be said about yourself,” Lady Dai Jie politely points out. “However, it’d be rude of me to speak of your reputation under your roof, so I will refrain from doing so.”

“You speak of rudeness after imposing your presence on us?” Lord Feng Gui challenges her. “Do you think I don’t know what you are doing here?”

Lady Dai Jie lightly tilts her head to the side. “I came here to seek an audience with Emperor Qing Jin. I have made no secret of that.”

“And yet there was no need to do it in such an overt way,” Lord Feng Gui points out. “Your mere presence here threatens to sow distrust between the Storm Dragon Empire and the Eternal Flame Clan.”

“Suppose I had approached the Emperor when he’s not under your roof? You would begin to fear the possibility of him having secret dealings with the Divine Frozen Palace,” Lady Dai Jie counters. “You might even suspect us of tampering with his mind somehow.”

The light note of derision in Lady Dai Jie’s voice shows precisely what she thinks of that possibility.

“Meeting the Emperor like this is a kindness to you and him, Lord Feng Gui,” Lady Dai Jie continues. “This way, you can be part of our conversation and offer whatever input you wish, and the Emperor will not be suspected of any treason or underhandedness.”

There is sense in what Lady Dai Jie is saying.

And yet, she could have been more subtle about this. Lady Dai Jie is in the Seventh Level of the Emperor Realm. While she is not deliberately raising her aura, it is impossible for an Emperor of her caliber to go unnoticed. Liu Jin felt her the moment she crossed the Ash Road, so it is safe to say various other people have as well. Had Lady Dai Jie really wanted to, she could have found a way to approach the Eternal Flame Clan without causing such a commotion. Lord Feng Gui’s accusations were likely made so Liu Jin would realize that.

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“I thank Lady Dai Jie for her consideration,” Liu Jin says, “and yet, pleased as I am by your words, I think it is fair to say you would not be here had I not become Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire.”

Lady Dai Jie inclines her head in acknowledgment.

“That is so,” she admits. “I will not insult you by pretending recent events haven’t significantly altered your importance in the eyes of the Divine Frozen Palace. However, just as the Divine Frozen Palace respected the marriage between you and Xiao Shuang when you were neither Emperor nor royal, I am here to ask that Emperor Qing Jin respect it now that he is both.”

“I could never pretend that Xiao Shuang is not my wife,” Liu Jin says, and his sincerity is plain to hear in his voice. “Though it has been years since we last saw each other, she remains very dear to me. However, you are not just asking me to affirm my marriage to her. You are asking me to make her Empress.”

“That would be the natural outcome of your respective positions,” Lady Dai Jie says. “You are the Emperor, and she is your wife. That makes her Empress of the Storm Dragon Empire.”

“People can have more than one spouse,” Lord Feng Gui cuts in. “Someone who knows Lady Shao Zhilan should be keenly aware of that.”

For once, Lord Feng Gui’s words actually seem to rattle Lady Dai Jie.

“It is true that Emperor Qing Jin only has one wife right now,” Lord Feng Gui continues, serving himself a leg of lamb, still steaming with heat. “However, it is foolish to assume that will not change. There is no reason to assume your disciple will be chosen by him to become Empress.”

“Do you really think there is anyone better than our Xiao Shuang in beauty, power, wisdom, and knowledge among those in her generation?” Lady Dai Jie counters. “Scour the entire Crimson Cloud Empire and beyond. You will find no one better.”

“I happen to know Emperor Qing Jin is quite close to one of my relatives, a girl gifted with the Eternal Flame who boasts considerable talents in many other areas,” Lord Feng Gui says, somehow managing to sound like a proud, doting uncle despite never having met Lu Mei.

If he knew of his true relationship to her, he probably wouldn’t be nearly affectionate.

“A connection to the Eternal Flame is not the vaunted prize you think it is,” Lady Dai Jie says. “Your flame is greedy and limits the potential of any future offspring too harshly.”

Liu Jin nearly chokes on his wine.

Future offspring.

Children.

His eyes quickly dart from one Emperor to the other, neither noticing as they are too busy arguing. It is not something he has given much thought to before, but Lord Feng Gui said it as well, right?

Children are how one seals alliances.

They are both expecting him to become a father as soon as possible.

“Should someone from a Sect that only gathers those with talents aligned with Yin Qi really be speaking of limiting one’s potential? Everyone knows our Eternal Flame Clan is far superior when it comes to variety of techniques.”

“You may have gathered many techniques, but your preference for flames at the higher levels is undeniable. Unlike us, you pretend to offer more than you do.”

“You speak of pretending to offer more?” Lord Feng Gui laughs. “After what happened to my dearest cousin Feng Shuai?”

Lady Dai Jie bristles. “That was clearly a response to the Eternal Flame Clan’s treachery during the Battle of the Five Valleys.”

“Which was a direct response to what happened at the auction in Ebony Spring City.”

“That would not have happened if not for the folly of one of your disciples at the Endless Forest!”

“That was not even ten years after-”

Liu Jin brings his hands together in a clap.

“Please,” he says, “what purpose does arguing in front of me serve? I understand you’re both trying to expose as many negative things about the other as you can to sway my opinion, but it is not possible for us to merely talk instead?”

Lord Feng Gui and Lady Dai Jie look at him, then at each other in silence for a few seconds.

“It is not the usual protocol,” Lady Dai Jie says at last.

Lord Feng Gui offers Lady Dai Jie a slight shrug. “He’s rather non-standard.”

Liu Jin blinks at the exchange.

“Protocol?” He tastes the word, unable to reconcile it with the scene before him. “This is protocol?”

“A few insults and accusations are expected and even welcomed in a meeting like this,” Lady Dai Jie tells him. The tone of her voice is decidedly neutral. “Sects such as ours have centuries of enmities and feuds to draw up. It would seem dishonest not to acknowledge them.”

“What she means is that if we pretended to get along, everyone would start suspecting foul play,” Lord Feng Gui says with entirely too much relish. “It is far more natural for us to throw petty insults at each other. Consider it a lesson about the world you have stepped into, Emperor Qing.”

The older man holds up his cup in his direction as if offering a toast in his honor.

“Regrettably, he is not exaggerating,” Lady Dai Jie seems almost embarrassed to admit it.

“I…see…” Liu Jin bites on a piece of lamb and chews on the information he has been given.

His closest frame of reference for something like this would be the feud between the Xiao Sect and the Yun Sect back in Eastern Port City. The Xiao Sect clearly had the upper hand in that one. Every time the Yun Sect would try something, the Xiao Sect would upstage them somehow. That fact colored all their interactions. As a consequence, Yun Han had been raised to hate Xiao Fang.

That sort of behavior happening on a much broader scale stretched over several generations…

“I suppose I can see it,” Liu Jin admits. So much shared history is impossible to ignore. Better to have some way to address it than not. “However, we are not here to talk about your shared history, are we?”

“No,” Lady Dai Jie admits. “We are not. In that case, allow me to be blunt. The Divine Frozen Palace wants three things. One, for Xiao Shuang to be the Empress. Two, for the Storm Dragon Empire and the Divine Frozen Palace to enter diplomatic relationships. Let me be clear, we do not seek to supplant the Eternal Flame Clan. However, there is no reason why the Eternal Flame Clan should monopolize the Storm Dragon Empire.”

Lady Dai Jie adds that last part quickly and firmly, not giving Lord Feng Gui a chance to cut in.

“Finally, we wish for Bai Wen to be given permission to act in the Storm Dragon Empire.”

“Granted,” Liu Jin says, drawing raised eyebrows from both Emperors. “Your third request, at least, is easily granted. I trust Lady Bai Wen’s character implicitly.”

“Her master, Lady Bai Lianshi, will be happy to hear that,” Lady Dai Jie tells him.

“I also see no reason not to enter diplomatic relationships with the Divine Frozen Palace,” Liu Jin adds.

“You would betray me under my own roof?” Lord Feng Gui asks him, putting a hand over his heart.

“Lord Feng Gui, if I allowed the Eternal Flame Clan to be the only one the Storm Dragon Empire deals with, it would be the same as letting you dictate the terms of all our agreements,” Liu Jin says flatly.

Lord Feng Gui smiles shamelessly.

“Of course, the specifics would have to be discussed at a later date,” Liu Jin tells Lady Dai Jie. “I may be the Emperor, but there are people far better than I in the art of drafting treaties.”

“Naturally,” Lady Dai Jie says. “A wise person knows when to delegate.”

“Now, for the first demand…” Liu Jin trails off. “I cannot agree to it.”

Lord Feng Gui grins. Lady Dai Jie’s face is hidden by a veil, but Liu Jin can literally feel her disapproval. Everything she offers him. The potential relationship with the Divine Frozen Palace. It all depends on this marriage. An Emperor who is married to Xiao Shuang will be treated quite a bit better than one who isn’t.

“I care for Xiao Shuang,” Liu Jin says softly. “After all this time, I still do. That is why I cannot thoughtlessly say yes. You are both trying to use those close to me as pieces to leverage against me, but have you once thought of asking them if that is what they wish? I cannot thoughtlessly make someone dear to me Empress without even once asking what she thinks of it. That would not be fair to her.”

Lady Dai Jie looks at him for a moment in silence.

“I see.”

“You will have to excuse him, Lady Dai,” Lord Feng Gui says. “It is like I said earlier. He’s rather non-standard. Innocent.”

“Quite the contrary, Lord Feng Gui,” Lady Dai Jie says, her gaze fixed on Liu Jin. “There is no need to excuse anything. We are entrusting Emperor Qing Jin with one of our most precious daughters. Better for him to be a man like this than not.”

~~~

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