Chapter 79: The Ninety-Sixth Holy Ruler

  Wanyan Zongbi followed Mr. Na Han's instructions, first going to the famous Li Jingdian clothing store in Bianliang to pick up a set of common clothes for a Central Plains scholar that he had ordered two days ago, changing out of the leather jacket he wore year-round, and then finding a barber shop to shave off his bushy beard, re-styling his messy braids into a Central Plains hairstyle, even wearing a scholar's headscarf; although it looked quite strange, he was already vastly different from the northern barbarian he appeared to be before changing clothes.

  After finishing the collection, he returned to the inn to retrieve the Dongzhu Pagoda, black sable cloak and white fox fur coat, three heavy gifts. He hired a beautifully decorated carriage and arrived at the gate of Zhao Zhi's mansion, the second minister of the Great Song Dynasty.

  Although Zhao Zifu's power was far inferior to that of Chancellor Cai Jing, he was not someone a foreign tribal prince like Wanyan Zongbiao could see at will. The old medicine bottle was handed in, and Wanyan Zongbiao waited anxiously at the door. Fortunately, his luck was still quite good, as Chancellor Zhao Zifu happened to be in the mansion, and upon seeing the medicine bottle, he recalled an old matter from years ago, which moved him deeply. He then had Wanyan Zongbiao's two attendants wait outside the gatehouse while allowing him to enter.

  The servant passed on the message, and Zhao Zifu continued to play with the half-old medicine bottle. He pulled open the first drawer of his desk on the left hand side, and inside was a porcelain bottle that looked exactly like the one in his hand. Although this porcelain bottle seemed rough and unrefined in the Central Plains, in the northern regions of Liao State, among the Jurchen, Wusun and other tribes, such exquisite porcelain from the Central Plains could only be owned by the leaders and nobles of the tribe.

  At first, Zhao Zhen was just emerging on the court of the Great Song Dynasty because he belonged to the new party that advocated for a northern expedition against Liao and recovering Youyan. His sharp edges were too revealing, and as a result, he was framed by his political enemies from the old party who held power, sending him as an envoy to Liao. The people of Liao naturally treated this ambitious young envoy well. Not only did they take him on a detour within the borders of Liao, increasing the distance traveled threefold, but also specially invited him to attend a banquet in the northeastern region of Dongjingdao to form an alliance with the northern barbarian tribes.

  At that time, it was freezing weather, but the fish head banquet was held outdoors. Zhao Zhifu wore a fur coat brought from the Central Plains, and no matter how he stomped his feet or rubbed his hands, he felt chilled to the bone. The cold wind cut like a knife across his face, but in order not to lose the dignity of being an envoy of a great nation, he endured it and socialized with the Liao people, **his skin on the outside was almost numb from the cold**

  In the absence of anti-freeze ointment, Zhao Zhi would have suffered severe frostbite on his face. However, just as he was leaving the table to relieve himself, a small tribal leader secretly followed him out and handed him a bottle of anti-freeze ointment. He also whispered to him that the Khitan had invited him to attend an outdoor fish-head banquet specifically to freeze him. Zhao Zhi immediately applied this extremely effective secret ointment. At the fish-head banquet, the Khitan saw that the Southern Dynasty envoy was chatting and laughing as if nothing was wrong, without any signs of frostbite, and they all marveled at it. From then on, they did not make things difficult for him again. After returning to the court, he gained the trust of the imperial family because he did not humiliate his mission, and from then on, Zhao Zhi was even more careful not to give others a handle to attack him. He managed to survive until the old party fell out of favor and the new party came to power, and he rose all the way to the position of deputy prime minister.

  After the events of his diplomatic mission, Zhao Zhen deeply believed that he was a lucky person with a heavenly aura, which is why the unfamiliar barbarian leader helped him and allowed him to escape his destined calamity. The half-old small medicine bottle in front of him had the totem of the Wanyan tribe carved on its bottom with a knife, exactly the same as the one from that year.

  "Lord Zhao." Wanyan Zongbi seemed to have read a bit of books and didn't look like his father, who would take one glance at him as an outsider barbarian.

  Zhao Zifu saw that although he was full of barbarian air, after all, he had a heart towards China, and nodded slightly in his heart. His face was calm and gentle, saying: "What is your relationship with Aguda?"

  "It's a family matter." Wanyan Zongbi followed the advice of the elder, exchanging pleasantries with this profound and unfathomable Premier Zhao for a few sentences before turning to the main topic: "If the Great Song can help our Jurchen tribes resist the oppression of the Liao people, we will certainly regard the Great Song as the orthodox dynasty and pay tribute to the heavenly court. Your excellency's great kindness and virtue, my Wanyan tribe will never forget."

  Zhao Zhi's eyes narrowed slightly, the imperial court's intention to recover Youyan through a northern expedition was becoming increasingly clear. If the Jurchen people in the north of Liao could hold back the Northern Court army, this dynasty would gather the elite troops from Hedong, Hebei and Xijing to launch a northern expedition, defeat the Liao army south of Yu Pass in one battle, and then defend the strategic location to recover Youyan. According to the secret report from the Imperial Secretariat, there were 300,000 Liao troops on the Western Capital Road that could put up a good fight. If they added tens of thousands of Northern Court elite iron cavalry, the Song army's northern expedition would be in danger of repeating the tragedy of the Yongxi northern expedition if it couldn't win quickly.

  "I was fortunate to have been saved by the medicine given by your respected father, Abaoji, when I first went on a mission to Liao. Zhao is not an ungrateful person, and since you are resentful of the oppression by the Liao people, you have risen up in arms against them, which I naturally applaud. However, there has been no war between the Song Dynasty and Liao for nearly a hundred years, and forming an alliance with the Jurchen tribe is a major military affair. As the Prime Minister, I cannot use public resources to repay personal favors. If the Jurchen tribe can truly restrain Liao, our dynasty can provide some support in terms of gunpowder, armor, and rations, which would be acceptable."

  Zhao Zhi smiled slightly, seeing the naked desire in Wanyan Zongbiao's eyes, unlike the Han people who at least knew how to conceal their intentions. Zhao paused for a moment before changing the subject, asking: "How many brave warriors does the Wanyan tribe have that can go into battle now? How many horses and armor do you have?"

  Wanyan Zongbi was taken aback and responded: "There are about 5,000 soldiers, more than 3,000 war horses, and 500 sets of armor."

  "It's a bit less, isn't it?" Zhao Zifu thought to himself. Wanyan Zongbi seemed to have seen through his thoughts and continued: "I dare not deceive you, Lord Zhao. The Jurchen men are all brave warriors who dare to fight. If the Song Dynasty supports us with grain from the sea route, the original farmers can also practice fighting, and the army can quickly expand to 15,000 soldiers." Seeing that Zhao Zifu seemed skeptical, he paused for a moment and continued: "Do you know a saying? The Jurchen are not satisfied with less than 10,000, but once they reach 10,000, they cannot be defeated. With grain, we can buy warhorses from the Mongols in the western mountains of Da Shan. The ironworks that produce armor and swords for the Liao State are located in Liaoyang Prefecture. As long as we capture Liaoyang Prefecture, we will have all the armor and swords we need."

  "The Jurchen are not satisfied with ten thousand, and ten thousand cannot be defeated?" Zhao Zifu repeated this sentence that was somewhat disrespectful to the Great Song in his heart, but he didn't take it to heart. The Jurchen tribe is really boastful. With only five thousand soldiers and a few hundred sets of armor, they dare to defy the Liao State. It's probably because the north is bitterly cold, and even if the Liao people win when they attack the Jurchen, they gain nothing. Therefore, the Liao court did not seriously deal with these barbarian tribes, just like the Great Song also had a headache about the barbarians in the southwest.

  Zhao Zhi-fu pondered for a moment, stroking his beard, and said slowly: "If the Great Song supports your Wanyan tribe with grain and fodder, are you willing to attack and harass the iron mines, iron foundries, and armor and blade workshops that disturb Liao country? I don't expect you to actually take down Liao Yang Prefecture, but it's also unacceptable for you to avoid battle negatively. The grain and fodder of the Great Song are all paid for by the people's sweat and blood, so the Jurchen tribe must play a role in containing the Liao people." Zhao Zhi-fu calculated that there were many tribes within Liao country who were dissatisfied with their rule, and the Liao army frequently used hunting as an excuse to intimidate and fight against these internal tribes. As a result, they consumed armor, blades, arrows, and other military equipment much faster than the Song dynasty. If the iron supplies from Liao Yang Prefecture were cut off, it would greatly affect the replenishment of the Liao army's equipment.

  Wanyan Zongbi patted his chest and guaranteed: "Don't worry, Lord Zhao. My Jurchen tribe has been at war with the Khitans for generations, our hatred is as deep as the sea. As long as we have enough food and fodder, I will immediately train my troops and prepare for battle. Within two years, I will take down Liao Yang Prefecture."

  Zhao Zifu smiled slightly, further deepening the impression that this female Jurchen tribe leader was fond of empty words. He continued: "Since you have a route to exchange horses, would you be willing to act on my behalf and obtain more from the Song Dynasty? We can meet at the coast in Shandong Province." In this era, warhorses were the most important military resource, and the Song Dynasty mainly purchased them from the Xia Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty was highly wary of the Song Dynasty's purchase of warhorses, so if they could use the Jurchen route to increase their access to warhorses, it would be greatly beneficial to the Song Dynasty.

  Wanyan Zongbi's face lit up with joy, and he slapped his thigh, saying: "The mission of Grand Councilor Zhao, our tribe will do its best to accomplish!" Although Liaodong is remote, it is not isolated. Wanyan Zongbi also has experience in trading goods and thought that this task of exchanging horses with the barbarians for the Great Song would bring many benefits to his tribe.

  Zhao Zifu waved his hand to stop him from thanking him again, and said in a deep voice: "Although your respected father and I have an old relationship, allying with the Liao Dynasty is not something that can be decided by one person. However, as long as it's beneficial to the Great Song, I will do my best to promote it."

  Wanyan Zongbi smiled and said, "Prime Minister Zhao is too modest. If the officials of the imperial court had half of your foresight, Liao would have become a vassal state of Song long ago. The Wanyan tribe, from top to bottom, is deeply grateful for your kindness, and every household wants to set up a shrine in your honor."

  It was probably due to the fact that there were a few old friends' feelings, Zhao Zhifu patiently listened to Yan Zongbiao's half-familiar flattery, and then he saw off his guests with tea.

  Wanyan Zongbi left the Zhao Xiangfu with a sense of unease, while Zhao Xingde also left the Forbidden City. In the afternoon, he visited various departments within the Forbidden City, including the Imperial Armory, the Tea and Wine Bureau, the Hanlin Academy, the Rear Garden Workshop, and the Medical Bureau. He saw many skilled craftsmen and objects that were rarely seen outside the palace. At the Rear Garden Workshop, he met Meng Kui, the supervisor in charge of repairing the White Jade Palace for the imperial family. Meng was the most skilled official Zhao Xingde had ever met in terms of architectural craftsmanship. However, since the White Jade Palace was merely a plaything for the imperial family, Meng's reputation among the Taixue students was not good, and he did not have any powerful backers. Even the Imperial Censorate had some criticisms about him.

  When Zhao Xingde met him, Meng Jiao was busy changing the design drawings of the Da Nei Shu Hua Yuan's building into construction drawings that conformed to the current craftsmen's building methods. He only raised his head and gave a faint greeting, but it was Meng Jiao's son, Meng Yuan, who was quite enthusiastic about Zhao Xingde. Because Meng Jiao was a favored official of the imperial court, Meng Yuan studied at the imperial academy, but he envied the more relaxed life of the students at Taixue and took the initiative to take Zhao Xingde on a tour of the remaining major palaces in the Forbidden City. Meng Yuan's familiarity with the palace far surpassed that of Zhao Xingde's senior fellow apprentice, Song An, and was like a living map. Zhao Xingde hit it off with him, and they exchanged name cards and made plans to attend the next month's Li Xue She founding conference together. When Meng Yuan heard that he would have the opportunity to meet the scholars of Taixue, he eagerly agreed.

  In the following days, Zhao Xingde studied classics on one hand and continued to write his book to earn some silver coins. As for the matter of proposing marriage to the Li family, his master and mistress took care of it all, leaving Zhao Xingde feeling rather idle, only occasionally thinking about it with great satisfaction.

  Both parties had the intention of engagement, but the procedure was quite cumbersome. First, Xu Buzhi drafted a letter of proposal on behalf of Zhao Xingde, which included the names and titles of three generations of the Zhao family. The letter was exchanged with the Li family, and both parties had no objections, thus acknowledging that they were a match made in heaven. Then, Mistress Li prepared eight items, including fine wine, intricately carved flower balls, silk fabrics, and silver hairpins, which were sent to the bride's family. In return, the Li family gave two bottles of clear water, three live fish, and a pair of chopsticks. Originally, there was also a procedure for the groom to present a hairpin as a gift, but this was waived since Zhao Xingde and Li Ruoxue were already familiar with each other. Next, an officially recognized matchmaker would be sent to formally propose to the bride's family on behalf of the groom's family. The Xu family, acting on behalf of the Zhao family, presented some jewelry and fine wine as betrothal gifts, while the Li family returned some needlework and embroidery made by Li Ruoxue and her sisters-in-law. This was considered the first round of betrothal gifts.

  After that, there were two more visits with gifts, and each time they had to be spaced out over several days. Therefore, Zhao Xingde couldn't move into the Li residence right away. Every time he went to the Li residence to listen to Li Fu's lectures on poetry and literature, he would run into Li Ruoxue, and both of them would become more formal and restrained, unlike their usual carefree conversations. They would only occasionally exchange glances, but even those brief moments would be filled with a deeper emotional connection.

  The time flies like an arrow, and the Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner. All the shops in Bianjing are already decorated with peach blossoms, willow branches, and pomegranate flowers, and the walls are adorned with calamus leaves and mugwort. The counters and stalls are filled with zongzi and other seasonal snacks. Although the wedding ceremony between Wen Ding and Li's daughter has not yet been completed, both the Li and Zhuo families have sent gifts to Zhao Xingde for the Dragon Boat Festival. The red wooden box from the Zhuo family contains fragrant sugar fruits, zongzi, and calabaza, while the peach wood box from the Li family is filled with mugwort, calamus, and perilla leaves. Interestingly, there are no duplicates among the gifts sent by the two families, and it seems that the two madams did not discuss this in advance. At this time, Chen Dong, Zhang Biao, and others who know Zhao Xingde at the Imperial Academy have already learned that he is about to become engaged to Li's daughter, and they all came to congratulate him.

  After Chen Dong, Deng Su and other Taixue monitors made many contacts and connections, the founding meeting of the Li Xue She was held at Pan Lou, one of the 72 shops in Bianjing, inside the West Water Gate, because this place is close to the West Water Gate and Jinming Pond, you can eat the best river fresh food, and after dinner, go to Jinming Pond to watch the imperial guards' dragon boat racing and drill. Ninety-five students from Taixue Guozijian, plus Meng Yuan invited by Zhao Xingde, a total of 96 people attended the meeting.

  Zhao Xingde arrived late at the meeting and when he stepped up to the second floor of the Panlou, he saw that more than a dozen elegant pavilions were already occupied by people. The doors of these pavilions were all pasted with red paper, inscribed with phrases such as "Cultivate Oneself", "Clarify Principles", "Broaden Knowledge", "Refine Etiquette", "Establish the Mind", "Originate from the People", and "Financial Administration". According to the arrangement made by Chen Dong and other initiators, except for Chen Dong, Deng Su, Zhang Biao, and Zhao Xingde who served as the liaison persons for the gathering of the Li Xue She (School of Principle), each topic had a person in charge of leading the discussion. Chen Dong was in charge of the "Cultivate Oneself" pavilion, Deng Su was in charge of the "Refine Etiquette" pavilion, Zhang Biao was in charge of the "Originate from the People" pavilion, and Zhao Xingde, despite being well-versed in classics, was assigned to be in charge of the "Military Governance" pavilion due to his past accidental display of archery skills and his appointment as a disciple of the Taishi Bureau of the Hanlin Academy.

  At this time, the scholars all valued literature and despised martial arts. Other elegant buildings had many scholars joining in, looking at the empty "Military Governance" hall, Zhao Xingde couldn't help but show a difficult expression. Chen Dong happened to see this and also felt a bit apologetic towards Xingde, walking over with a smile and saying in a low voice: "Let Yuan Zhi take charge of this deserted topic, it's really embarrassing. When the study of reason flourishes in the future, the Imperial Secretariat and the Three Armies will be entrusted to Yuan Zhi." Zhao Xingde heard this and couldn't help but roll his eyes. The Academy of Reason had twelve halls for discussion, aiming to influence the imperial court's major decisions through clear discussions, even hoping that in the future they would support each other and promote like-minded people to high positions in the Imperial Secretariat. However, according to the imperial court's conventions, whether a civil official could take charge of the Imperial Secretariat depended on the emperor's intentions and actual power in the imperial court, having little to do with their knowledge of martial arts. Zhao Xingde didn't think that his "Military Governance" hall would have any influence over the powerful officials in charge of the Imperial Secretariat, and probably other scholars thought the same, which is why they kept a distance from the "Military Governance" hall.

  He smiled wryly and nodded to Chen Dong, then looked at Meng Yuan beside him. This one was quite sharp-eyed, his father Meng Jianzai was not well-received among the students of Taixue, going to other discussion halls would likely lead to ridicule. Seeing Zhao Xingde look over, he immediately patted his chest and said: "I also have some interest in military tactics and formations, since Brother Zhao is in charge of the 'Zhibing' hall, I'll just join the 'Zhibing' hall too!"

  Chen Dongjian finally saw someone willing to join the 'Zhibing' Society, and immediately patted Meng Yuan's shoulder, saying: "Good brother!" He chuckled and looked at the other scholars beside him, then leaned in close to Meng Yuan's ear and said: "Although Master Meng is not a fellow student of our academy, once you've entered the Li Society, we're like branches on the same tree. If anyone gives you trouble, come tell me directly - Chen Dong will definitely not let them off!"

  Meng Yuan couldn't help but think of the rumors about some Taixue students having cut sleeve tendencies when he saw this person speaking so intimately, his face slightly changed, and he took a half step closer to Zhao Xingde, forcing a smile as he cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Dong: "Thanks for taking care of me, Brother Chen."

  Chen Dong saw that everyone had arrived, so he ordered the young servant of Pan Lou to collect all the painted screens separating the various elegant rooms on the second floor, making the entire floor visible at a glance, like a grand hall. He then took out a silver gong and struck it loudly: clang, clang, clang! Instantly, the scholars who were chatting and laughing stopped talking and looked towards Chen Dong's main table in the middle, along with the tea and wine scholars of Pan Lou, the green-clad woman pouring wine for the guests, the idlers waiting to be called upon, the singing girls playing the huqin, and the vendors selling fresh fruit - all fell silent with a hint of curiosity. The originally noisy second floor of Pan Lou was as quiet as a Confucian academy.

  As everyone seemed to understand the rules, Zhao Xingde was secretly delighted that he had less work to do to maintain order. He listened as Chen Dong cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: "Today, all the virtuous scholars have arrived, and the hall is filled with talented individuals. We, the Confucian scholars, gather here to spread the teachings of the sages, to clarify the principles of heaven and earth, and to form an association for the study of reason. All members of our society should cultivate themselves, observe propriety, worry about the country and its people, assist the ruler in the court, and benefit the people in the provinces. We are friends who support each other as gentlemen, relying on each other to resist evil and corruption, encouraging good deeds and correcting mistakes to improve our moral character, and spreading the way of the sage kings to govern the world..."