Chapter 20. Now, let's begin the negotiation between Song and Xia, offense and defense...
"You're not him, who are you?!"
Fusu was not a narcissistic person and did not believe that everyone he met should leave a deep impression.
But as someone who witnessed the famous scene firsthand, wouldn't the young novice remember Su Shi? He should at least remember the three-year-old child next to Su Shi, right?
In short, when a three-year-old child greets him, the real novice monk might be surprised and doubtful, or even wonder if he has mistaken the person for someone else, but he would definitely not act as if he doesn't recognize him like a stranger.
At present, the negotiations between the Song and Xia states are at a critical juncture, and even the Emperor himself has come to the Daxiangguo Temple.
However, those who were qualified to stand a dozen steps away from the officials were secretly replaced.
If Fusu hadn't made this judgment through a chance event, none of the elders, abbots, or fellow disciples around the young novice would have noticed anything amiss.
What does the person who replaced the novice monk want to do?
What conspiracy is the mastermind behind this?
In a flash, a jumble of thoughts raced through Fusu's mind. But without hesitation, he declared, "Grab this man! He's trying to assassinate me!"
The word "assassination" pierced the nerves of everyone who heard it like a sharp thorn. The surrounding monks and imperial guards rushed over reflexively, all within the span of a single breath. Before the imposter novice could react, he was thrown to the ground and his hands were firmly pinned down in a prisoner-like posture, unable to move an inch.
"What are you trying to do? Senior brother, it's me! I'm your junior brother Jingjue! How could I possibly assassinate someone?"
The monk who had subdued the imposter seemed to only then realize that he had arrested his own junior brother. Indeed, how could Junior Brother Jingjue have attempted assassination? Although he dared not question His Highness Prince Cheng, his puzzled gaze drifted over.
Fusu didn't offer any explanation for the time being, but gave him a cool glance: "Please trouble you, senior brother, to keep him under control and prevent him from escaping or committing suicide out of guilt."
The imperial guards nearby asked, "Shall we search them?"
"No need." After saying this, Fusu turned around and faced Emperor Renzong and the abbot who had rushed over after hearing the commotion. The envoys from Western Xia were also among them.
Emperor Renzong looked anxious. As soon as he entered Fusu's room, he squatted down and carefully examined him from head to toe. Only when he saw that his son seemed to be safe and sound did he breathe a sigh of relief: "Su'er, what happened? I think I heard you say that someone was trying to assassinate me?"
His gaze fell on the person being held down, his expression turning extremely unfriendly. At the same time, the abbot recognized the person being held down as a monk from the temple: "Jingjue!"
"...Your Highness, what exactly happened? Why would Jingjue attempt an assassination?"
The abbot wondered if there was some misunderstanding. Jingjue was kind and obedient, how could he do something that would cost him his head? But if he said that, wouldn't he be questioning His Highness Prince Cheng, or even the Emperor?
He hesitated whether to speak or not, but then he saw His Highness Prince Cheng take small steps and walk up to him, giving him a sweet smile: "Abbot, it's been a few days."
Abbot: "?"
What do you mean, "It's been a few days since we last met"? Has he seen Prince Cheng?
Suddenly, he exclaimed in surprise, "...It is Your Highness! I was blind to your greatness."
In a corner where no one paid attention, the imposter Jingjue, who was being held down tightly, suddenly turned deathly pale.
Fusu: "It seems the abbot still remembers me."
"Amitabha! Your Highness's white dragon robe cannot conceal your exceptional intelligence, making you unforgettable. I was blind to your talent before, so how could I not recognize you now?"
But what does this have to do with pure awareness...?
Wait, could it be...? No way?
Fusu chuckled inwardly: It was Su Shi, not him, who had stolen the limelight that day by defeating the envoy; he was merely a supporting character. Don't be fooled by the abbot's current self-aggrandizement; the only reason he remembered him back then was because he'd never seen a three-year-old dare to trespass into the abbot's meditation room.
You've had a hard time flattering me, Abbot.
But his soft, round face didn't reveal a single flaw. His small chin was slightly raised, as if he was extremely pleased with the abbot's horse: "But this Brother Jingjue, who I have met once before, acted like a stranger when he saw me today. He didn't even respond when I greeted him."
Emperor Renzong's expression gradually turned serious.
Fusu's words offered many possibilities, forcing him to take them seriously.
However, the fact that he immediately sensed something was amiss and used the pretext of assassination to dispatch the Imperial Guards to subdue the suspicious individuals, thus preventing future trouble, truly shows he's my good eldest son!
Unexpectedly, the man who had been restrained suddenly raised his head. Although he was quickly pressed down again by the Imperial Guards, he still seized the opportunity to cry out his innocence: "It was because I was too nervous today that I failed to recognize His Highness Prince Cheng! I never had even the slightest thought of assassinating him. Please, Your Majesty, do justice for me!"
Wow, that's some impressive rhetoric.
With just a few words, he completely absolved himself of any abnormality, and even deliberately steered the narrative in the direction that "His Highness Prince Cheng was enraged that he hadn't recognized him, and deliberately used the assassination attempt as a pretext to frame him."
...This makes it even less likely that he was a novice monk who was tricked by a seven-year-old child without even realizing it.
Fusu originally wanted the novice to recall what they had said that day to determine its authenticity, but he knew that he would be easily dismissed with the excuse that "I have forgotten what happened a few days ago."
He turned to the abbot: "After all, he is from your Great Xiangguo Temple. I only met him once, while you spend every day with Jingjue. Let Xiangguo Temple decide who this person is."
The official nodded: "Su'er's words are very reasonable. Abbot Liaochan, why don't you make the decision?"
"Amitabha, Your Majesty, please allow this humble monk to verify the authenticity of Junior Brother Jingjue." But at this moment, a young and deep voice suddenly interrupted: "Amitabha, Your Majesty, this humble monk is Jingjue's senior brother Jingyuan. I knew him before I became a monk and am extremely familiar with Junior Brother Jingjue's affairs. If this humble monk can also misjudge Jingjue's identity, then no one in the world can recognize him correctly."
Fusu recognized him; this was the same monk who had first subdued the imposter Jingjue and then tried to question him after regaining his senses. He looked three or four years older than Jingjue, with thick eyebrows that hung like scimitars above his eyes, giving him the air of a fierce Buddhist Vajra.
Since someone was willing to step forward and had a solution, the official readily agreed: "Then you can do it."
Then, the direct disciple, Jingyuan, slightly loosened his grip on the imposter's hand: "Subhuti said to the Buddha, 'World Honored One, are there any sentient beings who, upon hearing such words and phrases, will truly believe them?'"
Most of those present who understood Buddhism recognized the source of Jingyuan's words—the sixth chapter, "Right Faith and Rareness," of the Diamond Sutra. A few could also guess it was a verse from a Buddhist scripture. Indeed, shouldn't Buddhist teachings be used to verify a monk's legitimacy?
"Jingjue" was startled and subconsciously said, "The Buddha told Subhuti: 'Do not say such things! ... These sentient beings no longer have the marks of self, person, sentient being, or life span; they have neither the mark of dharma nor the mark of dharma.'"
"He's a fake!"
Jingyuan roared, "Junior Brother Jingjue has only just begun studying the Diamond Sutra; he can't possibly recite it as fluently as he does!"
Fusu: "..."
Fusu: "…………"
Oh, so you're using reverse entrapment tactics?
His gaze swept around, taking in everyone present—officials, ministers, palace maids, eunuchs, even the Western Xia envoys who had come to watch the spectacle…all wore expressions of astonishment and bewilderment, clearly completely bewildered by his senior brother's actions. This imposter, in order to fit his persona, had cultivated to the level of a master, able to recite any Buddhist scripture fluently. Who would have thought that the real person he was impersonating was only at the Bronze level?
The man was immediately slammed to the ground, like a turtle unable to turn over. Soon, the charcoal and lead powder on his face were wiped off, revealing his original appearance, which was six or seven parts similar to Jingjue but slightly different.
Fusu: "Wow." To be honest, this idea of makeup and disguise is actually quite advanced.
But no matter how they interrogated him, the spy, knowing he was powerless to change anything, remained silent like a withered tree. If the Song Dynasty hadn't lacked the technology to refine poison, he probably would have bitten off the poison in his mouth and committed suicide on the spot.
But the thought of monks lurking in a prestigious royal temple filled everyone present with lingering fear. The lives of monks in the Song Dynasty were extremely relaxed and comfortable; they didn't live the austere life of vegetarianism and begging for alms, but rather integrated themselves into the bustling marketplace and entertainment districts.
From royalty, members of the imperial family, and officials, to ordinary people, merchants, overseas traders… even prostitutes were all within their social circle. If someone were to disguise themselves as a monk and infiltrate Xiangguo Temple, mimicking the original owner's lifestyle, the entire situation of the Song Dynasty would be thoroughly understood within a year.
Abbot Liaochan slapped his hand over his eyes, revealing a look of utter despair: It's over, all over. Things had taken the worst possible turn for the Great Xiangguo Temple. Not only were they so negligent that they hadn't even noticed their fellow disciples being switched at birth, but even the monks' lack of understanding of Buddhist teachings had been exposed…
He dragged his aged body and said with deep sorrow, "Amitabha, such a disgraceful thing has happened in the temple. Even if I were to die ten thousand times, I would still be guilty. The only thing we can do now is to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. I implore Your Majesty to allow me to order all the monks in the temple to investigate and report on each other, so as not to give the traitors any opportunity to take advantage of us."
Fusu: "And the whereabouts of Senior Brother Jingjue, Abbot, don't forget."
"Yes, yes, thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. We also need to find that brat Jingjue. How could he be so foolish as to commit such a mistake..."
The emperor waved his hand, his expression unreadable: "Master Liaochan, you may leave. I want to see a clean and tidy Xiangguo Temple before Shenshi (3-5 PM) today."
It was noon, the hottest time of day. Time was running out for the abbot and Xiangguo Temple. Meanwhile, the imposter Jingjue was being held tightly by the Imperial Guards, with experts from the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial City Guard, skilled in interrogation and torture, working together to extract information from him.
...Although everyone present knew who the mastermind was, why was it that nothing happened at Xiangguo Temple for decades, but then, coincidentally, a villain infiltrated the temple when the Western Xia envoys arrived?
Ironically, one of the prime suspects even had the audacity to strike up a conversation and mock them: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, for giving us the privilege of enjoying such a wonderful show."
Fusu gave the man a cold look: Heh.
You'll have your turn to cry later.
Emperor Renzong raised an eyebrow slightly, remaining silent on the Western Xia envoy's remarks. Such an almost frivolous expression was extremely rare on his face, something even Fusu had never seen before. Only the senior ministers Yan Shu and Fu Bi exchanged glances, knowing that this was a sign of His Majesty's true anger.
Fusu only learned this later; the espionage they encountered that day was actually quite rudimentary. As for high-level talent? They were all safely lurking in the Liao Kingdom. The Imperial City Guard was specifically responsible for this. After all, this was the first time Western Xia had declared itself an empire, its first time sending envoys to other countries independently, and its first time planting spies—it was a trial-and-error process, so they were particularly careless.
Therefore, Emperor Renzong's long-awaited anger was not due to the actions of the Western Xia, but rather to Fusu's cry of "Someone attempted assassination." Although it was later proven to be a misunderstanding caused by expediency, the thought that Su'er had been only a hand's breadth away from the spy made his heart clench with fear.
"..."
After the Western Xia envoy finished speaking, he felt a chill run down his spine. Everyone was looking at him with unfriendly eyes, both angry and ridiculous. Could he be so low-ranking as to not know that this was done by one of their own? Enjoy the show? There'll be plenty to enjoy in a moment.
Before long, good news arrived—
I have found pure awareness.
Two days ago, he was knocked unconscious, tied up, and stuffed into a long-abandoned woodshed, truly helpless and desperate. Because the news of the Emperor's visit to Xiangguo Temple came so suddenly, the entire temple was busy preparing for the arrival, which allowed the villains to find a loophole. Even his senior brother Jingyuan didn't have time to exchange a few words with his junior brother each day; otherwise, he would have noticed something was amiss long ago.
Fusu: I knew it!
As the saying goes, killing is easy, but disposing of the body is difficult. If it really was the Western Xia who did it, they are currently unfamiliar with the Song Dynasty and are afraid of being arrested for their wrongdoing. Therefore, they only dared to tie up Jingjue. As for what will happen after the mission is successfully completed? That's hard to say.
Jingjue, supported by his senior brother Jingyuan, came to meet the emperor. He knew that if Fusu hadn't accidentally stumbled upon him, he would most likely have been in trouble. Upon arriving before the emperor, he knelt before him and then tremblingly greeted Fusu: "Amitabha, this humble monk kowtows to thank Your Highness Prince Cheng for saving my life."
Fusu felt a little sorry for her: "Don't rush to express your gratitude. Why don't you go and eat something first?"
Jingjue was locked up and starved for two whole days, completely helpless. His round face had become much thinner. He looked much more haggard than when he first saw him.
As he spoke, his hair was suddenly yanked hard. Fusu looked up, and Emperor Renzong stared at him with concern: "Su'er, you too, when you return to the palace, use mugwort to fumigate your clothes and ward off evil spirits."
A spy is a spy, what evil spirit could there be? Fusu was both amused and exasperated; he was a materialist.
However, when I think about the two inexplicable time travels, my identity as a materialist doesn't seem so firm anymore.
Moreover, he wasn't afraid of today's evil spirits; he'd rather encounter as many as possible as long as it helped the negotiations. The problem was, how could it possibly help the negotiations? Given the shamelessness of the Western Xia envoys, they certainly wouldn't admit it.
Fusu stared at the tips of his shoes, his mind racing. Meanwhile, the joint operation between the Imperial City Guard and the Ministry of Justice's interrogation experts was proceeding swiftly, and the results had already been presented.
The official held the spy's confession in his hands; the ink on the snow-white Xuan paper was still wet, and there was even a faint smell of blood.
But at this moment, no one cared about this impropriety. The officials all craned their necks, their eyes fixed on the stack of papers in the Emperor's hand, eager to know what was written on them.
The Emperor read through the documents one by one, but instead of handing them to any of his ministers, he gave them to Fusu, who was tugging at his sleeve and blinking his eyes vigorously. Fusu had to admit that he was now convinced of their effectiveness; he found that acting cute was indeed useful, and it was becoming increasingly effective.
Fusu held his breath and, after reading the contents of the first chapter, let out a soft exclamation: "Wow..."
So that's how it was determined.
For interrogation experts, there are methods for dealing with the weak and tricks for the strong. They brought in two experts, one familiar with the Liao Dynasty and the other with the Western Xia Dynasty. One spoke to the spy in Liao language, and the other in Western Xia language, while observing the spy's expressions. Finally, when the Western Xia expert uttered words with obvious blasphemous undertones, the spy couldn't help but let out a strange cry, ultimately falling into the trap.
...It's really hard to resist.
Fusu thought.
People with religious beliefs are completely different from those without. They believe that their every action is inspired by the highest God. Perhaps this undercover agent's actions are all in the name of the supreme God's will; they'd fight you to the death if they heard anything blasphemous.
Once the first flaw is exposed, the spies will naturally become despondent. At that point, it won't be difficult to get them to talk. Meanwhile, as Fusu carefully read through the pages, the Imperial Guards had already surrounded the Western Xia delegation in layers.
The atmosphere at Daxiangguo Temple suddenly became tense and grim, and the faces of the surrounded Western Xia delegation all changed.
Song officials had already discerned the true meaning behind Emperor Renzong's actions. Fu Bi, acting as the emperor's mouthpiece, stepped forward and glared coldly at them.
"Our Great Song treats people with courtesy and righteousness, yet your Western Xia delegation secretly harms the monks of our Great Xiangguo Temple, steals their belongings, and attempts to infiltrate us. What wolfish ambitions do you harbor?"
No one from the Western Xia delegation answered.
They were watching, they were counting. The delegation consisted of only a few dozen people, while the Song people in Xiangguo Temple numbered in the hundreds. Even if they fought ten against one, they couldn't defeat them.
And what good would it do to win? In the end, they would still perish in another country. Even if Li Yuanhao were willing to avenge them and start a war with the Song Dynasty again, their lives would truly be lost.
But what if they admit that the spy was sent by them? Then they would have to agree to all sorts of harsh and outrageous conditions from the Song Dynasty, which would mean that both the negotiation and the undercover mission would fail, and they would still be severely punished by Li Yuanhao after returning to Western Xia.
what to do?
To admit it or not?
Although Yang Shousu's reputation within the delegation had declined due to previous events, forcing him to step down to a secondary position, everyone in Xixia unconsciously turned their attention to him again—the person who had orchestrated the entire undercover operation.
Yang Shousu's hands, hidden in his sleeves, trembled. But he realized that as one of the few in the delegation who was good at resolving problems with words rather than force, if he could handle the current predicament well, he could become a hero who could turn the tide.
"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, may I ask why you dare to slander my Western Xia without any evidence? Is it not too arbitrary to make a judgment based solely on a piece of paper without any basis?"
Just as Fu Bi was about to speak, Emperor Renzong waved his hand to stop him.
“Words without proof are not your word. If I said I had the final say, none of you would dare admit to the despicable things you have done.”
Just as both the Western Xia and the Song Dynasty were puzzled as to why the Song emperor would respond with such weak words, he changed his tone again: "Then, I will send someone north to the Liao Dynasty to let the Liao Dynasty judge whether the Liao emperor's words are true or not."
Fusu: !!!
Isn't this a variation of the idea he only thought about in his head yesterday but didn't dare to say aloud?
The Song Dynasty devised a plan to divert trouble eastward, arranging for the Liao Dynasty, which had been betrayed by its own servants, to fight against the Western Xia. After three years of bitter fighting with the Song Dynasty, the Western Xia, weakened and exhausted, were certainly a target for Liao, who were eager to find a pretext to punish them.
At this time, the Song Dynasty sent a spy over there, which was like sending a pillow – and there was no need to worry about the Liao Kingdom causing trouble.
He might even thank us.
Fusu examined the Western Xia envoy's face, which was even paler than before, and couldn't help but purse his lips and let out a smile.
—From this moment on, the balance of power in the negotiations between the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia has shifted.
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The author notes: In Liao history, it is true that Liao fought a battle with Western Xia after the peace talks between Song and Xia.
There will be a second update, but it will be around 4 or 5 in the morning (…), so I suggest you get up early tomorrow to watch it.
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