Chapter 571: Zhang the Sage's Overbearing Aura

A fine book、、、、、、、、、

Yangzhou — before Zhang Zhao transmigrated, he had visited this city plenty of times. After all, in the twenty-first century, whether you were in the hanfu circle or the armor circle, cities like Xi'an, Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Luoyang were simply unavoidable. But this time, Zhang Zhao was in no mood to tour Yangzhou's sights. The carriage had barely come to a halt when Bai Congxin, Murong Xinzhang, and Li Cunhui came straight in. With no outsiders present, these three were far more direct in word and deed before Zhang Zhao. Bai Congxin cupped his hands. "Sage, the men's morale is very high. From Liuhe to Guabu and on to Yizheng, the repair of boats and the gathering of supplies have all gone exceptionally smoothly." Murong Xinzhang also said to Zhang Zhao in a low voice, "The troops below are all saying the Southern Wu palace is filled with treasures everywhere and beauties like clouds. They all want to fight across the river and win themselves a great reward." Li Cunhui wore a look of helpless amusement. "In your son's Right Yulin Guard, many are saying they don't want land or grain. They want gold, silver, silk, and brocade, because once across the river, they could immediately take a Jiangnan beauty as a wife." Zhang Zhao nodded, understanding what the three of them had come in to say. It seemed the several great victories over the Southern Tang had succeeded in rousing the troops' fighting spirit. Now everyone below was stirred up, all convinced the Southern Tang army was worthless, all thinking of crossing the river, storming the Southern Tang's western capital Jiangning, and then making a fine fortune while winning the great merit of destroying a state. This was where men's hearts inclined, and soldiers' hearts were ready for war! Now even Zhang Zhao, even if he did not wish to destroy the Southern Tang at this moment, could not go against the will of his officers and men. And Bai Congxin, Murong Xinzhang, and Li Cunhui clearly understood Zhang Zhao's plans, so they had hurried in advance to report what the troops below were thinking. Zhang Zhao looked at Bai Congxin and asked, "Old Bai, what is your view? If we cross the river now and make you a Military Governor in Jiangning to hold the south, could you manage it?" Bai Congxin had evidently considered this question long before. He wiped the sweat from his head and shook his head — not from fear, but because he was genuinely hot. "Very difficult! In Huainan, Southern Wu is loathed by gods and men alike, but in the eastern and western capitals they have not lost the people's hearts, and they still have the region of Jiangxi to rely on. Communication between the eastern capital Yangzhou and the western capital Jiangning all depends on boats. Our Great Zhou's heavenly troops are all northerners, and the navy has not yet finished training. If we truly mean to garrison Jiangnan, unless we establish one Military Governor each in Yangzhou and Jiangning to support one another, we might perhaps stabilize the situation." Zhang Zhao closed his eyes and thought for a moment. If they did as Bai Congxin said, establishing Military Governors in Yangzhou and Jiangning alone would probably still not be enough — they would also have to establish a Military Governor in Chuzhou as a rear support. And after withdrawing the army, they would still have to immediately take Haozhou and Sizhou in Huainan. If they could not take them, then to prevent the Southern Tang's Haozhou Dingyuan Army and Sizhou Jinghuai Army from harassing or even cutting off the Hangou Canal, they might well have to set up a military governorship in Tianchang as well. That way, it would be four Military Governors at once! And establishing Military Governors was precisely what Zhang Zhao was unwilling to do. Even if they were set up temporarily, how many troops would have to be left garrisoned? Too few, and they could not hold the region down; too many, and Liu Zhiyuan would probably be so delighted he would slide on his knees in Taiyuan. "Sanlang, what do you think? Would you be willing to serve as Military Governor in Yangzhou?" How to put it — although destroying the Southern Tang carried all sorts of disadvantages, with the chance to destroy a state right before his eyes, Zhang Zhao found it hard to remain unmoved, so he asked Li Cunhui for his thoughts. Li Cunhui looked at Zhang Zhao and slowly shook his head. This was one of Zhang Zhao's good points: he never punished people for defying him, unless they came up and cursed him to his face without reason. So close associates like Li Cunhui could still express their opinions without too much hesitation. "Your son was born in Shazhou. Dunhuang has four distinct seasons, nothing like this southern damp heat. And it is not only your son — in the Right Yulin Guard, from officers and men to warhorses, mules, and donkeys, none are accustomed to it. Though it has not reached the scale of a major epidemic, a great many in the army have come seeking heat-clearing and damp-dispelling decoctions. Fortunately, Zhao Jinfang, the Director of the Imperial Medical Office, supplied extra medicinal herbs and also dispatched medical officers and erudites to accompany the army. Otherwise, a whole swath would have fallen ill long ago. If it were only a few of us, overcoming it would not be a problem, but to leave a large army garrisoned in Yangzhou would require at least five thousand men." This was also a difficulty. Li Cunhui's meaning was that it was not impossible to garrison, but after garrisoning, a Zhou army made up mostly of Hexi men would certainly have many fall ill in Jiangnan, so the garrison size would have to be increased to make up for the ordinary attrition caused by sickness. Five thousand in Yangzhou, another five thousand in Jiangning — the troop requirement clearly exceeded the Zhou army's limit. "Father, your son believes that whether it is the problems raised by Lord Bai or by Sanlang, if you issued a military order, they would carry it out despite a hundred difficulties. It is just that doing so would be far too unprofitable." Zhang Zhao looked at Murong Xinzhang, an interested smile appearing on his face. "My son, explain carefully — why is it unprofitable?" Murong Xinzhang cleared his throat and continued. "Our Great Zhou's soldiers are fierce. Used elsewhere, one can fight ten. Placed in Jiangnan as garrison troops for prefectures and counties, that is the first unprofitability. The prefectures and counties of Jiangnan, if occupied now, would require heavy reliance on local forces to keep the rear secure. We do not have officials who can reach down to the county and township level. Taxes and corvée labor would all remain in the hands of local people. At worst, beyond what is needed to maintain the garrisons, almost nothing would be left. That is the second unprofitability. Our navy has just been established. Even if we cross the river and take Jiangning, it would still be very hard to seize the Wu ruler Li Jing. If by chance he flees to Jiangzhou or Hongzhou and links up with various places to oppose us, it would surely leave the rich lands of Jiangnan ruined. That is the third unprofitability." The analysis was quite well reasoned. Zhang Zhao said with a smile, "So in the view of you three, it is still better to follow our original plan — use the surrender of Yangzhou as bait, make Li Jing renounce the Tang state title himself, declare himself a subject, pay tribute, and cede Haozhou and Sizhou?" Bai Congxin chuckled. As a fellow who had started out as a horse bandit, he was very familiar with this kind of maneuvering. "That's not enough. We give Yangzhou back to him, and we don't get gold, silver, silk, and brocade worth a million strings of cash? How is that possible?" Hearing Bai Congxin say this, Ma Shacai, who had been in cahoots with Bai Congxin back when they were horse bandits under Ge Duo, called out in a strange voice. "Still not enough. Didn't they say Jiangnan is full of beauties? Make that brat Li Jing offer up plenty of his sisters, daughters, and the like." The people in the room burst into laughter. As the laughter died down, Zhao Pu came in from outside to report that Zhang Yanqing, the Prefect of Chuzhou, had urgent business and sought an audience. Zhang Zhao immediately had Zhao Pu summon Zhang Yanqing in. Zhang Yanqing had asked on his own to accompany Zhang Zhao south, because Zhang Zhao had begun carrying out land equalization in Chuzhou. He had also specially transferred Li Gu, the Prefect of Cizhou and a native of Huainan, to Chuzhou as Grand Army Transport Commissioner and Commander of the Chuzhou Shunhua Army, with the additional title of Supervising Secretary. In effect, he had put Li Gu — a man known for chivalrous fame, firm character, and skill at judging and employing people — in charge of the land equalization. And Zhang Yanqing, staying in Chuzhou, had people coming to his door every day with requests and pleas, giving him a splitting headache, so he had hurriedly asked to follow Zhang Zhao south. Zhang Yanqing had just come in and finished his obeisance when Zhang Zhao asked what the matter was. Zhang Yanqing said to Zhang Zhao impatiently, "Reporting to Your Majesty, among the Southern Wu officials captured by our Great Zhou's heavenly troops, several are old acquaintances of your subject. They had their families bring word to me, saying that Zhou Zong, the Deputy Defender of the Southern Wu eastern capital, and Feng Yanlu, an Administrative Assistant, wish to seek an audience with Your Majesty." Although Zhang Zhao had captured a great pile of Southern Tang officials, he had not thrown them into prison. Instead, he had locked them up in the Jiangdu County yamen, with meals provided as usual. Those with family in Yangzhou were also allowed visits. A smile appeared on Zhang Zhao's face. What a coincidence — he had just been thinking of how to extort Li Jing and was short of a mouthpiece, and here Zhou Zong and Feng Yanlu delivered themselves to his door....... In the eastern capital Defender's yamen, Sage Zhang, in this lifetime, had read from the histories of later ages, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, the deeds of countless kings, lords, generals, and ministers, and knew what appearance a sovereign ought to present at any given time. So when it came to handling the minds of ancients, he was very steady. This was not to say Zhang Zhao was necessarily smarter than the ancients, but the information he had received and the height from which he viewed matters were certainly beyond the vast majority of ancients. So when Zhou and Feng came in, Zhang Zhao was preparing to eat. Toward literati like Zhou Zong and Feng Yanlu — literati he still intended to send out as mouthpieces — one absolutely must not use the ferocious, menacing routine. That would provoke the contrarian spirit in such men and make them think Zhang Zhao was a barbarian, rude and untrustworthy. So Sage Zhang brought out the great killer move for perfectly handling Confucian literati: honoring the worthy and treating scholars with courtesy. After Zhou and Feng entered, they saw Zhang Zhao in ordinary clothes, in the yamen courtyard, personally brushing sauce onto a roasting lamb. The seating had already been arranged, with fine wine, fine fruit, and palace attendants in service. Murong Xinzhang, Li Cunhui, and Gao Huaide were nearby helping. After the attendants announced the names, Zhang Zhao tossed the brush to Murong Xinzhang, then walked over with Li Cunhui and Gao Huaide. In this Jiangdu County yamen, quite a few people were locked up. Their food and bedding basically all depended on their relatives delivering them. One could imagine that the Brocade Guard personal troops acting as jailers could not possibly take good care of them. Although the weather had now warmed, the elderly Zhou Zong still feared the cold somewhat, but his robe had long since disappeared. In his thin clothing, he was shivering slightly. Feng Yanlu was even more ridiculous. To escape Li Cunhui's pursuit, he had shaved his head and disguised himself as a monk, only to be captured again when Bai Congxin arrived. His hair still had not grown back, and his head, with little patches of hair like the spots of a sika deer, was also scabby and mangy — a complete loss of face. At the sight, Zhang Zhao immediately instructed the attendant beside him. "Go! Bring one of my winged goodwill caps, and also fetch a somewhat thicker padded garment." The winged goodwill cap had existed since the Tang dynasty, and had in fact been invented by Tang Taizong Li Shimin, though it was abolished in the tenth year of Kaiyuan under Tang Xuanzong. But Zhang Zhao liked the thing! Besides, for the Great Zhou's Shaoming Emperor Zhang, who claimed to be the reincarnation of Emperor Taizong the Civil, restoring the winged goodwill cap was only proper! The winged goodwill cap was quickly brought over. Zhang Zhao said to Feng Yanlu with a smile, "I never imagined that in the fifth month, Jiangnan still has so many cold winds." Then he waved over a lovely palace maid — a rare long-legged beauty, certainly over one meter seventy. Apart from Zhang Zhao, probably no one could appreciate that kind of beauty. But Zhang Zhao was not about to bestow a beauty on Feng Yanlu. Although Sage Zhang had a habit of bestowing beauties on subordinates, that was certainly reserved for those of immense use to Sage Zhang who had rendered immense merit. Feng Yanlu clearly had not reached that level. So Zhang Zhao had her come to put the cap on Feng Yanlu. Over there, Feng Yanlu was still hesitating over whether, in this situation, he ought to kneel and kowtow when meeting Zhang Zhao, when he heard Zhang Zhao say in a clear voice, "Xiuzhu'er, quickly straighten Scholar Feng's cap." The beauty was over one meter seventy, while Feng Yanlu was probably not even one meter sixty-five. So Feng Yanlu did not even need to lower his head; the beauty gently placed the winged goodwill cap on his head. Having shaved his head to flee and then been locked up for a month, Feng Yanlu's eyes suddenly grew hot, and tears nearly fell. At their first meeting, Zhang Zhao had not only thoughtfully found him a winged goodwill cap to spare him embarrassment, but had even deliberately chosen a tall palace maid to straighten his cap so as not to make things awkward for him. Though that last point was overthinking it — at this time, most people did not fancy long legs, but Zhang Zhao still did. Even just looking was pleasing to the eye! At this thought, Feng Yanlu no longer cared about protocol and moved to kneel and kowtow to Zhang Zhao, but Zhang Zhao caught him and held him up. "Men's hearts lie in support or opposition, not in empty formalities. That the Scholar shaved his head and still remained a loyal subject to the Wu ruler — I know it in my heart. This is no formal audience, so the kowtow may be dispensed with." "Your Majesty is magnanimous and great-hearted. This petty subject of a foreign state is grateful beyond words!" Somehow, with Zhang Zhao holding him up and those few light words, Feng Yanlu felt his heart stir. In his mind, he could not help comparing Li Jing with Zhang Zhao. He felt that when he had looked at Li Jing before, the man had also been a cultured, refined ruler, but something seemed missing. Now, looking at Zhang Zhao, Feng Yanlu suddenly knew what Li Jing lacked: this self-assurance and magnanimity of one who ruled all under heaven. He took the winged goodwill cap from his head, raised it high above his head, and bowed to Zhang Zhao as he said, "In former years, the Great Dynasty's Emperor Taizong the Civil personally designed this cap as a crown for the emperor's informal attire. I am but a subject — how could I wear an emperor's cap?" Zhang Zhao smiled lightly, reached out to take the winged goodwill cap, but then placed it back on Feng Yanlu's head and said in a clear voice, "An emperor is but one man! Under heaven and across the four directions, there are ten thousand common folk living and breathing. How can a thing be reserved for one man's sole use, so that the ten thousand folk may not use it? Still, ritual law cannot be discarded. Then from this day forward, I grant that all officials of the fifth rank and above may wear the winged goodwill cap, with Scholar Feng as the first." At this time, the winged goodwill cap still had flat wings, though shorter than the Song dynasty version. As for the Ming dynasty's adorable cat-ear style reserved for the imperial house, that was of course exclusive to my Great Ming — it had not yet appeared. Zhang Zhao's words exactly matched Mencius's notion that the people are more important than the ruler. Although Mencius was not yet the Second Sage at this time, his doctrines and ideas had long since sunk deep into men's hearts, and many admired them. Hearing this, and having Zhang Zhao personally place the winged goodwill cap on his head, Feng Yanlu could no longer hold back. He knelt prostrate on the ground and said to Zhang Zhao in a choked voice, "Your Majesty's gracious gift — this foreign subject has no way to repay it." Zhou Zong, standing to the side, was also deeply moved. No wonder Feng Yanlu was so stirred. Since the Yan rebels threw the Middle Kingdom into chaos, it had been in turmoil for nearly two hundred years. In that time, most people had no dignity, and no time to speak of dignity. Because the great king's banner atop the city walls changed far too quickly; many people died and their clans were wiped out within two or three years. The first thing — or rather the only thing — a new ruler did upon taking power was seize military authority. Where was the time for such refined gestures as honoring the worthy and treating scholars with courtesy? Still, it was not that there had been none. Zhou Zong had been Li Bian's trusted confidant, and he knew that Li Bian had actually been very good at honoring the worthy and treating scholars with courtesy. But compared to this Shaoming Emperor, Li Bian had seemed somewhat stiff, and his utilitarianism too obvious. So Zhou Zong instantly made his judgment: the Shaoming Emperor's level was higher than that of the founding emperor Li Bian, and the current Baoda Son of Heaven was even less comparable to the Zhou Son of Heaven. After helping Feng Yanlu up from the ground again, Zhang Zhao turned to look at Zhou Zong. He had felt the name was somewhat familiar at the time, and now he finally remembered that this was the father of the Elder and Younger Zhou Queens in history. Because back in his green youth, Sage Zhang had watched a television drama called "How Much Sorrow Can a Man Bear," in which Wu Qilong played Li Yu, and Liu Tao played both the Elder Zhou Queen and Lady Huarui. Hmm... Liu the wife playing a wife — truly a perfect match of person and role! Sage Zhang had taken a few extra glances back then, and so naturally remembered this man Zhou Zong. Moreover, the Zhou Zong before him, though now old and frail, still showed that he must have been a handsome man in his youth. "The young ones were thoughtless and startled Old Master Zhou. While I was in Chuzhou, I did not learn in time that Old Master Zhou was here. I have been remiss!" So saying, Zhang Zhao beckoned Gao Huaide and Li Cunhui over and said to them, "Next time you encounter an elder like Old Master Zhou, you must treat him with courtesy and not be disrespectful." Zhou Zong chuckled inwardly. His level was far higher than Feng Yanlu's. This routine had been used on him by the founding emperor Li Bian back in the day, so although his face showed gratitude, his heart was utterly unmoved. "This foreign subject was captured by the General's men. To have kept this worthless life is already great fortune. How dare I hope for courteous treatment?" From his expression and words, Zhang Zhao could tell this one was a true old hand. And in fact, so he was. Feng Yanlu was now in his forties and had been born into a meritorious family that had studied the classics for generations, so in his heart he still held expectations of sage rulers and enlightened lords, of sovereign and minister in harmony. Zhou Zong was in his declining years and had no pursuit left in the path of office and career. Moreover, having accompanied Li Bian since youth, he had seen no small share of storms. One must know that in Li Bian's time, the Yangs, the Wu, and Li Bian himself had all schemed against one another, mixed in with powerful ministers like Zhang Hao — far more perilous than the now peaceful Southern Tang court. Zhou Zong had seen much, and so naturally felt no ripple in his heart at Zhang Zhao's courtesies. Since his heart was unmoved, Zhang Zhao soon gave up on making Zhou Zong his main target — except that he was still somewhat curious about the man's daughter Ehuang, who was ten years old this year. Once she grew another three or four — pah! Another seven or eight years, he must summon her for a look. For no other reason than to see what the Elder Zhou Queen of history looked like. Eh... though it was said the Younger Zhou Queen was even more devastatingly beautiful than her elder sister? Mm! Zhang Zhao nodded with a beaming smile. He had to hurry and send this old man back. If too much changed in the timeline and the Younger Zhou Queen failed to be born, what a pity that would be! Zhou Zong was made itchy all over by Zhang Zhao's beaming smile. Why did this Shaoming Son of Heaven look at him so strangely? A cool breeze blew in, and the sixty-year-old Old Zhou could not help shivering. Only then did Zhang Zhao come back to himself. He laughed self-deprecatingly and invited Zhou and Feng to take their seats. To tell the truth, when Zhou Zong first came in, he had thought Zhang Zhao meant to humiliate him. Because he had been locked up for nearly a month and had eaten nothing but brown rice and salted vegetables for a month — to say nothing of meat, there had not even been a bowl of soup made from small fish or shrimp. Zhou Zong had assumed Zhang Zhao surely knew this and had deliberately laid out a roast lamb feast to humiliate him, so he had already prepared himself in his heart. But now Zhang Zhao actually invited them to sit, and it looked as though he meant to personally divide the meat. This was extraordinary! Bestowing a feast and dividing meat had been, since ancient times, treatment reserved for the most trusted of ministers! Feng Yanlu did not think much of it — or perhaps Zhang Zhao's bewildering tactics had lowered his defenses — but Zhou Zong had already realized the risk that eating this roast lamb would bring. They were Li Jing's subjects! If they ate the Zhou Son of Heaven's bestowed feast and divided meat, could they still expect a good outcome upon returning? At that thought, the old man, who still wanted to live a few more years, dropped to his knees with a thud before Zhang Zhao. "Does Your Majesty wish to kill this foreign subject?" "Why do you say that? It is out of respect for Old Master Zhou's character that I invite you to taste Hexi cream cheese and mutton. Where does killing come into it?" Zhang Zhao asked in feigned astonishment. Gao Huaide, standing nearby, had long since lost patience. He jabbed a finger at Zhou Zong and shouted harshly, "You old traitor, how tactless can you be! The Son of Heaven pities your age and has taken time from his hundred pressing affairs to personally roast lamb and bestow meat — how dare you say such a thing?" Zhou Zong ignored Gao Huaide. He looked at Zhang Zhao, tears streaming down his face. "This foreign subject is a minister of the Tang ruler. If I eat the meat divided by the Son of Heaven, would I not be feeding on the fortune and blessings of two houses? Once word reaches Jiangning, my lord will think this foreign subject has turned traitor, and then my life will surely be hard to keep!" Zhang Zhao sighed. This sigh was for Zhou Zong, weeping on the ground with tears and snot running down his face. Zhang Zhao had read the dossier sent by the Brocade Guard. In his youth, this old man had been eloquent, alert, generous to others, and frugal in managing his household — otherwise Li Bian would not have taken him as a trusted confidant. He had not expected that in old age, the man's sole thought would be to preserve his life, with not half of his youthful self remaining. Zhang Zhao had seen such people before: impassioned and full of spirit when young, but once old, they feared death all the more deeply. They dared not even attend the funerals of their contemporaries, and even the word "death" became taboo to them. In truth, compared to the young, the old feared death more. Having experienced life's sweetness, they naturally prized the little time they had left, while the young, by contrast, were more prone to throw their lives away on impulse. Hearing Zhou Zong's tearful plea, Feng Yanlu also came back to his senses. His elder brother Feng Yansi was still at Li Jing's side, and his family was in Jiangning. Knowing Li Jing's temperament, he absolutely could not eat this roast lamb, so he too quickly knelt. "Enough! Enough!" Zhang Zhao sighed deeply toward the sky with immense feeling. He had originally wanted to apply some pressure, but seeing Zhou Zong like this, he could not bear to test him further. To push a once-capable man to the point where he lost all dignity would be too cruel. His long sigh finished, Zhang Zhao waved for the attendants to remove the roast lamb and dishes. He looked solemnly at the two men before him and asked softly, "That being the case, what business did you two seek me out for?" Feng Yanlu glanced at Zhang Zhao. In that instant, the approachable, benevolent lord vanished. In his place stood a terrifying sovereign of overwhelming pressure, as though a wave of his hand would leave a million corpses, a ruler who held the lives of ten thousand folk in his grasp. Yet this only deepened Feng Yanlu's reverence. This was a feeling he had never once sensed from Li Jing. Zhou Zong cleared his throat. Zhang Zhao's imposing presence weighed somewhat heavily on his heart. He adjusted his state of mind, then began to speak. "This foreign subject weeps blood to report to the Son of Heaven of the superior state: Zhou and Tang originally had no enmity, and the Zhang and Li houses have never had a grudge. Hu Cile and Du Chongwei were both ministers of the Jin. In former years they submitted because the Jin had lost its mandate, and my lord then sent envoys to take them in. Thus my lord took in Song and Xu first, and Great Zhou obtained the Jin's sacred vessels afterward. Now the two states have gone to war over this, causing the common folk to suffer and many to die — how innocent they are! If Your Majesty, a benevolent and virtuous lord, could cease hostilities and make peace, all under heaven would be most fortunate!" "Utter nonsense!" Zhang Zhao slammed the table heavily in anger. "Since King Wu's campaign against Zhou, since the Zhou Son of Heaven civilized the Xia lords and the Yi peoples and possessed the Middle Kingdom, since the First Emperor unified the realm and established commanderies and counties, for two thousand years the lands of the Central Plains have been one state. Where does this talk of two states come from? And whose sacred vessels include only the Central Plains but not Huainan, Jiangnan, Youyun, and the rest? Your lord Li Bian falsely claimed to be of the Great Dynasty's imperial clan and presumptuously ascended the imperial throne, posing as the continuation of the Great Dynasty while practicing separatism. As for Li Jing — if he had the heart to campaign north against the Central Plains and unify the realm, I might think more highly of him. But like his father, he merely dreams of separatism, buzzing about for petty gain. I might as well tell you plainly: my Great Zhou arose from the Guiyi Army of Hexi, descendants of loyal subjects of the Great Dynasty. I recovered the twenty-nine prefectures of Hexi, Longyou, Anxi, and Beiting for the state — I did not come to sit and watch the realm be divided. I have now driven out the barbarians and won the support of the ten thousand folk. The imperial clans of the Great Dynasty and the Later Dynasty all praise my virtue, and I have kept the sacrifices of the Great Dynasty's twenty-four emperors unbroken, so that they still receive offerings of blood and food. Thus I inherit the legitimate succession and revive the Middle Kingdom. As for the Shi Jin — what virtue has a state that sold out the country for glory? How could it possess the sacred vessels? Dare to speak such nonsense again, and the bare blade will not spare you! In consideration of your age, return to Jiangning and tell Li Jing: I have come to end the chaos and revive the Middle Kingdom. If he truly is a descendant of the Great Dynasty, he should hand over the thirty-five prefectures of Huainan and Jiangnan. I would then treat him as a younger brother, and let him choose his court title and official salary. In the vast annals of history, he would surely have a place. But if he means to resist to the bitter end, my hundred thousand iron cavalry will break Jiangning within a day. When that time comes, it will be too late for regret!" Zhou Zong was truly frightened now. It was not only that Sage Zhang's domineering aura was leaking out; this speech made Zhou Zong realize that Zhang Zhao was different from all previous emperors of the Central Plains. Others had their eyes on the throne, but Zhang Zhao meant to unify the realm. When Zhang Zhao finished, he was about to have Zhou Zong hauled out. Feng Yanlu's mind churned a hundred times over. The Shaoming Emperor before him perfectly matched the image of a sage ruler in his heart. He had the courtesy of the Duke of Zhou, who stopped mid-meal to receive scholars, and the domineering aura of the First Emperor and Emperor Wu of Han, as well as the resolve and ability of the Great Dynasty's Emperor Taizong the Civil to lead an invincible army and sweep the realm. In that moment, a great crack split open in Feng Yanlu's conviction that the Tang state held the legitimate succession. Because what draws a Confucian scholar is not only courteous treatment of the worthy, but also the great unity, and the chance to make one's lord a Yao or Shun. These three things, Feng Yanlu saw all of them in Zhang Zhao. In that moment, his stance suddenly shifted to Zhang Zhao's side, and his vision immediately opened wide. In the instant before he and Zhou Zong were hauled out, he suddenly knocked his head on the ground and cried out, "This foreign subject weeps blood and begs Your Majesty to think again! Your Majesty has great ambitions, yet the realm is not yet settled. Liu Zhiyuan occupies Hedong, and the Khitan have stolen Youyun — these are Your Majesty's great troubles. My Wu state has no iron cavalry and wishes only to rest peacefully in the south. Now Your Majesty, instead of first destroying strong enemies and recovering Yan-Yun, instead wearies the army on a distant campaign into Jiangnan. This subject cannot approve of Your Majesty's course." Now this was more interesting. Zhang Zhao immediately waved to stop the guards from hauling the two of them out. Then Sage Zhang put on an expression of forcibly suppressing his anger, because by the standards of a normal emperor, he would certainly have been provoked by now. "Rest peacefully in the south? I have not seen any sign that Li Jing wishes to rest peacefully in the south. His ambitions are not small! Had he not struck first, why would I have campaigned south? But now that I have already come south, what point is there in saying these things? I swear to take him alive!" Seeing Zhang Zhao's overbearing and resolute attitude, Feng Yanlu was inwardly delighted. If Zhang Zhao truly meant to cross the river and attack, he would never have said so much to them. He would probably have feared them leaking the secret and would not have said a single extra word, but would have crossed the river quietly. That he spoke this way now precisely confirmed Feng Yanlu's guess. From the Zhou state's standpoint, with the Central Plains now beset by crises on all sides, and the triple disasters of flood, drought, and locusts in Henan and Hebei only just beginning to ease, this was absolutely not the moment to strike at Jiangning. So Feng Yanlu kowtowed once more and pleaded, "My lord's dispatch of troops was indeed ill-considered, but now that the superior state has slain a hundred thousand of his finest, he has long since been chastised. If Your Majesty now takes Chuzhou, it could still be called a small punishment and a great warning. But having taken the eastern capital, to then cross the river and attack the western capital — would that not be stealing a single sheep and repaying with your life? Moreover, since King Zhongwu of Yang secured Jiangnan, the common folk have largely relied on that peace. When my lord the founding emperor laid his foundation, his grace spread through E, Huang, Qi, Jiang, Hong, Xuan, Run, and the other prefectures. Scholars and commoners alike, moved by his kindness, are willing to fight to the death. Though the north of the river suffered a great defeat, there are still tens of thousands of elite troops south of the river. Your Majesty, by contrast, though you have invincible iron cavalry, lacks sufficient boats to cross the river, and your navy is not yet trained. If you truly cross, victory or defeat is still unknown. Therefore this foreign subject begs Your Majesty to withdraw the troops. Moreover, Your Majesty takes the expulsion of the northern barbarians as your great cause, yet Youyun is still in barbarian hands, and now you kindle the flames of war in the south. That damages your cause!" Well argued. Zhang Zhao looked at Feng Yanlu with new respect. As the younger brother of Feng Yansi, the notorious head of the Southern Tang's "Five Ghosts," judging only from what he saw now, the man's character, talent, and vision all seemed quite excellent! Sage Zhang again put on an expression of consideration, but there were some things he could not say aloud. To do so would completely expose his intentions — the equivalent of laying all his cards on the table in a negotiation. At times like this, it was Murong Xinzhang's moment to perform. His good eldest son was thoroughly versed in this. Seeing Zhang Zhao silent, seemingly deep in thought, Murong Xinzhang gave a cold snort. "Scholar Feng has a sharp tongue indeed. By your account, the lands north of the river that my hundred thousand soldiers won with their lives, breaking sinew and bone, should simply be handed back? The area around Yangzhou is so rich — how could there be any reason to give it away?" Hearing this, Feng Yanlu grew even more certain of his judgment, while Zhou Zong, still kneeling on the ground, saw Zhang Zhao still deliberating and knew that this Shaoming Emperor had very likely been "moved" by Feng Yanlu's words. But inwardly he sighed. This white-robed Murong had only mentioned the north of the river, and had not spoken of Chuzhou and Haizhou in Huainan. It seemed the Zhou state's bottom line was to swallow Huainan. But without Chuzhou as the gateway, even if they got back the north of the river, they could not defend against the next attack! Yet no sooner had the thought arisen than Zhou Zong slumped down in dejection. What was he thinking? Getting back the north of the river would already be a great fortune. Without Chuzhou, they could still organize a defense at Shouzhou, Chuzhou, and Tianchang. And he was already past sixty — how many more years could he live? Better to befriend the Zhou Son of Heaven, earn a little goodwill, and leave a path for his descendants. In any case, he would not live to see the day the Li house fell. Once he had thought it through, the man "came alive" again. Zhou Zong shuffled forward on his knees to Zhang Zhao. "What Scholar Feng says is also for Your Majesty's sake. Leaving our state in the south is leaving a place for the million living souls of Jiangnan to survive. If my lord were gone from the south, and Your Majesty could not fully swallow it, in the end it would only benefit other ambitious men, causing the old disasters of Bi Shiduo and Sun Ru to repeat themselves. I fear the rich lands would once again be laid waste!" This was precisely what Zhang Zhao least wished to see. If they destroyed the Southern Tang but failed to capture Li Jing, and Li Jing fled to Hongzhou, Ezhou, and the like, he would certainly not surrender meekly — there would still be fighting. If they did capture Li Jing, given the temperament of military men in this age, they could not simply submit either, and the fighting would continue. And if by chance Li Jing were gone, the Southern Tang's Ezhou might go over to the Gao house of Nanping, and the region of Jiangxi to Qian Yue — merely trading one big trouble for two small ones. Far better to beat Li Jing into submission and fear, and make him pay annual tribute. The work of harsh rebuke had been done by Murong Xinzhang; the work of reconciliation had to fall to Li Cunhui. Li Sanlang immediately put on a look of utter loyalty and said to Zhang Zhao, "Sage, what these two men say comes from the heart. The Wu ruler Li Jing may be hateful, but the millions of common folk in Jiangnan are innocent! Better to spare the Wu ruler, so long as he is willing to abandon separatism and return to the state." Zhang Zhao listened, nodded silently, and then suddenly sighed. "My son is kindhearted! You two may return and tell Li Jing to cross the river and come pay his respects. For the sake of the millions of living souls in Jiangnan, so long as he governs diligently, loves the people, and no longer oversteps his station, I can allow him to remain and hold Jiangnan." As for crossing the river to pay respects — that was all pie in the sky, and both Zhou Zong and Feng Yanlu understood it. As the stronger side, Zhang Zhao naturally could not take the initiative to seek peace; the request for peace had to come from the Southern Tang. So this "cross the river and come pay respects" was a condition the Zhou Son of Heaven had set that Li Jing would not dare accept — it was waiting for Li Jing to humble himself and plead. The matter settled, Zhang Zhao did not keep Zhou Zong and Feng Yanlu any longer. The two men were also eager to return, and after bidding Zhang Zhao farewell, they went straight to the riverbank. Watching the two leave, Zhang Zhao stood up and said in a deep voice, "Judging from these two, Southern Wu certainly still has an army that can fight. If even they show no sign of despair, Li Jing will certainly not beg for mercy easily. Pass the order: continue building boats on a large scale and recruiting sailors. Tomorrow, Sanlang will personally lead two thousand cavalry, coordinating with the Brocade Guard's scouts, to continue probing westward toward Chuzhou and Hezhou. It may well be that we still have another battle to fight with Southern Wu." Nine thousand characters — counting this as making up one chapter of owed updates first.