Professional Exchange Between Emperors

Leaving aside the mess on the old man's end, Ji Junhong and Xia Wuji had been sitting at the edge of the sky for quite a while now.
Having consumed a fair amount of wine, their tongues naturally loosened.
"Don't you need to tend to state affairs?" Xia Wuji asked. "I heard when I arrived that you have just founded your nation, which should entail a myriad of trivial matters."
Ji Junhong smiled and said, "It's fine. I have a whole bunch of subordinates under my command, so I just let them handle it. Besides, my younger brother also arranged quite a few people for me, who can resolve many problems on my behalf."
Xia Wuji's face was full of envy. "How nice. Back when I first became emperor, I literally had to handle everything myself. There wasn't a single usable person around me, save for the Grand Shaman."
He added with lingering resentment, "The Grand Shaman even used his advanced age and inability to endure such hardships as an excuse to fake illness and take a leave of absence."
Ji Junhong asked out of curiosity, "How did you know he was faking it?" He felt he needed to take notes, just in case he could use this tactic in the future.
After all, this was a professional exchange between two newly minted emperors.
Xia Wuji replied with a deadpan expression, "Because every time I called the Grand Shaman over to help, he wouldn't come. Then, when I was overwhelmed, I would have people search for news about my younger sister. Every time, she was safe and sound, and the Grand Shaman would always come trotting over eagerly to help for two days."
"Yet he would only help for two days, after which he would instantly fall ill. As time went on, I sensed something was amiss. Once, I pretended that I was going to the Central Plains to search for my sister—suddenly, the Grand Shaman's back stopped aching, his legs stopped hurting, and his mind cleared up. He rushed over immediately to advise me against going, and even worked diligently to help me out for several consecutive days."
"That's when I knew something was wrong, which is why I snuck out."
Ji Junhong's mouth twitched slightly. Fine, that was one trick he couldn't replicate.
He asked, "Weren't you afraid that Long Kingdom would fall into utter chaos once you left?"
Xia Wuji waved his hand dismissively and said, "What is there to fear? In truth, many matters don't require your personal attention at all; they can handle things themselves, they just habitually dump everything on you. If you don't believe me, try disappearing for a period of time—I guarantee absolutely nothing will go wrong."
Having drunk a bit too much and perhaps feeling somewhat melancholy, he pointed toward the distant imperial capital and said drunkenly,
"We are emperors, sovereigns who hold the sun and moon in our hands! If we merely guard the imperial capital and fail to behold the boundless rivers and mountains, then we are prisoners—prisoners of this city! Prisoners of this imperial palace!"
His tone was overflowing with supreme dominance, carrying a faint, towering untamability that soared into the heavens.
Ji Junhong applauded with deep resonance, repeating unceasingly,
"Lesson learned, lesson learned..."
Xia Wuji suddenly turned his head, his eyes carrying a trace of cold light.
"You are the emperor of Great Qi, and within the borders of Qi, you are invincible among those of your realm. When we fought just now, why didn't you just detain me?"
His tone was calm, yet his voice carried a hint of shrewdness and chilliness, entirely different from his previous foolish demeanor.
Ji Junhong smiled and asked, "Brother Long jokes. Why would I do such a thing?"
Xia Wuji stood up, looking down at Ji Junhong. His voice was frigid, faintly exuding majesty and ferocity like a fierce beast ready to strike at any moment. The violent aura caused the surrounding trees to bow their heads.
"If you had detained me, Great Qi would have one less formidable enemy from now on, and with Long Kingdom left without a leader, it would inevitably plunge into chaos. By then, if you marshaled your armies northward, you would surely unify the realm!"
"If you do not detain me, one day the iron cavalry of my Long Kingdom will trample upon the territory of Great Qi and conquer the Central Plains!"
His tone was murderous, filled with imperial majesty and ruthlessness.
Ji Junhong looked up at him with gentle eyes, the distance between their faces less than a foot.
Ji Junhong smiled faintly, like a spring breeze brushing the face or melting snow, instantly dissolving the surrounding biting murderous intent entirely.
"Actually, it's not too late for me to detain you right now."
Xia Wuji's cold face suddenly stiffened.
Ji Junhong chuckled softly, hitting straight at the vulnerable core of Xia Wuji's heart:
"Brother Xia, do you believe that with just a wave of my hand right now, I could summon two Grandmasters? I can move at will within the borders of Great Qi, and if I so desire, I could even summon the Senior Sword Saint from hundreds of miles away. The old man has been striking out on empty missions for days and is quite annoyed right now."
"I wouldn't even have to lift a finger myself."
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Xia Wuji suddenly burst into loud laughter. The piercing aura about him vanished in an instant, reverting to his previous foolish appearance.
"Brother Ji jests. Let us value harmony above all; I am certain Brother Ji would never do such a thing!"
Ji Junhong took a leisurely sip of wine and chuckled softly, "Naturally. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" Xia Wuji sat back down in his chair, picked up his wine cup, and drained it in a single gulp.
Ji Junhong's gaze shifted as he smiled and asked, "In truth, I believe Brother Xia had already considered everything I just mentioned. Yet, why did Brother Xia still choose to come to Great Qi?"
Xia Wuji slumped his shoulders, looked at the two figures still bickering in the distance, and sighed softly:
"What else could I do? I only have this one younger sister. To be honest with you, I had already arranged everything in Long Kingdom. Even if I couldn't make it back from this trip, Long Kingdom wouldn't fall into chaos. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ventured alone into the borders of Zhao Kingdom."
Ji Junhong nodded. "Precisely so."
He nodded in agreement and said, "I also have only this one younger brother. If not for him, I wouldn't have bothered wasting so many words with Brother Xia."
"What? Does talking to me offend your eyes?" Xia Wuji asked sideways.
Ji Junhong smiled. "Not at all. Brother Xia and I hit it off the moment we met, and our conversation is exceptionally congenial."
"You Central Plains people have eight hundred tricks up your sleeves, always laying traps in your speech." Xia Wuji finished a cup of white porcelain wine and added, "Though this wine is quite good. Send two cartloads of it over to my place later."
"That's easily done."
Ji Junhong smiled, and then stated the purpose of this trip: "Has Brother Xia ever considered having Long Kingdom and Great Qi jointly divide the realm? Taking Tianshui River—the current boundary between Great Qi and Zhao Kingdom—as the dividing line: north belongs to Long Kingdom, and south belongs to Great Qi."
Xia Wuji abruptly raised his head and asked,
"You don't wish to unify the world?"
Ji Junhong smiled and asked, "Does Brother Xia know what my weapon is?"
"The Human Emperor Sword. Legend has it that whoever wields the Human Emperor Sword is the Human Emperor of the current age, destined to become the master of all under heaven," Xia Wuji said without reservation.
"But I refuse to believe it! Even if it is a legend, I will fight for it nonetheless!"
Ji Junhong looked at him calmly and said softly,
"The mission of the Human Emperor is simply to grant the human race and the world stability, free from warfare and famine, so that the human race may survive in this world."
"If two nations jointly divide the world, it can reduce the displacement of the human race, lessen the ravages of war, and diminish death. Whether or not I unify the world holds no meaning for me."
Xia Wuji was slightly stunned. This was the first time he had heard such words from the lips of an emperor. He gazed deeply at Ji Junhong, a look of genuine admiration welling up in his eyes.
He thought about it, briefly tempted to elevate his own status with a retort like "I think the same way, damn it," but it didn't feel right. In the end, he cupped his fists with utmost sincerity and said:
"For those words alone, I stand instructed."