Chapter 153 The Seven States Before the Mountain, Take Them! ...
A sharp, tearing sound suddenly rang in his ears, and Yelü Chongyuan was caught off guard. His reaction time was several times slower than usual, and it took him several seconds to understand the meaning behind the Song Crown Prince's words.
He had already witnessed the thunder and fire from the sky, so why did he still need to sketch it? It was because... he needed to explain its seriousness to his country's ruler and ministers.
But wouldn't that be boosting the morale of others while diminishing our own?
Thinking of this, Yelü Chongyuan subconsciously glared at Fusu. After glaring, he turned his face toward the partially collapsed high platform and swallowed hard.
Imagine if we replaced this high platform with something else, such as the city walls of the Liao Dynasty, and their proud cavalry...
Can it withstand it?
It's impossible to resist.
Yelü Chongyuan immediately understood why the Western Xia's Iron Falcons, despite their preemptive ambush, had still suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the passing Song army. He also understood why the Liao's cavalry, which they relied on, had been losing battle after battle, and why the deserters were collectively delirious and unable to speak coherently.
Who, in this situation that resembles divine punishment, would abandon the urge to flee and still have the energy to organize their thoughts and describe the scene? Didn't you see that even the most eloquent and best-written ministers of the Song Dynasty, after being subjected to the baptism of heavenly lightning, were stunned and speechless for a long time?
Having come to this point, Yelü Chongyuan could only humiliatingly say, "If you have any, please give me a copy."
He wanted to sketch the scene of the day and include it in the letter he sent to his motherland, so that his elder brother, the emperor, would know the seriousness of the matter.
Even... Yelü Chongyuan's hand suddenly tightened. Having suffered a series of intimidating blows prepared by the Song state, including himself, the delegation's confidence was severely shaken, and things might really be sliding into the worst possible outcome predicted earlier.
"The military parade is over," Fusu said. "The dust on the parade ground is too thick; it's not advisable to linger. Would you like to come back to the palace with His Majesty and me to rest for a while?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but it's not necessary." Yelü Chongyuan used the last of his strength to force a smile on his face: "If we need to rest, we can just go back to Xiangguo Temple. There's no need to bother you any further."
Fusu nodded: "Then please go ahead—"
Then he skipped off to find Fan Zhongyan. Fusu himself was in a great mood because the military parade was a success. But his elderly master, who had been startled, might not be so happy. He needed to comfort the old man.
When he arrived, he found that Fan Zhongyan was not intimidated at all, but rather looked calm and energetic, as if he had been waiting for him.
"Uh." Fusu was a little surprised: "Are you... alright?"
Fan Zhongyan waved his hand: "Your master has also been to the front lines, this is nothing." He made no mention of the fact that his calves trembled and he almost cramped up when he heard the first sound of the gunpowder ball.
"But you, Your Highness," he glanced almost imperceptibly in Yelü Chongyuan's direction, "aren't you going to strike while the iron is hot?"
"Strike while the iron is hot"? That's too polite, too euphemistic. It should be called "profiteering from a fire," right?
Fusu understood Fan Zhongyan's unspoken meaning: Every bundle they had prepared for today's military parade had rattled, each one startling the Liao delegation. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to initiate peace talks between Liao and Song and reclaim the seven prefectures of Shanqian? Why not be more forceful and forcibly take them to the palace?
Fusu lowered his voice as well: "Yelü Chongyuan should have guessed our intentions. In order to gain the upper hand in the negotiations, they will offer us a price that satisfies us."
The same dialogue also took place within the Liao Dynasty's diplomatic corps.
“Your Highness, the young prince of Song just invited you to the Song palace. I suppose he wanted to discuss peace talks? Why didn’t you go ahead? We could have gained the upper hand.”
Yelü Chongyuan glanced at the man: "Seize the initiative? After watching the military parade just now?"
The man immediately fell silent.
Yelü Chongyuan thought to himself that if the Song people forced them to negotiate, it would make him appear weak and ineffective. But if they let them go so easily, seemingly unconcerned about this excellent opportunity, it would leave no room for anyone to discern the true nature and strength of the Song state.
Moreover… he sighed softly.
Does the absence of open discussion about peace talks today mean that talks haven't begun? Absolutely not. At the very least, their delegation should be considering how to proceed after the military parade.
The only bargaining chip to gain the upper hand amidst a double disadvantage in military equipment and national strength is...
"First, offer the people of Song a price that satisfies them. For example... the seven prefectures in front of the mountain."
"Seven prefectures before the mountain!?" Someone immediately exclaimed, "Has it come to this? Couldn't they at least offer some tribute to the Song Dynasty? Didn't they treat our Great Liao Dynasty the same way back then?"
Yelü Chongyuan's brow twitched violently. He realized that it wasn't just the officials far away in the capital who couldn't see the situation clearly; even within the diplomatic corps, there were those who were clueless.
He forced himself to suppress his anger: "Do you really think that, based on the supernatural abilities the Song people displayed in their military parade, they can't conquer the seven prefectures in front of the mountain?"
The Juyong Pass, which was just lost, is still there.
One of the delegation members who had been rebuked fell silent. He had to admit that he had only been clinging to wishful thinking, believing that the Song people could be appeased with annual tribute without having to cede territory.
Yelü Chongyuan shook his head: "No."
Speaking one's mind aloud would be too humiliating for oneself and too encouraging for others. But the young crown prince of Song is both knowledgeable about people's livelihoods and military affairs; he is truly a prodigy. As long as he is around, it will be extremely difficult for Liao to gain any advantage.
In order to gain the upper hand and prevent the Song state from making exorbitant demands first, they had no choice but to offer sincere terms first. However, this was not something Yelü Chongyuan could decide on his own.
On the night of the military parade, the lights in the rooms of the envoy delegation at Daxiangguo Temple stayed on all night. Inside the rooms, the entire delegation was gathered, their faces solemn, offering suggestions one after another on how to phrase their arguments in a way that would make the court understand the divine power displayed by the Song army in the military parade.
Furthermore, the cession of the "Seven Provinces in Front of the Mountains" was not the product of their failed negotiations, but rather the best result they had fought hard for.
The next day, the officials of the painting academy rushed to make a sketch of the military parade scene and sent it to Xiangguo Temple. According to Brother Jingjue, who personally delivered the painting, everyone in the room at the time was as pale as paper and had dark circles under their eyes, "as if their life force had been drained by ghosts."
Fusu sighed, "Your description is really..."
However, including the previous night when the Liao Kingdom sent an urgent military report under the pretext of delivering belated gifts, the delegation hadn't slept well for two nights in a row. As the instigator of everything, Fusu shed crocodile tears: "The job of an envoy is really difficult."
The thought of having to report devastating news to one's homeland under immense pressure, making a drastic decision to sacrifice everything, and then waiting for a response that might negate all their efforts and hard-won gains is enough to give anyone a headache.
To be fair, Fusu felt that if he were in Yelü Chongyuan's position, he might not have done as well. He also genuinely felt sorry for Yelü Chongyuan, since not everyone has the destiny of Emperor Taizong of this dynasty.
But Yelü Chongyuan himself was far more relaxed than Fusu had imagined, a man burdened with bitterness and hatred. After inspecting the painting sent by the Song Dynasty and confirming that there were no problems, he stuffed it into an envelope, sealed it with wax, and sent it back to the Liao Dynasty. He then felt a sudden sense of relief and enlightenment.
He had done everything he could, and there was nothing left for him to control, so he might as well wait for fate. Yelü Chongyuan's mentality was somewhat like the optimistic attitude of giving up and letting things fall apart before the end of the world, since he was bound to get hit sooner or later anyway, right?
While waiting for a reply, he didn't idle at all, indulging in a leisurely stroll through the streets of Bianjing, making the most of the perks of his business trip. He started by exploring the night market near Xiangguo Temple, then moved on to the teahouses, entertainment venues, and brothels during the day... almost forgetting his home.
There was no way around it; Bianjing was just too much to explore. Even Fusu, who had experienced modern entertainment, almost tripped up on it.
Yelü Chongyuan's whereabouts were not kept secret, and the Imperial City Guard reported to Fusu daily. He only listened to it briefly, and apart from instructing the Imperial City Guard to keep a close watch on him and prevent the Liao people from planting spies, he didn't take it to heart.
There's nothing he can do; he has a lot of other things to do.
The most pressing issue was dealing with the ruins of the Imperial Guards' training ground. They spared no expense for the visual impact of the parade, resulting in the platform being completely leveled. Not only did they have to clear the rubble, but they also had to rebuild it entirely.
Fusu made the positions for rebuilding the high platform public, not as corvée labor, but with wages, and the recruitment was open to all the people of Bianjing. Adding in the cost of raw materials, the expenses were naturally considerable. Every time he saw the budget, he had to close his eyes, take a deep breath, and silently recite "the seven prefectures before the mountain" several times before he could barely calm down.
But to Fusu's surprise, just as the recruitment of workers at Gaotai came to an end, Yelü Chongyuan lost interest in the streets of Bianjing and instead approached him.
On six out of ten days, I would ask him if he was free to go shopping with me; on the remaining four days, I would simply visit him at his door and exchange pleasantries.
Fusu: "..." What is he doing?
He irresponsibly speculated: Could it be to observe future competitors up close?
Fusu was right. Yelü Chongyuan really was there to observe his rival. He already suspected that the Song Dynasty's ability to turn the tide in just ten years was inseparable from this young crown prince, who was known for his genius.
That's precisely why he needed to ascertain this person's true strength and weakness. In other words, he needed to understand just how talented this young prince was, and to what extent he would lead the Song Kingdom in the future.
Of course, out of Yelü Chongyuan's own selfish motives, he also wanted to compare himself with Fusu. Although he had already been completely outclassed before, as the exceptionally talented Crown Prince, who among them didn't have a bit of pride?
Out of diplomatic courtesy, and out of personal feelings for Yelü Chongyuan ("You were such a beautiful woman, why did you become a traitor?"), Fusu had always been polite. But today, Fusu had no choice but to excuse himself.
"Miss Su asked the princess to convey her message to you: When would Your Highness have time to visit your residence for a chat?"
"She also said that there might be some progress on the divine object that Your Highness relayed to her."
Miss Su? Fusu paused for a moment before realizing: Oh, it's Su Zhen. What "divine object" did he mention back then?
...It's a Jenny!
Fusu immediately stood up, so excited he almost overturned his chair: "I have time now, is she at your residence?"
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