Chapter Seventy-Eight: Expanding Strength

In the summer of the fifth year of Baoda, Li Jingsui, the Prince of Qi of the Great Tang, repeatedly submitted memorials requesting to focus solely on his duties as a prince and to withdraw from political affairs. However, upon receiving the resignation, the Emperor, Li Jing, not only refused to approve it but instead entrusted the Prince with a grave responsibility, appointing him Commander-in-Chief of all regional armies—in other words, the supreme governor of the empire’s military forces.

Li Jingsui was filled with trepidation and declined repeatedly, but Li Jing insisted that the burden of state affairs was too great for him to manage alone, urging Li Jingsui to help him oversee the military. After several refusals, Li Jingsui was eventually unable to resist the Emperor’s insistence and was forced to accept the position.

Many things happened that summer that caught people off guard. After the Khitan decided to retreat northward, they were harassed along the way by the Han people of the Central Plains. At the same time, Liu Zhiyuan seized the opportunity to march south, capturing Luoyang, Bianliang, and other regions. In Yang Lian’s view, after the situation in the Central Plains underwent such a massive shift, it would soon stabilize.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Wuyue, Qian Zuo, the sixth son of Qian Yuanzuan, died of illness, and his younger brother, Qian Zong, succeeded him. The powerful minister Hu Jinse wielded immense influence over the court, and under his advocacy, Li Renda was released and returned to Fuzhou. When the news arrived, Yang Lian immediately sensed that trouble was brewing in Fuzhou once again.

Yang Lian held several secret meetings with Prince Li Jingsui, maintaining his belief that launching a campaign into the Central Plains at this time still offered a chance for recovery. Liu Zhiyuan’s foundation was unstable, and he had yet to fully secure control over the Central Plains. Throughout Hebei, Shandong, and Guanzhong, various regional warlords—large and small—remained in place; while they paid lip service to his authority, they were secretly hoarding strength, waiting for any opportunity to rebel.

Several ministers in the court also recognized this opportunity and petitioned for a Northern Expedition. Since the Khitan had not yet fully withdrawn from the Central Plains, an army could have been dispatched under the legitimate pretext of driving out the invaders and restoring the heartland. Yet, the Emperor, Li Jing, suppressed these requests, and the final golden opportunity slipped through their fingers.

Upon returning to Jinling, Yang Lian visited the residence and land bestowed upon him by the Emperor. The location was indeed excellent, situated near the Imperial Academy and along the Qinhuai River, offering both proximity to learning and the elegant charm of the river. However, upon entering, Yang Lian discovered the place had long been abandoned. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds and littered with refuse; the crumbling walls were a shocking sight, and rats the size of kittens scurried about without fear, creating a truly desolate atmosphere.

"This was once the residence of the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty," Li Jingsui explained.

Yang Lian was stunned. "If it belonged to the former Crown Prince, why did His Majesty bestow it upon me?" He felt deeply perplexed.

"The imperial heart is unfathomable; I do not know either," Li Jingsui replied, shaking his head. It was much like his own situation—he had wanted to resign, yet the Emperor had made him the supreme military commander. It was truly impossible to guess the Emperor's motives.

"The location is excellent, but it will take a great deal of effort to restore," Yang Lian sighed. He could not refuse the Emperor's favor, so he had to accept it. Yet, how could he dare to move into the former Crown Prince's residence? Was he to let the whole world know he was the former Crown Prince? Even if he truly were, he could never admit it at this time!

After some thought, Yang Lian had an idea. He smiled and said, "Prince, I already have an inn, and as I am alone, living in such a large place would be a waste. Since this area is well-situated near the Imperial Academy, I plan to renovate it and build a teahouse."

"It is quite large; wouldn't a teahouse be a bit excessive? Besides, you are now a Commander of the Fifth Rank; how can you continue living in an inn? It is not safe," Li Jingsui said with a smile. "If you lack staff, just recruit some servants and guards from my estate."

"Thank you for your kindness, Prince, but I am used to living alone," Yang Lian replied with a smile.

"That won't do. Do you not wish to settle down? While a man’s ambitions should reach the four corners of the earth, he also needs a normal family life. The court is full of noble families; if you have your eye on any young lady, just tell me, and I will have someone sound out the situation." Prince Li Jingsui was very concerned. After all, while he held the power to command the empire's armies, he had few trusted confidants, especially after Gao Shensi retired and his influence in the military waned. Thus, he turned to support Yang Lian, a rising star in the army.

Yang Lian shook his head. "Prince, I have no such thoughts for the time being." In his mind, the images of several women appeared—some beautiful, some gentle, some willful. He did not know which one would be his final destination.

Prince Li Jingsui knew he could not persuade him, so he shook his head, though he began to ponder in secret. He would have to find a well-educated and virtuous woman worthy of Yang Lian.

Anything is easy to accomplish with money. Yang Lian had Xiao Erhei gather a group of workers from the marketplace, offering them payment. Many men and women from impoverished families came to help. As the saying goes, many hands make light work; in just over ten days, the weeds were cleared, the trash was removed, and the courtyard looked much tidier.

The Prince also invited master craftsmen from the palace to plan the layout. Yang Lian had already decided: one part would be a teahouse. Since the mid-Tang Dynasty, tea had become a staple of daily life, and the Huai region of the Southern Tang was an excellent tea-producing area. The people of Jinling loved tea, and he believed that having storytellers in the teahouse would be quite effective.

For another part, Yang Lian planned to set up a gambling house. News sources were usually found in high-traffic, densely populated places like restaurants, brothels, gambling dens, and inns. He intended to gradually complete his information network. Gambling was legal in Jinling, and after a word with the Mayor of Jinling, Yang Lian easily obtained permission—a result of both his own reputation and the Prince’s influence.

For the remaining space, Yang Lian planned to build lodging and dining facilities for the gamblers. He had considered everything quite thoroughly.

The craftsmen were highly skilled and produced the blueprints within two days, presenting them to Yang Lian for review. Yang Lian was no expert in such matters, but the plan seemed sound: the teahouse to the east, the gambling den to the west, and the southern section—an open space of about fifty paces—would be for lodging. The craftsmen even included quarters for the workers. This way, they could rest on-site and prevent theft—a double benefit.

Yang Lian told the craftsmen to proceed, investing roughly one hundred taels of gold initially. With the Emperor's reward and the income from his inn and restaurant, he could finally support such massive expenses.

Each day, he continued to train his troops in the Shenwu Army. Since the great victory over the Black Armor Cavalry, Yang Lian’s prestige among his men had grown, and his orders were executed without hesitation. He continued his daily strength training, and after returning to camp, he focused on essential skills like spear and archery drills.

Yang Lian prioritized archery. In the age of cold weapons, the power of the bow was immense and could often lead to miraculous results. It allowed for long-range strikes, and if one were lucky enough to kill the enemy commander, the battle could be ended prematurely.

During the Five Dynasties period, duels between generals were common. It seemed incredible to Yang Lian—unless a man’s martial prowess was truly superhuman, he was likely to be defeated. Particularly when a scholar-general faced a warrior, a single duel would decide the outcome, making the rest of the battle pointless.

Yet such was the reality. The Five Dynasties inherited the traditions of the Tang, and in the latter years of the Tang, as minority groups moved south, they adopted Han culture while retaining their own fierce, martial spirit, fostering a culture of dueling. The Later Tang, Later Jin, and Liu Zhiyuan, who was currently entering the Central Plains, were all Shatuo, which greatly encouraged this trend. How could Yang Lian not train diligently?

After nearly a year, Yang Lian had become quite thoroughly integrated into this era—as he had to be.

By the end of summer, the teahouse and gambling den were both complete. The costs had nearly exhausted all of Yang Lian’s funds, though Lin Renzhao had saved some money to support him. Chen Tie had no money, so he spent his time helping out every day after returning from the Shenwu Army.

Before Yang Lian could even open for business or decide on his guest list, someone sent him an invitation. It was delivered by Xiao Erhei, who was clever, eloquent, and had become quite adept at business after a year of experience. Yang Lian planned to let him manage the gambling den and teahouse, while Wang Hu and Zhao Peng would oversee the restaurant and inn.

Xiao Erhei brought the invitation with a grin, looking as if his master were truly impressive. Yang Lian was busy and didn't understand the fuss, but when he opened the invitation, he was stunned.

It was from Zeng Yiling of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. The name had almost faded from Yang Lian’s memory; since the time he had attended her debut and left behind two songs, they had had no further contact. Why would she send him an invitation now?

Upon closer inspection, Yang Lian couldn't help but laugh. Zeng Yiling was chiding him, asking why he hadn't visited her in so long—was she really so unsightly? Yang Lian gave a bitter smile, thinking that if Zeng Yiling were considered ugly, there would be no beauties in the world; it was simply that he had no interest in a woman from a brothel.

He tossed the invitation aside and went back to work, but to his surprise, Xiao Erhei returned in the afternoon with another invitation from her. The tone was even more delicate and resentful, like a young wife being wronged.

Yang Lian couldn't help but chuckle. This Zeng Yiling was truly interesting. Still, he had no interest. Though his business was being managed by others, he was the owner and had to stay focused, especially with the upcoming opening.

However, Yang Lian underestimated Zeng Yiling's resolve. She seemed tireless, sending invitations every morning and afternoon. This persistence made Yang Lian feel that she would not give up until he visited. He told Xiao Erhei to refuse the invitations, but Zeng Yiling even had someone block his path on the street, handing him a letter that warned him he would regret it if he didn't read it.

Yang Lian opened it and found himself between laughter and tears. Zeng Yiling claimed that if he didn't come to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, she would have people spread rumors in the marketplace that he was a man of fickle affections who had abandoned her. After a moment's hesitation, Yang Lian had no choice but to agree.

"Women are truly formidable," Yang Lian thought to himself.