The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 149 Faith
Li Jingde had always believed that the civil officials of the court were all delicate and frail. Forget leading troops into battle on horseback; even a gust of cold wind on a winter night could give them a cold, leaving them bedridden.
At first, Li Jingde didn't understand Su Wenyun's purpose for coming and thought it was nothing important, so he casually dismissed him. Now that he knew it was related to the Liao State, Li Jingde was immediately energized. He ordered the kitchen to prepare a fresh lamb and turned to Su Wenyun, saying, "It's freezing outside. Those Liao people might not know many characters and seem like rough men, but when it comes to roasting meat, they know far more than we do."
Su Wenyun glanced at him sideways and snorted coldly, feigning indifference, "Oh?"
Li Jingde smiled apologetically, "On a cold day, eating a piece of roasted lamb is truly a delicacy. But roasting outside in the cold is too harsh. Roasting inside our house isn't suitable either. It has to be done in their tents to bring out the flavor."
Who would have thought that the Marshal of the Western Expedition's residence would have a tent?
The two roasted lamb in the tent. Although Li Jingde claimed he would personally roast the lamb for Su Wenyun, most of the work was done by the chef.
When it came to serious matters, both were extremely solemn.
Su Wenyun said, "Now that the Liao Emperor is getting older, he's gradually losing his grip on the affairs of the Liao State. The struggle for the throne is inevitable. The Liao Emperor has four sons, but only two remain."
Li Jingde's thick beard was stained with grease from the roasted meat. He frowned, "You mean that Yelü Shege and Yelü Han?"
Su Wenyun, noticing the grease on Li Jingde's beard, widened his eyes in disgust. He moved slightly away and continued, "Everyone has weaknesses, and the Liao State will inevitably fall due to internal strife. The weaknesses of these two are quite simple. Yelü Shege is arrogant but lustful; Yelü Han is crude and boastful. By exploiting these weaknesses, we can destabilize the Liao State. Only when the Liao State is in chaos will our Great Song have the opportunity to send our cavalry north and reclaim our lost territories."
Hearing this, Li Jingde was initially overjoyed, but then he sighed, "It's not that easy."
Su Wenyun smiled, "Who said it's easy? The pieces we've placed in the Liao State over the past two years aren't just for gathering information. Two years have passed, and it's time for them to play their part. I'm a civil official and a capital official, with little influence in the Northwest. But you, Li Jingde, are different. His Majesty has never said that the plan to conquer Liao should be kept secret from the Northwest army."
Hearing this, Li Jingde's heart tightened, but he maintained his rough demeanor. He said, "Are you saying you're willing to join forces with me?"
"It's not about willingness... Tang Jingze once mentioned to me that half a year ago, he promised you that when the time came, he would not let you down." Su Wenyun paused, then said, "So, the time has come, General Li."
Li Jingde was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily and called for a servant, "I remember we have a calf in the residence."
The servant was puzzled.
Li Jingde waved his hand, "Bring it here and roast it for Minister Su to taste."
Su Wenyun thought to himself: Do you think the Su family is some poor household? Do you think I, Su Wenyun, have never eaten beef before?
But this time, seeing Li Jingde's barely contained joy, he refrained from mocking him and silently took a bite of the roasted lamb.
As fellow confidants of the emperor, Su Wenyun and Li Jingde had known each other for eight years.
Gui zheng ren could not enter the top two ranks of the imperial examination, nor could they hold positions above the fourth rank.
But Li Jingde had never taken the imperial examination. He had fought his way up from the battlefield to become the second-rank Marshal of the Western Expedition.
The first time they met wasn't really a meeting. Su Wenyun had only seen Li Jingde from a distance outside Shengjing City. It was when Grand Preceptor Zhou returned victorious from resisting the Liao State, and Emperor Zhao Fu led the civil and military officials out of the city to welcome him. At that time, Su Wenyun was just a fifth-rank Hanlin compiler, blending into the crowd of officials, unnoticed.
Li Jingde was a young general under Grand Preceptor Zhou, full of vigor and vitality. However, he had a black cloth tied around his forehead. When the Hanlin officials saw it, they said, "What a pity, he's a gui zheng ren."
Everyone has their own struggles, and no one is free from them.
On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, officials began their holiday.
This year, Tang Huang, Yao San, and Aunt Yao had returned to Jiangnan early to manage their shops and celebrate the New Year in Gusu. Tang Shen simply stayed at the Minister Residence. The night before New Year's Eve, the two went to the palace for a banquet.
In the Yanchun Pavilion, the three princes still had not returned to the capital this year. Emperor Zhao Fu, however, was in high spirits. Coinciding with the imperial examination year, he specially invited the top three scholars to the banquet and spoke with them for a while.
The next day, on New Year's Eve, Tang Shen and Wang Zhen went to Liuqi Courtyard.
In the past, they always wrote and played chess. The ancient ways of entertainment were too limited, and Tang Shen found them dull. He said, "Let's play cards instead."
Wang Zhen raised an eyebrow, "So, I can play cards?"
Tang Shen, "I know you can't, so I'll teach you a new game."
"I can't?" Wang Zhen asked in surprise.
Tang Shen was puzzled, "Huh?"
Wang Zhen smiled slightly, "That sentence wasn't a negation, little Junior Brother. What I just said was... so, I can play madiao (a traditional card game)."
Tang Shen: "..."
Just tell me, is there anything you can't do?
Wang Zhen indeed knew how to play cards, but he didn't enjoy it much. Tang Shen wanted to try something new, so Wang Zhen thought for a moment, "How about adding some stakes?"
"What kind of stakes?"
"How about betting on tonight's... ahem, haha, you made me say it, don't blame me."
Tang Shen elbowed Wang Zhen in the shoulder. It didn't hurt much, but it made him smile broadly.
In the end, they didn't get to play cards as Tang Shen had hoped.
During the New Year holiday, while officials were on break, it didn't necessarily mean they were completely off duty. After just two days at home, on the second day of the New Year, Wang Zhen went to the office to handle official business. The matter of the Silver Pull Division couldn't be delayed. The emperor had issued the decree in November, but due to the New Year, it wasn't immediately implemented. Once the New Year began, the Great Song Silver Bank would be established with great fanfare.
Wang Zhen was so busy he barely had time to sit down. Tang Shen, originally resting at home, also found it boring and went to the Ministry of Works.
Officials had holidays, but the craftsmen did not.
The government officer took Tang Shen to inspect various storerooms. When the craftsmen saw Tang Shen, they all stood up in fear and knelt to pay their respects. Tang Shen immediately helped up the craftsman nearest to him. The man, trembling with fear, kept his head down and couldn't speak. Tang Shen paused, then looked around and saw that the other craftsmen were equally terrified of him.
Tang Shen's lips moved, but in the end, he only said, "Next time you see me, there's no need for this," before turning and leaving.
By the tenth day of the first lunar month, Tang Shen wrote a memorial and sent it to the palace. The next day, he was summoned by Emperor Zhao Fu.
When Tang Shen arrived at Chuigong Hall, Emperor Zhao Fu was writing. After finishing, he examined it carefully and nodded in satisfaction. Then he looked up at Tang Shen and beckoned, "Jing Ze, come closer."
Tang Shen walked over respectfully.
"Take a look at these characters."
Tang Shen focused and read, "Where beauty lies."
Emperor Zhao Fu laughed heartily, "What do you think?"
Tang Shen remained calm and analyzed seriously, "Where beauty lies, even if insulted, the world cannot demean it; where evil lies, even if exalted, the world cannot honor it. This saying comes from 'Huainanzi,' emphasizing holding to one's principles and not conforming to others' manipulations. Your Majesty's calligraphy flows freely, like a dragon wandering through clouds, embodying the unrestrained style of the King of Huainan."
Emperor Zhao Fu laughed for a while, then said to Ji Fu, "Tang Jingze always knows how to please me. You should learn from him."
Ji Fu smiled apologetically, "This servant could never compare to Tang daren."
Emperor Zhao Fu said to Tang Shen, "I've seen your memorial. Why did you suddenly bring up such matters?"
Tang Shen hesitated for a moment, then suddenly took three steps back and bowed deeply, his back parallel to the ground. He said solemnly, "Your subject has something to say and begs Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Emperor Zhao Fu's eyebrows twitched. He put down his brush and said kindly, "Speak freely."
"Why did Your Majesty transfer me to the Ministry of Works and appoint me as Right Vice Minister?"
Hearing this, Ji Fu thought to himself, "This Tang Jingze is out of his mind. How dare he question the emperor's decisions? All officials under heaven are subjects of Emperor Zhao Fu. The emperor can do as he pleases; there's no room for doubt."
But Ji Fu was just a eunuch. Despite serving Emperor Zhao Fu for so many years, he only understood petty schemes, not grand strategies.
Emperor Zhao Fu, upon hearing Tang Shen's words, was not angered. He quietly looked at Tang Shen for a long time, then smiled, "What do you think, Jing Ze?"
"Your subject does not know. But last year, when I went to Jizhou to manage the flood disaster, I realized that officials in the Ministry of Works are not craftsmen. What Your Majesty truly needs is not my experience in flood control but the expertise of the Water Bureau Director under me. So, I began to wonder, as Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, what can I truly do for Your Majesty and for our Great Song?"
Emperor Zhao Fu's eyes lit up. He leaned closer to the desk, stretching his neck, "What do you want to do?"
Tang Shen raised his cupped hands high and said earnestly, "I want to create a new vision for Your Majesty and for our Great Song."
"How?" Emperor Zhao Fu's voice became urgent.
Tang Shen remained composed, "Promote those who deserve promotion and do what needs to be done."
"Is this what you wrote in your memorial? But there's a distinction between officials and commoners. For one person to lower their status is your own affair. To expect all officials to do the same is no easy task. Moreover, would this truly be effective? Can you achieve what you claim? How can I trust you?"
Tang Shen looked up, his gaze firm, "Everyone has faith. I have only been an official for eight years, but I have met many people with strong faith. I know that Minister Su Wenyun went to Youzhou before the New Year because he has faith. He is wholeheartedly devoted to serving Your Majesty, unafraid of thorns on the road ahead. I also know that General Li Jingde has held onto faith for over twenty years without wavering, which is why he has earned Your Majesty's trust."
Emperor Zhao Fu stared at him intently.
Tang Shen continued, "Doesn't Wang Zhen, Wang daren also have faith? I know I cannot hide this from Your Majesty. I was the first to see the memorial from Shu and the one who informed Wang daren. However, saying it is easy; doing it is incredibly difficult. But after six years, Wang daren has achieved what he has today. He does it for Your Majesty and for the millions of people of our Great Song. He, too, has faith."
"I have no soldiers, no certainty, but my faith remains unwavering. I only know to press forward."
Emperor Zhao Fu stared fixedly at Tang Shen.
Tang Shen lowered his head and saluted, his body straight as a pine tree standing firm among rocks.
After a long while, Emperor Zhao Fu laughed heartily. He stood up, walked around the desk, and took Tang Shen's hand. Tang Shen looked up and saw Emperor Zhao Fu's aged but bright eyes gazing at him calmly, his voice gentle, "I have said this to Zi Feng, to Fei Ran, and to Jing De. These are words Grand Preceptor Zhou once said to me, and now I shall tell them to you."
"Jing Ze, before you lies a vast ocean, and I will always be the small boat behind you all."