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The night felt both interminably long and yet terribly short.
The darkness within the hall slowly receded, like layers of black gauze being pulled away one by one. Light gradually seeped in. The heavy, ink-black night would eventually pass, and a new day would arrive.
The sun drew a faint line of brightness in the east. Though not yet fully risen, the surrounding scenery began to grow distinct.
Wei Ji's figure also gradually emerged from the darkness within the hall.
Having not slept all night, Wei Ji's eyes were bloodshot. His entire body was weary. Even his white robes seemed stained with layers of grime, no longer possessing any hint of ethereal elegance.
A personal attendant stood nervously outside the hall, hands at his sides, watching Wei Ji with a face full of worry, wanting to speak but holding back.
Wei Ji closed his eyes, feeling an unbearable dryness beneath his lids, as if a dozen grains of sand of varying sizes had gotten into them. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh. "Bring... the washing... implements..."
After speaking, Wei Ji realized his throat was also parched, as if about to burst into flames. He added, "And... bring some... water..."
A full night of sitting stiffly had left Wei Ji's bones nearly rigid. By the time the attendant had prepared the washing implements, Wei Ji lacked the strength to lift them himself. He could only signal for the attendant to perform the tasks for him.
The Wei clan, or rather, the larger and more established scholar-official families, were incredibly particular about etiquette. Take washing one's face, for example. Beyond the meticulous carving of the golden basin and the careful selection of cloth and utensils, the water itself had to be the purest winter snow, sealed and stored in large vats. Then, when needed, spring flower petals had to be added before it was brought to Wei Ji for washing.
A maidservant knelt to one side, balancing the golden basin on her head. Another maidservant rolled up her sleeves, using her delicate, pale fingers to soak a piece of fine silk in water, wring it out, and then gently and meticulously wipe Wei Ji's face, from his cheeks to his neck...
Two or three other maidservants knelt on either side of Wei Ji, massaging his stiff shoulders, waist, and legs while slowly feeding him honeyed water...
Wei Ji leaned his head against the softness of a maidservant beside him, breathing in the delicate fragrance that lingered around him. The warm honeyed water moistened his parched throat. Gradually, the throbbing veins in his head calmed somewhat, and his overall mood slowly steadied.
By the time Wei Ji's uncle arrived with the morning sunlight, Wei Ji at least appeared on the surface to have largely recovered, regaining his former elegant and dashing appearance.
Wei Ji's uncle secretly let out a breath. Wei Ji had been showered with favor and affection since birth and was extremely intelligent. Thus, from childhood to adulthood, everything had gone smoothly for him. He had encountered virtually no setbacks. This time, he had orchestrated a grand scheme, only to have it crash beneath the walls of Pingyang. It was no less than an incredibly heavy blow.
However, if Wei Ji could learn and benefit from this, it might not be entirely a bad thing...
Wei Ji spoke slowly. "...This strategy... 'Duke Xian returns to Wei'... Truly a poison-tipped stratagem. I never imagined Wang Yi could be so venomous..."
Wei Ji's uncle also sighed. "Young master, do you have a countermeasure?"
Though his uncle knew in his heart that finding a perfect solution in this situation was nearly impossible, he still harbored some hope and came to discuss it.
"Duke Xian" referred to Duke Xian of Wei.
Back then, Duke Xian of Wei fled, only to later return to Wei.
When he neared the outskirts of the Wei capital, Duke Xian intended to reward the retainers who had accompanied him during his exile, granting them some land.
But Liu Zhuang said, "If everyone had stayed to guard the altars, who would have held the reins and followed you? If everyone had followed, who would have guarded the altars? For the lord, upon returning to his state, to show favoritism—would that not be wrong?"
This became the classic dilemma recorded in history from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
Those who followed Duke Xian and those who stayed to defend Wei had both fulfilled their duties. Rewards and punishments by a lord should be clear and should satisfy all.
Favoring some while neglecting others, favoring a few while neglecting the majority, naturally leads to a loss of fairness, followed by resentment from those neglected.
If the water isn't balanced, conflicts naturally arise. When these conflicts develop to a critical point, the position of those in power becomes precarious.
Wei Ji naturally wished to avoid significant losses to his own branch. And the other branches of the Wei clan naturally felt the same. Thus, the contradiction arose organically.
The Wei clan was vast, with tangled roots and numerous branches.
And in the eyes of the other collateral branches of the Wei clan, this treaty demand was most reasonable.
For a scholar-official family, without the family, what kind of scholar was there?
The family comes before the scholar. The family outweighs the individual. Protecting the family's interests and fulfilling its responsibilities is the most important task for every member of such a family.
Since this matter was instigated by Wei Ji's branch, if something went wrong, Wei Ji's branch should bear the brunt!
The position of clan head wasn't meant to ruin the family's foundation, but to guide the family's direction. If anyone could recklessly damage the family's interests without restraint, how could the entire family be passed down for millennia?
Therefore, when the two treaties were presented, the vast majority of the Wei clan's members felt Wang Yi and Fei Qian were reasonable and fair, that the treaties they had drawn up were quite appropriate. Though they said nothing openly, in their hearts, most had already agreed on Wei Ji's behalf...
As for Wei Ji's branch...
Heh heh.
Which is more important: the interests of a single branch or the interests of the entire clan? Certainly, if Wei Ji's branch collapsed due to this matter and couldn't feed itself, everyone could understand and would extend a warm, helping hand...
After all, they were still members of the Wei clan.
Wei Ji's uncle thought of the exchanged glances among the Wei clan elders the night before and the information he had vaguely gleaned. Sitting across from Wei Ji, he was momentarily speechless.
Wei Ji looked at his uncle's expression and could guess the situation outside. He gritted his teeth and remained silent, head bowed.
If it weren't for these old men holding him back, why would he have had to scrounge for troops from one direction and scrape for forces from another? His original plan was to use external military power to consolidate his position within the family, then use that to suppress and command external forces...
Now, had these men likely shifted all the responsibility back onto his head?
The decline of his branch wouldn't affect the Wei clan as a whole too severely. Moreover, those collateral branches that had lost out when competing for the clan head position years ago were likely stirring now, weren't they?
Now, this suited their wishes perfectly!
Wei Ji raised his head and stared at his uncle. Though he didn't speak, something seemed to be communicated through their gaze...
Wei Ji's uncle hesitated slightly, frowning.
He could roughly guess what Wei Ji was thinking. But it was, after all, somewhat discourteous and generally inappropriate.
Seeing this, Wei Ji gritted his teeth and was about to say something when a servant rushed in from outside, panting as he ran to the front of the hall, a panicked expression on his face. "The elders in the city... at daybreak... all left the city..."
Wei Ji was stunned. His body swayed twice, then finally collapsed limply...
Two armies faced each other.