Moma Liangshan

Chapter 106 Taking the Initiative, Secret Talks about the World

The day after the army returned to the city, the Princess of Shu formally received Wang Hao. Liao's Tokyo Circuit, ravaged by war and far from the central government, was not filled with dignitaries in the reception hall; only the Princess of Shu, Xiao Shanbie, and Gao Que were present. Outside the hall, Wang Hao walked along the spotless corridor, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Looking around, he saw that the vast princess's residence was devoid of guards with their weapons arrayed, and without banners fluttering in the wind; instead, it exuded a desolate and lonely atmosphere. After walking several hundred steps, he arrived at the hall's entrance, where two heavily armed warriors stood imposingly. The hall doors were wide open the moment they entered Wang Hao's view, and the warm air inside mingled with the cold outside, creating wisps of white mist. Wang Hao's steps remained steady, without the slightest hesitation even as he stepped into the hall. The two warriors stood like bronze statues, allowing Wang Hao to enter with a dazed air. Yang Zhi followed closely behind, but was stopped by two enormous spears just as he reached the threshold. Wang Hao frowned and turned back. Yang Zhi stopped and drew his sword; the conflict seemed imminent. At that moment, a voice came from inside the hall: "My personal guards are still standing guard outside. Shouldn't your entourage also wait outside?" Wang Hao, gradually adjusting to the dim light, finally saw the three people inside and ordered, "Yang Zhi, wait outside!" The Shu princess nodded slightly and said, "Your Excellency, please be seated!" After speaking, the group walked towards the center of the hall. Two warriors stared intently at Yang Zhi, then reached out and grasped the bronze rings on the hall door, closing it.

Inside the main hall, all unnecessary furnishings were removed. Four ebony armchairs were arranged in a diamond shape in the center, with an ebony square table placed to the right of each armchair. Wang Hao and the princess of Shu sat on the shorter axis of the diamond, while Xiao Shanbie and Gao Que sat on the longer axis. In the very center of the four was a large copper basin filled with charcoal fire. The princess of Shu was tall and slender, Xiao Shanbie was tall and imposing, and Gao Que was not short either. For a moment, Wang Hao felt as if he were being looked down upon by the three of them. The princess of Shu spoke first, "Your esteemed envoy has traveled across the Bohai Sea to Liaodong, and has met with me with such open-mindedness. You must have come for the benefit of both Song and Liao, is that so?" Wang Hao was surprised, thinking to himself, "That should have been my wording!" After a moment's thought, he replied, "Your Highness is wise and enlightened; that is indeed the case." The princess of Shu then asked, "What does your country desire from Liao, and what can Liao obtain from your country?" Wang Hao seemed to have completely lost the initiative in the negotiations, replying, "Song wants warhorses, gold, and silver! As for what Liao can obtain, that depends on what Your Highness and the Emperor of Liao desire." The princess of Shu answered without hesitation, "Grain, weapons, and warships!" Wang Hao hadn't expected both sides to reveal their cards so quickly, saying, "Song can provide grain, weapons, and warships." The princess of Shu smiled with satisfaction, saying, "Liao can also provide warhorses, gold, and silver."

The two sides chatted amiably. Wang Hao said, "Princess, are you seeking warships to connect Tokyo and Nanjing via the Bohai Sea, and thus reunite the five capitals of Liao?" The Shu princess nodded and said, "Your Excellency is truly wise! But I wonder if your envoy is seeking warhorses for the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun or for the Hexi Corridor?" The Shu princess's vision far exceeded Wang Hao's expectations. She said, "Your Highness's foresight is truly admirable!" The Shu princess still had an indifferent expression and said, "I don't want flattery, I just want an answer!" Knowing that he couldn't evade the question, Wang Hao simply spoke frankly, "Whether it's the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun or the Hexi Corridor, both are former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties, and I want to reclaim them both!" The atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold, and no matter how brightly the charcoal fire in the copper basin burned, it could not alleviate the chill in their hearts. After a long while, the Shu Kingdom slowly spoke, saying, "Isn't your esteemed envoy afraid that I will behead you and display your head to the public?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Your Highness is farsighted and saw through my intention to seek warhorses in an instant; by this reasoning, Your Highness has also seen through the fundamental threat that the Jurchens pose to the Liao Kingdom's territory; compared to the destruction of the country and the extermination of the people, losing half of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun does not seem so unacceptable!"

Wang Hao's undisguised words enraged Xiao Shanbie, who abruptly stood up, drew his sword, and threatened, "Do you know that with this stroke of my sword, your head will roll?" Wang Hao's face was almost touching the blade of Xiao Shanbie's sword as he smiled slightly and said, "Good medicine tastes bitter, and honest advice is hard to swallow!" The princess of Shu then spoke up, scolding, "Don't be rude!" Xiao Shanbie, still seething with anger, had no choice but to sheathe his sword and sit down. After pondering for a long time, the princess of Shu Kingdom spoke, "The trade routes to Liaodong are cut off, and warhorses are limited; the capital city of Dongjing is not where the Liao treasury is located, and there is not much silver stored there either; the warhorses, gold, and silver that your envoy desires must be obtained from Shangjing." Wang Hao looked helpless and said, "In that case, I must first help Your Highness open up the passage between Dongjing and Shangjing before I can receive the reward I deserve?" The princess of Shu Kingdom nodded and said, "This is a condition that your envoy must accept!" Wang Hao pretended to be hesitant and said, "I agree, but there must be interest on any delays in payment!" The princess of Shu Kingdom, being a member of the Liao royal family, was not a merchant and did not have a clear concept of "cooperation costs," so she said, "According to your envoy, Liao will pay interest; but I wonder when your envoy's grain and weapons will be able to reach Liaodong?" When he came to Liaodong, Wang Hao had already established bases on Changshan Island and Nanhuang Island, the former responsible for material storage and the latter for military supply. Wang Hao replied, "We can land south of the Great Wall at Zhendonghaikou within three days. As for when we will reach Liaoyang Prefecture, that depends on whether Your Highness can ensure a smooth land route!"

The key here lies in successfully driving away the Jurchen cavalry who have once again fled. The Shu princess frowned, saying, "The Jurchen cavalry are swift as the wind, frequently harassing Liaonan. Although I have led troops to encircle and suppress them many times, the results have been minimal!" Wang Hao, not deliberately concealing his abilities, said, "I have a plan that might make the Jurchen cavalry retreat without a fight!" The Shu princess could not hide her joy, saying, "Please teach me, Your Excellency!" Wang Hao said, "Establish a three-hundred-mile no-man's-land south of Liaoyang City, and the Jurchen cavalry will retreat without a fight." The Shu princess was shocked, saying, "Without civilian villages, the Jurchen cavalry cannot plunder grain and will ultimately have no choice but to retreat without a fight. Is this your idea, Your Excellency?" Wang Hao nodded, saying, "Exactly!" The Shu princess smiled helplessly, saying, "Three hundred miles south of Liaoyang City is the most important area in the entire Tokyo Circuit..." "This is a crucial production area. If all the civilians here are evacuated, Liaoyang Prefecture will become an isolated city. An isolated city is difficult to defend; doesn't your Excellency understand this?" Wang Hao remained calm and said, "Your Highness, in your opinion, given the current situation in Dongjing Dao, is population more important, or land?" The Shu princess fell into deep thought, and after a long while, said, "Do you think Liaoyang Prefecture will eventually fall?" Wang Hao coldly smiled and said, "Even the harsh winter cannot stop the Jurchen cavalry's advance. When winter turns to spring, the enemy will come with several times the strength. How will Your Highness cope with that great battle?" The Shu princess lowered her head in thought, and after a moment, said, "No matter how fierce the Jurchens are, the 30,000 elite troops of Liaoyang Prefecture will fight to the death!"

Wang Hao was not optimistic about the Shu princess's resolute stance, saying, "The Jurchens' tactics are unpredictable, and they will surely continue to divide the Palace Army and the Jianzu Battalion. Once the Palace Army and the Jianzu Battalion turn against each other, I'm afraid Liaoyang Prefecture will fall without a fight, won't it?" The Shu princess retorted, saying, "I have always been impartial, and the Palace Army and the Jianzu Battalion are united and cooperative. What you say is nothing but alarmist talk!" Wang Hao was not angry at all, and said calmly, "The two massacres outside the city gates are the best proof of the close relationship between the Palace Army and the Jianzu Battalion. As for the outcome, Your Highness should be more certain than I am." "Those Song people who've heard rumors know even more, don't they?" The Shu princess looked displeased and said, "Your envoy's information network is quite impressive?" Wang Hao, however, showed a hint of surprise and asked in return, "Does Your Highness believe that the Jurchen massacre at the city gates is still a secret of Liaoyang Prefecture?" The Shu princess clearly remembered that she had given the order to suppress the news and said, "No one in Liaoyang Prefecture dares to disobey my orders!" Wang Hao laughed angrily and said, "Even Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song could not silence the voices of the people! Your Highness, besieged in a besieged city, where does your confidence come from?"

After a long silence, the Princess of Shu slowly spoke, saying, "Xiao Shanbie and Gao Que, please step aside. I have other matters to discuss with the Prince!" Xiao Shanbie and Gao Que both looked at the Princess of Shu, their eyes filled with confusion and surprise. The Princess of Shu explained, "What the Prince said just now was like a wake-up call. I must reconsider my strategy for Liaodong. You two are both heroes of our time, yet you lack the breadth of vision and ambition to survey the world. Only those who have the world in their hearts can understand the subtleties of the grand scheme of things! I do not wish to disturb your minds, so please excuse us for now!" Xiao Shanbie and Gao Que, having already discerned the solemnity of the Princess of Shu's expression, dared not be negligent and quickly said, "Your subordinates take their leave!" With that, they withdrew from the hall. After the two departed, the Princess of Shu asked, "Tell me, why did you come to Liaodong?" Wang Hao replied, "Although the Song and Liao are sworn enemies, in this world, we are interdependent. If Liao exists, the Song will be safe; if Liao falls, the Song will be engulfed in war." The Princess of Shu was surprised and asked, "You are so young, yet you can see through the cruelty of the Jurchens. This truly impresses me!" Wang Hao looked at the Princess of Shu and said, "In the Song Dynasty, you would be nothing more than a young woman awaiting marriage. Yet now you command tens of thousands of troops, guarding one-fifth of Liao's territory—it's unbelievable!" The Princess of Shu covered her face and laughed, saying, "What rank and title do you hold in the Song Dynasty?" Wang Hao replied, "A seventh-rank county magistrate, and a founding viscount." The Princess of Shu said, "Doesn't Young Master Wang feel wronged?" Wang Hao laughed loudly and said, "If Your Highness were to go to the Song Dynasty, you would know that my position in the Song court is nothing short of a miracle!"