Love Lock

Chapter 303 Spicy Crayfish

Inside the prefectural government's main hall, the lights were bright, yet they couldn't penetrate the somber atmosphere.

Beneath the carved beams and pillars, a delegation of more than ten people from the Kingdom of Ara and Meng stood in the main hall, dressed in magnificent clothes and with arrogant expressions.

The leading envoy, Gertai, stroked his curly beard, touched his chest, and bowed slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, yet his tone was gratingly respectful.

"Since this is a friendly exchange, there must be give and take. If your country loses, we only ask that His Majesty of Dajing cede Ling'an City to Ala and Meng."

As soon as he finished speaking, his deputy, Hasa, presented him with a beautifully decorated scroll of parchment and slowly unfurled it.

The sheepskin was thick and heavy, with wolf head totems embroidered on the edges, and the gold thread shone brightly under the candlelight in the hall.

"To exchange ideas and learn from your country."

Kassa spoke slowly and deliberately, each word clear and resonant, echoing through the high beams of the hall, revealing an undisguised arrogance.

The officials of the prefectural government were immediately in an uproar, and they all glared angrily at the delegation.

Ling'an City is the throat of the northern border and a major military stronghold. How can it be ceded so easily? Such arrogant words show utter disregard for the Great Jing!
Just as everyone was filled with indignation, a cold laugh rang out from the head of the table—

"Ha!" Zhao Zun thought to himself, "They really are here to take advantage of our misfortune."

Zhao Zun suddenly looked up, his gaze as cold as ice, shooting straight at Gertai.

"You think you can gamble Ling'an City with a thousand cows and three thousand sheep? You certainly dare to dream. If you really want to gamble, you should use your royal court's golden tent, or... the vast grasslands of the northern desert."

His voice boomed like a bell, causing the dust on the beams to fall in a flurry: "If you dare not gamble, then don't spout nonsense here and only make yourself a laughingstock!"

Zhao Zun sat high in the main seat, his black royal robe making his face appear even more stern. He was tall and imposing, and even sitting as still as a mountain, he exuded a chilling killing intent honed on the battlefield.

Hasa looked at Zhao Zun with disdain: "But our Chanyu only said that he would exchange one thousand cattle and three thousand sheep, and said nothing else."

"Oh?" Zhao Zun leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the arrogant Hassa. "What if I don't agree to this exchange of sparring?"

"Hahaha..." Hasa laughed, looking completely confident. "The Great Jing Dynasty, a vast and powerful nation, surely has no one capable of discussing this topic?"

The other party actually dared to use the "imminent method"!

"Stop talking nonsense!" Zhao Zun's face darkened, and he slammed his fist on the armrest of his chair. "Aren't you afraid that I will lead my troops to raze your royal court to the ground?"

Seeing Zhao Zun's anger, Gertai smiled slightly, stepped forward, and patted his chest, saying, "Prince of Cangzhou, there's no need to be angry. Hasa is right; it's just a cultural exchange, no need for swords or guns. Besides..."

Gertai hesitated for a moment, but continued, "I heard that the Eastern Ming Empire is currently attacking the Great Jing Dynasty. Your Highness is now waging a major war, which I'm afraid... will be detrimental to the Great Jing Dynasty!"

Hey! This Russian guy really did find out about the Eastern Ming Empire's invasion of Dajing, so he has the audacity to use this to threaten him.

Zhao Zun almost laughed out of anger.

With Han Lei's modern weaponry now in place, Cangzhou is not afraid of Ala and Meng Kingdom in terms of military strength at all. He could easily lead his troops to their royal court, or even wipe them out entirely.

But now they want to exchange and learn from each other's cultures. If he agrees to the exchange, he won't know the answers to those questions. If he loses, it will be a loss of face for a great nation, and people will laugh at him for having no one in his country.

He left the capital to guard the frontier at the age of twelve, and his meritorious deeds in the face of death and bloodshed forged his illustrious reputation.

He was well-versed in military strategy and tactics, but other things... were more difficult to deal with than a thousand troops.

The other party avoided mentioning weapons, only talking about "civil warfare," which was a soft knife that struck his weak spot.

Zhao Zun, this martial artist, was in a bit of a predicament.

If it were up to his nature, such arrogance and provocation would have already earned him a beating.

But he is now the King of Cangzhou in the Great Jing Dynasty, and his every word and action concerns the dignity of the nation. If he were to intimidate the envoy with force, and such behavior were to spread, what would become of the Great Jing's magnanimity? It would only invite ridicule from the surrounding barbarian states.

However, if they were to accept this "exchange" and lose, they would lose not only face, but also the crucial border city of Ling'an.

Winning or losing, both were miscalculations; this was clearly a meticulously designed dead end.

His knuckles tapped silently on the rosewood armrest, his gaze shifting slightly to Luo Hai, who sat to his left.

Luo Hai felt Zhao Zun's gaze, bowed slightly, and looked respectful, but the slight frown on his brow and the worry deep in his eyes could not be completely concealed.

He was the head of the civil officials in the prefecture, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), and was well-versed in the classics, history, philosophy, and literature. He was also considered a refined scholar in the region for composing poems and couplets.

However, the facts before us are truly extraordinary.

These two countries clearly came prepared, and the questions they posed were bound to be tricky and unusual, far beyond the usual poetic and romantic ones.

Even if one manages to overcome the challenge of poetry and prose, there are still other unknown problems to come. In this remote place of Cangzhou, where can one find a learned scholar who can break through all three challenges?

His concerns were exactly the same as Zhao Zun's.

Cangzhou, a harsh and desolate border region, is home to not only the iron-willed soldiers guarding the frontier, but also to the peddlers and laborers struggling to make a living, and the farmers toiling in the fields.

Although there are some local gentry and wealthy families in the city, they may be able to indulge in refined pursuits, but when faced with a situation that concerns the fate of the nation, they would probably be weak in the knees and their minds would go blank. How could they be expected to help?

The air seemed to freeze, with only Luo Hai smacking his lips and the slightly smug breathing of the delegation members.

The pressure felt tangible, weighing heavily on the hearts of everyone at Dajing.

Zhao Zun lowered his eyes, and a figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind—Han Lei.

If she were there... perhaps...

His maid was different from others, coming from another time and space. Her wit and insight, revealed in her speech and behavior, far surpassed those of many well-read scholars.

She might actually have a way to resolve this predicament.

However, the thought was quickly replaced by a sharp pang of heartache.

He recalled Han Lei's pale, paper-like face when he left the manor that morning. She was so weak from severe morning sickness that she needed Jinju's help to get up, as if a gust of wind could knock her over. Her once bright and lively eyes had lost their sparkle, leaving only an indescribable weariness.

How could he... how could he bear to let her, looking like that, come here and endure this suffocating ordeal?
Zhao Zun's gaze returned to Gertai's face, and a chill suddenly rose in his deep eyes, like the ice and snow that never melts in the borderlands.

He is not afraid of physical confrontation, but he is not good at verbal confrontation. But he cannot show weakness, much less back down.

Even if it's a game he's destined to lose, he must stand tall and come up with a foolproof plan.

Gerthai seemed to notice the subtle change in his emotions, and the smile on his face became even more meaningful.

Gertai spoke slowly, as if playing cat and mouse: "Your Highness, is it possible that in this Cangzhou region, there are not a few talented individuals who can 'communicate' with us? Then why not send the delegation to the capital to meet His Majesty of the Great Jing?"

His words were gentle, yet they lashed at everyone's faces like whips.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Zun's eyes. His knuckles tightened slightly on the armrest, and the sandalwood seemed to creak under the weight.

Just as his thin lips were about to open, the prefect Luo Hai below him took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and stood up.

"Your Highness," Luo Hai bowed to Zhao Zun, then turned to Gertai, his face bearing the typical, slightly reserved yet dignified smile of a civil official.

"Your Excellency has come from afar, and since you are in such high spirits, even though Cangzhou is located on the frontier, I dare not neglect my guest. I will first offer my humble opinion on your country's difficult problem, hoping to inspire you and enhance the enjoyment of the meal." Luo Hai spoke humbly, but his demeanor was neither servile nor arrogant, attempting to steer this aggressive "exchange" back within the framework of normal diplomatic etiquette.

A hint of amusement flashed in Gertai's eyes, as if he had expected this. He didn't stop him, but simply made a "please" gesture, leaning back lazily in his chair, ready to watch the show with leisure.

Hassa stepped forward and fully unfolded the parchment. Instead of the expected poems and articles, it contained a finely drawn picture and a few lines of strange text.

The pattern resembles a uniquely structured pavilion, with overlapping layers and marked with many symbols and numbers from Allah and the Kingdom of Mongol.

Kassa, speaking in broken Kyrgyz Mandarin, declared loudly: "This first question is a mathematical problem from my Meng Kingdom. Question: There is a pagoda with a window structure as follows, with the number of windows increasing exponentially on each floor: six windows on the first floor, twelve on the second, eighteen on the third, and so on, up to the ninth floor. What is the total number of windows on this pagoda? Give me the number within half an incense stick's time."

As soon as the question was posed, many civil officials in the hall subconsciously began to calculate silently, and their expressions changed slightly.

This problem may seem like a simple addition problem, but the additions increase with each layer, making the calculations tedious and prone to errors. Even those with exceptional mental arithmetic skills would find themselves nervous within half an incense stick's time.

Luo Hai's heart sank. He was not an expert in mathematics, but as a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he had thoroughly studied the basics of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art.

He concentrated his mind, took the paper and pen offered by the clerk beside him, and began to do calculations.

“Lord Luo,” Gertai said slowly, “Since this is a friendly exchange, and your country is a superior nation, wouldn’t it be beneath your dignity to have to calculate slowly with pen and paper? It would be better to do it mentally, so that we people from a small country can witness the grandeur of a superior nation.”

The sarcasm in this Russian speech is almost undisguised.

Luo Hai paused awkwardly, his hand holding the pen pausing, and couldn't help but roll his eyes.

He knew this was the other party's way of making things difficult. If he insisted on using paper and pen, he would be intimidated before the battle even began, and he would lose in terms of momentum.

He had no choice but to put down his pen and concentrate on calculating in his mind: six, twelve, eighteen... This is an arithmetic series with a first term of six and a common difference of six; summing them up is all it takes. He silently recited, "First term plus last term..."

After silently calculating for a while, Luo Hai felt a little more at ease and was about to speak when Hasa seemed to see through his thoughts.

Kassa suddenly added, "Oh, I forgot to mention, this tower of ours also has a small window at its spire, like a bright pearl on the crown, which must be included in the total. I hope Your Excellency will not overlook it."

Luo Hai nearly choked on his breath! There's another window at the top of the tower?! He had only counted the number of windows on the nine-story tower, not including this unexpectedly extra window at the top! If he included it, there would be 271 windows.

But the other party deliberately added the details only after completing the calculation, showing a cunning and treacherous nature that was hard to guard against. He almost blurted out the number 270.

Luo Hai forced himself to calm down and asked, "Are you sure there is still a window at the top of the tower?"

Kazakhstan replied expressionlessly, "Of course."

Luo Hai pondered, carefully recalling what the other person had said—"up to the ninth floor," which did not include the spire. After adding it, the total was indeed 270 + 1 = 271. He was confident that he had made no mistake and was about to give a firm answer.

"Wait!" another voice rang out.

Another member of the delegation, who had remained silent until now, chuckled sinisterly: "Sir, is your calculation method based on arithmetic progressions? But in our problem, the window lattice doubles. 'Doubles' means that each term is a multiple of the previous one. The first layer is six, the second layer should be twelve, but the third layer should be twenty-four, not eighteen! Sir, could you have misread the markings on the diagram?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Hai was struck dumb and hurriedly went to examine the illustrations and annotations on the parchment again.

Next to those strange symbols, there were indeed subtle markings that hinted at the meaning of "multiple," rather than the arithmetic progression he had preconceived notions of! How could "multiplication" be compared to "adding six doors to each floor"?

If we increase the number by a factor of two, the first layer would have 6, the second layer 12, the third layer 24, the fourth layer 48... all the way up to the ninth layer? That number would become enormous! The arithmetic sequence summation formula he used earlier was completely wrong!

Cold sweat instantly soaked through Luo Hai's undergarment.

More than half of the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed. Let alone mentally calculating such a complex geometric series summation, it would take time just to re-organize one's thinking.

He stood frozen in place, his face flushing red and then turning pale, his fingers trembling slightly, unable to utter a single word.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing. The officials from Dajing looked anxious, but none of them could immediately calculate the correct number.

The members of the delegation exchanged glances, their smugness and contempt almost overflowing.

Gertai stroked his curly beard, shook his head slightly, and sighed with feigned regret: "Alas, it seems that even the first question is so difficult? Cangzhou is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, is it possible that there is no one who can solve this minor problem? Or is it that... the cultural heritage of the Great Jing has withered to this extent?"

These words were like a resounding slap in the face to everyone at Dajing.

Zhao Zun's face was ashen, and the coldness in his eyes was almost tangible. He looked at Luo Hai's pale face and the delegation's arrogant demeanor, and the veins on the back of his hand gripping the armrest bulged.

Just as the incense stick was about to burn out and the ashes were about to fall—

"Three thousand and sixty-six." A clear and calm female voice, even with a hint of languid weariness, came from the lobby entrance.

The sound was not loud, but it was like a jade bead falling into a silver plate, instantly shattering the stagnant air.

Everyone turned around in astonishment.

Footsteps echoed outside the door, and four burly men dressed as guards of the Cangzhou Prince's Mansion steadily carried a nanmu wood sedan chair into the hall.

Instead of an ordinary chair, the sedan chair was a beanbag chair covered with plush cushions.

Han Lei was lounging lazily on the sofa, holding a large, transparent takeout box filled with bright red, glistening, spicy crayfish.

Her brocade robe was slightly stained with oil, but she didn't care at all, focusing only on the food in the box.

Zitan and Jinju walked beside her, one on each side. As Zitan walked, her hands never stopped moving, deftly peeling open the shrimp shells and promptly feeding the plump shrimp meat into Han Lei's mouth.

Han Lei's cheeks flushed as she ate, showing no signs of morning sickness. Instead, her eyes, which had been tired due to pregnancy, became even brighter and more piercing, sparkling with life as she looked around.

Every time she gasped softly from the spiciness, making a soft "hiss, hiss" sound, Jinju, standing nearby, would quickly pick up a sweet popcorn and precisely pop it into her mouth.

As the sweet and spicy flavors mingled, she ate with increasing gusto.

The people in the hall were stunned for a moment, staring blankly as the four men carried the sedan chair straight inside.

The woman at the table ate heartily, showing no sign of the dignified demeanor expected of a princess, but exuding a carefree and lively charm.

Only Zhao Zun, sitting in the main seat, was not annoyed at all. Instead, he smiled happily, his eyes following her closely, his brows and eyes full of doting affection.

The guards carefully lowered the sedan chair to the ground, and Zhao Zun, unable to wait any longer, bypassed the official desk and hurried forward.

He leaned down to examine her face closely, his voice filled with undisguised concern: "Girl, why did you come all of a sudden? Are you feeling alright?"

Han Lei let out a satisfied burp, patted her full stomach, and laughed, "It's okay! I found that I didn't feel nauseous from eating spicy crayfish and popcorn, so I just ate the whole box. Now I feel completely refreshed, and my energy has returned."

After saying that, she raised her lips, which were smeared with red oil, and gave Zhao Zun a charming and bright smile.

Zhao Zun couldn't help but laugh out loud. He took out a plain silk handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth. Seeing that she could finally eat in peace, the weight that had been hanging over him for so long finally lifted.

The officials of Cangzhou were already used to the two's intimate interactions, which went unnoticed by others. However, the envoy from the foreign land was dumbfounded.

Gertai and Hasa quickly exchanged a glance, finally unable to restrain themselves.

Gertai spoke first, asking, "Young lady, the 'three thousand and sixty-six' you mentioned earlier, could it be... you're solving a puzzle?"

Hearing this, Han Lei raised an eyebrow at him, still chewing popcorn, and replied vaguely but decisively, "Yeah!"

Tomorrow is finally the 25th, and I can finally rest this time.