Chapter 96: External Troubles

Father, this time our mission to escort the Prince of Cai to Jinling carries heavy responsibilities, and there are some things I do not quite understand, Zhao Kuangyin said in a low voice during the meal.

Zhao Hongyin put down his chopsticks. He had always favored his second son, so he nodded immediately and asked, What is it you do not understand?

Father, we have been in Jinling for barely two days, and instead of staying at the Bureau of Diplomacy, we want to gather intelligence on the Southern Tang. Yet earlier, why did you specifically claim that we had already been here for several days? Zhao Kuangyin asked, puzzled.

Nearby, Zhao Kuangyin's younger brother, Zhao Kuangyi, also set down his chopsticks and perked up his ears to listen.

Ah! Zhao Hongyin sighed first, then said, We came here by imperial decree. Although the purpose is to ally with the Southern Tang to stabilize our domestic situation, the Southern Tang has historically maintained poor relations with the Central Plains dynasties. If we show weakness blindly, how can we achieve our goal? My words just now were merely meant to test that man. What a pity.

A pity? What is a pity? Zhao Kuangyin asked.

It is a pity that the man seemed completely unaware of the situation. Based on my deduction, although he is acquainted with the princess, he likely holds little actual influence in the imperial court, Zhao Hongyin replied.

Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said, Father, everything I have seen over the past two days has left a deep impression on me. Most of the southerners are weak and hardly worth worrying about. This so-called Southern Tang spans no more than a few prefectures. Furthermore, I have heard that not long ago, the Southern Tang was defeated by the people of Wuyue. From this, it is evident that the people of the Southern Tang no longer possess the valor of yesteryear.

Zhao Hongyin nodded, yet he cautioned, Yuanlang, although southerners are cowardly, heroes abound beneath heaven, and we must never underestimate them. The man we saw today, judging from current appearances, may lack authority, but if given the opportunity, his personality suggests he could become a formidable adversary in the future.

Zhao Kuangyin nodded earnestly and said, I will take your teachings to heart, Father.

Zhao Hongyin then looked toward his third son and said, Kuangyi, Jinling is the capital of the Southern Tang after all. We have come here on serious business; you must not let matters of the heart distract you from our true purpose.

Zhao Kuangyi's old face flushed. He hastily nodded and said, Father, I will bear it in mind.

After having lunch with the two young ladies and taking a stroll through the streets, Yang Lian now possessed a profound understanding of Jinling's history, such as the origins of Xuanwu Lake and the historical development of the city. Princess Huairou was not particularly fond of listening to such matters, but Zhou Ehuang, being well-versed in musical theory and naturally fond of history, listened with rapt attention.

As the sun slanted westward, Yang Lian first escorted Princess Huairou home. The princess felt somewhat unhappy; clearly, Yang Lian had accompanied her out for leisure, yet it felt as though he had been attending to Zhou Ehuang the entire time. Harboring lingering thoughts, Princess Huairou returned to the Prince of Qi's mansion.

Disregarding Princess Huairou's melancholy, Yang Lian saw that the hour was growing late and escorted Zhou Ehuang home. As they drew near the Zhou residence, Yang Lian smiled faintly and said, Ehuang, could you close your eyes for a moment?

Zhou Ehuang was startled, but she slowly closed her eyes. Her heart hammered wildly, her delicate hands clenched tight, and her body stiffened into a posture of nervous anticipation.

Seeing her adorable appearance, the corners of Yang Lian's lips curled into a gentle smile. The fact that Zhou Ehuang was willing to close her eyes was a testament to her deep trust in him. Yang Lian drew a rather exquisite necklace from his robes and gently fastened it around Zhou Ehuang's neck.

Zhou Ehuang felt a warm breath brush against her ear. She longed to open her eyes, but remembered Yang Lian's words. Out of trust for him, she kept her eyes closed.

The warm sensation quickly vanished, followed immediately by the sound of footsteps retreating a few steps. Yang Lian looked at Zhou Ehuang and smiled, You look truly beautiful.

A blush instantly suffused Zhou Ehuang's cheeks. She snapped her eyes open, glared at Yang Lian, and stammered, You, you...

I meant the necklace, Yang Lian said with a smile, gesturing toward her throat.

Zhou Ehuang lowered her gaze and saw a necklace emitting a faint blue luster resting against her snow-white neck. The necklace was crafted from an unknown material, and the soft blue radiance was exceptionally pleasing to the eye. Zhou Ehuang fell in love with it at first sight. She reached out and cupped the blue bead in her palm to examine it closely, discovering that the silhouette of a figure seemed to sway within the azure orb.

Do you like it? Yang Lian asked. He had never expected to find such an item in a barbarian merchant's shop; it was, in truth, glass fired by Persian artisans. China was not entirely incapable of making it, but due to various reasons, pottery and porcelain later became far more prevalent, making the craftsmanship of glass appear quite backward by comparison.

Zhou Ehuang nodded repeatedly and said, I like it. As she spoke, she suddenly realized something, lowered the necklace, bowed slightly with her head lowered, and said, Thank you, Young Master Yang.

Ehuang, there is no need to be so formal between us. Whenever I find more interesting or beautiful trinkets in the future, I will certainly save them for you, Yang Lian smiled.

Zhou Ehuang was about to nod when she suddenly halted and said, Young Master Yang, compared to such trinkets, I would much rather be able to play a melody composed by you.

Yang Lian was taken aback. The light of fondness in Zhou Ehuang's eyes dimmed as she continued, When I first heard you play, Ehuang thought to herself that with your artistry, you are destined to astonish the world. That piece, Rain Falling on Jiangnan, was so plaintively sorrowful, matching the inner state of a woman like herself and leaving a profound impression upon her.

Yet, Ehuang does not understand why someone with your learning and talent, Young Master Yang, would choose to become a man of martial force? she asked cautiously, watching his face all the while for fear of angering him.

Yang Lian sighed softly and replied, Ehuang, the world today is far from peaceful. Surrounding the Southern Tang are nations like Han, Wuyue, Chu, and Southern Han, all eyeing us like tigers eyeing their prey. Not long ago, we suffered defeat at the hands of Wuyue. If everyone merely composed poetry and refused to join the military, I fear this Southern Tang would sooner or later be swallowed by other states. Beyond the rise and fall of the nation being the responsibility of every ordinary citizen, I, Yang Lian, also wish to protect my family and my loved ones. I can never allow them to suffer bullying.

Just like, just like today? Zhou Ehuang blurted out, before realizing the impropriety of her words. She turned hastily and hurried away.

Watching her retreating figure, Yang Lian smiled faintly. He waited until she knocked on the door and stepped inside before turning to stroll back leisurely. Scarcely had Yang Lian departed when the gate behind him opened once more. Zhou Ehuang poked her head out, gazing after Yang Lian's departing figure. Pressing a hand over her heaving chest, she felt her heart beat with violent intensity.

What had just come over her? Perhaps a man like him, capable of protecting his family, was the true definition of a fine gentleman. A man accomplished in both civil and martial arts such as Yang Lian—who among women would be fortunate enough to marry him? At this thought, Zhou Ehuang felt her face grow scorching hot, and she hurriedly shut the door, retreating into the depths of the mansion.

Returning to the inn, Yang Lian summoned Lin Rinzhao and briefed him on the day's events. Hearing that the envoys of the Han state had already arrived, Lin Rinzhao could not help but look slightly startled.

Yang Lian deemed the situation unfavorable. The Han dynasty had just been established, its foundations remained unstable, and rebellious military governors held sway across various regions. Liu Zhiyuan lived in mortal fear that these regional governors might collude with the Southern Tang to threaten his throne, which was why he had sent envoys to Jinling for peace talks. Objectively speaking, the Han state was in a relatively weaker position.

From the perspective of interests, Yang Lian felt this offered almost no advantage to the Southern Tang. To reiterate the same old truth, Jinling ought to seize this moment to launch an offensive, recover Shandong, and cast its gaze toward the Central Plains and Hebei. Yet Li Jing refused to listen, and Yang Lian, possessing low rank and meager influence, was powerless to reverse the course of events.

He wondered who the emperor would dispatch to preside over this peace negotiation. Logically speaking, given the Han state's dominant posture, the Southern Tang needed to send a high-ranking official of the first rank to be qualified to negotiate with the Prince of Cai, Liu Xin. Bureau officials from the Bureau of Diplomacy simply lacked sufficient standing.

News soon spread that the newly appointed chancellor, Sun Sheng, would preside over the peace talks with the Prince of Cai. Fully aware of the gravity of the matter, Sun Sheng summoned all his focus to negotiate with Liu Xin. In accordance with the emperor's wishes, Sun Sheng intended to treat the Han state as an equal. The ruler of Han was an emperor, so was not the emperor of the Southern Tang likewise an emperor? They had done the same with the Jin dynasty in the past; they certainly could not lose face before the Han state.

Yet Liu Xin proved somewhat uncouth, arguing that the Central Plains dynasties had always been the orthodox rulers of the realm. Although the Southern Tang bore that name and claimed descent from the imperial Li clan, it was merely selling dog meat under a sheep's head and had no genuine connection to the historical Li family; otherwise, why would the founding ancestor have named his state Qi? Furthermore, the founding ancestor originally bore the surname Xu, not Li.

Sun Sheng attempted to reason with Liu Xin, but Liu Xin completely ignored his arguments, stubbornly clinging to these few points and rendering negotiations impossible to advance. Moreover, Liu Xin's demands were utterly exorbitant; he even insisted that the Southern Tang annually supply ten thousand cartloads of tea and a million bolts of silk and cloth, a condition Sun Sheng found completely unacceptable.

Such negotiations dragged on for three full days. Although Sun Sheng possessed a stubborn personality and refused to yield an inch before the aggressive Liu Xin, reasoning with a soldier was like talking to a brick wall. Their negotiations made zero progress, and each day's session devolved into mere bickering, leaving Sun Sheng utterly racked with headaches.

Li Hongji offered Sun Sheng a suggestion: threaten Liu Xin. But before Sun Sheng could finish his sentence, Liu Xin slammed the table, sprang to his feet, and threatened to return to Bianliang, ally with the Wuyue state, dispatch troops to Jinling, and partition the Southern Tang between them. Deeply distressed and entirely out of options, Sun Sheng had no choice but to report the matter to Emperor Li Jing.

Li Jing found the situation agonizingly vexing, unable to sleep peacefully for days on end. How to properly manage relations with the Central Plains dynasty was truly a tormenting headache. Yet an even more distressing problem for Li Jing arrived swiftly, as intelligence arrived that the Khitans were likewise approaching and would soon reach Jinling.

In Li Jing's eyes, the Khitans were wolves of the steppes, insatiable forever. However, because the Southern Tang did not share a border with the Khitans, conflicts of interest were minimal, making cooperation a viable option. Yet, in the face of the aggressive Prince of Cai, Sun Sheng could extract no concessions whatsoever; they could hardly drag this matter out indefinitely. Once the Khitans arrived, negotiations with the Han state would likely become even more arduous.

The Southern Tang could certainly use the Khitans to threaten the Han state, but everyone knew the Khitans were barbarians, and Li Jing dared not pin all his hopes upon them. If the Han state were truly provoked into joining forces with Wuyue to strike at the Southern Tang, the realm would find itself in grave danger.

The people of Wuyue had always regarded the Central Plains dynasty as the orthodox center of civilization, adopting the reign titles of the Central Plains court. As early as when Zhu Wen founded the Liang dynasty, Wuyue had eagerly pledged allegiance, becoming a lapdog of the Central Plains court, biting whomever its master commanded without hesitation.

Later, the Liang dynasty became the Tang, and the Tang became the Jin; yet Wuyue steadfastly maintained its loyalty to the Central Plains court. Now that the Central Plains court had become the Han, it required no imagination to know that Wuyue would undoubtedly transform into a lapdog at Liu Zhiyuan's side, ready to sink its teeth in at any moment. If the Han state genuinely united with Wuyue to attack the Southern Tang, what could the Southern Tang possibly rely on to withstand them?