Chapter 102: The Pursuer

"The news has already spread out. Liu Xin and Yelü Haili will most likely not sit still and wait for their doom, but they won't act rashly either; they will mostly go around gathering information." Inside the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Yang Lian gently sipped his fragrant tea and said slowly.

Zeng Yiling frowned and asked, "Neither the Khitans nor the Han state are any good. Why are you doing this?"

"Balance." Yang Lian smiled, turning to look at Zeng Yiling's face, which was still obscured by a veiled hat. He wondered why this woman, who did not look bad at all, always insisted on hiding her face with a veil.

"Balance? But this kind of balance doesn't seem to benefit you much," Zeng Yiling said.

Yang Lian put down his teacup, paced slowly around the room, and said, "Sun Sheng failed in his negotiations and almost delayed state affairs. Actually, Li Jing's demand is very simple: he just wants to save face. Whether in front of the Khitans or the people of the Han state, he must never lose his dignity. However, I prefer tangible benefits. Now that I have spread the news, both the Khitans and the Han people know of each other's presence, and they are bound to make a move."

"Yet, this still has nothing to do with you, does it?" Zeng Yiling was still puzzled. Why risk so much for Li Jing?

Yang Lian shook his head and said, "If Li Jing is happy, how could I lack rewards? Besides, if the Han state and the Khitans turn against each other once more, the Southern Front of the Great Tang will face much less pressure. If I can lead troops into battle, I will surely have the opportunity to pacify the southern states."

Zeng Yiling gave Yang Lian a sidelong glance and said, "Your ambitions are not small." With a faint smile, she added, "What do you want me to do?"

"Use the resources at your disposal. I need to keep track of the movements of the Khitans and the Han people at all times, and make preparations in advance," Yang Lian said.

Zeng Yiling nodded. "That's not a problem." Then she asked, "Do you have any other requests? State them all at once."

"If we can find a few people who speak the Central Plains tongue, or people who are fluent in the Khitan language, that would be for the best," Yang Lian pondered.

Realizing something, Zeng Yiling shuddered slightly and said, "You, you want to..."

"If none of them truly have the courage, then I don't mind giving them a push behind the scenes," Yang Lian smiled with a chilling eeriness.

"However, have you considered the consequences?" Zeng Yiling reminded him.

"We are already in a hostile relationship with the Han state. Liu Xin rushing here this time is nothing more than an attempt to buy time. I have received confirmed news that Liu Zhiyuan is about to move against Du Chongwei. Right now, the Khitans are fighting amongst themselves, and their only threat is the Great Tang. That is why he sent Liu Xin here to confuse the ruler and ministers of the Great Tang. As for the Wu-Yue people stationing troops in Suzhou, they merely want to pressure Sun Sheng. But the Wu-Yue people are no fools either, especially after Hu Jinsi seized power and became busy consolidating his strength; they are just putting on a show."

"If we wait until Liu Zhiyuan eliminates the threat of Du Chongwei, the Great Tang will become his enemy. Thus, falling out a step earlier or a step later makes little difference. In terms of interests, the Great Tang and the Khitans have no temporary conflict; we can use them to buy time. When the Great Tang possesses sufficient strength to march north into the Central Plains, or even recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in one stroke, it is not entirely impossible."

Yang Lian's words gave Zeng Yiling a completely new evaluation of him. Since Yang Lian requested it, Zeng Yiling agreed. With everything settled, Yang Lian left the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Just as he stepped outside, he felt a sense of unease, as if someone was tailing him.

Yang Lian thought for a moment and slowly walked down the street, stopping from time to time to admire the picturesque scenery along the Qinhuai River, even though he had seen this view countless times. Yet the scenery along both banks of the Qinhuai River was like a living Scroll Along the Qingming River; no matter how many times one looked at it, it never grew tiresome.

Yang Lian paused from time to time along the street, glancing into this shop and peering into that one, maintaining a leisurely appearance. At this moment, he could not be certain who had sent someone to tail him, so he had no choice but to slowly look for flaws in his pursuer.

However, in Yang Lian's eyes, the tracker was clearly lacking in skill. The pursuer was a lean man dressed in cyan attire, with a sharp mouth and monkey-like cheeks, looking quite clever. Yet, by tailing Yang Lian in such a blatant manner, it was impossible for Yang Lian not to notice him.

Seeing that the man was still trailing behind him after a long while, Yang Lian smiled faintly. He turned and ducked into a small alley. The terrain in this area changed with the winding Qinhuai River and was extremely complex. After walking a few steps, Yang Lian hid himself in a recess.

The lean man did not rush in immediately. Yang Lian was in no hurry either, narrowing his eyes as he waited quietly. After a long moment, the lean man first poked half his head out to glance ahead. Seeing no sign of Yang Lian, he hurried forward, terrified of losing his target.

The sound of footsteps grew closer. Yang Lian clenched his fists, gathering his strength. The moment the lean man appeared, Yang Lian rushed out abruptly and struck the man's cheek with a punch. Despite the lean man's quick reflexes, he was still hit squarely on the cheek. With an involuntary cry, he spat out two teeth.

Having succeeded in his first move, Yang Lian thrust out his right hand again, clamping his index finger and thumb around the lean man's throat, and demanded, "Why are you following me?"

With his throat pinched, the lean man tried to resist, but a wave of immense force from his neck made him rise onto his toes. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a couple of soft groans.

Yang Lian grabbed his collar with his other hand, shoved him against the wall, and shouted, "Speak! Who sent you?" With that, he slightly eased his grip on the man's throat.

The lean man coughed and said, "I—I wasn't following you."

"Still trying to quibble? You've been tailing me ever since I stepped out of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Did you really think I wouldn't know?" Yang Lian sneered, tightening his grip once more. Suddenly, the lean man's Adam's apple bobbed as if he had swallowed something.

Yang Lian reacted with extreme speed, hurriedly reaching out to grab the man's neck, but he was a fraction of a second too late. The lean man sneered, sweat pouring down his forehead. Soon, his body trembled, his expression changed, and his limbs went limp as he collapsed to the ground.

Yang Lian released his grip. This lean man was a loyal agent; once things went wrong, he would swallow poison. Yang Lian slowly squatted down and carefully examined the lean man's body, searching him thoroughly in hopes of finding some clues. After rummaging for a long while, there was nothing at all on the lean man, leaving Yang Lian deeply disappointed.

Reluctant to give up, Yang Lian continued his search and suddenly tore open the lean man's garment. At that exact instant, his pupils contracted violently because on the lean man's chest, he saw the mark of a tiger claw! The tiger claw had appeared once more! The fact that this person was tailing him was proof enough that this organization harbored malicious intentions toward him.

Yang Lian stared coldly at the tiger claw mark. Judging by the scale, this lean man should be at the very bottom tier of the tiger claw organization. What was the purpose of this organization's existence? Yang Lian was utterly perplexed. Rising to his feet, Yang Lian strode out of the alley, took a turn around the street, and returned to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Seeing Yang Lian return shortly after his departure, Zeng Yiling found it quite strange. Once Yang Lian recounted the discovery that he was being tailed, she too felt that the matter was rather suspicious. To Yang Lian's inquiries, Zeng Yiling could only shake her head; she had never heard of this tiger claw organization at all. After listening carefully to Yang Lian's description, she shook her head again.

It seemed there were still many things in Jinling unknown to her. Promising to investigate the matter thoroughly, Yang Lian bade her farewell once more and left the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Inside Li Hongji's residence, Sun Sheng wore a grave expression.

Sun Sheng was a dignified chancellor, managing the affairs of state. Originally, the Emperor had placed great hopes on him by entrusting him with the negotiations with the Han state, yet he had been unable to suppress Liu Xin. After several days, the Emperor lost confidence in him and transferred this heavy responsibility to Yang Lian.

Sun Sheng did not know much about Yang Lian, but he knew that the Duke of Dongping and Yang Lian were not on good terms. As a member of the Duke of Dongping's faction, Sun Sheng naturally did not want Yang Lian to achieve merit. Initially, Sun Sheng assumed that Yang Lian, being young, would fail to keep Liu Xin in check, but Yang Lian's performance exceeded his expectations.

Yang Lian had forcefully denied food and drink to the Han envoys. Sun Sheng had expected Liu Xin to throw a massive tantrum, leaving Yang Lian humiliated and even alarming the Emperor into dismissing Yang Lian and appointing someone else to lead the peace talks. To his utter astonishment, Liu Xin swallowed his pride, accepted Yang Lian's arrangement, and sent people out to purchase food every day.

The formerly untamable wolf that was Liu Xin had suddenly transformed into a timid lamb afraid of death, leaving Sun Sheng baffled. Moreover, with the arrival of the Khitans, Yang Lian's relations with them were remarkably cordial, making Sun Sheng suspect that Yang Lian was pro-Khitan and anti-Han.

The situation had shifted with such subtle delicacy. In truth, Sun Sheng had no major objections to forming an alliance with either the Han state or the Khitans; his sole objection was that Yang Lian must never be allowed to succeed in the negotiations, lest the Prince of Qi's faction grow even more influential.

With a heart full of anxiety, Sun Sheng took a sip of tea, swallowing it hastily without even tasting it. "Your Grace, the Duke of Dongping, this Yang Lian is somewhat abnormal. We must eliminate him sooner rather than later."

Li Hongji also knitted his brows. He had suffered losses at Yang Lian's hands before; to say he had no grievances would be impossible. Back then, Li Hongji had felt that Yang Lian was merely a fifth-rank official, not worth wasting his efforts on. At that time, Prince of Qi Li Jingsui was his greatest rival. However, following Feng Yanji's resignation from the chancellorship, the demotion of Chen Jiong and Feng Yanlu, and Cha Wenhui's departure to Jianzhou, the power of the Prince of Qi, Li Jingsui, had suffered the most devastating blow.

Although the Prince of Qi Li Jingsui still had Song Qiqiu and Yang Lian to rely on, by comparison, Li Hongji's influence was growing while Li Jingsui's was waning—even though Han Xizai had been demoted, causing a certain degree of weakening on Li Hongji's side as well.

Before punishing Han Xizai, the Emperor had repeatedly inquired about the succession of the crown prince. This made Li Hongji feel that the Emperor's resolve to name the Prince of Qi as crown prince had wavered. That being the case, the probability of him being named crown prince had greatly increased.

The officials the Prince of Qi could currently rely upon were few; Song Qiqiu was one, and Yang Lian could be considered another. If they could deal a certain degree of blow to Yang Lian at this moment, it might just crush the Prince of Qi's faction and snatch the position of crown prince from their hands.

"Chancellor Sun, this Duke is already making arrangements. I trust there will be results within these two days," Li Hongji comforted Sun Sheng.

Sun Sheng furrowed his brows and asked, "Does the Duke of Dongping have a good plan?"

Li Hongji smiled without answering. This matter was highly confidential, and he would not leak the slightest detail because it involved too much. If his Imperial Father were to find out, he feared even his title as the Duke of Dongping might be stripped away.