Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 60

“I heard that one of the young ladies painted a picture while dancing. I have not yet seen it. May I?”

Li Mingshu relaxed slightly when Pasang mentioned the painting.

The scroll had not yet been put away. At Dongfang Wei’s order, a palace attendant brought it over and unfurled it before Pasang.

“This *Map of Mountains and Rivers* is not bad. Which young lady painted it?” Pasang asked after studying it.

Li Mingshu slowly rose.

“It is this humble girl’s crude work. I fear the princess may find it amusing.”

Pasang’s red lips curved.

“The painting is ordinary, but I would not call it crude.”

Li Mingshu choked back her anger.

“Then I ask the princess to enlighten me!”

Pasang approached her step by step, never losing her smile.

“May I ask what place these mountains and rivers depict?”

Li Mingshu froze. What place?

She had copied this painting from an earlier master’s work no fewer than a thousand times, yet she did not know what location it actually showed.

At the question, Grand Tutor Lin also came to a sudden realization and shook his head regretfully.

“You do not know? Have you never visited this place yourself?”

Li Mingshu was left speechless.

“You have never personally experienced the grandeur of these mountains and rivers, yet you produced such a skilled imitation of the *Map of Mountains and Rivers*…”

Pasang gave her an alluring smile.

“I understand now. Detailed brushwork must be your specialty.”

Tears gathered in Li Mingshu’s eyes. Her painting was clearly ink wash!

But she did not dare argue. Everyone knew that the heart of ink-wash painting lay in artistic conception. Pasang was openly mocking her work for possessing none.

Grand Secretary Li’s lips tightened.

Most Huaxia women learned painting through imitation. Although the court did not forbid women from going out, noble young ladies still took pride in never stepping beyond the inner gates.

He wanted to offer a rebuttal, yet he knew Pasang spoke the truth.

Without seeing the mountains and rivers for herself, his daughter could never capture their spirit, no matter how exceptional her skill at imitation.

“I also heard that another young lady performed a sword dance?”

Having apparently savored Li Mingshu’s embarrassment long enough, Pasang turned to a new target.

Cui Huaimeng knew her turn had come and rose without prompting.

Pasang looked at her from a distance, then suddenly flicked a ring toward her.

Cui Huaimeng could not see what Pasang had thrown. She fumbled for it and failed to catch it.

The ring rolled several times across the floor before coming to a stop.

Pasang arched a brow.

“All flourish and no substance.”

She did not speak loudly, but everyone in the hall heard.

Cui Huaimeng flushed, though she struggled to maintain an air of indifference.

The hall fell silent. What a Princess Pasang! She had not come here to perform at all. She had come to slap Huaxia in the face!

“Enough, Pasang. Stop making trouble and thank His Majesty. The Khagan is not here to protect you.”

Only then did Huyan Lie call out to her in an unhurried tone. His words were anything but friendly.

Dongfang Wei’s expression also cooled on the dais.

“They cannot possibly be so petty, can they?”

Pasang feigned surprise and glanced at the two women. Cui Huaimeng and Li Mingshu had no choice but to force stiff smiles.

“Very well. Thank you, Your Majesty. But Your Majesty… do you intend to give me the same reward as them?”

Pasang pouted with girlish charm.

Dongfang Wei did not answer.

“Please forgive her, Your Majesty. Pasang has been spoiled since childhood and does not always understand proper limits. Pasang, come here!”

Huyan Lie bowed with a smile.

Pasang reluctantly walked to her brother. Huyan Lie took out a white fox-fur cloak and wrapped it around her.

Dongfang Wei said nothing more and merely ordered the banquet to continue.

Only then did everyone begin eating and drinking, though the atmosphere was no longer as lively as before.

Anyone with eyes could see that this Tujue mission was far from simple.

Xiao Yaqing sat beside her parents and did her best to blend into the background. As the mood grew increasingly grave, she set down her wine cup and no longer dared drink much.

After several rounds of wine, Huyan Lie rose again.

“Your Majesty, Tujue has sent us here in the hope of fostering greater exchange with Huaxia.

“We have long admired the reputation of Huaxia’s Ministry of Works. Today, we have brought a gift and humbly ask for your guidance.”

*Here it comes,* everyone thought.

Dongfang Wei nodded, and Huyan Lie ordered his men to bring the object inside.

When two burly men carried in something resembling a ladder, Cang Chuli finally shifted his gaze toward Huyan Lie.

A siege ladder—the key weakness behind Tujue’s recent defeat!

When Tujue attacked Yongcheng, the city walls had been extremely high.

The siege ladders they used then were light and portable, making them easy for the Zhenbei Army to overturn or burn.

The siege ladder they had brought today, however, was pitch-black and fitted with a five-pronged hook along one side.

The two men slowly unfolded it. Once its two sides spread apart, it stood by itself in the center of the hall.

Xiao Yaqing understood at a glance. Was that not simply an A-frame ladder?

It used the stability of a triangle, with the addition of a five-pronged grappling hook at the side. Once the hook caught, it would provide far greater lateral stability too.

Cang Chuli frowned. Conditions on a battlefield changed in an instant. Even the smallest innovation could alter the course of a war.

If Tujue had used this kind of ladder during their last siege, the Zhenbei Army might not have won.

At a glance from the Emperor, the Minister of Works personally stepped forward to inspect it.

Huyan Lie showed no concern. While the minister examined it, he explained each feature with meticulous care.

“Yes. Once this five-pronged hook catches the wall, it is difficult to remove. The other end is connected to the ladder, and the chain cannot easily be cut.

“The ladder can stand without leaning against the wall, so defenders cannot overturn it.

“The black surface has been treated and does not catch fire easily.”

As he spoke, his eyes turned toward Cang Chuli.

*Next time, I wonder whether your Zhenbei Army will still manage to defeat us.*

The more everyone heard, the heavier their hearts grew.

After examining the ladder for a long time, the Minister of Works finally knelt to report.

“Your Majesty, everything he says is true.”

“Ah, it is somewhat difficult for a single person to move,” Huyan Lie added. “But that is no concern. We have made a cart for it, which solves the problem.

“Minister, do you have any further advice for us?”

He asked the question deliberately.

The Minister of Works waved his hands at once. Even if he did have suggestions, why would he tell them?

What did Huyan Lie expect him to do—help Tujue attack Huaxia?

Watching Huyan Lie’s arrogance, Cang Chuli slowly curved his lips and exchanged a glance with Dongfang Wei.

“Since this is an exchange, Huaxia must also demonstrate its sincerity. Minister Hong, bring in the crossbow.”

The Minister of Works repeatedly acknowledged the order, secretly growing excited.

The Emperor had somehow acquired a crossbow whose range, accuracy, and killing power were all exceptional.

Despite trying countless methods, Hong Song had been unable to make a crossbow as compact as the original.

In the end, he had taken the opposite approach. Abandoning compactness, he increased the number of bolts. The weapon could now fire three in succession without sacrificing accuracy.

It greatly reduced the time needed to aim. Even someone unfamiliar with archery could use it after a little practice.

Against this siege ladder, it would be more than capable of putting up a fight.

Once Hong Song brought the crossbow forward, Cang Chuli personally demonstrated how it worked.

The smile vanished from Huyan Lie’s face and appeared on Hong Song’s instead.

Hong Song gave Huyan Lie a smug look.

Stunned, were you? Did you think Tujue was the only one with a new weapon? He had spent more than half a month studying this crossbow!

“Does Prince Huyan have any guidance for us? Oh, at present, it can only hold three bolts. If we make the fletching smaller, firing six in succession should pose no problem.

“My new bolts have not yet been completed. I fear the prince will have to content himself with seeing only three today.”

Xiao Yaqing looked at the Minister of Works, then at Huyan Lie’s expression. She would have plenty to boast about to Xia Heng when she returned.

A siege ladder, then a repeating crossbow—this banquet was positively thick with the smell of gunpowder!