Envoys and Infiltrators

Lu Zeming glanced over the letter, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

The letter was polite, but its message was simple: agree to be their dog, and money, power, and wealth were his for the asking.

Lu Zeming set down the letter and looked calmly at the envoy.

"You can't beat me, so now you're trying to lecture me about my duty to the nation? Sorry, but my idea of a nation is different from yours. If your so-called nation can bleed ordinary people dry whenever it likes, I don't mind giving it a new name. What do you think of the Land of Flowers?"

The envoy swallowed and did not dare pursue the subject.

"Well, about trade between the Daimyo's estate and Flower Village...?"

"That's fine." Lu Zeming's tone softened. "But it must follow Flower Village's rules. Payments will be settled in Flower Coins, tariffs will be set by Flower Village, and anyone traveling between the two must register."

The envoy breathed a sigh of relief. At least the trip had not been for nothing.

The envoy's arrival brought a subtle change to the atmosphere in Flower Village.

The Secrecy Bureau began monitoring the delegation as soon as it entered the city. It was not a matter of distrust, but a necessary precaution.

As it turned out, the Secrecy Bureau's caution was justified.

Two uninvited guests had indeed slipped into the Daimyo's delegation.

One was a handsome man said to be the illegitimate son of a minister, sent along to burnish his credentials. Nothing about him seemed unusual at first glance, but a closer look into his eyes brought the inexplicable feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.

The other was even harder to detect. He wore an orange spiral mask and had long black hair. His