[xiaochou.name] joined you at Faraj’s gathering, where the young debated loudly—mostly of history, for speaking too plainly of the present was perilous.

[xiaochou.name] slipped easily into their discourse, posing its question: After conquest, do human ever reap true gains? Can they forge true order?

The debate flared at once. Voices rose, arguments clashed. All agreed—when one dynasty topples another, when one realm crushes its rival, there comes a chance to rebuild, as leveling a palace leaves space for newer halls.

Yet fresh doubts arose: "Will the new house stand stronger than the old?" "Should every ruin be razed?" And—"Is there a structure, unyielding to time, eternal?" The talk splintered, devolving into clamor. As always at Faraj’s gatherings. Faraj himself could only sigh—at least here, the young were free to speak, not merely obey their fathers’ words.

[xiaochou.name] saw in their eyes a hunger fiercer than history or philosophy, and laughed. “Humans act before they know the answer. No wonder you bungle so much—and still stride forth so sure!"

Conditions:

• Slot #2 Has Tag (falajie) = 1

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Wisdom) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000706): Add 1

Action:

• Enable Event: The reward for the second question of the small-scale project.

You took [xiaochou.name] to meet Qais—his family had once aided the Sultan, even helped the highland kings conquer vast barbarian lands... Yet in the end, those glories and power faded like smoke. Even their spoils and rewards were traded away or forgotten, leaving behind only dusty ledgers and half-legible notes from that turbulent age.

So [xiaochou.name], half-mocking and half-curious, asked Qais: "After conquest, what legacy of order or achievement did humankind leave behind?" Originally [xiaochou.name] expected Qais to join in the jest, but instead, he answered [xiaochou.gender(Him,Her)] earnestly: those bloody conquests had brought order to the eastern trade routes, linked distant lands, and flooded them with technology, art, and knowledge... Not to mention ending the barbarians’ bloody rites of sacrifice.

"But at the cost of countless barbarians enslaved to the Sultan’s empire—was it worth it? Is this the price of civilization?" [xiaochou.name] pressed. Qais turned his gaze toward you. "So long as we keep moving forward, there will always be room to do better; so long as we can still choose to progress...”

Conditions:

• Slot #2 Has Card = Qais

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Wisdom) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000706): Add 1

Action:

• Enable Event: The reward for the second question of the small-scale project.

What does a prostitute know? To her, the House of Delights is the whole world! And the conquests that happen here are the humblest, most insignificant of all! [xiaochou.name] was growing more and more like a true, haughty, sharp-tongued noble.

Faced with [xiaochou.name]’s mockery, Jalila scoffed: "I say the world is just a grand brothel! After all, you nobles and ladies, once you’ve done all your great and mighty deeds, still come crawling back to the same little corners!"

[xiaochou.name] paused. For a moment, the phantoms of kings and queens flickered in its eyes—then it conceded to Jalila’s judgment and humbly sought the brothel queen’s wisdom on conquest and order. "I’ve conquered over a third of the Sultan’s courtiers. They knelt to me, submitted to me... Oh, I know the rules of this game too well!" Jalila boasted, though with a touch of bitterness. "It’s all an unspoken game. Order—for masters and slaves alike—is just an illusion. Oh, they live by these illusions! They’ll always choose the master who spins them best. And as for the master? Everything she owns is just another illusion woven by her slaves." Having said her piece, she suddenly deflated, shooing you out with a crack of her whip—back to the Sultan’s world, where you belonged.

Conditions:

• Slot #2 Has Card = Jalila

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Charisma) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000707): Add 1

Action:

• Enable Event: The reward for the second question of the small-scale project.

Can the conquered better speak of the order brought by conquest? You sought out Fardak, and [xiaochou.name] swiftly won his trust—the Mirror played the part of a patron with an interest in borderland history, eager for firsthand accounts.

So Fardak spoke at length... To [xiaochou.name]’s surprise, he acknowledged, in his own way, the Sultan’s rule: Once, the chieftain’s children would spill blood over succession. Now, only the Sultan’s chosen heir rules long. So the game has changed. Kin are no longer wasted in feuds—they are bartered, like coins, to bargain with the Sultan... Just like him.

Conditions:

• Slot #2 Has Card = Fardak

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Sociability) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000707): Add 1

Action:

• Enable Event: The reward for the second question of the small-scale project.

You could, of course, be the voice of order. You bear the weight of the Sultan’s game—and that alone has spared the capital, the empire, from untold chaos...

"So, when you conquer this game, will you bring better order?" [xiaochou.name] watched you with amusement. Will you? Will the game truly end when you finish it? Would you even dare turn a Sultan Card upon the Sultan himself, delivering justice at last? You could not answer. You dared not. Yet [xiaochou.name] still held hope for you. And you knew—to see your ending, the Mirror would remain at your side...

Conditions:

• Slot #2 Has Tag (Protagonist) = 1
• Not Slot #2 Has Card = ?

Result:

• Adjust Tag (Stealth) of Slot #1: Add 1
• Counter (7000706): Add 1

Action:

• Enable Event: The reward for the second question of the small-scale project.