Who said the eldest daughter is crazy? She's clearly a woman of high rank and influence in the

The relaxed demeanor of the Daying delegation tightened slightly. Zhou Bingliang shrank to the back of the table and didn't raise his head again. The others exchanged glances, silently reassessing the weight of the young national advisor opposite them.

The Beishuo official unconsciously straightened his back, as if the exhilaration of venting his anger for his own people during the previous confrontation had been suppressed and could not be released.

When Xiao Yanzhi spoke again, his voice was half an octave lower than before, "I have long heard that the Left Chancellor of Beishuo has a group of elite civil officials under his command who can handle all matters large and small in the court with great clarity. Seeing them today, I can see that their reputation is indeed well-deserved."

Everyone present could tell that he was looking for a way out. He said that his remarks about the old grievances of the Ministry of Revenue came from the intelligence obtained from the Left Chancellor, which saved face for Xi Yueli and also gave his subordinate Zhou Bingliang a dignified exit.

An envoy was publicly humiliated by his deputy at a banquet in a foreign land. If he didn't find a way to save face, the subsequent negotiations would be impossible.

Xi Yueli didn't expose him. She nodded slightly and raised her wine cup towards him in a perfunctory manner.

"The officials under the Left Prime Minister's administration are indeed diligent. They have sorted out the old files from the Northern Frontier in a clear and organized manner. If the Ministry of Revenue of Daying needs to learn from them in the future, I can recommend them to Envoy Xiao."

Xiao Yanzhi lowered his head and took a sip of wine, suppressing the faint smile on the rim of his cup. This young new national advisor was more troublesome than he had expected.

He was used to dealing with military officers on the northern border, people who were either straightforward or secretive in their speech. But she was taking a middle path, one whose patterns he hadn't yet figured out.

The atmosphere at the table began to flow again.

The Northern Shuo civil official raised his cup a few times and said some polite words. Several young accompanying advisors from the Daying delegation also drank a few cups with him. The music resumed, and the tense atmosphere in the hall finally dissipated a bit.

Shen Qingya sat in the middle of the civil officials' row, in a rather inconspicuous position. Today he was dressed in a bamboo-green casual robe, the jade belt buckle at his waist was neatly fastened, and the posture of holding the wine cup was as relaxed as that of a leisurely young master who had come to drink.

He had just witnessed the entire process of Xi Yueli refuting Zhou Bingliang. How dare a mere fifth-rank attendant dare to make a fuss in front of the Northern Shuo National Preceptor? Even a clerk under the Left Prime Minister could read accounts better than him.

This newly appointed imperial advisor seems to have some ability.

When he looked away, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the throne.

After Xi Yueli refuted Zhou Bingliang, Tuoba Zhao did not react much. He simply picked up his teacup and took a sip, as if the king had known all along.

He had seen this move before; Fu Yuan had used the same combination in court assemblies.

Shen Qingya had always thought that Fu Yuan was supporting the king, but now that the cooperation had been changed to the new national advisor and the king, he had always thought that Fu Yuan was paving the way for her on his own. But just now, he suddenly became unsure.

Tuoba Lie sat for most of the banquet without saying much, but when the singing and dancing ended, he suddenly picked up his cup, stood up, and bowed slightly towards the throne.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Tuoba Zhao put down his teacup, his face as solemn as ever: "Regent, please speak."

Tuoba Lie straightened up and glanced in the direction of the Daying delegation. "The winter grain allocation for the three northern towns has been completed according to the amount discussed in court the day before yesterday. However, this morning the military supplies department reported that the granary outside Shuofeng Pass caught fire the night before last, burning about four thousand shi of stored grain."

"I believe that this matter should not be publicized, lest the morale of the border troops be unsettled. However, if it is not dealt with, the border troops will surely run out of food before the spring."

He voiced his concerns with an air of loyalty and patriotism, but the shortfall of four thousand shi (a unit of grain) was neither a large nor a small matter. If he suppressed the news under the pretext that "this matter should not be publicized," then those four thousand shi would become a bargaining chip in his hands.

If he makes up for it privately, the border troops will owe him a favor; if he doesn't, the border troops' food shortage next spring will be blamed on the king's poor management.

He chose to bring this up in the presence of the envoy from Daying because he had an even more sinister motive.

He wanted Xiao Yanzhi to see the cracks in the Northern Shuo court, to see the discord between the regent and the king. A Northern Shuo with unstable internal affairs would be at a disadvantage at the negotiating table in Daying.

Tuoba Zhao maintained her usual cold and stern expression. Before dawn, the Left Prime Minister's men had sent her a copy of the news of the flooded granary. She had originally planned to wait until the envoy left before discussing the matter.

However, Tuoba Lie brought it out in front of the envoy from Daying, forcing her to confront him in public.

All eyes in the hall shifted from Tuoba Lie to the direction of the throne.

Shen Qingya's fingers, which were holding the wine glass, loosened slightly and then tightened again. When he put down the wine glass, his gaze shifted a few inches, but it eventually landed on the king.

The Queen slowly picked up her teacup and took a sip. She raised her eyes and said, "The Regent is right. The granary is flooded, and there is a shortfall of four thousand shi (a unit of dry measure). It is indeed not advisable to make a fuss about it."

Tuoba Lie's eyebrows twitched. Before he could even present his "I have drafted a grain replenishment plan," he was interrupted by her words.

"Not making a fuss doesn't mean we won't investigate." Tuoba Zhao tapped his finger lightly on the armrest, his gaze shifting from Tuoba Lie's face to the direction of the Left Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister, give me an answer within three days regarding whether the flood in the granary was an accident or deliberate. If it was due to improper storage, punish whoever is responsible. If it was arson, investigate who is behind the four thousand shi of grain that is jeopardizing my border troops' supplies."

When the Left Prime Minister stood up to receive the order, his back was ramrod straight. He glanced at Tuoba Lie, but Tuoba Lie tightened his grip on the wine cup by half an inch.

The king did not follow his script. She suppressed the word "investigate" and brought the word "arson" to the forefront.

The shortage of 4,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) is no longer just a matter of replenishing grain. If it is found to be caused by human intervention, then someone deliberately sabotaged the border army's supply lines. Who can get rid of that accusation?

Shen Qingya felt a string that had been pressing on his heart being plucked. He used to think that the Queen was weak and that she was hiding behind Fu Yuan and knew nothing. But the speed and angle at which those words were delivered just now were something that only someone who knew the operation of the Beishuo military supplies could say.

Tuoba Lie sat back down, his expression slightly darker than before, but still bearing a solemn, businesslike air. His gaze lingered on the throne for a moment before shifting away.

Xiao Yanzhi watched the entire scene with his wine cup in hand. His face remained expressionless, but his gaze shifted from Tuoba Zhao to Tuoba Lie, and then from Tuoba Lie to the reactions of the Northern Shuo civil officials.

That solemn imperial face showed no flaws, but he always felt that what was pressing down on that face was thicker than what was on the surface. The young King of Beishuo seemed to be much heavier than the "puppet supported by Fu Yuan and the Left Prime Minister" that was circulating in the court of Daying.

As he put down his wine glass, he glanced at Xi Yueli out of the corner of his eye. She had remained seated in the Imperial Advisor's seat the entire time, not interfering with the conversation, her gaze fixed on the direction of the throne.

After the banquet, the Daying delegation was accommodated in the guest courtyard on the east side of the royal court. When Xiao Yanzhi pushed open the door of the guest room, Zhou Bingliang was already standing inside waiting for him.

Zhou Bingliang's face was two shades paler than at the banquet, and his forehead was covered with a fine layer of cold sweat. When he saw Xiao Yanzhi enter, he took half a step forward to greet him, his lips moved as if he wanted to explain something, but Xiao Yanzhi raised his hand to stop him.

Xiao Yanzhi sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Give me a list of all the old files you handled at the Ministry of Revenue."

"Starting tomorrow, you will meet the new Grand Preceptor with me. Think before you speak. Every word she says at the banquet is prepared in advance. If she turns on you again, I cannot protect you."