"Of course. A shrewd negotiator," she says with a little smile.

Something about this speech unsettles Qi Yan. After a moment, she places the feeling. It's like sitting with Nangong Jingnu and her sisters while they discussed the fate of the land north of the Luo; involved deeply and personally, but needing to stay outwardly implacable. She was told to conceal her gender from the time she was old enough to speak. It would take a lot more than half a month in a strange place to be able to speak of it aloud.

"The Art of War counsels that the best way to conduct siege warfare is not to engage in siege warfare. It is a 'method of no alternative.' So if you find it difficult, take heart in knowing that Sun Tzu does as well." She cannot assume any shared frames of reference. "He is a great general and military tactician from my lands. Weiqi is a game of strategy, played with black and white stones on a board. Some believe it also trains the mind for warfare, if that's to your interest. And the xiao is an instrument." She briefly mimes playing it.