Chapter 1107: The Seventh Prince, the Annam Problem

"Chen Taiqiu and a friend agreed to travel together, setting the meeting at noon. When noon passed and the friend had not arrived, Taiqiu left without him; only after he left did the friend arrive. Yuanfang was seven years old at the time, playing outside the gate......" Inside the flower pavilion of the Qionglin Garden, a crisp recitation sounded—young yet full of promise. Liu Chengyou leaned back in a lounge chair, casually crossing his legs, sipping flower wine and eating fruit, wearing an utterly carefree expression.

Standing in the hall reciting was the Seventh Prince, Liu Hui, born of Pure Consort Zhou. Generally speaking, descendants of the imperial house were not bad-looking; there might be a risk of them growing into less handsome adults, but when young, they were basically all carved from jade and molded from powder—adorable in appearance.

Liu Hui had clearly inherited his parents' genes perfectly, though the share from his mother's side was probably greater, because Emperor Liu, who had once fancied himself a dashing young gentleman, no longer felt confident about his own looks, even though his ministers and consorts still praised him as handsome and imposing.

Of course, the eight-year-old Liu Hui had no such problem. Talent is something that shows itself from childhood, and having clearly inherited his mother Lady Zhou's literary gifts, combined with the constant cultivation he had received, Liu Hui had already displayed an extraordinary brilliance that surpassed his other brothers.

He had an outstanding affinity for poetry and prose. Ever since he began his studies at the Wenhua Hall, Grand Academician Zhang Zhao had lavished praise on this gifted prince, saying the boy would surely amount to something great in the future.

Whether a minister's praise of one's son was sincere or feigned, Liu Chengyou could still tell the difference. Zhang Zhao was clearly speaking from the heart—he genuinely liked this student.

At this, Emperor Liu, like the vast majority of fathers, was greatly delighted. Not long ago, while inspecting the Three Halls, he had said to those learned scholars in a proud tone, "I pride myself on my talents and have been able to pacify the realm, but I have always been lacking in literary ability—poetry and prose give me a headache. Fortunately, my family still has a Seventh Son......"

It was from that time onward that the Seventh Prince Liu Hui's brilliance became widely known.

When Emperor Liu visited the Qionglin Garden to escape the summer heat, besides the consorts accompanying him, it was also a fine opportunity for the princes still in their studies to enjoy a summer vacation.

Today, Liu Chengyou had suddenly found himself at leisure and summoned Liu Hui to examine his studies. Having heard that he was reading the *Shishuo Xinyu*, he asked him to recount some of it, and Liu Hui then picked out a few stories he found interesting to tell Liu Chengyou.

When he heard "Chen Taiqiu and the agreed meeting," Emperor Liu immediately felt a sense of recognition—"I've studied this text too." After he finished reciting, Liu Chengyou called Liu Hui to his knee, pinched his little face, and said with a smile: "Chen Yuanfang showed his distinction at seven, clever and quick-witted, able to recognize integrity and righteousness. But I think my son is no worse than him!"

Facing Liu Chengyou's praise, Liu Hui shook his head and said: "Chen Yuanfang was a moral gentleman remembered in the annals of history. His learning and conduct are both worthy of admiration. How could I compare myself to him?"

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou was even more pleased and said: "At such a young age, you know humility—that too is rare!"

"You study diligently and work hard, so I should reward you. Tell me, what do you want?" Emperor Liu was in a good mood and winked at Liu Hui.

But somewhat to his surprise, Liu Hui shook his head, looked at Liu Chengyou with clear, bright eyes, and said seriously: "Mother told me that studying is for gaining wisdom and understanding propriety, for cultivating one's conduct. If I accepted Father's reward, wouldn't that mean I study for the sake of rewards?"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu was naturally overjoyed. He vigorously rubbed the boy's head, then asked with a laugh: "I rarely take the initiative to give rewards to anyone. You've refused on your own—don't regret it!"

Shaking his head again, Liu Hui answered firmly: "I won't regret it!"

"Haha!" Emperor Liu was thoroughly delighted. Looking at this son who already exuded an air of scholarly refinement, he thought for a moment and said: "Reading well deserves praise, but martial skills must not be neglected either. You need not only a sharp mind but also diligent limbs!"

"Yes!" Though he agreed, Liu Hui's little face turned bitter. Heaven had given him talent in literature, but it had also made him somewhat averse to martial arts.

"Since you're at the Qionglin Garden, relax and enjoy yourself—go play with your brothers and sisters!" Emperor Liu said affectionately.

"Thank you, Father!" At this, Liu Hui said joyfully, then bowed, withdrew slowly, turned, and dashed off. He had originally been boating on Jinming Lake with his brothers and sisters before being summoned by the Emperor to recite texts, so he was still a bit anxious at heart.

"Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince is truly gifted with extraordinary brilliance!" Seeing Emperor Liu's gaze following Liu Hui's figure, Yan Tuo smiled obsequiously at his side and flattered.

At this, the smile on Emperor Liu's face gradually faded. After pondering for a moment, he sighed: "In the future, being a peaceful prince or duke will be enough......"

"Yan Tuo!" Suddenly, Liu Chengyou called out.

The abrupt sound startled Yan Tuo. Believing he had said nothing wrong, he bent low and responded: "What does Your Majesty command?"

"Among the tribute offered by the Jinghai Army, wasn't there a pair of white jade discs?"

"Indeed there was!"

"Go convey my order—bestow them upon the Pure Consort!" Emperor Liu raised a finger.

"Yes!"

Earlier, when discussing the issue of the surrounding barbarian peoples with his ministers, many had remarked with emotion that the Great Han already enjoyed the splendor of ten thousand states coming to pay court. At that time, Liu Chengyou had replied with one question: envoys from all the various states were common, so why did envoys from Annam come so rarely?

Clearly, Emperor Liu never forgot the former territories of the Great Tang. Then, in the second year of Kaibao, the Wu clan occupying Annam sent envoys to court, though the local products they offered were rather stingy—the most precious items being a pair of jade discs.

It wasn't that Annam was insufficiently respectful toward the Great Han court; rather, Annam was not peaceful at present. The Wu clan's rule was growing increasingly unstable, with rebellions breaking out frequently.

The turmoil in Annam had already lasted twenty years in total, beginning after the death of its regime's founder, Wu Quan. At that time, the maternal relative Yang San'ge usurped power, and internal contradictions within the royal house were acute, causing the central authority of the Wu dynasty to plummet. This led feudal lords throughout the region to hold their own prefectures and cities in self-defense, and the Wu clan could not control them—this was the so-called "Revolt of the Twelve Warlords." Though in Emperor Liu's view, it was just a bunch of loaches fighting in a mud pit, they were having quite a good time at it.

The current ruler was Wu Changwen, the second son of Wu Quan. This man could be said to have given the Wu dynasty a new lease on life. Not only did he seize power back from Yang San'ge, but under his rule, the Wu clan enjoyed a period of brief resurgence.

However, since it was merely a brief resurgence, in the end the accumulated problems were too deep to reverse. Facing feudal lords throughout the land who refused to submit, he repeatedly resorted to military campaigns, and against rebellions he also adopted armed suppression. Years of constant warfare brought no fundamental change to the Wu dynasty; instead, it made the country more chaotic, and the reality of separatist rule remained unchanged.

In particular, Ding Bu Ling of the Dahua Hualu Cave grew increasingly powerful day by day, and Wu Changwen simply had no way to deal with him. Moreover, as he aged, his energy waned, and his internal problems were too severe—how could Wu Changwen find the peace of mind or free up the hands to consider the Great Han's feelings?

This tribute mission was sent only after hearing a rumor that Pan Mei, the Han army commander who had pacified Yue, was sharpening his weapons and feeding his horses, preparing to dispatch troops to pacify Annam. This terrified Wu Changwen. His subordinates said it was because their ceremonial courtesy had been insufficient, so they hastily sent a second envoy mission to court.

Though the Wu dynasty of Annam had gained independence through a war against the Southern Han, to the Wu dynasty that state was still a behemoth. Yet this state to which they paid homage had been easily destroyed by the Great Han. The contrast between strong and weak was stark—how could they not fear?

As for Pan Mei, he indeed had ambitions of conquest. Earlier, he had submitted a memorial to Emperor Liu saying that Annam was formerly part of the nation's territory, and that the Southern Yue's incompetence had allowed it to break away; now it should be retaken.

But Emperor Liu was at that time wholly focused on the Hexi affairs, so he sent a letter back to Pan Mei telling him to hold off and wait until the time was ripe before moving troops.

Of course, to Pan Mei, the mere Wu dynasty hardly required any consideration of timing—in his view, every moment was a good opportunity......

However, he did not dare defy the Emperor's will. So Pan Mei began doing what he had done in Hunan before—sending people to spy on and understand the situation in Annam, while conceiving plans and routes for advancing troops.

One point that must be mentioned: although the Wu clan ruled as kings and overlords in Annam, in the Great Han's official documents they were always referred to as the Jinghai Army, or Annam—showing Emperor Liu's attitude toward that land.