The lighthearted atmosphere just now gradually turned heavy.
It was time to talk serious business!
---------------------------------------------
Amid the solemn background music of the Palace of Astrum, Jing Yuan smiled and said: "It is naturally Xianzhou Luofu's honor that your distinguished presence graces this Luminary Wardance."
"However, for a mere Luminary Wardance, to trouble both Arbiter-Generals of the Zhuming and Yaoqing to come…"
"Old Yan, now that you have come, did the Marshal have any instructions?" Jing Yuan was very polite, but his tone had already grown noticeably calmer.
No longer with the enthusiasm from just now. It was not because of hostility or any negative emotions.
Rather, it was seriousness, an instinctive demeanor of a general when speaking of official matters.
The atmosphere instantly shifted from playful banter just now, into a serious, dramatic mode.
As expected, it wasn't that simple! The audience was suddenly alarmed in their hearts.
"Jing Yuan, you are overthinking."
Huaiyan clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze upright: "This time I came only to let the children broaden their horizons. I, this old man, have no intention of meddling in Luofu's affairs."
"But as for what General Yaoqing intends, that is not something I can speak for either."
The Xianzhou's dialogue scenes were as brilliant as ever.
With just a few simple lines, the audience immediately captured many important pieces of information.
That is, the arrival of these two Arbiter-Generals carried subtle implications for both Luofu and Jing Yuan.
It was a delicate signal.
The arrival of such eminent generals in Luofu should have been a good thing, yet it was not reported in advance to Luofu's own general.
...
: Hiss… so that means when Huaiyan and General Yaoqing came to Luofu, Jing Yuan hadn't been informed beforehand, nor had he prepared?
: But judging from the situation, the Alliance must have given prior notice, and it was known that Zhuming and Yaoqing would send people. But who would have thought that the ones coming would be generals themselves?
: This makes the situation rather delicate…
: Damn, such a big move right from the start. The waters of the Xianzhou Alliance… seem very deep.
: Fortunately, Huaiyan and Jing Yuan have a good relationship. To actually remind Jing Yuan like this, to reassure him, if their bond weren't deep, with Huaiyan's status, he wouldn't say such things. Could it be they were old acquaintances?
: No, guys, you must be overthinking… why do I feel like this is just plain surveillance?
: This is anything but ordinary. With just the opening dialogue of the two generals, so much information was already revealed.
: Exactly, think about it, if Jing Yuan didn't know the two generals would personally come, that means the Alliance did not make it clear beforehand. And what does that signify?
: It means the Alliance doesn't trust Luofu anymore! Or perhaps… is still testing Jing Yuan!
: Let me put it another way: every Arbiter-General is like a Count or an Earl. One day, one of them has a birthday. After notifying the court, without any further notice, two other counts suddenly show up to attend. What do you think they came for?
: Could it be to give gifts?
: Hahahaha, as if gifts would make figures of this level come in person! It's more likely they came with suspicion, or even hidden imperial decrees!
: And what has Luofu gone through before? The Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae! The Ambrosial Arbor Calamity! All internal turmoil!
: Holy crap, I get it now!
...
The finest drama does not state things outright, but through dialogue, naturally turns your mind toward key points.
The Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae aside for now.
The Ambrosial Arbor Calamity's culprit appeared to be Phantylia, but the root cause, was inciting internal conflict.
From the Alliance's perspective, this in turn proved a fact.
Luofu itself had many hidden problems. The Vidyadhara Preceptors, and the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, had long been secretly growing in power before this outbreak.
The sickness had existed for a long time.
And the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae was pure internal strife, directly leaving Luofu gravely weakened.
The unannounced arrival of two Arbiter-Generals was the Alliance's way of probing.
Jing Yuan, keen as ever, noticed this. Huaiyan was frank, directly assuring that Jing Yuan need not worry about him.
But as for the other General Yaoqing, her true purpose remained unclear.
The hidden meaning was to warn Jing Yuan to be cautious of that General Yaoqing.
This was also why the audience sensed Huaiyan's good character, or rather, his good relationship with Jing Yuan.
In short, with just a single exchange, the two were able to reasonably tie together all previous setups.
Making one sigh: Ah, so this is how generals conduct official business.
On screen, Huaiyan's words confirmed many fans' suspicions.
"Do you still remember when you first took office? I once told you, the battlefield of the Arbiter-Generals is not only beyond the Xianzhou."
"To go forth in battle… to weigh strategy…"
"The title of general carries a weight far beyond its literal meaning."
Huaiyan looked at Jing Yuan with emotion and said: "So many years have passed, and you have always done well. But for the people of the Xianzhou, living too long is a curse."
"It means that every mistake you made in your life lurks in the shadows, watching, and one day it will catch up to you, without fail."
"All that has happened on Luofu, the Marshal already knows. And as for General of the Xiaznou Yaoqing…"
"She has come for you."
Jing Yuan folded his arms, eyes calm. On his face, not a ripple could be seen.
The audience suddenly realized. This man had already given everything to Luofu.
And as a general, Jing Yuan's deeds could truly be said to be tireless and devoted…
And now, to suffer such undeserved calamities again…
Many among the audience began to feel sympathy for Jing Yuan.
...
: The true anti-pressure king of the Star Rail, Jing Yuan...
: Damn, among the High Cloud Quintet of the Cloud Knight's he's practically the last one standing. He barely survived the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, and now there's this Phantylia mess, making the Alliance lose trust in him...
: Too hard, general...
: All these years, Jing Yuan hasn't uttered a single complaint. I can only say, he is a real man!
: Honestly, if it were me, I would've gone mad long ago.
: The Alliance won't punish Jing Yuan, right? But really, Jing Yuan hasn't done anything wrong?
: Maybe it's jealousy. General Huaiyan said Jing Yuan has lived too long, in other words, he's occupied the general's seat for too long.
: Please don't mess with my Jing Yuan, he's already perfect enough.
...
The shadows over the Xianzhou gradually unfold.
A balance of power? Or a crisis of trust.
Now no one can say for sure.
Just then.
On screen, Huaiyan's stern face suddenly shifted into that smiling old man's expression.
"Hahaha, but that's strange, why hasn't she shown up yet?"
"They all say Yaoqing's Vanquishing General always acts like thunder, striking first to seize the initiative. For her to be late today, that's not her style."
The audience hadn't even reacted yet.
Footsteps sounded.
"General Huaiyan, you are mistaken. We arrived early in the morning. But as you may have heard, her temperament has never been bound by rules."
The squint-eyed Jiaoqiu explained.
And beside him, Moze added: "The moment she stepped off the star skiff, she disappeared, saying she had business to attend to. We couldn't even stop her."
...
: People from Yaoqing have arrived. Huaiyan sensed someone coming, so he immediately changed his expression.
: The older, the wiser...
: Didn't expect the Vanquishing General herself not to show up.
: That squinty-eyed guy really looks like the sneaky, sly type...
: True, his every word carries hidden weight.
...
Barrage of comments scrolled past.
On screen, Jiaoqiu and Moze saluted the two Arbiter-Generals and reported their identities.
"Interesting, a guest comes to visit but doesn't meet the host, and instead sends someone to deliver a message. What kind of play is this supposed to be?"
"Tell me, what could possibly be more important?" Huaiyan chuckled as he asked.
"She heard there's a new wondrous sight within the Scalegorge Waterscape abord the Luofu, very spectacular. She must have gone sightseeing."
Jiaoqiu replied with a smile.
The camera then gave both Huaiyan and Jing Yuan a close-up.
Both showed that knowing, sly smile only old foxes would have.
"What a fine 'wondrous sight'."
Huaiyan spoke first. Like a chatty old neighbor, he laughed: "Let me translate for you, Jing Yuan, this lad is being sarcastic toward you!"
His tone was kindly, like an old uncle trying to rile up his nephew. But in reality, he was probing Jing Yuan's position.
The Vanquishing General's true goal was the Ambrosial Arbor.
And the one who sent her here, also wanted to know more about the Ambrosial Arbor.
After all, the Ambrosial Arbor hadn't sprouted for years, and now it suddenly did.
Of course people would grow suspicious, anxious.
At the same time, he also tested Jiaoqiu, putting a subtle hat on him as someone speaking with veiled sarcasm, just to see if Jiaoqiu could handle it.
If not, then more secrets would inevitably be spilled.
And Jing Yuan by now also fully understood Yaoqing's stance and intention.
"General Huaiyan, you exaggerate. I merely relayed the truth."
Jiaoqiu waved his hand, smiling: "Our general thought it improper to keep you waiting too long, so she asked us to come first."
"Once she finishes sightseeing, she will come in person to apologize to you both."
Which translates to: I'm just the messenger, this isn't my idea. Our general is simply following orders from above. Nothing I can do. She sent us ahead with her regards.
The moment Jiaoqiu spoke, it was the words of an experienced bureaucrat.
All four present knew full well that the key matter was laid bare.
Everyone had clearly stated their position.
...
: Damn, this is pure politics.
: "In the Name of the Alliance" (Xianzhou edition), or simply, "In the Name of Xianzhou."
: Hahahahaha, so true.
: This really feels like I'm watching a political drama, hahaha.
: No wonder he's a strategist, Jiaoqiu speaks like a seasoned veteran.
: Jiaoqiu must be some high-ranking secretary.
: I really have to study him, need to level up myself.
: But at least the Vanquishing General, like Huaiyan, seems relatively friendly.
: Heading straight for the Ambrosial Arbor means the higher-ups are too worried, they need someone trustworthy to keep watch.
...
At this moment.
While the three parties were meeting inside the Palace of Astrum.
Outside the doors, the Nameless and Yanqing also sensed that the atmosphere was not quite right.
First, March 7th noted that General Jing Yuan seemed a little restrained today.
Then Yanqing nodded in agreement.
And having an idea about it, Dan Heng went straight to the point and explained.
"As envoys, two generals have come, this in itself is already unusual."
Dan Heng frowned in thought: "They should be here to hold someone accountable for the Luofu's Ambrosial Arbor Calamity."
"Accountability?"
March 7th exclaimed in surprise: "But wasn't this the problem of the Scalegorge Waterscape and the Antimatter Legion? The Luofu is the victim, how could the victim be held accountable?"
But Dan Heng shook his head, crossed his arms, and said: "The Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, Phantylia's scheme, in the eyes of the other generals of the Alliance, it's only one-sided words. Only one piece of ironclad evidence remains, and its lingering consequences are endless."
"The Ambrosial Arbor." Stelle spoke the name solemnly.
Dan Heng nodded: "The plaguemark of Abundance that the Luofu has suppressed for so long has once again revived, that's an indisputable fact. But to the Alliance, whether this was the Antimatter Legion's conspiracy, or internal betrayal within the Luofu, or even if Jing Yuan himself was complicit with his subordinates, none of this is certain."
"And once the fire of suspicion is lit, it is very hard to extinguish."
At this moment, Dan Heng was practically the only person who had some sort of context about the situation.
With just a few words, he dissected the stakes at hand.
He even supplemented the information for the audience's perspective.
And with Dan Heng's judgment, the reason why the Nameless had been invited also became much clearer.
It wasn't truly for the Luminary Wardance, that was only a pretext.
The real reason was because the Nameless had taken part deeply in the war against Phantylia.
And because of their good reputation as members on the Path of Trailblaze, the three involved individuals had been invited as witnesses.
Their testimonies might significantly influence the Alliance's judgment.
"Hmph!" March 7th rolled her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and the heavy responsibility instantly soured her mood.
"I was so foolish, really. I thought it would be a carefree journey, but now it seems no matter where the Astral Express goes, it can't escape from trouble."
Yanqing's face also darkened: "Damn it, at first I actually thought the generals just came to attend the ceremony, and I was even excited about it..."
Then, he thought of something more.
"Thinking about it, I heard that this time along with Zhuming, there's also a person skilled in Alchemy, supposedly to become the new Head of the Alchemy Commission."
Their conversation, made the audience's hearts, which had just relaxed, tighten up again.
...
: The Group (two generals) came to hold the Luofu accountable and thoroughly investigate the Alchemy Commission and related matters.
: And that's not all, they even parachuted in a new Head at the crucial Alchemy Commission.
: A cross-regional appointment at Charioteer rank, this indirectly shows the Alliance's suspicion has reached the extreme.
: The Alchemy Commission is probably facing a major purge.
: But from the Alliance's standpoint, it does seem quite necessary, the Luofu's incident really is too severe.
: The Commission's chief and subordinates collectively rebelled, Phantylia unleashed the Ambrosial Arbor, this is equivalent to a Charioteer-level mutiny, even colluding with enemy high command. With moves like that, it's not unexpected.
: But the two generals' attitude was still very friendly, so at least within the 'military,' they still favor Jing Yuan?
: These waters run far too deep…