Chapter 1148: The Northern Envoy Returns South

At the White Horse Ferry crossing, a massive official vessel forcefully "shouldered" its way past the other boats and pulled in to dock. The crew disembarked one after another, led by an elderly man who was clearly from an official family, dressed in rather splendid attire. After days of travel by boat, the journey had been taxing, and his face showed signs of weariness.

After docking and disembarking, the accompanying staff busied themselves with rest and resupply at the wharf, while the old man went straight to the White Horse Post Station to recuperate. As a high-ranking court official who could speak directly before the Emperor, and having just returned from a diplomatic mission, he received extremely deferential treatment from the local authorities.

This old man was none other than Wang Zhaoyuan, Academician of the Chongzheng Hall and Grand Master of the Palace, who had been sent by imperial decree to Liao the previous year and was now returning after a year away. This Wang Zhaoyuan was, of course, that same surrendered minister from Shu who had fumbled away the Shu army.

Even to this day, many people still could not understand how such an overrated silk pillow—all show and no substance—could have earned the Emperor's personal trust.

But no amount of criticism could change the facts. He had been at court for nearly ten years now, and although he no longer wielded the kind of power he had held during the Meng Shu era, the treatment he enjoyed was still quite good.

When regarded merely as a strategist, one had to admit the man was not bad. In Emperor Liu's view, Wang Zhaoyuan was genuinely clever, widely knowledgeable, and exceptionally eloquent—a man like this, so long as he was placed in the right position, could bring out remarkable results.

For instance, in matters concerning the northern peoples, Wang Zhaoyuan had considerable insight, and he had grown year by year. To that end, he had even specifically studied the Khitan language and script. After all these years, few at court could surpass Wang Zhaoyuan in Khitan affairs—and this was already his fourth time representing the court on a mission to the north.

At the White Horse Post Station, he had specially arranged for the station keeper to set aside a quiet spot, where he drank and dined alone, savoring his wine and dishes in solitude. The bustle and clamor of the station seemed not to exist for him.

Compared to his time in the Meng Shu, serving as an official in the Great Han had made Wang Zhaoyuan noticeably more composed and far more low-key. There was no helping it—as a surrendered minister, an invisible yoke always bound him.

And when this surrendered minister received imperial favor that ordinary men could never obtain, the pressure from all sides only grew greater. On top of that, being an official in the Great Han these days was no easy matter. Every year, no small number of people were dealt with for various reasons, especially since the beginning of the Kaibao era, when many problems that had been beneath notice during the Qianyou years now received serious attention.

Especially now—the Ministry of Personnel was headed by Dou Yi, and the Ministry of Justice by Li Ye, and neither of these men was someone to trifle with. Dou Yi's uprightness was known throughout the realm, while Imperial Brother-in-Law Li had already displayed his methods from Daozhou to the central ministries; the recent "Zhang Long'er case" in the capital had been handled by him with a hard and severe punishment.

Take this very moment—beneath Wang Zhaoyuan's composed gaze, traces of worry would occasionally surface. The source of that worry lay in the court, stemming from this diplomatic mission.

For this northern mission, he had set out in the eighth month of last year, spending more than half a year in Liao altogether before only now returning. And so, people at court had begun making an issue of it. They did not attack him directly, merely raising a suspicion—saying that Wang Zhaoyuan, having spent so long among the Khitan, might harbor intentions of betraying the Han and defecting to Liao, especially given that he was originally a surrendered minister...

All too often, such plausible-sounding rumors were extremely effective at damaging one's reputation. After re-entering Han territory and traveling south, he had learned through some twists and turns of the situation that had developed during his absence.

For Wang Zhaoyuan, this naturally felt deeply unjust. He had been more than proper in the Great Han, yet there was never any shortage of people targeting him. This was due not only to the jealousy aroused by a surrendered minister receiving excessive imperial favor, but also to his position as Academician of the Chongzheng Hall.

By now, the offices of the Chongzheng Hall had become an established system: beneath the Grand Academician sat one Recipient of Edicts, assisted by two Academicians, with twelve Court Gentlemen in addition. The position of Academician of the Chongzheng Hall was of the fifth rank, and setting aside its status and power for the moment, the mere advantage of being close to the Emperor was something many other posts lacked.

In the eyes of quite a few people, if a nobody like Wang Zhaoyuan could manage it, then naturally they could too.

"Sigh!" Downing a cup of wine, Wang Zhaoyuan could not help but heave a heavy sigh, a trace of indignation flickering across his aged face. Wang Zhaoyuan was now past the age of fifty, and compared to his spirited, ambitious younger days, he cut a very different figure—time often brings with it a stark contrast.

"Governor, Lü Duan, Prefectural Administrator of Huazhou, requests an audience!" While Wang Zhaoyuan was slowly drinking his wine in melancholy, a servant accompanying him came forward to report.

"Oh?" Wang Zhaoyuan perked up with some interest, letting out a derisive chuckle. "This is Lü Yuqing's younger brother, isn't it! He has an elder brother who enjoys the Emperor's deep favor—and he still comes to curry favor with me?"

"You are, after all, an envoy of the Son of Heaven, representing the Great Han on a diplomatic mission. How could these local officials dare not attend to you with utmost care!" his attendant flattered.

At court, Wang Zhaoyuan's position might not be entirely comfortable, but in the provinces, no one dared to slight him. This was, by and large, the advantage of being a capital official—especially one like Wang Zhaoyuan, who was an Academician of the Chongzheng Hall and the chief envoy sent by imperial decree to Liao.

"Show him in!" Wang Zhaoyuan smiled. "Let me see what gifts this younger brother of Lü Yuqing has prepared this time..."

Wang Zhaoyuan sat upright at the table, maintaining a lofty posture, calmly waiting for Lü Duan to enter while leisurely chewing on his dishes. Soon, Lü Duan's expressionless face appeared—but he had come empty-handed.

Seeing that Wang Zhaoyuan had not even set down his wine cup, Lü Duan showed no change in expression, clasping his hands in a bow: "Your subordinate, Lü Duan, Prefectural Administrator of Huazhou, pays respects to Governor Wang!"

"Prefect Lü, no need for ceremony!" Wang Zhaoyuan's aged face beamed with a smile as he sized him up for a moment, then said: "Truly a man of talent, a rising star! Past thirty, six years in office, and already the head of a prefecture—that is a rarity in the Great Han these days!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Duan smiled slightly and said in a modest manner: "Your subordinate feels his virtue is shallow and unworthy of the position. Shouldering this responsibility, I am filled with trepidation!"

Wang Zhaoyuan chuckled and shook his head: "I was acquainted with your elder brother at the Chongzheng Hall, and he mentioned you—grave on the outside, brilliant within. Why so self-deprecating?"

"I dare not presume!" Lü Duan maintained his composed bearing.

Waving his hand, Wang Zhaoyuan asked directly: "I have returned south from my mission to Liao and am merely stopping here to rest, not intending to stay long. What business brings you here?"

Lü Duan reported: "A dispatch from the field headquarters, ordered to be conveyed to the Governor!"

With that, Lü Duan gestured, and a yamen runner entered carrying a tray upon which lay an imperial edict. Seeing this, Wang Zhaoyuan's expression immediately turned solemn. He set down his wine cup at once and rose to his feet—so hastily that half a cup of wine splashed out.

Straightening his robes and adjusting his cap, Wang Zhaoyuan responded with reverence: "Your servant Wang Zhaoyuan receives the edict!"

Taking the edict, Wang Zhaoyuan respectfully opened it and read through it word by word. His tense expression melted into a look of relief—fortunately, it was nothing bad; he had simply been worrying too much.

Putting away the edict, Wang Zhaoyuan looked up at Lü Duan and said: "I have received the imperial decree, and there are matters in which I must trouble Prefect Lü!"

Hearing this, Lü Duan immediately replied: "Please, Governor, give your orders!"

Wang Zhaoyuan said: "The mission party will abandon the boats and travel by land. Please have the Prefect muster men to unload the carried goods without delay, and also requisition several carts. All expenses will be borne from the mission's public funds!"

"Your subordinate will make the arrangements at once!" It was no difficult matter, and Lü Duan accepted calmly.

Soon, the mission party to Liao, under Wang Zhaoyuan's leadership, abandoned their boats and came ashore, then turned southeast. They traveled for a full four days before finally catching up with the field headquarters. That edict from the field headquarters had merely been sent because they had learned Wang Zhaoyuan was returning—they had specially dispatched a messenger with the decree summoning him to the field headquarters for an audience to report on his mission.

By the time Wang Zhaoyuan arrived, the imperial carriage had already reached Yuncheng County in Jizhou, where the Emperor was boating on Liangshan Lake with his beautiful wives and concubines.