Chapter 364: To Take Down A Peg
Seeing that there was no one else around, Miss Liao gravely knelt and perford her gesture of greeting. She whispered, “Alliance Head, apologies for my impertinence just now.”
Qin Yining quickly helped the older woman back up. “Not at all, you don’t need to stand on ceremony with . Please, do rise.”
Missus Liao returned to her seat. “The others were worried that since we hadn’t t before, your guards would arrest when I ca to et you. Thank goodness for your sharp wits in recognizing instantly.”
The Qin fourth miss smiled. “You’re the wife of Hallmaster Liao. Why would I not know who you are?”
“You are a noble’s daughter, which would make it inconvenient for a rough-and-tumble group like the n to stay by your side. Thus, we ca up with the idea of having be your contact in the future. Please tell whatever instructions you have. That will take so of the awkwardness in operations out of the equation.”
“Thank you all for the conscientious effort. Are you here alone, or has everyone left Great Yan?”
Awkwardness flashed across Miss Liao’s face, which she concealed with a smile. “In response to the alliance head, we only have left a core of roughly a hundred from before. There’s so many mouths to feed, and since we don’t need to oppose that tyranny of Great Yan anymore, everyone’s turned their attention to doing business. The four hallmasters have reached an agreent to do business on the Tartar border.”
“The Tartar border? So you’re doing business with the Tartars?”
“Precisely. We wouldn’t travel so far away otherwise.”
Qin Yining arched a brow. “This is a good idea, but you can do business anywhere in this vast world, no? Though the Tartars have a truce with Great Zhou at the mont because of their own internal conflict, trade relations haven’t been restored between the two nations, no? Do you know that your ‘business’ is actually smuggling?”
“Oh dearie , Alliance Head, don’t scare like that! If this matter isn’t publicized, then we’re just doing business. Only if soone reports us does it beco smuggling. Besides, don’t we have you? You’ve been smart and resourceful, and now your father is a principal second rank minister. We have quite a background for ourselves, so it does’t matter even if soone repots us.”
To think that Missus Liao would trot out the song and dance often found in the city marketplaces, and start up this shaless act with her!
Qin Yining’s expression darkened and she laughed softly, responding in a asured pace. “When the old alliance head passed the position to , I declined it in every way possible. I’m young with limited worldly experience—what right do I have to lead Azure Justice? All of you are famous wandering heroes in the jianghu, while I’m just a little girl sheltered in the inner residence. Even my hair is longer than the breadth of my experience in this world. But the four hallmasters agreed with the old alliance head and wanted no other than .
“I was really very happy then, feeling that the brothers in Azure Justice were good n and heroes united in their shared aspiration to restore peace to the world. These were fighters of justice bravely taking a stand against the tyranny of the Great Yan trash emperor! I was both ashad and proud to be your leader.”
Missus Liao had been in the alliance for quite a while. She drew herself up straight when she heard this and declared with so pride, “Azure Justice mbers are naturally all fighters of justice!”
“But the fighters of justice have now turned to smuggling?”
The older woman’s expression shifted and she readied to defend herself. However, Qin Yining raised a hand and continued evenly. ‘I know that you won’t necessarily listen to everything I say. I’m an alliance head in but na only, and you’ve never looked to as your leader in anything you do. You never ask about my opinions when you make decisions. Are you waiting to push to the fore to take the bla when sothing happens?”
“Now that really goes overboard. We’ve always been open and honest. When have we ever pushed soone else out to take the bla?”
“No need to be in a hurry, Missus Liao.” Qin Yining saved a hand. “To obstruct soone’s path of wealth to kill their entire family. I won’t prevent you from conducting business, and it’s not like you’ll listen to anything I say. You guys will probably only think of when you run into real trouble. But no matter what, I hope you don’t forget the original intentions that you ford Azure Justice with. Money and physical temptations will entrance the eyes and cloud the heart. You can make money, but you cannot commit evil.”
Miss Liao’s complexion alternated between red and white. She’d co prepared with a mountain of argunts. The other party was just a noble girl—a little nothing who would be overwheld with several hoity toity complints. The older woman just needed to spend a little ti coaxing the Qin fourth miss.
But when she t Qin Yining’s beautiful, knowing eyes and listened to those words that stabbed into her heart, not a single word of her prepared platitudes floated out.
The conversation hurt because Qin Yining spoke only the truth. Azure Justice now did indeed harbor so of these thoughts.
No wonder Qiao Shangfei had reminded her, before she set off, to show so more respect to the alliance head.
Missus Liao had thought it a function of the four hallmasters highly respecting the old alliance head, so the sa courtesy extended to the granddaughter. But it now seed that she’d made things too simple.
“Alliance Head.” Missus Liao drew herself to attention. “I’m committing everything you say to mory. I’ll be sure to tell them when I return.”
Qin Yining nodded. “That would be lovely. Is there anything else with your point of contact this ti?”
Such a blatant question actually put the older woman on the spot.
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