Chapter Thirty-Three: Record of Talents

  Wanyan Liyou's hands grasped the jade cup, his eyes fixed intently on the wisps of steam rising from it. His legs were pressed together, and his toes twitched occasionally, betraying his unease. The elderly man seated before him was the Minister of Rites of the Great Sui, a high-ranking official of the second rank. Since Wanyan Yong, the Khan of Northern Liao, had decided to defect from the Mongol Empire and pledge allegiance to the Great Sui, sending no less than ten batches of envoys to secretly enter the Great Sui and request an audience with the Emperor, this was the first time he had received such high honors.

  In the past, those envoys arrived in Chang'an after the Great Sui court also treated them with courtesy, and they would all receive not a few rewards from the Emperor of the Great Sui. However, there was no progress in asking the Great Sui to surrender, and the Emperor of the Great Sui, who was regarded as the Heavenly Khan by them, did not see them at all.

  It seems like things have taken a turn for the better this time.

  Wanyan Liao had read all the books about Great Sui and had also inquired about it from many people. He even disguised himself as a Han person and lived in the Central Plains for three years when he was young, if not for the important events that occurred later in the Northern Liao's Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he would have rather been an ordinary citizen of Great Sui in a small city.

  The great mountains of ten thousand miles are too cold and bitter, and the embroidered world of the Great Sui is fundamentally incomparable.

  He likes the mountains and rivers of Daguanyuan, he likes the confident look on the faces of the people of Daguanyuan, he likes the words of Daguanyuan, and even likes the women of Daguanyuan. Although if he wanted to, those beautiful women from Beiliao would be willing to marry him. The land of Beiliao is extremely poor and cold, but the beauty of its women is unparalleled in the world.

  In the harem of Emperor Yang of Sui, there were also several beauties from Beiliang. The Grand Empress of the Mongol Empire was from the Mongolian nobility, but among the twelve lesser empresses, three came from Beiliang.

  The nobles of the Mongol Empire and the rich merchants of Sui Dynasty also boasted about marrying a woman from Northern Liao. The women of Northern Liao not only had very white skin, but were also born with a seductive bone structure. It is unknown how many rich merchants lost interest in the courtesans after getting a woman from Northern Liao.

  Even so, in the three years of hiding in Daxu Village, Wanyan Lidi still felt that he would rather marry a rough-handed and big-footed village woman from Daxu, and live a peaceful life, quietly farming and raising flowers. In the morning, he would go down to the fields with his hoe, and his wife would wipe his sweat and bring him water. Life was plain and dull, but stable and secure.

  In northern Liaoning, there is no land for farming.

  "I've heard that the mountains of Taiwan are the most beautiful under heaven. When I was young, I had a mind to go there and take a look, but after becoming an official, I didn't have the time. Later on, when the burden on my body became lighter and I had some leisure time, my physical strength also declined."

  Huaiqiu Gong saw the embarrassment of Wan Yan Liao You and smiled, saying: "The Great Sui has always regarded you people from Northern Liaoning as friends. I think you should feel that way too. So when you arrive in Chang'an, you shouldn't be so uneasy. You can consider this place your second hometown."

  Wanyan Luyu hastily put down the jade cup in his hand, and with both hands clasped together, he said sincerely: "The several million people of Northern Liao are all willing to prostrate themselves at the feet of the great Tian Khan to demonstrate their loyalty. You know that we have unparalleled sincerity and loyalty. As long as the great Tian Khan is willing, we can even migrate our entire tribe into the Central Plains to become subjects of the Great Sui. We are willing to till the land for the Great Sui, willing to donate our horses and grains."

  Huai Gong couldn't help but chuckle and stroked his snowy white beard, saying: "Your Majesty doesn't lack tens of millions of subjects, and the Great Sui also has plenty of land."

  Wanyan's eyes dimmed for a moment, unsure of what to say.

  "What Your Majesty values is precisely your sincerity."

  Huaiqiu Gong personally filled the cup with tea for Wanyan Liuyao and said warmly: "Before I came, His Majesty specially entrusted me to say that he knows your thoughts of turning towards Great Sui. Let you be at ease, this matter is not something that can be decided in one or two days. The national power of Great Sui is the first in the world, never fearing any enemy. But blindly doing something without any preparation is foolish... I'm saying this, do you understand?"

  "I understand."

  Wanyan Liuyao's heart skipped a beat, and he almost couldn't help but burst out laughing. The meaning behind Huaiqiu Gong's words was already very clear; how could he not be overjoyed?

  "You're no ordinary citizen."

  Huaiqiu Gong picked up a thin stack of papers from the table next to him, flipped through them lightly and smiled: "In the third year of Daguang, you entered the pass from Shandong Dao Nü'erguan with the name Chen San Sheng. The Daguang Road Guide on your body was issued by the Xiangcheng County Government in Hexi Dao. I don't know how much silver you spent to buy it, but that's not important. The county magistrate of Xiangcheng was beheaded because of this matter, and it was only announced externally that he died of illness."

  "You lived in Xiangcheng village for three years, and apart from touring the mountains and rivers, you locked yourself at home to read books. You were diligent and studious, and developed a good hand at calligraphy, even surpassing the professors of Xiangcheng Academy. In just three years, your knowledge surpassed that of the professors. After three years, because your father... also known as Wanyan Yong, the Khan of Northern Liao, wanted to eliminate his brothers who attempted to rebel against him, he summoned you back to discuss the matter, so you left Xiangcheng and returned to Northern Liao. I firmly believe that Wanyan Yong's decision to surrender to the Great Sui was absolutely related to your three years in the Great Sui... Am I right or wrong, Your Highness Wanyan Chongde of Northern Liao?"

  Wanyan Liuyao's face changed drastically, and he subconsciously shrunk his body back, his eyes filled with incredulity as he stared at Huaiqiu Gong, more so with fear.

  "Don't be afraid."

  Huaiqiu Gong smiled and waved the paper in his hand: "I just found out about this, this thing was given to me by Lord Hou of Qingyuan Prefecture before I came here. In Qingyuan, there's more than just this little bit of intelligence on you. If it weren't for those three years you spent living in Xiangcheng countryside, studying diligently and occasionally touring the mountains and rivers without any ulterior motives or intentionally investigating the situation at the Great Sui border army, how could you have survived until now?"

  What a great love!

  Pacification Commissioner Lord Hou

  Wanyan Liuyao deeply remembered these two names in her heart, and her awe for the Great Sui Empire grew even more.

  ……

  ……

  The Great Sui Empire occupies the land of Zhongyuan, never lacking in grand cities. The largest among them is naturally the imperial capital Chang'an City. How big Chang'an City is, even many elderly people who have lived here all their lives can't say clearly. Because from the founding of the Great Sui to now over a hundred years, the construction of Chang'an City has never stopped. Every generation of emperors of the Great Sui has two things that must be done, which have never changed.

  Firstly, go to war with other countries and take a piece of someone else's land as the territory of Great Sui.

  Secondly, renovate and expand Chang'an City.

  The current Emperor Tianyue of the Great Sui, Yang Yi, has one thing to be commended compared to his father. That is, this emperor, who seems not to have a strong style, completed most of the repairs and expansion of Chang'an City. Because the Great Sui had a giant rich man Wu Yidao, who was willing to donate half of his family's property, worth tens of millions of gold, to repair an entire city wall. Also included is the new construction of 48 districts within the city, of course, as a reward, the Emperor of the Great Sui not only granted Wu Yidao the title of Marquis First Class but also gave him an entire street in these 48 districts.

  Chang'an City is 128 miles long from east to west and 108 miles wide from south to north.

  Just building city walls is such a massive project?

  For over a hundred years, Chang'an City had been continuously under construction. It wasn't until Emperor Tianyou finally completed the repairs that Chang'an City could truly be considered a complete imperial capital. The city walls were two zhang wide and four zhang nine chi high; the broad city walls allowed for more than ten soldiers to walk abreast. There were watchtowers, arrow towers, and everything else one would expect. Every thirty steps there was an installed heavy crossbow, and every two steps there was a wolf's tooth plate.

  The cost of building just the heavy crossbow and wolf tooth mace is enough to make one's jaw drop.

  Chang'an City has four cities in the east, west, south and north. The east, west and south cities each have thirteen city gates, while the north city has ten, making a total of forty-nine. When Wanyan Liuyao entered the city through the smallest Dingqian Gate, he was already shocked beyond words. If he had walked through the Zhengbei Houde Gate or the Zhennan Yongding Gate, he might have been so astonished that he wouldn't even be able to walk properly.

  Chang'an City is the heart of Daxing, and Taiji Palace is the heart of Chang'an City.

  The imperial palace is located in the northern city, covering an area of 10,000 mu.

  The palace is roughly divided into four parts, with the Taiji Palace in the center, where the emperor holds court and discusses state affairs. To the west of the Taiji Palace is the Yiting Palace, to the northeast is the Donggong Palace where the crown prince resides, and due south is the Imperial City, where the empress and concubines reside.

  The emperor holds court in the Taiji Hall.

  From the small door behind Taiji Hall, walking north for a short distance is Baohe Hall. The scale is much smaller than Taiji Hall, but its importance is not inferior to Taiji Hall because it was the place where the emperor rested and handled government affairs. The so-called imperial study, Yushufang, was set up in Baohe Hall.

  Yushufang is the east warm pavilion of Baohedian.

  Emperor Yang of Sui can be said to be the least lustful among all emperors since the founding of Great Sui, his number of concubines is only one-third of his father's and still not enough. The woman he loves most is still the Empress, even the most fastidious person cannot find fault with the Emperor in this regard.

  The emperor rarely returned to the imperial city to live, and generally lived in the East Warm Pavilion. The ministers all said that the emperor was diligent, but actually it was because he was too lazy.

  The emperor had complained in private more than once, why the palace was built so big, just to pick up a girl and walk such a long way, by the time you get there your legs are all sore, what can you do? He didn't know that the common people had been complaining for a long time. The people of West City wanted to go to Hui Feng Building in East City to have a meal, they had to set out a day in advance, take the direct carriage ride within the city for half a day and still find an inn to stay overnight...

  The Minister of Rites, Hua Qiugong, due to his advanced age and great merits, had the privilege of not kneeling when seeing the Emperor. Not only did he not need to kneel, but in the East Warming Pavilion, a stool was prepared for him whenever he came.

  "How is it?"

  The emperor pinched a piece of almond cake and put it in his mouth, eating while flipping through the memorials. This was an emperor with some quirks, who didn't like sitting on chairs, but instead had people pile up a kang in the East Warm Pavilion, where he liked to sit cross-legged when handling government affairs, and when he got tired, he would lie down and take a nap.

  Of course, this is also being praised by his subordinates as a manifestation of diligence.

  It's actually because he is lazy.

  He is lazy in some ways, but he has never been slack in handling state affairs.

  Huaiqiu Gong pursed his lips and didn't respond.

  The Emperor Yang Yi waited for a while without seeing an answer, and when he turned his head to look, he found that the old minister with white hair and beard was staring at his almond cake, licking his lips. He couldn't help but smile, and ordered the attendant eunuch Su Buwei to pass over the remaining half plate of almond cake to Huai Qiu Gong.

  "At your age, you're still not ashamed."

  Huaiqiu Gong pinched a piece of almond cake and put it in his mouth, chewing while answering: "Looking at Your Majesty's delicious food, I couldn't help but feel hungry... The Northern Liao side shouldn't be a problem, it doesn't seem like a conspiracy set up by the Mongols. This old minister thinks that if this is indeed a trap set by the Mongols, it's a bit too crude."

  "Meng Ge has this idea, but doesn't have the courage."

  The Emperor smiled and asked: "Is Biancheng Fan Gu being guarded by Li Xiaozong? He's a clever one, knowing to send the person to Chang'an immediately."

  "After Yan Zhongde finished speaking, it was a person named Fang Jie who saw through their intentions. He also said to reassure him that when he arrived in Chang'an, he would definitely meet with very high-ranking officials."

  "What's going on?"

  The emperor was taken aback: "Why does this name sound somewhat familiar?"

  Eunuch Su Buwei, who was standing beside him with his head bowed, reminded him in a low voice: "Isn't it Fan Gongxuan's candidate for the Imperial Military Academy? Your Majesty mentioned it to Hou Gong, the Minister of War, yesterday."

  "Him again?!"

  The emperor straightened his back, thought for a moment, and then picked up a thick book from the desk. He took a red pen and neatly wrote the two characters "Fang Jie" on it, followed by some notes in small script under the name. After blowing dry the ink marks, he closed the book and put it aside.

  The book is very thick and looks like it's been around for some years. It's blue, with three big characters written neatly on the cover.

  Talent Record