An Astonishing Spectacle
When the Emperor remained silent for a long while, the Crown Prince lifted his head and looked at him.
"Father, I am certain of it. The Zhenguo Commandery Princess is the one who can resolve the crises facing Jin and defeat Liang. I myself will do my utmost to quell the rebellion in Yanwo and return victorious."
Gazing at the Crown Prince's earnest, respectful face, the Emperor tapped the table lightly with his fingers and asked.
"Before you left Dadu, did Bai Jingyan say anything to you about Mount Chunmu? When war broke out between Liang and our Jin, did she ask you to recommend her?"
Faced with the Emperor's eyes, full of suspicion, the Crown Prince hastily shook his head.
"It is true that the Zhenguo Commandery Princess takes an interest in the affairs of Mount Chunmu, but she has never once asked me to recommend her so that she might lead troops. Her concern for the war situation at Chunmu stems purely from her loyalty to Jin. On this point, I can stake my life on it."
The Emperor recalled what the Crown Prince had said about the Shenlu affair. The incident had dispelled his wariness toward Bai Jingyan, and he now trusted her to a degree that seemed almost excessive.
"Did Bai Jingyan ever say anything to you regarding Shenlu?"
At the Emperor's question, the Crown Prince shook his head and answered.
"Not a single time. It seems she has even forgotten such matters ever occurred. I trust in the Commandery Princess's loyalty. So I ask that you, Father, accept that loyalty as well."
The Emperor clenched his teeth. He remembered the oath Bai Weiting had once sworn to him.
Even with an oath sworn, the Emperor could not shake off his unease as Bai Weiting's renown rose by the day. When the people of the borderlands came to regard the Bai family of Dadu as their saviors and forgot him, the true Emperor of Great Jin, he could not suppress the gnawing anxiety in his heart.
Closing his eyes again, the Emperor spoke to the Crown Prince.
"Bai Jingyan may be used — but she must never be trusted. She must be kept firmly pressed down, unable to climb any higher. If that girl's reputation swells until she runs rampant above your head, something terrible will surely come of it! The art of rulership lies in bestowing grace while maintaining awe. The more capable a minister is, the more absolutely you must withhold true power from him. Do you understand?"
The Crown Prince flinched. Was his father teaching him, at this very moment, the art of commanding men?
"I am still too immature to fully comprehend all of your teachings, Father, but I will return and ponder them carefully. I promise you will never be disappointed in me."
The Emperor nodded and looked at his son, who humbly received the lesson. Then he gave his order to Gao Demu.
"Gao Demu, issue the decree. Order the Gaoyi County Princess Bai Jinchi to go to Mount Chunmu and assist General Zhang Danyue."
The Crown Prince wanted to ask why the Gaoyi County Princess was being ordered to lead troops, but fearing the Emperor would think him a fool, he held his tongue to the very end.
"Crown Prince, at dawn tomorrow you will lead troops personally to Yanwo and suppress the rebellion! And bring that fool, the Liang King, before me!"
Speaking of the Liang King, the Emperor's fury boiled over.
The Liang King had failed even at the simple task of suppressing a disaster. And that same man had been believed to be the white tiger that appeared in a dream? It had clearly been a fool's notion. There was no way that man possessed such capabilities.
* * *
Mount Pingluan in the State of Wei.
Xiao Rongyan had received an invitation and come to the Pingluan Mountain Palace of the Prince of Xihui, where he drank and reveled alongside the noble scions and imperial kinsmen of Wei.
The Prince of Xihui was the youngest brother born of the same mother as the Wei Emperor — the most cherished of them all — and a wealthy layman who delighted in pleasure. Yet he had shown unfailing loyalty to the Emperor, and so the Emperor turned a blind eye to whatever his own brother did.
The Prince of Xihui dearly loved drinking with refined scholars and composing poetry.
Xiao Rongyan — deeply learned, the richest merchant in the realm, and a man who lived a life of luxury — got along splendidly with the Prince of Xihui. Their pursuit of pleasure was alike, and sharing such tastes as the pursuit of opulent living, they had naturally become the closest of friends.
Hearing that Xiao Rongyan had returned to the country, the Prince of Xihui held a banquet for him at the Tianlu Pavilion of the Pingluan Mountain Palace.
The palace had been a gift from the Emperor on the Prince of Xihui's birthday — an extravagant privilege even princes could only dream of. That fact alone spoke volumes about how favored the Prince of Xihui was.
The Tianlu Pavilion stood at the very highest point of the Pingluan Mountain Palace, specially built at the Prince's behest by summoning master craftsmen.
Twenty-six sturdy beams had been driven halfway into the cliff face, the remaining half suspended before a sheer drop. Twelve thick ebony pillars held up the roof, and on the three sides unbounded by the cliff there were no railings at all. In a corner, a bronze crane lamp the height of a man flickered, and white silk curtains rippled softly in the wind.
Music as sweet as celestial melodies pampered the ear. Viewed from below, looking up, the pavilion seemed a dwelling fit for immortals.
The Prince of Xihui, fresh from a hot spring bath, was still draped in his white robe, his collar loose, a wine jug clutched in one hand as he staggered about among the dancing girls swaying seductively, his face flushed with drunkenness. Having ingested Five Stone Powder, before his eyes unfolded scenes as hazy and dreamlike as a vision. It was debauchery itself.
Xiao Rongyan, likewise dressed in white, sat in a cushioned chair leisurely drinking alone, though his expression was far from pleasant. The Prince of Xihui staggered over to his side and settled himself down with a twist of his body. He placed a hand on Xiao Rongyan's shoulder and said with a grin.
"What... you don't look well pleased. Are the dancing girls not to your liking? Or perhaps the refreshments don't suit your palate?"
Seeing the cup of wine mixed with Five Stone Powder sitting untouched before Xiao Rongyan, the Prince of Xihui laughed foolishly.
"To leave something this good just sitting there..."
Xiao Rongyan picked up a single peanut, peeled away its pink husk, and put it in his mouth before pouring out his frustration.
"Our Wei is soon to attack Yan... but the news reached me so late that I fear I won't be able to wrap up the business I've established there in time. Once war breaks out, I expect to suffer a devastating loss. It's enough to drive a man to despair."
The Prince of Xihui let out a great booming laugh.
"You're fretting your heart over such a trifle?"
"Since last year I invested a massive amount of goods and manpower in Southern Yan, cherishing the dream of opening my shops across the whole of it. And then Yan swallowed Southern Yan whole. There was nothing I could do about it, so I steeled myself and resolved to make a fresh start. Just as business was finally beginning to improve — and now Wei is planning to attack Yan all over again."
Xiao Rongyan raised his cup and drained it to the last drop.
"Seeing how my fortune abandons me, this year is clearly a lost cause."
"You carry on over nothing at all."
The Prince of Xihui clapped him on the shoulder.
"Once Wei takes Yan's cities and markets, then you can do whatever business you please. With a shop like yours, I'll give my word that no one lays a hand on it."
"I am a man of Wei. If Wei attacks Yan, do you truly think Yan will welcome Wei merchants? I'd be grateful enough if they merely spared my people's lives."
Xiao Rongyan sighed.
"What choice have I? I cannot betray the greater duty of the nation just to line a commoner's pockets. Even at a loss, I'll simply have to accept it."
"You are my dear friend. I cannot bear to watch you suffer a loss."
The Prince of Xihui smiled and leaned in close.
"Worry yourself over nothing — war won't break out for some time yet! Move quickly, wind up your business there, and get your people out. Later, once our Wei takes Yan's cities, you can simply open your shops again."
"War won't break out for some time, you say?"
Xiao Rongyan drew near the Prince of Xihui as if he could not make sense of it.
"Didn't you tell me that Yan's main forces were all stationed against the Rong and Di tribes, making this the very best moment for Wei to strike?"
Though he knew he ought not to discuss matters of state with Xiao Rongyan, the Prince of Xihui, who regarded him as his closest friend, glanced about warily and continued in a low voice.
"The generals and the chancellor do not see eye to eye. Some time ago, a military detachment appeared suddenly in Yan — and they say its commander, a man named Siqu, is extraordinarily fierce and ruthless! The Chancellor, who is loath to go to war to begin with, advised that the rumors of Yan's main forces being with the Rong and Di could all be false — that they may be concealing their true strength. And so the Emperor sent troops to the border to determine whether it was true."
Xiao Rongyan nodded.
"However..."
The Prince of Xihui lowered his voice to the utmost.
"They say that on the lands of Yan, silent by day, the sound of horses' hooves rings out every night. A spy went and returned, and apparently smoke rises nightly from the mountain regions of Yan. It seems they have troops hidden away there. If our Wei sends an army, we will surely become a rat in a trap. The Chancellor and the generals have each dispatched scouts to that place. When they return, we'll know whether war can be waged or not."
Xiao Rongyan abruptly straightened his back and looked at the Prince of Xihui.
"That reminds me of something. Your Highness, do you recall when I was once held up in Southern Yan? A man from the Old King of Yan purchased a vast quantity of steel and weaponry from me. The amount I hauled out of Jin territory was not enormous, but neither was it by any means small. I had thought that if war broke out between Jin and the allied forces of Southern Yan and Xiliang, I could sell them at quite a handsome price in Pingcheng — but it was a man of Yan who bought them at a premium!"
The Prince of Xihui gripped his wine cup tightly. The alcohol seemed to be wearing off a little.
"Buying steel and weapons means they have troops..."
"I can't say that with certainty, but a considerable amount of ore and weaponry was transported into Yan. At the time I worked in partnership with a strategist from the Crown Prince's establishment of Jin and split the profits five ways — and even so, I took in a handsome sum."
Xiao Rongyan continued speaking.
The Prince of Xihui's heart pounded. He split it five ways and still profited handsomely? Then just how much had they bought it for?
Yan spending a fortune to purchase steel was not a good omen. Yan really might have troops hidden in those mountains. Soldiers as formidable as those elite troops led by Siqu.
Having thought this far, the Prince of Xihui came sharply to his senses and said.
"I must return to the palace."
Xiao Rongyan tried to dissuade him.
"But even if Yan is buying iron, it doesn't necessarily mean it's for the military. It could be used to make farm implements. Your Highness, hurrying to report such an unverified rumor to His Majesty seems hardly appropriate."
"You yourself said it wasn't certain! I must enter the palace at once and inform the Emperor! If anything happens to Wei, my days of luxury are finished!"
This was the Prince of Xihui's greatest strength: he knew his own place. He drained his cup, rose to his feet, and asked a maidservant to help him change his clothes.
* * *
Yue Shi was waiting for Xiao Rongyan on the walkway of the Tianlu Pavilion. Before long, the wine-drunk Xiao Rongyan came stumbling out, carried on the back of the Prince of Xihui's servant.
Yue Shi hurriedly took Xiao Rongyan into his arms.
"My lord!"
"Yue Shi..."
Xiao Rongyan chuckled lazily.
"Yes, my lord."
Yue Shi helped Xiao Rongyan into the carriage, then bade farewell to the attendant of the Xihui residence.