Chapter 8 Floating Clouds Hanging in Mid-air Name 2

  "Your Majesty, this is a disastrous proposal, absolutely unacceptable!" Remonstrance Official Shao Wu saw the emperor showing some inclination towards Cai Jing and Tong Guan's proposal, and immediately stepped out to block it.

  When Shaowu remonstrated, Cai Jing's face was calm and unruffled, but Tong Guan's eyes showed a hint of anger. However, Shaowu continued to speak loudly: "Your Majesty, building large ships to sail the seas is not a trivial matter. Apart from gaining an empty reputation, it will bring no benefit to the country. This is unacceptable for three reasons. Firstly, there are many foreign countries overseas, some of which have been eyeing our prosperous land with ill intentions. They have been unable to cause trouble due to their unfamiliarity with the customs and roads of the Central Plains. Now, by inviting envoys from these countries to come to court, it is like inviting wolves into one's home. I fear that in the future, the southeastern coastal regions will not know a day of peace. Secondly, our dynasty has long had trade relations with foreign countries, with established rules for exchanging goods. If the court suddenly bestows lavish gifts on these countries, it will inevitably lead to the merchants of the southeast having no means of livelihood. This is tantamount to depriving the people of their benefits and enriching foreigners, which will result in financial losses for the southeastern provinces. This is unacceptable."

  After Shaowu finished speaking, he still stood in the hall, his eyes fixed on the emperor's face, as if to say that if the emperor did not reject Cai Jing and Tong Guan's proposal, he would never return to his post, even if it meant dying for his cause. The officials and nobles who had initially agreed with sending ships out to sea to win over distant countries, upon hearing Shaowu's three "impossibles", turned serious. Finance was one of the most pressing issues in the Song Dynasty court. Building ships and going out to sea, along with bestowing gifts on overseas nations, was a costly endeavor. If it were to cause the southeast region to collapse, just for the sake of gaining an empty reputation, then it would indeed be a bad deal.

  Li Bangyan, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, said in a mysterious tone: "The Shaos are famous maritime merchants on the Fujian route. They oppose the government's dispatch of ships to reward vassal states and receive envoys. What they say about depriving people of their benefits is probably just depriving merchants like the Shaos of their benefits!"

  "Who are you?" Shaowu was stabbed by him, and he was furious, scolding: "You treacherous minister, using the heart of a small person to measure the belly of a gentleman, do you think everyone in the world is as dirty and despicable as you?" The two actually quarreled in the Linshui Hall, and instead pushed Cai Jing and Tong Guan, who proposed building ships to go out to sea, to one side.

  It wasn't until Emperor Zhao You let out a faint "hmm" that the two of them realized their mistake and quieted down, still glaring at each other.

  At this time, the hall was quiet and the officials were all waiting for Zhao Yu's wise decision.

  Zhao You narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up the powerful ministers in front of him. He was clear in his mind that Cai Jing was just abusing his power, while Tong Guan, despite appearing majestic with his sparse whiskers, was nothing more than a eunuch. With a wave of his hand, he could make them both rise to high positions and great authority, or with a flip of his palm, they would never again see the light of day. Li Bangyan sometimes assisted Cai Jing, but it wasn't just a matter of lending a helping hand on the imperial court; the two men were at odds despite their outward appearance of unity, and weren't part of the same clique. Shao Wu was somewhat detestable, but as the saying goes, "A country with a wise ruler will have upright ministers." Even Emperor Taizong of Tang had tolerated Wei Zheng.

  Emperor Zhao Yu was born with exceptional talent and had the solid foundation of a peaceful and prosperous era laid down by his father, Emperor Taizong. He had some experience in governing Youyan and even gained control over Guanzhong. However, he loved luxury and spent lavishly on palace construction. Although the Song Dynasty was extremely wealthy, with annual tax revenues reaching tens of millions, the expenses were still not enough to cover everything. Just now, what Shao Wu said did not move him, but only the issue of financial losses in the southeast caused him to have some doubts about building ships and going out to sea to bestow gifts on other countries.

  The cheers of the troops and civilians outside suddenly rose. The cheers broke Zhao You's meditation, he raised his head to look out, three thousand iron cavalry were lined up in front of Linshui Hall, this cavalry was all wearing black armor, with high-headed horses from Hexi, everyone holding a large gun, when passing by Linshui Hall, they raised their guns obliquely upwards, the white tassels on the gun heads fluttering, very neat. In front of the three thousand cavalry, in the middle, was a silver-helmeted and silver-armored general, thirty-seven or eight years old, with a full beard, his face cold and stern, he also held up a large gun obliquely like the soldiers behind him, the guards behind him raised a blue flag with great effort, with a big "Yang" character written on it.

  "This is Yang Hou, the son of the Grand General of Taiyuan, Yang Yanqing." Vice Premier Zhao Zhifu saw that the official was hesitating and not speaking, so he looked up again to review the troops. Knowing that the official did not want to make a decision on dispatching a fleet to sea to welcome and entertain the vassal state at this time, he tactfully introduced the successive guards who passed by the Linshui Hall.

  The Great Song Dynasty boasted an army of 800,000 imperial guards. In addition to garrisoning the capital, three major mobile armies were established in Hebei, Hedong, and Xijing. The Hedong mobile army had a force of 150,000 soldiers, guarding the strategic location between Liao, Xia, and Song. The Hebei mobile army had a force of 200,000 soldiers to defend against the Khitan's southern invasion. The Xijing mobile army had a force of 150,000 soldiers to defend against the Western Xia army's invasion from the Hangu Pass. Each of these three major mobile armies had its own hereditary general families. Among them, the Hedong mobile army was dominated by the Yang and Zhe families, who were related through intermarriage for generations. These two families had made great contributions to Emperor Taizong Zhao Dezhao's ascension to the throne and were granted the position of governing Hedong forever. Although the soldiers of the Hedong mobile army rotated with other imperial guards to garrison Bianjing, they were always under the command of generals from the Zhe and Yang families. The Imperial Secretariat had also appointed other generals to important positions in the Hedong system, but they were either excluded or died in battles against Liao and Xia on the borders. The court gradually accepted this situation. Although the Ministry of War and the Imperial Secretariat had some reservations about the Hedong mobile army, its reputation among the people of the Great Song Dynasty was the best, especially the Yang family's army, which was known as the strongest in the Great Song Dynasty.

  Zhao You's face was rather complex as he accepted the cheers of the imperial guards, when he suddenly turned his head to ask Jing Wang Zhao Ji who was following behind: "Ji'er, how old are you this year? I remember that a formal empress has not been established yet?"

  "I report to the Emperor, after eight months, I will be twenty-seven years old." Zhao Ji replied respectfully, in such a grand occasion, the Emperor's concern for his age and marriage is of great importance.

  "Hmm," Zhao You nodded, pondered for a moment and said, "I've heard that the eldest daughter of Cao Di, the military governor of Zhangshi Army, is well-read, polite, virtuous and gentle. I'll grant her to you in marriage and establish her as your official wife."

  Zhao Ji was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed to thank him, while Crown Prince Zhao Ke's face suddenly changed. Cao Di, the military governor of Zhangyuan, was a descendant of the famous general Cao Bin of this dynasty, holding the position of commander-in-chief of the Western Capital Camp, commanding 150,000 imperial guards stationed near Luoyang. The Western Capital Camp was the closest to Bianjing among the three major camps, and the Cao family had produced talented generals since the founding of the country, with Cao Bin and Cao Han being notable examples. They were scattered throughout the Western Capital Camp, but were most loyal to the emperor. The Emperor's decision to marry his daughter to Zhao Ji would greatly help him in his struggle for the Eastern Palace, and ultimately in succeeding to the throne.

  The officials' preference for the third prince was evident. The Chancellor Cai Jing and others who supported Zhao Ji as the new crown prince exchanged a glance, seeing a hint of joy in each other's eyes. On the other hand, those who supported Crown Prince Zhao Ke, such as Zhao Zhi and Shao Wu, looked worried, but they couldn't oppose the emperor's arrangement of his son's marriage, which was a family matter. Thus, the marriage that involved the struggle for the position of the Eastern Palace was settled.

  The various armies of the Imperial Guard, including the Imperial Bodyguard Cavalry and Infantry Commands, as well as the Hedong, Hebei, and Xijing expeditionary forces, all formed up in full ceremonial attire and marched past the Linshui Palace to pay their respects to the Emperor with three shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" However, in the eyes of Liao envoy Yelü Daishi, the iron cavalry from the Hedong expeditionary force seemed to possess a particularly sharp and murderous aura that was lacking in the armies of the Hebei and Xijing expeditionary forces. Although the Xijing expeditionary force was the most favored by the imperial court, renowned for its generous rewards and fine armor, it had been decades since there had been any battles between Song and Xia, and as a result, the Xijing army had become complacent and soft due to the influence of the luxurious and mercantile culture of Luoyang. In comparison, the three elite border armies were far superior. The three imperial guard divisions that were stationed in the interior and rotated through garrison duty on the borders were even more lacking.

  "This Yang family's mysterious armor cavalry and your country's imperial guard, if they were to meet on the battlefield, I wonder who would gain the upper hand?" Yelü Da Shi said in a low voice to the Xia Kingdom's envoy, Xiao Bing. Xiao didn't take the bait, instead retorting: "The Andong Military Commissioner doesn't often go to the Song border to fight, and hasn't truly clashed with this mysterious armor cavalry before. The ferocity of the Yang family's great spear must be deeply felt by your country's Western Capital Road army, I suppose?"

  Ye Lü Da Shi smiled slightly and said, "This kind of small disturbance can't reveal true strength. However, in my opinion, the Yang family's Xuan Jia cavalry seems to be stronger than the Bianjing's Ban Zhi Suo Wei army." Du Ting Xi Yi station officer Li Ruo Bing heard the divisive intention in his words, and although he didn't respond on the surface, he was secretly worried. He had just returned from his post in Pingyang Prefecture, Hebei, and was familiar with the situation of the Bianjing Imperial Guard and various border armies. Seeing that the Imperial Guard was becoming increasingly unable to fight, while the border army generals were becoming more powerful, if this continued, it would inevitably lead to a situation where the interior was weak and the exterior was strong, which was not good for the country.

  "The north has no danger to defend, and the court cannot help but set up the Hebei and Hedong campaigns to counterbalance the Liao State. The border is heavily fortified with troops, and the campaign has its own system, resulting in a situation where the power of the border generals is heavy. For now, we should take the recovery of Youyan as our priority, and at that time, we can abolish the three major campaigns, reduce redundant troops, and let the people rest, leading to peace in the world. This is also the legacy of Emperor Taizu." Li Ruobing thought deeply, momentarily forgetting about the verbal sparring between the two countries' envoys beside him.

  After the three armies and the expeditionary force's elite troops, ceremonial soldiers, and horses had finished their review, the dragon boats of various military units that were competing on the water also withdrew. Next, all sorts of decorated pleasure-boats prepared by the various military units appeared on the surface of the water, with drums, music, acrobatics, and other performances arranged in rows on top, which was quite a sight to behold, occasionally eliciting bursts of cheers from the crowds of civilians watching around Golden Bright Pond. At the same time, the Ministry of Rites had arranged for envoys from Liao, Xia, Dali, Goryeo, Japan, and other countries, along with officials of the Great Song, to pay their respects to the Emperor together. The military officers and civilians in the distance who saw the officials paying their respects also knelt down on both knees, paying their respects from afar towards the golden-yellow canopy of the Temporary Palace by the Water, and as one looked out into the distance, with the Temporary Palace by the Water at the center, the kowtows of several million Great Song civilians rippled outward in circles like waves, and the cheers of "Long Live [the Emperor]!" grew louder and louder, with the atmosphere of a peaceful and prosperous era reaching its peak.

  Zhao You was contentedly accepting the grand ceremony of tribute from his subjects, his eyes slightly closed and hands slightly raised, just about to signal for everyone to rise. However, his gaze suddenly froze, and he saw that the Liao envoy, Yelü Daishi, was standing upright like a crane among chickens amidst the kneeling envoys of other countries. Not far away, Wang Heng, the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had fallen to the ground, was frantically making eye contact with him, but Yelü Daishi calmly and composedly performed the ritual of bowing and making a gesture of respect. The attendants behind him also followed suit, merely bowing without kowtowing to the Emperor of Great Song.

  The more composed and calm Yelü Daishi was, the more he seemed to disregard the imperial authority of the great Song Dynasty. Zhao You's face suddenly sank, and he suppressed his anger, letting his subjects stand upright, before asking: "Yelü Daishi, envoy of Liao, why did you not perform the ritual of kneeling and bowing?"

  "I report to Your Majesty, since the Treaty of Chanyuan, when envoys from the Southern Court paid respects to Empress Dowager Ci'en of our court, they only performed a bow and did not kowtow. Afterwards, when envoys from our court paid respects to Emperor Wu of the Tang, they also bowed but did not kowtow. After the Liao and Song dynasties became brotherly nations, both Southern and Northern envoys followed this precedent, only bowing and not kowtowing during audiences. I am merely following established protocol in my actions. Does the official of the Ministry of Rites not know this? Why does Your Majesty ask repeatedly?"

  Yelü Daishi somewhat offensively raised his head and stared straight at the emperor on the dragon throne. Even though he had been living in Bianjing for several months, this was still his first time seeing a Song Dynasty emperor.

  Zhao Yu was momentarily speechless, and what Yelü Daishi said was indeed true. As a representative of the country, after the Treaty of Chanyuan, there were no feudal relationships between the three countries of Song, Liao, and Xia. The Liao envoy did not need to perform the ritual of knocking his head on the ground. It is said that when two countries are at war, they do not kill each other's envoys. He had a bellyful of anger but could not vent it on Yelü Daishi, so he had to force himself to hold back and turned his head towards Hongluo Temple's Lin Wenxing. The rituals for the vassal state's tribute were all arranged by the Hongluo Temple, and if something went wrong, someone would have to take responsibility.

  The emperor's dignity was not something that Lin Wenhua could bear, and under Zhao You's gaze, Lin Wenhua felt his legs trembling and the hairs on his back standing on end. If it weren't for the occasion, he would have almost collapsed. According to the reports he had received, the envoys of Liao and Xia had clearly agreed to pay their respects to the imperial court, with the envoy of Liao accepting a bribe of 2,000 guan and the envoy of Xia obtaining the benefit of increasing the value of horse trading by one-tenth. As the official's anger was about to erupt, Lin Wenhua immediately looked at Wang Heng, the vice-minister of the Ministry of Rites, and if Wang Heng couldn't come up with an explanation, he would have to impeach him for deceiving his superiors and losing national dignity.

  Wang Heng turned around and glared at Li Ruobing, the supervisor of Duting West Post Station beside him: "Lord Li, didn't you tell me that the Liao envoy claimed to admire the heavenly court's majesty and wanted to pay homage to our emperor with a grand kowtow?"

  Li Ruobing had only been transferred back to Bianjing from Pingyang half a month ago and was just getting familiar with the affairs on his desk. Seeing Wang Heng suddenly shift the blame onto him, he changed color and argued: "Your Excellency, I am only in charge of arranging the audience for the vassals of our dynasty, such as Dalie. The envoys of powerful countries like Liao and Xia are personally handled by Your Excellency, how can you blame me?"

  Wang Heng smiled coldly and said in a low voice, "It's clear that you're greedy for credit, falsely reporting the words of the Liao envoy. All the documents to and from the Honglu Temple are here. Wait until I bring out the documents arranging the ceremony this time, dare you confront me in front of His Majesty?"

  Li Ruobing heard him mention the documents for the ceremony, and his heart sank. Many of the documents for this grand ceremony had been handled by him before being presented to the Temple of the Imperial Ancestors. Among the dozens of documents, many details had been arranged through tacit understanding between various government departments, with the scribes from the Western Depot taking charge of writing them down. As a supervising official, Li Ruobing was unable to verify each and every one of them, only re-examining the important parts related to the imperial family before affixing his seal and presenting them to the Temple of the Imperial Ancestors.

  He felt himself falling into someone else's design, and the sweat on his forehead couldn't help but fall. He looked up at the Supervising Censor Shao Wu, in the imperial court, Cai Jing and Zhao Zhi had their own factions, Li Ruobing was neither a member of Cai's faction nor Zhao's faction, all he could rely on were some honest officials with whom he had previously interacted.