Chapter 1252: Schadenfreude

"Your Majesty, Commissioner of the Wude Office Li Chongju requests an audience!" a palace eunuch came to report.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu immediately perked up, gesturing: "Quickly, invite him in!"

"Could there be new news from Liao?" Li Ye blurted out an obvious remark.

The reason for such a hurried return journey was, of course, known to the accompanying ministers, and along the way, news from the north, especially from the Liao supreme capital, had been arriving one after another, but there was still no definitive information. Yet precisely because of this, for Emperor Liu, that unusual aura grew ever thicker, and the eastward return became ever more urgent.

Soon, Li Chongju entered, saluted the Emperor and the Crown Prince, steadied his breathing, and reported crisply: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the situation has been ascertained — the Liao sovereign has been assassinated!"

At these words, the entire hall was shocked. Liu Yang's composure was not yet sufficient; his astonishment was written all over his face, and he could not help blurting out: "So this was the root of Liao's strange state of affairs! Is the news certain? This is truly too unexpected — the Liao sovereign was surrounded by layers of guards, who could possibly assassinate him!"

"In the Liao supreme capital, they have already formally begun mourning and funeral arrangements — the news is beyond doubt! According to reports, the one who stabbed the Liao sovereign was his own personal attendant..." Li Chongju reported.

Hearing this, the several people still felt surprised; the matter did carry a certain drama and absurdity, making it hard to believe at first. Emperor Liu, however, kept his expression calm, and after digesting the news, said with a hint of emotion: "So it really was like this!"

Seeing this, Li Ye asked in surprise: "Could Your Majesty have foreseen this long ago?"

"I merely had a premonition!" Emperor Liu said leisurely: "A spear thrust in the open is easy to dodge, but an arrow shot in the dark is hard to guard against. Yet the hardest thing to prevent is an outbreak of trouble at one's very elbow. Yelu Jing was too cruel and harsh toward the eunuchs around him. I said it back then — if this continued, chaos would inevitably arise. Now the Liao sovereign has been assassinated; though it is unexpected, it is also within reason..."

"Your Majesty is wise and perceptive, seeing through things like fire — your minister bows in admiration!" At these words, Li Ye immediately sang Emperor Liu's praises.

Emperor Liu shook his head and said in a tone of regret: "Yelu Jing ruled Liao for nearly twenty years. Though he suffered repeated setbacks against the Great Han, he still carried the bearing of a generation's emperor. To die so muddle-headedly at the hands of a eunuch..."

"Your Majesty, with the Liao sovereign assassinated, Liao has suddenly encountered a great upheaval that will surely bring turmoil — the Great Han's opportunity may have come!" Zhao Kuangyin, who was also present, reminded him immediately after calming down.

Nodding, Emperor Liu looked toward Li Chongju: "What is the situation in Linhuang Prefecture now?"

At this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Li Chongju's face, and he reported: "In reply to Your Majesty, as previously reported, after this upheaval, Liao does not seem to have produced much turmoil. The supreme capital remains under martial law, with no disturbances of any kind — everything seems to be under control. A group of senior ministers led by the Yue King Yelu Bishe, the Northern Chancellery chancellor Yelu Xianshi, and the Northern Bureau Commissioner Xiao Husi are managing the overall situation!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu immediately said: "Impossible!"

He paused, then raised a finger and said with confident force: "Liao is not lacking in capable ministers; at such a critical moment of upheaval, they might be able to maintain the situation. But with the Liao emperor dying in such a manner, given his past military and political posture, if it could pass without a ripple — I don't believe it!

Most importantly, Yelu Jing had no sons and never designated a successor before his death. Now that he has died suddenly, who will inherit the Liao throne? The struggle for the Liao throne has a long history, with repeated coups — this time it surely cannot pass smoothly!"

Everyone present found Emperor Liu's judgment reasonable, and Zhao Kuangyin said: "Your Majesty speaks truly! Perhaps the current calm in the Liao supreme capital is merely an illusion. For the sake of the throne, they may already be engaged in open strife and covert struggle!"

"Are there any other signs?" Emperor Liu stared at Li Chongju and asked.

Li Chongju pondered briefly, then replied gravely: "Your Majesty, there is one point perhaps worth considering. According to reports, within a single day of the Liao emperor's assassination, the one who first entered the field headquarters, seized control of the army, led the troops back to the capital, and took charge of the situation was the Southern Chancellery chancellor Yelu Xianshi. In addition, the Qi King Yelu Xian and Director of the Chancellery Xiao Siwen also participated."

Hearing this report, a slight smile appeared on Emperor Liu's face: "That's right! Given the upper echelons of Liao, when such a great matter occurs, even if someone must clean up the mess, it shouldn't fall to Yelu Xianshi. Never mind Yelu Bishe — even Xiao Husi would be more suitable than him!"

"There must be more to this — perhaps even the Liao sovereign's death is not so simple!" Liu Yang, after pondering these reports, said to Emperor Liu.

Stroking his thick beard, Emperor Liu sank into serious thought, then suddenly said: "Summon Wang Zhaoyuan!"

As the Great Han's "expert" on Liao affairs, with this new development, how could Emperor Liu not hear his thoughts and opinions?

Soon, Wang Zhaoyuan came to audience upon the summons. Emperor Liu was direct, having Li Chongju brief him on the situation, then asked him outright: "Minister Wang, now that the Liao sovereign has died suddenly, in your view, who could become the successor?"

Though it was already mid-spring and the weather was no longer so cold, upon learning the news, Wang Zhaoyuan could not help drawing in a cold breath. After pondering for a long while, Wang Zhaoyuan said with a solemn expression: "Your Majesty, in your minister's humble opinion, under ordinary circumstances, when the Liao emperor dies, the successor should be chosen from among his three brothers.

And among those three kings, the most likely is the Yue King Yelu Bishe. Why? This man has a generous nature, the capacity to tolerate others, considerable prestige, and was valued by the Liao sovereign, entrusted with the great power of assisting governance. For him to succeed would pose no problem either by sentiment or by reason!"

Then came the turn: Wang Zhaoyuan continued: "However, from what Lord Li has described, the Qi King Yelu Xian may also have a chance!"

"Two candidates?" Emperor Liu raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a touch of schadenfreude: "Two candidates is good! If there were only one man with universal support, Liao's crisis would pass smoothly and the court would return to stability — that would not be good for the Great Han!"

No one objected to Emperor Liu's malicious thinking, nor dared to. Between nations, interests naturally come first. With two great powers standing side by side and the balance not yet fully broken, Liao having problems of its own was naturally good news for the Great Han. They even hoped it would grow more chaotic, and adding fuel to the fire would be necessary.

"Between these two, who is superior?" After a brief thought, Emperor Liu asked.

To this, Wang Zhaoyuan spoke at length: "In your minister's view, the Yue King Yelu Bishe naturally holds the advantage. He is both the Liao sovereign's younger brother and has assisted in governance for many years, with experience in running the state. Under these circumstances, only he can reassure the people.

By comparison, that Yelu Xian is barely twenty years old, raised deep in the palace. Though he has some reputation for virtue, in the end he is young and inexperienced. At such a critical moment, he would find it hard to command respect or support the overall situation, let alone govern the state!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu smiled, and the smile carried a hint of amusement. Other matters Emperor Liu might have largely forgotten, but of this man Yelu Xian, he still had some impression. In the official histories, this man was considered a reviving sovereign of Liao — Liao's comprehensive suppression of the Great Song seemed to have begun with him.

Though in recent years, in intelligence gathering against Liao, Emperor Liu had not paid special attention to Yelu Xian — after all, the national conditions and circumstances of both Han and Liao had undergone fundamental changes.

But with history having progressed to this juncture, Yelu Xian had now formally emerged, with the possibility of stepping onto the great stage. Even if only for that faint reputation, Emperor Liu would not underestimate him.

"Is this also your view?" Emperor Liu asked Li Ye and Zhao Kuangyin.

Though Li Ye somewhat looked down on Wang Zhaoyuan as a surrendered minister, he still nodded: "What Academician Wang has said, your minister finds reasonable!"

Zhao Kuangyin was clearly more quick-witted, taking the initiative to ask: "Could Your Majesty feel that this Yelu Xian has something extraordinary about him?"

"Extraordinary is hardly the word!" Emperor Liu waved his hand: "But if this man truly can contend with Yelu Bishe, that would naturally be even better for the Great Han!"

Hearing this, Wang Zhaoyuan immediately said: "If so, the struggle between the two imperial lineages of Liao would inevitably revive, and internal chaos arising from it would not be impossible!"

"If they breed chaos, I naturally look forward to it. But we cannot merely sit and wait!" A sinister gleam appeared in Emperor Liu's eyes as he instructed Li Chongju: "Activate all the secret agents within Liao and spread rumors — say that someone, in order to seize the throne, conspired to assassinate the Liao emperor! There is no need to point fingers at anyone specifically; leave ample room for the imagination of Liao's court and populace!"

"Yes!" Li Chongju immediately acknowledged.

"If Liao descends into internal chaos, the Great Han naturally cannot stand by idly. Not only must we add fire, but also pour on oil!" Emperor Liu said: "Continue to monitor the Liao situation closely — do not miss any news!"

"Yes!"

With the news of the Liao emperor Yelu Jing's death arriving, that gradually quieted heart of Emperor Liu stirred once more, and that fervor — it had been a long time since he had felt it.

Schadenfreude was merely an attitude, but regarding this upheaval in Liao, beyond those schemes to sow chaos in Liao, what other responses the Great Han should take — Emperor Liu was already contemplating...