Chapter 1096: The Matter of Goryeo and Ding'an

In the intercalary twelfth month of the first year of Kaibao, the year's end felt especially long. After entering the year's second twelfth month, Emperor Liu's mood improved considerably—having seen so much turmoil in the world, there was nothing he couldn't come to terms with.

Of course, this was also due to two things that brought Liu Chengyou delight. First, the palace had gained another member—Lady of Beauty Qin, who had entered the palace two years prior, had given birth to the thirteenth imperial prince. Second, the gravely ill Duke Wei, Murong Yanzhao, was gradually recovering. Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu was overjoyed and specially summoned him along with Li Gu to the palace, where the ruler and his two ministers enjoyed a warm little banquet together.

In truth, Emperor Liu was hardly a man who could maintain tranquility and cultivate his character for long—given enough time, he quickly grew bored. Being freed from the heavy burdens of court affairs and departing from his former lifestyle of rising before dawn and retiring late had certainly brought him much ease, but the price of leisure was a gradual slide into emptiness.

Emperor Liu was not a man of refined tastes. He had no particular passions; his needs in clothing, food, lodging, and travel were modest. Reading and martial practice were merely diversions—devoting himself to them wholeheartedly for any extended period would have been a torment.

As for beauty, the allure of the palace's lovely ladies and maids was considerable, but having noticed his physical condition declining, he was consciously curbing the frequency of his intimate encounters.

As for other forms of entertainment, he had tried them all, but only sampled them lightly—none held his interest especially. In matters of faith, Emperor Liu was even less inclined: he neither believed in Buddhism nor cultivated Daoism, and Confucian ritual propriety was merely a tool of governance...

In fact, in many people's eyes, it was precisely this temperament of Emperor Liu that allowed him to maintain prolonged focus on state affairs and military matters. That the emperor had no obsessions or private indulgences was indeed a great fortune for the nation and its people.

When he began to feel the tedium and dullness, Emperor Liu's mind stirred once more, and his attention to state and military affairs correspondingly sharpened. However, he did not recklessly "return to the stage."

He began frequenting the Three Halls, reviewing the compilation of the *National History* and the *Veritable Records*, discussing governance strategies with the historiographers and scholars, personally overseeing the revision of the *Han Compendium of Statutes*, while continuously pulling case files from the various ministries and bureaus—even finding time to examine the secret archives of the Wude Office and the Palace City Office...

With these matters to occupy him, Emperor Liu's "emptiness" was somewhat alleviated. In truth, his behavior and mentality could be summed up in one phrase: a true man cannot go a single day without power.

On the surface, he felt weary and fatigued from the burdens of governance and wished to rest, yet once he relaxed, with nothing else to fill the void, he found it hard to adapt.

As for delegating power—that was something Emperor Liu could never do completely. Everything was premised on his maintaining control over the state. If anything ever seemed to slip beyond his grasp, the dormant Emperor Liu would once again bare his fangs.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Dongping requests an audience!"

"Admit him!"

When he learned that Zhao Kuangzan had come to see him, Emperor Liu was practicing archery. An arrow struck the target steadily, not far from the bullseye, giving Emperor Liu the illusion that with continued practice, his archery might truly reach a respectable level.

Of course, an illusion was always just an illusion. If hitting a stationary target was this difficult, moving targets were even harder—not to mention shooting from horseback...

Emperor Liu took another arrow, resumed his stance, aimed, steadied his breathing, and released. The string vibrated, the arrow flew, and struck the target squarely.

"Excellent shot!" Zhao Kuangzan's voice of admiration came from nearby—he was almost clapping.

Turning his head, Emperor Liu saw the Prince of Dongping, Zhao Kuangzan, clad in a white python robe, approaching at a leisurely pace with an obviously flattering smile on his face. Though Emperor Liu knew it was flattery, his mood remained good. He said to the attendant beside him, "Prepare a bow and arrows for the Prince of Dongping. My spirits are high—let us, ruler and minister, have a contest!"

"Your Majesty's divine archery leaves me ashamed of my own inadequacy!" Zhao Kuangzan demurred verbally, but naturally slipped off his outer robe and accepted the carved bow.

"If you keep praising me, I'll blush! But it's agreed—no holding back!" Emperor Liu laughed heartily, calling out to Zhao Kuangzan.

Zhao Kuangzan was, after all, a scion of a military family and practiced riding and archery regularly. Against Liu Chengyou's modest skill, he naturally could not lose—and with his words of deference stated beforehand, after ten arrows, he had won thoroughly.

Though, perhaps Emperor Liu's archery truly had improved—Zhao Kuangzan had only "barely" won.

Shaking out his sore arm, Emperor Liu sat down on a nearby chair. Yan Tuo hurriedly fetched a sable cloak and draped it over him to ward off the cold. Gesturing for Zhao Kuangzan to sit beside him, Emperor Liu took a sip of warm wine before asking, "Minister Zhao, what brings you here?"

Zhao Kuangzan currently held the post of Vice Minister of Rites—a case of high rank with light duties, though this did not hinder his standing at court. Some matters did not require him to report to the emperor in person, but he still chose his moments to come—not primarily to report affairs, but to strengthen his connection with the emperor and cultivate their relationship.

Of course, since he had come, there was indeed something to report. Zhao Kuangzan said, "The Goryeo envoy has been found—rescued by fishermen from Dengzhou. He has now arrived at the Eastern Capital!"

It turned out that King Wang Zhao of Goryeo had once again dispatched envoys to the court. This time the mission was large—nearly two hundred people—carrying great quantities of treasures and local products, along with a number of nobles and young officials, plus several Goryeo beauties.

Beyond paying tribute and strengthening ties with the Great Han, the purpose was also to please the court and the emperor, while harboring the intention of continuing to study the institutions and culture of the Central Plains.

In recent years, through friendly relations with the court, the King of Goryeo had achieved remarkable results in domestic reform, with royal authority greatly strengthened—reaping considerable benefits. With economic ties growing ever closer, the relationship between the two nations was in a honeymoon period...

However, this mission was destined for misfortune. During the sea crossing, they encountered a shipwreck—the vessel capsized, and almost no one survived. What Zhao Kuangzan reported was the sole survivor, a man named Shi Zan, who had luckily drifted to an island and been rescued by fishermen who had gone out to sea.

This shipwreck was also a disaster for Goryeo. Not only was a great quantity of tribute lost, but more importantly, among the lost mission members were far too many of Goryeo's promising young talents—those upon whom Wang Zhao had placed his hopes, the future of the Goryeo kingdom...

At this, Emperor Liu harbored some rather dark thoughts, which manifested on his face as a somewhat unseemly smile. He waved his hand: "The sea is vast, deep, and merciless. Such a disaster is something I would not wish to see. The loss of the mission is truly lamentable, and the court should make some gesture. That surviving envoy, having passed through a crisis of life and death, has had it hard—the Ministry of Rites should see to his care. Additionally, arrange a delegation to travel to Goryeo as a return gift and condolence visit!"

"Yes!" Zhao Kuangzan clasped his hands in acknowledgment.

"Additionally, the kingdom of Ding'an has again sent envoys to court, hoping to submit and be incorporated!" Zhao Kuangzan said.

"Oh?" Emperor Liu keenly sensed something amiss. "They are far off in the northeast, on the former lands of Bohai—how could they be incorporated? What has happened behind this?"

"Your Majesty is perceptive!" Zhao Kuangzan offered a compliment, then explained: "According to the envoy, their territory is small, their population sparse, their state poor, and their army weak—no longer able to stand independently. Recently, Liao's military threat has grown ever heavier, and they fear the calamity of national annihilation. What they request is to relocate a small number of nobles away, crossing the sea to submit to us!"

"Is that not a fantasy?" Emperor Liu shook his head. After a moment's deliberation, he raised a point: "Since they harbor thoughts of abandoning their state, they clearly sense a crisis. Could Liao truly be planning to send troops to destroy them?"

Zhao Kuangzan picked up the thread: "I believe this possibility exists. Though Ding'an is merely a tiny state formed by a group of remnant people, hardly a major threat, it does lie in their rear and refuses to submit to their rule. To eliminate a hidden danger behind them, they might well mobilize troops. Given the Khitan's strength, destroying a mere Ding'an would not be difficult!"

"Since they have come seeking help at the Eastern Capital, as a great power, we naturally cannot ignore them—we ought to shoulder our responsibilities!" Emperor Liu stated his position, then turned to ask Zhao Kuangzan: "What do you think the court should do in response?"

Zhao Kuangzan had clearly prepared his answer in advance. He reported: "The two states are separated by mountains and seas, with the Khitan blocking the way—incorporation is clearly impractical. I believe that Ding'an occupies a corner of the Bohai region, and more importantly, it backs onto Goryeo. Since the Goryeo envoy is currently in the capital, perhaps we should find a solution through Goryeo..."

Hearing this suggestion, Emperor Liu immediately caught on and smiled at Zhao Kuangzan: "Good! Let it be done! This matter shall be coordinated by you, Minister Zhao!"

"Yes!"