"Yes!"
Valendorf excitedly replied, then led his father and superior, Xavier, to his personal workshop.
The room was a bit of a ss, cluttered with all sorts of materials, most of which were related to the deeds of the Qinghui expedition.
"Ahem..."
Valendorf navigated through stacks of docunts, turned on the presentation screen, and imported the data. After clearing his throat twice, he began his briefing for Xavier:
"You must have heard that after Duke Qinghui ascended the throne in Yonglan to beco the Knight King, he launched an expedition of the Knightly Path. Its goal was to reclaim Imperial territories suffering from Chaos Erosion. Shortly thereafter, Duke Qinghui delivered a speech in his Purity Forest..."
The Half-Elf played a recording of the speech—Westheid’s order to make two hundred million copies was no empty boast; it had been carried out to the letter.
Xavier crossed his arms and ticulously watched Westheid’s speech from beginning to end.
When the recording finished, Valendorf continued:
"...And that’s how it all began. Afterward, the Qinghui Territory and its affiliated forces, such as the Yonglan Knight Army and the troops under Her Highness Empress Princess Reiya, began a campaign of conquest and cleansing from the inside out. The stability and peace around the Yuanshi Territory are thanks to this. No matter how violently the Chaos Tides rage in this era, they can’t withstand the Qinghui Army’s relentless purges."
The Half-Elf’s face was flushed, his eyes sparkling with a look of adoration.
"Duke Qinghui’s actions over the past two years have indeed been to build his own montum... Ahem, I don’t deny that. Duke Qinghui is eager to spread his ideals and reputation. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s precisely because his ambitions are so great and noble that he hopes the people of the Mortal World will accept them..."
Xavier: "Leave your personal feelings out of it. Stick to the facts."
Valendorf paused, imdiately reining in his excitent and forcing a straight face as he said:
"Yes. In short, as I was saying, the many forces under Duke Qinghui are putting his declaration into practice."
"The Yonglan Knights’ expedition has eradicated all corrupted Little Holy Trees in the Southeast Imperial region and continues to expand its offensive. More Knights are now advancing into domains beyond the Imperial borders."
"A joint force composed of the Purity People and parts of the Imperial Legions is operating in other areas. To date, they have reclaid over twenty Imperial Provinces, helped restore eleven small border nations, and liberated countless autonomous territories."
"And in doing all this, Duke Qinghui has asked for nothing in return. He even actively helps with local reconstruction efforts. Because of this, many local populations have chosen to pledge allegiance and join the Qinghui Territory... Ah, and please don’t doubt this point. I personally conducted field inspections. There was no under-the-table dealing. The families that originally held power were basically all wiped out, so it’s only natural for the weak mortals to align themselves with a Powerhouse."
"Furthermore, Duke Qinghui is also actively promoting..."
Valendorf spoke of these matters as if he knew them by heart, his narration both vivid and well-sourced, while page after page of data and materials scrolled by on the screen.
Several hours passed before Valendorf finished his report. Xavier frowned in thought for a long mont, then spoke slowly:
"I understand..."
With that, the refined Elf in his exquisite white robes stood up. He turned to leave but was stopped by Valendorf.
"Lord Execution... Father, you seem very concerned about this. Back in the Royal Court, if I recall correctly, there’s been so major trouble... I haven’t been back in years, so I’m not too clear on the details."
Xavier turned his head. The sharpness in his eyes was gone. Here in this private space, he revealed a weariness he should not have shown.
"Yes, a great deal has happened. The Grand Ensemble of the Land of Rhythm... I’m afraid it will be difficult to complete it ever again."
"Is it really that serious?"
Valendorf’s eyes widened. He stared blankly at Xavier. Although he was a Half-Elf not born in the Thousand Laws Royal Court, he had at least spent his childhood there and had a good understanding of what the "Grand Ensemble" ant.
’The Grand Ensemble of the Land of Rhythm, which has continued uninterrupted for thousands of years, could actually be broken?’
’How is that any different from digging up the Royal Court’s ancestral graves? And judging by Father’s expression, it seems the Royal Court doesn’t have the power to fix it.’
This made Valendorf recall a rumor:
"Father, could this be more than a simple Chaos incursion and local rebellion? Could it be, as the rumors say, related to the Divine Ancestor’s..."
Xavier cut him off sternly. "Be careful what you say when it concerns the Divine Ancestor!"
"...Yes."
The young Half-Elf lowered his head in acknowledgnt, then looked back up at Xavier.
"Father, did you co to the Yuanshi Territory this ti to ask for aid?"
Normally, Xavier would never have sat so patiently through such a detailed report on external affairs; a simple briefing would have been more than enough.
Xavier gave him a aningful look, sighed deeply, and said:
"That’s not out of the question. You should prepare yourself."
After bidding farewell to Valendorf, Xavier left the embassy with swift purpose and headed straight for the high tower where Yuanxi Palace was located.
He climbed several floors, arriving at the middle section of the High Court.
Bathed in the twilight’s halo, Luyetan wore a simple yet exquisite white dress. Her charming and gentle face always held an ambiguous smile. No matter what she did, every gesture was filled with an ineffable elegance and nobility.
While reviewing the territory’s administrative affairs, Luyetan chuckled softly upon seeing the Elf Execution Officer approach her.
"Oh my, Lord Xavier, this hurried look of yours isn’t quite your usual style, is it?"
Xavier got straight to the point.
"Yuanxi Palace, I need a definitive answer. Duke Qinghui... can he be trusted?"
He dove right into the main topic. The Royal Court’s Execution Officer had grown tired of beating around the bush these past few days.
"What kind of trust?"
Luyetan placed a hand by her pointed ear and tilted her head.
"...Please, stop joking. You know what I an."
Xavier gritted his teeth and said:
"If we were to request aid from Duke Qinghui to help quell the Royal Court’s internal strife, can he be trusted?"
"Has sothing happened within the Royal Court? I only heard that several Grand Ensemble Spirit Veins in the Land of Rhythm have been severed. The Royal Court’s public announcent ntioned a Chaos invasion and self-proclaid rebel armies. Can the Royal Court not handle such a small problem?"
Luyetan’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise.
"That should be a basic capability for the center of any Realm of Order."
*SIGH...*
Seeing Yuanxi Palace continue to play dumb, Xavier knew she wouldn’t help unless he was explicit. That was the infuriating thing about Yuanxi Palace’s personality.
He took a few deep breaths, walked up to Luyetan, and said in a low voice:
"Yuanxi Palace, let be frank with you. The Royal Court can currently only control less than forty percent of the Land of Rhythm. The rest... has been occupied by... unspeakable things. They haven’t expanded further, so we’ve been able to contain the news for now."
Luyetan laughed bluntly. "The [Celestial God’s Shadow]... So that’s it. That is indeed a major crisis the Royal Court would find difficult to handle. Has the situation beco so dire that you have no choice but to bring in outside help?"
Xavier desperately tried to salvage the Royal Court’s dignity.
"It’s not just anyone! We are not so desperate as to be indiscriminate! We just heard... we heard that Duke Qinghui has a good reputation. If possible, inviting him as reinforcents is sothing the Royal Court should be able to accept."
"So, Yuanxi Palace, you and Duke Qinghui both belong to the [Branch of Prosperity], and you’ve had dealings with him before. Please, answer . Can we truly ask him for aid?"
Luyetan’s eyelids lowered slightly. She leaned back in her soft chair, tapping her chin with a slender, pale finger. After a long mont, she spoke.
"Duke Qinghui is no simple man, I can tell you that... However, from what I know, he does not break the promises he makes. On that point, at least, he is trustworthy."
"Heh. But you only want to hear what you want to hear, just to put your mind at ease... If you’ve already made up your mind, then I can communicate on your behalf. I can act as the bridge between the Royal Court and the Qinghui Territory. After all... I owe Duke Qinghui a favor myself."
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