Chapter 15: The Envoy from Jingnan

After Bai Wenke returned, his account was much the same as Wang Jun's, adding further fuel to the increasingly turbulent public sentiment in Jinyang. And this time, it was not only officials seeking advancement—many common folk had also joined in condemning the "Khitan tyranny."

Yet the Prince of Beiping's residence remained calm as ever, its high walls and thick barriers seemingly shutting out all the clamor from outside. But in the shadows, the situation in Jinyang had never slipped from Liu Zhiyuan's control; news from within and beyond Hedong continuously flowed onto his desk.

Liu Chengyou saw all of this with perfect clarity, his mind exceptionally lucid. These past few days, he had made no major moves either—aside from his routine inspections of the Longqi Army, he had been quite well-behaved.

In contrast, his elder brother Liu Chengxun was a different story altogether. In his capacity as heir apparent, he received officials on Liu Zhiyuan's behalf, offering reassurance and encouragement, while frequently attending banquets organized by those urging accession, dropping pointed hints. In short, since that night's conversation at Zhongcheng Bridge, Liu Chengxun had been exceedingly active.

Amid all the commotion, the first ten days of the second month of spring passed with excruciating slowness. But no matter how anxious or helpless those below felt, the Prince of Beiping, Liu Zhiyuan, remained as steady as Mount Tai. By the time he reappeared before his officials, several more days had passed—this time to receive an envoy from Gao Conghui, Military Governor of Jingnan and Prince of Nanping.

Though the Gao clan of Jingnan had a poor reputation, they had nonetheless traveled a thousand li bearing gifts to pay their respects. Liu Zhiyuan would not be so ungracious as to refuse them; he received the envoy personally in the main hall, and even had the Liu brothers and several of his aides attend as company.

The state of Nanping was counted among the "Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms." Among all the states, this tiny speck of a country had never lacked for notoriety—its reputation for being ruled by a "rogue monarch" was widely known.

Among the southern states, it was also the one with the closest ties to the Central Plains, for it sat at a strategic crossroads, serving as an important thoroughfare linking the Central Plains with the other states. In times past, whenever trouble arose in the Central Plains, they were always the fastest to react.

After all, they occupied only the cramped corner of Jingnan—weak in military strength, feeble in national power—yet their geographic position was critically important. Forced to survive in the cracks between the various states, they could hardly afford to be insensitive. With Yelu Deguang destroying the Later Jin and the Central Plains changing hands, such a momentous event naturally demanded a response from the Gao clan, given their long-standing habit of "fawning" to survive.

Still, sending an envoy all the way to Taiyuan to pay homage was nonetheless bound to raise some eyebrows.

Gao Conghui's envoy was a young man of decent appearance, with a hint of cunning in his brows. Perhaps owing to a lack of confidence, his bearing was exceedingly servile. The moment Liu Zhiyuan sat in the main hall, the man immediately prostrated himself in a grand bow: "Your subject Gao Yuan pays respects to Your Highness, the Prince of Beiping!"

This lowly posture surprised Liu Zhiyuan even more. He waved his hand and said with a light laugh: "Rise, envoy. I could hardly deserve such a grand bow from you!"

"The Prince of Beiping's virtue and might are both vast, earning the reverence of all the world—surely you deserve this subject's bow!" The envoy Gao Yuan insisted on bowing a few more times before finally rising.

When one abases oneself before another, there must be something sought. Studying the envoy, Liu Zhiyuan asked with great directness: "Speak plainly, then. What purpose does the Prince of Nanping have in sending you to Hedong?"

Gao Yuan clearly still wanted to offer more flattery, but facing the formidable Liu Zhiyuan, he dared not prattle on. Cupping his fists, he answered respectfully: "Now the northern barbarians have usurped the Central Plains, the altars of state have no master, and the people have no recourse. A hero is urgently needed to quell the chaos and secure the realm. The Prince of Nanping has surveyed all under heaven and finds that only Your Highness, the Prince of Beiping, possesses virtue and might renowned far and wide—a true sage-ruler of the age. We humbly beg Your Highness to ascend the throne and rule over all. The Prince of Nanping is willing to bow his head and await your command in Jingnan..."

Hearing these words, a gleam of light flashed through Liu Zhiyuan's eyes, and a faint, ambiguous smile crept onto his face as he appraised the man with amusement: "I have heard that the Prince of Nanping earlier sent men bearing heavy tribute to Bianliang to present offerings to the Khitan ruler. I wonder—what sort of words did those envoys to Bianliang offer before the Khitan ruler?"

"This..." Faced with Liu Zhiyuan's casual-sounding interrogation, Gao Yuan's breath caught. But he quickly concealed the trace of embarrassment on his face and continued to explain in his obsequious posture: "The Khitan are powerful. The Prince of Nanping's tribute was merely a pretense of compliance, a way to probe their true strength. Once Your Highness raises an army, the Prince of Nanping will surely submit as your vassal and lead the soldiers of Jingnan northward to drive out the barbarian invaders together..."

Perhaps it was merely a shared surname, or perhaps he truly was one of the Gao family—but the man delivered this speech without so much as a flush of shame or a catch in his breath. Yet observing his brows, one could still sense his nervousness. The way he stared at Liu Zhiyuan with pleading eyes, waiting for a response, was rather pitiable.

Liu Zhiyuan fell into contemplation, pondering seriously for a while. His tiger eyes widened slightly as he fixed his gaze on the envoy: "I understand the Prince of Nanping's intentions. Go back and tell him—so long as the armies of Jingnan march north, I will surely raise my banners in Hedong to respond, and together we shall strike the Khitan. I am but a regional lord of the Central Plains; protecting the rivers and mountains, saving the state and its people—that is my duty. As for the imperial throne, I dare not harbor such improper ambitions. Should the Prince of Nanping one day march his troops into Bianliang, rescue the realm from its distress, and proclaim himself sovereign, I would gladly serve him!"

This was the last answer Gao Yuan had expected. Marching north to oppose the Khitan—Gao Conghui had neither the confidence nor the courage for that. As for the imperial throne, such an unrealistic fantasy was something he wouldn't even dare to think about.

Gao Yuan had come bearing Gao Conghui's "mission," and was hardly willing to return with such an answer. He was about to press further when Liu Zhiyuan gave him no chance, waving his hand: "The envoy has traveled far and must be weary. Rest at the guest lodge for now, and when you return to Jingnan, be sure to carry my regards. Yaya Yang—make the arrangements personally!"

"Yes!" Yang Bin immediately rose and acknowledged.

Under Liu Zhiyuan's forceful manner, Gao Yuan was somewhat reluctantly escorted away to be entertained. Once he had withdrawn, Liu Zhiyuan swept his gaze across all those present and said with a contemptuous laugh: "This Gao the Rogue—always adept at playing both sides. That two-faced habit of his is probably beyond curing."

The assembled company burst into laughter.

"What do you all think—what is this Gao the Rogue's purpose in sending a man a thousand li to urge me to take the throne?"

This time it was Su Fengji who rose, his face brimming with confidence as he said: "Gao Conghui has likely felt the threat of the Khitan. Though the chances of the Khitan continuing southward are slim, Jingnan nonetheless lies directly under their sword. As for his purpose—he probably wants to provoke war in the north. If Your Highness proclaims yourself emperor and raises an army, the Khitan will surely not tolerate it. Once war breaks out in the north, the Gao clan will be safe. And given the Gao clan's greedy nature, they may well seize the opportunity to take a bite out of the north and occupy a few prefectures. Should the northern war conclude, whoever wins or loses, they need only continue to pledge fealty..."

"Fengji, you have seen through this Gao the Rogue completely!" Liu Zhiyuan said after hearing Su Fengji's analysis.

"Your Highness, though Gao may be a rogue, he is nonetheless the ruler of a state. Even he has sent an envoy to urge your accession—surely this shows you are the hope of all. We beg you, hesitate no longer; the matter of your title must be settled soon!" At this moment, Yang Bin picked up the thread, seizing the opportunity to press the point.

Seeing that the assembled officials were about to rise in agreement again, Liu Zhiyuan forestalled them: "You are all my most trusted confidants—you should understand my aspirations..."

Leaving behind this "ambiguous" remark, Liu Zhiyuan rose and departed first.

"What exactly is elder brother planning? He's going to worry us all to death!" Liu Chong sighed mournfully from the side, sweeping his gaze across the assembled company.