Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Chapter 22 (Part 3)

“In a word,” Zheng Yan says, “that’s the current state of affairs. Now it’s time to hear what Wuluohou Mu has for us.”

They all fall silent again before Lang Junxia speaks. “According to what I could infer, the Mongolians will attempt to manipulate us with both coercion and persuasion this time around. I’m still trying to find out what their particular method may be.”

“Coercion and persuasion?” Wu Du says, sounding chilly, “If they can’t persuade us, what, could they coerce us? Whatever could be used to blackmail the crown prince of a nation — that I’d sure like to know.”

Only Wu Du, Lang Junxia, and Duan Ling are going to understand what those words mean; it’s ingenious the way Wu Du has strung that sentence together, and until now Lang Junxia can’t be entirely sure whether Wu Du knows that Cai Yan has taken Duan Ling’s place as a cuckoo claims a nest. In front of everyone, naturally Lang Junxia can’t exactly say Khatanbaatar is going to threaten them with the fake crown prince’s true identity in order to facilitate the alliance between the two nations.

“What does Chancellor Mu think?” Zheng Yan asks.

“That I don’t know,” Chang Liuju replies, “we’ll have to ask Wang Shan.”

“I’m even less likely to know,” Duan Ling answers him. “Chancellor Mu didn’t say.”

Chang Liujun says, “If we really don’t want to ally with Yuan, His Majesty and His Highness are the ones who’ll have the final say when it comes down to it. Won’t it all be over and done with if we simply send Khatanbaatar and Amga out of the country as soon as possible?”

Zheng Yan replies, “That’s where the problem is. No one is making a decision, and even His Highness doesn’t want to step in personally and tell them to leave. Truth is, he’s the most appropriate person to do the asking.”

Even though envoys should be given deferential treatment when it comes to the formation of an alliance between two nations, and in no way should they be simply driven out, the Mongolian envoy is nominally here to celebrate the crown prince’s birthday and bring him gifts. All Cai Yan has to do to send him away is to write a single letter.

“Not necessarily,” Duan Ling says. “If Amga doesn’t want to leave, he’d always be able to find some excuse to stay. Also, our imperial court’s functionaries have an erroneous perception of the Mongolians. The Mongolians may be straightforward, but they’re not at all stupid. They don’t think about things the way we do, and they’re extremely proficient at using other people’s weaknesses. The reason Ögedei Khan attacked Shangjing was precisely because he saw through the rift between Yelü Dashi and the Han Weiyong clan. I’m sure you’re all well aware of the advantages as well as the disadvantages of such a rift.”

Lang Junxia seems slightly startled. Zheng Yan has already been informed of Wang Shan’s performance in Tongguan, while Chang Liujun has often heard Chang Pin and Mu Kuangda’s assessment of this kid, so they’re not surprised at all.

“Then according to you, what should we do?” Zheng Yan says slowly.

“Does His Majesty want to make this alliance?” Duan Ling’s first question is for Wu Du.

“He doesn’t.” Wu Du shakes his head, and says, “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked me to track down the sword.”

“Does the crown prince want to make this alliance?” Duan Ling continues to ask.

Everyone turns to Lang Junxia. Lang Junxia does not answer.

Of course Cai Yan isn’t going to want this alliance. For one, it’s because he would have conjectured that Li Yanqiu doesn’t want it; for two, he’s being threatened by the Mongolian envoy. If he’s able to, Cai Yan is likely considering how he can kill off all these people, Batu included. Unfortunately, Lang Junxia is not capable of something so fantastical.

“Chang Liujun, does Chancellor Mu want to make this alliance?” Duan Ling asks.

Chang Liujun has finished eating his noodles, and he’s put on his mask. “Can’t you go ask him yourself? You’re his favourite right now. He’s not about to hide that from you.”

“Since he won’t hide it from me, it’s all the same if you’re the one to tell me.”

“Ministry of Revenue’s Su Fa, Grand Secretary Wu Zun, Jiangzhou Black Armours Chief Commander — Great General of stabilisation Xie You.” Chang Liujun says, “These are the people who support an alliance.” Then he turns to Lang Junxia and Zheng Yan, “In other words, almost everyone inside that pavilion today aside from Chancellor Mu are for an alliance with the Mongolians. But as for Chancellor Mu himself, his wishes are not something I dare conjecture.”

Allying with Yuan has both pros and cons; Duan Ling knows why they would support forming an alliance — if they sign this peace agreement and abide by it, the borders will be peaceful for at least ten years, while the Mongolians will have free rein to bring Liao under control. Great Chen may even be able to attack Liao from behind and hold an advantage over them.

If there’s no war, then the Jiangnan region will get abundant chances to grow; the easing of corvee and taxation will give the area south of the Yangtze a chance to recuperate after decades of militaristic rule that has has been a constant drain since the Emperor of Liao’s invasion of the south.

“Does the Marquess of Huaiyin want this alliance?” Duan Ling asks.

“I’m guessing he doesn’t want it.” Zheng Yan answers calmly.

“Well then, for now let’s suppose they’re all in agreement.” Duan Ling says, “First, Wuluohou Mu will investigate what will happen if they choose to use ‘coercion’, and it’s best to rid us of this possibility. Zheng Yan will pose as if acting on the Marquess of Huaiyin’s orders, pay a visit to Khatanbaatar, express goodwill and promise that the matter of an alliance is still open to negotiation and will be discussed at a later date, and that he will exert some effort to attain a positive outcome. Meanwhile, get some information out of them and find out whether the Zhenshanhe really is in Mongolian hands.

"Since those two had come with the objective of forming an alliance, suggest to them that they can use money to bribe the officials of the imperial court and establish contact with them, and that they should ask the major functionaries to speak on the Mongolians’ behalf in front of the crown prince. But Zheng Yan, don’t take the bribe yourself.

"Chang Liujun, you should go give them a visit as well. Hint at them that Chancellor Mu intends to facilitate this alliance, but that what the imperial court chooses to do largely depends on the crown prince’s position, and that when the crown prince’s position is unclear, he’d listen to the major functionaries, most of the time.

"Wu Du will go to His Majesty for a handwritten imperial order, and once the envoys start making bribes, you can investigate and find out which of them are taking bribes.

“Chang Liujun will bring the intelligence to Chancellor Mu, and once Chancellor Mu steps in and finds evidence, you will turn it over to Wu Du. Then Wu Du will present it to His Majesty, which will give us an excuse to expel the envoy. At the same time, the matter of corruption among those bribed functionaries will be in the hands of Chancellor Mu and the crown prince, which should give them room to accuse the Su and Wu clans any time they feel like. Whether or not they end up taking the bribes will depend on them. As for Xie You, I know he probably won’t take bribes. He only has the country’s best interest at heart.”

As soon as he finishes speaking, everyone in the room falls into silence for a time. Zheng Yan starts to smile. “Coming over here tonight was the right decision, after all. Let’s end the night here. We’ll each go do what we ought to do.”

And so the three sitting behind the screen say no more and rise to leave as quickly as they came, leaving behind a screen and two people. Wu Du’s noodles haven’t even been touched, while Duan Ling’s bowl is already empty.

They’re going to leave just like that? Duan Ling thinks to himself. But I suppose that’s to be expected. Time is precious for everyone.

“Where were we?” Duan Ling suddenly says.

Wu Du looks up at him without a word; they gaze at each other, a bit awkward and speechless. Duan Ling really wants to listen to Wu Du tell him more things, tell him he’s willing to take him to see snow, see the ocean, see all kinds of beautiful scenery, willing to do this and that for him, and yet Wu Du doesn’t tell him anything else.

“It’s cold and the night is dark.” Wu Du says, “If you’ve finished eating, then let’s go home and get some rest.”

Duan Ling has little choice but to get up then, his eyes passing over the wontons on the table, already cold. Several snowflakes drift in through the window and land in the bowl.

Just like before, Duan Ling shares a horse with Wu Du on the way home. Wu Du wraps his cape around him, blocking his face from the snow. Duan Ling can hear Wu Du’s heart beating. Tonight, he’s remembering far too many things.

He remembers night time in Shangzi, the old man hitting a watchman’s clapper calling for customers to buy his wontons; he remembers Lang Junxia being hunted by Wu Du from Huchang all the way to Shangjing, and that night he’d also held Duan Ling like this as they rode home.

In a moment of distraction, Duan Ling’s mind seems to wander back to that one night — when he’d crept out of his room on silent feet, walking through the corridor amongst singing voices. The elaborate architecture of that night’s Shangjing was laden with snow, but that and the bright lanterns had already been concealed behind the intertwining images of dancing to flower-drums, and covered by those shadows cast by lanterns burning low. He’d stood on tiptoe, peeking through the window panes, and inside was a multi-coloured, dazzling kaleidoscope. Countless dreams gathered and scattered, like getting a glimpse of a whole new world.

“Are you cold?” When he feels Duan Ling raising his head, Wu Du looks down; he feels Duan Ling’s hold around his waist tightening. He gives Duan Ling’s arm a little squeeze and says consolingly, “We’ll be home soon.”

“I’m not …” Duan Ling is searching for something to say, but he’s quite at a loss as to what to do inside this dream.

When they get home, Wu Du lights the lanterns, and the courtyard brightens. The chancellor’s estate in Jiangzhou used to be the official residence of a major salt merchant in the previous dynasty, and the merchant had kept a concubine in this side courtyard. The salt merchant cherished her very much and did not neglect to extend the estate’s floor heater all the way into the side courtyard, making sure that his concubine was comfortable. By extension, this has benefited Duan Ling as well.

Wu Du sets his clothes in order and lays them out to dry over the fire, and puts away the Lieguangjian he wore today. Duan Ling’s eyes wander across the room, following him; he’s never thought Wu Du looked so handsome before, so graceful that every move he makes sets Duan Ling’s heart pounding.

“What is it?” Wu Du feels that Duan Ling is truly out of sorts this evening.

“Nothing.” Duan Ling sits on the low daybed at one side of the room, thinking that once Wu Du is done he’ll come over and sit with him; that way he can lean on him the way he always does.

But all Wu Du does is ask him, “Did dinner not fill you up? Should I get the kitchens to make some more food for you?”

This chapter is scrapped from readlightnovel.org

“I’m full,” Duan Ling says immediately.

Wu Du opens up a drawer to take out some medicinal ingredients.

“What are you doing?” Duan Ling asks curiously.

“Putting together a drug. I suddenly thought of it because of what you said earlier … Don’t get down, it’s cold. Can’t you just stay on the daybed?”

Duan Ling insists on sitting by the table to watch Wu Du put the drug together. Wielding a small knife, Wu Du’s slender fingers run circles on the table, using the back of the knife to grind the seeds into a powder before scraping it off into a tiny copper mortar.

Even his fingers are good looking, Duan Ling thinks.

“It’s poisonous,” Wu Du says, “don’t touch,” and puts a silk glove on his right hand, picks out a butterfly’s wing covered in phosphorescent scales, and scrapes the powder off.

“Is your hand all healed up?”

Wu Du gives Duan Ling a look. “It healed up long ago.”

Duan Ling pulls Wu Du’s hand towards him, staring at the old wound he got from catching that sword. After it healed over, it left behind a groove.

“I have a new love line,” Wu Du jests.

“What about your right hand?” Duan Ling then tries to grab Wu Du’s right hand.

“There isn’t one on my right hand,” Wu Du replies. “It’s poisonous! Don’t touch it!”

Duan Ling puts his arms on the table, his head on his arms, and turns his face sideways to look at Wu Du, staring at the bridge of his nose and his lips; the longer he stares them the fonder he feels. An idea rises in his heart — he wants to get closer, and touch his own lips to Wu Du’s, but he doesn’t have the courage to do such a thing.

Meanwhile, Wu Du’s concentration is solely on putting his poison together. When he notices that Duan Ling has been staring at him the whole time, a blush forms on his cheeks.

“Don’t sneeze.” Wu Du warns Duan Ling, saying, “Otherwise you’ll …”

“Die,” Duan Ling says, smiling. If Wu Du hadn’t reminded him, he wouldn’t have wanted to sneeze, but now his nose is itching.

“Do you know what’s amazing about this poison your lord is making?” Wu Du raises an eyebrow, saying to Duan Ling.

Duan Ling shakes his head, still watching Wu Du with all of his attention. “Oh.”

“Sleepy?” Seeing that Duan Ling seems uncharacteristically preoccupied, so much so that he isn’t even responding to teasing, Wu Du mistakes this irregularity and thinks Duan Ling is still thinking about what happened with Li Yanqiu. So he takes off his glove and washes his hands, and he’s about to come over to hug Duan Ling, but by the time he comes back he finds Duan Ling already lying on the bed.

When Wu Du lies down, it’s exactly the same way he does every other night, but only tonight does it make Duan Ling feel his breath running short; Wu Du stretches out his arm for Duan Ling to pillow his head on as usual, and Duan Ling nervously moves closer.

“Why is your heart beating so fast?” Wu Du asks, baffled.

“It’s not,” Duan Ling refutes at once.

Wu Du brushes his hand over Duan Ling’s chest, then his head, but Duan Ling is not running a fever. Then he reaches under Duan Ling’s lapel, but as his fingers land on Duan Ling’s naked skin, Duan Ling thinks it feels wonderful but he immediately says, “Don’t!”

Wu Du can only stop touching him, and they lie there to go to sleep. Several times, Duan Ling wants to turn to his side and wrap his arms around Wu Du, but he doesn’t actually dare do it — he doesn’t even know what he’s scared of, only knows that his heart’s at sixes and sevens.

“Wu Du.” Now that Wu Du’s stopped talking, Duan Ling actually wants to hear his voice. “What’s that drug for?”

Wu Du says without fanfare, “A poison for Amga and Khatanbaatar to make them the kind of uncomfortable that feels like they’re unaccustomed to the local food and water. It’d torture them slowly.”

"Do you have anything like a laxative?

Duan Ling often wondered what would happen if master martial artists such as Chang Liujun, Wu Du, Zheng Yan and Lang Junxia have a stomachache when they’re in the middle of a showdown.

But Wu Du has started to laugh. “You want me to give the two of them a laxative?”

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