Chapter 314: The Famous Envoy

In the third month of spring, the main force of the Jin army's western route marched south along the Fen River, gathering toward the Hezhongfu area. At the same time, around the major stronghold of Damingfu, held by the eastern route army, large units began attempting to move east and west respectively.

The latter need not be worried at all, because they could neither break through the middle section of the Yellow River, where Zhang Rong and his Imperial Guard Navy were directly deployed, nor dared to cross the Yellow River downstream, where waterways were dense, and then enter the narrow death trap between the Yellow River and the Ji River... As soon as they moved there, they would surely find the Imperial Guard Right Army deployed on the south bank of the Ji River, while Zhang Rong would advance eastward at all costs to block their retreat. Not only that, but the Zhao Emperor would also abandon Guanzhong and race straight to Jingdong!

To hell with Western Xia—swallow this Jin army first, then deal with the rest.

In truth, everyone knew full well that the real pressure the Jin response could put on the Song army was still the field army massing like hedgehogs around Hezhongfu.

First, as the saying goes, "Eight waters surround Chang'an, the Yellow River meets the Wei." The eastern key to the Guanzhong Plain was inevitably around the Wei estuary, where the Wei River entered the Yellow River. And indeed, there were the traditional three ferries and one pass—Longmen Ferry, Pujin Ferry, Fengling Ferry, and Tongguan.

But Tongguan was too treacherous, and the Xiaoshan-Mianchi ancient road too easily blocked, so few were willing to advance along the southern route of the Yellow River to fight desperately. Or rather, compared to storming the hundred-and-two Qin passes, any easterner coveting the Guanzhong Plain had no reason not to take the safer water route.

Thus, the waterways around the Wei estuary naturally meant the three traditional ferries. Among them, Longmen Ferry was still narrow and the current swift; Fengling Ferry was good, but after crossing, one still faced Tongguan—eight out of ten who took this route did so to cover Pujin and Longmen, and the other two hoped to scare Tongguan into a lucky break. Only Pujin had such excellent geography—the current was gentle enough to lay a permanent pontoon bridge, both sides were plains convenient for logistics, and once across, it allowed rapid advance.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, almost every time Qin sent troops against the Three Jin, they gathered at Pujin.

So no one dared ignore this place.

This could be seen from the Song army's garrison deployment in Tongzhou on Pujin's side. Ever since the Song army gained some combat strength and began trying to hold Guanzhong, the troops stationed in Tongzhou had always been those of Han Shizhong, the number one general of the Great Song. And whenever there was battle or danger, Han Shizhong personally arrived in Tongzhou to take command, holding the line together with Li Yanxian in Shanzhou.

Of course, Longmen also needed defense, but even Longmen Ferry fell within the scope of Hezhongfu and Tongzhou. Not to mention that last time, when Jin Wushu advanced through Longmen Ferry with a large Jin army covering him on the opposite bank, Han Shizhong still discovered him.

Returning to the present, as the Jin army again massed toward Hezhongfu, with banners of Prince Wei Wanyan Wushu, Commander-in-Chief Wanyan Balisu, and others appearing on the opposite bank of Pujin, the Song army naturally dared not be negligent.

But this time, Han Shizhong's personal banner unexpectedly did not come from Danzhou in the north, because the banner arriving at Pujin Ferry in Tongzhou was a grade higher than Han Shizhong's "Peerless Under Heaven"—that golden imperial banner, which left a deep impression on all Jin generals, especially Wanyan Wushu and the western route army commanders. Though too far to see clearly, its unique shape allowed them to recognize it again across the river.

Accompanying the dragon banner was a majestic, splendid, orderly, and vast procession that stretched endlessly. From morning to night, no one knew how many people entered the opposite bank with that dragon banner, continuing until midnight.

The next morning, Wanyan Wushu led his generals to ascend the Guancque Tower to survey the situation. They saw that the camp of Han Shizhong's beloved general, the Black Dragon Wang Sheng, had overnight turned into a massive construction site, filled with dust and banners, and densely packed with soldiers and laborers.

They came and went continuously, under the command of civil officials—whether local magistrates or accompanying jinshi graduates—building camps and trenches on a large scale. Soldiers and armored men, indistinguishable from militia archers, also moved back and forth constantly, with officers coming and going, advancing and marching into the surrounding areas.

To be honest, this sight made the Jin generals' teeth ache.

"I just don't understand," suddenly spoke Wanhu Wanyan Tuhesu. "With such manpower in Guanzhong, how did the Song hold out against Western Xia's small population for nearly a hundred years? Even with the Gobi, the Hengshan Mountains, and cavalry, just wearing them down with manpower should have finished the Xia people, right?"

"Tuhesu, have you forgotten the past just because you suffered a loss at Wu Jie's hands?" Another western route Wanhu, Wanyan Zhehe, sneered coldly. "Are the Song people before the Jingkang Incident the same as now? Wasn't it you who dismounted for infantry combat and annihilated the Song army in the wilds back then?"

Tuhesu paused briefly, then realized, but shook his head again: "Even so, the ones we face now are not the Song people before Jingkang. These Song people dare to stand in formation, leading Jurchen armored men to shoot volleys of divine-arm crossbows without demanding immediate rewards. As for that dragon banner, though I haven't seen what you described with my own eyes, I know the might of Prince Loushi..."

"Enough." Wanyan Wushu, who had been staring blankly at that banner for a long time, suddenly snapped back to attention and turned to interrupt their conversation. "Don't boost the enemy's morale... It might just be a bluff. Who knows if only laborers came from day to night yesterday?"

"I think there must be some bluff, but not entirely," the western route Commander-in-Chief Wanyan Balisu finally spoke after watching for half a day.

"How so?"

"This Zhao Song emperor has some boldness in military command, often entrusting generals with overall authority in one region without interference," Balisu said seriously, watching the activity on the opposite bank. "According to information our scouts 'obtained' by risking the crossing, and referencing what the Xia people said before, the Song's combat troops in Guanzhong can be roughly divided into five groups. Han, Li, Wu, and Yue each have thirty thousand, and the Zhao Song emperor himself should have ten to twenty thousand by his side. Among them, Yue Fei and Qu Duan have combined thirty thousand at Pingxia City, a few hundred li away; Wu Jie's forces are in the north; most of Han Shizhong's forces are on the opposite bank, spread along the Yellow River from Tongguan in the south to Danzhou in the north, with about twenty thousand in Tongzhou itself... In other words, since the Zhao Song emperor came, he should have brought those ten to twenty thousand from Fangzhou."

"Seventy to eighty thousand laborers for bluff, with twenty thousand soldiers mixed in?" Wushu summarized cleanly. "Leaving us baffled, neither daring to believe too much nor too little?"

"I think so too," interjected Yelu Ma Wu. "Around Hezhongfu, there were already Li Yanxian and Han Shizhong's forces, totaling fifty to sixty thousand combat troops. Now that we have six or seven Wanhu coming south together, the Song need reinforcements. And the Zhao Song emperor, with twenty thousand troops in Fangzhou, was already in a posture of central support as a reserve, so it's fitting for him to come."

"Correct," Balisu immediately agreed.

"Can't we get some definite information?" Wanyan Wushu pressed seriously. "How many troops exactly? The only thing we need to worry about is the regular combat troops incorporated into the Imperial Guard, and the Song Imperial Guard must have a fixed number..."

Balisu shook his head directly: "There are too many laborers on the opposite bank, and the troop deployment is tight. Our scouts are having a hard time. Even when they manage to cross, they mostly capture laborers or militia for interrogation, but the information is chaotic and hard to distinguish. We can only do our best, mainly using these confessions for verification... For example, the Tongguan defender—the scouts interrogated and found it was Hu Yantong, then risked crossing at Fengling Ferry to check, and indeed saw Hu Yantong's banner. So saying Tongguan has an Imperial Guard Command army, at least two thousand, at most three thousand, with Hu Yantong as commander, can't be too wrong."

"Hu Yantong guarding Tongguan must be true," Wushu nodded immediately, reciting from memory. "This man once served as the Zhao Song emperor's personal guard commander on the Huai River, briefly belonging to the Imperial Guard Central Army. Later, to remind Han Shizhong not to pad his payroll, he was transferred back to the Imperial Guard Left Army with his unit without changing the establishment... So Han Shizhong, to reassure the Zhao Song emperor, naturally had this man guard Tongguan."

The generals pondered and nodded in agreement.

"Reconnaissance across the river is indeed difficult, and this method is the best we can do," Wushu sighed helplessly again. "But now, we only saw that dragon banner from afar, not verified it... We need to find a way to verify it!"

Balisu immediately understood Wushu's meaning but still frowned slightly: "Prince Wei means the Zhao Song emperor might be fake? I think it's unlikely... What Yelu Wanhu said is very appropriate—at this time and place, it's most reasonable for the Zhao Song emperor himself to come first for support."

"It's always right to probe more," interjected Wanyan Salihu before Wushu could speak. "This Zhao Song Son of Heaven has always been cunning..."

Seeing this man speak, Balisu and several western route Wanhu, such as Wanyan Zhehe, Yelu Ma Wu, and Wanyan Tuhesu, almost all felt disgusted but helpless... Everyone knew that Salihu had been raised in the Supreme Ancestor's central army since childhood and had excellent relations with several crown princes. This was both why he stayed in Yan'an with Huonu when Nianhan was in power, and the root of his willingness to cooperate with Wushu now.

And it was foreseeable that if Huonu remained fixated on avenging his father, then after this dust settled, this man would likely be promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief, alongside Xijing Garrison Commander Wanyan Eluguan, as a check on Balisu.

But frankly, such an arrangement was bound to foster a sense of shared grievance among the Wanhu who had stayed in Hedong.

This was because Huonu was Huonu—he had already reached the rank of Commander-in-Chief shortly after the Song-Jin war began, and with Loushi's legacy, though divided, everyone respected him. How could this man compare?

However, Wushu seemed unaware of the western route generals' attitude and directly nodded: "This Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou has always been cunning, so it's indeed worth probing seriously..."

Before he finished speaking, a sudden commotion arose on the opposite bank, growing louder and louder, until the vast, sprawling camp and construction site across the river began to shake.

At the same time, on the Guancque Tower on the east bank of the great river, Wanyan Wushu, whose face was already pale, Balisu, who had remained calm, and Salihu, Zhehe, Ma Wu, Tuhesu, Wulibu, Huzhan, and other Jin generals all fell silent.

For no other reason than that, as far as their eyes could see, the golden imperial banner they had been observing all morning was deliberately lifted from the command platform of the camp on the opposite bank and moved toward the riverbank. Not only that, but accompanying banners of various sizes and shapes, densely packed, swarmed along. Armored soldiers and cavalry in gleaming armor flanked both sides, equally abundant.

Where the dragon banner passed, cheers roared like mountains and seas. When it reached the riverbank, the cries of "Long live the Emperor" could be clearly heard across the river.

Finally, Wushu and the others could see with their own eyes that the dragon banner was the same half-worn one they had seen that day. At that moment, a rider in golden helmet and golden armor galloped out from beneath the dragon banner, surrounded by countless civil and military officials, came to the river's edge, and looked up at the tower.

Under the gentle spring sun, Wanyan Wushu and the others could even clearly see the man pointing at them and speaking some arrogant words in public.

"Well, that saves us the probing!" A sneer broke the silence first, from none other than the western route Commander-in-Chief Wanyan Balisu.

At these words, many Jin generals around burst into laughter, but Prince Wei Wushu and a few others stood solemnly, staring fixedly at the scene across the river without expression... And after laughing, they too, like Wushu, appeared somewhat pale.

Because, as Balisu said, it saved the probing! There was no doubt—the Zhao Song emperor across the river had once again come to the front line.

And at this moment, looking back, the Second Crown Prince Wolibu had died of illness, Loushi had fallen in battle, Nianhan had been hammered to death, and the national lord Wuqimai lay paralyzed on his couch... When this group tried to find a stabilizing force that could absolutely overpower the Zhao Song emperor across the river and give them confidence, they were shocked to discover that the two military commanders they could rely on—Prince Wei Wushu and Commander-in-Chief Balisu—no longer seemed convincing enough.

Even Prince Wei, from the Huai River to this opposite bank, had always been a defeated general beneath that tattered dragon banner.

"Regardless, this Zhao Song emperor does have some decisiveness... We just arrived, our troops aren't even complete, our boats haven't gathered, and he's already here," Balisu sighed in turn. "Prince Wei, the Zhao Song emperor arrived first, but Han Shizhong didn't come. This might mean they're planning to attack Yan'an. We can't hesitate."

"I know." Wanyan Wushu immediately turned and pointed to one man. "Tuhesu... take your own Wanhu as the vanguard and first secure Pinglu."

Wanyan Tuhesu immediately saluted solemnly, then hurried off with a limp.

"Wendun Sizhong." Wushu pointed to another man, the Vice Director of the Privy Council he had brought from Yanjing. "Have someone draft a document. I'll sign it later. Send A Da and A Er to Longde Prefecture, appointing Wanyan Bendu as Field Commander-in-Chief, temporarily leading the three Wanhu there, and order them to rush here for reinforcement!"

"Yes!"

A Jurchen civil official, about forty years old, who had not spoken before, responded loudly. Judging by his standing position, he was on par with Wanyan Salihu, only slightly behind Balisu, but far ahead of the other Wanhu... And no one said a word.

This was only natural.

It must be known that in the early Jurchen period, before Wanyan Xiyin invented writing, there were no written documents or military orders. Orders and edicts were transmitted orally, called "zhala," and Wendun Sizhong was the chief zhala in the military tent of the Jin Supreme Ancestor, Wanyan Aguda.

In other words, the term "zhala" was essentially invented for this man.

Before Wulinda Zanmo rose to prominence through his outstanding diplomatic skills, Wendun Sizhong single-handedly handled all internal confidential communications and external diplomatic negotiations within Jin... It was precisely for this reason that he and Wulinda Zanmo were mortal enemies, publicly acknowledged rivals.

Of course, regardless of those messy matters, this man's seniority and status were indeed sufficient to establish himself here. Moreover, it was said that he would likely be appointed as the Garrison Commander of Hezhongfu after this affair, to help the Yanshan direction further control the West Route Army.

"Hold on." After issuing the order, Jin Wushu suddenly changed his mind. "Have someone else handle this matter... Take two of the best ginseng roots from my personal Korean ginseng stash, cross the river, and visit that Song Emperor for me. Convey my regards."

Wen Dun Sizhong immediately acknowledged, and the other generals all remained silent.

As for Balisu, he couldn't help but frown... He always felt that this Prince of Wei cared a bit too much about the Zhao Song Emperor himself. But since the Prince of Wei hadn't delayed anything—Tuhesu had already set out, and Wanyan Bendu was also leading troops from Longdefu to reinforce—there was nothing to say.

But—and here's the but—on that sunny spring morning, with a gentle breeze and bright sun, the terrain on both sides of Pujin was open and easily visible. The West Route Army Commander Balisu, who had been accompanying the Prince of Wei watching the dragon banner for half a day, had just felt a flicker of dissatisfaction when the next moment he was left speechless.

Because shortly after the Prince of Wei, Jin Wushu, had decided to send an envoy to the opposite bank, the other side beat him to it once again—a small skiff set out directly from the opposite shore, and on it stood a man in splendid attire, supported at the prow, clearly a high-ranking civil official.

Obviously, that Zhao Song Emperor had sent an envoy first... Pujin was a natural ferry, and moments later, the man disembarked, changed to a horse under the escort of Jurchen cavalry, and headed this way. He was none other than the famous international friend and renowned poet personally acknowledged by the Zhao Emperor, the Goryeo minister Zheng Zhichang.

"Is the Zhao Emperor on the opposite bank?" Jin Wushu asked. Learning it was a Goryeo man, though unexpected, he showed no sign of pursuing the matter, clearly too lazy to bother.

"Yes."

As the biggest 'anti-Jin faction' and 'war advocate' in Goryeo, Zheng Zhichang, now seeing with his own eyes the dense cavalry force far exceeding anything in his homeland, had lost all the boldness he'd shown before the Zhao Emperor on the west bank. He had become subdued.

"What did the Zhao Emperor send you here for?"

"With the two armies at war, His Majesty deemed a foreign minister more appropriate, so he sent me to inquire after the Prince of Wei, to see if it is indeed the Prince of Wei himself."

"And?"

"And also..." Zheng Zhichang paused briefly before forcing himself to reply before the assembled Jin generals. "His Majesty said that he heard the Prince of Wei crossed the river on a wooden dragon and injured himself. It so happened that the imperial traveling court had snow lotuses, tributes from the Tubo people, said to be highly nourishing. So he had me bring two of the best to help the Prince of Wei recover, lest he catch a chill in the river again... The gifts were taken by your great empire's iron cavalry."

On the Crane Tower, Wanyan Wushu opened his mouth to speak but momentarily lost his voice.

As for the other Jin generals, they just exchanged glances... unsure whether to remark on how considerate the man opposite was toward their Prince of Wei, or to step forward and denounce his malicious intent and mockery.

After all, the Prince of Wei had been chased by your side into the Yellow River and barely escaped with his life—why did you need to send someone to remind him of that the moment you met?

After a long pause, Jin Wushu surprisingly didn't get angry. Instead, he sighed and replied: "Thank the Zhao Emperor for his kindness. Tell him that if I cross the river again, it will be openly and grandly with two hundred thousand troops, and I certainly won't get wet."

Zheng Zhichang quickly nodded.

Having said this, Wanyan Wushu lost interest.

It was Balisu who, seeing the man trembling with fear—likely the reason he'd been supported on the boat wasn't seasickness but pure terror—stepped forward with a cold face and pressed the advantage:

"Goryeo hammer, I ask you, where did the Zhao Song Emperor come from?"

"Fangzhou!" Zheng Zhichang was startled, but directly ignored the personal insult.

"Did you accompany him from Fangzhou yourself?"

"Yes."

"How many troops did he bring this time?" Balisu pressed, his face nearly black.

"A hundred thousand troops, indeed." Zheng Zhichang replied earnestly. "Your Highness can see so clearly from this tower—why need you ask a mere scholar like me?"

Balisu frowned and continued: "How many of those hundred thousand are armored?"

"I have been accompanying the Son of Heaven of the Great Song, and everyone I saw was an armored soldier." Zheng Zhichang was almost in tears... He couldn't imagine how he'd face the Zhao Emperor if he learned he'd revealed military intelligence like this—would he still be considered an international friend?

On the other side, Balisu, after questioning, also felt somewhat speechless, because he could see that this Goryeo civil official, good at writing poetry, this so-called international friend, how could he truly know the specifics?

So he was about to wave him away.

But just then, the ever-upright Wen Dun Sizhong, seeming thoughtful, stepped forward and said with a smile: "Academician Zheng, how is the morale on the opposite bank?"

"Naturally, spirits are high." Zheng Zhichang, seeing a man without armor, immediately relaxed. "To be honest with the noble of the great empire, just now the Zhao Emperor came personally to the riverbank, and among the generals there were even those requesting battle."

Wen Dun Sizhong smiled slightly, then suddenly his expression changed: "While at the Zhao Song Emperor's side, did you know if he has summoned troops from elsewhere to this place?"

At these words, Balisu and Jin Wushu both realized and turned to look with folded hands.

Zheng Zhichang's face turned pale, and he hesitated.

"Block the west side, then strip his robe!" Wen Dun Sizhong ordered coldly.

Zheng Zhichang was dumbfounded, but the surrounding Jurchens, though puzzled, followed the order under the silence of the Prince of Wei and the others... A squad of armored soldiers lined up to block the west, while several others stepped forward, seized his limbs, and publicly stripped the robe off the dignified Goryeo minister and great poet, leaving him in only his trousers.

Now, the spring weather was warm, but the awakened Zheng Zhichang felt a chill all over... He had just remembered that the Jurchens would casually torture and kill ministers of other states over a disagreement—Li Ruoshui was clear proof.

And now, what was just stripping clothes?

"Tell me honestly." Wen Dun Sizhong sneered at him. "If you still won't answer, I won't kill you. I'll just strip your trousers too, then carry you to the edge of the tower and let the Song civil and military officials on the opposite bank see clearly..."

Zheng Zhichang was stunned, then blood rushed to his head. The strange fear born of shame momentarily overwhelmed his fear of death.

"Strip him!" Wen Dun Sizhong ordered directly upon seeing this.

The Jurchen armored soldiers on both sides first glanced at the Prince of Wei, Jin Wushu, and Commander Balisu. Seeing them both frown but not intervene, they hesitated no longer... Two grabbed his limbs, one stepped forward with a knife, and slit his trousers from top to bottom.

"Yue Fei!" Feeling the cool air at his crotch, Zheng Zhichang shuddered slightly and blurted out under the grip of the Jurchen soldiers on both sides, clearly unable to endure further.

"What?" Wen Dun Sizhong was overjoyed.

"Please, grant me some face and let me down." Zheng Zhichang's legs were stiff and raised, his face red, as he begged bitterly.

"Speak first!" Wen Dun Sizhong immediately barked.

"Although His Majesty has led the main army here, it seems insufficient." Zheng Zhichang blurted out, replying hastily at great speed. "This morning, he specially issued an edict for Yue Fei and Qu Duan, who had already taken Pingxiacheng, to leave a few troops to guard the city, then lead thirty thousand men, disregarding stragglers, to rush here at top speed. They are to return to the hinterland of Jingzhao, behind Tongzhou, as a necessary backup. He does not intend to have Han Shizhong come to reinforce."

This was a reasonable arrangement... Hadn't Jin Wushu just summoned Wanyan Bendu here? The Song move was only natural. Wanyan Wushu and Balisu exchanged glances and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"This is good."

A moment later, watching Wen Dun Sizhong, carrying two Korean ginseng roots, and the Goryeo man in changed clothes, sail back together, Balisu finally voiced his judgment. "Our combined forces arriving here have had an effect. Although the Song won't let go of Hengshan for now, the withdrawal from Pingxiacheng is enough to let the Xixia people catch their breath. Once the three wanhu from Longdefu arrive, even Han Shizhong and Wu Jie will have to yield a little, and the siege at Yan'an for Huonu will be lifted... If we drag it out like this, everything can be resolved."

Jin Wushu nodded quickly: "But we must put on a strong front, not let the opposite bank harbor any hope. Have Longdefu speed up—don't worry about stragglers or losses, the faster the better. Have Tuhesu also speed up. I don't expect him to take Pinglucheng immediately, but he must engage Shao Yun as soon as possible... Then send a fast horse to inform Huonu and the Xixia people of this news."

Behind him, others acknowledged one by one.

And so, leaving aside how Jin Wushu and Balisu postured, on the other side, Zheng Zhichang, after an embarrassing journey, returned to the west bank and struggled mightily to straighten his back. But strangely, the closer he got to the Zhao Emperor, the more upright he became, and by the end, he even had a bit of a swagger... This left the following Wen Dun Sizhong quite amazed.

Now, Wen Dun Sizhong had used underhanded methods to extract information but was still unsatisfied. He figured that the Goryeo man, as a guest before the Song, lived by face and would surely not dare to complain or ask the Song to intervene. So he insisted on following the Goryeo man back... After all, ever since Wulinda Zanmo had stolen his diplomatic work, he had been a step behind. Even though Nianhan had died, the Wulinda clan hadn't declined. Wulinda Taiyu was still secure in the East Route Army, and Wulinda Zanmo, along with Wanyan Xiyin, had become pillars of the Central Secretariat. In contrast, Wen Dun Sizhong, though gradually gaining favor as a member of the Wanyan clan's direct line, could never surpass him.

Therefore, ignoring the frowns of Jin Wushu and Balisu, he had just puffed out his chest and insisted on serving as an envoy himself, to put on a show and demonstrate his ability.

When they met, the Zhao Emperor carefully asked the envoy's name, background, and origins, then graciously accepted the gifts. Zheng Zhichang, who had changed clothes, remained silent as expected.

Then, Wen Dun Sizhong looked around proudly, waiting for the other side to ask about the Jin army's situation, so he could humiliate them with the old Jingkang incident...

However, Zhao Jiu, clad in golden armor and helmet, looked at this man, thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled warmly at the international friend who had already rendered great service: "Today is a fine spring day. Two great nations have gathered three hundred thousand troops for a grand hunt at Pujin. We cannot be without poetry. Let us hold a poetry gathering by the river, with spring as the theme and no restrictions on rhymes... Academician Zheng, you go first, as an opening!"

Wendun Sizhong was dumbfounded, while Zheng Zhichang was overjoyed.

That day, Wendun Sizhong left in shame and anger, no more to be mentioned. The next morning, the Zhao Lord suddenly summoned Zheng Zhichang again, but made him wait a long time in the central army headquarters before finally showing him a smile: "Academician Zheng has come at a good time... Yesterday's poetry gathering has been compiled. I have personally affixed my seal. Now I must trouble you to make a trip to the opposite bank and deliver the poetry collection to the Jin Prince Wei."

Zheng Zhichang was slightly startled, his heart bleeding, yet he wore a smile on his face. Then he raised his hands in a solemn salute, his bearing that of a truly distinguished figure of the age: "Your Majesty's conduct in this matter truly has the elegant and joyful style of the ancient sage-kings... Zhichang is happy to serve."

Zhao Jiu smiled back: "An Academician Zheng, as a famed minister of Goryeo, situated within a great nation of twenty thousand li, crossing the Yellow River to transmit civilization—this too is the style of a famed minister of old."

Zheng Zhichang forced a smile in return, but a strange flush of red appeared on his face... It seemed his skin was too thin, and he was momentarily embarrassed by the praise.

PS: Continue to sacrifice new books... "Victory in Court is Justice," "The Emperors Who Chat in the Group."