The distinction between master and subject

Xie Lang gazed intently at A Qiu's face, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He said, "I saw her not long ago, around the time of the Marquis of Guannei's welcoming banquet. Her performance was so wonderful, how could I forget it?" His words were a double entendre, praising her performance. One was referring to her dance in "Yan Shi Ning," and the other was probably referring to all her pretense of being a dancer since entering the palace.

The crux of his words lay in the phrase "before and after" the welcoming banquet. Before the banquet, Yan Shining performed a dance; after the banquet, Wan Qiqing struck with both palms in the Martial Saint Shrine, exposing A Qiu's identity. As the monarch, Xie Lang would naturally consider Gu Yi's feelings and cover up the matter, but he wanted to reprimand A Qiu. He was aware of all the tricks she had played in his palace these past few days, and warned her that now that she had left Lanling Hall, she should not have any other thoughts.

This was the first time A Qiu had faced a reprimand from the Dayan monarch, who, though seriously ill, possessed an air of authority yet remained composed. Despite feeling guilty, he could only steel himself and say, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

Zhao Lingying continued, "I have summoned you here for an important matter. As you have seen, the envoy from the Northern Qiang has come to court to discuss the visit of the royal delegation to our country three months from now. At that time, the music of the late king will be used. His Majesty knows that you are a disciple of the Junior Tutor, so he has decided to entrust this task to you and bestow upon you a higher title, giving you the authority to manage the affairs of the Music Bureau and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Do you have any objections?"

From these words spoken on behalf of the emperor, it is clear that Zhao Lingying's current position is practically that of the head of all officials. A Qiu glanced over and saw that the seat that should have belonged to the Left Chancellor, Shangguan You, was now empty. Gongyi Xiu, the Right Chancellor, stood at Zhao Lingying's shoulder, acting as if he did not know A Qiu at all, and said nothing.

Since Zhao Lingying had already made the decision on behalf of the emperor, he wouldn't allow Aqiu to object; he was just asking her a formality. Aqiu already knew the plan Xiao Chang'an had devised for her, so she wouldn't raise any objections. She bowed her head and said, "This concubine obeys the decree."

Xie Lang finally showed a satisfied expression and smiled, "Since the founding of Dayan, thanks to the hard work of all the musicians in the Music Bureau, dance and music have presented an unprecedented new look. After discussion among the officials, the Taile Bureau was specially established to manage the elegant music. As for the Dianyue Shi, he is proficient in music theory and is diligent and conscientious. He has been specially promoted to Dasiyue to be in charge of the elegant music of the imperial court and the royal family."

An Daoling was the first to cup his hands and say, "Congratulations on becoming the first Grand Master of Music in this dynasty!"

The position of Siyue (司乐) can be traced back to the ancient times of the kings. Theoretically, its prestige was comparable to that of the Grand Marshal (大司马), who commanded the entire army. The difference lay in the fact that the Grand Marshal held military power, while the Siyue was in charge of the hierarchical order of rites and music. In ancient times, those who held titles were of higher status than those who wielded power; this was the principle of the noble being superior to the strong. The emperor was superior to the feudal lords because of his rank, not his actual power. However, in this era where might makes right and bandits and chaos abound, this rule naturally no longer applies.

However, Gu Yi's previous position in the court was the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the head of the Nine Ministers, which was more symbolic than powerful. And the position that A Qiu was appointed as the Grand Master of Music was directly below the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, which also fit their teacher-student relationship and the system of rites and ranks.

This also shows that Zhao Lingying had put a lot of thought into A Qiu's placement. Giving her a nominally extremely prestigious position, yet not exceeding Gu Yi's, fully demonstrated the court's emphasis on the successor of the Junior Tutor, and it also happened to fall within the scope of music and dance where she could fully utilize her talents, without posing any real threat to Zhao Lingying's current monopolistic power. No official or commoner would have anything to say.

In any case, A Qiu finally gained an official identity recognized by the court, at least she no longer had to hide like a wanted criminal, and if any officials were willing to associate with her, they could do so openly. Xiao Chang'an's move of sending an envoy from the Northern Qiang not only solved the Wu tribe's immediate crisis but also relieved A Qiu's identity crisis. Even if A Qiu wanted to thank him, she couldn't help but do so.

Zhao Lingying also laughed and said, "You are no longer a palace maid. You no longer need to call yourself a concubine in front of His Majesty, but can call yourself a subject. Why don't you thank His Majesty?"

A Qiu immediately knelt and kowtowed three times, saying, "Your subject Shi Wanqiu thanks Your Majesty for your great favor. From now on, I will do my utmost to plan for the future of the Great Yan Dynasty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!" Her words were sincere and genuine.

Xie Lang had sat on the throne for ten years, and having seen countless people, he could discern true sincerity from falsehood. He had promoted hundreds and thousands of officials, but those who could be considered truly loyal and devoted to the country were few and far between. Looking at A Qiu, who stood with her head bowed, he couldn't help but think of Gu Yilai. He sighed inwardly, personally helping her up from the ground, and said, "You must take the Grand Tutor as your role model, carry on his aspirations, and work tirelessly. May the righteous voice of our dynasty spread throughout the land, beginning with you."

A Qiu sensed Xie Lang's feelings and replied, "Your subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's high expectations."

A deep, clear male voice rang out before the throne, saying with a smile, "Congratulations to Your Majesty Dayan for acquiring such a fine talent. The Junior Tutor has a worthy successor, and we of the Northern Qiang are also delighted."

At this point, A Qiu had no choice but to look up and meet the eyes of his second senior brother, with whom he had grown up since childhood.

Mo Yimingyue's lips curled slightly, but her gaze towards her was sharp and piercing, devoid of any smile.

Today was arguably Xie Lang's most pleasant day in recent days. He didn't notice anything unusual and introduced Ah Qiu with a smile: "This is Mr. Xiao Yue, the envoy from the Northern Qiang. He is here as the vanguard of the Northern Qiang delegation to discuss matters related to friendly relations between the two countries."

In a split second, A Qiu had figured it out. There was no way to avoid facing Mo Yimingyue. In any case, she represented Gu Yi at this moment, so she should consider things from Gu Yi's perspective instead of feeling guilty because she was a traitor to Lanling.

A Qiu met Mo Yimingyue's piercing gaze without backing down and smiled, "The Northern Qiang have always been subjects of our Huaxia. I remember that there used to be a custom of paying homage to the emperor every three years. However, in recent years, due to war, everyone has been too busy to eat, drink, and entertain guests, so the three-yearly homage and tribute payment was put on hold. It is rare that your country has a little free time and has remembered this matter. Such loyalty deserves encouragement and commendation."

She spoke amiably, as if casually chatting, but inadvertently touched upon the most sensitive issue of the Northern Qiang's mission.

Fifty years ago, the Qiang and other Five Barbarian tribes were defeated prisoners of war from the Han Dynasty and migrated to Hebei, Shanxi, Guanzhong, and other places. Therefore, the tribal regimes established by the Qiang, Jie, Di, and other ethnic groups in the interior have always regarded the Han Dynasty as their overlord and considered themselves subjects. This tradition continued until the dynastic turmoil twenty years ago. Even during the War of the Eight Princes, the Qiang and other states only dared to appoint themselves as governors and never dared to establish a kingdom and call themselves kings.

However, after the migration of the Han Chinese to the south, the situation reversed. The Five Barbarian tribes carved out their own territories and declared themselves kings, or even emperors. Precisely because of the legitimacy of the dynasty, the Han Chinese in the north, who still regarded the Jiangdong regime as the seat of the emperor, tried their best to avoid formal contact with these few states. The primary reason was that their legitimacy was questionable, and they could not pay homage to them in a manner that conformed to etiquette.

For example, Li Chongyu, who held sway over the Yan and You regions and ruled a single area, was nominally still the Marquis of Guannei of Dayan. If he were to interact with the Northern Qiang, who had now declared themselves emperor, the question would be whether he should pay homage to them with the rites due to a feudal lord paying tribute to the emperor, or with the rites due to a diplomatic ally as both were subordinate states. If he paid homage with the rites due to a feudal lord's alliance, the Northern Qiang emperor would surely consider it an insult; but if he paid homage with the rites due to a feudal lord paying tribute to the emperor, it would be tantamount to acknowledging the Northern Qiang emperor as the rightful emperor, which would also mean betraying the Southern Dynasty.

To be fair, Han Chinese from the north like Li Chongyu naturally favored the Dayan dynasty as the legitimate successor; otherwise, wouldn't it have been easier for him to declare himself king? However, the fact remained that the various nomadic tribes were strong, fierce, and skilled in warfare, and that various ethnic groups lived together in a mixed and intertwined manner, resulting in numerous minority regimes. The Northern Qiang were the strongest of these groups, and their ruling class, after being assimilated by the Han Chinese, were even more adept at winning people's hearts and establishing a diversified order.

The Great Khan of the Northern Qiang, Hulujin, established his capital in Zhongjing and solemnly offered sacrifices to Heaven and the ancestral temples at Beiman Mountain, claiming to be a descendant of the Liu family of the Han Dynasty. To any discerning person, this was an utterly absurd joke. But to the people of the Central Plains, even if he was just putting on a show, it was still better than those nomadic regimes that didn't even know how to pretend and only knew how to burn, kill, and plunder. At least the Central Plains once again saw a somewhat respectable imperial presence.

For the people who have suffered from displacement and war, the imperial aura is not the mysterious celestial fortune or auspicious energy seen by astrologers, nor is it an excuse for ambitious people to seize power and gather influence. Rather, it is a glimmer of hope for peace that is truly relevant to them.

What people care about is not the lineage of the Holy Lord, but the savior who will end all this calamity. Therefore, as long as the powerful contender for supremacy acts like a wise and virtuous ruler, the people are willing to believe him, not because they are ignorant, but because it is the only thing they can do after long despair and helplessness.

However, this was unacceptable to the Southern Dynasty, which considered itself the legitimate dynasty. More than twenty years ago, the Northern Qiang were nothing more than horse grooms, illiterate captives and slaves, regarded by these powerful families of the Southern Dynasty. Now, the situation had reversed, and they were being asked to submit to the Southern Dynasty. This was unacceptable both nationally and personally.

However, Hulü Jin had finally consolidated his power in the Central Plains and gained the support of the various Five Barbarian tribes—an unprecedented achievement for any foreign power. At this opportune moment, it was impossible for him to willingly submit to the Jiangdong regime, which had retreated to a corner of the country south of the Yangtze River. After all, everyone knew that the decisive battle for supremacy always took place in the Central Plains, where the powerful and influential controlled both Chang'an and Luoyang, making him the undisputed ruler of the land. It was simply unthinkable that he would relinquish his hard-won achievements.

Therefore, after Huli Jin declared himself emperor and established his capital, there were no formal diplomatic exchanges between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the ancient Chinese lands, there could never be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers on earth. The Southern Dynasty could not possibly recognize the Northern Qiang as its emperor, as that would be tantamount to admitting it was a counterfeit. Similarly, the Northern Qiang could not possibly come to the Southern Dynasty with tribute.

The lack of mutual recognition between the two sides led to a diplomatic stalemate. However, it did not affect civilian border trade, the exchange of goods, or the movement of people.

A Qiu's first words to Mo Yimingyue were an implicit admission that the Northern Qiang were continuing their tradition of paying homage to the Southern Dynasty's emperor. This was not because she was ignorant of the situation or arrogant, but because if Gu Yi were in her current position, the first question he would ask would certainly be the same.

Gu Yi's prestige is known throughout the land. In the presence of Gu Yi, who is proficient in both literature and martial arts and has drawn on the strengths of many schools of thought, probably no Northern Qiang person would dare to say that they, the Northern Qiang, are the great and powerful nation that must submit to the Southern Dynasty and pay tribute.

Since they are envoys, setting the tone for the talks between the two countries is the first and foremost task.

After A Qiu finished his probing question, the entire court fell into an eerie silence.