Chapter 106: History and the Philanderer

Rain was falling. As the carriage left the nearby street, Xi Junyu lifted the curtain and looked back at the Su family mansion in the rainy night. All he could see were two lanterns still lit under the eaves of the side gate. The rest was mostly the silhouette of dark courtyard walls, with faint glimmers occasionally rising within that outline. Xi Junyu sighed.

"I knew you wouldn't listen, but..." he murmured, a smile appearing on his face. "Don't say I didn't warn you then."

Regarding the imperial merchant matter, he had briefly brought it up after Ning Yi appeared. Of course, not knowing if Ning Yi was fully aware of the situation, his final words had been somewhat indirect. Nevertheless, the message should have gotten through. This was, in essence, all he could and should do in front of Su Tan'er.

As the carriage departed, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er, and Juan'er were already heading to a small courtyard nearby to wait for dinner. Ning Yi had long suspected something about the imperial summons, but wasn't entirely clear on the details. He hadn't heard the first part of Xi Junyu and Su Tan'er's conversation; he had simply teased Su Tan'er after hearing her discuss the nation's situation. At this, Su Tan'er playfully chastised him with a smile, "More than half of what I just said was actually what you, husband, casually remarked upon last time. Now you're saying I'm unpatriotic... You're not a good person either."

"The context is different; you can't generalize," Ning Yi said with a chuckle, talking nonsense in the heavy rain, while Juan'er followed behind him.

After being away for a few days, things felt largely unchanged upon his return. Although his relationship with Xiao Chan seemed slightly different, everyone still ate and talked together in the evenings, discussing the recent trip to Nanting Village. After Guard Geng and Dong Zhu left, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er, and the others walked back to their own courtyard, sheltering under umbrellas. Chan'er and Juan'er were busy heating water for washing, while Xing'er cleaned inside and out. Su Tan'er returned to her room to continue working on the accounts she had been dealing with before Xi Junyu's visit.

The heavy rain in the courtyard had almost formed a flowing stream. Ning Yi watched it for a while from under the eaves of the house. When he looked up across the way, the window of Su Tan'er's room was open, and her silhouette was visible, writing and calculating at a table by the window – a truly familiar sight. As he prepared to go back to his room, he noticed Juan'er standing behind him, holding a small basin of hot water.

Juan'er usually appeared quiet, but she had a good relationship with Ning Yi. At this moment, she smiled and said, "Young master, you should go to bed early tonight."

Ning Yi thought for a moment, "Hmm?"

"For the few days you were away, miss always stayed up very late. She was just clearing the accounts, but even Xing'er and I couldn't persuade her to stop."

Having said this, she bowed her head slightly and walked away with the basin of water.

"Tsk," Ning Yi turned to look at the figure in the window, shrugging his brows. "Well, I can't persuade her either."

He read in his room for a while longer that night, estimating it was around midnight, but the light opposite was still on. Ning Yi considered this, then put down his book, extinguished the lamp, and went to bed. In her room across the way, Su Tan'er looked up, still flipping through the account books, and frowned slightly.

She rested her chin on her hand and looked again, her gaze irresistibly drawn towards the darkened room. A moment later, she turned another page, then reached out and closed the entire account book.

That's enough, time to turn off the light and sleep, she thought.

In the maid's room next door, Juan'er, dressed in a single garment, leaned out the window. She looked towards Ning Yi's window across the way, then turned her head to Su Tan'er's window, and sighed as she leaned on the windowsill, "Young master is truly amazing..."

After a final series of rustling sounds, the courtyard fell silent, with only the persistent sound of the heavy rain remaining.

Also on this night, a thousand miles away, the Wuchao capital, Tokyo, was completely clear of clouds. The night was bright, with a waxing crescent moon casting a cold, jade-like glow, and scattered stars coalescing into a vast, ribbon-like Milky Way. The city beneath the night sky remained bustling; markets, brothels, and houses of all sizes were brightly lit. The busiest Imperial Street led directly to Xuande Gate, the main entrance of the Imperial Palace. From there, one could see the wide street, the city full of lights, and the towering Imperial City itself, bathed in a sea of illumination.

Although the gates of the Imperial City had already closed, its appearance was the same every night. Few knew that a highly secret and significant event was quietly unfolding within the Imperial City that very night.

At the Secretariat, some of the most influential ministers of the court were currently gathered. Li Gang, Tong Guan, Wu Min, Tang Ke, Geng Nanzhong, Zhang Bangchang, Qin Hui, Gao Qiu, Zhou Yi... Of course, their official positions varied in importance, and they each had their own small factions. This was a break during a secret and crucial discussion. Groups of two or three gathered aside, drinking tea and resting while discussing various matters. Though their voices were low, their inner excitement was irrepressible.

"The Khitans recently sent a state letter, requesting to renegotiate the annual tribute. They even offered to forgo the tribute if our Wuchao would send troops to join them in attacking the Jin. I presume they've also approached your channels regarding this?"

"Indeed. The Khitan envoy implored me to speak favorably for them during court and sent numerous gifts. One incense burner was genuinely precious; the rest... well, they were few and far between."

"The Khitans are desperate. It's truly not easy to get them to this point..."

"As the saying goes, 'when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.' I still believe we should not send troops this time. The Jurchens now have the upper hand. Once they conquer the Khitans, who knows if our Wuchao won't be next?"

"That's an exaggeration. The Jurchens are too few. Even if they conquer the Khitans, their entire nation would likely field no more than a hundred thousand usable soldiers. They would also need to maintain order. How could they possibly launch a thousand-mile campaign to attack our Wuchao again?"

"Zhong Shidao now holds the same view. He has stated that we should not ally with Jin to attack Khitan, but rather ally with Khitan to attack Jin. This is because Khitan has been a brotherly nation to our Wuchao for a hundred years, while Jin is now a wolfish nation. There's also Deng Xunwu..."

"Nonsense! 'Befriend distant states to attack nearby ones' has been the strategy since ancient times. How can one attack distant states and befriend nearby ones? The recovery of Yan-Yun is imminent; it's been hundreds of years. If we succeed, we... will all be recorded in history."

"Zhong Shidao is truly confused then..."

"The Khitan's destiny is over. We should act according to heaven's will... Wuchao is about to rise."

"It's a pity Lord Tong just left the capital..."

"A mere eunuch..."

"Silence! Keep your voices down!"

A buzzing of voices, as each discussed. Regardless, the proposal to ally with Jin against Khitan, which Tong Guan had openly promoted, had now passed its initial stage and entered the phase of detailed discussion.

The true groundwork for this might have been laid seven years prior with the Treaty of Heishui, especially after Emperor Tianzuo of Khitan personally led a 700,000-strong army to attack Jin four years ago, only to have it almost completely annihilated by Wanyan Aguda's 20,000 warriors at Hubudagang. Following this, calls for an alliance with Jin against Khitan had steadily risen domestically. Although a minority believed that Wuchao should not participate in this war, or that it should ally with Khitan against Jin, such as the renowned general Zhong Shidao from the northwest.

Or Deng Xunwu, an official from the Bureau of Military Affairs, had also advised, essentially saying: "What? 'Attack the weak and ignorant?' I believe we should support the weak and suppress the strong. The nation's military is weak, its finances are depleted, and its people are impoverished. Everyone knows this situation, but no one dares to speak of it. I don't understand: Is being neighbors with a strong Jin better than being neighbors with a weak Khitan?" The King of Goryeo had also secretly sent a message saying: "Khitan is a brotherly nation; its existence can secure our borders. Jin is a wolfish nation; one should not associate with them!"

Of course, by now, only a small number of people held such views. More than two hundred years had passed since Shi Jingtang lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan-Yun. The temptation to reclaim Yan-Yun was something no emperor could resist.

Although the Khitans, now aware of the crisis, had begun to seek help from Wuchao, even offering to cancel the annual tribute in exchange for Wuchao's alliance against Jin, Wuchao had been sending envoys by sea to contact the Jin for several years, making several round trips. This time, the Jin sent several envoys, finally providing a relatively clear response. The next step was for Wuchao to finalize the negotiation terms and then send representatives to Jin, effectively entering the stage of formal agreement.

The Jin envoys who had arrived this time only conveyed their willingness to agree; they lacked the authority to negotiate and finalize terms. After discussions here were concluded, representatives would still need to be dispatched to Jin to personally meet with Wanyan Aguda. While everyone else was still deliberating within the Imperial City, two members of the Jin delegation were drinking at a tavern near the Imperial Street. One appeared to be a man in his early forties, and the other was only in his twenties. Both carried the rugged aura of Jurchen warriors, though the older man's gaze towards the bustling street outside was somewhat complex. These two seemed to be mere attendants in the delegation, of no particular status, and had not accompanied the others into the palace. Yet, their conversation held an unusual significance.

"Since Lord Gushen is here, why not simply reveal yourself and sign the agreement sooner? That way, Wuchao could send its army north, those Khitan dogs would surely be overwhelmed, and it would lighten our burden."

Anyone truly familiar with the Jin state's affairs would likely be startled to hear the name "Gushen." Gushen, son of Huandu, also known as Wanyan Xiyin, was one of Wanyan Aguda's most crucial strategists. Since Aguda's uprising against Khitan, Xiyin had been involved in many significant events. Not only was he exceptionally skilled in military strategy, but he was also a renowned Jurchen scholar. A few years prior, when Aguda declared himself emperor, he tasked Xiyin with creating a Jurchen script, as the Jurchens lacked their own. Xiyin developed the script last year, emulating Chinese regular script, and it was now being promoted throughout the Jin state. At this moment, as he looked at the lights outside, he shook his head.

"Although we considered Wuchao's assistance from the beginning of our uprising, this offer came from Wuchao first. Since Wuchao has a request of us, we naturally cannot appear overly eager. My visit to the Central Plains was solely to observe Wuchao's prosperity and the customs of Tokyo... What I've seen so far has already made this trip worthwhile. Look at the scene in Tokyo; even the Khitan's five capitals pale in comparison."

"Meliye, however, finds it too extravagant and soft, utterly lacking any fierce spirit. Lord Gushen, some people in our entourage say that Wuchao has nothing admirable apart from its extravagance. They've been oppressed by the Khitans for a century with no achievements. Even if we ally with them, I fear there won't be much significant benefit. While they might draw some attention, they are truly dispensable. Our Jurchen warriors could conquer Khitan even without them; now they're just getting a share of the spoils for nothing..."

"Do not be arrogant," Wanyan Xiyin frowned. "Wuchao occupies the Central Plains, a vast and rich land. Before our Jurchens even emerged, the Han people lived here for a thousand years. Although they appear to have been oppressed by the Khitans in recent years, if they were truly as weak as you suggest, wouldn't the Khitans have annexed them long ago? How could they have developed to this extent?"

He shook his head, admitting there was an element of uncertainty even in daylight. "I've spent these past few years creating our script and studying Han culture. The deeper I delve, the more I admire the unfathomable depth of their heritage. Meliye, even His Majesty and the Second Minister of State, speak of Wuchao with reverence. The Central Plains nation must not be underestimated. Once we conquer Khitan together, we will share a border and could potentially become enemies. How can you harbor contempt for your potential enemies?"

After saying this, his gaze returned to the bustling night scene outside. The young man named Meliye lowered his head in contemplation. While others' words might not have changed his perception, Lord Gushen was different. He possessed not only extraordinary courage but also superior military strategy and wisdom. What he said must undoubtedly be reasonable.

Thinking this, Meliye also looked outside, beginning to ponder just how formidable these Han people truly were.

Perhaps, a great deal... could be seen on the battlefield.

He thought to himself.

This night in Kaifeng, years later, might be remembered and earn a place in historical records. Of course, this was just a small interlude among the many events that would unfold in the coming years. At this moment, people were all doing what they believed to be right.

The rebellion led by Fang La and other righteous armies in the southeast of Wuchao had begun to have widespread repercussions. The renowned general Tong Guan, while advocating an alliance with Jin against Khitan, was also considering first crushing these peasant rebels with overwhelming force before leading the army north. The Emperor awaited the reclamation of Yan-Yun and their ancestral lands, intending to then slowly strive for good governance. Meanwhile, Wanyan Xiyin in Bianliang and Wanyan Aguda on the front lines against Khitan were both pondering the assistance Wuchao's northern campaign would provide and the future political landscape. The Jurchen population and army were too small. After conquering Khitan, how could they maintain balance with Wuchao and ensure they wouldn't be swallowed by them in the future?

Of course, Ning Yi knew none of these things.

He was sleeping. When he woke up in the morning and saw the heavy rain had stopped, he went for his usual run. During his run, he practiced internal cultivation using the breathing methods Lu Hongti had taught him. He continued all the way to Nie Yunzhu's small building, where he had a cup of tea and chatted. After all, they hadn't seen each other for several days. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two sat quietly for a while. Nie Yunzhu was considering how to tell him about her meeting with Elder Qin, who might become her adoptive father. As Ning Yi picked up the teapot to pour himself some water, a hand holding a teacup reached out from behind him.

"Hey, give me a cup too."

The woman's hand was fair and small. Ning Yi paused slightly, poured water into the cup, then looked back. A woman, dressed in a gown that seemed to belong to Nie Yunzhu, was sitting on the two steps behind them. She lifted the teacup, blew on it a few times, and slowly drank.

The two seemed to already know each other. Nie Yunzhu turned, beginning to speak with slight surprise, but then hesitated, unsure if an introduction was necessary. After a moment, Yuan Jin'er put down her teacup, smacked her lips, and seeing Ning Yi still looking at her, she pouted, widened her eyes, and leaned back. "Why are you staring at me!"

"Oh," Ning Yi blinked, nodded, then turned his face to drink his tea, no longer looking at her. After a moment, he shrugged again. "Yesterday I saw a woman crawl out of the river in the heavy rain, completely drenched, cough, drenched to the point of being very revealing... it shouldn't have been you."

His tone was nonchalant. Yuan Jin'er's eyes instantly widened. Nie Yunzhu murmured a soft "Hmm?" and turned to look at her. She still remembered the scene when Yuan Jin'er first entered their door; later, when she tried to take her for a bath, Yuan Jin'er had already fallen asleep. To prevent her from catching a cold, Nie Yunzhu had undressed her herself and wiped her body clean.

Yuan Jin'er blinked and exchanged a glance with Nie Yunzhu. "Of course it wasn't me!" she exclaimed. Then, she pulled at her skirt, stood up, and ran off. Nie Yunzhu was slightly taller than her, and her skirt was a bit longer, so as she ran inside, she gasped and nearly stumbled.

Nie Yunzhu gave an exasperated chuckle, then turned to look at Ning Yi again. He still had that calm expression as he drank his tea, then glanced at her... and then glanced at her again...

"Why are you looking at me like that? She already said it wasn't her!"

"......You rogue."

Nie Yunzhu picked up her teacup and turned her face away.