Moma Liangshan

Chapter 18: Reunion with Emperor Huizong, Discussion of the Jurchens

Wang Hao stood at the gunwale, gazing at the vast Bian River. At that moment, Cai Jing strolled over and said, "Grand Commandant Gao and Attendant Wang, what a fine mood you are in! Aboard this magnificent boat, you come to admire the grandeur of this land!" Wang Hao and Gao Qiu bowed and said, "Greetings, Grand Tutor Cai." Cai Jing said, "We have both dear friends and beautiful scenery, only lacking music and fragrant tea." Gao Qiu said, "It is said that His Majesty has invited Miss Li; we will surely be able to feast our eyes on her soon." Cai Jing looked at Wang Hao and asked, "Attendant Wang, are you aware of this?" Wang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard that His Majesty has composed a new piece of music, and Miss Li has choreographed a new dance; they should be performing on this boat later." Cai Jing and Gao Qiu exchanged a glance, seemingly exchanging some kind of message. Just then, the eunuch announced, "All officials, take your seats! A banquet is served."

Upon hearing this, the officials quickly found their seats according to their ranks and seniority. Wang Hao glanced at his sixth-rank official hat and decisively stood at the stern without moving. Cai Jing looked at Gao Qiu and said, "His Majesty is at the bow; we should go." Gao Qiu said, "Lord Wang, the Grand Tutor and I must excuse ourselves." Wang Hao said, "Respectfully seeing off Grand Tutor Cai and Grand Commandant Gao!" Before Cai Jing and Gao Qiu could turn around, Eunuch Chen came running and said, "His Majesty has decreed that Minister Wang be at His Majesty's presence!" Wang Hao glanced at Cai Jing and Gao Qiu, and the four of them went to the bow together.

At the bow of the ship, Emperor Huizong sat regally on the imperial platform, with the Empress beside him. Cai Jing, the head of the civil officials, sat to the right; Gao Qiu, the head of the military officials, sat to the left. Wang Hao stood outside the banquet hall, unsure of his seat. A moment later, more than ten eunuchs emerged from the cabin, each carrying a small, delicate ceramic stove with sizzling charcoal inside. Following them were more than ten palace maids, each carrying a copper hot pot placed over the stove. Then came another dozen palace maids, each carrying a copper kettle, filling each pot with bone broth. Finally, fresh vegetables and meat were served. The vegetables were arranged elegantly in bamboo baskets, almost like flower arrangements, while the meat was sliced ​​thinly, laid flat on crushed ice. The civil and military officials stared at the dishes before them, none of them able to discern the secret behind the presentation. Emperor Huizong was very pleased with the sight and asked, "Where is Wang Sheren?" Wang Hao, upon receiving the order, quickly stepped forward and said, "Your humble servant Wang Hao greets Your Majesty!" At this moment, a palace maid placed a bowl of iced drink in front of each minister. The iced drink, served in white porcelain bowls, made the bright red color stand out even more. Emperor Huizong took a sip of the iced drink and said, "Please, Wang Sheren, demonstrate the wonder of this dish to all the ministers!" Wang Hao looked around and said, "Your humble servant does not know which table to demonstrate at." Emperor Huizong smiled slightly and said, "Demonstrate it at my imperial table." Wang Hao looked at Eunuch Chen and said, "Please give me a basin of clean water to wash my hands." Eunuch Chen looked at Emperor Huizong, who nodded. Eunuch Chen then looked at the young eunuch behind him, who obeyed. A moment later, a basin of clean water and a silk handkerchief were presented to Wang Hao. Wang Hao washed his hands, dried them with a silk handkerchief, and carefully approached Emperor Huizong's table. He said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment while the bone broth boils." Emperor Huizong nodded. After half an incense stick's time, the bone broth boiled. Wang Hao said, "This humble subject needs a pair of chopsticks." Emperor Huizong picked up the long ivory chopsticks in front of him and handed them to Wang Hao. Wang Hao took the chopsticks and placed three large slices of fatty beef, three large slices of fatty mutton, and three large slices of tender chicken on the left side of the copper pot. He then placed various seasonal vegetables on the right side of the pot and said, "Your Majesty may begin eating after twenty breaths." He then looked at the Empress. Emperor Huizong understood and nodded slightly. Wang Hao moved half a step to the side and placed fresh meat and vegetables in the Empress's pot.

The Empress looked at Wang Hao and asked, "How old is Wang Sheren?" Wang Hao replied, "Fifteen." The Empress looked at Emperor Huizong and said, "Only two years older than Seventh Sister, yet you possess so many ingenious ideas; truly a prodigy." Emperor Huizong picked up a slice of fatty mutton, dipped it in sauce, and offered it to the Empress, saying, "Empress, try this meat; it's unforgettable." Caught off guard, the Empress blushed and looked at Emperor Huizong. Emperor Huizong said, "Empress, open your mouth; don't let this delicious food get cold." The Empress, overjoyed, parted her lips slightly. The fatty mutton entered her mouth, but the Empress seemed to hold jade beads in her mouth, reluctant to swallow. Wang Hao seized the opportunity and said, "Your Majesty, the taste is even better when vegetables and fresh meat are eaten together." Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong tasted a bite himself first, quite satisfied, and then said, "Empress, open your mouth and taste the flavor of this fresh meat and vegetables together." Tears welled up in the Empress's eyes as she slowly swallowed the fatty mutton she had eaten earlier and opened her mouth again.

Below the imperial platform, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu exchanged a glance, revealing deep hostility towards Wang Hao. The Empress looked at Wang Hao with great satisfaction and said, "Eunuch Chen, add another set of tables and chairs beside the platform for Wang Hao's banquet." Eunuch Chen obeyed and quickly set up a set of tables and chairs. After Wang Hao was seated, Emperor Huizong said, "Fine wine, delicious food, celestial music, and enchanting dance, coupled with this magnificent scene. Absolutely wonderful! My beloved ministers, raise your cups!" Everyone drank a cup together, and the sound of silk music began, as alluring dancers entered. Eight dancers, dressed in red gauze, moved with graceful movements, like a gentle breeze blowing through a sea of ​​roses; their movements were like koi fish swimming in a clear pond; their leaps were like colorful butterflies startled among a hundred flowers. As Wang Hao was lost in thought, Li Shishi, dressed in white, holding a colorful ribbon in her jade hand, appeared as if a celestial maiden had descended to earth. She looked at Emperor Huizong and Wang Hao again, her every smile and frown like the sound of sacred music, soothing the restlessness and old wounds of their hearts. Li Shishi's dance performance was short, but it left a lasting impression.

Emperor Huizong raised his cup and said, "How can the joy of a monarch alone compare to the joy shared by the monarch and his ministers? My beloved ministers, let us all drink this cup together." Everyone drank it down in one gulp. Cai Jing said, "Your Majesty's talent is unparalleled throughout history. Even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han could not compose such celestial music. We mortals are fortunate to serve a wise and virtuous ruler and to hear the rhythms of the celestial realm." Gao Qiu was not to be outdone and said, "What Grand Tutor Cai says is exactly what we think. Now the Great Song has a wise ruler, the Liao Kingdom has a foolish one, the war in the Western Xia has been quelled, and the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun will surely be bathed in Your Majesty's glory." After watching the song and dance, Wang Hao remained silent and ate the dishes on the table. At this moment, Emperor Huizong suddenly looked at Wang Hao and asked, "Does Your Excellency Wang think I can recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in my lifetime?" Wang Hao hurriedly looked up and said, "This humble subject is new to the court and knows very little about military and national affairs." Emperor Huizong smiled and said, "You are not yet of age; if you are mistaken, I and the officials will take it as a joke." Wang Hao stood up and said, "This humble subject has heard of internal strife in the Liao Dynasty. Is this true?" Emperor Huizong replied, "The instigator is the Wanyan tribe of the Jurchens." Wang Hao then asked, "What is the strength of the Jurchen tribe?" At this moment, Gao Qiu glanced at Emperor Huizong and said, "The Liao Dynasty sent 200,000 troops, but they were defeated by the Jurchens." Wang Hao said, "It seems that the Jurchens are gaining strength. If we can shake the foundation of the Liao Dynasty, Your Majesty can take the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun as easily as taking candy from a baby." Gao Qiu shook his head and said, "The Youyun region has hundreds of thousands of Liao troops." Moreover, with numerous cavalry, even if the Liao Dynasty were in turmoil, the Song Dynasty would still have to endure a bitter battle to reclaim it. "Wang Sheren, how could you say it's like taking something from a bag?" Wang Hao replied, "The Jurchens are the Khitan's slaves; the Song Dynasty is the Khitan's enemy. We would rather give to an enemy than to a slave. In my humble opinion, the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, for the Liao Dynasty, if it is strong, can be used to restrain the Song Dynasty; if it is weak, it will only provoke the Song Dynasty's wrath. Now, the Song Dynasty is strong while the Liao Dynasty is weak; the Song Dynasty is united while the Liao Dynasty is in turmoil. The Liao Dynasty's rulers and ministers should easily see that if the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun are not returned, with the Song Dynasty's powerful army pressing in from the outside and the Jurchens causing chaos from within, the Liao Dynasty's fate is truly uncertain. Therefore, I believe that the Song Dynasty should simply station troops on the northern border, holding back until the Liao and Jurchens are both weakened, then it can reap the benefits and reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun."

Emperor Huizong listened with great satisfaction and looked at Gao Qiu, asking, "What does the Grand Commandant think?" Gao Qiu replied, "The Jurchens live in the harsh northern lands, lacking clothing, food, soldiers, and horses. Although there is a saying that 'a Jurchen force of less than ten thousand is invincible, a force of ten thousand is still formidable,' the Liao Dynasty still possesses a million strong soldiers and its national strength remains. Therefore, I believe that the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun can be taken, but we must fight the Liao Dynasty on the battlefield." Wang Hao's words had his own insights, but they were mostly intended to please Emperor Huizong. He thought to himself, "The struggle between the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties is beyond the reach of a mere court attendant like myself."

Emperor Huizong, slightly disappointed, said, "My esteemed ministers, do you have any good strategies to help the Song Dynasty reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun as soon as possible?" At this moment, an official stepped forward. Wang Hao observed that he was beardless and had fair skin. When he spoke, it was a eunuch's voice. He said, "Ma Zhi of Yan once suggested to me that we secretly form an alliance with the Jurchens, exchange goods, and attack the Liao Dynasty from both sides." Emperor Huizong said, "Minister Tong, do you know that the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens are thousands of miles apart, and there is a million strong army of the Liao Dynasty in between? Even sending envoys is not enough, let alone exchanging goods?"

The speaker was none other than the powerful eunuch Tong Guan, who had been summoned back to Tokyo to receive a reward for his meritorious service in military operations on the western border. Tong Guan said, "Although the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens have different land routes, there is still a sea route. Your Majesty can send envoys from Penglai to Liaodong." Emperor Huizong looked at Gao Qiu and asked, "What does the Grand Commandant think?" Gao Qiu glanced at Wang Hao and said, "It takes a day to reach Liaodong from Penglai, but the Jurchens are still north of Liaodong. Sending a few envoys disguised as Han Chinese from the north should not be difficult to reach the Jurchen tribes. However, exchanging goods will be quite difficult." Seeing Emperor Huizong hesitate, Cai Jing said, "Wang Sheren's ancestral home is Penglai, and he has many ingenious ideas. Why doesn't Your Majesty listen to Wang Sheren's brilliant plan?" Emperor Huizong nodded and asked, "What does Minister Wang think?" Wang Hao knew that the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula was only a few dozen nautical miles from Penglai, and Song Dynasty ships could already frequently travel between Goryeo, Japan, and the South Seas. There was no technological bottleneck at such a distance, but the Jurchens in the north were at war with the Khitans, and Goryeo's attitude was unclear, so there were too many unstable factors. He said, "This humble subject thinks it is feasible, but there are difficulties."

Emperor Huizong asked, "Why is it feasible?" Wang Hao replied, "Liaodong has been the territory of Yan since the Warring States period, and was subsequently ruled by the Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, and Tang dynasties for a thousand years. The people of Liaodong are mostly Han Chinese. Your Majesty's benevolence extends to all corners of the land, and the people of Liaodong have suffered greatly under the Khitan. If the Song Dynasty were to venture into Liaodong, it would surely win the hearts of the people. Therefore, I believe it is a worthwhile endeavor." Emperor Huizong nodded and then asked, "What are the difficulties?" Wang Hao replied, "Liaodong has been isolated from the Song Dynasty for nearly a century, and currently, there is no one within our court familiar with the customs and traditions of Liaodong. A hasty departure might be inappropriate." Emperor Huizong looked at Tong Guan and asked, "What does Minister Tong think?"