Chapter Thirty: Going on a Mission

  Gao Jie bowed deeply to Zhao Ji, but did not sit down. He said in a low voice: "That Gao Jie has today is all due to the Holy One's favor. What Taishi and what Commander are just things outsiders say. In front of you, I am still that long-following cuju player from the Prince Duan's mansion."

  Zhao Ji took the hot towel handed over by the inner attendant, wiped his hands and put it aside, sat down directly on a chair beside him, and smiled: "Speaking of Cuju, when will you show off your skills again? You and I can enjoy ourselves together!"

  "The sage has an intention, and Gao Jue should offer his life in service!"

  "Take it easy, take it easy!" Zhao Ji looked like he was in a good mood and smiled: "What's the matter, coming to see me so early? Didn't you get into some kind of trouble again?"

  When Gao Zhan heard this, he respectfully said: "The sage is indeed wise and sees everything within a thousand miles. Gao Zhan deserves to die. Last night, I failed to protect the golden envoy properly, allowing one of them to be harmed by thugs!" After saying that, he recounted what had happened the previous night when Xiao San and his companions went out to watch the horn-butting competition, saw the hunting heart and rejoiced at their own performance, but were killed by Li Bao. He intentionally or unintentionally hinted in his words that Li Bao might have deliberately hurt someone. Finally, Gao Zhan said in a low voice: "Due to the suddenness of the incident and the fact that the murderer had accomplices who helped him escape, I have already ordered a strict manhunt. Please, Your Majesty, punish him!"

  "Li Bao? If I'm not mistaken, isn't that the one who threw you to the ground in the Imperial Guard back then?" Zhao Ji smiled.

  Gao Jue's forehead suddenly broke out in a layer of sweat, and he repeatedly said: "Your Majesty, it is not that I, your humble minister, want to take revenge for personal reasons—"

  "Enough!" Zhao Ji interrupted Gao Yun's explanation, his intention was only to show his ministers that he understood the subtleties and had a far-reaching vision, rather than caring about the innocence or guilt of an ordinary person: "I have also seen Li Bao's horn butting, he butted heads with people for a living, why kill someone? It must be that the Jurchen envoys were too urgent and couldn't wait any longer, so they accidentally injured that guy. However, this small official was an envoy of the Jin state, yet lost his life in Dongjing, we have to give the Jin ruler an explanation."

  Gao Jie hastily exclaimed: "The Sage is wise and brilliant!"

  Zhao Ji said: "Tell the Jin envoy that the thief has escaped, and after being caught, he will be punished according to the law. As for Ma Kuo who went with him, let's just deduct his salary for two months. He risked his life on a mission to Liao Dong, and encountered such a thing, I couldn't bear to chill his heart!"

  "The sage is so magnanimous, he will surely win people over from afar!" Gao Yan responded loudly, his purpose for this trip had basically been achieved. Thinking of Li Bao throwing him to the ground, a sly smile appeared on his face, and in his heart, he secretly thought: "A great man avenges himself even after ten years, it's not too late!"

  "Alright then!" Zhao Ji made a gesture for the other party to retreat, smiling and saying: "Gao Qingjia, let's settle the matter of cuju on the next month's first day!" As he said this, he nimbly performed a movement like a mandarin duck hook, as if he were already on the cuju field.

  Under the escort of the inner monitor, Han Xiaozhou came to the imperial court. With the melodious announcement of the inner monitor, Han Xiaozhou elegantly knelt down and paid homage to Emperor Zhao Ji on the throne: "Your humble servant, Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat and Director of the Institute of Literature, Han Xiaozhou, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

  "Rise, my lord!" Zhao Ji smiled and made a gesture for the other to sit down. Actually, the person he was going to see this morning was Han Xiaoju, but Gao Kui's sudden arrival had put off this meeting, and what he had just learned had further strengthened his determination about what he would do next.

  "Wende!" Zhao Ji addressed Han Xiaoju's courtesy name to show familiarity: "If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who advocated for harmony with Liao among the officials?"

  "Not bad!" Although he didn't understand why the Emperor suddenly brought this up, Han Xiaoji immediately acknowledged his own view, although he didn't understand why the Emperor still mentioned this when the Khitan envoy had already arrived in the Eastern Capital. Anyway, it was too late to change his stance at this time.

  "Are you willing to go on a diplomatic mission to Liao State?"

  "Go on a diplomatic mission to Liao State?" Han Xiaoji was stunned upon hearing this, he was completely confused by Zhao Ji. After the Jurchen people arrived in Dongjing, they went out to play and travel everywhere. The Khitan spies in Dongjing were not deaf or blind, so they must have known long ago that the Song people wanted to form an alliance with the Jurchen people. What's the point of going on a diplomatic mission to Liao State at this time?

  "Virtue and morality." Zhao Ji smiled: "Although I have sent envoys to Liaodong to form an alliance with the Jin people, I also understand your thoughts and reasons. If we can obtain the Yan-Yun region without war, abolish the annual military expenses, and fulfill our ancestors' grand wishes, why must I necessarily ally with the Jin people to attack the Liao state? This time you are sent as an envoy to the Liao state, it is to convey my intention to them: as long as the Liao state is willing to abolish the annual military expenses, return Yan-Yun, I will stop allying with the Jin people and continue the hundred-year friendship between Song and Liao!"

  Han Xiaocong immediately understood Zhao Ji's meaning: using the alliance with the Jin people as a bargaining chip to exchange for the sixteen states of Yan and Yun, and the annual tribute. This sounds feasible at first glance, but it is too wishful thinking after some thought. If Liao loses Youzhou and the annual tribute, it will be half dead even if it doesn't die. Even if Song really keeps its promise not to help each other, it will still be destroyed by Jin in the current situation. Moreover, Song may not keep that promise, so why not simply cede all the land taken by Jin to Jin and pay a large annual tribute? It's better to guard Youzhou instead. The most concession Liao can make is to no longer ask for tribute, but the problem is that even if Song doesn't give money now, Liao doesn't have enough military strength to come south to collect it. Why bother making a special trip north and tearing off that piece of skin, ending up with a bad reputation for taking advantage of others?

  Zhao Ji saw Han Xiao's expression and smiled: "Han Ai, you don't have to rush either. This trip doesn't necessarily need to reach an agreement. Even if it's just to understand the situation in Yan more thoroughly and recruit heroes for future use, that would be good too!"

  He now understood Zhao Ji's meaning, that this trip was not only a negotiation, but also a mission to spy on the Liao people. However, this was also a matter of course, as envoys from both sides had always had this task to some extent over the past hundred years. The Song Dynasty was now taking a neutral stance, allying with the Jin people on one hand and investigating the internal situation of the Liao people on the other, waiting for an opportunity to make a move. This was not a bad idea. No matter which faction he belonged to, he would be a meritorious minister after this trip. Thinking of this, Han Xiao stood up and said in a low voice: "I will follow your orders!"

  "Wende, go visit Zhao Aiqing before you leave, it will be of great help to your trip!"

  "Yes, Your Majesty!"

  When Han Xiao Chu came out of the Rui Si Temple, his mood was very complicated and subtle. He was happy about the saint's favor towards him, but worried about the danger and complexity of the task he was about to undertake. Han Xiao Chu knew in his heart that this visit to Liao Guo was completely different from the past mutual visits between the two countries. The more than 100 years of peace between the two countries had turned these mutual visits into a ritualistic routine, where both sides' envoys were well-educated gentlemen who deeply understood various rituals and precedents. Their main task was to cleverly gain an advantage for their own country in the details of the ceremony. However, everything has changed now. The warm veil that covered the relationship between the two countries is gradually falling off, revealing the ferocious claws inside. What he had to do was to open the curtain for the big play that was about to unfold, and let the bows and spears speak. Han Xiao Chu, who came from a scholarly family, was undoubtedly very capable of handling the former type of diplomatic mission, but he didn't have much confidence in himself when it came to the latter.

  "Zhao Ai Qing." Han Xiao Qu repeated these three words, as the royal surname of the Great Song, there were too many people with this surname in the Eastern Capital. But Han Xiao Qu knew that the three words spoken by Emperor Daojun just now only represented one person, that is, Li Liangyi, the original Liao Guanglu Qing who defected from Liao three years ago and was later granted the surname Zhao as a secret court attendant, Zhao Liangyi. It can be said that this person instigated the emperor to ally with Jin to attack Liao, originally should have been his own enemy camp, but since the emperor had already spoken so clearly to him, then his choice was simple.

  "A gentleman should plan for the times and act accordingly, following the trend!" Han Xiao's face revealed a hint of a pleased smile. He instructed his long-time attendant who had been waiting outside the palace gate: "Go to Tong Jue's secretariat!"

  It should be said that Han Xiaoqian treated Zhou Ping and Xue Liangyu quite well. As two newly arrived guards, they occupied a small courtyard with a single entrance, which also provided them with a convenient place to hide Li Bao. That evening, after dinner, just as Guo Liangyu was asking Li Bao for advice on spear techniques, a hurried knocking sound came from outside. Li Bao quickly hid in the room, and Zhou Ping, seeing that everything was ready, shouted, "Stop knocking, I'm coming!"

  The door had just opened, and standing at the entrance was the steward of the Han Mansion. Not seeing the expected yamen runner, Zhou Ping couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, asking: "Just now, my companion and I were collecting our belongings inside the house, making you wait for a long time, please forgive us!"

  "Alright, alright, got it!" The steward's response left Zhou Ping somewhat perplexed, but what followed was even more astonishing: "The young master has just returned to the mansion and instructed me to inform you two that you must quickly pack your luggage, as you will be departing for Liao State in a few days. If there is anything you need for the journey, please purchase it immediately, lest you run out of time!" After finishing his words, the steward turned around and left, stopping halfway to turn back and shout: "At the shops, just report the name 'Han Fu' and they will put it on account; someone will come to settle the bill at the end of the month."

  " Envoy to Liao country? Haven't the Jin envoys already arrived in Tokyo? Has history changed?" Zhou Ping stood at the door, a look of bewilderment on his face.

  "Ah Ping, what's up?" Xue Liangyu walked over quietly: "It can't be that something has happened to Li Bao, right?"

  "No!" Zhou Ping slowly shook his head, his expression serious: "Lord Han has ordered us to prepare, he is going on a diplomatic mission to Liao State!"

  "Then I'm relieved!" Xue Liangyu suddenly looked like he had let out a sigh of relief, and he glanced at Zhou Ping with a smile: "Ah Ping, you finally got one wrong! Otherwise, I would have thought you were the Fox Fairy from our village's back temple!" Zhou Ping sighed and didn't respond. Seeing his expression, Xue Liangyu comforted him with a smile: "Ah Ping, who gets it right every time? You'd better think quickly about how to arrange for Li Bao to leave; if we follow Lord Han, he won't be able to stay here!"