The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 103 Enemies Meeting On A Narrow Path
Unlike the Song Dynasty, the Liao State was a nomadic nation organized around a tribal system. The Liao State was composed of numerous tribes, with many Liao people being pastoral nomads who rarely lived in the capitals. Over a century ago, the founding emperor of Liao established the Liao State, set up five capitals, and adopted Confucian culture from the Han people, emphasizing the values of "Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher." However, the wild nature ingrained in the Liao people proved difficult to change, resulting in a somewhat hybrid system that still yielded some success.
The Liao court was divided into two factions: Northern officials and Southern officials.
Northern officials were primarily noblemen from large tribes, holding rigidly hierarchical positions. In contrast, Southern officials were often from smaller tribes, including many Han people, responsible for dealings with the Song Dynasty. They had little in common with Northern officials, leading to constant friction.
Tang Shen instructed Lu Shen to investigate the Southern officials. In just half a month, Lu Shen completed the task and reported his findings. As expected, the tension between Northern and Southern officials was a fundamental and unavoidable conflict within the Liao court. Additionally, even among the Northern officials, unity was far from absolute.
Lu Shen explained, "Daren, you should know that most Northern officials come from large, prominent tribes with high status. Sometimes even the Liao Emperor must defer to them. However, some ancient tribes disdain becoming officials, creating considerable friction with the Northern officials."
Tang Shen was surprised. "Is that so?"
Lu Shen nodded. "Indeed. These tribes are powerful but tend to be conservative and avoid outside contact. Moreover, the two largest tribes in Liao are tied to the royal family—one being the Liao Emperor's clan and the other the Liao Empress's. Even if other tribes harbor grievances, they dare not voice them openly."
He continued, "And like daren said, many Southern officials have aligned themselves with different princes. The Liao Emperor has four sons. The third prince, born to a noble consort from a large tribe, is mainly supported by Northern officials. The mothers of the other three princes come from less prominent backgrounds. Since Empress Xiao has no children, the struggle among the princes for the throne has intensified in recent years. Most Southern officials support the second prince, Yelü Shege."
"Yelü Shege?"
"Yes. It is said that the second prince, Yelü Shege, is the most intelligent among the princes. Although his mother was merely a princess from a minor tribe, he enjoys great favor from the Liao Emperor. The Liao people greatly admire the culture of our Song Dynasty and study Confucian classics, though truth be told, most of them, like myself, understand little of it and can barely read. However, this second prince is different—he is highly talented. It's said he has thoroughly studied the Four Books and Five Classics, excels in poetry and literature, and is equally skilled in archery and hunting. Because of this, he is deeply favored by the Liao Emperor."
Tang Shen pondered for a moment and said, "Last year, when the Liao envoy visited Shengjing, I gathered some information and heard about the second prince. Despite his remarkable talents, Minister Meng from the Ministry of Rites did not have a favorable impression of him."
"You are correct, daren. Yelü Shege is known to be ruthless. But then again, which of the Liao princes isn't? They are raised in a nomadic culture where strength is revered. If they behaved like our Song gentlemen, they would only invite disdain."
Lu Shen shifted back to the main topic. "Many Southern officials support Yelü Shege, including the Left Chancellor of Xijing (modern-day Beijing), who is part of the second prince's faction." He then detailed all the information he had gathered.
After Lu Shen left, Tang Shen deliberated for a long time. There was no doubt that they had already aligned themselves with Xiao Lü. And if there were no surprises, Xiao Lü was likely backed by one of the Southern officials.
Though Southern officials had less influence than Northern ones in the Liao court, this very fact made them more likely to cooperate with the Han. If they wanted to gather intelligence on Liao and place agents within its court, the best approach would be to win over someone from within.
Gently tapping his fingers on the table, Tang Shen closed his eyes in deep thought.
So... who should they target for defection, and how should they go about it?
Two days passed quickly. Xiao Lü sent an invitation for a banquet to Qiao Jiu, urging him to attend. Now residing in Xiao Lü’s residence in the eastern part of the city—a quiet, secluded place ideal for recovery—Qiao Jiu visited Tang Shen before leaving, seeking his advice on whether to bring him along.
In the past, Tang Shen might have attended in the guise of Qiao Jiu’s son. This time, however, he hesitated briefly before saying, "I won't go. Qiao Jiu, pay close attention to the identities of everyone at the banquet, but don't overstep your role. Remember, you are just a wealthy tea merchant from the Song Dynasty."
Qiao Jiu responded quickly, "Understood, daren."
That night, a strong wind swept through Xijing, carrying yellow sand that lashed against the poplar trees with a harsh rustling sound. Donning a felt hat popular in Liao and dressed in traditional Liao attire, Qiao Jiu brought several packets of top-grade Biluochun tea and braved the sandstorm to attend the banquet.
Upon arriving at Xiao Manor, Qiao Jiu did not see Xiao Lü immediately. A servant led him to the banquet hall, which had already been prepared with tables and chairs. Because of his low status, Qiao Jiu was seated at the farthest end of the right side. Feigning gratitude and excitement, he sat down, his expression full of awe and trepidation. He craned his neck briefly before quickly withdrawing, as though curious about the banquet but too nervous to look around.
Though no one paid him any attention, Qiao Jiu continued his act flawlessly to avoid any mistakes.
After about half an hour, Xiao Lü finally arrived, following closely behind a corpulent Liao official, whom he escorted to the head seat with a respectful smile. Once the official allowed the banquet to begin, Xiao Lü ordered, "Serve the food." Plates of roasted lamb and beef were soon brought in.
From start to finish, Qiao Jiu had no opportunity to speak with Xiao Lü and awkwardly ate alone at the far end of the hall.
Two hours later, the banquet concluded. After seeing off the Liao official, Xiao Lü approached Qiao Jiu with an apologetic expression. "Brother Qiao, I was so busy earlier that I couldn't attend to you. Please don't hold it against me." Saying this, he prepared to bow in apology, imitating the customs of the Song people.
Qiao Jiu quickly stopped him, raising both hands. "How could you say such a thing, Mr. Xiao? Just being invited to this banquet and meeting such important figures is a great honor for me! Truly, I have gained much insight tonight. To be honest, since coming to Xijing for business, I’ve done some research. That distinguished gentleman seated at the head earlier—was he perhaps Minister Xiao Zhen, Xiao daren?"
Xiao Lü smiled faintly, unable to conceal the pride in his expression. "Indeed, that was Xiao Zhen daren, the Left Minister of Xijing."
Qiao Jiu widened his eyes in surprise. "It really is Xiao daren!"
Xiao Lü smiled and said, "I’m distantly related to Xiao daren, and I’ve often benefited from his care over the years."
Qiao Jiu nodded continuously, understanding the hidden meaning behind Xiao Lü's words. The two exchanged knowing smiles without further explanation.
Qiao Jiu hadn’t expected Xiao Lü’s powerful connection to be none other than Xiao Zhen, the Left Minister of Affairs in Xijin Prefecture!
In Xijin, the highest-ranking officials were the Left and Right Chancellors of the Prefecture. Directly beneath them were the Left and Right Ministers of State Affairs. It was no wonder that, after hearing about Qiao Jiu’s trouble with Yelü Qi and the confiscation of his tea shipment, Xiao Lü had remained calm and assured that he could resolve the issue—he had such a powerful backer!
Xiao Lü personally escorted Qiao Jiu out and handed him a box of medicine, saying it was excellent for external injuries.
As he saw Qiao Jiu off, Xiao Lü lowered his voice and confided, "Brother Qiao, I won’t hide it from you. In five days, an important figure will arrive in Xijin Prefecture. This is a major business opportunity. Thanks to Xiao daren’s connections, I managed to secure an invitation for this distinguished guest. Tea from Song has always been popular among the nobility here. When the time comes, don’t say I didn’t give you a heads-up."
Qiao Jiu was astonished. "Mr. Xiao, you…"
Xiao Lü patted his hand and smiled. "Don’t worry, we’ll earn this profit together."
Overjoyed, Qiao Jiu left Xiao Manor, his steps light with excitement.
However, after Qiao Jiu left, Xiao Lü’s smile gradually faded. He called for a servant. "Did Qiao Jiu come alone? No one else accompanied him?"
The servant shook his head. "He came alone."
Xiao Lü frowned. "Alone, huh…"
His trusted accountant leaned in and whispered, "Though the distinguished guest is said to have a preference for men, he despises flattery. Originally, you planned to use Qiao Jiu’s handsome son to win favor, but since the distinguished guest has already agreed to come, it may no longer be necessary. Offending Qiao Jiu would hurt future business, and besides, if the guest doesn’t appreciate such a gesture, he may blame us."
Xiao Lü nodded thoughtfully. "You’re right. I heard that two years ago, an official tried to present the distinguished guest with a ‘gift’ and was harshly rebuked. The ‘gift’ was immediately cut in half, and the official was dismissed."
The accountant said, "It’s better to let things take their course."
Xiao Lü, now wary in his heart, agreed. "We can’t afford to guess at the thoughts of such a high-ranking figure."
Meanwhile, Tang Shen was unaware that he, a dignified Hanlin scholar and a fourth-rank official of the Song dynasty, had nearly been turned into a "gift" for someone.
Even Zhao Fu wouldn’t dare “gift” a high-ranking official as a present for fear of being recorded in history and eternally disgraced. Yet here was a mere merchant of Liao daring to entertain such a thought!
Leaving that matter aside for now, after returning, Qiao Jiu relayed everything he had learned to Tang Shen.
Tang Shen was surprised. "I didn’t expect his backing to be the Left Minister of State Affairs. That’s quite a high-ranking position—powerful enough to shake the entire Xijin Prefecture. As for the distinguished guest arriving in five days…"
After some thought, Tang Shen said, "I won’t return to Youzhou just yet. With only you here in Xijin Prefecture, I’m concerned you might not handle this matter well. Once it’s over, I’ll head back."
Qiao Jiu nodded. "I’ll follow your orders."
Five days later, Xiao Lü sent another invitation to the residence. This time, he unexpectedly sent two invitations.
Qiao Jiu, puzzled, asked the servant delivering the invitation, "Why did Mr. Xiao send two invitations this time?"
The servant replied, "Mr. Xiao said that since you were recently injured and might be inconvenienced, you could bring someone to accompany you to the banquet."
Qiao Jiu and the servant conversed in the Liao language, which Tang Shen didn’t understand. Once the servant left, Tang Shen inquired about it. Upon learning the reason, he frowned. "The second invitation is meant for me."
Qiao Jiu was perplexed. "Mr. Xiao didn’t provide two invitations last time. Why now? Daren, will you accompany me to the banquet?"
It was an excellent opportunity, and Tang Shen hesitated.
After much consideration, he summoned Lu Shen in the afternoon. "Go find out who Xiao Lü is hosting tonight."
Near dusk, Lu Shen hurried back and reported, "Daren, I couldn’t determine who Xiao Lü is hosting, but I did learn one thing: this morning, the commander of the palace garrison, Yelü Qin, arrived in Xijin Prefecture!"
Tang Shen was stunned. "Who?"
"Yelü Qin, the commander of the Liao palace garrison."
Tang Shen suddenly chuckled and sighed. "What a small world!"
Half a year ago, Tang Shen had served as an envoy for Song and received a delegation from Liao. The highest-ranking official in that delegation was none other than Yelü Qin. Tang Shen hadn’t expected to encounter him again here in Xijin Prefecture.
"It looks like attending the banquet is out of the question."
Tang Shen called for Qiao Jiu. "I’ll head back to Youzhou tomorrow. Be extremely cautious tonight. Yelü Qin is not like other Liao officials—he’s cunning and treacherous. You must stay on guard."