Chapter 149 Yelü Chongyuan: I shouldn't have...

With a heavy heart, Yelü Chongyuan entered the gates of Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty. Even as he traveled further south, feeling the distinct warmth and gentle breeze of mid-spring in April, so different from the north, his mood showed no sign of improvement.

Why, you ask?

"Good question." Yelü Chongyuan wished he could immediately transform into Xianglin's wife and pour out his grievances for three hours straight. It wasn't just that the people of Yunzhou had turned to the Song, nor was it simply that he, as the Crown Prince, had been outshone by the Song Crown Prince.

More importantly, how could he subtly convey the truth to the Liao people, instead of letting them feel their pride wounded and exclaim that it was absolutely impossible, while continuing to arrogantly close their eyes?

To solve this problem, he drafted several times, crumpled up countless sheets of paper, and worked through the night before finally giving up and declaring that the task was impossible.

Even the sight of Yunzhou that he witnessed firsthand left him with a sense of bewilderment, as if he were in a dream. How much more so for the Liao emperor and his ministers, far removed from this splendor and only able to hear messages from afar? Just ten years ago, the Song Dynasty was impoverished and weak, barely able to withstand the Shangdang Xiang people!

A bitter smile crept across Yelü Chongyuan's lips: If it weren't for the awe-inspiring status of the Crown Prince and the rightful heir to the Liao Dynasty, his words would probably have been labeled as those of a "spy."

This melancholy had been weighing on his heart until he saw the city walls of Bianjing. In an instant, all his negative emotions vanished, leaving only amazement as he stared in awe at the towering, silent brick and stone walls, several meters high.

The Liao territory may have been fraught with danger; Juyong Pass, recently captured by the Song army, was one such example. However, that pass was built relying on natural defenses, while the one before us was a testament to human ingenuity. The two evoked completely different feelings.

Suddenly, he wondered how prosperous the city walls must be, and how many people must have made their living within them. How long would it take the Liao Kingdom's most elite cavalry to conquer it? Or rather, could they even break through it?

Yelü Chongyuan couldn't say for sure.

The Liao Dynasty had never had a city of similar size. Their capital moved several times a year depending on the season, never remaining constant, let alone developing or reaching a significant scale.

"……how?"

"Huh?" Yelü Chongyuan came to his senses and realized that it was the Song Dynasty official who had been accompanying him who had been talking to him.

“Like a towering mountain.” He replied with a wry smile, “I hope my imperial brother will one day be able to see it with his own eyes.”

I would much rather the Liao officials take a look. Then they would stop their presumptuous clamors of "Let's fight back," "What's wrong with starting a war?" and "Being cowardly is a disgrace to our ancestors."

The Song man accompanying them paused for a moment, then replied meaningfully, "That day will come."

A moment.

Two quarters of an hour.

By the time Yelü Chongyuan realized that "one day" referred to his elder brother "one day coming to Bianjing as a prisoner of the Song Dynasty," the accompanying official had already walked away. He immediately, without anyone noticing, grinned sullenly and slapped his own mouth.

Where have you all been daydreaming! You actually dared to openly show weakness in front of the Song people, and you haven't even realized you've been verbally taken advantage of! This is absolutely unacceptable!

"Uh, are you alright?"

Fusu rode slowly on horseback to the city of Bianjing, right in front of the Liao delegation. The first thing he saw was the shocking sight of Yelü Chongyuan slapping himself in the face, and he was immediately startled.

What's wrong with these Liao people? Are they fighting amongst themselves?

"No... eh?" Yelü Chongyuan responded, only to realize a moment later that the speaker was a tiny, adorable little bean sprout, barely out of reach of his age. His brain momentarily went blank.

But the memory of Yunzhou was too vivid, and Yelü Chongyuan immediately recognized that the little boy in front of him and the statue in the ancestral hall were six parts alike: "So you are His Highness the Crown Prince of Song. I have long heard of your great name."

While exchanging pleasantries, Yelü Chongyuan secretly made a comparison in his mind: it was extremely similar to the half-smiling, half-solemn statue in the ancestral hall, but the real person's lines were softer and looked much more vivid.

He finally understood why the passersby in the ancestral hall praised his appearance and hoped that their children would look like the Crown Prince of Song—because… he was really adorable.

Fusu: "..."

He caught a glimpse of the knowing look on Yelü Chongyuan's face, but he didn't care at all what the man knew or what impression he had of him. He silently added another mark of displeasure to his grudge against Su Shi! That wretched Su Shi! It must be you!

"Your Highness, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Why don't you settle down at Xiangguo Temple first? Later, I will take you to the palace for a banquet. His Majesty will host a banquet for you, and all the civil and military officials of our Great Song Dynasty will be there to accompany you."

Yelü Chongyuan nodded naturally. He roughly understood that the negotiations would be a long and drawn-out battle, and there was no need to rush. But besides finding a place to rest, he had another matter to ask Fusu.

"Want to tour Bianjing?" Fusu pointed to himself. "And you want me to accompany you?"

Yelü Chongyuan feigned reluctance: "If there is any inconvenience, then..."

“No problem at all,” Fusu readily agreed.

He roughly guessed what Yelü Chongyuan was thinking, and he wasn't opposed to it at all. Even if he saw the prosperity of Bianjing, what difference would it make? The mere intimidation of the city gates wouldn't be enough. It was time to let him witness the soft power of the Song Dynasty.

The two, each with their own agenda, quickly reached an agreement. On the way to Bianjing, Yelü Chongyuan was also restless, once again seeking advice from Fusu on Song Dynasty culture. Fusu felt as if he had returned to the Imperial Academy, being tested by Mei Yaochen and Yang Anguo, his forehead creased with frustration as he answered one seemingly inquiring question after another, which was in reality a test.

Yelü Chongyuan possessed a remarkably deep understanding of Han Chinese culture. Several of his questions were so profound that even Fusu was secretly astonished. However, what Fusu didn't know was that while Yelü Chongyuan appeared calm on the surface, he was inwardly deeply troubled—how could this young crown prince possess such extensive knowledge? He was completely unfazed!

He was deeply frustrated once again.

Fusu failed to discern Yelü Chongyuan's intentions because he hadn't expected an adult to be so bored as to lower himself to compete with a child. However, the eunuch accompanying him chuckled and added, "His Highness the Crown Prince won the Triple Crown at the tender age of four, making him the youngest Zhuangyuan in our Great Song Dynasty."

Yelü Chongyuan's heart was shattered.

Youngest. Top scorer.

Okay, okay, I was wrong and I admit defeat. I will never overestimate myself again and compete with this young prince of Song.

The more he compared himself to others, the more his heart was wounded.

The city gates of Bianjing were wide open, and the thickness of the domed arched gates resembled a long tunnel, bringing back the shock that Yelü Chongyuan had just felt. Not only were the city walls high, but their thickness was also astounding, truly making one gasp in astonishment.

Yelü Chongyuan couldn't help but visually assess the thickness of the document, unaware that the young crown prince beside him had lowered his eyes. He casually remarked, "By the way, our Great Song Dynasty has some ceremonies coming up recently. Shouldn't the delegations also participate? Otherwise, it would seem like our Great Song Dynasty is being negligent, wouldn't it?"

Yelü Chongyuan hummed in agreement twice. It's just participating in some activity as a mere figurehead, right? He'll go. Maybe he can even use the opportunity to gather some information.

Later, he regretted countless times that he hadn't noticed the trap in those words. What simple ceremony could possibly warrant such a personal invitation from the Song Dynasty's genius crown prince? If only he had taken it more seriously and hadn't acted so out of line…

Unfortunately, not everyone gets a second chance.

Fusu received an affirmative answer and his expression relaxed. When Yelü Chongyuan tentatively inquired about the city wall, he kindly provided the specific dimensions: "It is four zhang wide and three zhang thick. The Liao Kingdom should also have a similar city wall, right?"

Yelü Chongyuan, sweating profusely, said, "Haha...maybe so."

There's no * at all!

He immediately lost interest in probing further, and glanced at Fusu: Was it just his imagination? Faced with probing, the young prince always spoke frankly, but there was always a way to shut him up.

Fusu: What are you talking about? It was purely by chance.

The delegation's destination was Xiangguo Temple. Both the Liao and Western Xia dynasties were Buddhist states, and Xiangguo Temple was the regular residence for delegations. Fusu had many connections with Xiangguo Temple, so he contacted them in advance. This time, even the casual guests staying at Xiangguo Temple were cleared out to ensure everyone present was one of their own.

The story of Su Shi angrily rebuking the Western Xia envoy, saying "I have never seen such a shameless person," will never happen again.

The Xiangguo Temple was a serene place, and the statues of the Bodhisattvas were exquisitely carved, lifelike. However, Yelü Chongyuan, a devout Buddhist, had no intention of worshipping today. After settling in, he hurried towards the temple gate.

There, Fusu stood with his hands behind his back, facing him. Hearing footsteps, he turned around leisurely, smiled knowingly at him, and said, "Your Highness, it seems you can't wait to tour Bianjing."

Yelü Chongyuan: "Yes."

He didn't deny it. He needed to see Bianjing for himself. He wanted to confirm whether Su Shi was lying. He wanted to gather more information from the ordinary streets.

Fusu: "Then let's go."

His attitude remained open and honest throughout. Let Yelü Chongyuan see whatever he wants. After all, he had been waiting in Bianjing in comfort ever since he received news that the Liao Kingdom was sending an envoy.

He could assure Yelü Chongyuan that he would be satisfied with the amount of information he had access to. He could also assure him that everything that appeared before the Liao delegation was arranged by him.

This even includes the three most recent issues of the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper.

To this end, Fusu even made a special trip to the editorial department of the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper to proofread the manuscript with the editor-in-chief, Shen Kuo. He ensured that effective content such as "the many ingenious uses of wood ash" wouldn't be seen by Yelü Chongyuan and then taken to the Liao Dynasty.

...As a result, Yelü Chongyuan did indeed set his sights on the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper.

As he passed by the teahouse, the tea server in the back room was reading an article from the "Seeking Knowledge" newspaper, and the audience below was completely engrossed. Yelü Chongyuan, who considered himself a lover of Han culture, immediately stopped to find out what the tea server was talking about.

Once he stopped, he couldn't lift his feet again. A look of rapture and admiration appeared on his face. Only in terms of the depth and breadth of culture could Yelü Chongyuan shamelessly admit that their Liao Dynasty was indeed far inferior to their neighbor, the Song Dynasty.

Today's visit reveals not only its depth and breadth, but also its ingenious innovations: "I really don't know who came up with the idea for this newspaper? Why has no one thought of it before?"

Yelü Chongyuan turned his head towards Fusu, hoping to get a definite answer from him. To his surprise, the Crown Prince of Song did not give his usual lengthy introduction. He simply mouthed a single, incredibly simple sentence, and ended the question and answer session.

Yelü Chongyuan: "..."

I knew it! I shouldn't have humiliated myself!

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Author's note: I thought I'd be able to write about the big projects that Fusu had accumulated.

Never mind, let's give people a little shock first [dog head with rose in mouth]