Chapter 139 The Rebellion of the Yin Kingdom.
On August 19th, Xiao Lin, accompanied by a personal attendant, a civil official, and eight imperial guards, left the capital and headed north. After resting for two days in Jicheng and arranging the necessary funeral gifts, he continued northeast towards Liaozhou. As an envoy of the Great Zhou, he passed through various passes and cities in Liaozhou and finally arrived at Shencheng, the capital of the Yin Kingdom, before the onset of the harsh winter in the north at the end of September.
It had been almost two months since the death of Emperor Yin, who had defeated two generations of emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty. With the thirty-year-old Crown Prince Yin successfully inheriting the throne, the people of the capital city of Shencheng had emerged from the grief of the old emperor's death. However, although the city walls of Shencheng were magnificent and sturdy, the city itself was far less prosperous and bustling than Luocheng, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Xiao Lin was taken to a post station by the Ministry of Rites official of Yin State to rest. After a day of rest, he was summoned to the palace by the Yin Emperor the next day.
Although the Yin Kingdom only had Liaozhou, its government offices were almost identical to those of the Great Zhou Dynasty, complete with everything from the Secretariat to the Six Ministries. However, Liaozhou had little land and population, resulting in fewer capable officials emerging each year. As Xiao Lin stepped into the hall, he calmly surveyed his surroundings and noticed that most of the civil and military officials on both sides were elderly ministers in their fifties or sixties.
When the former Yin emperor ascended the throne, he was only in his twenties. At that time, most of the ministers he relied on were older than him. Now, the former Yin emperor has also died young, leaving behind the ministers who had assisted him for more than twenty years to the new emperor of Yin.
Now, these old ministers of the Yin state are eyeing Xiao Lin with covetous intent.
Xiao Lin thought to himself, if the new emperor of Yin is a wise ruler, then at least before these old ministers die of old age, if the Great Zhou wants to conquer Liaozhou by force, even if it succeeds, it will cost tens of thousands of soldiers their lives.
Stopping in his tracks, Xiao Lin bowed to Emperor Yin on the dragon throne, performing the rites due to an envoy.
The current Yin Emperor was thin, with a gaunt face that looked somewhat sinister. After scrutinizing Xiao Lin for a moment, the Yin Emperor asked, "What brings the Zhou Emperor here?"
Xiao Lin, dressed in a plain white robe, sighed upon hearing this and said, "Last year, the late Emperor of my Great Zhou passed away, and His Majesty was devastated. Recently, upon learning of the passing of your late Emperor, His Majesty felt the same pain as Your Majesty in losing your father. Therefore, he specially sent me to offer my condolences, in return for the ceremony performed by your late Emperor at the beginning of the year to pay homage to the late Emperor of my Great Zhou."
Emperor Yin pursed his lips.
At the beginning of the year, when my father heard that Emperor Xianping had passed away, he was so happy that he drank three large bowls of wine with his ministers, saying that the fate of the Zhou Dynasty was coming to an end and that his country would prosper. However, in early August, when my father went to the suburbs to inspect the people's autumn harvest, he suddenly fainted when he dismounted. After examining his pulse, the imperial physician said that my father had fallen ill from overwork. It was a pity that my father, who was wise all his life, died on his dragon bed.
Emperor Yin felt that the Zhou emperor's so-called dispatch of envoys to return the gifts was actually a mockery of their gloating at the beginning of the year.
Therefore, Emperor Yin disliked Xiao Lin very much and dismissed him after giving him a perfunctory reply.
Xiao Lin was not disappointed. After leaving the palace, he took only two guards to the most bustling market in Shencheng. He either went to a restaurant to taste the local delicacies and wines, or to a brothel to listen to songs and watch courtesans perform.
The Yin Kingdom's spies reported Xiao Lin's every move to the Yin Emperor.
Soon, Emperor Yin received another message, saying that Xiao Lin had brought generous gifts to the residence of the Second Prince, Prince Jin. The late Emperor of Yin also had the grand ambition of unifying the ten states and restoring the hegemony of Yin in the past. Therefore, he conferred the title of Prince Jin on the Second Prince and Prince Jing on the Third Prince. At least it sounded like the Jin and Jing states of Zhou had become the fiefdoms of the two princes of Yin.
Emperor Yin immediately summoned the Prince of Jin and questioned Xiao Lin about his motives in giving him the gifts.
Upon hearing this, Prince Jin was very unhappy. As soon as his father passed away, his elder brother dismissed him from his post as Vice Minister of Revenue and gave him only a sinecure. As a result, Xiao Lin had just sent him two boxes of jewels when his elder brother interrogated him as if he were a criminal.
But Prince Jin dared not show it and honestly said, "Xiao Lin said that the Zhou emperor ostensibly sent him to offer condolences, but in reality, he wanted him to carefully investigate your talents, ambitions, and the people's hearts. The officials and people of Shencheng are all tight-lipped, and Xiao Lin couldn't get any information out of them, so he came to me for help. But don't worry, Your Majesty, how could I possibly tell him the truth?"
Emperor Yin: "Is that so? Then what did you say?"
The Prince of Jin laughed and said, "I said that my royal brother is mediocre and lacks ambition, and his popularity with the people is far inferior to that of our father... Royal brother, don't be angry. I was just being sarcastic. You may not like to hear it, but the Emperor of Zhou will. If he follows me, he will look down on my royal brother and eventually lead an expedition against Liaozhou like that fool Xianping. At that time, my royal brother will lead his people to fight with all his might and let that immature son of Xianping taste the power of our Yin Kingdom!"
Emperor Yin: "..."
He suspected that his second brother was deliberately trying to belittle him, but when faced with his brother's undisguised boastful expression, Emperor Yin thought that his brother must really be that stupid, stupid enough to believe that the Yin state still had enough troops to resist the Zhou state's fourth northern expedition.
Furious but unable to vent his anger, Emperor Yin waved his hand and dismissed the man. Just as Prince Jin left, an official from the Ministry of Rites arrived, saying that Xiao Lin hoped to enter the palace the next day to bid him farewell in person.
Emperor Yin originally did not intend to keep Xiao Lin, but he was afraid that Xiao Lin would really believe his second brother's words and tell Emperor Yuanxing after returning home, and Emperor Yuanxing would send troops to attack him the following year!
After much deliberation, that very night Emperor Yin, under the pretext of finally having time to entertain Xiao Lin, hosted a grand banquet in the palace.
At the banquet, Emperor Yin extended a warm invitation to Xiao Lin to stay in Shencheng for a while longer.
Xiao Lin laughed and said, "No, no, I've heard that the winter snow in Liaozhou is extremely heavy. I must return to Jizhou before the heavy snow arrives this winter, and then hurry back to Luoyang to reunite with my family for the New Year."
Emperor Yin could no longer persuade him to stay. Seeing that Xiao Lin was drinking heartily and his slender eyes kept sweeping over the dancing girls, he didn't seem like a loyal subject at all. So Emperor Yin clapped his hands.
The dancing singers and the musicians withdrew together, and palace servants brought in four chests of gold and silver jewelry, which were then placed in front of Xiao Lin.
Xiao Lin stared intently at the four boxes of jewels, so engrossed that he lifted his buttocks off the chair, revealing his unsightly behavior. It wasn't until Emperor Yin coughed lightly that Xiao Lin sat up straight, looking rather embarrassed. He then put on an air of aloofness and asked in a cold voice, "What does Your Majesty mean by this? I, Xiao Lin, am a loyal subject of the Great Zhou Dynasty and would never accept ill-gotten gains."
Emperor Yin laughed and said, "Lord Xiao has come from afar and is a guest of the Yin Kingdom. How could I allow Lord Xiao to lose money at the Prince of Jin's place?"
The implication was that he already knew what Xiao Lin had done to the Prince of Jin.
Xiao Lin's expression changed drastically. He secretly glanced at Emperor Yin several times, and seeing that Emperor Yin was always smiling and staring at him, Xiao Lin became more and more guilty. After wiping his sweat with his sleeve, Xiao Lin suddenly left his seat, knelt down in front of Emperor Yin, and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, spare my life! I... I didn't mean to spy on Your Majesty's secrets, but I was under imperial orders and was being watched by the Imperial Guards. I had no choice but to ask Prince Jin for help!"
Emperor Yin: "I have heard that the Zhou Kingdom is full of talented people. Why did your emperor choose a spineless coward like you as his envoy?"
Xiao Lin smiled bitterly and said, "I didn't want to come either. It was my younger brother, who is the Imperial Tutor, who insisted on recommending me to the Emperor in order to curry favor. He said that I had accompanied the late Emperor on his northern expedition and was familiar with the climate and soil of Liaozhou. The Emperor trusted him very much, so he sent me here."
Emperor Yin naturally knew several important civil and military officials of the Zhou state, including Xiao Yu, a famous minister who dared to speak frankly.
"So, how do you plan to respond to your emperor after you return to the capital?" Emperor Yin asked casually.
Xiao Lin looked up, glanced at Emperor Yin a few times, and tentatively asked, "How does Your Majesty wish me to answer?"
Emperor Yin smiled, very pleased with Xiao Lin's tact, but suddenly changed the subject and asked instead, "Does your emperor have any intention of launching a northern expedition?"
Xiao Lin: "I dare not conceal from Your Majesty that when the news of the late Emperor's passing reached the Great Zhou court, almost the entire court of civil and military officials petitioned Your Majesty to launch a northern expedition. In particular, Marquis of Pingnan Liang Bizheng and former Duke of Dingguo Li Wei, even the old Imperial Uncle, cried and pleaded for battle, saying that he wanted to come to Liaozhou to avenge our late Emperor. However, Your Majesty is only twenty years old and has just ascended the throne. It seems that Your Majesty is more afraid of repeating the mistakes of Emperor Gaozu and the late Emperor. Therefore, you have temporarily suppressed the court of civil and military officials and sent me to find out the actual situation of Your Majesty's governance after ascending the throne."
Emperor Yin listened expressionlessly, his heart pounding like a drum. Emperor Yuanxing lacked the confidence to attack him, and he lacked the confidence to withstand Emperor Yuanxing's army. After all, the Zhou state had a continuous supply of soldiers, while the people of Liaozhou were dwindling with each battle, soon to be without a successor. Ideally, the two states would remain at peace, allowing him to reign steadily for decades. As for his father's ambition to revitalize the Great Yin, let his descendants strive for that!
Meeting Xiao Lin's gaze once again, Emperor Yin snorted: "Although my Yin Kingdom is only one province, the people of Liaozhou, both men and women, are all brave and warlike. If your emperor dares to raise an army to attack Yin, I will make sure he never returns."
Xiao Lin nodded repeatedly, his flattery revealing a hint of genuine fear: "The bravery of the Yin soldiers has long been known throughout the Zhou army. To be honest, Your Majesty, we ordinary Zhou soldiers do not want to launch a northern expedition. Only nobles like the Marquis of Pingnan, who were favored by Emperor Gaozu but have gradually been neglected by Your Majesty, are hoping to regain Your Majesty's favor through their military achievements."
Emperor Yin smiled, his eyes revealing disdain for Xiao Lin's family background. Xiao Rong's title of Marquis was obtained by sheer luck, while Xiao Lin was just like any other commoner, cowardly and ignorant of loyalty to the emperor and serving the country.
After demonstrating his fearlessness in battle, Emperor Yin changed the subject and sighed, "The people of Liaozhou are brave and warlike, willing to go through fire and water for me. As the emperor, I cannot bear to see them continue to suffer the pain of war. Therefore, for the sake of the peace and stability of the people and soldiers of both countries, if you can persuade your emperor to give up the idea of attacking Yin, then those four chests of jewels are yours."
Xiao Lin's eyes lit up. He looked back, then pondered for a moment before excitedly saying, "Then I will go back and tell His Majesty that Your Majesty is wise and mighty, even surpassing the late Emperor. The people of Liaozhou, upon hearing that the Great Zhou intends to launch a northern expedition, are all eager to join the army to protect the country. Oh, and I must also tell His Majesty that Your Majesty has mobilized laborers to build the Great Wall in western, northern, and southern Liaozhou. It can defend against the Great Zhou infantry in the east, against the Great Zhou or Donghu cavalry in the north, and against the Great Zhou navy in the south. In this way, Liaozhou will be as solid as a rock, and His Majesty will certainly not dare to discuss sending troops again."
Emperor Yin chuckled and said, "You're quite clever."
The two had a pleasant conversation, and the next day, Xiao Lin left Shencheng with four boxes of gold and silver jewels bestowed upon him by the Yin Emperor.
As soon as Xiao Lin left, Emperor Yin discussed the construction of the Great Wall on three sides with his ministers. He did not show it to Xiao Lin last night, but Emperor Yin really thought this was a good idea. It could effectively defend against enemy troops and deter Emperor Yuanxing from launching a northern expedition.
The high-ranking officials of the Yin state opposed the project, arguing that building the Great Wall would be a waste of resources and manpower and would likely cause widespread resentment among the people.
Emperor Yin didn't care what the people thought; all he wanted was to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor.
As for public grievances...
殷帝靈機一動，把征調民夫修築長城的差事交給了他那位沽名釣譽的三弟荊王。
在抗旨受罰與得罪百姓中間，荊王無奈地選擇了後者。
-----------------------
作者有話說：殷國先帝：[憤怒][憤怒][憤怒]
今天就單更啦，100個小紅包，明天見！
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com