Chapter 21: Diplomatic Relations Between the Two Countries
Xiao Yunzhan was wearing a dark-colored casual robe. Under the sun, the dark patterns on the robe only showed a faint light, almost invisible unless you squinted to look closely.
He first glanced at the teacup on the table, and seeing that the tea was still steaming, his brows relaxed. He then raised his hand and waved to Pei Zhiwei, indicating that she did not need to get up.
"I just came from the Imperial Garden. I heard that the Empress Dowager had been summoning you for a long time. I thought that since it was your first time entering the palace, you might feel uncomfortable, so I came over to take a look."
Pei Zhiwei's fingertips were still warm from the teacup as she continued, "Your Highness is too kind. The Empress Dowager is gentle by nature. She only asked about some details of the Feng Chao case and even rewarded me with this bracelet."
As he spoke, he took out a jade bracelet from his brocade pouch.
"I must thank Your Highness for mentioning my investigative skills to the Empress Dowager before, otherwise I would not have dared to speak presumptuously in front of Her Majesty."
Her tone was full of genuine gratitude, taking Xiao Yunzhan's mention as recognition of a "fellow traveler," without considering anything else.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunzhan's ears turned a light blush. He quickly looked away and gazed outside the hall, softening his voice.
"The Empress Dowager has been in the inner palace for a long time and rarely sees anything new or exciting happening outside."
When I paid my respects earlier, I occasionally mentioned the details of the investigation, including your meticulousness in finding shoe prints on the carpet and distinguishing between genuine and fake shoe prints.
It was just chatting about trivial things to pass the time; it wasn't exactly a special compliment.
That's half true and half false.
That day, when he paid his respects at Fengyi Palace, the Empress Dowager asked about the Feng Chao case. He clearly recounted at length how Pei Zhiwei saw through the flaws and how she meticulously investigated the clues.
But for some reason, I just can't bring myself to say these things right now, so I can only use "relieving boredom" as an excuse to gloss over them.
Pei Zhiwei didn't think about it in detail, but just smiled and nodded.
"In any case, I must thank Your Highness. If Her Majesty hadn't listened to my words, I wouldn't have dared to say those presumptuous things."
As the two were talking, Li Rong's voice suddenly came from outside the hall.
When he entered, his expression was much more somber than usual. He leaned close to Xiao Yunzhan's ear and whispered a few words.
Xiao Yunzhan's face, which had been carrying a slight smile, instantly darkened, and his brows furrowed into a knot.
"What happened?" Pei Zhiwei asked quickly when she saw his expression.
"Luo Sheng is dead." Xiao Yunzhan's voice was laced with coldness.
"They say he went back to Jiangnan with a grain transport boat, drank wine on the boat at night, and accidentally fell into the river."
Pei Zhiwei's heart tightened: "He makes a living on a boat all year round, how could he have fallen?"
"The people from the canal transport office said that he drank two jars of wine with the boatmen before boarding the ship, and then drank too much again on the ship, and lost his footing."
Xiao Yunzhan lightly twirled the ring on his finger, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Heh, this excuse, they really can't even be bothered to pretend anymore."
Just as Pei Zhiwei was about to ask another question, an eunuch outside the palace came to announce that all the officials were invited to a banquet.
"Let's go to the banquet first, and we can discuss this matter in detail later."
Xiao Yunzhan stood up, and the two walked out of the west side hall side by side.
Along the way, they encountered several palace maids and eunuchs, all of whom were busy bowing and paying their respects. Although their eyes held a hint of curiosity, none of them dared to linger and hurried past.
The weather is fine today, and the banquet is set up under the colorful canopy in the Imperial Garden, with separate tables for men and women according to old customs.
The men's seats were on the left, and the women's seats were on the right, separated by a patch of chrysanthemums in full bloom, yellow and white ones piled up there, creating a lively scene.
The emperor and empress were seated at the head of the tent, with palace maids holding fans and eunuchs serving tea behind them. The atmosphere was both orderly and solemn, with a touch of warmth added by the fragrance of tea in the air.
As soon as Pei Zhiwei stepped into the women's section, Yan Jinghong reached out and pulled her to sit down next to him.
Yan Jinghong gently squeezed her fingertips and asked in a low voice, "Has the Empress Dowager made things difficult for you? I've been away for so long, and I still feel uneasy."
"Mother, don't worry, Her Majesty not only didn't say anything, but also rewarded me with this." Pei Zhiwei said, handing the jade bracelet to her mother.
The wife of the Vice Minister of Rites leaned closer to examine it and said with a smile, "This emerald green is so clear and translucent, just like the one the Empress Dowager usually wears. It's a rare honor for Lady Pei to receive such a reward."
Before he finished speaking, the emperor had already raised his cup to signal the start of the banquet.
A clear, melodious voice announced the arrival of a palace eunuch, and maids filed in, carrying gilded food boxes. The freshly placed dishes steamed, their aromas of oil and sauce filling the air.
Pei Zhiwei had just taken a bite of the crab roe tofu when she saw one of the men stand up.
The man wore a long robe with gold patterns, the gold threads forming intricate cloud patterns on the fabric, shimmering and undulating as he moved, like golden clouds surging.
The belt around his waist was even more eye-catching, densely inlaid with colorful gemstones, each the size of a finger joint. This man was none other than Agula, a Uyghur nobleman who had accompanied the delegation to the capital.
He stood up with his shoulders and back ramrod straight, his movements slow and deliberate like a mountain being pushed aside. His gaze slowly swept over the guests in the hall, finally settling steadily on the emperor and empress on the throne.
His voice was like a bronze bell, so clear that even those at the very end of the banquet could hear every word clearly.
"Your Majesty of Great Liang, I have a matter I would like to request your clarification on."
The emperor gently placed the jade wine cup in his hand on the table, the faint smile still lingering on his lips from the banquet. "Envoy, please speak freely."
Agula took half a step forward, his voice suddenly rising:
"Does Your Majesty still remember the incident a few months ago when my Uyghur caravan was robbed in Jiangnan? At that time, the Jiangnan government reported that the bandits had been caught and the case was closed."
The emperor tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, then thought for a moment.
"I do recall it. The Jiangnan Provincial Surveillance Commissioner reported that the perpetrators had been brought to justice, and I even instructed the Ministry of Revenue to compensate the caravan for its losses."
Agula bowed respectfully, and when he straightened up, he found himself holding a neatly folded document.
He held the document high above his head, and his tone of voice became a little more forceful than before, though no one could tell unless they listened closely.
"But I recently received a secret report that says those so-called mountain bandits are actually refugees arrested by the government to take the blame!"
The real killer is still at large!
The room fell silent instantly; even the rustling of chrysanthemum petals carried by the autumn wind could be heard clearly.
The emperor's smile slowly faded, and a hint of doubt crept into his voice: "Where did this idea of taking the blame come from?"
"Your Majesty, you are wise!" Agula's eyes gleamed with anxiety, and his voice suddenly rose.
"The secret report clearly states that those refugees never went to the place where the caravan was killed!"
Local officials were so eager to close the case quickly that they handled it so perfunctorily!
If the Great Liang truly cared for the Uyghurs, how could they commit such deceitful acts? This is not only disrespectful to the Uyghurs, but also disrespectful to the diplomatic relations between our two nations!
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere at the table froze.
The ministers in the men's seats all lowered their heads, and none of them dared to speak first.
This matter involves diplomatic relations; even saying the wrong word could cause trouble.
The Uyghurs and Daliang have always had a close relationship through tea and horse trade and silk trade. If this case causes a rift, not only will border trade be affected, but it may also lead to diplomatic disputes.
The emperor received the secret report from the eunuch and read it word by word. His brows furrowed more and more, and his originally gentle expression turned completely somber.
“Envoy Agula,” the emperor’s voice was steady, yet every word was firm and resounding.
"The Liang and the Uyghurs have been on good terms for so many years, and there is absolutely no intention to treat them with disrespect."
If the officials in Jiangnan are indeed so negligent, I will punish them severely and give the Huihe people justice.
After saying that, he turned to look at the left side of the men's section: "Pei Lin!"
Pei Lin immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Your subject is here!"
"I order you to go to Jiangnan tomorrow and thoroughly investigate the case of the murder of the Uyghur merchant caravan!"
The emperor's gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Pei Lin.
"I hereby grant you, officials of the fifth rank and below, the power to execute first and report later. No matter who is involved in this case, you must investigate it thoroughly and give me and the Uyghurs an explanation!"
Pei Lin stood up straight, his face devoid of any superfluous expression, exuding only a stern and imposing aura.
"Your Majesty, I obey! I will thoroughly investigate this case and show no leniency!"
Seeing that the emperor's attitude was firm and that he had even issued a decree, Agula's expression softened somewhat, and he bowed again.
"Your Majesty, I thank you! I await Lord Pei's good news." After saying this, he returned to his seat.
Although the atmosphere at the banquet gradually relaxed, it could never return to its previous liveliness.
Most of the officials looked solemn, and the women dared only speak in hushed tones, their conversations always revolving around the case of the Uyghur caravan.
Pei Zhiwei watched her father's upright figure as he received the imperial decree, and her heart clenched with each passing moment.
This case in Jiangnan involves diplomatic relations, so the burden on my father's shoulders must be heavy.
As the banquet ended, a eunuch in a blue robe tiptoed up to Pei Lin and whispered a few words in his ear.
After listening, Pei Lin turned to his wife and daughter and said, "You two go back to the manor first." Then he followed the eunuch and left.
***
In the imperial study, stacks of yellowed documents were piled on the bookshelves, some with curled edges.
The emperor sat behind his desk and ordered a eunuch to fetch a scroll, which he then handed to Pei Lin: "Take a look at this first."
Pei Lin unfolded the file and read it line by line, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.
The file records the losses incurred by the Jiangnan canal transport over the past three years.
In normal years, the rate is at most 20%, but last year it soared to 30%, and in the first half of this year it exceeded 30%.
He couldn't help but look up and say, "Your Majesty, this damage is highly unusual. Ordinary water damage and insect infestation would never amount to this much. There must be something fishy going on here."
The emperor nodded, his voice heavy and muffled.
"I had a feeling something was wrong long ago, but I hadn't found any concrete evidence. The place where the Uyghur caravan was killed happened to be a key point on the canal transport route in Jiangnan."
On the surface, you're investigating the caravan cases, but secretly, you also need to get to the bottom of the losses incurred during the canal transport.
Xiao Yunzhan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the relationships in the Jiangnan canal transport are complex and involve too many people."
"Your Majesty, I request permission to accompany you to Jiangnan, so that we may have someone to rely on. In case we encounter any difficult situations, having another person will provide more support."
The emperor paused on the table, pondered for a moment, and then nodded in agreement.
"Very well. You are meticulous and can lend a hand if you go. With a prince like you in charge, those people won't dare to make any rash moves."
But remember to remain calm and gather solid evidence before taking action; don't alert the enemy.
Just as Pei Lin was about to bow and accept the decree, a eunuch suddenly entered carrying a file: "Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Jiangnan Canal Transport Office!"
The emperor unfolded the urgent report and glanced at it, his brows, which had just relaxed, furrowing again.
The grain transport boat that departed from Runzhou last month has not yet arrived in the capital.
He handed the urgent report to Pei Lin. Pei Lin paused for a moment as he took it, his expression becoming even more serious than before.
Xiao Yunzhan also looked at the emperor, his worry barely concealed.
After a moment of silence, the emperor said in a deep voice, "You shall set off tomorrow. Also, investigate the missing grain transport ship thoroughly."
He stared at the two of them, his tone becoming serious, "When you go to Jiangnan, no matter what you find out, prioritize your own safety and don't try to force your way in."
Pei Lin bowed and accepted the decree, then left the imperial study side by side with Xiao Yunzhan.
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