Chapter 292: The Powdered Beauty Sowing Discord, Emperor of Liao, Song, and Jin

…

Wanyan Aguda didn't send these beauties to Zhao Yu out of kindness—he dumped over a hundred hot potatoes onto Zhao Yu's lap.

Let's not even mention Yelu Yanxi's daughter-in-law, Wang Fei Xiao Wanliyan. If Zhao Yu took Yelu Yanxi's daughter-in-law, wouldn't that rekindle the feud?

Besides, don't forget—Zhao Yu had already "seized" Yelu Yanxi's Wen Fei before.

Crucially, among the women Wanyan Aguda gave Zhao Yu were:

Two Tai Fei left behind by Yelu Jun, Yelu Yanxi's father (they could be seen as Yelu Yanxi's two stepmothers, though their ages were nearly the same as Yelu Yanxi's).

Lower-ranking concubines Yelu Yanxi hadn't had time to take with him (thirty-odd in total, some still untouched).

The second wife and two favored concubines of Yelu Heluwo (they could be seen as three stepmothers to Yelu Chun, three grandmothers to Yelu Yanxi).

The Hu Lu Wa Fei of the Liao Grand Uncles (Yelu Yanxi's aunt-in-law), the Nieli Ci Fei of the King (Yelu Yanxi's sister-in-law), the Liao Han Lady (Yelu Yanxi's sister-in-law), Seeing Xiao Sese's elder and younger sisters (the principal wives of Yelu Dage and Yelu Yudu), and Seeing Xiao Sese's five nieces (Yelu Dage's three daughters and Yelu Yudu's two daughters).

There were also many other wives, concubines, daughters, and even mothers of important Liao ministers or generals.

Were these women beauties?

Certainly they were.

These women weren't just beautiful—they were also young. The oldest, the two Liao Tai Fei, Yelu Heluwo's second wife, and the Hu Lu Wa Fei, were barely in their early thirties.

That was only natural.

Otherwise, Wanyan Aguda's claim of sending "some beauties" to Zhao Yu would have been utterly baseless.

But the problem was, these beauties, however lovely, were hard for Zhao Yu to accept. If he took them, he'd inevitably create a rift with the Liao ruling class—this was practically Zhao Yu single-handedly making green hats for most of the Liao elite.

Not everyone had Yelu Yanxi's magnanimity—wearing a green hat and pretending nothing had happened.

So should Zhao Yu refuse them?

Wouldn't that signal to Wanyan Aguda that Zhao Yu had no intention of allying with him, but instead planned to help the Liao destroy the Jin?

That would contradict the Zhao Song Dynasty's strategy of playing both sides.

Zhao Liangsi and the other Song envoys understood this perfectly. Though they disliked taking these Liao beauties and knew bringing them back might earn them blame rather than praise, they still had to grit their teeth and deliver them to Zhao Yu.

After Zhao Liangsi's ocean-going ships left Lion's Mouth, Wanyan Zongwang, who had held his tongue all along, finally burst out: "Why did the Lord give us the beauties we worked so hard to capture to the Great Song Emperor?!"

Wanyan Zonggan, who had come to see Zhao Liangsi off, smiled faintly: "Do you think the Great Song Emperor will easily accept these beauties?"

Wanyan Zongwang frowned: "What do you mean?"

Wanyan Zonggan spoke with full confidence: "As soon as we send these beauties, the Great Song will not ally with the Khitans."

Wanyan Zongwang's eyes lit up: "So if the Great Song Emperor receives these beauties, he'll abandon allying with the Khitans?"

But Wanyan Zonggan shook his head: "No—it's that once the Great Song Emperor receives these beauties, Aguo will dare not ally with him."

Wanyan Zongwang was puzzled: "Why?"

Wanyan Zonggan said: "The Lord has long seen through Aguo—he governs poorly, is stubborn and self-willed, lacks military talent, craves empty glory, and is inwardly weak despite his showy indulgences…"

Wanyan Aguda's scheme was an open strategy, not a covert one.

Wanyan Aguda had calculated: as soon as he sent these important Liao women to Zhao Yu, Yelu Yanxi—who was obsessed with face and feared Zhao Yu would despise him over these women—would never seek refuge with Zhao Yu unless utterly desperate, and would never easily form an alliance with him…

Hearing this, Wanyan Zongwang finally felt giving these Liao women to Zhao Yu wasn't a loss.

Wanyan Zonggan added: "In the past, though the Liao house had declined, its roots remained intact. Had Aguo restored discipline, favored the virtuous, and abandoned his pleasures, he might still have turned the tide. But he indulged in ease and debauchery, rejected loyal advice, and trusted flatterers as if they were his own kin. When our Jin troops stood before his walls, he thought not of defense, only of flight. A ruler must carry the world in his heart, hold the people close. Aguo does not—he values personal grudges above national enmity, personal desires above the state. The fall of Liao is not due to Jin's strength, but because Aguo destroyed himself. His survival is merely a laughingstock to the world; his destruction is the will of Heaven."

…

After Zhao Liangsi brought these Liao women back to Zhao Yu, Cai Jing immediately berated Zhao Liangsi and the others in court, calling them fools who had ruined the Zhao Song Dynasty's grand plan.

Even Zhao Yu was headachingly frustrated.

Just as Wanyan Aguda understood Yelu Yanxi, Zhao Yu understood this incompetent ruler well.

Originally, Yelu Yanxi already feared Zhao Yu—luring him to surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty was already difficult.

Now, with this incident, it became even harder for Zhao Yu to lure Yelu Yanxi into surrendering to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Should Zhao Yu return these women to Yelu Yanxi?

First, if Zhao Yu did that, it would be equivalent to tearing up his face with Wanyan Aguda.

But now was not the time for Zhao Yu to break with Wanyan Aguda.

Under Zhao Yu's leadership, the Zhao Song Dynasty's strategy was simple: emulate the United States in WWI and WWII—trade with both sides, play both ends against the middle, wait until they exhausted each other, then swallow the Liao, and use Liao's strength to utterly destroy the Jin, minimizing their own costs—even avoiding any cost at all, reaping only benefits.

Though the Liao had been severely wounded by the Jin, they still held over half their territory. Objectively speaking, the Liao's remaining strength still surpassed that of the Jin.

At this moment, Yelu Yanxi certainly wouldn't surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty. Zhao Yu still needed to use the Jin to further weaken the Liao, until the Liao was utterly broken and Yelu Yanxi had nowhere left to turn.

Only then would Yelu Yanxi possibly lead the remnants of Liao to surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Then, Zhao Yu would lead the Zhao Song Dynasty and the remnant Liao to destroy the Jin, drained of blood by the Liao.

This was the script Zhao Yu had long written.

In other words, now was not the time for Zhao Yu to break with Wanyan Aguda—so Zhao Yu could not refuse Wanyan Aguda's "kindness."