Xiao Lee waited for hours.
They had gotten ready and been told that Prime Minister would see them soon earlier that morning. It was past noon now, and yet they still waited.
It was nothing they did not expect, such was the way of monarchs and insecure rulers after all.
He himself had been subject to many a long wait back home. Though none dared to waste his time after his advancement to Great Lord. He smiled warmly at the thought. Power indeed made life so much more convenient.
“Four hours,” Lisa broke the silence in the overly decorated waiting room.
The entire set up, complete with servants he thought were High Neophytes and an excessive number of monuments to the Fifth, was gaudy enough to impressive even the greatest masters of his old world.
He wasn’t sure how they could even fit so many idols and paintings into a single room without spatial expansion. Though he was sure the Great Emperor of the Heavenly Shu Empire would love to know. The man likely didn’t think there was such a thing as too many self-portraits.
“Is that how long we’ve been here?” the ambassador, who had been waiting with them, questioned.
“It is,” Lisa nodded. “Is this how she treats all her guests.”
“It depends. She usually doesn’t delay if the person is from the Union, or it’s another ruler. This is unusually bold, even for her, but I suspect it's because of her perceived leverage.”
“What happened to trying to make sure I’m not disrespected, Rivera?”
“I’m not sure, honestly,” the older woman admitted. “She isn’t really known for being the most predictable and dealing with her can be a bit difficult.”
“Esteemed guests,” a woman he recognised as a member of the Prime Minister’s personal guard came into the room. “The Prime Minister apologises for the delay. She has been bothered by crucial matters of state. She will receive you now.”
She turned and left without another word, just as abruptly as she came.
They stood up and went after her without wasting anytime, all of them equally enthusiastic to be done with the farce.
At least that was Xiao Lee hoped.
The room they entered, which was essentially the throne room, was just about what he expected, given the waiting room.
The obsession with the Fifth was even more apparent here. Everything from the brown theme to the living murals on the wall, were geared towards devotion to their patron and founder. Even the chair the Prime Minister sat on was shaped in the image of the Fifth sitting down.
He turned his attention away from the room and focused on its main occupant.
Prime Minister Hukkah Fifthchosen was every bit as imposing as the information packet made her seem. She was very tall, as all descendants of the Fifth were, something very visible even from her position seated on the chair.
She was a High Cultivator, something she made no attempts to hide, letting a hint of her spirit spread round the room.
Thankfully, her touch was light, and his robes had been upgraded enough that even a more focused presence would barely faze him now.
One of the servants in the room directed them to their seating positions. He was almost surprised they were given seats. Monarchs loved to give themselves every advantage they could get away with in his experience.
He watched Lisa and the Ambassador sit down before reluctantly joining them. He still couldn’t get rid of the part of him that thought it rude and potentially suicidal to not give a bow to his senior.
“Envoys from Lasvania. I welcome you to the Fifth’s Home,” the imposing woman said with open arms.
“We thank the Prime Minister for her hospitality,” Lisa responded in kind.
The proper greeting would have had the envoy bow to the waist in response. A polite nod was far as Lisa went. It was something that was supposedly acknowledged universally.
Lasvanian envoys did not bow.
“Whatever is so important that Liam thought it best to send the shining star of the youth to my doorstep?” the Prime Minister’s voice boomed in question. “And a Fifth-touched Ascendant too. It must be quite important indeed.”
He frowned at that. What did that mean?
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“What does Fifth-touched Ascendant mean, Prime Minister?” the Ambassador’s voice was calm, but he heard a hint of warning too.
“I had thought it would be obvious to you, given how much time you have spent here, I would expect you to have noticed it.”
“I’m not sure what I should have noticed.”
“He carries the blessing of the Fifth on him,” she revealed with a smugness that made him uneasy. “A blessing directly from the Fifth is grounds for instant citizenship, as you well know.”
“Any claims the Fifth believes she has should be taken to the High Senate. A challenge is both outside the reason we are here and above the scope of our authorities.”
He was glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of Lisa’s cold stare when she spoke.
“Are you implying that I am not in charge of my country, Lisa?”
He felt shivers go up his spine at her tone. Things seemed to be getting out of hand fast.
“I’m saying that the High Senate will not tolerate any attempts at trying to claim Xiao Lee. And their wrath is something not even the Fifth can handle,” Lisa seemed completely unfazed by the prospect of angering a foreign ruler who was also a High Cultivator. “Our purpose here is to negotiate for the release of a Lasvanian citizen. Let’s focus on that, please.”
The Prime Minister stared in tense silence for a moment before nodding with a hint of reluctance.
“Alright then, child of the Lone Walker,” she said with some annoyance. “State your piece and let us be done with this.”
He didn’t have to turn to feel Lisa bristle at the title. It was to be expected at this point.
“We are here to parley for the release of Amile Fifthtouched, a Lasvanian citizen who has been locked in your cells for the past week.”
“That foolish girl? She is one of us, even if her lineage is tainted.”
“She is a Lasvanian citizen, Prime Minister. The Fifth Republic does not recognise dual citizenship and does not issue any to those born outside of the Union of Five. We recognise her error in crossing the border, which is why we are willing to offer generous compensation for her release.”
“Her kind is on exile, a punishment from the Fifth herself. Her actions should normally warrant five years in the chambers. She is not there only on your High Minister’s insistence. As it is, every second she spends in her guest suite is a sign of our mercy. And our mercy is not boundless.”
That was harsh, Xiao Lee thought.
He had been getting used to Lasvanian justice that it was easy to pretend that the rest of the world was very different. All things considered; the punishment was not particularly bad.
Particularly when compared to Xenus.
Though he did not care much for whoever the girl was, receiving an absorber in six months' time depended on her release, so her release was in his best interests. Plus, ending up in a torture chamber for years wasn’t something he wished for someone who he had no enmity with.
“You want to get this over with, Prime Minister, then tell us what you want in exchange for her release. We wish to maintain good relations after this, so we’ll meet your demands as long as they are within reason.”
“I would like a prisoner swap then,” the smile on the woman’s face made it clear she was about to ask for something difficult.
“We don’t have any of your citizens in our prisons,” Lisa replied with a frown.
“You are right about that. But I don’t think you have any serious need for Khun Ne. She is considered an annoyance by your law enforcement. I could relieve you of her that problem.”
Lisa shook her head immediately at that.
“Khun Ne and others like her can only be released by one person. And if we involve her, then there’d be no point in negotiating anymore.”
“Of course, there’s no need for pointless escalation,” was the Prime Minister’s diplomatic reply.
She sounded almost mellow after that, something that surprised him greatly. He wondered who Lisa had referred to. Perhaps another Lone Power?
“Twelve absorbers. With a local cultivation assistant and the right to host any data gathered on our own soil. Access to deeper knowledge on how to manage and manipulate the assistants.”
“A heavy price,” Lisa commented. “Six absorbers are the most that can be approved. We can allow you to keep your data here. Any tweaking of the assistants will be handled by a specialised team. They will help you with any amendments. However, they will not teach you how to do anything by yourselves beyond the basics.”
“Six is a steep cut,” the Prime Minister pointed out. “There should be some level of knowledge transfer.“
“We are being very generous already, Prime Minister. I’m sure I don’t need to mention just how many nations would jump at the offer. The cultivation assistants are the crux of Lasvanian technology. You cannot reasonably expect us to just reveal secrets we’ve guarded heavily for years.
“We are willing to give six absorbers and cultivation assistants, plus a team of engineers to help with their maintenance. We will add in a few trade deals and tariff cuts but that is the most we are willing to exchange.”
The monarch looked thoughtful for a few moments before seemingly coming to a conclusion.
“That is enough,” she said. “I will review the terms with my advisors. You will get your answer in three days' time. Releasing the girl will have political repercussions and we will need to access the level of damage control it will require.”
He let his shoulders drop slightly as he let go of the tension he had accumulated throughout the conversation. It was shorter than he expected but he was thankful there was no escalation.
“Thank you for your understanding, Prime Minister. We would like to be excused, if that is all. Reports will have to be made.”
“Of course. I hope you enjoy the city for the next few days,” she dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
The moment they got back to the suite, he felt qi flow around the room and traced its source to their silent security detail.
“That was commendable, Lisa,” the ambassador praised the moment the qi completed what he thought was a formation.
“They were bold. Too bold.”
She sounded thoughtful.
“Yes, they were. The Prime Minister is generally not subservient, but I have never seen any Union ruler this daring.’
“I’ve met the Fifth, Rivera, and she at least understands her limits. This one doesn’t seem to.”
“She’s relatively new, and we’ve been more diplomatic for the past few decades. Her confidence is understandable. We still got what we wanted.”
“It was a very unequal trade in their favour. I’ll send my report. Perhaps it’ll convince them to do a bit of flexing.”
“We stopped doing that for a reason, Lisa,” the woman’s reminder was stern.
He ignored the rest of their conversation and excused himself from the room. Looking around the city was his excuse.
He was out of the palace in a few seconds. What little he could see of the city from the compound looked interesting enough to him, but it could wait.
He had an escape plan to carry out.