Chapter 1133: and then the title translation, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines

Hu Xiaotian said: My principle has always been that if others don't provoke me, I won't provoke them. Originally I was doing fine in Dongliang Jun, no one bothered me, and having a place to stay I could just muddle through life; I never thought of taking the initiative to provoke others. But Tang Boxi insisted on not letting me have my way, he tore up the agreement, attacked Dongliang Jun, wanting to use this city as a gift to please your new ruler. My self-defense counterattack is hardly excessive; after finally defeating Tang Boxi's gang, we were preparing to negotiate peace with Da Yong and hadn't yet had time to send envoys when Qin Yangming mustered seventy thousand troops and came here. Miss, Dakang dare not openly oppose you, I cannot just sit and wait for death, so I fought a desperate battle, originally intending to perish with the city, but I never expected Qin Yangming to be such an incompetent fool.

Xue Lingjun actually agreed with those remarks; Tang Boxi and Qin Yangming are both incompetent fools, leading so many people to besiege Dongliang Jun, and yet they ended up like this.

Hu Xiaotian said: The Eastern Luo Granary is your territory, I also admit that occupying it was originally my fault, but it was a choice I had no alternative to; if I didn't occupy the Eastern Luo Granary, Dongliang Jun would be wide open, and whenever you wanted to attack me, your armies could swarm in unhindered; with the Eastern Luo Granary I have an extra gateway, an extra safeguard.

Xue Lingjun said: "You just said you would return the Eastern Luo Granary to us?" She didn't care about right or wrong; what she truly cared about was whether she could smoothly get the Eastern Luo Granary back.

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "How could words spoken not count? Miss, this is what I think: I am preparing to sign a truce agreement with Da Yong, from now on we will cease hostilities and make peace forever; what do you think?"

Xue Lingjun said warily: "That would of course be the best; I came here for negotiations. I just don't know what the content of your agreement is, Brother Xiaotian."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It's not complicated either; I unconditionally released Qin Yangming and those prisoners; Dongliang Jun is originally my territory, I hope your country will refrain from launching further military campaigns."

Xue Lingjun said: "And the Eastern Luo Granary?" She didn't believe Hu Xiaotian would return the Eastern Luo Granary they had painstakingly obtained; in fact, even if he returned it, it would be nothing but an empty shell, and the grain and fodder inside would likely have been carted away by him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I will return the Eastern Luo Granary to you. Just not now."

Xue Lingjun had long guessed it wouldn't be that smooth; Hu Xiaotian saying this is no different from not returning it, and she smiled calmly: "Just now you again said you would return the Eastern Luo Granary to us?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I will definitely return it, but returning the Eastern Luo Granary would be like opening the northeastern gateway to you, which I cannot rest easy about; Miss, I want to borrow the Eastern Luo Granary for five years. After five years, I will certainly return the Eastern Luo Granary intact and unchanged."

Xue Lingjun frowned slightly; Hu Xiaotian actually came up with the idea of borrowing a city, truly beyond her expectation—what "borrowing a city"? It's simply that he doesn't want to return it. It's just changing the soup but not the medicine. Xue Lingjun said: "Since it will have to be returned sooner or later, why wait five years? Brother Xiaotian, I can guarantee that as long as you return the Eastern Luo Granary, Da Yong will not invade Dongliang Jun by even an inch within ten years." If one said never to invade, Xue Lingjun herself wouldn't believe it. In fact, ten years is not very likely either; as soon as Da Yong's internal situation stabilizes and it confronts the Bei Jiang crisis, the next step will be to destroy Dakang. Once Dakang is easily destroyed, what is a mere Dongliang Jun?

Hu Xiaotian said: "I've already explained the reasons; I definitely need to borrow the Eastern Luo Granary."

Xue Lingjun said: "Brother, you've worked out a clever scheme; the Eastern Luo Granary stores fifty thousand shi of grain—will you plan to return an empty city to us after five years?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "After five years, I will not only return the Eastern Luo Granary to you, but also fill its granaries; those fifty thousand shi of grain will be returned intact and unchanged. Miss, do you think I am sincere enough?"

Xue Lingjun was half-believing, half-doubting; what exactly is Hu Xiaotian selling from his gourd? One thing can be determined: his intention to borrow the Eastern Luo Granary for five years is nothing more than a delaying tactic. But on second thought, since the Eastern Luo Granary is now in his hands, even if he refuses to give it to me, there's nothing I can do; in the end only war can settle it. Hu Xiaotian's promise to return it after five years amounts to giving himself a stepping stone; when I return to Yongdu, I will also be able to explain things to Xue Daohong.

Xue Lingjun said: "I cannot decide this matter; I must go back and seek the Emperor's instructions."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "I await your good news, Miss."

Xue Lingjun said: "Which prisoners do I want to take back?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I originally thought the same, but now I have no choice but to delay it."

Xue Lingjun furrowed her brows and asked: "What do you mean?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Please trouble Miss to send someone to bring Yu Tianxing's family here."

Xue Lingjun couldn't help but chuckle: "Brother Xiaotian, you really are a shrewd businessman!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "No matter how shrewd, it's hard to match Miss's stature."

Promising to return the Eastern Luo Granary to Da Yong with a five-year limit was entirely Hu Xiaotian's idea; this guy never even considered the notion of borrowing and returning properly—debtors are always the masters, that's how it's always been. First use a delaying tactic to steady Da Yong; if he can successfully gain five years, he can then develop at leisure and establish a firm foothold here.

The news that Hu Xiaotian pledged to support the court with three hundred thousand shi of grain quickly spread to Kangdu; for a moment, the common folk inside Kangdu city were all overjoyed because of this news. Although three hundred thousand shi of grain cannot solve Dakang's entire famine, for the people of Kangdu it is a readily available benefit, and being under the Emperor's feet they should be able to get a share.

Compared to these commoners, the shock within the court was clearly greater; Hu Xiaotian's move could be said to have greatly exceeded everyone's expectations. Long Xuan'en sent Fan Zongxi to Dongliang Jun initially intending to request only one hundred thousand shi of grain, but he never expected Hu Xiaotian to actually agree to give them three hundred thousand shi. When Long Xuan'en first rejected Da Yong's peace terms, many officials in the court still could not understand this, given that Dakang is now deep in famine; regardless of Da Yong's motives, this could give Dakang a breathing space. Thinking of those fifty thousand shi of grain, he felt regretful; now Hu Xiaotian's three hundred thousand shi of grain has caused a split in the attitudes of both civil and military officials.

Li Chenzhou did not show too much dejection because the negotiations failed; during this period he visited each official of the Dakang court, and also spent time accompanying his wife Jian Rongxin on outings in Kangdu, appearing to have completely let go of the mission of this trip.

This should have been the coldest day of the year in Kangdu, but the temperature rose unusually; due to the warm moist airflow, Kangdu in the twelfth month actually saw rare rain, the rain wasn't heavy but it was continuous, falling for two days and two nights without sign of stopping; in such a damp, drizzling weather, Li Chenzhou arrived at the Grand Preceptor's mansion.

For Wen Chenghuan, this meeting had long been anticipated; he had always known of such a son, but because he himself bore a mission, he had never been able to acknowledge the son; he does not know whether the son already knows of their relationship, nor does he know whether this envoy mission gives father and son a chance to recognize each other.

Li Chenzhou entered the reception hall, saw Wen Chenghuan pruning bonsai in front of the flower rack, saw his father's slightly stooped back, and Li Chenzhou's heart gave a jolt of sour sorrow; the Li family line loyal and fierce—what kind of will sustained the father to go alone into a foreign land, for Da Yong to lie on firewood and taste gall, toiling to the point of exhaustion, abandoning family and affection—over these years how much pain and loneliness has the father endured?

Li Chenzhou respectfully said: "Envoy Chen Zhou of Da Yong pays respects to Preceptor Wen!"

Wen Chenghuan's hand motion paused, he slowly lowered the shears and turned around, his expression gentle and calm; although his inner self had already been tumultuous, upon seeing his biological son within arm's reach, Wen Chenghuan's heart surged with mixed feelings; he nodded and said: "Sir Li has arrived, please take a seat!"

Li Chenzhou smiled and nodded; from the details of his father's facial contours he found some familiar element, and at the instant their gazes met, a sudden sense of familiarity welled up in his heart. Blood ties mean many emotions cannot be put into words. Although each had guessed the other already knew their identity, they both kept their feelings well under control.

Li Chenzhou handed over a silk box: "Preceptor Wen, a small gift, nothing to speak of." Upon first calling, presenting a gift is also quite ordinary.

Wen Chenghuan said politely, yet still reached out and took it, opening the silk box to see a pair-of-fish jade pendant placed inside, the crack at where the two fish join clearly visible; Wen Chenghuan's inner self shuddered violently, everything had become completely clear—the son's purpose in showing him this jade pendant was to reveal his identity. Wen Chenghuan, with difficulty, had just calmed his agitation, he nodded, closed the box, and handed it back to Li Chenzhou: "This gift is too precious; I, an old man, cannot accept it!" He slowly rose and said: "I have heard that Sir Li is peerless in poetry and painting; I have just painted a new bird-and-flower picture, I wonder if you would be willing to offer a couple of pointers?"

Li Chenzhou said: "Preceptor, you're being modest; I happen to be able to take this opportunity to learn a bit from you, the words 'to point out' I dare not presume."

Wen Chenghuan brought Li Chenzhou to his study; on the study's drafting table lay only an unfinished bird-and-flower painting; Wen Chenghuan entered the room, his expression solemn, and in a low voice said: "Please close the door."

Li Chenzhou closed the door and bolted it from inside, without a word he fell to his knees with a thump before Wen Chenghuan, and in a low voice said: "Unfilial son Chen Zhou pays respects to Father!"

Wen Chenghuan stepped forward and threw himself before his son, grabbing his arm with both hands; his face was already streaked with old tears, the repressed longing of many years surged up in his heart all at once, and even Wen Chenghuan could no longer control his emotions; he choked out: "I am ashamed before you, ashamed before our Li family…" (To be continued…)