novelraw Chapter 811 - 789: Bad Friend
Chapter 811 - 789: Bad Friend
Dugu Jing didn’t oppose going to Sannan at all; he just felt his presence there wouldn’t be of much use. Dugu Jing knew Xie Xun was worried about Xie Jue, so he asked Xie Xun, "Fang Chuning is also in Sannan, isn’t my going there inappropriate? It’s the same function; if Fang Chuning can’t protect him, my going to Sannan would be useless."
"I heard that the Beiman have a secret antidote that can cure all poisons. Is it possible to borrow it? If there are any conditions, feel free to raise them. You take it to Sannan. They are also skilled in using poison. My Second Brother was poisoned and killed by them on the way. If negotiations break down, what if it happens again? I want to be prepared beforehand." Xie Xun didn’t hold back, directly asking them for the secret antidote.
Dugu Jing squinted his eyes, "How do you know the Beiman have such a secret antidote?"
"The Fourth Princess mentioned it to the Empress. Is it true? Before setting out, I hadn’t considered asking you for it! What a miscalculation! If they take it to Sannan, I wouldn’t be so worried." Xie Xun was also frustrated. The Beiman are skilled in using Gu poison, so they should have such a spiritual medicine that is immune to all kinds of poison.
Dugu Jing took a deep breath and silently cursed his niece for being talkative. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to give it. Dugu Jing said, "Yes, there is such a secret antidote. The Beiman only have three of them. Because the materials are rare, it’s from the snow-mantled flowers that bloom once every hundred years on Sha Ling Tian Mountain. One was taken by my father. Another was stolen and its whereabouts remain unknown. One is in the hands of the High Priest, and he considers it a treasure. The High Priest talked to you about the Heavenly God Temple recently, and you were very difficult. Now that you want the antidote, he will definitely not agree. Even if it’s still in his hands, he will refuse to give it. You’d best not think about it. Xie Jue has already negotiated the temple matters with the High Priest. You’ve never appeared. The High Priest heard that you are arrogant and rude, and have little regard for them, hence never meeting you. Now if you want the antidote, you’ll face many difficulties from him, and you might not get it. You should give up."
"Wait, how am I arrogant and rude?"
"Because you never sought an audience, isn’t that arrogant and rude? From start to finish, it’s always Xie Jue who appears. You need to understand that the High Priest’s position in Beiman is second only to my king-brother, above me. Not seeking an audience with him is arrogant and rude, looking down on them from the heart!" Dugu Jing rolled his eyes; if you look down on someone, you do, why explain!
"..." Xie Xun was speechless, indeed, he did look down on the High Priest, but it wasn’t specifically aimed at him. "I equally look down on all shamans. In the Capital City, no one in the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion seeks gods or prays to Buddhas. He dared open his mouth so wide with the Heavenly God’s envoy. Should I endure him? Of course, I’m not deliberately targeting him."
"That’s even worse. In your mind, he’s a shaman. You still want the antidote? That’s even less likely." Dugu Jing couldn’t bear it. Luckily, he only talked to him about this. He was tight-lipped and wouldn’t leak it. If the High Priest heard, he’d die of anger. The temple’s site selection, the High Priest was already dissatisfied. Now asking for the antidote, it’s his turn to set conditions. With Xie Xun’s temper, trouble is sure to follow. He won’t allow the High Priest to be presumptuous. The High Priest is no pushover either. This back and forth will definitely cause trouble, affecting peace between the two tribes. Dugu Jing did not hope for Xie Xun to ask the High Priest for this antidote.
Xie Xun took a deep breath, suppressing the fire in his heart, asked, "Then shall I humble myself?"
"That’s difficult too. The High Priest will definitely make things difficult for you. The temple hasn’t started construction yet; he can demand a new site selection. Beiman people revere the east as auspicious. Your Imperial City is also in the east, and your Ancestral Temple is built in the east. If he wants to select the site of your Ancestral Temple, would you agree?"
"What kind of pipe dream is he having? I deliberately avoided the Yuwen Dynasty’s Ancestral Temple, building a new one to avoid bad luck. He wants a Heavenly God Temple that even the Beining people don’t recognize to take my Ancestral Temple’s site. He can’t be that unwise, right?" Xie Xun said, "Your High Priest has at least lived for over forty years, how can he not know the extent of his authority?"
"He has what you desire most, the antidote. Now, you have nothing that he desires most. Since it’s a transaction, it needs to be fair. If you want it, you must bow." Dugu Jing asked, "To put it simply, is Xie Jue important, or is the Ancestral Temple important?"
The Ancestral Temple is the ancestral shrine, previously located in the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. After ascending the throne, a temporary place was decided, and now it’s being rebuilt. In the future, it will be the place where generations of the Xie family are worshipped. It is also a place where some meritorious officials are worshipped, and it is the Xie’s Imperial Temple.
It is very important! In the hearts of all Beining people, it is extremely important, especially in the eyes of those in charge, it’s considered more important than anything.
But not in Xie Xun’s eyes.
These things are far less important than his Second Brother!
But he can’t tell Dugu Jing!
"Of course, the Imperial Temple is important, what are you thinking!"
Dugu Jing was surprised, "What?"
This was unexpected indeed. Dugu Jing said, "I thought you would say Xie Jue is important!"
"My Second Brother is as important as my life, but the ancestral temple is more important than my life!" Xie Xun lied through his teeth, of course, he couldn’t let others know his true intentions.
"Really? I don’t believe it!" Dugu Jing, with a thick brow and bright eyes, in the best years of his life, looked at him with penetrating gaze.
Xie Xun spoke solemnly, "You can casually find a Beining person on the street and ask, the ancestral temple is important."
"But you are Xie Xun, not just any ordinary person. An ordinary person wouldn’t lead a rebellion."
Xie Xun, "..."
Dugu Jing had a sharp tongue too, bullied by Xie Xun for so long, he finally found an opportunity to taunt him, "See, I’ve long told you not to be too absolute in your actions, the way of nature has its cycles. Now you know how difficult it is to offend the High Priest, right? Didn’t my brother also warn you to be polite to the High Priest, lest you need something from him sooner or later? Now, you’re in trouble, you have to humble yourself. Without three visits to the thatched cottage, the High Priest will definitely not see you."
"That high-profile?" Xie Xun sneered, "In this world now, no one dares to make me visit a thatched cottage three times, does he want to die? Should I resort to force to seize it?"
"The High Priest is held in extremely high regard by the Beiman. If you use force against him, it will surely cause civilian unrest. I advise you to give up. Moreover, you are trying to seize their belongings. If they don’t give it to you, you resort to killing him; what kind of wise ruler would that be? That’s not something you could do."
"Don’t dampen my spirits. Think of a solution!"
"You want the antidote, not me, why should I think of a solution?" Dugu Jing couldn’t wait to see him make a fool of himself, how could he possibly help him devise a solution.
Xie Xun also had a trump card, "You better think carefully. Do you want a wife and children, do you want promotion and wealth? Your future and women are all under my control!"
Dugu Jing, "..."