Chapter Sixty-Five: Advancing Instead of Retreating

Lu Congxiao has driven out the soldiers of the Southern Tang and already seized the two prefectures of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou?" In the barracks of the Divine Martial Army, Yang Lian was somewhat startled.

Gao Shensi nodded and said, "That is the latest news. By my reckoning, Lu Congxiao merely means to hold Quanzhou and Zhangzhou; he should have no ambition to contend for the realm."

Yang Lian fell into brief reflection. In his memory, there seemed to be no such person as Lu Congxiao. Since he could not recall him clearly, there was no need to trouble himself over it. Thinking further, Gao Shensi's guess was probably not far off. Sure enough, two or three days later word came that Lu Congxiao had submitted a memorial to the Southern Tang and declared himself a subject. The court then fell into endless dispute over whether troops should be sent into Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.

In the end, Li Jing abandoned Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, acknowledged Lu Congxiao's de facto position, appointed him prefect of Quanzhou, and recalled Wang Jixun, who had been serving as the acting prefect there, to Jinling for another post. The court's plans had been thrown into disarray by the matter of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, and Han Xizai's design likewise came to nothing for the time being, leaving him deeply vexed.

At the Yang inn, Yang Lian could not help letting out a quiet breath of relief. With Han Xizai temporarily forced to lay aside his banners and drums, it was good news for the King of Qi. In the previous days, the Han faction's assault had been too fierce; in a single day memorials had flown into the imperial city like snowflakes, and Yang Lian's heart had truly been lifted to his throat. He had secretly reported to the King of Qi several times that at such a moment, they must not intervene to offer rescue. Sometimes, letting matters take their course was the best course of all.

The now-relaxed King of Qi, Li Jingsui, also came to the Yang inn, and the two of them drank tea while playing go. Li Jingsui held a black stone in his hand, hesitating for a long while without placing it. It seemed he had already lost to Yang Lian. After pondering for some time, Li Jingsui sighed and conceded by abandoning the piece.

"I never expected your skill to improve so much in just a few months. I am no longer your match," Li Jingsui said with a sigh.

"The King of Qi is too modest," Yang Lian said with a smile, gathering the white stones from the board.

As they spoke, Lin Renzhao came hurrying over, his face somewhat alarmed. "King of Qi, Commander Yang, we have just received word that Chancellor Feng has submitted a memorial pleading for mercy on behalf of Feng Yanlu, Chen Jue, and the others."

"When was this?" Yang Lian frowned sharply. Feng Yansi still could not restrain himself.

The King of Qi's expression changed slightly. At first he had not believed Yang Lian's words, but as the situation developed, he discovered that Yang Lian's judgment this time had been exactly right, and so he chose to trust him. Before Feng Yansi's memorial, although the Han faction had been aggressive and memorials impeaching Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others had poured in like snow, the Son of Heaven had still given no answer. In truth, although Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others had suffered defeat, in Li Jing's mind victory and defeat were ordinary affairs of war, and Feng Yanlu's conduct had its own logic. Their failure had been due partly to his own negligence and partly to the might of the Wuyue army.

The reason punishment had been delayed was that the memorials from Han Xizai, Xu Xuan, and the others had been too forceful, leaving Li Jing unable to pardon the accused too openly, even if he were emperor. These were all Yang Lian's deductions, so from this perspective, the more rampant the Han faction became, the more Li Jing would be inclined to protect Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others.

But Feng Yansi may have been compelled by pressure from his family to plead for leniency on behalf of the others, causing the factional struggle that had nearly subsided to surge back into view. As expected, on the afternoon after Feng Yansi's memorial was submitted, Han Xizai, Xu Xuan, and the others received the news and quickly drafted a joint memorial, demanding that the emperor severely punish the defeated generals.

No speculation of Yang Lian's could compare to the reality of Li Jing's present mood. Li Jing was furious. Even if he were a good-tempered sovereign, that did not mean he was incapable of anger. In fact, he had long understood that the founding veterans centered around Song Qiqiu had gathered many people around themselves. But Song Qiqiu was after all a founding minister, with reputation and standing in the court. The Southern Tang had been established for little more than a decade, and its foundations were not yet fully secure. Li Jing was no fool; how could he move against such founding ministers?

Yet the Han faction headed by Han Xizai was made up of men from the days when Li Jing had still been crown prince, and they deeply opposed Song Qiqiu and the other founding elders. Li Jing had heard of the struggle between these new and old forces, but because he felt much affection for Han Xizai, he had tried to keep the peace and move against neither side.

It was precisely this attitude of muddling through that had encouraged the arrogance of both factions.

"It is time to discipline them; otherwise they will keep thinking the Son of Heaven of the Great Tang can be bullied into submission," Li Jing thought.

"Your Majesty, the King of Qi requests an audience," his trusted eunuch reported.

"The King of Qi? Could he too be unable to restrain himself, and come to persuade me to plead for Chen Jue and Feng Yanlu?" Li Jing thought, feeling a trace of displeasure. As his imperial brother, he knew full well whom Li Jingsui was close to.

"Let him in," Li Jing said, rolling his shoulders. He wanted to see just how bold the King of Qi would be.

"I pay respects to my imperial brother!" Li Jingsui entered and, as always, bowed with deference.

"Heh." Li Jing was in a poor mood and gave a dry laugh, waving a hand. "No need for ceremony."

Li Jingsui straightened up and, seeing Li Jing's displeased expression, said, "Your Majesty looks unwell. Was it because you did not rest well last night?" He sighed. "This younger brother is incapable and cannot share the burdens of the state. I am truly of no use."

Li Jing pursed his lips and took a sip of tea. The King of Qi was still keeping him in suspense. At once he tapped the memorials on the desk and said, "In these past few days, the memorials impeaching Chen Jue and Feng Yanlu have been more than I can even read through." Saying this, he picked one up at random. "Look at this. This is a memorial from the Vice Censor-in-Chief, Jiang Wenwei. Look at what he says in it: courting petty men, employing treacherous villains, and if this continues, the nation will no longer be a nation. That last ruler of Chen was to be my model! Hmph. In his eyes, is this what I, sovereign of a state, amount to?"

With that, he hurled the memorial hard to the floor, still seething with anger.

The King of Qi bent to pick it up. After reading it briefly, his expression also changed. Jiang Wenwei had always been outspoken, but these words were truly excessive. Did he not fear the wrath of the Son of Heaven? He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Jiang Wenwei's words are indeed outrageous; he should be punished."

"How would you punish him?" Li Jing asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Jiang Wenwei used his concern for the nation and the people to attack Your Majesty. By rights, he should be executed, but in order to proclaim Your Majesty's benevolence and virtue, this younger brother believes docking him one year's salary will suffice," said the King of Qi.

Li Jing looked at him in surprise and said, "Do you truly think so?"

"Your Majesty, these past few days the memorials impeaching Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others have truly piled up to fill the room. Whether it is Han Xizai or Jiang Wenwei and the rest, they have great fame among the common people. No matter whether what they say is right or wrong, they cannot be touched. On the other hand, the defeat of Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others is an established fact and beyond dispute. Even Li Zhenggu, Zhu Kuangye, Gao Shensi, and the others were all beaten in battle, bringing disgrace upon the Southern Tang. This younger brother believes that merit must be rewarded and fault must be punished. Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others must be severely dealt with."

Li Jingsui spoke at length, leaving Li Jing rather puzzled.

"King of Qi, then how should they be punished?" Li Jing asked.

"They should be executed, to serve as a warning to others!" Li Jingsui said with great certainty.

"Executed?" Li Jing was greatly startled. He had not thought that way at all, so Li Jingsui's single word left him quite shocked.

"Executed!" Li Jingsui repeated.

"This matter is of great consequence. I must think on it further," Li Jing said, pressing his temples.

Li Jingsui narrowed his eyes, feeling some unease as well. Yang Lian had advised him to seek an audience with the emperor and, instead of retreating, to press forward and even demand harsher punishment for Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others than the Han faction itself. He did not know what effect that might have.

"I am tired. You may withdraw for now," Li Jing said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Jingsui bowed and was just about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Your Majesty, now that spring is warm and the flowers are in bloom, will this year's spring hunt still be held?"

"The spring hunt?" Li Jing thought for a moment. There had been too many vexing matters of late; it would be good to go out and clear his mind. So he said, "Leave this matter to you."

"Yes, Imperial Brother!" Li Jingsui withdrew. Once he left the imperial city, he headed straight for the Yang inn.

Yang Lian was practicing archery in the courtyard. His arms were mighty, and in theory he could draw a bow of three stones, but his aim was poor, so he still used a two-stone bow. Compared with martial training, archery was the most difficult to master; eyesight and precision were both essential.

When the King of Qi arrived, Yang Lian was drenched in sweat and hurriedly wiped his brow with a cloth before going to meet him.

Li Jingsui was pacing back and forth in the room. He felt uneasy. Would following Yang Lian's plan backfire and ruin everything? After his audience with the emperor, his unease had only grown. When he saw Yang Lian, he voiced his worries.

"The King of Qi need not worry. The emperor has his own clear judgment. The heavier the impeachment of Chen Jue and Feng Yanlu, the more he will hesitate," Yang Lian comforted him.

Li Jingsui nodded. "I hope so."

"What the King of Qi should worry about is not how the emperor will judge the matter, but one thing: Lord Song and Chancellor Feng must absolutely not plead again for Chen Jue and the others," Yang Lian reminded him.

The King of Qi thought for a moment and said, "Then I shall go at once to the residences of Lord Song and Chancellor Feng!" With that, he took his leave in haste. His coachman and guards escorted him first to Song Qiqiu's residence.

After seeing the King of Qi off, a cold smile surfaced at the corners of Yang Lian's mouth. The emperor's heart was hard to fathom, but it was not without traces. If Li Jingsui went against expectation, the gain would be considerable. As for whether Lord Song and Chancellor Feng would act according to Yang Lian's plan, that lay beyond Yang Lian's control.

Still, even if Lord Song and Chancellor Feng did not heed his advice, the loss to Yang Lian would not be great. He merely needed to posture appropriately and, at the proper moments, remind the King of Qi that this matter should be handled in one way, and that matter in another. That would be enough.

If Lord Song and Chancellor Feng did follow Yang Lian's guidance, then Yang Lian was confident enough that the Son of Heaven would certainly not put Chen Jue, Feng Yanlu, and the others to death. At most they would be dismissed to local posts, or perhaps exiled. But the territory of the Southern Tang was not vast, and even exile had nowhere truly remote to send them. As long as they endured this period and someone in court maneuvered for them, they could still return in time.

The idea had been given; Yang Lian had already done what he should. The rest would be left to the King of Qi. Returning to the room, Yang Lian continued his practice with the bow.