Mt. Firmament's Invitation: Turning a Suicide Mission Into a Paid Vacation
Changli's hand stopped above the chess box, and the black piece did not fall.
A maid carried hot dishes into the side hall, the aroma of braised fish wafting over first. Dania's bite of the sugar cake was a beat slow, her head tilting towards the small table. Chisa stood behind her, her scabbard against her forearm, still looking at the path created by the white pieces on the corner of the chessboard.
Changli put the chess pieces back into the box and gently closed the porcelain lid.
"Director Zhou, the recent surge of Tacet Discord in Jinzhou is just a harbinger. Several military reports from the front lines all point to Mt. Firmament. The resonance pulse there has encountered a problem, and Commander Jinhsi has already left the city to prepare for a second resonance in the mountain."
Zhou Yu pushed the teacup half an inch towards Dania, so that she wouldn't choke on the fish soup.
"This sounds like a high-risk field mission. The location is remote, the weather is unknown, the enemy situation is unclear, and supplies are uncertain."
The Changli sleeves were pressed against the edge of the chessboard.
"This trip concerns the safety of Jinzhou. The news of the magistrate's departure has been suppressed, but Fractsidus let this opportunity pass? Jiyan is tied up at the front lines, the Patrol Department needs to maintain order within the city, and I also need to stay in Jinzhou to coordinate various parties."
Qiu Yuan stood by the screen, his hand on the hilt of his sword. When he heard the words "Fractsidus," his knuckles tightened. Sigelica, who had been watching the dishes at the entrance of the side hall, turned around when she heard this. The shoulder strap of her riot shield slipped to her arm and was then draped back over her shoulder.
Changli took out a lacquered wooden box from under the table. The lid was opened, revealing three wax-sealed letters and a jade token from the Magistrate's residence. She pushed the box in front of Zhou Yu very gently.
"As an advisor, I should accompany you. However, the Jinzhou needs someone to oversee things, so I can only entrust this journey to a trustworthy person." Changli looked at Zhou Yu, then at Dania, and finally back at the chessboard. "If we encounter any unavoidable dangers along the way, please prioritize escorting the Prime Minister deep into Mt. Firmament. I will bear the rest of the consequences."
In the side hall, the maid's pace slowed as she carried the tray. The soup spoon bumped against the rim of the bowl, making a sound. Linnai, holding the pastry plate she had just received, stopped laughing. Aimis put down her chopsticks. Chisaki's tablet lit up, automatically capturing a curve showing a short-term increase in Changli eccentricity.
Zhou Yu looked down at the lacquered wooden box, but didn't take the jade pendant. Instead, he reached into the side pocket of his canvas bag and pulled out an old notebook, then a ballpoint pen with bite marks on the cap.
Changli stopped talking after that.
Zhou Yu turned to a page, and his pen fell to the ground.
"Wait a moment, let me clarify the requirements first. Business trip location: Mt. Firmament. Business trip mission: Protect Jinhsi. Business trip duration: Unknown. Potential obstacles: Fractsidus's ambush, Tacet Discord Tide, landslide on mountain road, and temporary overtime."
Sigelica closed her eyes briefly and placed the riot shield at her feet.
I knew he'd pull this.
Chisa picked up her teacup and took a sip, the rim of the cup covering her lips.
"You'll get used to it. He's treating the tsunami in the South Sea as an environmental test."
Changli watched as the ballpoint pen wrote line after line on the paper, and the words she was about to say were interrupted.
"Manager Zhou, this mission is very dangerous."
"That's why we need to clarify things beforehand." Zhou Yu looked up, her expression unchanged from when she had just checked the reimbursement standards three times. "How are travel expenses calculated? Mt. Firmament is at a high altitude, is there a high-altitude allowance? Fractsidus causes trouble halfway, will it be considered a work-related injury or an external attack? Will there be any performance bonus for repelling an enemy? The signal is poor in the mountains, who will pay for the communication equipment rental fee?"
Linnai nearly choked on the pastries, coughing twice while leaning against the screen. Aimis quickly handed over tea, but her hand accidentally knocked over a small dish, sending candied fruit rolling to Dania's feet.
Dania crouched down to pick up the candied fruit, then looked up and interjected.
"Xiao Yu, can we get reimbursement for the mountain delicacies hot pot?"
"This falls under the scope of the fieldwork meal allowance." Zhou Yu added this below, "Double servings of mushrooms, double servings of tripe, Dania's special calorie consumption will be calculated separately."
Chisaki pushed up her glasses, and a new spreadsheet popped up on her tablet.
"Based on Dania's current metabolic rate, her daily calorie requirement will increase by 22.7% in the low-temperature environment of Mt. Firmament, so the meal allowance needs to be increased."
Sigelica glared at her.
"Why are you starting to calculate this for him too?"
"The data supports reasonable meal planning." Chisaki turned the tablet towards Changli; the screen displayed a dense array of curves. "From a risk control perspective, starving her Fractsidus suffer."
Changli at the screen, then watched Dania stuff candied fruit into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out, sitting there waiting to be fed. The words she had prepared—about sacrifice, entrustment, and arrangements after her death—suddenly seemed inappropriate at the dinner table.
Qiu Yuan and closed the lacquered wooden box for her.
"Lord Changli, although Supervisor Zhou has many conditions, at least he is willing to go."
Zhou Yu put the pen cap back on.
"To clarify, I was commissioned to lead a team on a publicly funded field expedition to Mt. Firmament, and to ensure the safety of Ling Yin along the way. Don't make the mission description too dramatic; it might affect the team members' appetites."
Changli finally chuckled. Rain was still dripping outside the corridor, and someone quietly moved the fish soup closer to Dania in the side hall.
She raised her hand to signal the maid to add tea, and as her sleeve swept across the edge of the chessboard, several chess pieces were knocked off course.
What kind of documentation does Supervisor Zhou need?
"Blank ticket, stamped by the Magistrate's Office, covering all expenses including travel, accommodation, meals, medical care, equipment wear and tear, and emergency compensation." Zhou Yu pushed the notebook over. "Additionally, if the planned Jinzhou Hotpot trip is delayed due to protecting Jinhsi, the Magistrate's Office will be responsible for subsequent compensation."
Sigelica covered her forehead.
"You even have to include the hotpot postponement in the list?"
"Itinerary management is very important." Zhou Yu stopped Dania's hand from reaching for the fish soup, and first put a piece of fish belly meat into her bowl. "It's hot, blow on it first."
Dania held the bowl and blew on it, her eyes still fixed on the seal in Changli's hand.
Changli took the vermilion seal handed to her by the maid and took out a voucher for the Magistrate's residence. She dipped her brush in ink and stamped it on the corner of the paper. The red seal was still wet.
"The magistrate has returned safely, and all expenses will be borne by the Jinzhou." She pushed the voucher back. "The Mt. Firmament is long; before dawn tomorrow, Qiu Yuan will lead you from the north gate to avoid the city's eyes and ears."
Zhou Yu picked up the voucher, checked the stamp against the light, and then tucked it into her notebook with satisfaction.
"Make a deal."
In the side hall, the hot dishes were finally laid out. Dania, having received permission, picked up a piece of fish, blew on it twice, and put it in her mouth, her eyes crinkling into a smile. Linnai sat down next to Sigelica with a plate of pastries, muttering to herself that this was probably the most tour group-contract-like escort mission in the history of Jinzhou. Sigelica placed a piece of tofu in her bowl, telling her to keep quiet so as not to be put on the councilor's watch list.
Chisa sat on the other side of Dania, her long sword resting against the back of the chair, the bell on the hilt unsuppressed. She picked up a piece of dried bamboo shoot and looked at Changli.
"If the Fractsidus sets up an ambush at the mountain pass, how many reinforcements can Jinzhou send to support them?"
Changli stopped laughing and took out a topographical map, laying it on the corner of the table.
"We cannot openly deploy troops. If Jinhsi City is exposed, the morale of the people in the city will be thrown into chaos. You should take the old post road through the north gate, pass three abandoned pavilions, and enter Zhuling. There is a small path for herb gatherers there that can bypass the main road checkpoints."
Qiu Yuan used his sword sheath to touch a dot of ink on the picture.
"There are old spies from the Ming Court here; I'll handle them."
Chisaki swiped the map onto the tablet, and the route quickly became highlighted in red. Aimis leaned over to take a look and noticed that a hot spring was marked next to the destination; her eyes lit up.
Can I go to a hot spring after the fieldwork is finished?
Zhou Yu tapped the voucher on the table.
"Resume the project appropriately."
Changli pressed his fingertips against the edge of the map, about to speak, when hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.
A Patrol Department stepped across the threshold, raindrops dripping from his straw hat onto the floor tiles. He knelt on one knee, holding a cracked communication jade talisman in his hands.
"Advisor, an urgent report has arrived from the old post road at the North Gate. All three abandoned pavilions have been sealed off with black talismans, and a sentence is written on the surface of each talisman."
Changli stood up. Zhou Yu's chopsticks stopped above the fish soup.
The guard raised the jade talisman high. Black mist seeped from the cracks, forming four characters in mid-air.
Cradle Together.